Tax Free

Did you know that for Americans, overseas income less then $80,000 is tax free? Neither did I. The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion means my tax refund this year is exactly 100%.

[cartman voice] Sweeeet.

Second Job Starting Soon

Reeza's Mike is off to Seattle at the end of this month to get licensing rights to the mercury filtering technology from the scientists who created it. Then, he will get together with the filter designers in Australia to make a working model. Then, he and I will put together all the schematics and documentation. Then Mike will get together with [very large oil company] to fill their order.

Not necessarily in that exact order though.

Then, maybe Mike and I will fly around the world teaching oil industry workers how to install, maintain, test, and calibrate the filters. I don't know if that part will actually happen though.

Then, Mike will go back and design filter upgrades, different models for different applications, different configurations, et cetera, and the process will repeat itself each time for the forseeable future.

Knowing When You Are Beaten 2

This is a followup to "Knowing When You Are Beaten" and my friend George.

George is now in the Intensive Care Unit up in Bangkok with a 20% likelihood of surviving a massive liver abscess. His family has flown in from England to be with him.

Best wishes. Good luck.

Happens Every Time

...but never this decisively.

Every time a school board stacked with right-wing wackadoos tries to introduce "Intelligent Design" into the curriculum, the next time they are up for election, the voters take away their majority and the "ID" program is withdrawn.

This time around, in the Dover Area School District in Pennsylvania, where the 8-member, all-Republican school board is in the middle of a court battle for ID in their district, all 8 Republicans were replaced with 8 Democrats... and that's not even a person-to-person match up. In other words, the Democrat with the least number of votes received more votes than the Republican with the most number of votes.

Dude, y'all are pwned. (or as John Aravosis puts it, "Now that's a mandate.")

Chrome Pole Report

Out to dinner at Bob's. I had his bar-be-que baked beans, potato salad, and french fries. (I'm dieting, ya know.)

After that it was off to TQ2 to hang out with the gang. Took was along with me, but went home early because she was bored and tired. Bob, Steve, Alan, and Eric were there, and I met a guy named Bryan who is in exporting, and a doctor named Jeff from Sacramento who has a really interesting schedule: He does 3 weeks on call, and then comes to Pattaya for 2 weeks' vacation. He has an apartment here... plus two houses and building a third. Pretty cool way to live, I think... although the plane rides must suck.

From there, five of us were off to Supermodel-A-Gogo, where all drinks are 50 baht... nice. We did discover a funny/annoying thing about this bar though when one of us tried to barfine one of the girls: The bar fines for the regular dancers are 500 baht. The bar fines for showgirls are 600 baht. This is perfectly normal actually, since showgirls dance in shows and, if the showgirls aren't in the bar, there aren't any shows. Duh.

However, Supermodel thinks show girls are the dancers who get up on stage and show off their tits. There are no (what you and I think of when we think of) shows in Supermodel. So, if you're going to Supermodel, and you see a girl you like, make sure she doesn't take her top off. Stupid rules... especially to try to pull out on a group consisting of several bar owners.

Then, we were all off to Coyotee for a round. Now, compared to Supermodel, Coyotee is almost nothing but shows and showgirls. Oh... and as far as nudity goes, no bar does more to please the eye than Coyotee.

After Coyotee, Eric, Bryan and I went up to Third Road to check out what we call the "upper class Thai bars". There are about a dozen of them there, catering to Thai people who can afford to drink Heineken over Chang.

So our first choice was "Bitchy Pub". Being Thailand, this name probably doesn't have the cringe factor among Thai people that it does among English-speakers — not to mention "Hot Ass Bar" down the road.

Hated it. It was dark enough and loud enough to be a nightclub, but there was no dancing... just lounging. Too much lounging made it a crap place to meet new people and socialize, so it's a place to go with 6 or 8 friends. However, the music is so loud that you really can only talk to the person seated directly next to you.

From what I could see in the twilit gloom, there were lots of pretty girls there though.

