dean

You can start Social Security in the US at 65, but it increases if you wait until 70. The government more or less is betting against your longevity. I started at 65 (though still working), while a colleague postponed his to 70. I told him he'd have to live to at least 80 to make up all the payments he could have had between 65 and 70, but he didn't listen. He gambled, got leukemia at 71, and checked out at age 72.

 

Some times it doesn't pay to be greedy.

. Actually, you can start collecting SS at age 62. If you wait until age 66, you will receive 25% more and at age 70, you will receive 33% more than you would have at age 62. I'll start collecting at age 66 in 2 years but continue working in my hardwood flooring business (hopefully letting employees do the manual labor part and I'll handle the business part of it). If my health is OK, I'll work at least until age 73, when my son graduates from High school. Then, also if I'm in good health, I'll move back to my house in Chiangmai, with SS, the proceeds from the sale of my paid off house and the proceeds from the sale of my business. I'm certainly not expecting my son or three step kids to support me in my old age. I've seen how they treat their grand mother and have seen several Thai couples about my age treat their mother/mother in law as an unpaid servent.

Glen Campbell has died of dementia at age 81. A very good guitar player, he made his name initially as a super session player on many classic rock albums/songs of the mid 60's. He performed on the Smother Brothers Comedy Hour, which led to his own variety show. All the while, coming up with hit after hit; By the time I get to Phoenix, Wichita Lineman, Rinestone Cowboy, etc. I'll conveniently forget to mention his acting career. I'll also conveniently not mention the number of times that he was married. RIP, Glen!

Hopefully, we can get qualified rich

citizens to run (except Mark Zuckerberg). But without the nepotism and conflicts of interest involving the rich person's financial portfolio. The last 2 have a good chance of sinking the Trump Presidency, if the Russia prope doesn't.

Didnt you see the movie "Taken"? It's the exact same plot.

The "government supported" universities (Thammasat, Chula, Mahidol, Kaset, Chiang Mai etc) are low cost (but hard to get into). The rachaphat universities are fairly cheap too (and much easier to get into). It's only the private unies that are costly, and even they are quite low compared to the US. Abhisit long ago made primary and secondary education free.

 

I tried to persuade some friends in the States to send their kids to Thai universities, since the English language international programmes are good and properly accredited. In the States now it takes at least a bachelors to get almost any job, and it doesn't really matter where you went. You just have to have that piece of paper. But they wouldn't hear of it and now are groaning about how much in debt they are.

. What would it take for my son, who has dual citizenship, to get into Chiangmai University in 9 years from now? That's about the time that I'll be moving back to my house in CM.

Aren't there more male blacks in jail, both numerically and proportionally, than at any time in U.S. History?

At least he could have given a different reason for leaving than the same one given by Spicer.

Sam Shepard has died from ALS. He was a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright and an Oscar nominated actor (for the Right Stuff). RIP!

- The Washington Times - Friday, July 14, 2017

A Canadian man suspected of operating an online marketplace where customers used digital cryptocurrency to buy and sell drugs and other contraband was found hanged to death in a Thai jail cell this week awaiting extradition to the United States, officials said.

Alexandre Cazes was found dead Wednesday morning inside a Bangkok jail where he was being held in relation to a U.S. narcotics case, The Bangkok Post first reported.

Cazes was recently detained in connection with an international probe involving AlphaBay, an underground website where vendors sold illegal goods ranging from hardcore drugs to stolen credit card numbers, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing individuals familiar with the matter.

He was taken into custody July 5 “with a view toward extradition to face federal criminal charges in the United States,†but died before allegations were ever made public, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok told the newspaper.

A representatives for Canada’s foreign affairs department confirmed Cazes “passed away in Thailand†but declined to comment further, according to the report.

Cazes likely hanged himself, Thai police told the Bangkok Post.

 

I was listening to NPR today and Jeff Sessions was detailing the Justice Department's role in shutting down AlphaBey. I hadn't heard anything about the founder of AlphaBey being found hanged in a Thai jail here, so I was wondering if it was being cover in the Thai press?

Two Hollywood veterans have died. George Romero, director of "Night of the living dead" which was a precursor of the zombie craze, died at age 77. Martin Landau died at age 89. A veteran actor of both screen and TV, he was best known for being on the hit TV show "Mission Impossible" and winning an oscar for the movie "Ed Wood."

Do the same Thai companies that operate the jet ski scam operate boats that offer parasailing? I've never gone parasailing and have never had the desire to do so, especially outside of the U.S.

He's a expert, he says.

 

"The son of a doctor, Atlas grew up in a wealthy area of Staten Island, New York City, New York. His mother, Mary Riley Atlas, was a contestant in the Miss America pageant system, as well as a model. His father was of Hungarian Jewish ancestry. Teddy spent summers in Spring Lake, New Jersey, with his family's friends.

