Gaybutton

The following appears in PATTAYA ONE: _____ 13 out of 14 Red Shirts Give Themselves Up at Banglamung Police Station There was plenty of action at Banglamung Police Station on Tuesday which began with the arrival of hundreds of anti-government red shirt protesters. Security was tight at the Police Station with the heavily armed Pattaya SWAT Team in attendance to ensure that no breaches of security took place. The Police Station is being used as the Region 2 Command Center for the Police action against those responsible for the recent unrest at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort which forced the cancellation of the ASEAN Summit and for the attack which took place on a car containing the Prime Minister which occurred in South Pattaya. A total of 14 arrest warrants were issued in connection with both cases and on Tuesday, 13 of the 14 people presented themselves to Banglamung Police Station. One of the wanted people was unable to attend as she was currently out of the country. Many of the core leaders of the Red Shirts including Khun Alisaman, who masterminded the invasion of the Royal Cliff, attended the Police Station. A Member of Parliament for the Puea Thai Party offered a guarantee for each of the 13 people who were processed and released pending court appearances. Press conferences were then held by the Police and the Red Shirt Protesters. Khun Alisaman led the Red Shirt Press Conference and stated that he was unhappy that other groups at the protest site including Blue Shirt Protesters were not arrested and he claims that the Police and Army have only targeted the Red Shirts for political reasons. With further threats of Red Shirt Protests around Thailand, this situation is far from over, despite the Police working hard around the clock to ensure that those responsible for the Pattaya unrest and unrest in Bangkok are brought to justice.

Let's hope she's the only one and hasn't spread it to anyone else.

Ok, whether we think of it as capitalism or price gouging, the real issues are availability, affordability, and whether it really works in the first place. Do you agree with me on that? Unfortunately in Thailand, as you can see from the article above, people are starting to avoid buying pork products. That's sad for the industry considering the fact that, as it was with bird flu, you don't get the disease from handling pork products or eating pork. Also, so far the disease hasn't shown up in Thailand at all. I certainly would be among the last to know or understand why the disease seems to affect the age bracket it does, but up to now that's the way it's been. I certainly agree with you on that. "Logic" and "Thailand" are almost oxymoron. The bars, when business dropped, raised their prices. The banks, right in the middle of a tourism crisis, raised foreign ATM card transaction fees to 150 baht per transaction. Based on that, I wouldn't be surprised if pork prices rise instead of drop.

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Pork Sales Take a Beating Published: 28/04/2009 Consumer demand for pork has plummeted after the swine flu outbreak in Mexico and the rising cost of pork products. In Phichit's Muang district, more than 20 pork stalls at a downtown fresh market were quiet yesterday. As well as the flu scare, the high price of pork in the province - which sold for 130 baht a kilogramme yesterday - prompted people to buy other kinds of meat. The price is expected to continue to rise, which will further hurt the pork trade in the province. Supawan Saengtarn, a butcher and retailer, said high prices and the flu scare had lowered the demand for pork. She said only one pig was butchered a day, compared with three pigs a day before news of the outbreak. In downtown Lampang, Renu Baebpaen, 40, a pork retailer in the Lak Muang fresh market, said the news that people had died of the swine flu and the price of pork at 120 baht a kilo had scared customers off. In Chiang Mai's Muang district, sales of moo kata (barbecued pork) joints have also been affected by the news of the flu outbreak. Chonticha Kaewsao, a supervisor at a local moo kata restaurant, said even though the virus had not spread to Thailand, it was important that the media present the news in a way that does not cause panic. In Buri Ram and Si Sa Ket, the flu scare has caused many pork shops to close their doors. In Yasothon, fish vendors were enjoying brisk sales as many consumers opted for fish, which was cheaper. In Pattaya, pork vendors at several fresh markets complained of a marked drop in sales. They called for state action to fix the problem and to find ways to prevent the spread of the swine flu.

