GinBoy2

So when is the next exciting vacation to Iran? I know it will be exciting and memorable, and we all wait with bated breath to see the photo's

This may sound weird, but almost look back fondly to the coup days. A lot of very spirited discussion all dancing around certain words that couldn't be mentioned, but overall quite intelligent if polarized And there was a lot more practical stuff, visas, DIY and Nancy with health stuff Today if I had to guess a lot of the mass posters are some kind of AI or just the publishers creating clickbate to get eyeballs

I rather liked that definition of 'remarkable and reckless' I wish I'd thought of that expression, but very accurate

Seriously you somehow thinking doing something totally irresponsible is in somehow noble? All it does place your fellow nationals in jeopardy. There are many duel Iranian citizens in fear of visiting their family in Iran because the hubris of a few who think, 'I'm Immune' well 'no sh***t' they now find themselves as a bargaining chip, well advised by their government not to do it. Don't lecture me, I await anxiously to see your next posts and pictures from Iran and North Korea on your next visits But don't expect any tears when you end up in some hell hole lock up for trumped up charges

Much as I feel for them, really what were they thinking. Western governments issue travel warnings for a reason, hardly the first UK citizens to be detained in Iran. The outcome I would also speculate because of their stupidity will be they get traded for some obnoxious terrorists held in Western prisons. I had similar thoughts about Otto Warmbier who died in North Korea after thinking it would be a jolly prank to steal a North Korea propaganda poster in a police state where you are under constant surveillance. I hope they get released but lets hope the price isn't too high. .....and next time take a cruise

Kinda thought about that the other day Many of you know I work for an airline. I was on the flight deck talking with the crew. Capt. had his jacket off, short sleeve shirt and he was sporting a full sleeve tattoo. Never seen that before, but I'd like to believe his desire for tats doesn't affect his mental ability to pilot a couple of hundred souls through the air

I have to agree sending food back just makes it worse. Do that in the West, and generally they try to make it right and are apologetic for the mistake. In Thailand, tends to be 'Fu====ck' him and the gloves come off. Not sure if it's gotten worse, I think it's always been like this

Gotta admit back in my professional days, I followed the pack to be clean shaven, God knows how many $$ I shelled out to the Gillette company, all I know is that it was more than I should have. Now a battery trimmer to keep the scruff in check and I'm good. But back to tats, at least if I wanted to, that scruff on my face could be gone in 5 minutes!

When I was a kid tats were the realm of drunken sailors and women of ill repute. I think it was the early 2000's when the whole tattoo thing exploded. Even the smallest town seems to be able to support a couple of tat shops And thinking of drunken sailors one of my best friends was one of them. Shore leave in the Philippines, girlfriend, now wife for 40 years, Patricia, Patty. Of course the tattoo artist inked it as 'I love Pat' He got a lot of grief for that lol

I always think of tattoo's this way. I wore clothes in the 1970's which I thought made me look pretty damn sexy. Of course wearing those same clothes today would make me look like a total idiot. But clothes can be consigned to the garbage can, and a new wardrobe can be purchased to fit the the time and your age. Not quite so easy with tattoo's which tend to live with you forever

Never said I worried about it, well maybe for my kids I do But for old age tattoos, maybe beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

I think my thoughts are, what looks good on 20 year old skin, may not look so good on the 40/50/60/70 year old skin. Maybe the trick is delay ink until you are in your 50's your skin is already on the downhill, if your a woman the babies have already been pushed out, and what the Hell you you only have a couple more decades to live with it

As one of what feels like the only human on the planet not inked, it seems far from over. I begged all my children not to do it. Told them pierce what you want but don't ink it. They all ignored me. The kids I work with, the boys and girls, all inked and actively discuss their next inking adventure. And it costs a fortune, they will willingly spend a weeks pay check on something I'm pretty sure in 20, 30 years time they will hate

Hmm, thats the problem, I don't think he has the ฿800K for a retirement visa. Few years back I lent him money to get him through the ฿400K marriage visa thing. How does the supporting a Thai child work? Still concerned about land. They mortgaged themselves up to the eyeballs to buy and build a resort. Not in a tourist hotspot so it's reliant on the locals. Pretty sure the money came from the local Chinese money lenders which is dodgy just from the get go, and God knows what the paper trail is. Now I'm watching this train wreak from across the ocean and just trying to help the best I can. Recruited a Swedish mutual friend who speaks German, I speak Thai and we're trying to navigate him through this. My wife is on the case with her contacts in the local Government, but TiT you know how that goes

What happens visa wise? he's kinda in pieces right now, ain't thinking straight. Half of me wants to tell just go back to Germany, calm down get his head back together then figure out if Thailand without his wife is where he wants to be

What I meant was it's his kid, not a step son from previous relationship

Maybe hold off giving the Chagos Islands away and wait for Mauritius to invade? Although in that case you'd have Big Daddy on Diego Garcia to knock that on the head within 24 hours, don't think the UK would have much to do, other than issue the press releases!

So, my wife's friend just died unexpectedly. Left behind are her German husband and a mutual underage son, Thai/german national. Given the suddenness and the realative youth of the wife don't believe there was any will or the like. What happens now? He obviously is now widowed, so visa wise, and does the minor son inherit the land, or do adult siblings of the woman get a bite

I'd be fine paying folks a living wage for the food we eat if it means I'm paying more at the store But my point is that the crooked farm owners knowingly employ illegals to lower their costs and line their own pockets, they ain't doing it for your benefit trust me

Oh, and btw, when ICE do raid the fields, I look forward to seeing a swath of farmers in orange jump suits for knowingly employed illegals in their fields. I think thats a crime, aren't you supposed to check an I-9!

Well I am a 'yank' have no real; view on Lammy as a politician so can't comment, after all I am a yank with no skin in that game But I do think as a 'yank' the ability the ability to at least comment on an absurd policy

So here is an idea, Why not grant independence to the Indian Ocean Territory, allow the Chagocians to return, then retain Diego Garcia as a sovereign base? Hardly groundbreaking idea, seems to have worked pretty well in Cyprus since independence

Once we start deporting undocumented farm workers, thats when the sh*****t will really hit the fan As I said in a previous post, my parents worked with a mic of documented and undocumented, and the whole purpose of the farmers was to drive down the pay for any legal worker. Now the data suggests that 42% of the farm workers in the US are undocumented. I only hope that when those guys are deported some of the rabid right are prepared to roll up their sleeves and replace them in the fields for $10/hr to ensure their veggies on on the shelf in Safeway https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-deportation-plan-effects-undocumented-farmers/

I'm a bit of a history nerd. The Chagos Islands were never part of Mauritius In the British Empire days they were 'administered' by colonial Mauritius It's very analogous to the fact that Burma was administered by the British Raj, yet no one would today suggest that Burma was part of India. The Chagosians have some valid beef with the UK, but saying Mauritius has any claim, thats rich. Better, in my mind, keep the status quo, let the Chagosians who wish to return do so and become part of the support structure for the US military, which folks are in Germany, Japan, South Korea and a host of others

Hmmm, now I'm from Kern County, a child of farm workers, US citizens, Grandparents came from Mexico in the early 20th century. Now it was different times back in the 60/70's, but my parents worked with a mix of citizens, legal and illegal workers. The farm owners knew exactly what they were doing employing the illegals, it simply drove down costs. Now I'd bet my next paycheck every single one of those farm owners was a fully paid up red blooded Republican. Drive down I-5 today and you'll see a bunch of the same nonsense on billboards. This is not to say I disagree with deporting the illegal felons on mass, I do. But the hypocrisy from someone like Belluomini and his ilk sticks in my craw