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USA TODAY:   Most adults should restrict salt intake...
Salt increases the risk of high blood pressure

Phuket Wan:   Show us the Money
Select Thai's receive a 2,000 baht stimulus package. 

That should liven up the economy for a few days.

Looking through the clouds

It was a cloudy morning (March 24). Thunder could be heard from the distant East. No rain here, but pleasantly cool.

I fired up Google Earth on my computer. I wanted to find a nearby town.
What the heck happened here?

Took me a few minutes to realize I was viewing the current weather.
Google Earth updates weather every five minutes.
So it's actually a way of seeing what's coming this way. The service also offers time-lapse views.

Ant High Season

It's that time of year, spring, when ants and termites multiply.
With the rainy weather we've been having, all colonies are looking for dry nesting areas.
It's been a daily battle for the last week and so far there seems no end to this battle.
Sat in my office late one evening and turned the overhead light on.
Within seconds the room was filled with a swarm of flying ants.
It took a full can of spray to win that battle.
Two nights later, the same thing.
I knew it was time to find the nest.
A close inspection of external walls ands I discovered the nest in a crack of the metal window frame.  More spray.
Ants and termites have a knack for finding cracks, even in cement.
The battle will continue with a calking gun today.

Another colony, larger red ants, had made their home in a crack of tile attached to the exterior of the house.
Dusted that nest with baby powder and they vacated the premisses in a hurry.

Another colony established residence under a flower pot.  A few drops of dishwater and the garden hose and that crash pad was vacated.

Ants leave a trail by which they find their way and communicate, so it's important to wash places where they have been. 

To get rid of ants permanently you have to follow them to their nest.

For severe infestations a locally available commercial product is part of my arsenal.

The stuff is highly concentrated, just a few drops per gallon of water will do the trick.

After the application has worked to eradicate the pests, I wash the area with water in order to prevent poisoning the house pets.

There's some good information at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on the subject of ants

Noisy Thai Temples & Local Sign taxes

Crazy Californians

Neighbors of Wat Mongkolratanaram, a Thai Temple in Berkley, are complaining.
Their weekly brunches are too noisy.
Neighbors want these events limited to no more than three times a year.
They also want to enforce a "amplifier city ordinance.'
Amplifiers can only be used seven times a year with special permit.
Saw this news item at the Berkley Daily Planet

... would your tax collector do that?

Local Government employees visited Graham at his watering hole. Time to pay the sign taxes.
Yes if you place a business sign on the front wall of your establishment, you gotta pay a sign tax.
It's not much of an expense if your sign is in Thai. 

Gets quite pricier if your sign is in any other language.

Someone had forgotten to collect this tax from the previous business located there (Ned's Bar).
So they just included these overdue taxes on Graham's tab.
Of course he wasn't thrilled about that. He'll gladly pay what's due from the date his business permit was issued.

The tax agents, two very sweet young Ladies, promised to "check with their supervisor."
Meanwhile, one of the ladies, took the broom from Graham's hand and helped him sweep a few dirt spots on the floor. 

Now you have you ask yourself, would your tax collector do that? Not mine !!

What is the smallest country?

"Quiz night was a success," according to Toon Army Restaurant and Bar owner Graham.
"We are going to make it a weekly event, every Wednesday evening starting at 7:30."
Up to four players per team. 

If you are a trivia junkie then you may be interested in joining in.
The smallest country in the world is  vatican city at .2 square miles, with no permanent residents. 

S-BAC Graduation Ceremony

Joey graduates. (March 21)

Even though Joey had spent weekends in school for previous two years, he only had a high school equivalent certificate.
For the past few years he had attended school with me as teaching assistant.
Based on that experience, he earned a college degree.

See the complete album here -->> 090321 S-Bac Graduation