I agree more with lvdkeyes on this one. If the price for these medications had been steady until the outbreak of this disease, and then the prices suddenly shot through the roof, then in my opinion the drug companies are taking advantage of people's fears. To me, that's price gouging. The next logical question is whether anyone knows whether these medications would really do any good against the disease. If not, then what would be the point of buying these meds at all? Does anyone remember the Dustin Hoffman - Morgan Freeman movie called "Outbreak"? The similarities are frightening.

I will if the disease makes it to Thailand. So far, according to the media, it hasn't. Is there a generic name for any of these medications?

I tend to think this is completely her own doing. Maybe she had someone behind the camera holding up cards for her to read from or something, but I think the idea for this and the words are her own, although she may have worked with other people on what she was going to say. I wonder if she is going to do more of these.

Me too. My bank also issued travel checks free, although they were not American Express. I forget what they were, but I never used them for fear that less well known travel checks might not be honored abroad. However, today I would have no such fear. Thai banks are quite sophisticated now, in many ways more so than American banks.

WHO Raising Swine Flu Alert Level (to Level 4), U.S. says (CNN) -- The World Health Organization has raised its pandemic alert level in response to the outbreak of swine flu that originated in Mexico. The move to a level four alert indicates the world body has determined the virus is capable of significant human-to-human transmission. Dr. Keiji Fukuda, WHO assistant director-general, said the move did not mean a pandemic was inevitable. He added the agency would focus efforts on mitigating, rather than containing, the virus. Fukuda said it was too early to predict whether there will be a mild or serious pandemic. More cases were confirmed Monday in the United States, Canada and Europe. The WHO said the U.S. has confirmed 47 cases, Mexico 26, Canada six and Spain one. Two more were confirmed in Scotland. In Mexico the virus is believed to be responsible for at least 149 deaths -- though most of those have not yet been confirmed -- while almost 2,000 have been hospitalized. Some health experts fear the disease could become a pandemic, partly because it has killed young, healthy adults in Mexico. Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos said, "The number of cases, unfortunately, will continue to increase." Mexico closed all schools until at least May 6 to help curb the spread of swine flu, officials announced Monday. A U.S. federal official confirmed the U.S. figure -- up from 20 with all the new cases coming from a New York school where eight cases were previously confirmed. The European Union's health commissioner Monday urged people "to avoid non-essential travel to the areas which are reported to be in the center of the clusters" of a swine flu outbreak. Andorra Vassiliou's latest comments soften an earlier statement urging people "to avoid traveling to both Mexico and the United States due to concerns about swine flu." The EU issued a statement clarifying that Vassiliou's remarks were her personal comments and that travel advisories can be issued only by member states and not by the EU itself. The first case of swine flu in Europe was confirmed Monday in Spain. Health minister Trinidad Jimenez said a 23-year-old man who returned from studying in Mexico last Wednesday tested positive for the virus at a hospital in the country's southeast. At least 16 more cases are being treated as possible swine flu, Jimenez told a news "We do not have an emergency situation in Spain, but we are working to prevent any possible development, and we are taking action in accord with the World Health Organization," she said. Spain's Ministry of Health has urged travelers recently returned from Mexico and the U.S. to be on the lookout for symptoms of the virus, including fever, coughing and respiratory problems. A few hours later, Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said, "Tests have demonstrated conclusively that the two Scottish cases of swine flu are positive." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: "We are concerned that this virus could cause a new influenza pandemic. It could be mild, in its effects, or potentially be severe. We do not yet know which way it will go. But we are concerned that, in Mexico, most of those who died were young and healthy adults. Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, said the EU warning was "not warranted." President Barack Obama said Monday that the outbreak was a "cause for concern" but not a "cause for alarm." He said the federal government was "closely monitoring" emerging cases and had declared a public health emergency as a "precautionary tool" to ensure the availability of adequate resources to combat the spread of the virus. Health Library Israel and New Zealand, where 22 students and three teachers were quarantined after returning for a three-week trip to Mexico, are also investigating suspected cases. South Korea says it will test travelers arriving from the U.S. Swine flu is a contagious respiratory disease that usually affects pigs. It is caused by a type-A influenza virus. The current strain is a new variation of an H1N1 virus, which is a mix of human and animal versions. When the flu spreads person-to-person, instead of from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it harder to treat or fight off because people have no natural immunity. The symptoms are similar to common flu. They include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. advertisement The virus spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes around another person. People can become infected by touching something with the flu virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes. In 1968, a "Hong Kong" flu pandemic killed about 1 million people worldwide. And in 1918, a "Spanish" flu pandemic killed as many as 100 million people.

