Jump to content

Lapun

Member
  • Posts

    67
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Lapun

  1. https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/474027-biden-indicates-he-will-only-serve-one-term-as-president-report/ https://www.usnews.com/news/elections/articles/2019-12-11/joe-biden-suggests-he-would-only-serve-one-term-if-elected-president https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-29/what-a-one-term-for-joe-biden-could-mean-for-kamala-harris/12819788 BUT . . . https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/biden-campaign-refutes-speculation-one-term-pledge-n1099766 So who believes what politicians or the media say - in other words, who really knows??
  2. That is an old photo. Julie Bishop (2nd from Right) was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2013-18 & Marise Payne (4th from Right) took over from 2018-22. Penny Wong is the current one. All they had to do was Google - this is the first image that came up. But really, with the current housing & rental crisis in Australia & exhorbitant rents, allowing "former" resident pensioners to retire gracefully (hopefully not otherwise) in Thailand like pensioners from many other countries would benefit both countries. Then again, stupid regulations are sometimes the hardest to change. After all, the Dept of Social Services is responsible for the Robodebt debacle that went from 2016 to 2020 even though the Dept & Govt knew it to be illegal & with 470,000 wrongly-issued debts which had to be repaid in full. And who was held accountable - not one politician. Only a few public servants. So no, there will be no change, & Chinese vegetables will continue to fill the supermarkets of both countries. But maybe Australia could sell Thailand some of their old submarines, soon to be replaced under the AU$368billion AUKUS agreement (1st subs available 2040 - maybe). This may help recover some of the AU$2.4billion it cost to break the submarine deal with France. Emmanuel Macron famously said when asked if he thought the then Prime Minister Scott Morrison had lied to him (Macron) replied "I don't think, I know." So no, no ex-Australian submarines for Thailand either. Think that covers about all the threads in the above comments. :-)
  3. But that was only 3 Liberals. The forth, according to another web-site, said - Warragul-based Liberal MP Wayne Farnham flew to Phuket in July to see the impact of Thailand's decriminalisation of cannabis. He claimed $3,340 for the trip. "Given [Phuket's] popularity with tourists, I knew I would get a very good gauge how it has affected the local communities and tourism and tourists' attitude towards the legalisation of cannabis," Mr Farnham's travel report said. Mr Farnham met with local police, two Australian bar owners in the tourist town, as well as having conversations with locals and tourists. "Nearly all the locals I had spoken to are against it as they have already seen the negative it has had for their communities and I believe their experiences can be directly related to what could occur here in Victoria if such a change was to be proposed,'' his report said. (My emphasis.) I wonder if he spoke to any Russians, other bar owners (2 Aussie bar owners isn't a representative sample), stoned & straight tourists or stoned & straight locals to form a balanced opinion of the community & tourist feelings on the subject?
  4. Wonder if there will be any follow-up visits from the Victorian State MPs who "investigated" Four Liberals flew to Phuket to investigate after Thailand relaxed its cannabis laws. Nick McGowan paid for his own flights, while Renee Health and Bev McArthur did not. Heath told reporters she thought cannabis was a "huge deal", while McArthur said she thought it was a good use of taxpayer money. But did the Victorian taxpayers get any bang for their bucks? What will they do if Thailand changes it's laws? Would have to vist again? https://www.9news.com.au/national/victorian-news-victorian-taxpayers-fork-out-hundreds-of-thousands-to-fund-mps-international-travel/d19f4493-515b-4504-8a59-c7b1fbbce7e2
  5. Maybe some Thai official should request Worldometer to correct their obviously incorrect Thai figures, as it looks like it increased to me. The web site says - The current population of Thailand is 71,852,424 as of Wednesday, February 7, 2024, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data 1. https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/thailand-population/ So it looks like more BS from the mouths of government officials . . .
  6. From the above, it would appear that bias appears to be a matter of opinion. Here is a web site that specialises in examining media bias (although it might be biased as well)! https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/bbc/
  7. Not sure if retarius was serious about tattoos. Those are the marks made by the jellyfish tentacles. For more information, see - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_jellyfish https://boxjellyfish.org/box-jellyfish-habitat/ In Australia, people swim in netted enclosures & very rarely wear body stockings for rerceational swimming. As far as only spawning in Australia, no. There are different species that are found in other parts of the world. The Wikipedia article says in part . . . At least 51 species of box jellyfish were known as of 2018. Then further on . . . Recently, in 2023, a new genus and species of box jellyfish was discovered in the Indo-Pacific region, specifically the Gulf of Thailand. So that makes it at least 52 species. And by the way, the Gulf Stream is in the Atlantic not the Pacific or Indian Oceans. But you are right, the sting is painful. They are considered the most the most venemous sea creature, with more than 170 toxins identified in their venom.
