HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Family Money

Snap Shots

Modern Medicine

Heart to Heart with Hillary

A Slice of Thai History

Bits ‘n’ Bobs

Animal Crackers

Personal Directions

Social Commentary by Khai Khem

Roll over Rover

The Message In The Moon

PC Basics

Women’s World

Wine snobbery uncorked

Family Money: Channel Islands revisited

By Leslie Wright,
Managing director of Westminster Portfolio Services (Thailand) Ltd.

The past three years have been testing times for Jersey and Guernsey, the two biggest islands in the Channel Islands and two of the world’s leading offshore financial centres.

Largely at the request of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), both jurisdictions have made fundamental changes to how they do business.

The Paris-based OECD has been the primary medium through which international concerns and pressures over the regulation and “due diligence” standards of offshore financial centres have been channelled.

Other countries and bodies, such as the European Union, the US and UK governments, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, have also contributed to a debate that has only just started to question how best to regulate the world’s financial services industries.

The events of September 11 exacerbated existing worries over money laundering, banking secrecy, “know-your-customer” rules and other aspects of financial regulation found both offshore and, more significantly, onshore too.

But while the attention has turned primarily to offshore centres like Jersey and Guernsey, onshore jurisdictions have also been heavily criticised. The Financial Action Task Force, a body set up by the Group of 7 leading countries to combat money laundering, found last year that the US itself failed to comply with 28 out of its 40 recommendations - much more than many “offshore” jurisdictions, including Jersey.

But Jersey and Guernsey have still found themselves at the heart of this argument. The old selling points of low taxation and client secrecy are on their way out; transparency, strong know-your-customer rules, and financial sophistication with a heavy emphasis on client service are in. Offshore centres used to be about tax; now they’re much more about service.

Big business

International financial services is big business: jurisdictions such as Jersey and Guernsey have fought hard with the OECD over many issues and are reticent to give up too many of the advantages that have made them wealthy jurisdictions.

They not only compete with each other but also with rivals such as Luxembourg, Switzerland and the Caribbean centres for both retail and institutional business. The banking and asset management figures for Jersey and Guernsey show that, despite the setbacks of 2001, there continues to be a strong inflow of new business to the Channel Islands.

Yet both islands find themselves susceptible to what one senior banker on Guernsey describes as “regulatory arbitrage” - the notion that a valuable degree of offshore money will flow to those jurisdictions with the most flexible financial regulations.

The greatest threat of this regulatory arbitrage comes from Luxembourg and Switzerland, two of the world’s biggest financial centres that have both so far refused to play ball with the OECD. The OECD has threatened to blacklist them both and they could even face financial sanctions if they refuse to commit to the OECD’s initiative against harmful tax practices.

One key testing area is the EU Savings Tax Directive that, if implemented, would see the wholesale exchange of information concerning all bank accounts in the European Union. The principle is to get people in Europe to pay the right tax to the proper authorities. Offshore centres such as Jersey, Guernsey, Luxembourg and Switzerland have traditionally - and still do attract money looking to bypass such tax rules.

Although accepting the Tax Directive would represent a sea change in their financial policy, both Jersey and Guernsey say they are willing to sign such an agreement but only if the likes of Switzerland and Luxembourg follow suit. Without a level playing field, argues one Jersey-based financier, why should Jersey implement rules that would threaten its successful financial services industry?

Whiter than white

The pressure on offshore centres and institutions to been seen as “whiter than white” is now huge. Banks and other financial institutions in Jersey and Guernsey have found themselves implementing much tighter know-your-customer rules, looking to catalogue their offshore clients and weed out those involved in money laundering, and criminal or even terrorist activities.

Ultimately, such tests only enhance the Channel Islands’ reputation as leading international financial service centres. Both Jersey and Guernsey are highly rated and respected, with financial regulation and supervision on a par with or above those of many onshore financial centres.

While Jersey and Guernsey offer broadly similar financial services for expats, the two are competitive and keen to promote themselves separately.

Pressures on size and employment have forced both islands to focus increasingly on up-market financial services, such as mass-affluent and private banking as these are more profitable than simple deposit accounts.

Making an example

While international pressure has abated from the levels seen in mid-2000 - the latest OECD blacklist published in May targets wayward jurisdictions such as Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and, in the South Pacific, Nauru and Vanuata - the heat is still on both Jersey and Guernsey, because they’re so established and well-known.

Despite tighter regulations than many onshore jurisdictions, comprehensive “know-your-customers” rules and a blue-chip list of institutions on both islands, both Jersey and Guernsey know that given the current climate, any revelations about money laundering, criminal financing or similarly underhand activity could be extremely damaging to them.

While both will evolve into strong financial hubs catering for an international client base, the forthcoming inspection of Guernsey by the International Monetary Fund is a sign that pressure will be there for a long time to come.

Snap Shot: Dodging, burning and patching

by Harry Flashman

A photographic friend in Pattaya, Ernie Kuehnelt, brought an item to my attention the other day. It was a newspaper piece about an exhibition in the J. Paul Getty Museum called “Gustave Le Gray, Photographer” which is running until September 29 if you wish to visit! The news item came from the Los Angeles Times, and gave the impression that Le Gray had been forgotten in the wake of other famous French photographers such as Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre, Gaspard Felix Tournachon (aka Nadar) and Henri Cartier Bresson (don’t you love those French names). However, this was not really the case.

One of my favourite tomes is entitled “Techniques of the World’s Great Photographers” and Gustave Le Gray is awarded six times the space in the book compared to that given to Daguerre. He was not forgotten by that book publisher in 1981.

Le Gray is remembered, amongst many reasons, for the technique of “patching”. This is similar to the still current techniques of dodging and burning, so a brief word on these first will not go astray.