The silver lining on the cloud is that travel checks yield better exchange rates than anything else. Maybe the banks think the same way many of the bars do. We're not getting enough customers, so let's raise the prices.

It all depends on what you're trying to do. To simply have the bank account there are no charges. I know of no Thai banks that charge for online banking access, however transactions such as bill payments usually cost 10 baht per transaction. Transferring money from one account to another can have a charge, depending on the bank, depending on the amount of the transfer, and whether it's an interbank or intrabank transfer. That's usually 25 baht for transfers under 10000 baht, 35 baht for transfers greater than 10000 baht. The ATM card, again depending on the bank, costs 200 or 300 baht. The replacement charge for a new card when the old one expires or is lost or stolen is 100 to 300 baht. In short, yes Thai banks do charge for certain types of transactions, but as you can see it's not high cost. All of the high costs seem to be for transactions that involve foreign bank accounts.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Govt Using All Means to Corner Thaksin Published on April 28, 2009 Two Passports Confirmed, Third Might Be Cambodian Travel Document The government is taking every possible step to narrow the political space fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's has on the globe by using the Interpol and other diplomatic moves to corner him, a senior government official said yesterday. Thaksin might be able to stay in Dubai, but United Arab Emirates will not allow him to use the gulf state as a launching pad against the Thai government, said Vice Foreign Minister Panich Vikitsreth. "The UAE government has told us that Thaksin could not use the country as his political base, but could return as an investor," Panich said in an interview yesterday. The UAE and Thailand are preparing an extradition treaty, he said, adding that Abu Dhabi had already sent a draft for consideration. Asked if the government was aware of the movements being made by some former executives of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party to meet Thaksin in Dubai, Panich said nobody could be barred from travelling abroad or meeting anybody. "We don't know where they are going and for what purpose, but they have the right because they are only banned from politics, not travel," Panich explained. Two weeks ago, the government told Interpol to blacklist Thaksin and arrest him if they can, he said. Thai authorities have also sent arrest warrants against Thaksin to all concerned countries, he said. In addition, the foreign ministry has informed all nations that have diplomatic relations with Thailand about Thaksin's movements and the government's concerns, he said. Even though Thaksin's Thai passports, both diplomatic and ordinary, were revoked the former premier continues moving around with foreign travel documents. Reports have confirmed that Thaksin is holding a Nicaraguan passport and has been made special ambassador by President Daniel Ortega. He was also said to have landed in Liberia last week with Montenegro passport and unconfirmed reports say he might also have a Cambodian passport. Since the foreign ministry has no clear information about Thaksin's Cambodian passport, it could not take any action on the issue, Panich said. However, he added, Phnom Penh as already been told about the government's concerns over Thaksin's political movements. "We are being very careful with the matter because relations with Cambodia are very sensitive," he said. However, Panich said, what passport Thaksin travels with is not important. He explained that as long as the former PM uses his own name, his appearance in any country would show up on Interpol's radar and he will be under surveillance in host countries. The government is closely monitoring Jakrapob Penkair's movements, though his whereabouts are still unknown, Panich said. The Immigration Bureau has no records on Jakrapob's departure, he said. Jakrapob, a former spokesman for Thaksin, was charged of lese majeste and freed on bail.

