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Give me a brown toned Isan guy any day.

Older contractors always travel with young apprentice to handle the dirty chores. Maybe he’ll allow you to explore his tool box.

That bait didn’t stay in the water long 🙂 How can anyone forget when you keep repeating same garrulous meanderings?

From Entertainment.com The lawmaker who authored Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill will serve four months in federal prison for fraud and money laundering. Former Republican state representative Joe Harding was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gainesville last Thursday, according to The Gainesville Sun. He was initially indicted for wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements in connection with COVID-19 relief fraud in December 2022. Specifically, Harding received more than $150,000 in pandemic relief funds that were intended to keep small businesses afloat, submitting numerous loan applications for “dormant” businesses. Although Harding initially claimed that he was not guilty, he pleaded guilty in March, with prosecutors dropping three of the charges in a plea deal. In a press release from the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney Jason Coody, who announced Harding’s sentence, said that “the theft of any amount of taxpayer funds is inexcusable.” From Russia to Florida, far-right leaders are driving a new wave of legislation that aims to erase LGBTQ\+ people from public life. “However, the defendant’s deceptive acts of diverting emergency financial assistance from small businesses during the pandemic is simply beyond the pale,” Coody said. “Today’s sentence both punishes the defendant’s criminal conduct and should serve as a significant deterrent to others who would selfishly steal from their fellow citizens to unlawfully enrich themselves.”

Will always drink water after reading this. 🙂 From BBC Video shows Chinese beer worker urinating into tank Chinese authorities are investigating after a viral video appeared to show a worker from Tsingtao urinating into a tank, believed to contain ingredients for its popular beer. The clip has received tens of millions of views on social media. The company said it alerted police immediately after the video came to its attention, adding that the batch of ingredients had been sealed. Tsingtao is one of China's top beer producers and its biggest exporter. In the clip which appeared online on Thursday, a worker, dressed in uniform with a helmet on, can be seen climbing over a high wall and into the container before urinating inside it. The location tag of the clip reads "Tsingtao beer No.3 factory", local news outlet The Paper reported on Friday.

From Pattaya Mail The ifs and buts of Thailand’s new friendship with Russia By Barry Kenyon The western democracies are still trying to fathom why Pheu Thai party premier Srettha Thavisin had his photo publicly taken with president Putin at the recent belt and road summit in China whilst inviting the Russian leader for a state visit. Critical social media suggest it was a bad idea because Srettha’s international claim to represent democracy and human rights has hit the proverbial iceberg. Not to mention the negative effects on tourism from traditional markets in America, Europe and Australia. On the other hand, international tourist numbers to Thailand has seldom been affected by the domestic situation for more than a few weeks, even post-coup. Examined from a Thai perspective, the issues look different. Thailand has had diplomatic relations with Russia for 125 years and the celebrations last year did not attraction any adverse international comment. Indeed, the last czar Nicholas II is commonly credited with helping to save Thailand from imperialist aggression by foreign powers. In 1996, Russia became a fully-fledged “dialogue partner” with the 10-nation ASEAN group, in which Thailand has the second biggest economy, and in 2004 Russia acceded to the treaty of amity and cooperation in southeast Asia. Russia was silent when the Thai coup if 2014 occurred and, under the leadership of general Prayut Chan-o-cha warm relationships continued. In 2017, both nations drew up a statement of reciprocity which gave Russians and Thais 30 days of visa free travel when travelling to each other’s country (now to be extended to 90 days on a trial basis). As regards Ukraine, Thailand initially voted at the United Nations in March 2022 to condemn Russian aggression, but has abstained from later votes condemning the annexation of the occupied territories. Nor is Thailand a formal state signatory of the international criminal court’s attempt to have Putin arrested if he steps abroad. All these developments occurred well before Srettha became the Thai premier. Putin has also accepted a state visit invitation from Vietnam. In this context, it’s worth remembering that Joe Biden’s trip to Hanoi in 2023 saw an upgrading of ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership between the US and Vietnam. Vietnam’s policy has to be seen in context, namely to avoid being too committed to one side or the other. Similarly, Srettha will visit San Francisco in the United States in November 2023 to attend the summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. As political analyst Thitinan Pondsudhirak has written, “Srettha has not turned to Putin at the expense of the west. He wants both.” Thai-Russian trade is still relatively small at US$10 billion a year. Thailand’s exports to Russia include vehicles, machinery, electronics, vegetables and fruit, whilst imports are mainly oil, fertilizer and steel. Much of the trade now moves through the port of Vladivostok with its offshore banking facilities designed to offset western economic sanctions and the exclusion of Swift from financial transactions involving Russia. Western commentators can hold up their hands in horror about Thailand’s collaboration with the man who has inflicted so much misery on Ukraine and the world. But Thailand is now led by a real estate tycoon who is an accomplished salesman keen to do business worldwide. His bold aim pure and simple is to generate enough national wealth to ensure Pheu Thai wins the next general election in 2027.

