Chiang Mai Forum

[MonsieurHulot]

p.s. we do wish we had framed our recent question about the "zaniest" things people have done in Chiang Mai in an open-ended way : with no stipulations or conditions : perhaps we might have gotten a lot more responses and anecdotes.

You tried. You learned. Do it a different way next time.

Yes, don't be so "down to earth" next time.

[Ulysses G.]

Pretend to be channeling Timothy Leary’s spirit instead of being part Orangutan!

[orang37]

Pretend to be channeling Timothy Leary's spirit instead of being part Orangutan!

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun UG,

Ahhh, we are so lucky to receive your guidance

By the way we regard Timothy Leary as a deranged psychopath who destroyed his mind with drugs, and took a lot of others, many of them vulnearable young people adrift in the cultural psychodrama the US went through known as the "sixties," with him down that same path into mental illness or permanent loss of their human potential. We actually met Leary at Millbrook, N.Y., in 1963, and even then sensed this was a megalomaniacal, even "evil," person.

We will, however, never forget, the night at the Berkeley Community Theater (1967 ? 1968 ?) when Leary and gang did their "turn on, tune in, drop out," show which was followed by Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company : the part we'll never forget is Janis' singing. The sound an angel makes when their wings are being torn off piece-by-piece by demons just after their arrival in hel_l ?

best, ~o:37;

Edited December 15, 2009 by orang37

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup, TV Friends,

We are rather amazed at the outpourings of what appear to us as "negativity" in this thread, starting with the whining from the OP that began it.

Reading and participating in TV is, is it not, a voluntary activity (that's called a "rhetorical question," by the way) ?

You can block out posters whose posts you don't want to read; you can block people from sending you PM"s who you don't want to receive PM's from. We recently blocked PM's from someone who was sending us PM's telling us (not asking us), to "stay on topic," in addition to PM'ing us inappropriately evidently while somewhat inebriated. Problem gone : no harm done, we hope.

In one case, and we don't think Ian F. would mind our mentioning his name, we PM'd him and asked him to please start using the built-in facilities of TV to post thumb-nail images, rather than full sized images. We asked him respectfully, and inforrmed him how to do this, and (we think) he did start doing this. But we did feel free to do this because we knew Ian personally, and were sure, with his magnificent ego, he would take it for what it was, and not be offended

You can raise issues with the moderators about posts you consider inappropriate. My impression is that the moderators are voluntary, and they, like us, we suspect, are imperfect human beings, and stuff is going to slip through that probably is off-putting or whatever to some, ... yes, there are going to be inconsistencies in moderation ... but ... so what ? We would much prefer to be on a forum with "loose" moderation than the other alternative.

You don't have to read threads on topics that don't interest you ! Surprise !

The point we would make is : you have the opportunity to make ThaiVisa, in a small way, a "garden" of your own design; you are not a passive "watcher" of some kind of television where you cannot "change channels," or "turn the set off between commercials."

A "forum" is a place for discussion and interaction; exchange of information, advice, opinions, short and "tall" tales hopefully having something to do with Chiang Mai : at best it's a type of community, at worst, perhaps, a toilet for whingers and nattering nabobs of negativity or psychopaths with some "chip on their shoulder" about Thailand. Or, as Roy Orbison once sang "Only the Lonely" ?

You have the power to make it what you need.

You have the freedom, if it matters to you, to take up the "banner" of some cause or some belief that's important to you here, or to "confront" someone whose public words here seem to you hateful, or inappropriate. That no one may "rally to your banner," or that your expression of your values or beliefs may be met with rejection, satire, jeering, or cold silence : what did you expect ?

You want to see certain types of topics and posts "blooming in your garden" ? Plant some seeds.

In closing we would like to share this wonderful couplet from the "spiritual" poet Kabir* (mid 15th. - early 16th. century by the Christian calendar) who wrote :

"rahi gulzar to phool khilenge"

"Where there is a garden, the flowers will come"

Are we not, brothers and sisters of TV, gardeners ?

Shall we dream of weeds more than dream of beautiful flowers ?

Shall we spend more time finding the weeds in each other, and discussing weed eradication, than finding the blossoms and discussing making a beautiful ecologically balanced garden ?