I won't comment. See for yourself. The following appears in THE NATION, followed by links to the two videos that have appeared so far: _____ Anonymous Lady versus Thaksin Published on April 27, 2009 Who is she? That's the words on many people's mouths now. A mysterious Thai woman who has caused quite a stir on YouTube with two video clips attacking Thaksin Shinawatra looks ordinary enough, but her uploads are anything but. One thing seems certain: She's very, very angry. Her first video, named "Kill Thaksin", was put on the popular website about a week ago decrying Thaksin's suspected hand in the Songkran violence. It has drawn nearly 10,000 viewers and still counting fast. Speaking in English with an American accent, she accused Thaksin of using money he "stole" from Thailand to pay protesters to run fiery riots during the Songkran festival. "Mr compulsive liar.....that money belongs to the country you @#$% idiot, not you," she said. "You'd better @#$% stop doing it (destroying Thailand) right now or we will pitch in and hire someone to @#$% kill you and all your family members." In her second video, posted on April 22, the woman again questioned Thaksin's proclaimed loyalty to the monarchy, saying fugitive former red-shirted leader Jakrapob Penkair had been running around spreading insulting information about the highest institution. "Is this how you love Thailand, Mr Thaksin?" she asked. The woman added that Thaksin had been telling the global media that innocent protesters have been killed in the country. "Mr Thaksin, you are defaming your country. Is that how you want a better future for your Thailand?" "If I were you, I would rather shut up, because the more you talk, the more people know what a liar, liar you are." First video: Second Video:

Maybe they would. The following is from TNA: _____ TEMPERATURE-TESTING DEVICE FOR SWINE FLU BEING INSTALLED AT THAI AIRPORTS BANGKOK, April 27 - Thailand‘s international airports will increase their surveillance to quarantine arriving passengers from Mexico and the United States, where a new strain of deadly swine flu virus has been detected, according to the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH). Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai, Disease Control Department Director-General Somchai Chakrabhand, representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and experts from MOPH-US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) convened on Monday to monitor and lay out measures controlling and preventing the outbreak of the swine flu strain of A/H1N1. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said that the relevant authorities are evaluating the situation and will propose preventive approaches to the Cabinet on Tuesday. Initially, the health ministry has ordered quarantine station at every international airport, including Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, to install thermo scanners--a device to test the temperatures of passengers arriving from Mexico and southern US, according to Mr. Witthaya. He said health card detailing the outbreak of swine flu will be distributed to both departing and arriving passengers. The measures are launched after WHO declared the strain flu outbreak in Mexico and the US a “public health emergency of international concern” on Sunday. The swine flu killed at least 103 Mexicans, while sickening more than 1,600 since April 13. During the past two weeks the virus has also been detected in California and Texas, and 10 New Zealand students were reported to have the swine flu after returning from Mexico. Following the news of the outbreak, the Thai health ministry advised Thais to avoid travel to Mexico and the southern US. An emergency centre have been set up to monitor the outbreak and give information regarding the swine flu to the Thai citizen. The Livestock Department also informed the animal immigration across the nation, especially those at Suvarnabhumi Airport and ports to delay imports of swine from Mexico and the US. The Thai public health minister added that Thailand is closely monitoring the situation. WHO’s emergency committee will meet on Monday to consider whether to raise the pandemic alert phase which will be followed by the issuance of specific recommendations to countries on how to halt the disease. Meanwhile, veterinarian Rungroj Thanawongnuvej, an expert on swine flu virus from Chulalongkorn University, asserted that the virus has not been detected in Thailand. Dr. Rungroj said that the virus is originated from pigs but is being spread through human-to-human transmission. The difference between bird flu and swine flu, Dr. Rungroj said, is that swine flu is less deadly, with a lower proportion of fatalities. Bird flu virus affects all systems of human body, but for that of swine, it only affects the respiratory system. However patients can die if the respiratory system malfunctions. A person with swine flu virus will demonstrate flu-like symptoms including fever, runny nose, coughing, sore throat, vomiting and diarrhea, said Dr. Rungroj, who noted most Mexican victims who had the swine flu virus might have had low body immunity. He said the American patients instead recovered from the illness due to the better hygiene and immediate treatment. Dr. Rungroj however insisted that cooked pork will not transmit the virus to consumer. (TNA)