From the Nation Retired government officer Phairoj Kullavanijaya spends most of his days working on his fruit farm in Chachoengsao in south-central Thailand – an area most consider to be generally safe. But the 68-year-old feels more at ease with his 9mm pistol at his side. “I’ve always been interested in guns. It’s natural that a man would want to own a gun for protection,” said Mr Phairoj, who used to work in the Ministry of Commerce. He bought the firearm after retiring in 2010 through a scheme that allows government employees to buy guns at a discounted rate, although he said he has never fired his weapon outside a shooting range. His love for guns has not changed, despite a string of mass shooting incidents in recent years. The latest is the Siam Paragon shooting in Bangkok’s bustling shopping belt earlier in October that killed three people and left several others injured. It shocked both locals and tourists and not just because the shooter was a 14-year-old who used an illegal gun. It also cast a spotlight on the prevalence of guns, both legal and illegal, in what many consider a relatively peaceful country and the deep-rooted and somewhat uneasy familiarity that Thais have with firearms. “Most Thai people do not fear guns,” said Mahidol University criminology researcher Anchistha Suriyavorapunt, adding that gun culture is particularly ingrained among those in the rural provincial areas. “They don’t have confidence in crime control policy to protect them, their possessions or their land, so they prefer to carry a gun for assurance.” Rhttps://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40032176f

I ageee, our parents deserve our respect. They did, after all, have some connection to us being at university at all.

Knowing you’re gay, she may fear that you’ll make a move on her husband if he came to service your unit.

Peter, you completely left out the part about how the Marshal Plan caused Europe not to recover in the wake of the Second World War. There are bigger fish to fry and I hope you soon unveil to us that it was the US and not China that’s responsible for the outbreak of Covid. And how about rising airfares? I’m sure you’ll get to the bottom of that and explain that it was actually a failure by the Biden administration.

Argentina's economy minister Sergio Massa has defied expectations by winning more than 36% of the vote in Sunday's presidential election, putting him on course for a run-off contest with far-right candidate Javier Milei. Mr Massa's lead was a surprise as many had believed voters would punish him for presiding over a financial crisis. Inflation in Argentina is nearing 140%. With almost all ballots counted, no candidate had received the necessary 45% of votes needed to win outright.

Then there’s always the possibility that she simply enjoys seeing farang befuddled.

As Chulalongkorn Day is a Memorial Day and not a Buddhist holiday, bars and other entertainment places are likely to be open.

Biden certainly echoed those sentiments during his visit to Israel last week: “As he wrapped up his 7 1/2-hour visit to Tel Aviv, Biden compared the Oct. 7 assault to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States that killed nearly 3,000 people and he recalled the rage Americans felt and the desire for justice by many in the United States. He also urged the Israelis to remember American missteps after 9/11, an era that left the U.S. military ensconced in a 20-year war in Afghanistan. “I caution this: While you feel that rage, don’t be consumed by it,” he said. “After 9/11, we were enraged in the United States. And while we sought justice and got justice, we also made mistakes.”

Excerpt from the Benar News Thailand is not a state party to the Rome Statute by which The Hague-based International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Putin for his alleged role in crimes committed against Ukrainian children.

from Thai PBS. World Showing respect for adults and the elderly, collectively known in Thai as “pooyai” (ผู้ใหญ่), is a cultural norm in Thailand, which is widely perceived as a virtue. While abuse of power is, however, becoming increasingly common, from boasting about their seniority and abusing youngsters to expecting special privileges, Thai people have found themselves rethinking how respect should really be perceived. “Pooyai” also refers to people in positions of power and “influential figures” in their communities. Therefore, how has this “always-respect-the-pooyai” belief allowed certain people to mistreat whoever they want? How often are our values compromised because pooyais “are always right”? Most importantly, is it wrong to have no respect for pooyais who treat us badly? Or is it because Thais have been teaching “respect” the wrong way? What does “respect” mean to Thais? Universally, respect is respect, regardless of who you are and where you are from, but “respect” in Thai culture is somehow different. There are several words in the Thai language used to describe respect. The most common is “Kao-rob” (เคารพ) which means to respect someone, such as respecting the elderly or paying respects to the national anthem or a religion. Other words include “Nub-tue” (นับถือ) which means to have huge respect for someone, while “Nob-norm” (นอบน้อม) means to respect someone with a humble attitude, especially when you consider yourself inferior to the other person to whom you are speaking. The way these terms are described in the Thai language means you respect someone or something only because it is of “high regard”, such as the pooyais, which is going in an upward direction only. Therefore, Thais often find themselves reinforcing the belief of humble respect for whoever is “above” them, but it barely teaches people to respect each other, regardless of status. A lot of this is rooted in the social hierarchies in Thai culture, where your age, gender, wealth, social status or lineage will determine how you will be treated. This has led people to believe that the higher the ranking, the more authority and respect you will gain, or will expect from others. For this reason, some people feel entitled to boast about their superiority and talk condescendingly to others, believing that everyone has to be humble and respect them no matter what, because they are in a “higher” position. This is especially true regarding age, all Thais rank each other by comparing themselves to a family member, such as Pee (พี่, as in older brother or sister), Loong (ลุง, as in uncle), Pah (ป้า, as in aunt), Na (น้า, as in female cousin), Ah (อา, as in male cousin) and Nong (น้อง, as in younger brother or sister). Such honorifics are supposed to be used based on love and care for others, like a family. Some people, however, use them as a “shield of honour”, to demand respect from whoever they see as “young children”, especially those who seem to be ignorant about seniority. The frustration has even sparked a social media catchphrase “Krai-Nong-mueng-ka” (ใครน้องมึงคะ) literally “Who the hell is your Nong?”. This is used by people to express their irritation with seniors, including complete strangers, who try to patronise them. Continues at https://www.thaipbsworld.com/opinion-im-a-pooyai-the-dilemma-of-respect-in-thai-culture/