  8. According to the PBS link, they basically allowed other MPs to vote on their behalf, although they denied that they allowed it. Pretty much a misdemeanor compared the the graft & corruption that goes on in government. How about banning all politicians who cannot explain their huge increases in wealth of them & their families whilst in office - better still, put them in jail for graft & corruption.
  9. Maybe seafood vendor ought to read this - https://says.com/my/news/experts-warn-public-not-to-eat-this-octopus-as-its-poison-can-kill-a-person-within-minutes
  10. Reading the Full Story, the first story is set in Surat Thani and does not mention the gun being homemade. The 2nd story set in Phitsanulok about a completely separate incident mentions a homemade gun.
  11. I think he left a couple of 000's off - or maybe he just doesn't remember what assets he has.
  12. I think this photo version of that poster in colour is a little bit better.
  13. There is a big difference between signing & ratifying something. Here is a bit of clarity provided by - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_parties_to_the_Rome_Statute_of_the_International_Criminal_Court Thailand Former Senator Kraisak Choonhavan called in November 2006 for Thailand to ratify the Rome Statute and to accept retrospective jurisdiction, so that former premier Thaksin Shinawatra could be investigated for crimes against humanity connected to 2,500 alleged extrajudicial killings carried out in 2003 against suspected drug dealers. Additionally - The United States signed the Rome Statute in December 2000 (under President Bill Clinton), but Clinton decided not to submit the treaty to the United States Senate for ratification, stating: "I will not, and do not recommend that my successor [George W. Bush] submit the treaty to the Senate for advice and consent until our fundamental concerns are satisfied." And . . . The Trump administration strained relations with the ICC, stating it would revoke visas for any ICC staff seeking to investigate Americans for war crimes. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that such revocations could be applied to any staff involved with investigating war crimes committed by Israel or other allied nations as well. Also . . . Four signatory states (Israel, Russia, Sudan, and the United States) have informed the UN Secretary General that they no longer intend to become parties to the Rome Statute, and as such have no legal obligations arising from their signature. And for those to lazy to read . . .
  14. A And Malay, Chinese, Hindi, & Russian as according to a report in May 2023, they are the largest numbers of tourists in Phuket.
  15. The other two points omitted by the above summary of the PBS report are - The second measure is for authorities to ask farmers to avoid cultivation of second rice crops, due to an insufficient water supply. The final measure is to emphasise efficient use of water for consumption and agriculture. No 2nd rice crop is gunna hurt a lot of farmers & rice consumers as the price of rice was reported today to go up by B3/kg in Sept! But then all they have to do is "ask farmers". Easy peasy. The 1st point is easy to achieve. All they have to do is formulate a plan - it doesn't state in the report that it has to be effective, nor that they have to implement it. The last point is easy to achieve as well. Just put out press statements to that effect, but it will achieve absolutely nothing nothing. So judging from the report, the management measures adopted are totally meaningless and will achieve no water savings at all. I think the Chairman should have insisted on actual management actions to save water, not just talk about saving it. What was the Chairman thinking of?
  16. According to - https://thailandformats.com/no-alcohol-days/2023 . . . the alcohol free days are Tuesday 01 & Wednesday 02 August. I was also told the King's BD (28 July) could be alcohol free - but I do not think this is the case. Could be mixed up with Tuesday 05 December which is alcohol free. That is the last King's BD & also Father's day.
  17. If you read the Thaiger article, his criminal history is as follows: 2004: At 17 years old, he murdered his stepfather & got 2 years in a youth detention centre 2007: Apprehended for "importing & producing inhalants" - whatever that is 2010: Making firearms & assault 2012: Assault 2015: Break & enter 2017: Chaos & damage whilst drunk But possibly the worst of all (apart for his attempted murder on July 1) is - 2019: Rape & assault of HIS MOTHER - for which he received only FOUR, I repeat, FOUR years. What a piece of excrement - but his sister allegedly said she was proud of him! What a f****d up family.
  18. These are just some of the lyrics to her W-A-P song. Should fit in really well at family friendly Pattaya
  19. Well, she certainly is curvaceous - if you like that sort of thing . . .
  20. But only for the rich in every locality. The poor can go & get stuffed, as they cannot afford the contents of a brown paper envelope to grease the wheels of official corruption. According to https://tricycle.org/beginners/buddhism/three-poisons/ In his early teachings, the Buddha identified “three poisons,” or three fires, or three negative qualities of the mind that cause most of our problems—and most of the problems in the world. The three poisons are: greed (raga, also translated as lust), hatred (dvesha, or anger), and delusion (moha, or ignorance). The three poisons are opposed by three wholesome, or positive attitudes essential to liberation: generosity (dana), lovingkindness (maitri, Pali: metta), and wisdom (prajna). What is Uncle Tu's (& his wife's) wealth valued at now I wonder?