When a “hand” print is made, the technician controls the intensity of light falling on the sensitised photographic paper after it comes through the negative. In any negative, there will be areas that the photographer would like to see made a little darker, or lighter. Very often the sky lacks a little detail, so the technician will be told to “burn in” the sky and “dodge” the foreground. So while making the exposure of the photographic paper, the technician will give the sky area more exposure time, while holding back the foreground.

The end result of this technique is a scene with an “interesting” cloudy sky, rather than just a pale washed out one. So it is “enhancing” the print a little, but this is not photo fudging - the interesting sky was there to begin with, it is just that with standard printing you lose the clouds if you keep the foreground shadow details. The problem is the sensitivity of the film and paper, but the selective technique does get over this.

Now pity poor old Gustave Le Gray. In the early 1850’s the negatives themselves were so insensitive that to get a negative which would show any details in the foreground subject(s), the skies were totally overexposed, so there was absolutely no cloud detail at all. You could dodge and burn as much as you liked - if it isn’t on the negative to begin with, it will never appear on the final print. (This is why you should err on the side of overexposure, rather than underexposure. If it is on the negative, you can reproduce it.)

However, Gustave produced prints like the one with this article, which was exhibited in London in 1856. Superb seascapes with details in the foreground and ominous skies with plenty of detail. How? The answer was a technique that Le Gray developed, called “patching”. With his insensitive negative there was no sky detail, so what Gustave did was to make exposures of “interesting” skies alone, and then doubly expose the print. One exposure was for the foreground, using its own negative, and the second exposure was for the sky, using the special “sky” negative.

This worked very well, as you can see with this week’s photograph, and you can see why Gustave chose seascapes to do this with. Confused? Don’t be. The horizon line with seascapes is flat and well defined, so he could easily blank off the top and expose the sea foreground, then blank off the bottom of the print and expose for the second negative producing the clouds and sky. It is still possible to “marry’ two sections together, but the more convoluted the join, the harder it gets, that is why the seascape concept worked so well.

On course, today we can get computers to do this for us, but do not forget Gustave Le Gray - he did it first!

Modern Medicine: Health Insurance - universal cover?

by Dr Iain Corness, Consultant

I have written about Health Insurance previously and the perils of being without it. There are still those out there who think that they are 10 foot tall and bullet proof, but as we get on, the chances of having some medical problem increases alarmingly.

Unfortunately, medical problems, medical treatment and hospitalisation are not cheap, anywhere in the world. In this country, there is no 30 baht scheme to cover the ex-pat. You have to shoulder your own costs and this can be quite horrendous if you are laid up for any length of time.

Of course, there are also those of you out there who will proudly say, “I never get sick!” and for you I sincerely hope that idyllic state continues. Of course, even if you do escape prostate cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, heart attacks and strokes, there is still the chance of getting run over attempting the 50 metre dash across Pattaya Second Road any evening. The message is just that none of us are above the risk of ill health or injury.

The important word in that last paragraph is “risk” - that is what insurance is all about. You are minimizing your risk of financial exposure by contracting with an insurance company for them to cover your medical bills, which is in turn taking on the “risk” of whether you get sick or not. This is really high level gambling. They hope that you will pay more in premiums than you cost in medical bills, averaged out over the period of insurance.

The insurance company looks at the “average” figures for the groups of people at risk. There will be some that become high expense policy holders, and by the same token, there will be some policy holders who never claim. A sort of “What you lose on the swings, you gain on the roundabouts” situation.

Now the insurance companies do not go blindly into this agreement with you. They demand to know your current state of health and family history to work out if you are a “standard” or “high” risk candidate. That is, I believe, fair and equitable.

However, it has come to my notice that an insurance company here in Pattaya has taken steps to exclude certain ailments in coverage, following a medical expenses claim for them, even though the policy holder had been previously accepted as a standard risk. In other words, he was covered until he claimed - and then the insurance company did not want to know him after that! That is neither fair nor equitable!

And while I am looking at health insurance, have you checked how long yours will run for? Some companies do not want to know you after you turn 70, others at 65, 64 and even 60. These companies are certainly limiting their “risk” exposure in the marketplace!

So what should you do? Well, I would suggest that you do as I have done and check with a reputable insurance agent as to exactly what the policy of your current insurance company is to those two questions - Will an ailment be the subject of exclusion, after years of being accepted as a standard risk, and will I get thrown out after a certain age? The rest is, as they say, up to you!

Heart to Heart with Hillary

Dear Hillary

Further to your reply to my letter in the Pattaya Mail Vol X No. 25, these days the United State sends its stiffest diplomatic protests by airmail. This is too bad, as the Marines at least made sure who was who. But thanks for reminding me of the Marines and thereby reminding me that even the US Navy uses a local pilot when navigating unfamiliar shoals.

As for the writer who reckoned a computer would outlast my Fan affection, he was partly right (Pattaya Mail Vol. X No. 27). Her affection “crashes” about 3 or 4 times a week, far more often than my computer ever did. But computers are simply devices for reproducing data of various kinds: words, images, sounds, etc. None of their ports are compatible with mine, so I continue to “reboot” with my Fan.

UN American in Meuang Yote

Dear UAIMY,

I shall refrain from the obvious smutty rejoinders which include A Drives and three and a half inch floppies but I am glad to read you are rebooting regularly, 3 to 4 times a week you say, which is about the national average for a man of your age, without assistance from Vitamin V. While discussing your computer, please note it is also not recommended by most authorities that you pour milk and sugar over your serial port at breakfast time, a good solid feed first thing in the morning does not work in this situation. I would also counsel caution, while computers do reproduce data, words, images and sounds as you pointed out, Fans have been known to reproduce all sorts of strange things as well, which can also generate strange sounds and eventually even words! Enjoy yourself in Meuang Yote, my Petal!

