connda

An slice of pizza and an ice-cream cone could have been sitting in the Oval Office instead of Trump and Biden respectively, and the US debt would still be 120% of GDP. The president doesn't have that much power. The deficient spending is baked into the system and set in motion by congress (ya know, the governmental 'purse-strings') for the benefit of their donors who essentially write the legislation that they pass. Everybody knows that the system is over-leveraged but inflation, and then hyper-inflation, will benefit the wealthy, and the most leveraged by debasing the currency to the point their debt disappears - and then it's reset time. The losers? Like usual - the commoners on the street. You simpletons actually believe that "your choice of candidate" actually gives a flying-**** about you personally. Jesus - grow up. They are all self-serving 'richard-craniums' and they don't give a rat's behind about you or anyone else but those who can keep them in power by way of massive injections of 'campaign contributions' (sprinkled with some insider trading tips). <wink wink>

Why don't all you Marxist Anti-Yanks go back to your Western Utopias and help your totalitarian leaders shut down free-speech instead of being negative on this forum?

Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed.

100 IQ? You're being generous. More like double-digits.

There are lots of great ideas which get totally corrupted before they get implemented. We live on a planet which could, quite literally, be close to a utopia for all. One problem though. Unbridled Human Greed. Eventually those great ideas get kicked to the gutter by those who wish to amass power and wealth and then impose extreme austerity on the rest of humanity - or just cull them - because why share if you can have it all to yourself?

Excellent observation Grasshopper! You may now pass "GO" and collect $200 dollars!

Pfffft. There is the illusion of two separate visions which the screens you personally watch eventually program you to completely buy into. But do wake up - Both of those "visions" oppress and control the commoners. Self ownership without government interference? Please don't make me laugh. What planet do you live on - or - what Anarcho-Capitalist Austrian Economics Utopia do you believe you live in? It doesn't exist except as a fleeting idea that has no basis in existence. Lord - The most ignorant fools are the fools who are fooling themselves.

Well there ya go. My conservative side makes me a Far-Right Extremist Wing-Nut Hitler Lover to those on the Left. My side that believes in social safety nets and certain socialistic economics which helps the poor and lower classes makes me a Far-Left Extremist Wing-Nut Marxist Lover to those on the Right. Me? I can actually see just how Fascistic both the Left and the Right actually are when they are put in positions of authority over other's lives. Virtually all of them are only interested in their own power and self-interests, as well as the interests of their donors and as those who help to make them millionaires on their government salary or by paving the way to lucrative post-government employment jobs in the private sector where they are rewarded for their service to their corporate sponsors and the billionaire class. The commons on the street who are given the illusion of democratic choice? "Screw the peons, let them eat cake bugs." Of course you'll be provided with a hole to live in - sorta like Hobbits. "It eats the bugs with a happy grin, or else it gets the hose again! Now EAT THE GOD**** BUGS!"

Really - age has not been kind to him at all. Wow! A 60 year old geriatric.

Good catch. I actually thought that was Buffet when I first saw the picture.

I wonder if he sniffs children and women like Joe? 🤔

The Left The Right are all extremist, Neo-Nazis wing-nuts and are going to vote for Hitler reincarnated. They need to be put down. The Right The Left are all extremist, Commie wing-nuts and are going to vote for Karl Marx reincarnated. They need to be put down. Me You're all nuts. Take a chill pill and relax. Your vote and your faith in democracy are illusions.

Just speaking for myself (don't consider this medical advice as I'm not a doctor). I used Alben (albendazole) as a deworming prophylaxis which means that I'm asymptomatic but deworming because I eat a lot of salads and ground vegetables raw. And I have a lot of dogs which get dewormed every 6 months too. So every 6 months I take one single 400 mg dose of Alben followed by another 400 mg dose two week later (the first dose doesn't kill the eggs). If you're really paranoid, go see a doctor and have a lab do a fecal test for parasites as dosage is dependent on what wormy critters are in your gut. The Alben insert will give you that dosages required for specific infections. Or look here. Also be aware of contraindications. Any questions - ask a medical professional https://www.drugs.com/dosage/albendazole.html

Tapeworms come from undercooked meat and raw fish for the most part. However if you eat fresh vegetables and salads or ground tubers like ginger, turmeric, carrots, etc and eat them raw - yeah, you can end up with round worms just like your dogs and cats. So? Don't freak out - just take Alben (albendazole) a couple of times a year and don't worry about worms. They are just a fact of life here in the tropics.