From Pattaya News On October 20th, 2023, Mr. Sutin Klungsang, the Thai Minister of Defense, publicly revealed details following his visit to the Royal Thai Navy on various aspects of naval operations and government policies. The issue of submarines, specifically the procurement of engines from China, was a point of focus. Both the Ministry of Defense and the Thai government had been working to resolve such an issue, following the previous governments attempts In a recent development, the Thai Navy accepted a proposal to replace their planned submarine with Chinese frigates. The Navy had previously requested the Thai government to secure submarine engines from China, but negotiations with the Chinese government proved unsuccessful. Consequently, the Navy had put forth a proposal to acquire frigates instead of the originally planned submarines. The government believed that frigates had the capability to effectively address their defense needs, though inferior to submarines. During a diplomatic discussion with China, the Chinese side also faced difficulties regarding engine procurement, and both sides expressed mutual understanding of each other’s challenges.

Prior to the Hamas attacks, the current government realized the bulk of its support originated from the far right, many of whom were exempt from military service, and the settlers Vinapu alluded to. Meanwhile it had been losing support from the left and centrist factions. The attacks had an immediate and galvanizing effect that no amount of politicking could have ever achieved. Israel—for the moment—is as close to unified as is possible. For Hamas, the problem is different. It doesn’t stand for election. It operates as a vigilante movement, getting materiel support from outside Gaza. It’s only stated reason for existence is the destruction of the state of Israel. So how do you go about negotiating with those who only seek your eradication? The sole measure of how that’s been working out can only be evaluated by whether or not Hamas succeeded in its avowed mission.

You’re right about friends and allies. No one wants a just one but everyone values a loyal one. Association comes with the territory. As our mothers told us, if you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen.

The dips in runways are intentional to assist in acceleration and then rotation on takeoff. On landing they ease touchdown and then assist braking on the incline. Actually these dips are to help the aircraft rotate. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft accelerates. When it gets to the downward slope of the dip, it accelerates even quicker. And when it gets to the other side (upward), it helps the aircraft rotate and fly into the sky.

Don’t agree that gay community is an outmoded concept, although I certainly agree that “We don't take very good care of "our kind" whether they be the elderly, the disabled, the dispossessed or despairing.” If I found that l had less than a handful of gay friends, however, I’d be poorer for it.

Peter, Peter, Peter. You’re determined to pursue the blame game. Perhaps you’d like to next blame the US for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Or the price of eggs. 🤗

You’d win that faceoff because you’ve been to Tawan far more times than I’ve been to Freshboy. But I If it came down to the battle of massage shops we’d be on more even ground.

Peter, will you ever come close to exhausting blame and moving beyond it? Please offer something constructive. If the US was wrong in supporting Israel then perhaps it was likewise wrong in supporting England in WWII? I don’t think so. You pick your friends and don’t look back. Many thought the UN would eliminate the need for NATO and other alliances. Hasn’t quite panned out that way. Nations still find that they require allies in this world. And the more the better.

Truly sorry to hear about your friend. Unfortunately he was not the first who found himself in such dire straits. As a community, we have done little to address the fate on the aged members of our tribe. I read periodic comments about the number of lonely men, particularly in Pattaya but they also exist in Bangkok and beyond. We understandably glorify the attraction of youth; that’s what drew most of us here in the first place. But time and age inextricably take their toll and all too often social isolation sets in. Last week I was discussing the closure of the Coffee Grinder with the two men who opened the shop on Bangkok’s Soi. Tarntawan. It was, they said, their intent to open a place that could serve as a gathering place for the city’s gay community during the daytime hours. There are many options in the evening in the Silom area, they reasoned, but no opportunity otherwise. They wanted a welcoming environment where folks could spend time and interact with others. Sadly, due to conditions beyond their control, the shop had to close last month. I miss it already. I used it to meet with other members and it was a joy to be in those surroundings. We, as a community, need nurturing places.