Dear Hillary,

Although I am not comfortable writing in the English language, I shall try my best to express myself. Three years ago I met a young man (not a go-go dancer!) with whom I’ve developed a close friendship. Although he has often suggested a sexual relationship I have hitherto refused because of differences in age (he is 24) and station. I shrink from exploitation or even the appearance of it - at least so far.

I have no illusions: he appreciates the financial help I am able to give. But he has proved very loyal and genuine, often spending money to give me presents. His mother also seems to like me, and she has knitted me beautiful sweaters and socks.

My question is this: If we live together here in Pattaya - in a condominium possibly - what would be the social and legal implications in the eyes of the Thai public? (Our relationship would be viewed as sexual, although in many ways my feeling for him is paternal, although I cannot exclude the possibility that the relationship would take that turn.) I am prepared to face the probability that the arrangement would not be permanent, for he has cultural obligations which would lead him elsewhere - and besides, I am considerably older than he. I also am prepared to deal with his extended family.

I do not want to offend Thai sensibilities and so I would welcome your advice. Despite your barbed tongue - or pen - and hilarity (one “l”), I do respect your common sense and perceptiveness.

Endymion

Dear Endymion,

For someone for whom English is not your native language, you write and express yourself particularly well; however, I find the pen name you have chosen rather strange, Petal, as Endymion was the lover of Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt and of the Moon. It was she who asked Zeus to give Endymion eternal life. Zeus responded by putting Endymion into perpetual sleep, which shows what a miserable sod Zeus could be when he wanted to!

I get the impression you do seem a little worried about being seen beneath your station (your term). Provided your young man isn’t actually lying on the railroad tracks, stop worrying about his station. Perhaps the goddess and the shepherd situation caused you to choose Endymion, but may I remind you that Diana and Endymion got it together for many years and she even had a couple of the shepherd’s children. So Diana wasn’t too worried about it, so neither should you.

Now, as far as to what would the common perception be if you were to live together in Pattaya with your young man, have you ever been here? Obviously not, or you would not have asked the question. One stroll through Boyztown should be enough for you to see that it is a case of live and let live in this city. As far as offending Thai sensibilities is concerned, peaceful and harmonious living, irrespective of the make-up of the couple, is not considered offensive. You are judged by what you do in public, not by what people think of your situation or what you do behind closed doors. Finally, despite your protestations regarding his loyalty and the hand-knitted socks made by his doting Mum, have you ever thought that perhaps your young man is a student of Lord Beaverbrook who is attributed with the saying, “Buy old masters. They fetch a better price than old mistresses.” Tread warily Endymion.

A Slice of Thai History: Repository of knowledge: the National Library of Thailand

by Duncan Stearn

The National Library of Thailand has the oldest, largest and most comprehensive collection of written material in the country and was established on October 12 1905 by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).

It was originally housed within the precincts of the Royal Palace in Bangkok and administered by a committee appointed by the monarch and was formed by combining three other libraries. Known as the Ho Phra Samut Samrap Phra Nakhon it became the National Library after the transition from the absolute monarchy in June 1932.

In 1915, the library was transferred from the Royal Palace to the Thavaravathu Building with Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, the former interior minister, as its director.

In 1925, King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) presented the National Library with the manuscripts and books forming the private collection of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI; 1910-1925). The area housing this collection is known as the Vajiravudh Library.

Among the resources and artefacts held by the National Library are stone inscriptions dating from the 6th century, Thai works in the form of prayer books and religious writing as well as history, literature, law and medicine and Pali and Thai manuscripts on palm-leaves. There are also old western and Thai paper documents, as well as magnificent lacquer and gilt bookcases.

The collection contains books and periodicals published in Thailand as early as 1836 and continuing to the present.

In 1947, the Damrong Rajanubhab Memorial Library was opened, housing the private collection of books and personal objects of Prince Damrong Rajanubhab.

The National Library was relocated from the Thavaravathu Building to a new repository Samsen Road in May 1966.

The Vajiranana Library, opened in 1975, houses the gilt bookcases while the Naradhip Centre for Research in Social Science has the private collection of Prince Wan Waithayakon and was dedicated in 1979.

The National Library also collects foreign publications, is a depository for United Nations publications, has audio-visual materials such as slides, movies, videos, music scores, cassettes, microfilm, maps and posters.

By 1999, the Library had collected over 92,000 volumes of rare books as well as 125,000 manuscripts along with periodicals and newspapers.

Branches of the National Library have been opened across the country. The first one was in Singburi in 1972 while others include Lumphun (1978), Nakhon Si Thammarat (1978), three in Songkhla (between 1982 and 1999), Chonburi (1983), Buriram (1985), Nakhon Ratchasima (1987), Chiang Mai (1989), Phuket (1993), Nakhon Phanom (1994), Kanchanaburi (1997) and Suphan Buri 1999.

Apart from being a collector and repository, the Library prepares reference tools, compiles indexes and bibliographies upon request, reads and deciphers ancient oriental scripts and is actively engaged in running programs aimed at extending readership across Thailand.

The National Library assisted the Thai Library Association in the organisation of the Congresses by South-East Asian Librarians in Bangkok in 1978 and 1993.

The National Library is currently administered by the Fine Arts Department, a division of the Ministry of Education.

Bits ‘n’ Bobs

Animal Crackers: Who’s heard of a Wolverine?

By Mirin E Mc Carthy

Wolverines belong to the Mustelidae family and remain mysterious and rarely seen creatures although they are large, muscular and the heaviest terrestrial member of their group. Mustelids are a varied and wildly distributed tribe found in every continent except Australia, numbering 22 species including, Wolverines, Martens, Fishers, Weasels, Minks, Skunks, and Otters. Although no more mentally alert than others of its clan the wolverine’s wariness, persistence, endurance and strength make it seem cunning and elusive.

