HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Family Money

Snap Shots

Modern Medicine

Women's World

Heart to Heart with Hillary

Grapevine

Antiques, are they genuine?

Animal Crackers

The computer doctor

Social Commentary by Khai Khem

Roll over Rover

A Slice of Thai History

The Message In The Moon

Family Money: CGT can affect returning Brits

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

Historically, the vast majority of those who achieved non-resident status for UK tax purposes could effectively forget capital gains tax (CGT). But this all changed on 17th March, 1998 when Chancellor Brown announced tax changes in his Budget. From that date every returning British expatriate has needed to consider his or her position very much more carefully.

For any who have been absent from the UK for less than five years, the changes to CGT rules could give rise to some unpleasant surprises. Before returning to the UK there are many aspects of CGT that will need to be considered, but principal amongst these are:

How long you lived in the UK before leaving

The date you left

The date you plan to return

The date the asset was bought

The date the asset was sold.

If you had resided in the UK for only a brief period before taking up your present overseas assignment, you may be entitled to some relief from the new CGT rules. But if you lived in the UK for many years before moving abroad, the 1998 Budget introduced a whole new raft of legislation with which you now need to be concerned.

If your absence from the UK is expected to be for a period of less than five complete tax years, then you will have to begin planning for your homecoming much earlier than you might have thought. Those falling into this category who left the UK prior to 17th March, 1998 will find themselves in the situation where exemption from CGT will come to an end on 6th April preceding the date on which they return. As a result, a review of profitable assets will be needed well in advance.

For those who left the UK after 17th March, 1998 the position is even worse, as any assets held on departure will have remained within the CGT net throughout the period spent overseas. Gains realised during your absence will be fully chargeable to tax upon your return. Even if your absence from the UK has been for a period in excess of five complete tax years, one traditional method of CGT planning is no longer available.

In addition to all of the other changes, Mr Brown’s 1998 Budget speech brought to an end the much loved ‘bed & breakfast’ transactions. Consequently, if you wish to retain your present investment portfolio and yet avoid liability on accumulated profits, it is now necessary to allow a period of 30 days to elapse between the sale and purchase and this can represent an element of risk that, for some, is rather uncomfortable.

If, however, your return to the UK prompts a rather different approach to investment, (that is the need to produce income rather than growth), then the disposal of the former portfolio prior to your return will avoid any CGT worries.

Even in these circumstances, it might be sensible to take a rather more detailed look at your position, because if you are holding any investments which are showing losses, then subject to normal investment considerations, it might be sensible to delay the sale of these particular investments until after you return to the UK, as by doing so you will then be able to claim relief in respect of the loss incurred.

If by this stage you are confused, then this is entirely understandable. Even those of us in the financial services profession have to stop and think through the ramifications of the fundamental changes.

For anyone holding shares in unquoted companies, you may not wish to dispose of the investment; and the concept of a sale and repurchase is often impossible. For those with property investments, the position is also difficult as it is impossible to guarantee that a sale will be completed prior to your return. Dropping the price to secure an early sale may not be the answer, as the reduced proceeds could be more costly than waiting until you can achieve your asking price and paying the tax on the profit.

In some instances, the sale of the property is not an option you would want to pursue since either the property is to be used as your home following your return, or is held as part of your long-term investment strategy. If so, then the question of CGT will have to be addressed.

For assets that are not readily realisable, it may well be worthwhile exploring the use of a trust to help improve the situation. But, once again, costs and other factors may make this impractical unless the potentially taxable profits are particularly large.

It is now very difficult to apply a general rule to CGT mitigation with one clear exception: if you are expecting to return to the UK - plan early.

Snap Shot: Night shots on three legs

by Harry Flashman

We use our cameras 99% of the time in daylight hours, but since half the day is in darkness, why lose 12 hours of fun photography? Before you put forward an answer for that, the reason is because for most of us, time exposures and all that sort of stuff sounds like being too hard and too technical. This is a shame, as you can get some very spectacular shots at night, with some very simple and easy steps to follow.

View from Stars Bar

Let’s get straight in and dispel some instant worries. Read the photography books and they will tell you about “reciprocity failure”. This is where there is a colour shift in the final picture because the colours go wonky after about 15 second time exposures. Ignore it! Taking night photos is an “unreal” situation, so if you get “unreal” colours, then so be it. It’s the effect we’re after, not faithfully recreating the original colours in the Sistine Chapel. So forget about reciprocity problems.

