Wino

I guess eventually I will have to break down and start wearing glasses all the time. I hate to do that.

The trouble is that I do not like to wear glasses. I have reading glasses when reading, but can usually manage without glasses.

In 8th grade we had a teacher make a student hold two dictionaries outstretched in each arm and hold it there for ten or twenty minutes. The offense was talking to another student in class.

It saddens me to see all the death and destruction caused by this typhoon to your very beautiful people and country. My heart goes out to you and the numerous people is has touched. Let us hope that things will be back to normal very soon.

I like the Thai way of eating with a spoon instead of with a fork. I am a fast eater and can really shovel the food in with the spoon.

I am with you and like small and perky more than big and rubbery.

How can we forget Michelle? She is more popular in some circles than hubbie, Barack.

With the many recent earthquakes in Southeast Asia and a few minor ones in Central California (see story below), what is happening in the world. Are the predictions of Nostradamus and the Mayans coming true? Will the world end December 21, 2012? LONE PINE, Calif. – A series of earthquakes — the largest a magnitude-5.1 — have rattled the Lone Pine area of the eastern Sierra in Central California. The largest struck about 18 miles southeast of the town of Lone Pine along the east shore of the Owens River at 3:01 a.m. It was followed within three hours by about a half-dozen smaller quakes between magnitude-3.0 and magnitude-3.5 in the same rural area near Sequoia National Park, about 180 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Inyo County sheriff's dispatcher Faith Felton says she felt a slight tremor during the strongest quake. No damages or injuries have been reported. U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Randy Baldwin says a couple of quakes with magnitudes of about 5.4 have occurred in the area in recent years.

A vist to the emergency room can certainly cost a small fortune. Many hospitals have opened urgent care facilities in my community. Although they are cheaper than the emergency room, they are still expensive.

You are certainly right. I haven't worn a watch since I started using a cell phone. I just wish those numbers were a little bigger on the phone.

The nuns in my school liked to use the ruler. A quick whack would really get your attention. Don't forget the brothers, as well. In high school, they could be as brutal as those nuns.

Now Asia may be the car capital of the world. Is Japan number one?

Yet a second earthquake. Those poor people. I hope all the Indonesia members here are alright. Here is another news story. By IRWAN FIRDAUS, Associated Press Writer Irwan Firdaus, Associated Press Writer PADANG, Indonesia – Rescue workers used excavators Thursday to pull out victims, some screaming in pain, from the heavy rubble of buildings felled by a powerful earthquake that killed at least 531 people. The death toll was expected to rise. The brunt of Wednesday's 7.6-magnitude earthquake, which originated in the sea off Sumatra island, appeared to have been borne by Padang town where 376 people were killed. Four other districts accounted for the remaining deaths. The region was jolted by another powerful earthquake Thursday morning, causing damage but no reported fatalities. More than 500 buildings including hotels, schools, hospitals and a mall were destroyed or damaged in Padang. Thousands of people were believed to be trapped in the rubble. "Oh God, help me! help me!" Friska Yuniwati, a 30-year-old woman, screamed in pain, as she was carried to an ambulance in downtown Padang. She had been pulled out minutes earlier from the rubble of a house, her face covered in bruises and eyes shut. Padang's state-run Djamil Hospital was overwhelmed by the influx of victims and families. Dozens of injured people were being treated under tents outside the hospital, which was itself partly damaged. "Let's not underestimate (the disaster). Let's be prepared for the worst. We will do everything we can to help the victims," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in Jakarta before flying to Padang, a coastal city of 900,000 and capital of West Sumatra province. A total of 531 people were confirmed dead and 440 were seriously injured, the Social Affairs Ministry's crisis center said. Thousands were believed trapped, said Rustam Pakaya, head of the Health Ministry's crisis center. One focus for emergency workers was a collapsed 4-story concrete building in downtown Padang, where 30 children had been taking classes when the quake struck. Four students were found alive and six bodies were dug from the rubble. Dozens were missing, said Jamil, a volunteer. "It's getting very difficult now to find more victims," he said.

With Roman Polanski in the news recently, I came across a few pictures of the 13 year old in that case. From the pictures I saw, you would swear she was 18 or older. I don't think those boobs were fake, but who knows. Always check the ID and realize it could be a fake ID. Go with your gut feeling and don't do something you will be sorry for in the morning.

I am sure glad Ketsana did not cause the flooding and destruction as it did in the Philippines. I saw some of the pictures on the news from the Typhoon's fury and it was not a pretty sight.

I am not into face lifts and tummy tucks and the like, but might consider having some skin tags and age spots removed. If I knew a little more about the teeth whitening procedures, I might even do that one day.

Good point. I forgot about all the celebrations. The Thais love to celebrate anything. They sure like to have a party. They celebrate three new years, the one on January 1, Chinese New Year, and Thai New Year. Seems there is always some occasion to celebrate. I also find younger people respectful of their elders. That is quite the contrast from the west.

The feet thing is really hard for some Westerners to comprehend. I have heard in Thailand, showing the bottom of your foot is like giving a person the middle finger in the West. I witnessed this at the MacDonald on Silom a few years ago. There was a guy and girl kidding around and apparently the guy said something the girl did not like and she gave him the bottom of her foot.

Here is a story from Tennessee about a motorcyclist that led to three arrests. JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. – Washington County authorities said a motorcyclist riding down the road without a helmet led to a series of discoveries and three arrests. The Johnson City Press reported that when officers stopped 21-year-old outside his home on Tuesday, they found he wasn't alone. The man also had an 18-month-old baby on board, also without a helmet. As they wrote him up for reckless endangerment, evading arrest and driving on a suspended license, officers learned another man at the home was a fugitive from North Carolina. They arrested him as well. But before the officers could leave, they spotted a third man allegedly breaking into a nearby barn. So they arrested him, too.

Seems some Democrats are refusing to support the idea of goverment insurance. Not sure if they will be able to put something together before the end of the year.

Sorry to hear about your former student. The flu is no joke when it does major damage and hits close to home. I think the health care professionals are worried that it might turn into pandemic like the Spanish flu.

I thought public schools were no place for religious beliefs?

Never, neverland but hope to come down to earth, soon.

Those are the family jewels and rumor has it, they aren't impressive.

I heard of the four cities bidding for the games, Chicago has the lowest amount of public support. According to polls less than 50% of the city's residents support hosting the Olympics. On the flip side, there are some big names supporting Chicago's bid, among them Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan and Michael Phelps. Looks like we will find out on Friday.