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It would seem reasonable to think that way. Logic does not always apply here.
I just read a story where tons of relief goods for typhoon Yolanda are being disposed of because they have spoiled.
It seems the donors did not pay the IMPORT TAXES on the relief goods so the BOC seized them.
Go figure.
Beam me up Scotty.

 

It should last all this week and maybe even into next week, then the police will be tired of this requirement and get back to sitting watching the television in the station.

 

If you are not going to laugh at yourself, then who are you going to laugh at? (Alex is an Aussie). Alex took his personal time to organized, coordinate with Flip Flops, posted announcements on the internet, etc for the Anzac Day event so other could enjoy the Anzac Celebration, so obviously he has a great deal of respect for Aussies and Kiwis, and the Anzac Memorial Celebration.... but he also has a sense of humor. I find nothing wrong with someone who works hard for others and enjoys a little humor in life also... even at his own expense. To me that looks like a man who has matured enough to have a balanced life, with a little thicker skin than many. Life is short and your are not going to get out alive, so you may as well enjoy a few laughs while you are here.

 

The most important and untold story here is, what happens to the victims? Unfortunately they probably won't receive much help in funds or counseling. These stories make me think that the expat community should create a fund to help the victims from these stories.

If there is ever a case for eye for an eye...

This is the sort of situation where the government could send a hit squad to this guy's house, loot all of his belongings, take him to the ATM, order him to empty his accounts and then beat him severely. Then drop him off in rebel territory in Mindanao with a tattoo of a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad tattooed to his forehead.

Unfortunately, perpetuating violence is something we need to move away from. History shows that it doesn't work for stopping these people. The worst we could come up with is nothing compared to the horrific brutality he probably would have experienced not too long ago.

Old Croghan Man - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

People have been finding remains of bodies buried in bogs in Ireland which have been tortured, disemboweled, decapitated and a bunch more fun things. Maybe these guys screwed with the wrong people, yet that hasn't stopped others to do the same thing with the same results.

These people need to have their passports either revoked or their international movements closely monitored. Customs on each side need to be aware of who is passing through. I suppose we'll get there eventually. One day we'll have so much data floating about us that after taking a sh*t in the airport, the ticket agent will know to hand us diarrea tabs before boarding the plane. Privacy issues are a discussion for another thread.

The taxpayer issue could largely be solved if we were to quit locking up people who shouldn't be in prison and put more focus into dealing with the people who really should be there. People as jacked up in the head as this guy need to at least be subject to mandatory counseling (while locked up or not depending on the case.) I regularly fantasize about filling people with bullet holes, especially while on the road! But I don't act out on these fantasies. This guy acted out multiple times and that makes him a threat for as long as he is alive.

This is something the U.S. needs to take the lead on. I have the answers. Vote TheDude - 2016.

PS - Vote for me for U.S. president, not Philippines - or I'll be the one on the receiving end of the hit squads.

 

This nonsense has been going on for a long time and some of these studies are based on small samples or paid for by the organisation that most benefits from the results. In fact, it is conceivable we could ingest two (or more) harmless food items which then combine within the digestive tract to form a harmful one! We just don't know - and with there being millions of combinations, nor does anyone.

The only way to solve this conundrum is to go for it and enjoy what you want (only eliminating things you know are obviously harmful). My personal view is get to 70 and we have had a fair share and everything after that is a bonus. Worrying too much about research telling us what foods are healthy or unhealthy just decreases our enjoyment of life. All of us have a good idea by now of what constitutes a balanced diet (I think it means to drink our own body weight in alcohol every week so it balances, but I might be wrong) and all 'extras' are perks.

 

Hi Pat,

Completed our certification yesterday and can say we had the very best experience I can imagine. They were absolutely wonderful. Our instructor was Joseph Vicoy and he was exceptional in his language, patience and teaching ability. The owner of the business was a constant and incredibly supportive. The whole experience whilst exhausting was incredibly positive.

I am 64 and they pampered me, compared to my kids with help from carrying weights and tanks to pulling off fins. If any one of you older members have wanted to do the course but felt you were passed it, I can highly recommend Apo Scuba and in particular Joseph Vicoy as the instructor and as the add says, Just Do It!

Thanks Pat, great advice and help once again

 

I've lived here since early 2016.
We have travelled to the Netherlands (together) to visit family and to get married in 2018 and again in 2022, mostly to visit family and to do some touristy stuff.
I travelled back on my own in 2017 on the occasion of the birth of my 2nd grandchild, and again in 2019 because my mother's health was in serious decline. Sadly I missed the birth of my 3rd grandchild because of covid travel restrictions.
In the opposite direction, my eldest daughter visited us here in 2018 and 2023, and my youngest visited in 2017, 2019, 2022 and we met them in Bali early this year.

Obviously I have pretty strong ties with my kids, and yes of course they would prefer papa/opa (granddad) to live nearby instead of a 16 hour flight away, but they do recognize that a happy father in the Philippines is better than a lonely father nearby, and they understand and accept my reasons for living here rather than there. Obviously Whatsapp helps to stay in touch with family also.

I also recognize that if my daughters would have been just starting out in their adult life when I left, it would have been a harder decision to move to the Philippines. As it is they are both in their mid/end thirties, have a stable life with a good partner, nice house and excellent jobs, so doing really well.

 

I have enjoyed recreational activities in the cold and the heat. Snowmobiling the trails of Wisconsin's north woods was a whole lot of fun. Noodling the Washita river in Oklahoma summer is quite enjoyable too.

When working outside in the cold gloves are like a women. Can't work with them, can't work without them. Working in an non A/C barely heated truck shop I've dropped tools from my hands being too cold to hang on, not from sweat making them slippery.

I'd rather drive during a summer downpour than a winter blizzard.

Retirement? If I had to choose between sweating or shivering I'd choose sweating.