joekicker

No kidding! And I loved that part about the private information, heh. But JEEBZIZ it is easy to send a fax. By the time you scan and email the document, the fax is long gone. And a *lot* of businesses and government offices that were set up for faxes just don't want to change - or are too hidebound. I had to send some stuff to a government office recently, and the person at the other end had to use her personal email to get it. .

Yeah, nothing pixxes people off more than paying a very large bribe and then not getting what you bribed for, eh? I'm not being sarcastic. One of the hugest reasons that corruption is so ingrained and, well, successful in Thailand is EXACTLY because both parties live up to their agreement, in full. Up to then, it's not corruption. But let one of the parties not deliver and THEN they are corrupt. Fifa strung the England FA (and others) along. Then they didn't (couldn't, really) deliver the goods to all those who had bribed them for so long. But not Fifa, obviously. .

I do disagree with this. The congregation would (almost always) get rid of that vicar (or take other steps; redemption is always possible) precisely because they could not stomach his corruption. If they did NOT deal directly and harshly with him, that would be an acceptance of the corruption and, at the very least show that the congregation had sunk to the same low, base, unethical and immoral level. Football fans are another step or two away from Blatter, compared with your congregation and the thieving vicar. Because of that, the fans cannot organise themselves to act as the congregation would surely act. Still, I insist the point holds. But we now know that the way Fifa was set up allowed it to become corrupt. I insist that "we" share more responsibility (call it blame if you want) than flinging around contumely. We are pretty well powerless over Fifa, maybe, but we have power or at least influence with the FAs. .

I fully understand part of that. Soccer fans aren't going to stop watching the game. All I'm saying is that corrupt people are calling the corrupt Fifa people "corrupt". It's hypocritical, really. But the "big money" *all* comes from football fans (and soccer fans, heh) around the world. Stockholders of Visa *could* do something about that, for example. I know England followers aren't going to boycott, or aren't going to demand an end to England internationals. But sponsors get their money from those people. It's a bit much to demand that all fans organise, and I know that, and I'm only reminding them of their hypocrisy. But it's not too much to ask the shareholders of sponsors of national teams to take a stand. For example. It's not too much to expect that the national media of many countries could do a service by exposing WHERE Fifa's money comes from, i.e. its national members. What if the multi-millionaires who play the game threatened, just THREATENED to strike over lack of morals and ethics? What galls me is that everyone hates Blatter, but that's as far as it goes. As if money just falls into his hands from a vacuum. .

Exactly right. One person or one group cannot be corrupt on its own. Every FA is corrupt. Every *club* that releases its players for Fifa-sanctioned matches is corrupt. Every TV network that bids for the Fifa matches is corrupt. The players are delighted to take millions from Fifa. At the end of the day, every soccer fan that hands over $45 or 25 pounds or 800 baht to watch his team play in a Fifa-arranged match of any kind is corrupt. What is this "oh, woe, the government won't do anything" BS anyhow? If football followers stop giving money to Blatter and stop buying goods from the TV sponsors, corruption will end. .

Can I top up your half-empty glass? As Eeyore said, "It will rain soon, you see if it doesn't." But seriously folks, you've got to start somewhere. If not here with elections, where? .

There are two Pattaya elections on July 10, it will be dry in the two constituencies. And yes Friday July 15 marks the beginning of Buddhist Lent (Asana Bucha) and is usually celebrated drily. .

Lots of info here: .

Very few of us plan that far ahead. But I'll put it on my "to do" list since I have every intention of being there in 2315. .

Good one. Not a commercial but very funny. I have to disagree with your post, though. Politicial humour or ANY humour, what's the diff? If you don't get the joke, move on. If you hate the joke, move on. If the joke doesn't meet your own high standards of funniness, move on. If you hate people making fun of your loved one, move on. I thought this one was a dumb and un-funny joke. But really. How can anyone be OFFENDED at any joke about any politician? They offend ME, not vice versa. .

