connda

Wow. Total install size is around 7GB. 😳

...or a "Dead Friend's" Richard Mille RM29 luxury time-piece.

I'll give it a look. Another one I found was BlissOS.

I've started playing around with an Android emulator, in this case Android X86. I'm running it in a Virtualbox VM and I see some potential for its use. Has anyone else played with Android emulation. Any recommendations on other emulators regarding ease of use, functionality, and reliability? And security. Thoughts?

Classic CYA (Cover Your Asses).

It's the standard trope to justify the US forever expansionism, forever wars, and forever support of the military industrial complex. The MIC can't suck at the teats of Uncle Sam if the US doesn't have forever enemies. The narrative goes like this: The US must project power right up the the doorsteps of all the other countries on the planet in order to stop "evil" countries from aggressive expansionism. Essentially they "project" what they themselves have been doing since the end of WWII onto Russia, China, Iran, DPRK, and all the countries they call "The Axis Of Evil" or other BS sloganism which justifies their 800+ bases world-wide and a military budget that when combined with dark branches of the various "intelligence" agencies exceeds $1 trillion USD a year (I won't use the world "defense" as there is nothing defensive about the US hegemon's military - it is all offensive) - then add in a few hundred billion USD more in "foreign aid" to "allies" in the form of military hardware. The US has to have enemies in order to shovel $$$ cash into the gaping maw of the Military Industrial Complex - and yes - it is very Orwellian (for those who still can read and have read 1984 - a dystopian future vision which is getting all too uncomfortably real). As for the US' "enemies?" Watch countries like China and Russia as well as the nations which will comprise the BRICS+ closely and listen to what they have been saying, unflitered by the Western main-stream media. This requires that you use multiple sources of information and includes actually listening to the leaders and foreign ministers and diplomats from these countries. The basic tenet of what will become the BRICS economic and defense alliances is to respect the internal sovereignty of individual nations, to utilize the United Nations and International Law as the arbitrators of disputes, and above all - the engage in mutually beneficial economic trade. What you don't hear from these leaders or their foreign ministers is any rhetoric about military expansionism or colonialism, as colonialism is now essentially a Western phenomenon - and the colonialists are losing grip on their colonies as their colonies reject colonial control and they begin the process to take back control of their countries (the French are a perfect example as nations in the African Sahel region kick both French and US militarizes out of their countries). What fills the vacuum? China and Russia who are offering an economic place at the BRICS+ table for those countries who want to trade and to actually develop their countries economically for the benefit of their own people as opposed to having their resources raped by Western colonial powers and put into the pockets of Western corporate benefactors and Western oligarchs. Western militaries are there to protect Western corporate interests as well as the interests of Western capitalists and the billionaire class. Most expats from the West are basically brain-washed from the time they are born to accept that a Western liberal international order - which includes settler colonialism - is the only form of "Good" in the world and therefore their home countries have a right to fight and go to war with any other countries who refuse their yoke of "liberal democracy" (which looks more like classic Fascism). So they laugh and ridicule anything other then the narratives regarding foreign affairs and foreign relations put forth by the propaganda arms of their own foreign offices and megaphoned to their citizens by the Western main-stream media. So the West puts their militaries right on China's doorstep, they put their militaries right on Russia's doorstep, they put their militaries right on the doorsteps of every country in the world which refuses to accept a Unipolar Western "Rules-Based International Order" (we make up the rules; you follow them). Now ask yourself the question: What would the US do if a military alliance of China, Russia, and the BRICS+ nations put a military presence on the doorstep of the US? What if they started pouring military weapons and military aid into Mexico, Cuba, Central American, and the Caribbean? "To stop US aggression," of course! We all know what happens - we saw it in 1962. Yet that is what the US and its allies have been doing since WWII and then accelerated their military expansionism after the fall of the Soviet Union. And their justification? "To stop foreign expansionism." You can't make this s**t up. It reads better than fiction. So It really amazes me that expats living in Thailand, the ones who viscerally hate China and who believe that their countries must go to war with China if China dares to reintegrate their break-away island of Taiwan (an island which only 12 countries in the entire world consider to NOT be part of China), actually chose to remain in Thailand. Why? Because there is every sign in the world that the US with the aid of its allies plan to go to war with China - soon. Why? In order to "stop Chinese aggression" of course. 🙄 <head-shake> So when WW3 breaks out, where are the Chinese hating Western expats going to go, what are they going to do? When WW3 breaks out with Western military attacks on the Chinese mainland, who do you believe that Thailand will align with? The US? France? Australia? Western countries that are thousands of kilometers away? The ones that are thousands of kilometers away and yet on China's doorstep and attacking the Chinese mainland? Or the country that is 200 kilometers away? Wake up.

Go to a government hospital.

In order to trade in dollars countries must have USD reserves. With the US sanctioning everyone and their brother who doesn't follow their rules in the Rules-based International Order (We make the rules; you follow the rules or else) or they and their G-7 allies keep freezing the USD assets of sovereign nations (for not following their rules), the BRICS+ and nations in the Global South and other non-aligned nations are going to simply stop using the US dollar. They writing is on the wall. It's not safe to hold USD reserves. It won't happen over-night, but more and more countries will opt for trading in local currencies or when the BRICS+ matures they'll probably establish a common economic form of currency transfer. Most countries globally understand the Ledeen Doctrine and as such are making long-term plans to unhook from "The Golden Billion" in the West and establish trade with the other 6 Billion world-wide.

Star Visa out by Big C on the ring road seems like a winner to me. I know the area. Thanks!

