dean

I like to watch it grow and then smoke it

If the plane did crash in the Indian Ocean, how long would it take for any of the debris to wash up to some shore? Between that and extensive use of ships and planes to find the plane, I'm starting to give credence to the possibility that the plane didn't crash in water.

My guess is that you could probably find an endless number of photos of him next to a toliet. What I don't get is how he managed to stay in LOS, being a porn star, drug user and drug trafficker. He wasn't hiding from immigration if he did go to neighboring countries to be in porn films.

Whoever analyzed the flight computer, I hope it wasn't the same persons that analyzed Lois Lermer's computer.

America, land of the lawyers. That couple, after a year or two of negotiating among the lawyers involved, will hit the lottery in true American fashion.

Casey Kasem, long time LA DJ and host of "American Top 40," has died at age 82 over complications from Parkinson's disease and dementia. His daughter, Kerri Kasem, said she and her siblings are devastated to lose their father. However, over the last year a legal fight had been waged between the siblings and Kasem's second wife. Courts eventually awarded Kerri executor of Casey's health decisions. This culminated with her signing an order not to feed or medicate her father three days before his death. Casey Kasem was worth $80 million at time of death. For someone as beloved in the U.S. As Casey Kasem, not a very nice way to die. RIP Casey!

I just spent 15 minutes looking at 10 sites that deal with the number of people that died at Dresden. It is a fairly large gap; between 18,000 and 500,000. Most put the range from 35,000 to 135,000. One, a recent study of historians, gives the figure of 18,000 to 35,000. No one knows, just like no one knows an accurate number for the 2 atomic bombs. If, as in the historian's study, Hitler vastly inflated the number of dead to bring moral outrage against the allies, the Japanese government could have done the same. Anyway, the point of my post was not to get into a pissing match over exact figures. In both instances, many thousands died. In the case of the 2 atomic bombs, the U.S. was using a weapon many times more powerful than any weapon before it. It was used to demonstrate to the Japanese government that there was now no longer any reason to carry on the war. It was also calculated that as many as 1,000,000 allied soldiers could die in an all out invasion of Japan. Dresden was carried out to destroy key installations and to demoralize the German people. The bombs used were conventional but overwhelming. The question that I posed was; how different was the bombing of Dresden versus the dropping of the two atomic bombs? Should both acts be considered "war crimes," neither act or one act over the other?

I heard that next on the junta's list were jet ski operators in Phuket and Pattaya.

So, would the bombing of Dresden, which killed more people than either atomic bomb, be considered a war crime by the U.S. and British governments? Or is turnabout fair play, since Hitler bombed London?

Sorry, but a senior moment. That was supposed to be the "rape" of Nanking.

And it's only the middle of June! Wait until just about everyone goes on vacation/holiday in July and August.

You can go back to the early 1920's, when a treaty was passed, trying to freeze the size of various countries navy's, including Japan's. Once the military government of Japan invaded China and "raped" Manchuria, the difference between what Japan was doing and what Europe and the U.S. had done should be evident. Sanctions rarely work (see Iran and North Korea) and are a sledge hammer type of diplomacy. That doesn't excuse what the military government of Japan did and they certainly brought the way that the war ended on themselves. By the way, Cav, wasn't one of your ex's Japanese?

When the junta cuts privileges extended to the Thai military brass, I'll believe that they are serious about reforming the country in an equitable manner.

It's too bad that many voters don't vote in "lesser"elections, like primaries and local elections. Because the turn out is so low, a grass roots organization like the Tea Party can pick off Congressmen before the race even goes to a general election. Concerning Presidential races, the Republicans could possibly go the way of the Whigs over immigration and the rising Hispanic vote.

The Tea Party took out their biggest prize yet; House Majority Whip, Eric Cantor. I wonder if that makes a Tea Party Congressman/woman in line to take Cantor's job? I also wonder if the Speaker is worried about staying Speaker in the next Congress?

I got my information about Ms. DeCrow from the New York Times, which isn't about to include any negative, personal tidbits. When I used to listen to Rush 20 years ago, he would refer to "that gang from NOW" as feminazis. I couldn't tell you who the current head of NOW was.

Karen DeCrow, president of NOW in the mid 1970's, died at age 76. It was under her stewardship that the equal rights for women amendment was proposed and ultimately ran out of time before getting 3/4 of the States to ratify it. She, through NOW, pushed Congress to pass Article IX, which opened up College athletics to many more women. She may have been, in part, one of the women who inspired Rush Limbaugh to coin the term "Feminine Nazi."

I live in the south part of Overland Park but will probably be close to Worlds of Fun tomorrow, on my way to Buckner, Missouri. I'm far more likely to be visiting Harrah's casino, which should be close to where you are making your delivery, than I would be going to Worlds of Fun. The last time I was there was 4 years ago, when I took the 3 step children while my wife and 2 year old son were back in Chiang Mai for the summer. We got there at 9:30 and all three, after going on several rides/roller coasters, couldn't wait to leave by 12:30 PM. I occasionally google their names to see what they are up to and I found a blog by the oldest step child saying "Worlds of Fun is no fun." Is there something about Thais and amusement parks? I haven't had to waste any money there over the last 4 years (and probably won't be taking them to Disney world this coming X-Mas/New Years, unless they want 3 weeks in Florida instead of freezing in Kansas). They do like water parks, so I'll have to get them to Schlitterbaum to try the worlds tallest water slide. That should be good for a few laughs.

One down, 999,999 to go.

I went to catholic schools through University (1975). In grade school, I was forced to kneel for an entire day. At a Jesuit high school, the freshman football coach came from behind in the class he was teaching to hit me in the back of the head for talking in class ( and because I wouldn't go out for the football team). Today, in the US, school is much better for the majority of students who are there to study and follow procedures. If you can't behave, you aren't diciplined, but moved along to the next grade until you either drop out or graduate from HS. I'm just waiting for another year for the 2 year probation to end for the last arrest of my Thai step son and force him to join the military. By that time, I'm pretty sure he will be ready to get out on his own and away from me.

I'll never criticize Thai discipline methods used in schools. The last year before moving to the US, my Thai step son was hit just below the eye with an eraser by a teacher for disrupting class. During his 5 years in HS here, for the same offense, he would be sent to the front office and sometimes given an hour detention after school. His Senior year, the school district had a policy that Seniors didn't need a parent's permission to skip classes, which he did with a vengeance. More than one time, I was asked to pick him up because he had spent 20 plus minutes swearing at the Principal and his assistant. No other punishment was administered. Interestingly, the one time he really got in trouble and was suspended for a week was when he used the "N" word in class, toward another student. He has put his foot through two walls in my house and last weekend used his foot to cave in the passenger door of my van. He's been arrested 3 times in the last 2 years. Would he have turned out differently if he had stayed? Probably not but he wouldn't be my problem. I don't think that the US educational system did him any favors.

It's the LOS version of "cash cab." .Only, if the drivers miss the question, they have to pay the policeman.

From this thread, I understand that Bangkok is secure. This is the stronghold for the opposition. I wonder how this will fly in Red Shirt areas, like Chiang Mai.

I thought that Thais were taught in school not to ask questions and to learn by memorization. If that isn't true, I spent a lot of money for nothing, bringing my 3 Thai step children to the U.S. (And for more economic opportunities).

According to the supermarket tabloid "Star," it wasn't a good week for Ben in Vegas. Besides "relapsing into his addiction," he also cheated on Poor Jen, who was seen coming out of a Pychristist office.