dean

I don't own a gun but feel safer in Kansas, knowing that whoever points a gun at me has to at least consider the possibility that I am carrying a concealed weapon. I feel a lot safer walking around in the U.S. I don't travel in higher crime rate areas, particularly at night. I feel a lot less safe driving around, particularly at night, with the number of drunk drivers around. That would be my priority.

Which would I rather face? Someone waving a hand gun in Kansas (which allows carrying a gun with license) or a pack of Thais with no regard for life. Tough decision!

Radioman's replied to my comment about effort to assimilate into western society by a Thai woman. Strictly speaking, effort can only fall between 0 and 100%. You can go over 100% in comparing effort at different times (one put three times the effort in during March that one did in February) but you can't put more than 100% effort into anything. I took his comment stating 105% as 100% effort with positive attitude. If he meant something else, I'm sure he will correct me.

His contract for "Girl of the Week" must be over.

Besides his movies with Eastwood, I remember Lewis from the movie "Double Impact," one of the few Van Damme movies that I liked. At least he didn't wear his membership in Scientology on his sleeve, like Cruise and Travolta do. He must have been a good father, with 10 kids (several in the movie business) and none of them in the news for the wrong reasons. RIP

James Best, who played Sherrif Roscoe P. Coltrane in the hit series "The dukes of Hazzard," died at age 88.

From a little research, there are around 8,000 Thais living in New Zealand, most of which are females. How many thai males are within driving distance of Auckland, I have no idea.

Take my word on Thais moving to faring land. It's one thing to visit for a couple of weeks and another to live there indefinitely. After 8 years, I'd say that my thai wife has assimilated into U.S. Lifestyle about 5%. Concerning Stick, maybe he and Mrs. stick could have made it in New Zealand, with few Thai males as temptation.

In saying that his divorce is a factor in his leaving Thailand, I was only referring to the fact that he can leave Thailand without regard to whether his wife wanted to or not. By being divorced, he has no marital ties to remaining in Thailand and can leave because of other concerns.

In retrospect, I didn't realize that Ks had removed several personal observations of Belem's, including Stick's divorce. Since Stick referred to his "evil wife," I don't think that it can be considered outing him but if KS would prefer, go ahead and remove my last 2 posts.

The OP earlier referred to his divorce, so Stickman probably figured why ignore it. I'm sure it was a major reason why he is leaving Thailand.

Leonard Nimoy, best known for playing Spock in the Star Trek series and movies, has died at age 83.

Cav, if quasi governmental businesses like So. Cal Edison can fire their employees to save on wages/benefits, what's to stop state and federal agencies from firing their employees and outsourcing the jobs? States like Illinois, looking at bankruptcy over underfunding employee benefits programs, must be considering the outsource option over raising taxes to fiscally straighten out the mess that they created.

Bob Simon, CBS correspondent on "60 minutes," died today in an car crash in Manhattan. He was 73.

Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, has died.

The Grand Jury's verdict was just announced. No charges will be filed against the officer in Ferguson, Mo over the 18 year old black's death. Ferguson would probably be the last place I would want to be tonight or for the next few days.

You have this ruling and the one in Illinois, which stated that the State could not alter Illinois public sector pensions. In one instance, the Michigan ruling affects non voting children. The Illinois ruling not only affects voters, but in particular, Judges, who get their pensions from local, state or federal governments. How a Judge can rule on such a case and call himself/herself in partial is beyond me.

Truman left office with approval ratings close to GWB.

Jane Byrne, Chicago's only female mayor, has died at age 81. Cav, any good stories that you can tell about her?

Flash, I believe that tour guide is now working for the City of Los Angeles, in a similar position in LA's Chinatown. I think that all of those un-American Chinese living in SF should be forced to become Americans. And what is more American than Baseball, hotdogs and apple pie. Just by coincidence, the World Series will be played Friday, Saturday and Sunday at AT&T Park (go KC). All of the Chinese in SF should be forced to watch all 3 games, either in person or on TV, while eating hotdogs (not dogs) and Apple pie. That should be enough to convert them.

"learn from this"? Learn not to be so stupid as to let anyone, even boyfriends, take nude pictures?

Not a good 5-6 year stretch for the Secret Service. Going from stiffing hookers in South America (and either Bergium or the Netherlands) to security concerns at the White House and on Presiential routes. I'm pretty sure that the present (just fired) director was brought in to curb the supposed macho, sexist culture of SS agents. I guess that whoever hired her should have told her that curbing these excesses was not going to be done at the expense of how it was perceived that secutity should be handled. It sounds like a near impossible position to fill and please those that count.

Just a wild guess, but it was played in Scotland. A major complaint about the Ryder Cup is the way that courses are selected. It is rarely contested on a championship course, like St. Andrews or Oakmont.. You never hear about the players complaining about how the course was toughened up, as they are for majors. Money drives the selection of Ryder Cup venues. Concerning the recent domination of Europe, maybe the U.S. Should let the Europeans take the place of the U.S. In the President's Cup. Or, just re-format the Ryder Cup and let the Europeans play the rest of the world. I can't see the U.S. contending over the next 2-3 Ryder Cups.

Now that the referendum is over, now we can get the important events, like the Ryder Cup that starts Friday.

From themajorsofgolf.com: It has taken the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews an awfully long time – even longer than it took Augusta National – but finally, on September 18, 2014, the R&A’s membership will vote on a motion to admit women members. TheMajorsofGolf.com understands that the R&A is confident the motion will be supported by its membership, leading the famous St Andrews-based club to invite women to join its ranks two years after Augusta National did the same. A statement issued by the R&A yesterday says: “Members of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, will vote on a motion to admit women as members. The Club’s committees are strongly in favour of the rule change and are asking members to support it.†Technically, the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is separate from ‘The R&A’, which is the company set up by the club to govern the game outside North American and Mexico (which come under the auspices of the USGA), although both the club and governing body are based and run out of the R&A’s imposing clubhouse that sits behind the first tee of the Old Course at St Andrews. While the governing body has worked tirelessly to grow the game around the world, its efforts have been undermined by the all-male club under the same roof. Many people outside the R&A do not differentiate the club from the company anyway. While this is a significant step for the R&A – both club and company – it does not mean that all-male clubs among Open Championship venues – namely Muirfield and Royal St. George’s – will necessarily follow suit. Royal Troon, which will host the Open in 2016, has its own twist by having two clubs, one for men and one for women. However, with the R&A now leading by example in holding a vote, it will become harder for the stubborn memberships of these all-male or segregated clubs to cling onto their single-gender policies. Time will tell whether the 2013 Open at Muirfield will go down in history as the last Open to be held at an all-male club.