Here's something else for my "I Don't Get It" list. Isn't it true that if you or I were convicted felons on the run as fugitives, we would be arrested upon presenting our passport when trying to enter a foreign country? I thought that was true. If it is, why do none of these countries arrest him? Why do they accept him? Why do they let him enter? Also, why are countries such as Nicaragua and Montenegro issuing him passports at all? Solely on the basis of his wealth? Is that all it takes to get passports from multiple countries, just be rich enough? Well, maybe his next passport will be issued by Burkina Faso while he's visiting beautiful downtown Ouagoudougou. The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Convicted Thaksin Holds Montenegro Passport According to his Montenegro passport, Thaksin who has been running away from a two-year jail term in Thailand, arrived in Monrovia, capital of Liberia on April 20 and departed it on April 23. Earlier reports confirmed that he is also holding a Nicaraguan passport as he is appointed as "special ambassador" by Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega. Thai government has revoked all his passports, including diplomatic and ordinary passports, after he became fugitive.

Maybe some people who reside in Thailand will opt to do what I do. My monthly income is direct-deposited to Bangkok Bank's New York branch and goes into my Bangkok Bank account here the same day. The fees are very nominal, about a total of US $6 including everything. Once the money is in my account here I don't have to bother with foreign ATM cards at all. I can withdraw funds from any Bangkok Bank branch office or ATM without any fees. If I use a different bank's ATM the fee is 25 baht. I can pay most of my bills online. I can even do that via secure mobile phone service now. I have access to as much money as I want any time, day or night. If I need more than an ATM will allow, I can go to any Bangkok Bank branch and withdraw whatever amount I need. No fees for any of that. Those of you who reside in Thailand can do whatever you want, but for me the way I do it is very easy, never a problem, no need for complicated methods of receiving funds, and I don't have to worry about fees at all. If it is possible for you to receive funds by direct deposit, you might want to consider doing the same thing I'm doing. There is another potential problem using foreign ATM cards. Last night I had dinner with an American friend who lives in Pattaya. He had a little story to tell me. He uses his foreign ATM card. Unfortunately, just a few days ago the ATM he was using ate his card. He did not have a spare second card. He called the Pattaya branch of the bank and was told he can retrieve the card the next day if he goes back to the same ATM at 1:15. He went back, waited about 45 minutes, and gave up. He called the bank again and was told he could go to the branch office and retrieve the card there . . . the next day. He went. They didn't have the card. They called their main office in Bangkok and there was no record of his card at all. Of course, now he had to call the USA and cancel the card. They're mailing him a new one, but at his address in the USA, not in Thailand. Fortunately for him he is going back to the USA anyway. He's on the plane now, as I write this, so his new card ought to be there shortly after he arrives. But if he wasn't going back to the USA, your guess is as good as mine as to how long it would have taken him to somehow receive his new card. Last year, another friend had a similar experience. It took nearly 2 months before he finally received his new card. Meanwhile, if the ATM had eaten a Thai bank's ATM card, the worst that would have happened would have been canceling that card, going to the bank, and walking out with a new card 15 minutes and a couple hundred baht later. As I said, you folks can do as you want, but I think receiving funds by direct deposit and sticking to Thai banks is the easiest and safest way to go. Once again, Thailand has taken a new step to make things even less attractive for foreigners. At a time when the tourist industry is begging for customers, what does Thailand do? They put in place exorbitant fees for foreign ATM cards. All these years nothing like that was ever done, so they decide to do that now. Good thinking bankers! Brilliant! The logic of this, or lack of same, is now on my "I Don't Get It" list.

What about a three-legged one? I guess this disease gives a whole new meaning to "happy as a pig in shit."

To me, that's two rip-offs. Only $20? If it was $5, then I wouldn't be calling it a rip-off. You don't really think the cards are sent out individually by first class mail to the embassy, do you? Even if they were, how much do you think the postage is? A third rip-off, as far as I'm concerned, is the price of a new passport. $100.