Exposure difficulties. Do we shoot at f 22 with a shutter speed of two weeks or is it f 2.8 at a 1/30th? Again, do not worry. You do not need any special exposure meters with graphs and such to work out what settings to use. As long as you have a camera that will hold the shutter open you can take great night shots.

Now one of the principle pieces of equipment for all night shots with long exposures is the tripod. This is one (almost) essential bit of kit for the night photographer, though, and I shouldn’t tell you this, if you haven’t got one, then it is still possible to get passable pictures without it.

Probably the most important piece of equipment, after the camera itself, is a simple torch. When you are trying to look at your watch to estimate exposure times, set the correct aperture and position the tripod correctly, you need to see what you are doing. Like the American Express card adverts - don’t leave home without it!

So let’s get down to business. How do you work out the exposure times at night? Well, unless you have a very fancy camera that will tell you the extended shutter speeds you will need at night you are going to have to rely on guesswork - or in this case - Harry Flashman.

What you have to realise first is that there are no hard and fast rules to this type of photography. It is a case of trial and error and taking lots of shots at different settings. Once you are in the ballpark, so to speak, you will get some amazingly good and noteworthy shots.

Here’s Harry’s rule of thumb for time exposures at night. If you are taking a scene with lots of neon light you will probably find the exposure will be around 1/30th at f 5.6 using 200 ASA film. This is within the range that your camera’s automatic brain can handle. Set the mode to “A” and fire away.

If you are taking a scene showing the twinkling lights of Pattaya Bay from the observation lookout or from the Stars Bar on the 23rd floor of Pattaya Hill Resort, then look at using 200 ASA film and setting your camera on f 5.6 and on “B” (for Bulb) and doing three exposures. One of 30 seconds, one at 60 seconds and one at two minutes. For a brightly lit scene in a hotel grounds, for example around the swimming pool, look at 5 seconds, 15 seconds and 30 seconds. But, if you want to be really adventurous and want to take a night shot of a deserted pier, with no additional lighting, look at using two minutes, four minutes and eight minutes!

With the very long exposures, you do need a tripod, but for shorter ones I often just hold the camera firmly on a table and go from there. Give it a go this weekend. What have you got to lose? One roll of film, that’s all!

Modern Medicine: Don’t wait up for the shrimp boats, Mother. Your son’s coming home with the crabs!

by Dr Iain Corness, Consultant

The crabs! What a wonderful name for a little louse called Pthirus pubis. However, like the larger sea crustacean from which it gets its name, it hangs on, and hangs on and hangs on!

Body lice are just that. Small “animals” that invade human beings, hanging on the to hair and causing itching of the skin as it feeds from its human host. Although we call the ones that involve the groin area “pubic” lice, and the ones on the scalp are “head” lice, they are really one and the same and can infest any hairy areas such as armpits and even eye lashes.

What happens is that you pick up a few lice from someone else’s “flock” and they settle down with you, and then lay eggs that are firmly attached to the hair shafts. The eggs hatch and within a few days you have your own private “herd” in the privates, so to speak.

Being very small, most people do not know they have picked up a little hitchhiker or two until they begin to itch. This is not caused by the little blighters feeding but is actually allergic sensitisation and will take upwards of a week to occur, by which time the herd is getting ready for the next brood of hatchlings.

By now, having read this far you are beginning to not only itch, but have started to scratch as well, haven’t you? Have you picked up a case as well? Well, you have to look very closely at the itchy area to spot them, each being a brown speck about 2 mm in diameter. That’s one! The eggs are around 1 mm in diameter and are described as opalescent and oval shaped (like a rugby ball) and are firmly attached to the hair shaft.

So how did you get this little fellow? Well, horizontal folk dancing is certainly one way to shake a few out of the trees, but it is not the only way. Do I hear a “Whew!” in the back row? Children and the elderly can also get the lice, hair to hair contact, eggs shaking loose and communal combs can all do it. Once you pick up a fertilized female louse, she can louse up your life for a few weeks.

Now, having seen that you have this condition, what can you do about it? The “classic” treatment includes Permethrins, Pyrethrins and Lindane. I know these are also used for aphids on your tomatoes, but bear with me. They generally come as a gel or a shampoo, so are easy to apply. In most cases it is a case of shampooing in, leaving for a period of time and washing off again. A fine tooth comb gets the eggs off the hair and you’re fine. And then one week later it returns! Like a phoenix from the ashes - more of the little pests.

You see, what happens is that an odd egg has survived and hatched and you now have the second wave to contend with. This is why it is so important to repeat the treatment at around five to seven days later. You should also iron your sheets and jocks! You have been warned.

