xyzzy

13 hours ago, stoolpusher said:

I do know what rare earth minerals are , I learnt about that in school . Australia has sold Iron and LPG to China for many years and now China own a port in the Top End of Australia and it only permits Chinese owned ships to dock there , that should never of happened .

  Unfortunately there are a lot of things that should have never happened. But the rest of the world wanted cheap goods from China or needed their bad economies rescued. And now in many products, if push came to shove, China has almost complete control over the rest of the world. It would damage the fairly newly created "middle class" if China flexed their muscle. But China has drawn farther away from the capitalist path, and concern for their citizens, in recent years under Xi. Unless there is some SERIOUS international initiatives in the coming years little will change. And that might be wishful thinking.  

3 hours ago, stoolpusher said:

and STOP buying shit from China

  Sadly China has mostly cornered the market on rare earth minerals. If you don't know what that is you should do a web search and some reading. The US used to produce a lot but sold their biggest company to China long ago. There was some kind of effort going on to restart the industry in the US but China has us mostly by the balls. As they do with ingredients to make many medicines, etc.

I definitely recommend The Queen's Gambit (Netflix)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10048342/

I was watching CNBC business network early this morning when the Moderna CEO was on and talking about the results. I knew those 5AM "old man gotta get up and go to the head" bathroom trips would pay off eventually. 

Later there was a discussion about what happens if the vaccines still to come are only 70-80% effective. In the past 70% wasn't considered so bad. But everyone will want the 90%+ vaccines. Until there is enough for everyone 70% is better than 0% I guess.

This suggests maybe April in the US.

https://news.yahoo.com/pfizer-gearing-distribute-covid-19-233912893.html

On 11/8/2020 at 2:27 PM, duke007 said:

Have to say that Pablo is a nasty bastard, even has a bar in Jomtien 

There used to be an Escobar on Soi Buakhao but it has since been renamed for a equally bad guy Negan.

Currently watching Season 1 (only eight episodes) of Tehran. I've seen better but very watchable. This really picks up as it goes along and the end clearly leaves a path for season 2.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10577736/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

I've watched part of Season 1 of Raised by Wolves. About children being raised by androids. It's kind of out there. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9170108/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

23 hours ago, seven said:

Pfizer vaccine ready.

Pfizer thinks they will have 50 million doses ready by the end of the year. The US maybe will get 10 million of those. I have no idea what quantity other countries are suppose to get. Two doses are required so cut that number in half. It will probably be at least spring (if lucky) or summer until the average guy can get his two jabs. Of course by then there maybe more than one vaccine. I'm OK with that as it will give more time to see if the vaccine testers turn in to lepers or something. :o)

1 hour ago, Quietguy said:

Who is the only US President to lose the popular vote twice? 

I'll guess Bush Jr.

Nope, that is wrong.

11 minutes ago, Pdoggg said:

Who are the ten incumbent American presidents who lot re-election bids?

George H. W. Bush, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter is as far back as I can go. If you know more than that you are a U.S. history buff.

On 10/18/2020 at 9:58 PM, sydneyjohn57 said:

You could try "right clicking" the pic link and choosing open in new tab or new window.

 

  Thanks all. I have to right click on Open Link (not tabs) in New Window as I hate tabs and have them turned off in Firefox.

Can someone remind me how to open these Twitter links. All I get is a Firefox error.

Maybe my all time favorite guitarist as he had a style all his own. I mostly consider VH Hard Rock and maybe less than really hard at times after Sammy joined the band. I was trying to post a link to Eruption I'll try once more. The short version see youtube for more. Not sure how many don't know about Eddie and Beat It with MJ .

3 hours ago, seven said:

Rest in peace, Eddie Van Halen.

13 hours ago, Pdoggg said:

Actually 3rd in the line of succession is the president pro tem of the Senate, Chuck Grassley, who is 87.   Cocaine Mitch is a spring chicken at 78!

I wasn't suggesting McConnell was next in line after Pelosi although the way I wrote it it probably seemed so. He just seems to be the most powerful person in the Senate and he is another old fart so I mentioned him.

I actually thought the Secretary of State was after Pelosi until I went to wikipedia and realized my mistake. In the scheme of things Grassley doesn't seem to make much news and seems relativity unimportant. Well unless three people die then he will be very important.  

3 hours ago, seven said:

Highly recommended book.  Professor at Yale, earned a sort of rock star status in the US where he lives, and is here now promoting his book.

Never heard of him. But I'm not into alt reality plots.

16 minutes ago, seven said:

I just learned the succession act. Trump, Pence, Pelosi.

Interesting. While Pelosi aint  no spring chicken

Pelosi is indeed after the VP.

Trump = 74 yo

Biden = 77 yo

Pelosi = 80 yo

Mitch McConnell = 78 yo

We can't seem to elect anyone younger but eventually they will all die...

19 hours ago, Pdoggg said:

Air Asia may have a reputation for being low cost but once you get to the final price it is often more expensive than the competition.   Air Asia might b cheaper if you are only flying with carry on luggage.

AirAsia used to be cheap but that changed several years ago.