Deep breath now ...

best, ~o:37;

* Kabir is very special to us for many reasons; in December, 1975, on the banks of the Yamuna river in Delhi, in the old "Civil Lines" area of Delhi, after an illness that left me thirty pounds lighter : we met a wonderful man, Sri Phool Muni Baba Shastri, a very high-class (former Ph.D.) sannyasin, or spiritual wanderer and renunciate (he was in no way a "guru," and was a member of one of the more intellectual and rigorous formal orders of sadhus), and formed a very special friendship with him. He could not only recite Kabir, Rumi, Attar, etc. from memory, but could translate and explain to us, in English, some of the levels of meaning in the words, and explain how some of the phrases, like the one quoted, became, in later Hindi-Urdu, idiomatic in use.

Those discussions on the banks of the Yamuna over "garam chai" remain in my human mind a most wonderful set of memories. During the month I had been in the hospital, I had almost no social contact with people from my own culture; I think that, plus the extreme weight loss, helped me to be more "open" to the exchange. We think he sensed the genuine desire in our heart to know about his life and his thoughts. He never once asked us for money, and we found out later that he told my neighbors not to tell me that he had gone into the hospital for an operation, we assume because he was afraid we would do something "charitable" for him which by his moral standards would have been unacceptable. And then, he disappeared ... off on a pilgrimage to some shrine, or holy place of some Sufi, Hindu, or even Christian "saint." He mentioned that among his pilgrimages had been one to the tomb of St. Thomas in Mylapore near Chennai (old name Madras).

fyi on December 19 this year is a Kabir Festival in Ahmedabad :

http://www.kabirproject.org/#

If only we could go, but, alas, our money orchard this year bears no juicy fruit : we have not done well gardening money this year : for which we blame no one but us

Edited December 15, 2009 by orang37

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

it's true the forum attracts some really strange attitude. Unfortunately it's driven away some good posters and I am sure it curtails a lot of good information for fear of being ridiculed etc.

Chanchao is one who had enough and left and the guy really was an asset.

Still the forum is what it is. One of the best resources for an expat albeit with a lot of unsightly warts.

[orang37]

Yes, don't be so "down to earth" next time.

Sawasdee Khrup, Monsieur Hulot,

We appreciate your brotherly guidance, and concern for how we manifest our being.

And we look forward to your showing us what you are, as well.

with warm regards, ~o:37;

[MonsieurHulot]

We are rather amazed at the outpourings of what appear to us as "negativity" in this thread, starting with the whining from the OP that began it.

This thread is just a way to instigate nonsensical and light-hearted posts. I was just being a little bit provocative. I'm afraid you brought the "negativity" with you but I will not hold this against you. Both of you.

[harrry]

Orang is the only beingI know that can honestly say

On the one hand

and the other hand

and on the other hand

and on the other hand.

Maybe he had a brush with Kali in those years in India.

[anonymouse]

it's true the forum attracts some really strange attitude. Unfortunately it's driven away some good posters and I am sure it curtails a lot of good information for fear of being ridiculed etc.

Chanchao is one who had enough and left and the guy really was an asset.

Still the forum is what it is. One of the best resources for an expat albeit with a lot of unsightly warts.

I agree it was a shame when Chanchao left he was indeed an asset <erroneus comment deleted>

The forum ebbs and flows sometimes I find it interesting and sometimes boring, it has become a little part of my life and if it was gone I'd miss it but really in the scheme of things it's not important.

The monkey man made a good point that we are not passive members and we have a choice to make of it what we want.

Long may it prosper

//Edit: deleted erroneous comment -- Maestro

[Donnyboy]

sometimes my attempts at nonsensical posts gets the dunk treatment...

...arh well, poo happens

Does poo -- your euphemism for nonsensical posts -- come in different intensities of stench? Perhaps when the offensiveness to the olfactory senses reaches 5 or more on a scale of 10 somebody clicks on the report button to call the cleanup brigade. Don't look at me, I don't think I ever did it for one of your posts. How did caf put it?

i think you got me all wrong matie

poo happens wasnt describing my nonsensensical posts per se

i was saying it as a way of an observation that life is full of imperfections, c'est la vie so to speak but in a polite manner

subsitute 'poo' with 'shit' and you might get my drift.

further examples of 'shit happens'in the ideology and religeous context follows~

• Taoism: Shit happens.
  
• Confucianism: Confucius say, "Shit happens."
  
• Buddhism: If shit happens, it isn't really shit.
  
• Zen Buddhism: Shit is, and is not.
  
• Zen Buddhism #2: What is the sound of shit happening?
  
• Hinduism: This shit has happened before.
  
• Islam: If shit happens, it is the will of Allah.
  
• Islam #2: If shit happens, kill the person responsible.
  