After that, it was south down third road to a karaoke bar. I normally hate karaoke, but since all the singers were cute Thai girls, and they all were at least reasonable singers, and they were all singing Thai music, it was fun. After the girls finish singing, they come and sit with you, so there is a little bit of a "hostess bar" vibe to the place at the same time. A return trip there is definitely in the cards for me.

Unfortunately, it was midnight and I had to go home so that I could get up to work in the morning... but not without stopping back by the shish kebab lady's stand in front of Coyotee bar for some chicken pita to munch before going to bed.

God Is Punishing You

Republican Congressman from Indiana Jeff Hostettler voted against a $1.4 billion aid package for Hurricane Katrina victims.

Guess whose district that massive tornado in Indiana tore through?

Guess who likes the sound of an aid package now?

Pet Peeve

Well, not so "pet", and quite peeving.

Took has worked her way though all of my action movies on DVD. (She does her English workbook while she watches a movie.) Last night, we watched the only action-like movie that she hadn't seen yet: Saving Private Ryan.

Here is my genuine, "if I could change this about you, I would" peeve: Took laughed through a lot of the movie. Not at the blood and guts... but in other places no less improper. Example: A soldier with his hearing gone because of a grenade exploding next to it shouts and has to be shouted at in order to converse. Took found this quite funny. The mother collapsing on the front porch got a giggle.

The night before, we had attemped to watch "Meet the Fockers", which I thought would go over well. "Where's the funny parts?" Took asked about halfway through.

If she were a farang, I'd consider this a mental glitch... but being Thai (a race that laughs at odd times), and not always having a perfect undertstanding of what she is watching, I have to withhold judgment.

Good News

Look!

It's a big-ass pile of Hummers that nobody wants to buy.

He heard a rumor that his local Hummer dealer was in a panic. With year-to-year sales down about 50%, his lot was being overrun with inventory. This was scaring away customers, so he found a nearby industrial park where he could store the oversized vehicles. Thus was born the great photo metaphor of the state of 21st century America: As Tim puts it, "Overweight, Overpriced, Inefficient, and Unloved".

Perhaps web sites like this one — where photos of people giving Hummers the finger are submitted — is having an effect. 10 MPG? Jeebus.

Ironically, if you buy an original, diesel, military-use H1 Hummer for weekend off-road insanity, I'll think you're pretty cool. But if you buy a street-only H2 Hummer to drive to the store, you're just a putz.

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UPDATE

I suppose I should explain my "H1 good, H2 bad" position.

An H1 Hummer is a toy... a recreational vehicle designed for off road use. The reason it gets poor gas mileage is because it was designed for nature's worst terrain. Using it for its' designed purpose (tearing up wetlands, pastures, and wildlife reserves with massive tractor tires) is fine. However, an H2 Hummer is marketed (and used) primarily (or solely) as a street vehicle... and yet it still is based on an inefficient-for-the-street, off-road design.

If you use your H1 Hummer to drive the kids to school, you are as much of a dick as an H2 owner, and if you use your H2 only on the weekends to chase down Bambi in mud-spewing glee, then you are as cool as an H1 owner.

Okay?

Fair Question

(via AmericaBlog)

Conservatives always love to talk about how there is no right to privacy in the constitution. They say that Roe v. Wade should be overturned, because it relies on a constitutional right to privacy... which doesn't exist.

So, why don't liberals propose a Constitional Amendment for the Right to Privacy? (A) It would end the argument of Roe v. Wade (and gay sex being illegal, and birth control), and (B) it would be a hoot to watch Conservatives run around trying to explain to everyone why privacy is a bad thing.

Afternoon Shopping

Add Ceasar salad dressing to the another-difficult-to-find-thing-in-Thailand list. Fortunately, that only puts my list at around 10 or 12 items. (Just as long as you are not fussy, that is: If you want dill pickles, no problem, but if you want Vlassic dill pickles, then you are out of luck.)