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Government Says No Swine Flu Outbreak Yet No swine flu cases have been reported in Thailand, but relevant units are prepared for potential swine flu outbreak, Public Health Minister Wittaya Kaewparadai said on Sunday. The minister said he assigned the Bureau of Epidemiology to closely monitor the situation and coordinate with the World Health Organisation and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (WHO and CDC) to deal with this respiratory disease. Permanent Secretary for Public Health Prat Boonyawongvirot said people can catch swine flu from close proximity to pigs, but they cannot catch it from eating pork. Its symptoms are similar to the symptoms of human influenza, such as high fever, body aches, coughing, and runny nose. The Public Health Ministry asked people with these symptoms to wear protective masks and avoid going to public areas. The ministry also warned people, who may travel to Mexico or the US states of California and Texas during this period, to follow the situation closely and be careful of the swine flu outbreaks. Referring to the swine flu which had taken many human lives in some countries such as Mexico, the US and China, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said there were no reports of deaths from this disease in the country yet. Relevant units will meet from Monday to Wednesday to prevent the disease from spreading to the country. He urged people to avoid eating half-cooked pork at the moment and they should wear safety masks and gloves should they come into contact with pigs. Disease Control Department director-general Somchai Jakkraphan said many countries had prepared stringent measures to deal with the swine flu outbreak. If the outbreak could not be contained in a country, the World Health Organisation may declare a public health emergency for that particular country, he said. He insisted people cannot contract the virus from eating pork. People can inquire about swine flu by calling the Disease Control Department at 0-2590-3333 around the clock. Other countries across Asia, which have had to grapple with deadly viruses like H5N1 bird flu and SARS in recent years, had already snapped into action. At airports and other border checkpoints in Hong Kong, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, officials screened travellers for any flu-like symptoms. In China, officials assured people that conventional measures in place were adequate to contain the new threat. "The measures we've been taking against bird flu are effective for this new type of disease," said Wang Jing of the China Inspection and Quarantine Science Research Institute, in comments carried by state media. Argentina declared a health alert, requiring anyone arriving on flights from Mexico to advise if they had flu-like symptoms. Russia imposed curbs on meat imports from Mexico, some U.S. states and the Caribbean, while the United Arab Emirates said it was considering similar action. In Brussels, the European Commission said no cases of the new swine flu had been reported so far in Europe. "Until now we have no reported cases in Europe. We are following very closely the situation as it evolves," a spokeswoman for the European Union executive said.

From what I understand it will be added to your amount. When you do your transaction a notice will come onto the screen informing you of the 150 baht charge (currently the equivalent of about US $4.30) and you have the option of accepting the transaction or rejecting it. Both Bank of Ayudhya and K-Bank (Kasikorn Bank) so far are not charging the 150 baht fee. Maybe other banks also are not yet charging the fee, but someone else will have to tell you. Perhaps some of you can fill us in as to which banks are charging the fee and which banks are not. There are a few solutions to work around having to pay the fees very often. 1. You could, of course, go back to using travel checks when going to Thailand rather than using ATMs. 2. You could open a Thai bank account if you don't already have one, and take out larger transactions with a foreign ATM card and deposit the money into your Thai bank account while in Thailand. I understand you can still open a K-Bank account fairly easily without a non-immigrant visa. Fewer and fewer banks are allowing that, so during your next trip it would be advisable to open a Thai bank account if you intend multiple trips to Thailand. If you prearrange with your home country bank, you can do a very large transaction with use of your foreign ATM card if you go into a bank branch in Thailand and have them do a withdrawal for you. I did that when I was paying off my house in Thailand and had no problem at all withdrawing US $10000. For most of you, if you are staying in the Pattayaland or Sunee Plaza area, the nearest K-Bank branch is right outside of Tuk Com on Pattaya Tai. 3. If you have a Thai bank account, but don't want to use travel checks, you might want to wire money into that account prior to your trip. Then you can use your Thai ATM card when you get here. Those are my suggestions. Perhaps some of you have additional suggestions. Remember, if you are going to do large transactions, do them in daylight with plenty of people around. Don't do them at night while you're alone. Be very careful of pickpockets, especially when riding a baht bus. Lady-boys that work Beach Road and Walking Street also have a reputation for being notorious pickpockets. Be careful!