Walter White visits "Family-Friendly" Pattaya!

That was my expectation too (from the note at the Consulate in CM) considering that the summer in the US is the time the US State Department processes a lot of passport applications. So I was expecting to wait 6 to 8 weeks. As I said above - I was really surprised to get it in the mail 3 1/2 weeks after it arrived at the US Embassy in Bangkok. That was wayyyy more efficent than I expected, so I think they are just tempering expectations. It could take 6 to 8 weeks, but it probably will show up sooner. Do what I did - just make color copies of all the pages in your passport which have stamps plus the first pages and take out your TM30 and 90 Day report slip and arrival card, put them all together in an envelop, and hope it arrives sooner than later.

Hey KhunLA. Do you know anything about really inexpensive electric cars for village driving. Those Micro-compact EVs. I've seen them on the road but have no idea the make or where to buy them.

Note the laughing emoticon posted by someone who drives a status symbol 👆👆👆👆 Dude is probably paying off a couple of million THB of car debt plus interest. Me - I take my saving from purchasing an inexpensive car and invest in stocks and bonds. Me when I think about people who are highly in debt for no good reason 👉 😁 He who laughs last laughs best!

Then you need a car or a motorcycle.

Compared to the West, maintenance costs are dirt cheap because labor cost are dirt cheap. Then it depends on what type I car you want. So many people want to drive status symbols. But what is a car? It's something to get your from point A to point B. I drive a Suzuki Celerio. Cost 360K new. I paid cash. Get's the equivalent of 50+ miles per gallon. Cruises easily at 90 to 100. It's small enough to easily get around in the city when we do visit Chiang Mai. Maintenance has been dirt cheap. Highly reliable. So I'd recommend some type of a city car. Easy on the pocketbook, gets you where you want to go.

It depends where you're driving. If you live in a city like Bangkok I'd opt for public transportation or a motorcycle. Traffic is horrid. I lived in a condo in Laksi. Short walk to catch a bus to the Skytrain. I took public transport and walked a lot. But that was when I first got here in 2007 and I was in exploration-mode. I hadn't decided to actually live here. In Chiang Mai I owned a car and a motorcycle. Virtually all of my driving in Chiang Mai was on a motorcycle with the exception of shopping trips. Also used the car to travel to our home in Lamphun (We had an apartment in CM - oh and "we," yeah, hooked up with the Thai gal who is now my wife of 16 years). But for in-city driving a motorcycles gets you where you want to go significantly faster than in a car. Now we live full time in rural Lamphun. We need a car for weekly excursions to Big C, Makro, local trips to the Amphur and to local markets, temples, etc., outside of the village, and traveling to Chiang Mai, and for occasional day-tours and vacations such as driving down to Cha-Am. So like I said - it depends.

You'll get no arguments from me on that. Agreed - nasty stuff.

Oxalates can cause kidney stones. Now look at a food list that contain oxalates. OMG! And people start freaking out. However those foods, including teas, which contain oxalates also contain other substances like essential vitamins and minerals, and other chemicals which help the body to fight disease. The key to this isn't avoidance, it's moderation. And I agree with john donson - that fake palm concentrate that is passed off as evaporated milk is utter crap. I tend to avoid "milk tea" because it doesn't have any real milk in it. If you want real milk tea try an Indian restaurant. I like mine hot.

You live in the tropics. Intestinal worms are a reality, although Westerners who tend naturally be germaphobes and "clean-freaks" go into complete melt-downs over the thought of worms in their gut. And it has nothing to do with "street food." It has to do with the tropical bio-system you live in this close to the equator. Take Alben (Albendazole) twice a year then don't worry about them. Alben can be found in any Thai drugstore or even Big C for that matter and is dirt cheap - 30 or 40 THB. Thais unlike Westerners understand that intestinal worms are just a fact of life in the tropics. The other medicine that works is Ivermectin but it got such a bad rap during Covid that it's about impossible to find anymore. At one time it was easily accessible to buy and was dirt cheap as well. Difficult to find now and expensive if you can. So? Alben.