• Islam #3: If shit happens, blame Israel.
  
• Catholicism: If shit happens, you deserve it.
  
• Protestantism: Let shit happen to someone else.
  
• Presbyterian: This shit was bound to happen.
  
• Episcopalian: It's not so bad if shit happens, as long as you serve the right wine with it.
  
• Methodist: It's not so bad if shit happens, as long as you serve grape juice with it.
  
• Congregationalist: Shit that happens to one person is just as good as shit that happens to another.
  
• Unitarian: Shit that happens to one person is just as bad as shit that happens to another.
  
• Lutheran: If shit happens, don't talk about it.
  
• Fundamentalism: If shit happens, you will go to hel_l, unless you are born again. (Amen!)
  
• Fundamentalism #2: If shit happens to a televangelist, it's okay.
  
• Fundamentalism #3: Shit must be born again.
  
• Judaism: Why does this shit always happen to us?
  
• Calvinism: Shit happens because you don't work.
  
• Seventh Day Adventism: No shit shall happen on Saturday.
  
• Creationism: God made all shit.
  
• Secular Humanism: Shit evolves.
  
• Christian Science: When shit happens, don't call a doctor - pray!
  
• Christian Science #2: Shit happening is all in your mind.
  
• Unitarianism: Come let us reason together about this shit.
  
• Quakers: Let us not fight over this shit.
  
• Utopianism: This shit does not stink.
  
• Darwinism: This shit was once food.
  
• Capitalism: That's MY shit.
  
• Communism: It's everybody's shit.
  
• Feminism: Men are shit.
  
• Chauvinism: We may be shit, but you can't live without us...
  
• Commercialism: Let's package this shit.
  
• Impressionism: From a distance, shit looks like a garden.
  
• Idolism: Let's bronze this shit.
  
• Existentialism: Shit doesn't happen; shit IS.
  
• Existentialism #2: What is shit, anyway?
  
• Stoicism: This shit is good for me.
  
• Hedonism: There is nothing like a good shit happening!
  
• Mormonism: God sent us this shit.
  
• Mormonism #2: This shit is going to happen again.
  
• Wiccan: An it harm none, let shit happen.
  
• Scientology: If shit happens, see "Dianetics", p.157.
  
• Jehovah's Witnesses: >Knock< >Knock< Shit happens.
  
• Jehovah's Witnesses #2: May we have a moment of your time to show you some of our shit?
  
• Jehovah's Witnesses #3: Shit has been prophesied and is imminent; only the righteous shall survive its happening.
  
• Moonies: Only really happy shit happens.
  
• Hare Krishna: Shit happens, rama rama.
  
• Rastafarianism: Let's smoke this shit!
  
• Zoroastrianism: Shit happens half on the time.
  
• Church of SubGenius: BoB shits.
  
• Practical: Deal with shit one day at a time.
  
• Agnostic: Shit might have happened; then again, maybe not.
  
• Agnostic #2: Did someone shit?
  
• Agnostic #3: What is this shit?
  
• Satanism: SNEPPAH TIHS.
  
• Atheism: What shit?
  
• Atheism #2: I can't believe this shit!
  
• Nihilism: No shit.
  
• And of course we must add...Alcoholics Anonymous: Shit happens-one day at a time!
  

[Ulysses G.]

I agree it was a shame when Chanchao left he was indeed an asset <erroneus comment deleted>

He was a moderator too.

[KevinHunt]

I agree it was a shame when Chanchao left he was indeed an asset <erroneus comment deleted>

He was a moderator too.

That would explain it!!

[orang37]

Maybe he had a brush with Kali in those years in India.

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Harry,

Thanks ! My human's memories do not include any "brushes" with Kali, but do include many eternal nights of glorious yab-yum with many diffferent manifestations of Her. We really loved it when she would appear with a couple of hundred heads, one of her hundreds of hands holding our decapitated, bleeding head, and her foot planted firmly on our headless body. That was like so skanky.

In fact what put the human body in the hospital with a fantastic wasting fever for a month immediately followed a pilgrimage we undertook to the shrine of Vaishnodevi near Jammu in Kashmir : it was the Dusshera full-moon, the most sacred times for all the manifestations of Ma, the Mother Goddess, Uma, Kali, Amma, etc. Vaishnodevi is the aspect of Kali who is a young virgin warrior woman riding a tiger, and her shrine near Jammu draws people from all other northern India (note : that was winter, 1975, and we have no idea how the political/religious conflict in Kashmir which has become so violent in the last thirty years has affected the pilgrimage).