Strange Looks

Wolverines are oddly designed, vaguely resembling bear cubs in appearance, although movements and behaviour have distinct weasel characteristics. They are powerfully built animals adapted to winter survival, and are found in the arctic tundra and forested, mountainous North America, Canada, Europe, Scandinavia, Eurasia and Siberia.

 

Wolverine heads are bear like, wide and rounded with small eyes, little round ears, and short broad noses. Legs are short and sturdy, with five toes on each foot, and claws that are strong, curved and semi-retractile. A plantigrade (feet on the ground) posture allows easy travel through deep snow.

Wolverine coats are luxuriant, glossy dark brown fur with long, bushy tails. A pale buff stripe running from the shoulders along the animal’s side crossing the rump produces a conspicuous dark colour patch in the middle of their backs.

What’s in a name?

Vernacular names for the wolverine are: Indian devil, devil bear, skunk bear, woods devil and American glutton. It earned the name “glutton” because of its habit of ravenously eating large amounts of almost anything. Primarily a carnivore the wolverine captures most of its prey, though it is also an extensive scavenger, eating quantities of carrion.

Their heavy skulls and powerful teeth enable them to forage on frozen meat and bone. Occasionally eating berries and waterfowl, their main prey though are hares, rabbits, beavers, squirrels, chipmunks and mice. In some regions the wolverine kills small caribou by jumping on their backs from a hiding spot, being too slow to outrun them.

Loners

Solitary by nature the wolverine is rarely seen in the wild with another except for mates or a mother with her kits. Wary too, it is not usually sighted except when trapped. Its tracks though are distinctive and clearly marked resembling those of a wolf or huge dog but wider and with five toe prints. Mainly terrestrial it climbs fairly well and travels with a lolloping gait like a weasel and at times walks with a lumbering movement. Their sense of smell and hearing are well developed but sight is poor. Primarily nocturnal they venture out in the daytime too; deep snow does not bother them.

“Skunk Bears”

Although not usually aggressive they are not defenceless either and have a mean reputation for both fighting viciously when cornered and using scent repellent. Effective skunk-like chemical messages are achieved by scent marking with urine and abdominal rubbing, particularly near food left by the animal as a sign of ownership. Trappers talk of wolverines following a trap line for miles, eating whatever it fancied and fouling both traps and trapped animals with its scent, urine and excreta. Larger carnivores get the message also and rapidly retreat from the wolverine’s fetid odour, even abandoning food or prey to them.

Family

The wolverine has an average litter of 2 - 3 kits which are blind at birth and a pale creamy buff colour. Babies develop rapidly, are weaned at nine to ten weeks and begin to travel with their mother at two months. Adult size is reached by about eight months although young may remain associated with their mother, siblings, and the resident male until reproductive maturity, about fifteen months for females and two years for males.

Personal Directions: It’s time to put off putting things off

by Christina Dodd, founder and managing director 
of Incorp Training Associates

I had a call from a friend last week who offered some interesting comments on the “Call You Back” Syndrome I wrote about recently. Whilst he agreed mostly with what I was saying, he also pointed out that he is inundated with nuisance callers who either want to sell him hotel club memberships, Persian rugs or who need his urgent financial assistance in Africa! And they’ll use any means to try to get through to him.

His secretary is usually on the ball and replies that she’ll “pass a message through and he may call you back”. Fair enough I thought, but I would take it one step further and so long as she has the green light from the boss just tell them “he’s got every hotel card under the sun, a house full of Persian rugs and will personally take up their requests for assistance next time he addresses the UN!”

Seriously, sometimes we come up against all sorts of people who will go to any lengths to make a sale or get information. They’ll use unscrupulous methods like saying they are a close personal friend or the matter is urgent or that you (the boss) had asked them to call. Common sense prevails in these and most situations and I believe that we should just be straight up front and handle the call as courteously, efficiently and honestly as possible – right from the beginning. Should you end up saying you are going to call back, then you should call back just as soon as you can. You made that choice. That’s all there is to it. How you handle the caller or the subject matter is entirely up to you but don’t say you are going to do something – only to not do it.

He slept beneath the moon

He basked beneath the sun

He lived a life of going to do

And died with nothing done

James Albery

This leads me into the subject of what we all are guilty of, some of us more than others and that is procrastination. I know when I procrastinate, I have always regretted it later. From the simple task of whether to call someone back for instance, to the multitude of other tasks that you say you are going to complete and you dilly dally, well - just get in there and do it! A completed task is fulfilling and energizing; an incomplete task drains energy like a leak from a tank gradually depleting your resources. And if you fail to get moving on things and procrastinate then you’ll find that life and opportunities will pass you by.

We all procrastinate, so beware that it doesn’t become a habit for if it does, it will wear you out more than the effort it takes to do it. It leads to a negative attitude and consequently negative results. Some people are professional procrastinators and hide behind high sounding words like “I’m examining it”, or “I’m analyzing it”, or “I need to look at every angle first”. Then there are others who say “I’m getting ready” and a month later they are still getting ready and a year later they are still getting ready. How much time do you need to get ready?

Life is not a dress rehearsal. We only have one shot at it and if you blow it – then that’s it. And the stakes are too high – they are the future generations like your children and their children.

We are living in the present. We are here now. That is where we are. So let’s make the best of it and utilize the present time to the fullest – go for gold! We need to plan for the future and the way to do that is by using the present time to the ultimate limit to sow the seeds for the future. We don’t realize it but we are sowing seeds for a better future automatically by doing just that.

