Jason1988

Why do people eat so many carbs? Don't they realize what is making them fat? Most people can count calories. Many have a clue about where fat lurks in their diets. However, fewer give carbohydrates much thought, or know why they should. But a growing number of top nutritional scientists blame excessive carbohydrates

Why don't you show us some photos? Everyone likes to look!

I have enjoyed the magazine for quite a while now. Is it worth it? Probably not. It's geared more to those that are looking for investment opportunities abroad. Changing their lifestyle from corporate america to a slower pace in another country. A few years back they had some articles about retiring in Thailand. I believe that it was focused on Chiang Mai. If memory serves me right it was about 30% less to retire in Chiang Mai than Pattaya or Bangkok. Unfortunately, for many they would be bored to tears. The best thing you can to to make sure that you retire young is to shore up your finances, invest wisely and learn to trade stocks or currency as an example. An online business is also a great way to have a nice income to accompany your savings, investment and pension, etc. On another thread you mention an underwear interest. A friend of mine had a shop like that and over the last few years took it online. He has since closed up his shop and derives a substantial income from his web based business. He sells brand names but if I were him I'd include another brand of my own that would give me even more profits. There are so many ways to retire young and all it takes is the intestinal fortitude to start a course of action.

Americans retiring outside of the US is not a new concept. Back in the early 1980's I went on a tour to Lake Chapala Mexico that was the home of many American and Canadian retirees. They were attracted to that area as the medical care is very good with the teaching hospital being a short drive away in Guadalajara. The university of Guadalajara medical school also owned a large hotel in Lake Chapala. The The Hotel Real de Chapala is located in Ajijic Jalisco, 50 kilometers away of Guadalajara City just 25 minutes from the International Airport of Guadalajara, on the shore of Lake Chapala, with 85 rooms among them 5 Suites. Ajijic is and was an artist's area with many interesting places to visit. When I read these articles in International Living I often wonder how many people think that living outside of the USA is a new idea. Actually, it is quite an old idea that is being brought back to life because of the recession. Photo of Lake Chapala

That would be great but I'm not holding my breath!

It seems odd to me that you would want to be online while out dining or enjoying drinks. Just put the computer or smart phone away for a while and enjoy the atmosphere and start some conversations. There is so much more to life than escaping it through a computer.

I split my time between Thailand and the United States and when I am in my home country I see so many obese people that it is nauseating. I would have to say that 50% are obese. On a recent shopping trip to the local mall I saw a group of high school students and you would be amazed how fat some are. What a shame to be fighting a weight problem at those young ages. You would think with all the money that is spent on physical education these young people would be in the best of shape.

Creating the brand and doing the marketing and advertising is the most expensive part of any start up. Last summer I was looking in a mall store in Orlando, Florida and some of the Lacoste shirts were made in China. I find that interesting that a consumer will pay upwards of $60 for a shirt that was made in China for about $4.00 - $6.00. Same thing with underwear. So many brands are made in Asia, including Thailand, and sold for huge prices by comparison. Swimwear to me, seems like a license to steal. With the right brand you can make a mint!

If you've worked in management in the USA you have contributed to a 401K or an IRA pension plan. Many employers match your contribution so it is easy to have $200,000-$500,000 by age 60. If the gentleman is disabled there are social security programs that will pay a monthly stipend that is far more than unemployment compensation. Also, being mentally unstable he could qualify for an SSI disability that is very close to his monthly social security payment. Add that to getting food stamps, etc. (which is now a debit card) and he is far from being in the dire straights he is claiming. This sounds like a "feel sorry for me" story and I'm not buying it!

Renting a jet ski in Thailand can be very dangerous and expensive. Please visit facebook.com and search for Thailand Jet Ski Scams. Hope this will save tourists from being scammed on their visit. It is especially bad in Pattaya.

I miss reading your commentary and looking at your posted photos. Hope you come back soon!

Diets per se don't work over the long haul. Eating properly and getting a adequate amount of exercise is the only way to live a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes cutting down on your alcohol intake helps. But looking around Pattaya that doesn't seem to be an option!

Jack Benny did have mannerisms that were gay. In fact, he started the rumor that he was gay for publicity purposes. He has to be one of the funniest people ever. Those facial expressions were what made me laugh. And he didn't look a day over 39!

If you are from the midwest United States then you obviously know that there are different dialects in the english language that many americans use. The northeast has some quirks as well as the southern part of the United States. English may well have come from England and they too have many dialects. Some of which I can barely understand. Incorrect pronunciation of words isn't something just Thai. It happens in almost every language. The proper pronunciation of a foreigner of european decent is farang. Let's all try to get it right!

One of the mediations I take turns my urine blue. Hopefully, the Thai police can tell the difference between blue and purple.

Loud music anywhere can be annoying. This is not on topic, so forgive me. Ever notice how loud the sound is at the movies in Thailand? That coupled with the air conditioning set to "arctic cold" are two of my pet peeves.

In the USA it is usually a term used on higher dollar amounts such as $100 and up and considered a slang by younger people. Under $100 most people would say that the price isn't competitive or they tried to "rip me off." But in the case of Walmart, those bananas they sell are probably lousy and you'd expect them to charge less. In the USA, Walmart has dreadful produce. They are very weak in that category. I don't know much about Tesco as I have only been to one of their stores in Thailand.

Americans refer to being overcharged for anything as a "scam." Example: "Hotwire tried to scam me $100 more for the same ticket so I got it on Expedia." Just call it "american english."

Le R

The proper way to write it and say it is farang. Just because some asians can't pronounce the 'r' or ignorant foreigners write it and say it as falang doesn't make correct. When I read or hear someone saying falang I automatically know they haven't a clue to the Thai language.

I enjoy reading all your posts and any photos you could post would be nice.

I can't tell you haw many people that have been duped by investing in real estate. This is especially true in Thailand. If you are going to invest in a property make sure that the property is built first. All those lavish claims about property appreciation and what a great investment this will be/is, etc. are strictly speculation. Don't be fooled by a salesperson's slick presentation.

As the immediate shock of the mass shooting in Arizona subsides and the conversation turns to gun control, it's becoming increasingly clear that there is little chance that new anti-gun measures will pass the Republican-dominated Congress. But a picture is also coming into focus of a gun control movement that has been on the retreat for at least a decade, facing setbacks not only in Congress, but also in the courts and in public opinion polls, and of a Democratic Party that, from President Obama on down, has all but ceded the issue to the National Rifle Association. "The last 10 years -- the NRA has won them 10 to zero," Jim Kessler, the co-founder of Third Way and a former official at Americans for Gun Safety, tells Salon. Not long after the Saturday shooting of Gabrielle Giffords and 19 other people in Tucson, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., announced plans to introduce legislation to ban the type of high-capacity magazines used by the shooter, Jared Loughner. He reportedly fired 31 shots before having to reload, at which point bystanders tackled him. Under the Clinton-era assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004, manufacture of magazines containing more than 10 rounds was illegal. McCarthy, who got into politics after her husband was shot to death in 1993, is the leading gun control advocate in the House. Republicans have, so far, been united in dismissing the need for any new regulation. As Sen. Rand Paul said Sunday: "The weapons don't kill people; it

Larry King has been dead for the last 20 years but someone forgot to tell him. His style of interviewing has seen better days. He never seems to ask the questions that you'd like to ask. Perhaps he is trying not to offend anyone or put them off but in the process has become very boring to watch. The whole CNN network is losing its market share as there are other alternatives in the marketplace.

Sometimes the Thai food in Thailand can be bad too. This is the best deli I have found in NYC.