The USMC is not amused

[Flashermac]

Cheers, Marine. The Army likes to poke fun at you, but we really think you're great ... much as it pains me to admit it.

 

 

 

[rogueyam]

 

RY..Well, there is hope for the libs here who, undoubtedly blame GWB for global warming. It will all stop next January.

 

SD...FYI, this issue is not a lib vs. conservative matter.

 

My opinion is that "climate change" or "global warming" or whatever you want to call it is simply socialistic world government by another name and thus has nothing to do with science or the environment. It is purported to be a scientific matter but in fact it is an entirely political one.

[Hugh_Hoy]

 

RY..Well' date=' there is hope for the libs here who, undoubtedly blame GWB for global warming. It will all stop next January.

 

SD...FYI, this issue is not a lib vs. conservative matter.

[/quote']

 

My opinion is that "climate change" or "global warming" or whatever you want to call it is simply socialistic world government by another name and thus has nothing to do with science or the environment. It is purported to be a scientific matter but in fact it is an entirely political one.

 

I think it is a scientific matter. That is, I think that I've noticed that the climate has changed over the last 4 decades in California...not just in the last 5 or 10. But climate change has occured for thousands/millions of years...and science has proved that it occured before man (and certainly, industry) made footprints. Entirely different issue if one wants to discuss whether or not it is a lib or conservative faction that is trying to use it to further some political agenda (and I'm not saying it isn't).

 

HH

 

 

 

[Julian2]

Climate change had made it hard on conservatives who can actually think for themselves rather than just parrot the party line.

 

[Flashermac]

I swear Thailand is hotter and drier in the summer than it used to be. I've read that the seasons are all effed up too. The seasons used to change regularly on schedule. Now it's anyone's guess. No idea if global changes is to blame, or if it is because of the greedy SOBs clear cutting forests across the country. Thailand has about 30% fewer woodlands than when I first came here.

 

A former colleague from Vietnam told me there's been a lot of illegal clear cutting of the forests in former South Vietnam too. (He should know, since his father's a forestry official.)

 

 

 

[Julian2]

The truth is, the Earth is actually falling into the sun. World leaders are hiding this fact to avoid panic and maybe delay construction of their personal escape spacecraft.

[TheCorinthian]

 

I think it is a scientific matter. That is, I think that I've noticed that the climate has changed over the last 4 decades in California...not just in the last 5 or 10. But climate change has occured for thousands/millions of years...and science has proved that it occured before man (and certainly, industry) made footprints. Entirely different issue if one wants to discuss whether or not it is a lib or conservative faction that is trying to use it to further some political agenda (and I'm not saying it isn't).

 

HH

 

 

 

 

 

And your personal frame of reference for the past million years is what?

[playtheblues]

Even as "recently" as 25 years ago, Bangkok was less hot than now. I especially remember that it was almost always breezy.

 

I partly blame it on the tall buildings. High density of tall buildings is not suitable for tropical cities. They accumulate a lot of heat in the daytime and let it out in the evenings and nights, so the city remains relatively hot even after sunset. And the buildings tend to block the breeze.

 

The tall building density is of course another manifestation of a greed that has deforested Thailand at one of the highest rates in the world.

[Flashermac]

I first came in 1973. I remember the mountains around Phitsanulok and Petchabun had lost a lot of their forest cover, but most of it remained. However, a former PC vol from the mid 1960s saw the mountains and was absolutely shocked. She said when she was there the forest cover was solid. I dread to think what it looks like up there now.

 

25 years ago Bangkok was still a lovely city. I have photos with the air a beautiful blue, including some taken when Pope John Paul II made his visit. People used to zip around by bus then; the idiotic "need" for everyone to have a car hadn't arrived yet. You must remember the delightful view over the city from the Tiara penthouse restaurant at the Dusit Thani Hotel. The view from La Rotonde in the Narai Hotel was equally stunning. Now all you can see from the Dusit Thani is Lumpini Park. From the Narai, I suppose you can see the concrete walls of neighbouring buildings, if the restaurant still revolves. Good to hear you saw the city before it was ruined.

 

 

 

 

 

[playtheblues]

I've only made one trip to the mountains in the Phitsanulok region, and that was by helicopter to the war "theater" (or what I should call it) at Baan Rom Klao in 1988. We were a group invited by the Thai army command to get un understanding of the conflict and watch the heroism :smirk: of the Thai Army (they lost the war, I will remember) on the spot, but of course we left more confused then when we came which probably was reflected in my report in my country's broadcast news. As you said it was a beautiful and clear sight, those forest covered hills (but not so densely forested anymore).

 

The Dusit was a fine place and I am glad you reminded me about the Tiara. At that time I started my Lumpini runs from the Dusit gym and the air was good enough for me to do the two laps 5km run in 24 minutes, today its' 30 minutes and let's blame it on the air pollution.

 

Dusit Thani is still basically the same but the Imperial with its lovely garden has tragically succumbed to capitalist greed, like the equally so lush and photosynthetically so effective Siam Intercontinental.

 

Imperial also had a beautiful Thai-Chinese PR officer, who made it even more pleasurable to have an afternoon tea in the lobby cafeteria.

 

I do my best not to become one of those Bangkok old hands - actually I don't even subscribe to any of the Bangkok newspapers, only to the International Herald Tribune, and I purposefully neglect developing my Thai language any further.

 

But the sweet melancholy of old-Bangkok nostalgia I still allow myself. Nice to share it with an old-timer!