 

"By his own admission, Atlas had a somewhat troubled, rebellious youth. He dropped out of school and was arrested several times. He participated in an armed robbery and served time on Rikers Island. Atlas was involved in a street fight in Stapleton, Staten Island in which his face was severely slashed with a "007" flick knife. The wound took 400 stitches in total to close, with 200 on the outside of his face and 200 on the inside. The attack left him with a distinctive scar."

 

...

 

"Atlas enjoyed his biggest success as head trainer to Michael Moorer, whom he guided to the world heavyweight title in 1994. He drew criticism for what some considered to be overly dramatic speeches in the ring corner, particularly during Moorer's Heavyweight title fight with Evander Holyfield, and some felt he did this to draw attention to himself rather than help his fighter."

 

https://en.wikipedia...iki/Teddy_Atlas

. Atlas has a way to go to top Don King's resume.

The only time that I've ever flown them was last December; LAX-CNX, through Shanghai. The only reason that I flew them was the $540 round trip price (I had enough credit on Southwest Airlines that was due to expire on December 20). I'm not sure that I would ever want to fly through China airspace again, unless China was my destination. In the case of the damaged engine, I wonder if the decisions made would be the same if the plane had left from a Chinese airport, since they would have greater control over the situation?

That scenario would please the Republican Congressional leadership, with a controllable Pence as President

Ditto. 🖕ðŸ»

The general rule of thumb is to avoid C.M. during burning season; February to the end of April. At least, my house is closer to San Kamphaine than Chiangmai.

I'd agree, considering how long (years) Presidential campaigns last and the amount of time Representatives and Senators spend collecting money for re election.

Dutch King reveals he secretly piloted KLM passenger flights for 21 years

 

By Euan McKirdy, CNN

Updated 11:17 AM ET, Thu May 18, 2017

Dutch King reveals secret career

 

 

Dutch King reveals secret career 00:47

Story highlights

Dutch King says he's piloted commercial flights for over 20 years

Royal says he takes the controls of KLM short-hop flights a couple of times a month

 

(CNN)They don't call KLM "Royal Dutch Airlines" for nothing.

 

King Willem-Alexander, reigning monarch of the Netherlands, revealed in an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that he'd regularly flown flights for a subsidiary of the Dutch flag carrier for over two decades.

Calling the part-time role a "hobby," the King says that he'd taken to the cockpit as a co-pilot of KLM Cityhopper -- the airline's short-haul carrier -- flights for over 21 years.

Prior to that he piloted planes for Dutch carrier Martinair.

The King regularly took the co-pilot's chair for short-haul flights around Europe, an interview with a Dutch newspaper revealed.

The King regularly took the co-pilot's chair for short-haul flights around Europe, an interview with a Dutch newspaper revealed.

The King told the newspaper that he used the twice-monthly flights with KLM to decompress from his royal duties, with his pastime allowing him to fully concentrate on the task at hand.

"For me the most important thing is that I have a hobby for which I need to concentrate completely," he said.

"You have an aircraft, passengers and crew. You have responsibility for them. You can't take your problems from the ground into the skies. You can completely disengage and concentrate on something else. That, for me, is the most relaxing part of flying," he said.

King Willem-Alexander revealed he has been training to fly Boeing 737s which will soon replace KLM Cityhopper's Fokker 70 fleet.

 

According to information provided by the Royal Dutch household, King Willem-Alexander first took to the skies over 30 years ago while still a student. In the late 80's his passion took him to Kenya, where he worked as a volunteer pilot, first for the medical aid organization, African Medical Research & Education Foundation (AMREF), and later for the Kenya Wildlife Service.

 

But the Dutch King isn't the only royal with history in the cockpit.

Britain's heir to the throne, Prince Charles, is a qualified pilot, and his two sons, William and Harry, flew helicopters in their previous military careers -- William, a search-and-rescue chopper and Harry, Apache helicopters in Afghanistan.

Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah also reportedly sometimes slips into the cockpit while flying on state visits.

King Willem-Alexander said that the chances of him being recognized had fallen since 2001, when security measures introduced following the 9/11 attacks restricted passengers' access to the cockpit.

Being the co-pilot also allowed him to retain his anonymity, even while addressing the passengers, he said.

"The advantage is that I can always say that I wish everyone a heartfelt welcome in the name of the captain and the crew," he told De Telegraaf. "So I don't have to say my own name. But most of the (passengers) don't listen anyway."

The Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, doesn't consider Hawaii part of the U.S.

It turns out that she had stage 4 ovarian cancer. A horrible way to go. RIP!

When my nephew told me that it was a crime that Thailand was getting rid of street stalls in Bangkok, I told him that the only crime that I was aware of concerning street stall vendors in Bangkok was my getting hit over the head with a chair from behind by a street vendor 14 years ago. I won't miss them.

Why do I think of the movie "The Shining," when Shelley Duval discovers what her husband has been writing all winter?

But Fox is owned by Rupert Murdoch, born and bred in Australia?

Do drones count as U.S. Citizens?

Erin Moran, who played the Cunningham daughter Joanie on "Happy Days," has died at age 56. RIP!