Women’s World: Machismo vs. Marianismo

by Lesley Warner

We accept our freedom in the West as our right, little realizing that there are many women still fighting for freedom today. The ladies of Chile have had a battle on their hands for many years and although Chile as a society is very proud to have been the first in Latin America to have women professional workers; this acceptance did not come easily. There were many cultural and religious stumbling blocks that had to be overcome, not the least of which were the colonial Hispanic concepts of Machismo and Marianismo.

Many people are familiar with the term “Machismo” - this is the cult of virility in which men are seen as superior. Few, however, are aware that there is a female counterpart, “Marianismo”. This is a belief in the spiritual superiority of women based on their sisterhood to the Virgin Mary. Women were expected to imitate the Virgin Mary in their daily life; a task, as you can imagine, which was none too easy! Although this philosophy is not so apparent in Chilean society today, the ideal is still there. Purity is still highly valued and women are very careful about discussing any previous sexual affairs.

The extended-family has occupied an important place in Chilean society for many years. Although couples are expected to set up their own households, they remain in close contact with the members of their larger families who have a great deal of influence on the upbringing of the children.

It wasn’t until the turn of the century that women started to enter the Chilean work force for the first time. It was still a slow process, e.g., female medical graduates were relegated to “care” jobs in social medicine such as in schools, shelters for the homeless or by struggling with the evils of alcoholism.

The 1973 coup and dictatorship actually brought a new vitality to the women’s movement in Chile. This directly resulted in opportunities being opened to women who organized and participated in groups to fight against human rights abuses. Once again war opened up opportunities for women. In the years following the coup, women basically had no choice but to organize and enter the workforce because so many men had been either fired or killed. The women’s movement flourished at the hands of the dictatorship!

Today the offices of SERNAM, the Servicio Nacional de Mujer (National Women’s Service) exist. The women who fought and protested in the streets are trying to continue the cultural changes through education and involvement in politics. They are still influencing change, but the influence is quieter. Issues such as rape, family violence, sexual harassment and a frighteningly high child abuse rate are being openly discussed.

The women’s movement is not gone, but it’s having difficulty adjusting. Politics and parties are beginning to re-emerge and men are again assuming the traditional roles. The challenge of the women in modern Chile will be to remind these men of the pivotal role they played against the abuses of the Pinochet regime and to assume the role in the political process they have so valiantly earned.

Even today abortion remains illegal in Chile. Women who wish to have an abortion must resort to illegal, often unsafe, methods and risk being jailed if they are discovered. Even so, one in three pregnancies in Chile ends in abortion.

Chile is one of the last countries in the world that has not legalized divorce. A law permits marital separation under certain conditions, but it does not terminate the conjugal bond.

Chile might not have a divorce law but as they say, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” and this is achieved through the annulment of civil marriages. Civil marriage ceremonies are the only legally valid ones and couples that have a church wedding must also marry at a civil registry. The annulment is usually done with the assistance of a lawyer who will argue that there’s been some procedural error in the civil marriage process. There is a need to obtain witnesses who will attest to the facts, whether true or false, such as asserting that the couple does not reside where they said they did when they were married. This is enough to make a case for invalidating the action of the civil registrar who performs the ceremony and draws up the papers.

Heart to Heart with Hillary

Dear Hillary,

I read in the Pattaya Mail that the local government is bringing in a rule that all the deck chairs on the beaches have to be in neat rows and the tables likewise. Are they really going to enforce such a silly rule? And how would they be able to do it? Surely people should be allowed to feel comfortable and have the chairs the way they want them. After all, we pay to rent the deckchairs on the beach, so we should be able to move them backwards if we wish. Or even sideways. What do you think, Hillary?

Beach Boy

Dear Beach Boy,

Since we have the “fun police” closing the bars at 2 a.m., so why not the “beach police” to make sure that while on the sand we stick to the straight and narrow? Personally, I agree that this is quite silly, as are many of the regulations dreamed up by governing bodies all over the world, not just our local ones. This concept of military style neat rows comes from a misdirected desire to look upmarket and sophisticated. Look at any hotel brochure and the chairs around the swimming pool are always neat and orderly, not higgledy-piggledy. However, I am sure that the Thai way of doing things will be one where a compromise will be reached. I think you will always be able to relax on your deckchair on our beaches without being swarmed upon by armies of land surveyors. As long as, of course, they are real deckchairs, and not “copy” ones! “Copy” anythings are definitely not the flavour of the month.

