connda

Yep, the Ruble's Rubble, the Russian economy is in tatters, Russian shops have empty shelves, and you can't find an egg anywhere in Moscow, and Russia is launching missiles made out of North Korean washing machines which only manage to land on their own troops. Nothing to worry about, Putin will see the writing on the wall and immediately cave.

Never encountered that either. Go to Shopee and send it to your address COD.

I hope sooner than later. Even my "Boomer" wife is ready for a change lead by the youth of this country.

I see Thailand was conveniently left out. And we're not even into the "burn season" yet. I've seen AQI over 300 and in the "Hazardous" zone every year in and around Chiang Mai over the last few years.

That's because someone's daddy has their arm inserted in said young lady's nether regions and is using his hand to work her mouth open and shut while "throwing his voice," just like Buffalo Bob Smith did with Howdy Doody and Sherri Lewis did with Lamb-Chop.

Then you only imagine how bad it is for those of us who live though this sh*te for three-plus months a year, year in - year out. However, now that the science it in my warnings to tourist to bypass Northern Thailand between Feb though May doesn't seem unwarranted.

There is always a back-story. Here too no doubt. Bottom line: Don't Overstay. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

Yep. Exactly. "It's America's responsibility!" Nope - it's the responsibility of the host country afford refugee status.

When I was in the military I made several deployments. Most people who weren't utterly homophobic knew who the gays were onboard, both guys and gals. One the the gals I worked with was gay. It absolutely didn't impact her work. There was no problem. Honestly, there was a lot of guys and gals banging each other on board. It's a small community, most people knew. Hell the same things were probably happening in the wardrooms. You just kept it to yourself and then it wasn't an issue. If the gays were banging each other they kept it under wraps as well as most hetero couples. And if some people were getting a piece on the side, big deal. When we got to Subic or Pattaya and other ports of call, we had the last laugh. This was all before "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." So honestly, Trump isn't going to end gays in the military. However, in my own humble opinion, there is no place for men pretending to be women in the military. Up to this point the woke generals attempted to shove woke ideology down the throats of their combat troops - forcing the majority to accommodate a small minority. That impacted US combat readiness and that is a recipe for disaster. It makes a mockery of the institution. And the majority of soldiers are not going to abide by it and then it becomes a problem. And guess what you need in your combat forces? Uniformity and trust. That breaks down when men are allowed to pretend they are women. It can't be allow. As far as gays who aren't activists? Who cares as long as they are good at their professional duties. Don't advertise it and it isn't a problem.

For those who insist on going down the road to insanity, don't complain when sanity pushes back. You open yourselves to mockery. If you are some brainwashed teen or young man who believes you can menstruate, you are probably overlooking a serious medical condition that will most likely kill you. And yet the radical progressives are dangerously encouraging you engage in this nonsensical behavior. Darwin Awards abound. Natural selection culls the weak and deranged.

Talk about a bitter, hate-filled progressive. We're back to how the Left handles itself. When you're incapable of posing an intelligent counter-argument, you default to ad-hominid attacks, slurs, and defamatory hyperbole. It's sad to see such bitter hatred consume someone. I'm sorry your life sucks so badly.

Dressing in slacks, and shirt, and shoes will get you further than dressed like a back-backer. In the past, I always crossed the border in "Business Casual" attire. In fact, anytime I go to Immigration, it's dressed like this. Interesting story, but when I flew from LAX to BKK back in the day, I was flying economy, but they bumped me to Business Class for free. Why? I was dressed for it. Perceptions. They can work in your favor.

I have known and been close friends with many, many gay people over the years. But here's the difference. Almost none of them were LGBTQ+++ activists. The daughter of some of my best friends is gay and married to her female partners. But she is a LGBTQ+++ activist, and she is one of the unhappy, angry people I know. Her family loves her and her partner, I love her like a daughter, a lot of people really care about her. But she is chewed up inside because she want's the world to accept her while she rants on about evil cis-gendered straight people. The acceptance isn't a two-way street. The reality of this world is that some people have no problem with gays etc, and some people do, and their is no changing that. I don't have any issue with other's sexuality, what I do care about is having their ideology crammed down my throat, and even worse, at the end of a gun once a government see an opportunity to have an excuse to take up a cause that allows them to move toward authoritarianism, much like the UK and EU are right now. Learn to ignore the people who don't like you and embrace those who love you. Then you can find happiness.

That's coming to an end. Considering the 2028 Olympics are in LA, expect the Trump administration to have already shut-down the transgender males in women's sports regardless of what the Olympic Committee wants. I don't ever want to see another man beating the snot out of women in an Olympic boxing ring - ever.

