BusyB

That's not only true about the moon landings ...

If he'd been awarded only ONE PENNY less than the settlement offer he'd have been liable for all the costs. It seems he got enough of what he was after not to have to take that risk. Kudos!

The message was quite clear when they fled indoors because of some inclement weather and let their acolytes freeze outside. I learnt leading from the front. But from cowards like that you can't expect even any attempt to hide their deep contempt for the dolts they've duped.

Like last year, and the year before, and every d e c a d e since (probably before) I first arrived in Thailand. It's like road safety. I accept the way things are and that noone seems to care or is capable of doing something, but I do find the mentality hard to grasp. Maybe I'll understand in another decade or two.

Silence or a 'we are preparing to work with Trump on the basis of respect for his office and pragmatism' would have sufficed. But lapdogs will be lapdogs. However, after the line of despicable, cowardly, self-debasing clowns the UK electorate has reeled out over the last 15, and especially the last 8 years, none of them with any trace of personal dignity or shame, Lammy is one of the more harmless. He at least can use the weak excuse of his own office here. But didn't have to. I hope EU pols can come up with better than this puke making grovel. But it's also no different to all the flimsy cardboard cutouts in the US who used to tell the truth about Trump and opposed him. They now line up to kiss his ring piece at Mar A Lago and the WH. First and foremost his Veep.

I think you know what it means ...

I think you'll find Mill agrees with you.

Good lord. Someone who's actually done some serious reading outside of X and Facebook. Nice. Also means you're aware of the harm principle of course.

I suspect things like that get put on the temple accounts so the abbot theoretically doesn't 'own' them.

Agree. And it will also mean that the measures/improvements/recommendations of the previous inquiries will be further delayed till after the new 'inquiry'. It's just about 'whipping up a froth' as the Germans say.

So much for the clampdown on school bus safety they promised after the inferno a few weeks ago. They (transport and education authorities, police, school admins etc.) really don't give a fruit fly's fart. If they did they'd actually do something. But they really just don't care. It's more important not to 'give offence' or 'lose face'. They'd rather have innocent kids roasted alive or broken into bits and pieces in the backs of trucks not even fit to transport cattle. But then again they're all lower status kids aren't they? And only kids at that. So why care at all eh?

Poor thing.

I wonder why ... 🤔

I thought that's what bars are ...?

I was wondering about that. Maybe he's been set up?

As I left the place after a diving expedition in 2008 I vowed never to go back. In between times it only seems to have become worse ...

OK, maybe a third of the way now in 2025 but the message is quite clear. Steer clear of Phuket taxis and tuktuks. Even when they're being decent they're ripping you off. Badly.

You ask that on AN?

They probably have to pay for the locks themselves.

I think there's cheese in some Polish Krakauer sausages.

The family jewels?

This a real man bites dog kinda story eh?

Surprise surprise! Or maybe not ...

I doubt the Russian army was ever what it was made out to be. It proved to be pretty useless from the very beginning. They failed to take the strategically essential airfields due to Ukrainian tactics and stunning bravery and patriotism. And look at all those unfortunate tankies cooped up in their metal boxes on the road to Kyiv - willing Javelin bait. Having to beg N.Korean troops two years later for your stumbling meat grinder isn't a sign of military prowess either. One thing is for certain, Russia won't even cast a sideways glance at the Baltic states or any other NATO state for the foreseeable future after the Ukraine debacle. That even though Ukraine's forces are not even fully fledged NATO forces. They've merely had a modicum of NATO training and been given a few of our less potent weapons systems, backed presumably by some intelligence but limited in range. They've completely humiliated the Russians in every single aspect of warfare from the high command right the way down to the trenches. Besides that the Baltics are now backed by 'tripwire' NATO brigades and more importantly Finland close by and Sweden - now both full NATO members. Talk about the law of unintended consequences. The 'Special Military Operation' ('the troops'll be home by Christmas folks' - just like Kaiser Wilhelm's boys in 1914) has been a complete failure on all fronts. Russia can barely make incremental gains and then only by gratuitously sacrificing tens of thousands of its young mens' lives. The burden of caring for hundreds of thousands of disabled and invalid men and women will be incalculable. They will also be lost to reconstruction as much as those who had the nous and means to flee are gone. The land Russia's acquired while drenching it in its soldiers' blood is basically a burden. Former coal mining territory largely populated by pensioners and laid ruin to by war. Crimea has been neutralized as a naval asset. Add to that the prospect of years of well equipped, motivated and financed guerrilla warfare resistance in any further territorial gains. The Russian economy was about the size of the Italian economy at the start of the SMO. It's been ramped up to something larger now, but in reality purely because Putin's had to transform it into a war economy which is not sustainable. The numbers (GDP, productivity etc.) might look good, but you can't eat bullets and it all goes at the cost of the civilian sectors including consumers. No-one outside of Russia would even consider buying a ruble - the exchange rate exists by Putin's decree and is even so at an all time low. Interest rates hover at around 20% to counter raging inflation. The shadow tankers and forcing the country's companies to onshore foreign currency revenues are signs of weakness not vitality. Globally Russia has become China's vassal and Beijing isn't overly happy with it nowadays. I suspect the only reason Putin is still in office has less to do with his fabled powers as a spy and ruthless gangster, and much more to do with noone else in Moscow being willing to pick up the poison chalice he's leaving behind.

And totally destroy what's left of its heritage as a fishing village/town. Great. Next to the Dolphin roundabout they leveled the Palm Gardens Hotel - one of my top 3 in Thailand. An older, 2 story, lovely, family run, affordable hotel with brilliant Thai cuisine, full of long term stayers, formerly a TUI resort with a swell pool and lovely garden, AND the quaint old town type shopping center opposite where there were real massage shops, trinket stands, small shops and of course great Kiss Food grub. They've replaced that with Terminal 20 bloody 1 - like Pattaya urgently needed another mall - and the hotel was still a desolate site last time I was there. Broke my heart it did.