The Vaishnodevi pilgrimage (yatra) had about fifty thousand people jammed in an area equivalent maybe to four square American style city blocks. The seven or eight kilometer trail up into the mountains leading to the main shrine (in a cave) was lined with lepers, cripples, the deformed, ganja-smoking stoned-out-of-their-brain skinny sadhus, etc. for whom you peformed ritual charity by dropping small change in their cups.

We believe we were struck down by the fever for having an impure dream while asleep on the floor of the police station next to an enormous long-bearded Sikh police officer who snored like a lion roars. You got to watch your thoughts and dreams around the virgin aspects of Kali carefully !

best, ~o:37;

[orang37]

... snip ... further examples of 'shit happens'in the ideology and religeous context follows ... snip ...

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Donnyboy,

Nobody can accuse you of not being ecumenical; that's something.

best, ~o:37;

[IanForbes]

Sawasdee Khrup, TV Friends,

In one case, and we don't think Ian F. would mind our mentioning his name, we PM'd him and asked him to please start using the built-in facilities of TV to post thumb-nail images, rather than full sized images. We asked him respectfully, and inforrmed him how to do this, and (we think) he did start doing this. But we did feel free to do this because we knew Ian personally, and were sure, with his magnificent ego, he would take it for what it was, and not be offended

Actually, I received no such PM. If people would prefer that I don't post pictures then just say so. And, I spend a lot of time resizing photos so they can be seen on a forum, but are not full size. If you would prefer thumbnail photos then please advise how to do them. Very often a thumb nail photo is of little or no use.

I use all the forums I frequent as a means to meet and greet people from all over the world. Most of my best friends today were originally met on forums. I can put up with the negative types and because I'm always happy I get a bit of a giggle teasing them a little in their negativity. My brother is one such person and it takes 15 minutes on the phone just to get him out of his whining and complaining. He's actually a very intellegent funny guy when he quits the negative crap.

[orang37]

This thread is just a way to instigate nonsensical and light-hearted posts. I was just being a little bit provocative. I'm afraid you brought the "negativity" with you but I will not hold this against you. Both of you.

Sawasdee Khrup, Monsieur Hulot,

Oh, we get it : your intention was to encourage foreplay and banter, and your method for doing that was to be "provocative," and harp on what about TV right now you didn't like.

In other words, you posted with a "hidden agenda" or a "false intention." We would consider that "borderline" trolling. And the "ex post facto" rationale you offer here sounds equally contrived and false to me; it's just payback for my calling your bluff.

One wonders, however, what is it about your personality that makes you need to substitute "instigating" others to behave in certain ways for expressing yourself, and sharing your own experiences, particularly those of the type you imply you wish to hear from others ?

Quit carping and sniping, and make TV what you want it to be : no one is stopping you ! If you feel anyone is stopping you, including I and I, just tune us out. Your hands are on the dials, and the power switch

If we felt anyone here was "stopping" us from being who we were, and we felt we couldn't "tune them out" : we would interpret that as a sign of something "within" us that we need to work through, understand, and comes to grip with.

You may think or imagine we feel "alienated" from you; that's not the case, at all. We know we do not know your essence, and we regret that.

But if you think starting a topic like this is the way to help increase group cohesion and sharing fun and light-hearted stuff on TV, we challenge that belief (but do not challenge your essence which we are sure is as fine as our very own, if not finer).

best, ~o:37;

[Ricardo]

That's were the No Riff Raff routine came from - and some people to this day believe that, God bless 'em.   They somehow think that I am selecting customers as they enter, turning away the rejects. 

Waiter, I wish to complain, not about the excellent Schitzel/Home-Fries , but something even more serious than food !

As a genuine riff-raff, I was permitted to enter your esteemed establishment recently, and was not ejected instantly.

This simply isn't good enough, don't you have standards to maintain ?

[harrry]

I do not know why everyone complains about Kevin. Everytime I see him he is at Guitarman.....Not sure if he is allowed in his resturaunt. It has standards.

[Ulysses G.]

I go during the daytime when Kevin is not around to send me packing. Ricardo, is that how you gained entrance as well?

[KevinHunt]

I do not know why everyone complains about Kevin. Everytime I see him he is at Guitarman.....Not sure if he is allowed in his resturaunt. It has standards.

Talking of which - It's punk night at Gutarman on Friday. Have you bought your Extra Firm Hold gel yet? That mohican hair-style won't work without it.