Friday Cat Blogging

Title: Kitty Pileup

Title: Bah... It's Just A Leaf.

Title: Kittysplat.

Not Sure I Agree

A federal appeals court Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit by parents outraged that the Palmdale school district in California surveyed their elementary school children about sex.

The three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the parents' claim that they have the exclusive right to tell their children about sex.

Now, on the one hand, I think that when you enroll your child in a public school, you are indeed agreeing to let that school dictate the content of information/eductation that your child will receive.

However, I also think that parents shouldn't — by dint of that enrollment — give up the ability to dictate what goes into their child's head.

Hmm... I know for certain I disagree with the court decision... and would side with the parents in principle, but in practice if the parents had won, it would allow each student to receive a customized education from an institution poorly designed for such a feat.

My suggestion: Syllabuses sent home to the parents. Lesson plans made public. Teachers don't vary their classes from year to year that much, so it would only take a few hours to put together a one-time lesson plan for what they teach. Granted, it wouldn't cover every eventuality, such as student-initiated discussions about topics that one particular parent might find offensive, but that can't be blamed on the teacher, and it is the best solution I can think of, and certainly gives parents a good understanding of what their children are being taught. It also protects the teachers from irritated parents who could no longer claim to be ignorant about what their children are, or were going to be, taught.

In addition, a school newsletter would be nice... something mailed out to all parents once a month covering special curriculum, student-initated and student-run events, special guest speakers and lecturers, as well as the usual sports schedules, club activities, and cafeteria menu.

You Say Scalito. I Say Scalito. (Then You Get All Pissed Off.)

The right wing wanted a Supreme Court nominee that was essentially Justice Antonin Scalia's twin brother. The White House nominates a Judge Alito, who is so much like Scalia that judicial pundits have called him "Scalito" for years. So, now the right wing is angry that everyone is calling him Scalito.

Call me confused, but isn't the fact that people are calling him "Scalito" kind of a good sign?

And Thanks Go Out To...

I would just like to express my deep personal gratitude to Crooks and Liars for allowing me to blow off work for 4 hours while I worked my way through their video archives of Daily Show clips, Real Time with Bill Maher clips, and on and on and on.

If you have high speed internet and an afternoon just asking to be wasted... this is the place to go.

Final Update on Miss International Queen 2005

(And this time I'm pretty sure it is the last one.)

Much to my surprise, only one newspaper covered the story... and I've been keeping an eye out.

Here are some photos lifted from the article.

Miss Thailand, Miss USA, Miss Korea.
Miss USA, Miss Brazil.

I'm Never Wrong 2

Porn lasted almost exactly 24 hours before quitting. Too bad... it's always the ones who get the most done that quit the soonest. Well, as I said, domestic help in Thailand comes and goes like the wind. (She said she didn't like being a maid... although both Took and I agree that we provide a pretty good work environment.)

It's All You Need To Know

The new HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccine would save thousands of women from cervical cancer if innoculated early in life.

However, the whackadoo Christian right is against the vaccine because they believe it will encourage people to get laid.

See? Family values = Death before sex.

(That's precisely why I don't get the flu vaccine every year: It may encourage me to go out and eat other people's boogers.)

More School

Took and I went out today, and I signed her up for computer classes. She's going to start with a typing course, and then learn Windows, Microsoft Word and Excel. Reesa's Mike is more than happy to have Took come over to his office after classes for some real-world practice of typing letters and invoices and stuff.

After that, it was off to the bookstore, where Took picked out 4 or 5 little 40-cent English books to read at home. She's really geared up for her upcoming studies, which gives me a proud parent feeling.

What Is The Nuclear Option?

The nuclear option is a Republican Plan that will change the rules of the Senate to make filibustering (blocking) a Supreme Court nominee "against the rules." A filibuster is basically what a minority in Congress does when a motion is introduced to end debate and take a vote. The minority basically sticks its fingers in its ears and says, "La la la la... I can't hear you." They do that until the majority either says, "Fine... forget voting about it then," or the majority finds the 60 senators necessary to actually end debate and take a vote.