The saddest words in life are: “It might have been”, “I should have”, “I could have”, “I wish I had”. When someone says, “I will do it one of these days,” it means none of these days! Some people keep waiting for all the lights to turn green and for the time to be just right. It will never happen that way for the time is never going to be right – you have to make the effort and drive your future yourself.

I have lived away from Australia for many, many years and it never ceases to amaze me that on the occasions that I go back to visit, there are still the same people doing the same things that they have been doing for years because they have a terrible habit of procrastinating. They are serial procrastinators and dwell in it. As a result, all the great opportunities that have presented themselves over the years were simply wasted. They look at me and say, “Oh, you’ve been lucky!” Well, I retort and say, “Luck had nothing to do with it. I just got on with it!”

Have a wonderful week.

Christina can be contacted by email at christina.dodd@ incorptraining.com or directly at Incorp Training Associates in Bangkok. Tel: (02) 6521867-8 or Fax: (02) 652 1870. Details of Incorp’s programs and services can be found at www.incorptrain ing.com

Social Commentary by Khai Khem

Gambling - when the fun stops and the trouble starts

Chonburi Province is again kicking around the idea of building casinos on one or two of our offshore islands. Gambling is illegal in Thailand, but of course that could change if the powers that be in Bangkok give the green light and change the laws.

Gambling is a subject I know little about. I’ve been to Las Vegas (hasn’t everyone?). I’ve dropped into the various Asian casinos around the region. Some of them don’t exist anymore; various governments closed them down. Others like Malaysia’s Genting Highlands and Macao’s Lisboa are still going strong. Some Thai authorities say that our nation is losing a lot of revenue to neighboring countries which permit gambling and therefore we should build casinos to keep our currency at home.

Gambling games never really gave me much of a thrill. The entertainment shows and fine restaurants appealed to me more. That doesn’t mean I am totally against gambling. I just find better things to do with my money (like throw it out the window of my car in a slum neighborhood). But that doesn’t mean I plan to take the high moral ground on this subject.

What did nudge my curiosity is that gambling can become an addiction, like alcohol and drugs. So I did some reading put out by the California Council on Gambling Problems and I found some interesting information.

One of their questionnaires asked 10 questions.

1. Have you often gambled longer than you had planned?

2. Have you often gambled until your last dollar was gone?

3. Have thoughts of gambling have caused you to lose sleep?

4. Have you used your income or savings to gamble while letting bills go unpaid?

5. Have you made repeated, unsuccessful attempts to stop gambling?

6. Have you broken the law or considered breaking the law to finance your gambling?

7. Have you borrowed money to finance your gambling?

8. Have you felt depressed or suicidal because of your gambling losses?

9. Have you been remorseful after gambling?

10. Have you gambled to get money to meet your financial obligations?

If I answered “yes” to any of these questions, I should consider seeking assistance from a professional regarding my gambling behavior. Thankfully I could truthfully answer no to all of them. Of course if I did have a gambling addiction, I would certainly receive no assistance in Pattaya that I am aware of.

More info from the California Council on Gambling Problems revealed that problem gambling behavior is that which causes disruptions in any major area of life; psychological, physical, social or vocational. The term “problem gambling” includes, but is not limited to, the condition known as ‘pathological”, or ‘compulsive”. Progressive gambling addiction is characterized by increasing preoccupation with gambling, a need to bet more money more frequently, restlessness or irritability when attempting to stop, “chasing” losses, and gambling even when it results in very negative results.

People with gambling problems go through various stages before they “hit bottom” and realize they need help. The “winning” phase is always fun. Gambling starts as a social activity. People often win large amounts of money and feel invincible, so they bet bigger amounts because they believe they will win even more. They bet to maintain the level of excitement.

But as I read on, I found that gambling isn’t always about money. Problem gamblers like the excitement of gambling, the dream of winning big, or the escape from everyday problems or stresses. It becomes an escape from reality. Some lose their control and find they cannot quit.

Then the lucky winning streak disappears and they start to lose. They start chasing their lost money and never catch up. Then they start to lie about it. They borrow money, sell things, go into debt to cover loses. Soon their relationships with friends and family are on the skids. They become desperate. They may steal, write bad checks or commit illegal activities to finance their habit. Gambling addicts apparently have no respect for money.

Women and teens often begin gambling later in life as a coping strategy to mask underlying emotional problems. Professional councilors say that their patients rely on the excitement of gambling to acquire a sense of empowerment. Women are often closet gamblers and their husbands and families are the last to know about the addiction. Men will often brag about gambling and see it as a badge of honor. Women rarely talk about it.

During a brief stay in Reno, California, many years ago, I was struck by the enormous amount of old people who filled the casinos. These people did not strike me as the high-rollers one sees in Vegas. They were all a little ‘run down at the heels’ and curiosity prompted me to ask a black-jack dealer about them. I was told they came to gamble their pension checks away every month.

Seniors are often socially isolated due to physical restrictions or lack of social outlets. Some have limited financial resources or are looking for that big payoff to compensate an ever-shrinking and limited income.

Senior problem gambling can start with loss of interest and participation in normal activities with friends and family, or if they have too much time on their hands. Loneliness and boredom are the two most common conditions that drive seniors to gamble.

Professional counselors tell us gambling is an obsession that can overtake and destroy a young person’s life. Gambling attracts kids from all types of families, economic background, ethic groups and religious faiths. Most teens with serious gambling problems are introduced to gambling by a parent or other adult close to them.

While society increasingly frowns on youthful smoking, sex, alcohol and other drug use kids have been given the message that gambling is “legitimate, fun and safe”.