Let's hope they can get it contained. So far there are no cases reported in Thailand, but the disease has made it as far as New Zealand so far.

If the map is confusing, walk to the Po Pot restaurant end of Sunee Plaza and turn left on the soi. That's Soi Yensabai. Walk about 1 block on Soi Yensabai and you'll come to Happy Bar on the left. It's next door to a Family Mart.

To my mind, the most serious question is how is it transmitted? With bird flu you only became ill if you had direct contact with the bird droppings. Nobody became ill as a result of eating poultry or eggs. But with a new disease all of a sudden, how are all these people getting sick? Is it from direct contact? Is it from eating poultry or pork?

'Golden Girls' Star Bea Arthur Dies at 86 AP - LOS ANGELES - Beatrice Arthur, the tall, deep-voiced actress whose razor-sharp delivery of comedy lines made her a TV star in the hit shows "Maude" and "The Golden Girls" and who won a Tony Award for the musical "Mame," died Saturday. She was 86. Arthur died peacefully at her Los Angeles home with her family at her side, family spokesman Dan Watt said. She had cancer, Watt said, declining to give details. "She was a brilliant and witty woman," said Watt, who was Arthur's personal assistant for six years. "Bea will always have a special place in my heart." Arthur first appeared in the landmark comedy series "All in the Family" as Edith Bunker's outspoken, liberal cousin, Maude Finley. She proved a perfect foil for blue-collar bigot Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor), and their blistering exchanges were so entertaining that producer Norman Lear fashioned Arthur's own series. In a 2008 interview with The Associated Press, Arthur said she was lucky to be discovered by TV after a long stage career, recalling with bemusement CBS executives asking about the new "girl." "I was already 50 years old. I had done so much off-Broadway, on Broadway, but they said, 'Who is that girl? Let's give her her own series,'" Arthur said. "Maude" scored with television viewers immediately on its CBS debut in September 1972, and Arthur won an Emmy Award for the role in 1977. The comedy flowed from Maude's efforts to cast off the traditional restraints that women faced, but the series often had a serious base. Her husband Walter (Bill Macy) became an alcoholic, and she underwent an abortion, which drew a torrent of viewer protests. Maude became a standard bearer for the growing feminist movement in America. The ratings of "Maude" in the early years approached those of its parent, "All in the Family," but by 1977 the audience started to dwindle. A major format change was planned, but in early 1978 Arthur announced she was quitting the show. "It's been absolutely glorious; I've loved every minute of it," she said. "But it's been six years, and I think it's time to leave." "Golden Girls" (1985-1992) was another groundbreaking comedy, finding surprising success in a television market increasingly skewed toward a younger, product-buying audience. The series concerned three retirees Arthur, Betty White and Rue McClanahan -- and the mother of Arthur's character, Estelle Getty, who lived together in a Miami apartment. In contrast to the violent "Miami Vice," the comedy was nicknamed "Miami Nice." As Dorothy Zbornak, Arthur seemed as caustic and domineering as Maude. She was unconcerned about the similarity of the two roles. "Look -- I'm 5-feet-9, I have a deep voice and I have a way with a line," she told an interviewer. "What can I do about it? I can't stay home waiting for something different. I think it's a total waste of energy worrying about typecasting." The interplay among the four women and their relations with men fueled the comedy, and the show amassed a big audience and 10 Emmys, including two as best comedy series and individual awards for each of the stars. McClanahan said Arthur felt constrained by the show during its later years and in 1992 she announced she was leaving "Golden Girls." "Bea liked to be the star of the show, she didn't really like to do that ensemble playing," McClanahan said. McClanahan first worked with Arthur on "Maude," playing her best friend, Vivian. The women quickly became close friends in real life. McClanahan recalled Arthur as a kind and caring person with a no-nonsense edge. The three other stars returned in "The Golden Palace," but it lasted only one season. Arthur was born Bernice Frankel in New York City in 1922. When she was 11, her family moved to Cambridge, Md., where her father opened a clothing store. At 12 she had grown to full height, and she dreamed of being a petite blond movie star like