Again - the US can't take care of the health of its own citizens first. Until it can, it's not the responsiblity of the US to care for the rest of the world. Using your own logic, the lack of proper healthcare for all of its citizens can "lead to the spread of infectious diseases." My guess is that between 2020 and 2023, maybe even to the present, you have worn a mask and taken all of the Covid shots, and have had Covid at least once. Maybe if the US didn't fund so many gain-of-function labs in the past we wouldn't have so many infectious diseases. Lab leaks, deliberate or accidental, imho probably cause the vast majority of novel epidemics. And using your own logic, the US should be supplying me with the same healthcare as they do refugees on the Thai border in order to prevent "the spread of infectious diseases," as being a US citizen, I'm the one most likely to travel cross-border and bring sickness into my own country. And yet? They don't. So enough - we're polar opposites in our beliefs and that will never be resolved. I'm glad the Trump Administration and DOGE have shut off the spigot of US funding, and hopefully when they turn it on again it's "America and Americans First" and then we can discuss the rest of the world.

It's not the USA's responsibility to send US citizen's taxpayers money to take care of the rest of the world. "But it's needed to provide healthcare for people around the world!!!" Right - while US citizens, including veterans, sleep rough on the streets and have no healthcare at all. And by the way, my own country doesn't supply as much as a dime for my healthcare, so why is some refugee on the Thai border more deserving then myself? Is the US government going to step up and take care of this veteran if I get sick? The answer is "no." Until the US solves the majority of its own domestic issues, not one cent of so-called "aid" should flow outside of its borders. We are not the caretakers of the rest of the world when we can't care for our own. After we care for all our own citizens, then we can talk foreign aid to others in a tightly controlled manner that isn't subject to the graft and corruption of previous administrations.

Are you an Alien? Yes.

Racist? Not at all. It's observable fact. "They" in Thailand aren't Spanish, or Africans, or South Americans, or Mongolians, or Arabs, or Eskimos. "They" are the vast majority driving on the roads in Thailand - Thais! Seriously, you come across as an apologist for poor Thai driving as well as the archaic governmental/educational system which refuses to address the lack of solid driver's education with the funding and educational resources to actually affect positive change and lower the carnage to at least that of other developing countries. It can be done, there is just no will to do it.

But they are in many ways - Ignorantly Reckless. A lot of that could be addressed by education, but first you need to have instructors who understand "safe driving" from a Western perspective. I don't see any evidence that they exist here. Even the driver's education videos by the government are just short of moronic. Example - Most Thais don't know how to merge, yield, or have any understanding of right-of-way: * Don't understand the use of acceleration lanes and the majority of drivers will stop at an intersection or highway entrance from a parking lot and then cut across two or more lane to the far right high-speed lane and then drive at a snail's pace to make a U-Turn. * Don't understand deceleration lanes as they will slow down on the highway to a crawl, and then cut right across the deceleration lane when they make their turn instead of using it to decelerate. * Instead of pulling behind a car when lanes merge most will force their bumper right in the path of your vehicle and force their way in even if their is plenty of space behind you. * Thais will turn from a left hand road and pull right into traffic without looking (especially motorcycles). * Thais will turn onto the shoulder from a left hand road, drive at a snails place for 1/2 to 1 km, often with one set of wheels on the shoulder and one set of wheel on the road before simply pulling out in front of higher speed traffic with yielding. Everything I wrote above would get you a ticket in the US. It's taught and it's enforced. Here in Thailand? Nope. I could go on but what's it worth. In the West we learned driver's education in high school - a whole term of Drivers Ed., in-class, hands-on, lessons from the State Patrol, the works. What's driver's education in Thailand? The ignorant teaching the ignorant. It's not "Confirmations Bias," it's opening your eyes to the reality that the vast majority of Thais never learned how to drive which in turn is directly attributable to the carnage on the roads.

Wonder if they have a Thai version? 🤔

How ironic?

Already here, but my biggest concern is how many people will get chopped up on the rotors. And given the price tag, I won't be joining the Jetsons in this lifetime. https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3258401/china-clears-first-evtol-aircraft-production-low-altitude-economy-takes-wing Would I want one? Yeah, there was a day back when I was a private pilot. Now? Piloting is a game for younger folk. Self-driving. If affordable, sure, why not?

JFK Jr. is out of committee and onward for a full Senate confirmation vote.

They have a staff surgeon in Dermatology. Yeah, she is easy on the eyes. Studied and worked at the Boston University School of Medicine.

I've never run across that. I'm currently "Under Consideration" and I just completed an online 90 day and was approved with a date that is two month and change past my Under Consideration report date. So my 90 day just expired a full month after my extension which was completed at the end of Dec 2024. (If this confuses anyone, I have a two month "Under Consideration" period - never seen that before). So my last 90 day was submitted and approved in Nov 2024. Same with every time I've completed a 90 day prior to my extension renewals - my 90 days always have been approved and the expiration of the 90 day is well past the date of my visa extension expiration date, ie, a full 90 days. So "no," 90 day expiration dates do not "only take you up to the extension (sic - expiration) date." I don't know - maybe this has something to do with individual Immigration offices but I'm not experiencing it.