Coss

93 million adults in the U.S. read at or below the basic level needed to contribute successfully to society. America wins again. http://www.rif.org/pdf/Literacy-Facts-Stats.pdf

30% of Republican primary voters say they would support bombing Agrabah A new poll found that many Americans—including 30% of Republican primary voters—say they would bomb the fictional country from Disney’s Aladdin, but the poll should be trusted about as much as the movie’s villainous vizier Jafar. The poll came from Democratic firm Public Policy Polling, which likes to troll reporters and social media with humorously worded survey questions. A previous canvass compared the favorability of Vladimir Putin, the Republican-controlled Congress and dog poop, for example). The question was fairly straightforward: “Would you support or oppose bombing Agrabah?†(Agrabah is, of course, not a real country.) But it came after a long series of questions about things that have actually been in the news, such as criminal background checks of gun buyers, barring Muslims from entering the U.S. and raising the federal minimum wage. The firm asked Democratic primary voters too, and they opposed bombing Agrabah by 36%, though 19% supported the proposal. A release on the automated survey of 532 Republican primary voters did not include a margin of error. Based on its own tweets, the firm doesn’t take the poll too seriously http://time.com/4155228/amiercans-bomb-aladdin-agrabah/

What Have You Had Nicked - something stolen from one What Have You Nicked - something one has stolen

KFC in Vientiane, is quite edible as it's made by what seems to be an old lady and her daughters. Khouviang Fried Chicken that is, crisp large and fresh, a little msg, delicious... ! On Khouviang rd, Vientiane. Pepsi signs and plastic tables outside, always busy.

" I do sleep with one eye open" ​I can vouch for that, most unnerving when people are trying to converse with you.

Once upon a blue moon, I'll forget how vile KFC is, succumb to their marketing and go and buy some, thinking it'll be great fried chicken. I did that today. At the drive through (note through, not thru) window, I watched the moron, put two pieces of chicken into what was supposed to be a three piece pack. I asked, as he handed the pack to me, "Is this a two piece or a three piece pack?" "Three piece" he said, before closing the window and shambling away. I checked and low and behold, there were only two pieces of the soggy delicacy contained in my "pack". I operated the emergency warning horn system of my car, and a pretty young Asian girl moronette opened the window, whereupon I remonstrated with her, showing the two pieces, of my supposed three piece "pack". She skipped away and flipped me an ancillary "packette", I drove away, finding later that she'd given me three more pieces. I now had five pieces in my three piece pack. I wonder if being able to count is a requirement to work at a KFC, or just moronity. Oh and the greasy, msg laden, chicken boiled in oil, was as I remembered it, so I won't be buying any more of this, until my memory fails to warn me that the stuff, is not as crispy and delicious as they depict in their advertising.

On consideration, I reckon it's a case of disgruntled worker, vs idiot millionaire.

Un lucky I've only had one burglary 'overseas' - from my flat in Vientiane, motorbike, TV, Laptop, HDDs, Video Cam, DVD player, etc etc. But possessions are impermanent, so it doesn't matter.

Criminal Activities 2015 - Michael Pitt, Dan Stevens, Christopher Abbott, Rob Brown, Edi Gathegi , Jackie Earle Haley, John Travolta. Gangsters, FBI, Kidnapping. Good twist at the end. Worth a watch.

Bone Tomahawk 2015 - Kurt Russell - Not your average western. Having just watched Fargo series II, I was surprised to see two of the central actors from that in this. Good movie, worth a watch, the faint hearted may find one scene very disturbing.

Of course, not being on the Jury, we assume that the reportage´is the whole story. It may be that the Jury had other, information that cast doubts on the girl's story. I think it's likely it that the Jury, chucked the case out for other reasons, than the idiot's lame excuse...

Yes that maybe, I was drawing a long bow, rather than assuming that 'Gulf' indicated a location for the dealership.

Yes I'm sure you are right, my point has more to do with being able to get a higher temperature from something like jet fuel if the environment is right. Perhaps and I don't know this for a fact, as I am not a Rocket Surgeon, the temperature at the centre of the flame coming out of the arse of a large rocket, may be higher, than the temperature at which, it's fuel, would burn, at in a petrie dish. This would be termed as an, example.