Quote

Air Asia now has flights from Swampy, not just Don Mueang.

They are just domestic flights and those often aren't great from Swampy IMO. Often you have no real boarding gate, get bused to the plane and the domestic waiting area can be very busy. The bus to the plane also usually happened on my past Cambo flights on BKK Air.

Oh well I once got bused to a Boeing 787 at Narita for a BKK flight.

rarbg.to is also a good place to look for about anything.

1 hour ago, seven said:

The Sun is a tabloid. Like those things you buy at the grocery store check out counter.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sun_(United_Kingdom)

16 hours ago, David3615 said:

I read on a previous post  member making reference to a preventive tratement for AIDS....cannot fnd it again.

If anybody have informations,  i am curious about it

Thanks 

Do a web search for PrEP

On 9/6/2020 at 2:46 PM, seven said:

There’s been much less talk about Sweden of late. The reason, it would seem, is that Sweden’s strategy appears to have tamed the virus. While countries around the world are experiencing a resurgence of COVID-19 outbreaks, Sweden’s COVID-19 deaths have slowed to a crawl.

We did give up on that silly idea of heard immunity didn't we?

23 hours ago, seven said:

Not that I have read. Any prediction at this point would be guessing, besides we are a careful sort so nothing will be offered to the public too soon or uncertain. 50% is low and I doubt we'd go with that number.

 We went for the Astra Zeneca vaccine, in a joint venture within the EU.  Astra Zeneca is a british/swedish company so hopefully the brits will still get their share.

There are non vaxxers here as well, usually for religious reasons like you say. Then there are some tinfoilhats  who are convinced Bill Gates, Satan and China will implement a chip in the vaccine shot. 

I'd take a vaccine but have no problems waiting for the best one, as winter in Los 2020/21 won't happen, I'm afraid.

I used the worst case scenario as the doctor actually said 50-70% and was speaking generally about vaccines. I tried to find some similar info on the AstraZeneca vaccine but didn't stumble on any hard numbers. I gather that anything above 70% would be exceptionally good. 

I long ago gave up on winter 2020/2021. I'm just hoping to salvage the winter of 2021/2022. If a vaccine is 70% effective it would still be good to have some kind of therapeutic that would keep me from getting very sick if I still mange to contract the virus. Especially given the lifestyle we lead in LOS.  

On 8/31/2020 at 4:07 PM, seven said:

On a happier note, first quarter of 2021 vaccine will be offered here.

Is there a prediction on how effective the vaccine will be? Numbers here go as low as 50% effective. 50% is a hell of a lot of better than nothing but won't really put me at ease. Plus 20% or so of Americans are so stupid they won't take a vaccine as god or some other deity of there choice will save them. 

Would you guy's consider traveling on a 50% chance?

Hopefully Trump won't pull a Putin or Chinese approach and approve a vaccine before phase 3 trials are complete/start. Although in China I guess just health care works volunteered (cough) to get the vaccine.  

23 hours ago, strocube said:

Did I strike a nerve? I post opinions which you are free to ignore if you don’t like them. But here you are telling me to kill my self. Jesus, dude, take a look at yourself. 
You have not even offered any kind of rebuttal, just a personal attack. What happened to reasoned discourse? 
It must be hard swallowing all mainstream narratives without so much as a second thought. How’s that working out for you? 

IMO

HAHAHA you are such a dipshit. Yes your continual posting of BS does sometimes strike a nerve because it's stupid shit and makes a mess of parts of this forum IMO. And you do it over and over.

What kind of rebuttal is needed for wearing a mask when a virus is spread by airborne droplets? 

Quote

I think you nailed it when you mentioned religion. This mask nonsense is basically religious hysteria at this point. Those ridiculous plexiglass barriers are what really brought it home for me. They do FUCK ALL. It is pure psychological manipulation now. “Be afraid, sheeple!” The fucked up part is, it’s working. 

Damn this is funny stuff. You should take this show on the road. Oh wait you can't go on the road right now.

Trump has sent unidentified troops to Portland likely a violation of the law. Trump had his attorney general drop charges against a friend who confessed twice to a crime involving Trump and commuted the sentence of another. Trump has made the virus much worse by not coordinating a federal response. Trump has fired every cabinet level appointee or government department head that he can that says something he doesn't agree with. And that is just the tip of the iceburg. He is making himself as close to a dictator as possible. And Trump doesn't give a shit about masks. I'm a hell a lot more worried about Trump subjugating the American people, and laws, than some mask orders. If you get you panties all in a bunch about some damn mask order you must be horrified by what Trump is doing.    

  My apologies for posting this in the COVID-19 in Thailand. I seem to have wondered as far off topic as much of the rest of the discussion.

3 hours ago, strocube said:

That may be a small part of it. But, to me, it is much more sinister. I think it is about control and compliance. I also think, and I hope to god I am wrong, that this shit just the first round to soften us up for far more worse shit THEY plan on rolling out soon. What that might be is anyone’s guess. 

Life must be hard believing all this conspiracy crap. Wouldn't it be easier to just kill yourself?!!! It would be easier on us.