Teens often gamble to escape other problems. They may be lonely, depressed or bored. Teens may feel pressure from their peers and want to impress others. They may want to be the center of attention and they think they can win friends if they buy things for them. They think it’s a quick way to get rich and it provides an instant boost of self-confidence.

Thailand is in the middle of a “new social order crackdown” which is intended to restore law and order and traditional Thai values, clean up crime, drugs and anti-social behavior. The legalization of gambling in the kingdom seems like a long-shot to me.

Roll over Rover: “Come” and “let’s go”

by C. Schloemer

Novice trainers need to have patience when training their dogs off the leash. The commands “come” and “let’s go” are usually easy for most dogs to learn, especially during lead training in the house or a confined area. However, once outside owners may find their dogs suddenly get minds of their own. A friend with a 5 month old Irish setter called Rusty tells me that when Rusty is on the leash she is a perfect lady. Once outside, and off the leash, she refuses to come when called. She blows her owner off and away she goes. This means Rusty needs more work on the leash in the yard.

When your dog refuses the “come” command, try working in a confined area with a 6 foot leash. Station the dog with a “stay” command. Walk away a few feet, then turn and face your dog and say “come”. If the dog hesitates give a slight tug on the leash to reinforce the command “come”.

Treats for dogs can be very helpful in some situations, especially with young dogs. However, don’t overdo food rewards. An owner need not spend the rest of his or her life with dog treats stuffed into pockets or handbags to eventually own a well behaved and obedient dog. A lot of verbal praise is much more effective, especially if the tug on the leash is not required.

After some repeated success with the command “come”, move on with a longer cord and increase the distance gradually. You can also circle around the dog while reinforcing the “stay” command. Hang on to the cord, but try not to accidentally pull the dog towards you as you circle. That will confuse the “stay” command and infer “come”.

Once your dog is consistently coming to you, get rid of the cord and start over with the smaller distances and gradually increase them. Owners can add a hand signal to enhance the command. Many dogs need both voice and hand signals to reinforce commands off the leash. Keep your voice and hand signal consistent. Keep eye contact when you give the commands off leash. Add a few distractions for good measure. Then give the commands, stay, come and stop.

The hand signal for come can be done with a cupped hand motion toward the owner’s body. I raise my hand with one finger pointed in the air and give the command “stay”, but my command “stop” is accompanied with my palm up and facing the dog. Hand signals used in conjunction with voice commands reduce confusion for the dog because in some languages, many words sound similar and dogs often cannot differentiate.

“Let’s go” is another command that dogs love. It communicates leadership passively without thought or effort and it’s relatively easy to master. First, practice with your dog on the leash or teaching lead. Don’t forget, dog follows the leader: you. Whenever you change directions don’t look back to see if your dog approves. You are teaching him a command and he must obey.

In the beginning some dogs can be a handful. Your dog may race ahead. To correct that, change directions quickly every time he starts to bolt. If he starts running, say “let’s go” and pivot in the opposite direction. If he ignores you, tug gently on the lead. He doesn’t like it? Keep your cool, and your patience. You’re the boss, but don’t be an ogre. A quiet manner, calm voice, and gentle handling are all vital when training. If an owner gets frustrated or angry, the dog will become confused and lose concentration.

Take your time. Dogs learn some commands quickly and other commands may be harder lessons to learn. Some dogs may not budge on the “let’s go” command. They may whine and resist. Some will lie down or roll over on their backs. You may have to drag them a bit; gently. Just keep inching ahead and eventually the dog will get the idea that he should get up and follow you. When he does, give him lots of lavish praise. This may be the time to give a treat. Then start again. Practice makes perfect.

The Message In The Moon: Sun in Virgo/Moon in Sagittarius

by Anchalee Kaewmanee

The independent optimist

The Sun in Virgo makes these natives cautious, calm and reasonable. Their personality is basically responsible and conservative. Logic and common sense usually prevail with all individuals born in the Sun sign of Virgo. However people born into this combination will be more independent and freedom-loving than some of their fellow Virgos. The Moon in Sagittarius provokes rebellion. Virgo-Sagittarius natives often give in to impulse. The fiery emotional make-up of Sagittarius opposes the methodical approach to the life Virgo tries to achieve. We see opposing elements at work here, and although they make for an interesting combination, natives of this sign are often a bit mixed-up.

Setting goals in life can be difficult for these natives. They must learn to define their beliefs and wisely choose their lifestyle. Easier said than done, of course, because often they are not sure where they stand on issues because of the duality of their personality. This push-pull syndrome makes them change their minds just when they thought they knew what they wanted. Should they listen to Virgo’s wise, analytical intellect and settle for being a responsible but frustrated conformist? Or should they follow that inner drive toward carefree adventure?

Fortunately most natives of this combo do strike a happy balance by working within a structured and conventional framework while maintaining a daring, impetuous spirit. These individuals have very high standards which they set for themselves as well as others, even though they have a strong independent streak. The Virgo-Sagittarius native will feel he or she must be their own boss and usually does not do well in personal or social relationships that demand restraint. They often excel as entrepreneurs in business or special projects.

Whatever choice of career they choose their work habits will reflect Virgo’s pragmatism, organization and precision of thought and deed. Combine this with the Sagittarian courage and enthusiasm and these natives will always introduce a little something special to all endeavors. But success and achievement that are an area that traps them into drudgery will not satisfy these natives.

In youth, the Virgo-Sagittarius will have problems with self-control and can often undermine even the most concentrated effort or well-intended plan. Outwardly these people may seem calm and complacent, and most of the time they really are. But there will be occasions when they play a hunch or follow an adventurous whim. This longing usually takes over when they feel constrained or trapped in a situation such as a dead-end job, an unhappy marriage, or have settled into a routine that hints of boredom. When this happens, these natives throw caution to the winds and depart the scene. They have no fear of starting over again.