I hope that they adapt, there's fish in the sea, housing and support, I'd make the move if it was offered to me. Scottish Island, how charming. I spoke to some Lao, who'd settled in NZ, not quite refugees, but after some years here, they all noted the regime they left behind, as being repressive and cautious with the truth, when compared to Middle Earth. Though it sounds like the Isle of Bute may have it's own problems : "The local radio station, Bute FM, found itself at the centre of a local controversy in 2010 after presenter Michael Blair was sacked and several volunteers walked out in sympathy. The situation was apparently exacerbated when the a phone-in show was prevented from airing complaints from listeners about the incident. The show's presenter resigned in protest stating that "for a community radio show to tell listeners they can't have their say on a show called 'Have Your Say' is just incredible."

Tee hee, and another aspect that conspiracy nuts don't consider, is that if jet fuel burning at 1800 C, is fanned or channelled up a chimney, like a staircase or lift shaft etc etc, you'll get higher temperatures, thats why blacksmiths use bellows, and steel is made in blast furnaces.

"AutoNation Ford Gulf Freeway dealership" sounds like they support the Daesh, would not that be a worry? Or does the land of the free, support anyone if it's commerce?

Caught again, Thailand can’t keep wriggling off the hook The Nation December 18, 2015 1:00 am Evidence of ‘slavery’ in the shrimp industry suggests an inability or unwillingness to protect rights by enforcing existing laws Thailand is under an unwelcome international spotlight once again amid revelations about working conditions in its seafood industry. This time, though, the clamour for a boycott of Thai fishery products in the West might be heeded. A recent investigation by the Associated Press news agency uncovered strong evidence that shrimp being sold in US restaurants and grocery chains had been peeled by migrant labourers working in slave-like conditions in Thailand. Rights groups have been joined by US politicians in calling on consumers to boycott American retailers that sell seafood from this supply chain. Associated Press implicated dozens of restaurants and supermarket across America and said these outlets exist in all 50 states. Last year a six-month investigation by the British newspaper the Guardian revealed that much of the shrimp exported from Thailand was processed by workers subjected to torture, wage-pilfering and other rights violations that would be classified as slavery in many countries. Thai government officials and industry leaders often deflect blame by arguing that the migrants find employment here that is unavailable to them elsewhere. But behind this specious claim of altruism lies a much harsher truth involving the exploitation of desperate individuals in jobs that Thais typically shun. The shoddy and sometimes dangerous working conditions, the low pay and the long hours bring the price of the product down and help explain why our seafood exports are globally competitive. Meanwhile the migrant workers - most from neighbouring Myanmar and Cambodia - suffer on in silence with scant opportunities to voice their grievances. The labour rules in place here are poorly policed and easily circumvented by the cynical distribution of enough cash in the right pockets. The funds for these bribes often come out of the workers' pay, which is already far below the legal minimum wage. And, if the workers don't pay up, police can be summoned to charge them with illegal entry. Migrants put up with subhuman conditions because they have little choice. Many are fleeing hardships, state oppression and warfare. This, however, doesn't give that the state, society or business sector a licence to mistreat them for gain. It is unfortunate that it has taken threats from consumers halfway around the world to spur thoughts of change. Thailand and the billion-dollar seafood industry of which it is a part must understand that the problem runs much deeper than the working conditions of migrant shrimp-peelers. Closer scrutiny of fishing practices has revealed that Thai fishing boats routinely harvest Indonesian waters, manned by workers from Myanmar so that, if the trawlers are caught, the boat owner can toss the hot potato to the Myanmar government. Apart from working conditions and international law, there are also environmental concerns and the matter of dubious methodology. Equipment used to catch fish that can harm other marine species has been banned and efforts are being made to ensure that its use stops. The fact that the world learns about these questionable practices from media reports suggests that the industry and the government lack the means to verify that the industry is abiding by regulations. For the government, this is a warning that cannot be ignored. It's to be hoped that the charges do not become politicised. The world has changed. The earth itself is sick and the water is not as clean as it once was. Nor are fish as abundant. The linking of labour practices to business and environmental concerns has been a trend in the making for years. It's time our government came to terms with it and made the needed changes. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Caught-again-Thailand-cant-keep-wriggling-off-the--30275165.html

Another in the Lassie saga http://www.theguardian.com/global/commentisfree/2015/dec/17/thailand-royal-dog-prosecution

On an oft observed tangent, I've always wondered why these Jihaddy baddies, on their quest to return to life in the middle ages, are happy to use modern technology to do so. Surely a malnutritioned Camel, and a Sword with chips in its edge from past conflicts are the preferred modus operandi?