  21. If people keep repeating this quote, then it almost becomes a factual quote. However, according to the following web site, it may not be true. https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Talk:Ho_Chí_Minh This site says that it is disputed that he said that, & may have been fabricated by a French colonialist to justify their occupation in Vietnam. But why let that get in the way of a good story/quote.
  22. He must have taken the long or scenic route. According to Google Maps, the distance, as the crow flies between the points (as nominated in the Thaiger article) is 5.67km. Still, well done. Very good effort to swim that far & raise so much money.
  23. Pardon the length of this, but the history of the legalization or banning of both cannabis & alcohol is complex & varies from country to country & time to time. According to Wikipedia, Prohibition of alcohol in the US was ratified by the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, enabling national prohibition one year later on 17-01-1920. Prohibition was linked to the rise in gangland crime, particularly the Mafia. The 18th amendment became the only amendment to be repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment which was ratified in 1933 & it is the only amendment to have been ratified by state ratifying conventions. This meant that some states continued to have prohibition. By 1966, however, all states had repealed their statewide prohibition laws, with Mississippi the last state to do so. There are still some Dry States & Dry Counties in the USA today. It is said that the ending of Prohibition saw homicides drop dramatically, & the creation of half a million jobs. Cannabis (the hemp variety) was an important cash crop in the young USA. According to - https://www.cnbs.org/cannabis-101/cannabis-prohibition/ . . . King James I ordered that each colonist grow 100 hemp plants to be used for fiber exports. If a farmer refused to grow hemp, they could be fined or even jailed. Even George Washington, the very first U.S. president, was a hemp enthusiast, growing it at his plantation. Next to lumber and tobacco, hemp was the most popular cash crop in the U.S. Apparently, hemp posed a threat to the profits of paper, nylon & ethanol (oil) manufacturers. Cannabis (the drug variety) was then the subject of a "campaign against it, popularizing the Mexican Spanish name for the substance—“marihuana.” This painted cannabis as foreign and dangerously exotic, making it seem as though the criminalization of marijuana was necessary to keep the country safe. Further . . . Racist and fear-mongering views about marijuana weren’t limited to writing in local newspapers. One Texas senator said while speaking on the floor of the state Senate: “All Mexicans are crazy, and this stuff [marijuana] is what makes them crazy.” In time, marijuana had been inexorably linked with racial minorities, jazz and swing music, sexual debauchery, as well as unpredictable and violent behavior. By 1936, 48 states had passed regulations on marijuana. And the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act had a considerable financial impact on the manufacture & availability of cannabis-infused medications. This mean that doctors who had prescribed cannabis-infused medications for pain relief & other health issues, began prescribing other drugs. To fill the medicinal void, pharmaceutical companies developed drugs that worked very well to kill pain. Aspirin and opium-derived drugs such as morphine became the replacement for cannabis in patients who needed pain relief. So began the pharmaceutical industry’s war against cannabis. To date, they are among the top three industries that lobby against marijuana legalization in the U.S. The other two are the police/prison industry and alcohol manufacturers. From my perspective, politics, greed (profits) are behind many of the calls for bans on alcohol or cannabis, as well as the inevitable fear mongering & fake news. Used in moderation - if at all - both would seem to probably pose an acceptable risk. However, many people cannot use them in moderation. And a lot of people blame their crimes & mis-behaviour on alcohol & cannabis, not themselves. I thought a Buddhist country like Thailand might encourage education & moderation. After all, as far as I know, the Buddha is also known as the Middle Path – where one neither lives too extravagantly, nor too frugally. Extravagance implies selfishness and hedonism. And frugality leads to a short and useless life. In other words, Buddhism is about moderation. But what would I know. Again apologies for the length of this reply.
  24. Sorry, should include amperage drop as well. I'm no electrician, but I think that amperage fluctuations will harm appliances more than voltage fluctuations - but who knows what you get in Thailand? Voltage and amperage are two measures of electrical current or flow of electrons. Voltage is a measure of the pressure that allows electrons to flow, while amperage is a measure of the volume of electrons. An electrical current at 1,000 volts is no more deadly than a current at 100 volts, but tiny changes in amperage can mean the difference between life and death when a person receives an electrical shock.
×
×
  • Create New...