BigDUSA

Birds of a feather living together seems to be an international phenomenon. When we traveled through Argentina and Chile we came across a fair number of villages where it seemed there were a substantial number of very old German's were living. I was born and for the most part grew up in Philadelphia and we had many ethnic centric neighborhoods.

When I bought my Panasonic, I soon purchased a cheap JVC home theater system. I dumped the speaker system except the sub woofer. I had a pair of B&W that I use for the TV. Sound quality is much improved. Check out a sound bar for good sound.

I've done a fair amount of research on this subject. For the best picture, check out Panasonic plasma. Plasma sets have the blackest blacks and to my eyes a better color picture. If you like sports? Plasma is the way to go. No motion blur. LCD can have this problem. I've had a Panasonic 37" for two years and so far no problems. I also own a 37" Toshiba LCD and the picture is very close to the Panasonic. When I watch basketball, I can see a bit of motion blur on the screen. Last but not least I own a 65" Mitsubishi rear projection CRT. This TV is six years old but it shows the best picture out of all of them. I use DIRECTV as my video source and all the TV's have been professionally calibrated.

I've taken a few FL from the beer garden. All P4P. Good value for the Baht.

Don't know and could be from the bay. All I know it's tasted good. Real good.

Had dinner at the Pig & Whistle and the fish & chip was excellent. Fish was excellent with two big pieces.

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US aerospace giant Boeing lashed out Monday at Germany's plans for a multibillion-dollar loan to develop Airbus's A350 airliner, ahead of a WTO ruling on EU aid to its European arch-rival. With a final World Trade Organization ruling on US accusations of unfair EU subsidies expected as early as Tuesday, Boeing criticized the German government's move to provide 1.1 billion euros (1.49 billion dollars) toward the development of the A350. "On the eve of such an important decision, it is unfortunate and disappointing to see news reports quoting a senior German official saying that Germany is prepared to provide 1.1 billion euros for the development of the Airbus A350 -- a move that flies in the face of both the expected WTO decision and the rules-based global trading system we've all endorsed," Ted Austell, vice president of Boeing's executive, legislative and regulatory affairs, said in a statement. A senior German economic ministry official said Sunday that the government was ready to grant a 1.1 billion euro loan to develop the A350 passenger aircraft. "As far as we are concerned all pre-conditions have been met and the funds are available," said Peter Hintze, parliamentary state secretary at the ministry of economics, in a statement implying that the conditions were in line with WTO rules. Airbus, a division of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), intends to launch the A350 as a rival to Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner. The 12-billion-euro (16.3-billion-dollar) program is supported by four partner nations: Britain, France, Germany and Spain. France has announced support of 1.4 billion euros (1.9 billion dollars) and Britain is contributing 400 million euros (542 million dollars). The Spanish government remains in discussions with Airbus over its funding offer but reports say it could be around 300 million euros (406 million dollars). Boeing's Austell also referred to reports of Airbus calling for a negotiated settlement ahead of the WTO ruling. It is "curious, although not unexpected" to see such reports only 24 hours before the ruling, he said. On Monday, Rainer Ohler, a spokesman for the France-based Airbus, urged the US and EU to enter negotiations to find "a system that satisfies everyone." The WTO treats disputes at the government level, and the Boeing-Airbus case pits the US against the 27-nation EU. "As US officials have repeatedly made clear, there's a place for negotiations, but not on programs and actions declared inconsistent with WTO obligations," Austell said. "Illegal European subsidies have done great harm to the US aerospace industry. It's time to level the playing field and let companies compete on product, price, innovation, and customer support without market-distorting government subsidies." Some analysts believe a clear-cut WTO judgment was unlikely given the complexity of the case. The US filed the WTO complaint in October 2004, alleging that an accord that allowed the EU to provide up to a third of development costs of new airliners was no longer valid since Airbus was now a major industry player and not the fledgling firm when the deal was struck. The EU has also filed a complaint against the US on multibillion-dollar state aid to Boeing. A first interim ruling in that case is due to be delivered in June, according to the WTO.

PattayaPete's Beer Garden serves a good cup of coffee.