I'm poor, because my lifestyle does not extend to, travelling to southern Iraq, to exercise my falcons.

Shrimp Slaves Boycott: Thailand Slave Labor Controversy Sparks Call For Ban On Seafood Imports Migrant laborers work at a shrimp factory in Samut Sakhon on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, in 2007. Human rights groups have claimed that thousands of children and illegal Myanmar migrants are working in Thailand's $2 billion-a-year shrimp export industry, often in conditions akin to modern-day slavery. Industry officials have long denied the allegations. Politicians in the United States and international human rights organizations called this week for a boycott of seafood imports from Thailand after the largest shrimp producer acknowledged that some of its product could be derived from slave labor. Politicians and activists were reacting to an investigative report released Monday by the Associated Press, which found that some producers in Thailand’s $7 billion shrimp industry forced migrant laborers to work 16-hour days with little or no wages. Thai shrimp can be found in products sold by major retailers in the U.S., Europe and Asia, according to the AP. The laborers, including some who had been tricked or sold into shrimp peeling factories without the freedom to leave, have endured modern-day slavery for years at a time. "All of us may find ourselves eating a slave-made product without knowing it, but once we know it, we all have a moral obligation, I believe, to make a personal decision to boycott it," U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, a Republican from New Jersey and member of the House foreign relations committee, told BBC News. Smith was among those calling for a boycott of Thai seafood producers. Thai Union, one of the largest shrimp producers in the world, admitted to the AP that it was unaware of where all of its shrimp came from and called the findings of the investigation a “wake-up call.†Thai Union leaders said they planned to change employment practices, beginning in 2016, with reforms that include using less migrant laborers to process seafood. Internal labor has been “a positive step towards our goal of ridding the Thai seafood sector of illegal labor practices," said Thiraphong Chansiri, chief executive of Thai Union, according to the BBC News report. Greenpeace, the international human rights organization, in July called for a boycott of Thai Union after another AP investigation reveal abuses at the company’s Indonesian seafood processing plants. Global food giant Nestlé said last month that it had determined slave labor was used on fish it bought from Thai producers and hatched a plan to address the issue. http://www.ibtimes.com/shrimp-slaves-boycott-thailand-slave-labor-controversy-sparks-call-ban-seafood-2228049

In NZ social welfare can keep people in houses and fed, not much more than that, and it is difficult to manage. But poverty in NZ is relative. Poverty in Laos, or even parts of Thailand is real, in NZ I term them 'less well off". If kids are not eating well in NZ, the family needs help to manage, it's not because they can't do it, it's generally because they are unable for some other reason. Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco/Stupidity/Unfortunate choices - there are a myriad of things. But it is very common for a 'poor' person in NZ to have a mobile phone, a tv, expensive shoes (Nike etc) and no food for the kids. The poverty line seems to be, unable to afford Sky TV, expensive shoes (Nike etc), take out food, a vehicle, tobacco etc etc If I generalise then so be it. But when I see Lao kids with no shoes, rags for clothes and a stub of a pencil with an old raggy exercise book, going to school with light in their eyes, I see poverty. From your link - "defined as being in a household earning less than 60 percent of the median income after housing costs" That's a median of NZ$45,000 p.a. or 91,350 bht per month. How much is the median income in Thailand I wonder.

Why? In my humble estimation, someone who posts these things on social media, before escaping danger, is a welcome loss to the gene pool.

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Well not really, the point of the article is that unless something is done about them, they'll be a huge problem, much bigger than we think. They don't really care if we engage them or not, they'd love to fight us, but the primary raison d'être is to raise the Caliphate to heights of glory not seen for a thousand years. I used to think that Muslims were, by and large, a peaceful bunch, like modern Christians but a different flavour. Some extremists making a bad reputation for all. But after reading that article (original post) I can see, that to an increasing amount of Muslims all over the world, the rise of the Caliphate is a good thing and for me, this is at odds to a modern, generally peaceful world.