Me too - I hope tobacco and then alcohol get the axe as well, in that order.

Thai government urged to regulate booming influencer industry Thai government urged to regulate censor and shut down free-speech within the booming influencer industry. There! Fixed it!

The hospital later apologised, with Dr Adinun Kittiratanapaibool explaining that staff acted with good intentions to protect patient welfare hospital's and airline's reputations. There! Fixed it!

Corporations hate liability and will go to extreme measures to avoid paying out anything to the victims.

I feel very bad for these people. However, how many people unbuckle their seat-belt just because the "Seatbelt" sign is not lit? I've flown commercial and as a private pilot - when I'm sitting in a plane, my seat-belt is fastened unless I have to get up and use the restroom. My guess is that most of the injured were seat-belt free. Just like wearing a seat-belt in a car: 99.999999999% of the time you don't need it - you need it when the 0.000000001% of the time event occurs. 🙏 Prayers for the injured and dead.

I need to get a picture for a US Passport renewal. The US State Department are nitpickers about the correct photo size and composition and will reject applications with incorrect photos. I'm looking for a photo shop -- that has adequate parking -- where I can get a US passport photo that will pass the State Department's requirements. Considering it takes 6 to 8 weeks now to mail-in and renew a US passport, I don't want the application rejected due to a bad passport picture. Key takeaways: 1. Photo shop that can take US passport pictures that meet the State Department's requirements 2. Gotta be able to find car parking near the store (I'm getting to old to walk)

Easy. Tell the world that Thailand doesn't want tourist or their money. Stop issuing visas - Bob's your uncle! "Ai farang. We don't need no stinky tourists." Signed, Uncle Anutin

"Democracy" goes to the highest bidder. Pretty much globally. So I see Thaksin "I'm On My Deathbed" Shinawatra has suddenly made a miraculous recovery and is now in the forefront to reestablishing himself into the Thai political power structure. Hallelujah - Praise Buddha - A Miracle!!!

It's called "Modern Journalism." It's now the new norm.

Good. It's called diplomacy. It keeps the "Crazies In The Basement" from starting World Wars with nuclear outcomes.

Death on wheels.

There is nothing safe about tuk tuks, but anyone with a functioning set of eyes and half a brain should be able to determine that before stepping foot inside.

From Statista Consumer Insights https://www.statista.com/chart/30142/respondents-who-identify-as-lgbt--in-selected-countries/

Shhhh. No one is suppose to know! "Fascism recognises the real needs which gave rise to socialism and trade-unionism, giving them due weight in the guild or corporative system in which diverent interests are coordinated and harmonised in the unity of the State... The Fascist State lays claim to rule in the economic field no less than in others; it makes its action felt throughout the length and breadth of the country by means of its corporate, social, and educational institutions, and all the political, economic, and spiritual forces of the nation, organised in their respective associations, circulate within the State." ― Benito Mussolini I believe Mussolini and Giovanni Gentile envisioned the State itself as being the primary controller of all aspects of society, but in the last 20 years corporations have become founts of ungodly sums of revenues and profits and now can essentially buy governmental and political power, hence organizations like the WEF. And a Fascist State works well for their interests as well. Working hand-in-hand with the government, corporations can leverage the government to pave the way for laws which will increase corporate revenues and therefore power for corporations, and in turn they shower government entities and politicians with wealth which entrenches the politicians into their governments for lifetimes and allow those individual politicians to also accrue massive power. So Public-Private Partnerships are a marriage made in Hell which benefits both the corporate and governmental stakeholders at the expense of the average man and woman on the streets who are looked upon by both governments and corporations as little more then livestock to be used, exploited, and then culled. And the livestock commoners must be surveilled, watched, and controlled. A cashless society where governments and corporations monitor every satang spent by every individual pretty much borders on the ideals of the "Utopian F-word" that Mussolini and Gentile envisioned for the rest of us - commoners who must be controlled by the iron-hand of the State for the benefit of corporations and the State. But nobody studies history, philosophy, economics, or sociology anymore, so most people don't have a clue. Most people are just pulled by their nose-ring down the kill-chute as they are told that sacrificing for the State is their patriotic duty. Austerity is good for the planet! And as far as the average person goes nowadays, if it's not some super-star flashing their bacon and their bling on TikTok, most people don't care. "The perfect dictatorship would have the appearance of a democracy, but would basically be a prison without walls in which the prisoners would not even dream of escaping. It would essentially be a system of slavery where, through consumption and entertainment, the slaves would love their servitudes." ― Aldous Huxley

No. The government wants to keep track of how much you spend and on what so they can get tax you to death and throw you in jail if you buy the wrong stuff or don't give them enough of your money. Corporations what to know how much you spend and on what so they can target you as a human commodity, sell your data, and market you to death. Now if you use cash? All of that wonderful data is lost to them. So the corporations work with the government (Public-Private Partnerships) and will eventually have the government make cash illegal so that they CAN collect all of that information. However? Then a very rich and robust black market will develop to fill in the vacuum. Watch! In the meantime - use cash whenever you can as it make going cashless more of a PITA for both corporate and government entities.

I live out here in the Thai rice-field boondocks and most of the Mom&Pop stores have a QR Code taped near where they take money, but honestly, virtually no one uses anything but cash. 🤔 Let see, I need some onions and some pakchee and this snack. How much? 😁 20 baht. 🤔 Now let's see, should I take my phone out, log in, open my banking app, log in, screw around with the app until I've got the QR code scanner, and - dang, weak signal. Screw it. Here's 10, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20...baht (dumps change on the counter). 😁 Kop Kun Kaa!