I pulled this off of bkktonite.com Thank you magnum for a great post. Quote: from BigDUSA on 7:18 am on Mar. 18, 2010 Next time I eat there, I'll try the ribs dry with the sauce on the side. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ... yes, BigDUSA... ALWAYS... sauce on the side... BBQ served "naked." ... sauce is the most common trick perpetrated against BBQ lovers... sauce covers up a legion of BBQ infractions... like parboiling (ee-yikes!) to make them tender (Tony Roma's). ... incipidly sweet, overly tangy, heavily salted sauces cover-up the subtle flavor of proper BBQ... some so sweet, you might as well just pour the sauce on some beefy cardboard and dig-in. ... ordering BBQ anywhere, ask that it be served naked, with the sauce on the side... if the owner is perpetrating BBQ fraud, he will be squirming. ... Great American Rib's BBQ generally stands-up to the naked test... from there, you can add sauce as you would a spice, if at all. ... another hint... go earlier in the evening to eat BBQ... BBQ, especially ribs, have a shelf life... they are necessarily pre-cooked for a long period, and dry-out easily, so there is a window of opportunity you do not want to exceed. ... while the brainchild behind Great American Rib (Rob Vaughn) departed to open a great little Mexican food joint in BKK, the Great American Ribs' owners smartly maintain the original formula that made them successful. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on: 11:06 pm on Mar. 19, 2010 |

Easy to sell cheaper airplanes when the EU taxpayer subsidies R&D, cost of production, etc.

GENEVA (AFP) – A forthcoming WTO ruling on a US complaint against European Union subsidies to Airbus is likely to have a broader impact on aerospace markets, a lawyer acting for Airbus' US rival Boeing predicted Wednesday. A World Trade Organization panel is expected to deliver its full decision on the six year-old case on multi-billion dollar subsidies to the two sides in the coming weeks, in one of the biggest trade disputes the organisation has dealt with. "This marks a significant step in the US challenge," Bob Novick, outside legal counsel for the US aerospace giant, told journalists. "A final panel decision will establish clear guidelines for European governments and other countries about what type of financing is or isn't appropriate when building airplanes," he added in a phone briefing organised by the US company. "The efforts to enter the space by others and how they enter that space with or without government support are of significance. This will be a document that will be looked at by other governments." Some analysts believe a clear-cut judgment was unlikely given the complexity of the case. Novick predicted that both Washington and Brussels could lodge appeals even if the WTO panel broadly finds that some European subsidies to Boeing's arch rival Airbus were illegal under world trade rules. "Based on past experience one would expect a final appeal-adopted decision sometime in the late fall," he claimed. The Geneva-based WTO confirmed last September that it had issued a confidential interim ruling on the dispute to the United States and the 27-nation EU, but few details have filtered out. The US filed the WTO complaint in October 2004. It said an accord that allowed Brussels to provide up to a third of development costs of new airliners was no longer valid since Airbus was now a major industry player and not the fledgling firm when the deal was struck. Boeing said recently that it expected a ruling this month while the WTO has indicated that it should complete its work on the US complaint by April. The EU has also filed a complaint against the United States on multi-billion dollar state aid to Boeing. A first interim ruling in that case is due to be delivered in June, according to the WTO. .

I had lunch today with a friend and I was disappointed with the cod. Fish was tasteless and the breading was not cooked enough. Not crisp enough for my taste. Mashed potatoes were OK and the baked beans were straight from the Campbell's can. My friend liked his lunch and thought the cod was tasty. I'll give them another try in a few days.

I can take you to a few 'fish & chip' joints in the Philadelphia area that are comparable to the best fish joints in London.

Another great dinner last night. Ribs were excellent and the pulled pork was fantastic. The side dishes, potato, cole slaw and baked beans were not a throw away . Next time I eat there, I'll try the ribs dry with the sauce on the side.

As long as the EU gives Airbus money. The cost of production and list prices are damn near meaningless. If they don't offer discounts on the plane they can offer it on parts and maintenance.

I take it you've never bought a new car? I've never paid list price for any new car, I've purchased. Same goes for airlines when they buy. Didn't you learn anything when you worked at Boeing?

Discounts off of list price.

With massive on going EU taxpayer subsidies.

I NEVER said I was shot nor have I claimed to be a war hero. I am proud of my service to my country during a war in a combat zone.

VA MD say I'm diabled. Then again they had the ability to examime my claim and found in my favor. Nice chunk of tax free income every month. Pension from the US Postal Service was offered and since I qualified and wanted to stay home and raise our two y/o daughter. Sounds like your jealous that I've been able to live the good life and your tax dollars go to supporting it. I want to take the opportunity to give you a heartfelt 'thank you' for all your efforts. I'm 63 now, looks like I should be able to collect for another twenty to thirty years. How sweet it is. Thank you for your support. Less then 14 hours till wheels UP and I'll drink a couple of cold ones in your honor. Why not your helping to pay for them.

All my government pensions have been earned by meeting the requirements laid down by the US Postal Service and Veterans Administration. Poor poor tommie has to engage in uncalled for personal attacks. So lame.

If I did build it out of balsa wood it wouldn't have taxpayer subsidies like EADS/AIRBUS. Now your spinning a conspiracy theory when EADS loses. You need to man up to the fact that EADS isn't competitive even with EU taxpayer deep pockets. 1 day till wheels UP.........

I'll take the above as a no.

You didn't answer my question? Did you work in airplane maintenance division?

When you worked for the airlines did you work in the airplane maintenance division?