They must learn to control this erratic nature with hobbies or a profession that truly interests them. Their jobs and lifestyle must offer the excitement and diversity they crave. If they feel cooped-up or hemmed-in, they are very capable of throwing in the towel and taking off for parts unknown, whether this is in their best interest or not. The Virgo-Sag does not lack courage, but foolish acts that put real achievement at risk may leave this native with only the shreds of a formerly comfortable life.

All are popular, admired by others and never lack for friends. They are blessed with razor-sharp wit, a happy nature, and a need for self-expression. Outspoken and blunt, these individuals may occasionally put their foot in their mouth with offhand comments. Close friends know this is simply social clumsiness and never meant to hurt. That charming and persuasive manner draws people in and helps to insure success in life.

With maturity this sign will achieve more diplomacy and shrewd powers of observation. Endowed with keen intuition and a flair for salesmanship, this Sun-Moon sign will do well in business, but is equally drawn to more philosophical fields. Both Virgo and Sagittarius have strong intellectual curiosity and natives of this combo will seek to satisfy it. Many are scholars, teachers and writers.

In romance this combination is loyal and generous. There may be times when they cannot adhere to their own high principles, especially when that yearning for adventure and excitement takes over. When they finally do choose a mate, they must find someone who shares that drive for variety.

PC Basics: Looking For?

by Jason Rowlands

The Internet is meant to give you access to all sorts of information of every possible description. Whether you want to check the news from your hometown, or find a bargain on-line, it’s all out there. Of course, the difficulty arises in actually locating the information that you want without having to wade through scores of irrelevant web pages. So how should you go about looking for what you want?

First, you need to use a Search Engine. These are able to give you a list of pages that match your search criteria. These work by using key words. These are terms and phrases that relate to what you want to find. The secret is to make these words as relevant as possible to what you want, and to use terms that will narrow down the results. So if you want, for example, to find out the price of a flight to France, you might enter “flight bangkok paris”. But to narrow it down further, you could use “flight bangkok paris budget direct” to get results that will be closer to what you are looking for. Unless you ensure that your search terms are as relevant as possible, it is all too easy to get a lot of totally irrelevant results.

However, even if you know that the terms are correct, your search engine may not give you what you want. This is because of the way that these engines operate, as most people don’t realise that the one thing that search engines do not actually do is look for web pages. In fact, they can only list a web page of relevance unless it’s already been told about the page by the webmaster (the person who maintains that web page). As such, they are only really a database of different pages. So there may be a page that contains exactly what you are after, but unless the search engine you are using has been told about it, it can never list that page. With the recent multiplication of search engines, it is highly unlikely that any single one of them will be able to list all of the pages that you would want to look at.

There are, however, a few tricks that can be used to increase the chance of getting what you want. First, try to use what is called a “Meta-Search Engine”. This is quite simply a utility that will submit your search query to a number of different search engines at the same time, then collate the results returned. There are meta-searches available on the net, or you can get a piece of software that will do the job for you. I have found that a program called Copernic is perhaps the best utility that you can get for searching. It is able to access specific search engines that relate more closely to what you are looking for.

So when you are looking for something, don’t just use one engine. Try to use a meta search engine, or use a software program that will do the job for you. You can download Copernic from www.copernic.com and you may well find that using this will mean that you find what you want quickly and easily. Remember, what you want will be out there.

If there is a specific topic you would like me to mention here, please email [email protected]

Women’s World: The history of the hot air balloon

by Lesley Warmer

As I enjoyed my recent experience so much I decided to find out how the hot air balloon was born.

Hints of the hot air balloon appear in many cultures. A fourteenth-century monk’s manuscript from England speaks of goatskins flying in the air when placed near steam from soup. As far back as the Egyptians, there have been recorded experiments on the subject of hot air rising. However, the creation of this beautiful flying machine took an age of invention and two very competitive Frenchmen.

The birth of the air balloon came in the year 1782, with a discovery of two brothers Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier.

The Montgolfiers were a big family, to say the least - but two of the sixteen children really stood out: Joseph, born in August 1740 and Etienne, five years his junior. Neither showed any great enthusiasm for the family paper manufacturing trade, with their father, Pierre, still firmly holding the reins of the factory at Viladon-les-Annonay, south of Lyon. The aging could be forgiven for believing that his two boys had their heads in the clouds...

Joseph, watching the sky, concluded that he could very easily make a cloud himself: so he got some paper from the factory, made an envelope, filled it with steam - and saw his idea collapse in a mass of sodden paper. Etienne wasn’t about to be left out: it was probably his scientific reading that gave him the idea of making a bag float in the air with gas obtained from sulfuric acid and iron filings. Another failure. But then in November 1782, working inside they made the discovery that hot air was lighter than cold air. Joseph managed to get a taffeta envelope filled with hot air to rise to the ceiling. He summoned his brother: “Get in a stock of taffeta and rope and you’ll see one of the most astonishing sights in the whole world!” It was time for serious scientific experiments to begin.

This led to the making of a small silk balloon, which they subsequently elevated thirty-two meters in the air. Upon discovering that the hotter the air, the more a balloon rose, the two decided to give a public demonstration of their work in their home town of Annonay, France. They created a globe of 900 cubic meters of cotton spread of a cardboard fitting. Then they rigged up a boat of burning straw under the balloon to fill it with hot air. When it was hot enough, they cut the string attaching the balloon to the ground. It rose ten thousand meters into the air, before descending and exploding. News of their discovery was sent to the Science Academy of France.

The brother’s made a promise to their father never to fly their machine. So the privilege of trying out the balloon went to a duck, a sheep and a chicken. After eight minutes of flying, witnessed by the entire Science Academy and Louis XVI himself, the animals were still alive.