And "indivisible". It boggles my mind that some pooyai or some NBC committee sat down and made that particular decision. What are people doing when they make those picayune and very political decisions? And why do they think no one will pay attention? I thought the whole lead-in was a sick piece of treacle anyhow, but once you've decided to serve treacle, why not just serve it? Why rub salt into it? It's a phuocking GOLF game intro, not an Obama advert ferkrighsake. Get on with it or DON'T get on with it. Please. The correct kvetch is "it's like watching grass grow." I have to admit I'm a sometimes golf spectator, even though my kid is a pro. But watching a Tiger Woods charge or a McIlroy emerge or even a Greg Norman collapse is enthralling. I went almost two whole days without watching a baseball game because of the US Open. .

Where was he playing? Not in the US Open, not according to the scorecards and media. Do you have him mixed up with Phil Mickelson? .

I just watched the movie (again) yesterday. But tell me, any background on the game of Phil Nickelson? I didn't even know he played? .

Word around here, via Bloomberg, is that Air Asia is going to bust the show open in a day or two: AirAsia Bhd. (AIRA) said it’s close to concluding an order for as many as 200 Airbus SAS A320neo planes, worth $18 billion at list prices, that could be a record commercial-aircraft deal. .

For those who don't get it: the Tin Cup movie. I don't get it either, but I get the name. .

Just came across a nice photo essay on how those very classy people of Vancouver reacted in their very classy fashion to the victory of the visiting Boston Bruins over their Canucks team. Here are a couple of samples of the classy Vancouver response to the loss, many more at the link. .

If it isn't one company, it's another, eh? Airbus has announced delays for two of its A350 wide-body models and said it will jointly develop with Rolls-Royce the biggest version of the aircraft with a more powerful engine.... it now expects to deliver the A350-1000 — the largest of the three models, which will have 350 seats — in mid-2017 rather than 2015. The A350-1000 is meant to compete against Boeing Co.’s /quotes/zigman/220026/quotes/nls/ba BA +0.20% 777-300ER, which entered service in May 2004 and carries 365 passengers.

In Europe, maybe. But in Pattaya, you'd better be wearing pants, at least shorts -- and preferably a shirt. Public nudity is against the law. .

The big bribes are a given. My point was that big bribes by themselves aren't enough to keep a place open every day through thick and thin, never-ever closed. There is SOMETHING else, or several somethings. One possibility is a different licence type. That *is* common in Thailand. .

You may also find - this was certainly the "logic" in many of the cases in Bangkok anyhow - you may find that the open places have different licences. Typically, they will have restaurant licences. This was the way the Thermae and Grace Hotel operated for a couple of decades, for example. .

for what it's worth, I absolutely agree with this as well *IF* that new visa gives you a year's stay in Thailand. USUALLY they don't, but I know that a few do. .

Any thoughts on the corruption collusion between Fifa and the FA of ANY country, little thing? .

That's extremely gracious and I appreciate it. And I seriously mean that. It's quite collegial, and thanks. But it's unnecessary, because I don't care if you're horrible, really I don't. It's an Internet forum. My whole point was that the thread isn't about me. I'm interested in your views if any on Fifa, corruption, the English FA and any other enablers you might want to write about. You can't read my mind, but you can read and then write about yours. If I'm the most anti-English person in the world doesn't affect the FACTS about the FA and its links with Fifa. I'm interested in what thoughts any BM including your own gracious self have about that subject. By all means, tear down every word I wrote about it, if you can. .

I believe it's one of those corporate things - where Budweiser (company and brand) is owned (and brewed) by Anheuser-Busch of the US, but Anheuser-Busch is owned by ... er, Anheuser-Busch Inbev N.V. of Leuven. I see The Guardian claims, "The beer company, which is owned by Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch InBev..." and by "beer company" it means Budweiser. So it may be more (or, heck, less) complicated than I wrote. Overall, it's Belgian. On a brand basis, it may not be. Beck's still claims to be German, for example. .

I guess you're not. .