June Allyson. There was one advantage of being tall and deep-voiced: She was chosen for the male roles in school plays. Bernice -- she hated the name and adopted her mother's nickname of Bea -- overcame shyness about her size by winning over her classmates with wisecracks. She was elected the wittiest girl in her class. After two years at a junior college in Virginia, she earned a degree as a medical lab technician, but she "loathed" doing lab work at a hospital. Acting held more appeal, and she enrolled in a drama course at the New School of Social Research in New York City. To support herself, she sang in a night spot that required her to push drinks on customers. During this time she had a brief marriage that provided her stage name of Beatrice Arthur. In 1950, she married again, to Broadway actor and future Tony-winning director Gene Saks. After a few years in off-Broadway and stock company plays and television dramas, Arthur's career gathered momentum with her role as Lucy Brown in the 1955 production of "The Threepenny Opera." In 2008, when Arthur was inducted in the TV Academy Hall of Fame, Arthur pointed to the role as the highlight of her long career. "A lot of that had to do with the fact that I felt, 'Ah, yes, I belong here,'" Arthur said. More plays and musicals followed, and she also sang in nightclubs and played small roles in TV comedy shows. Then, in 1964, Harold Prince cast her as Yente the Matchmaker in the original company of "Fiddler on the Roof." Arthur's biggest Broadway triumph came in 1966 as Vera Charles, Angela Lansbury's acerbic friend in the musical "Mame," directed by Saks. Richard Watts of the New York Post called her performance "a portrait in acid of a savagely witty, cynical and serpent-tongued woman." She won the Tony as best supporting actress and repeated the role in the unsuccessful film version that also was directed by Saks, starring Lucille Ball as Mame. Arthur would play a variation of Vera Charles in "Maude" and "The Golden Girls." "There was no one else like Bea," said "Mame" composer Jerry Herman. "She would make us laugh during 'Mame' rehearsals with a look or with a word. She didn't need dialogue. I don't know if I can say that about any other person I ever worked with." In 1983, Arthur attempted another series, "Amanda's," an Americanized version of John Cleese's hilarious "Fawlty Towers." She was cast as owner of a small seaside hotel with a staff of eccentrics. It lasted a mere nine episodes. Between series, Arthur remained active in films and theater. Among the movies: "That Kind of Woman" (1959), "Lovers and Other Strangers" (1970), Mel Brooks' "The History of the World: Part I" (1981), "For Better or Worse" (1995). The plays included Woody Allen 's "The Floating Light Bulb" and "The Bermuda Avenue Triangle," written by and costarring Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna. During 2001 and 2002 she toured the country in a one-woman show of songs and stories, "... And Then There's Bea." Arthur and Saks divorced in 1978 after 28 years. They had two sons, Matthew and Daniel. In his long career, Saks won Tonys for "I Love My Wife," "Brighton Beach Memoirs" and "Biloxi Blues." One of his Tony nominations was for "Mame." In 1999, Arthur told an interviewer of the three influences in her career: "Sid Caesar taught me the outrageous; (method acting guru) Lee Strasberg taught me what I call reality; and ('Threepenny Opera' star) Lotte Lenya, whom I adored, taught me economy." In recent years, Arthur made guest appearances on shows including "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Malcolm in the Middle." She was chairwoman of the Art Attack Foundation, a non-profit performing arts scholarship organization. Arthur is survived by her sons and two granddaughters. No funeral services are planned.

I think you may have misunderstood. Mahjongguy said you walk out with your passport still in hand when you apply for the card, so you wouldn't have to be without your passport at all. But again I see absolutely no practical use for it at all. I don't see anything it could possibly do that simply carrying a photocopy of one's passport would do anyway. Perhaps some would prefer to make a trip to the embassy, wait to be served, pay the fee, wait to be served again, and then return two weeks later to pick it up. Of course, if you somehow manage to lose it, then you're back on photocopies or you'll have to go through the process again. If there was a true practical use for it, I'd be one of the first ones in line to get one, but since there seems to be no practical use for it I see it as a waste of time, waste of money, and a rip-off.