Louis XVI was quite skeptical about the success of a flying mission, but he nonetheless allowed Pilatre Rosier, a native of Lourdes, to attempt a flight with a passenger. Their flight over Paris lasted 28 minutes, during which both men fed a fire placed in the middle of their partitioned basket.

This discovery won the brothers nobility, and a legacy of flying balloons. A competition rose up between Pilatre and the brothers as to who could fly the highest. Balloons became bigger. There was a recorded twelve cats sent into the air over Paris at one point for a hydrogen-fueled balloon experiment. The idea of crossing the English Channel, an inevitable goal, rose up as the ultimate challenge. A man named Blanchard flew from England to France and completed the challenge from the English side. The challenge of the longer route, from France to England, still remained. In 1785, Pilatre attempted this flight and died, his balloon burning under him into the Channel. The reason for his flammable end was a small bag of hydrogen that he attached to his basket, near the flames for the larger hot air balloon. This event marked a downfall of popularity for the hot air balloon, and an increase in popularity, ironically, in hydrogen.

For almost two centuries hot-air balloons were virtually ignored until the late 1950’s when a balloon was built as part of a United States Government research program. This balloon was of man-made fibers and was filled with air heated by a propane flame. The modern hot-air balloon was born.

The difference between now and then is a more durable canvas balloon material, new lightening materials and the propane burner, an easily controllable source of heat. It is now truly efficient way of travel, for the unhurried and curious of today.

Wine snobbery uncorked

by Ranjith Chandrasiri

Not long ago, one of the first things they taught you at wine school was that, if you wanted to evaluate the quality of the wine in front of you, first of all you must check its provenance. In other words, before making a judgment on the condition of the wine, you needed to examine where it had come from. Wine was an intimidating, jargon-riddled subject studied by appellation-control freaks, who seemed to enjoy talking about the stuff more than actually drinking it. Make no mistake; fermented grape juice has come a long way since then.

Until relatively recently, entry into “Club du Vin” required a geological qualification to get past the “terroir” (soil) police who were monitoring the door and the elite club was off limits for New World lads. To put it bluntly, wine was elitist, snobbish and over-complicated.

Today, that situation no longer exists. Who would have thought that we would see wine being sold for as little as 200 baht in supermarkets or Gallo - purveyors of cheap California blush would end up selling Chardonnay for more than hundred dollars a bottle? Who would have expected tiny, obscure Pomerol properties would sell their wines for thousands of dollars or we would see a $100 Californian wine with a screw cap rather than a cork?

Yes, the wine world is a different planet today. Who would have predicted, even 10 years ago, that the Australian wine export industry would be increased in value by a staggering 8000 percent since 1985 and would be on the verge of overtaking France as Britain’s No 1 wine supplier?

You can now ask for a glass of wine in a pub and be fairly sure it won’t require a soda-squirt life-saver. You can now pick up a decent bottle of wine from places like Chile and Argentina, which were unheard of in the past and people won’t laugh at you if you lay down a cellar of New World wines.

Today, it doesn’t matter who you are, what you earn or what you know; the door is now wide open for all and there is no dress code or request for references. You can know zilch about wine, but still be able to choose a good bottle off the shelves of a supermarket. You can be earning a baht salary, but be able to buy something that tastes good. You can be in the middle of nowhere, but still find a bottle of Chardonnay. The wine snobs haven’t all gone away, but the new democracy of the bottle shop has left them an increasingly irrelevant and powerless bunch.

I am excited about the wine world today. Thanks to new technology and better managed vineyards, the overall standard of wine we drink today is much higher than the stuff drunk two decades ago.

But part of me is becoming a bit disillusioned. I have to say that the prospects are not as enticing as they ought to be. There is an increase in the number of very poor wines made and a depressing trend towards marketing-led wines of the New as well as the Old World. Producers seem to be spending more time in “brand-storming” meetings coming up with daft names and silly packaging than improving the quality of the products.

While on the subject of brands, too many once-reliable names have begun slipping off the “value-for-money” rails, pushing brand loyalty to its limits with over-priced, over-stretched wines. Too often it’s a case of “great packaging, shame about the contents”.

On the outside, you get the sexy, slim, tall bottle with a designer, minimalist label and on the inside, you find inky dark colour (in the red corner, that is), super-concentrated fruit, velvety soft tannins - too good to be real and, of course, the obligatory dose of sweet oak.

At the same time as they’ve been perfecting the international critic-pleasing styles of premium wine, producers particularly in the New World have cynically been creating new levels of premium-ness to satisfy their thirst for higher margins. I haven’t still been able to figure out the difference between a super-premium and an ultra-premium wine.

Increasingly, the portfolio of blue chip wines is becoming beyond the reach of most. Unless the First Growth producers release the wine version of those miniature selec tions, the taste of Mouton, Lafite, Latour and the like will remain a sensory experience reserved for rich bankers.

With the exciting notion of using wine as an investment medium, most of the fine wines languish in cellars around the world usually with little prospect of being opened. It is an interesting point to debate whether wine should be appreciated as a drink or as an investment asset.

Finally, my disappointment about the way wine is treated by the taxman in Thailand. There is no snobbery about enjoying a glass of wine. It is the most fascinating, life-affirming, soul warming drink in the whole world. I share the unrelenting frustration of all the wine lovers in Thailand, on the issue of exorbitant tax on the humble bottle of wine. Unfortunate consequence of this ridiculous levy is that this country has become the dumping ground for cheap, very poor quality wine for which we are obliged to pay 400% more than the rest of the world.

Ranjith Chandrasiri is the resident manager, Royal Cliff Grand, Royal Cliff Beach Resort, Pattaya, Thailand, email [email protected] or [email protected]