CHIANG MAI BACK IN WORLD'S TOP TEN HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS

https://www.tatnews.org/2021/09/worlds-best-awards-2021-names-bangkok-and-chiang-mai-among-the-globes-top-10-destinations/‘World’s Best Awards 2021’ names Bangkok and Chiang Mai among the globe’s top 10 destinationsBangkok, 13 September, 2021 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to report that Thailand has performed well in the ‘World’s Best Awards 2021’ survey by Travel + Leisure, with destinations and hotels being...

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THE NEED FOR FURTHER REFORM OF THE NHS

Many of us remember the restructuring that created a new body, NHS England, to run the health service, set up new regulators, to replace primary care trusts with clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) led by GPS, to organise local services, and which handed responsibility for citizens' healthy lifestyles  over to the town halls. Then in 2015, health visitors moved into local government as well, to complete the transfer of public...

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BORIS, THE WACAMOLE POLITICIAN

Boris is a wacamole politician. No strategy, all expediency and tactics."There, that'll sort you out once and for all. Now don't come back and annoy us again.""Next please!". The same collectivist policies are being applied across democracies worldwide. It is not just "Bunter", as people here like to call him, it's everywhere. The problem is somewhere halfway between democracy and Liberal internationalism, with the...

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WOULD YOUR HARD-EARNED FARE BETTER IN PROPERTY OR STOCKS?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/investing/buy-to-let/buy-to-let-property-vs-stocks-shares-best-invest-50k/?li_source=LI&li_medium=liftigniter-rhrInvest in property or shares?Buy-to-let property vs stocks and shares: where is best to invest £50k?Would your cash fare better in the property or stock market?By Rachel Mortimer 8 September 2021 • 6:00amilloIn the not-too-distant past, regulatory red tape and punishing tax changes sounded the death knell for the buy-to-let market as landlords sold up and left.But the sector has enjoyed an unexpected recent...

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HOW TO INVEST WHEN YOU’VE RETIRED

How to Invest When You’ve RetiredSome advice from a friendRetirement is a dangerous time. Much of your income is completely out of your control, determined by the state (your statutory pension), or by the contractual terms of your private pension. If things go very wrong because of huge unexpected expense such as medical, family crisis (you need to support a son or daughter), or a financial disaster, you’re very unlikely to be able to rebuild lost capital.You have to plan your situation carefully when you retire, maximizing income, minimizing risk...

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POLITICAL BELIEFS

There is an alternative to all this profligacy and waste and collectivisation (the nanny state).We can see, instead, a small state but a strong and united kingdom, strong both at home on law and order and abroad on defence. A state that outsources needed public services, regulating with a light touch a market economy tipped in favour of the individual and small company.A low-tax laissez-faire economy.A state that believes in entrepreneurship, deregulation, favours "negative" freedom more than human rights,  interests of native-born...

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HOW TO STAY IN POWER FOREVER

Normally friendly, funny, relaxed, Johnson is overwhelmed with problems of state and hearth and has taken to expeditiously stamping each dossier, "there, solved forever, next case please".He surely isn't looking to be re-elected with that face ...but perhaps this clever and unpredictable man has more tricks up his sleave....One thing Johnson could do to fill his unpopularity gap and assure eternal power, is to recruit a network of...

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HOW TO DEAL WITH VACCINE REFUSENIKS

Those that do not wish to be vaccinated should be tested. Every day? Every three days? Needs more consideration.Those that do not want to be tested? Ok too. They cannot come into work, so their contract of employment should be suspended (no need to sack 'em) and they can stay at home without pay.&nb...

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NOTES ON THE WITHAWAL AGREEMENT

Parliament was held to ransom by the Remainers, aided and abetted by Speaker Bercow,  when they passed the Benn law that prohibited leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.The only way to get the EU to agree to a withdrawal agreement was to include the NI protocol dreamed up by Mrs May.Only now that we have left the EU, and as a sovereign country, are we able to negotiate changes to the WA or revert to WTO rules.At that time Boris did not have an 80 majority in Parliament. And once the WA was signed we were bound by international...

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PROBLEMS WITH DEMOCRACY

Once upon a time, there was one culture and our homogenous society represented by two parties, each offering a clear take on more-or-less agreed problems. These days, society isn't so much divided as split into many many little groupuscules. And politicians have to appeal to all this heterogeneity and assemble them all into one voice. It's impossible! You can't expect a first-past-the-post, meant for two parties,...

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PROPERTY OWNERSHIP IN ASIA : CHINA

China is not a normal market economy. There is no private ownership of land in China. Land is owned by the government or by the collectives. Hence, when someone purchases an apartment in China, they are only purchasing a share of the building, not a share of the land. More to the point, they do not own the apartment - they are only purchasing a lease on the property, usually for 70 years, although shorter terms are possible.  ...

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