Right now, Republicans hold on 55 seats in the senate. Therefore, if every Democrat in the Senate decides to filibuster (keeping the debate open), the Republicans do not have the 60 votes necessary to stop the debate so that a vote can be taken.

So the Republicans, not having enough votes, want to change the rules to end the filibuster of Supreme Court nominees. How many votes does it take to change a rule in Congress? 67... seven more than the 60 needed to end a filibuster. So, how do the Republicans think they will end filibustering of a nominee if they don't have 67 votes?

They'll cheat.

Here is the wikipedia explanation:

Although the Senate's rules can normally only be changed by a two-thirds (67) vote, it was proposed to rise to a point of order that filibusters of judicial nominees are unconstitutional and/or otherwise improper. The Senate's presiding officer, normally the Vice President, could then rule on the point of order. Presumably Vice President Richard B. Cheney would be expected to sustain. The Democrats could then appeal the decision of the chair, a motion which the Republicans would immediately move to lay on the table. A motion to lay on the table is non-debatable, and would only require a simple majority vote to sustain the ruling of the chair. With success, Republicans would establish a precedent that judicial filibusters are out of order.

In my words: The Republicans will say, "We're not changing the rules. We're just saying that filibusters are not allowed."

Now, what do I think? Remember the saying "hoist on their own petard"? If the Republicans are going to make it impossible to filibuster a far right-wing Supreme Court nominee, they are also going to make it impossible to filibuster a far left-wing Supreme Court nominee. With the election picture for 2006 looking not-too-rosy for the Republicans, with a several-seat-loss quite possible, they are really going to have to do a gut check before enacting their "nuclear option." If they are trying to end the filibuster because they really believe it is an unfair tactic that has no use in a democracy, then they will do it. If they know deep down inside that it is a "heat of the moment" decision, designed to confirm a single Supreme Court justice, then they won't do it.

Truthfully though, the only way this is good for Republicans is if they can maintain a majority in Congress for the next 500 years. Otherwise, it is going to come back to haunt them when they are the ones in the minority, and a Democratic president likes the sound of "Chief Justice Michael Moore" backed up by "Associate Justice Rosie O'Donnel".

Gads That's Annoying

After insisting that all nominees should get an up-or-down vote when John Roberts was up for consideration, Republicans made sure that Harriet Miers didn't get that same up-or-down vote. Now that crazy right-wing Alito is the nominee?

"Let's give Judge Alito a fair up-or-down vote, not left or right," said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.

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p.s. How crazy is he?

1. He would make it illegal to get an abortion under almost any circumstances.
2. He has ruled that women need to get their husbands permission before getting an abortion.
3. He has struck down affirmative action laws, and attempted to "legislate from the bench" by actually trying to make it harder for minorities to make discrimination claims.
4. He has sided with businesses in sexual harassment cases.
5. He has allowed businesses to fire people with AIDS.
6. Has voted to uphold strip searches of women and children who are not named on an arrest warrant, but were in the house where the person named on the warrant was found.
7. Has voted to diminish protections of small businesses against large corporations.
8. Although there is no actual ruling per se to refer to, most legal scholars say that Judge Alito will vote to overrule Griswold v. Connecticut, the Supreme Court case that made condoms legal.

(Source: pdf of PFAW Preliminary Review of Judge Alito.)

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p.s.s. Alito, who voted against affirmative action, and tried to make it harder for minorities to prove discrimination, headed over to Capitol Hill today to have his picture taken with Rosa Parks' dead body. How fitting for Halloween, eh?

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p.s.s.s. Remember talk of a "nuclear option", which the Republicans said they would enact if the Democrats tried to fillibuster a nomination, but then changed their mind when it was agreed that Democrats would only fillibuster an "extremist" nominee? Well, they've changed their minds again and may decide to break the rules and cast a procedurally illegal vote that says "thou shalt not fillibuster conservative nominees."