[KevinHunt]

That's were the No Riff Raff routine came from - and some people to this day believe that, God bless 'em.   They somehow think that I am selecting customers as they enter, turning away the rejects. 

Waiter, I wish to complain, not about the excellent Schitzel/Home-Fries , but something even more serious than food !

As a genuine riff-raff, I was permitted to enter your esteemed establishment recently, and was not ejected instantly.

This simply isn't good enough, don't you have standards to maintain ?

I hope that wasn't a Freudian slip. It's Schnitzel, if you don't mind.

[Ricardo]

I go during the daytime when Kevin is not around to send me packing. Ricardo, is that how you gained entrance as well?

I went early-evening disguised as a tourist, and refrained from asking for any free water.

But I'm not sure I want to eat, in anywhere that would accept customers like me, if you know what I mean !

[anonymouse]

I do not know why everyone complains about Kevin. Everytime I see him he is at Guitarman.....Not sure if he is allowed in his resturaunt. It has standards.

Talking of which - It's punk night at Gutarman on Friday. Have you bought your Extra Firm Hold gel yet? That mohican hair-style won't work without it.

I'll be making a special trip in from Doi Saket for the Punk night, I'll see you down there, promise I won't spit

[Ricardo]

That's were the No Riff Raff routine came from - and some people to this day believe that, God bless 'em.   They somehow think that I am selecting customers as they enter, turning away the rejects. 

Waiter, I wish to complain, not about the excellent Schitzel/Home-Fries , but something even more serious than food !

As a genuine riff-raff, I was permitted to enter your esteemed establishment recently, and was not ejected instantly.

This simply isn't good enough, don't you have standards to maintain ?

I hope that wasn't a Freudian slip. It's Schnitzel, if you don't mind.

But my kids prefer Schitzel, hence the slip, I fear they inherited their father's alleged sense-of-humour.

[orang37]

Actually, I received no such PM. If people would prefer that I don't post pictures then just say so. And, I spend a lot of time resizing photos so they can be seen on a forum, but are not full size. If you would prefer thumbnail photos then please advise how to do them. Very often a thumb nail photo is of little or no use.

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Ian,

Sorry, I have a very specific memory of writing to you about using the thumbnail-making capabilities of TV, rather than posting giant sized pictures (most of fish and young women), which you were doing with amazing frequency at the time, quite a while ago, but perhaps it was in an open message to you, not a PM. I don't save most of my PM's so I can't really check back that far.

No insult intended Welcome back to Chiang Mai.

best, ~o:37;

[IanForbes]

Actually, I received no such PM. If people would prefer that I don't post pictures then just say so. And, I spend a lot of time resizing photos so they can be seen on a forum, but are not full size. If you would prefer thumbnail photos then please advise how to do them. Very often a thumb nail photo is of little or no use.

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Ian,

Sorry, I have a very specific memory of writing to you about using the thumbnail-making capabilities of TV, rather than posting giant sized pictures (most of fish and young women), which you were doing with amazing frequency at the time, quite a while ago, but perhaps it was in an open message to you, not a PM. I don't save most of my PM's so I can't really check back that far.

No insult intended Welcome back to Chiang Mai.

best, ~o:37;

See you soon at you know where and we'll discuss it. Looking forward to seeing old friends.

[MonsieurHulot]

And the "ex post facto" rationale you offer here sounds equally contrived and false to me; it's just payback for my calling your bluff.

At dusk, I will send you my seconds.

[harrry]

And the "ex post facto" rationale you offer here sounds equally contrived and false to me; it's just payback for my calling your bluff.

At dusk, I will send you my seconds.

Dawn is much too early for Chiang Mai people unless it is to get out of bed to go home.

Edited December 15, 2009 by harrry

[IanForbes]

And the "ex post facto" rationale you offer here sounds equally contrived and false to me; it's just payback for my calling your bluff.

At dusk, I will send you my seconds.

Can I come and watch? Nothing I like better than a good sword fight. I'm not sure if dueling pistols are allowed in Thailand, but there are knives and swords gallor.

[MonsieurHulot]

Can I come and watch? Nothing I like better than a good sword fight.

Now we need a new thread: "Where to buy the best sword in Chiang Mai?". Sword, not swords. We need only one.

Reason for edit: BTW, you are welcome, Ian. But I am afraid the duel is delayed. We have to find this bloody sword before

Edited December 15, 2009 by MonsieurHulot