Dear Hillary,

The Grapevine column a couple of weeks ago described you as a “petulant agony aunt”. Are you going to take that lying down or are you going to take up the cudgels? There’s a bottle of champers in it if you reply to this letter Miss Hillary.

The Boys from Soi 8

Dear Boys from Soi 8,

Cudgels? I’m far to couth for that! I was aware of my portrayal from the young man from Grapevine and chose to ignore both he and his incorrect description of my good self. However, since you have brought it up, and there is a bottle of bubbly hanging around, I am not really petulant, though I can stamp my foot and occasionally I can get “miffed”, especially when the Boys from Soi 8 address me as “Miss” - Hillary is totally emancipated and is addressed as “Ms.”, thank you, Petals. If it had been me who was asked such an inane question about cat food I would have sent her a copy of “The Cat’s Revenge” by Claude Ball, that well known and famous writer, but undoubtedly she would not have understood it at all. The champagne is French, darlings, and Brut. Don’t worry about the chocolates. I still have some left over from New Year. Just leave it at the front office downstairs, clearly marked “For Hillary only!” You can’t trust anybody these days. Especially that editor chap.

Dear Hillary,

On Valentine’s Day I received two cards and neither of them was signed. Now I am unsure of who sent them to me. I cannot read the postmark, but they were both local. The handwriting on the envelopes was different, so they have definitely come from two different people. Have you any idea on who the senders might have been? Do you know any way I can find out?

Curious

Dear Curious,

Just what do you think I am, Petal? This is an advice column, not fortune telling. How would Hillary know who sent you the Valentine’s Day cards? You can be sure of one fact, however - neither of them came from Hillary. How gormless can you be? As far as finding out is concerned, you can always try the “By the way, thank you for the card. It was very sweet of you,” approach to the suspects. If the person looks totally blankly at you, then you just say, “The Xmas card!”

Dear Hillary,

My office girl fell asleep at work the other day. This is quite out of character for her as she is normally a very active employee. I know they say that Thais can sleep anywhere at any time, but she has never done this before. Should I question her about this, or just ignore it? I would not like to lose her through inappropriate action.

Concerned boss

Dear Concerned boss,

What a nice man you are. Can I come and work for you, instead of the slave driving editor Hillary has got? Since this is an isolated occurrence I would suggest you just “let sleeping dogs lie” to coin a phrase. However, if this begins to happen regularly in what has previously been a good employee it would be time to ask her if she has a problem that can be overcome. There could be many reasons, ranging from medical to social to a new baby in the household. Please approach this carefully and with tact. That is important when dealing with Thais. “Face” must be saved.

Grapevine

Antique, are they genuine? Bubble Glassware

by Apichart Panyadee

In most antique shops one can fine a piece of glass made of very bubbly metal, often slightly irregular in shape and purporting to be “old”. The idea that all such glass is antique is based on a vague notion that 17th or 18th century glassmakers lacked technology and skill and therefore their products would be obviously imperfect. In fact, most of the bubbled glass that appears today should be considered as 20th century until it can be proved otherwise.

A Burmese jug imitating 19th century Mount Washington glass. The shape is right but the poor color and texture are not.

It was only at the end of the 19th century that the idea of using bubbles as decoration resulted in the conscious imitation of ancient Roman glass. In the 1880s Christopher Dresser designed the “Clutha” range for Couper and Sons of Glasgow which featured deliberate imperfections, bubbles and irregular handles and rims. Following the success of Clutha, Stevens and Williams used “Caerleon”, the name of the Roman site in South Wales, for a range of bubbled and iridized vases.

By the 20th century bubble glass offered a profitable market, especially as it could be melted easily and quickly and did not require highly technical finishing skills or machinery. The cruder and simpler it looked, the easier it was to sell. Green is the predominant color achieved naturally by using low quality sand with high iron content.

In 1927 in America, the Consolidated Lamp and Glass Co. patented the Catalonian Old Spanish Glassware in a range of about 40 pieces. Mainly these were various vases, plates, salad bowls, iced tea and water sets, and sugars and creams. The range was offered in subtle colors of honey, amethyst and jade. Some are found in brilliant colors of emerald green, and Spanish rose. Characteristic features are swirling ridges and small bubbles, with larger distinct bubbles scattered at random through the glass.

By 1928 the Diamond Glass Ware Co. of Indiana produced reproductions of Spanish designs which imitated the wrinkled look of Catalonia. In September 1932 Henry Beach, a direct importer in El Paso, Texas, advertised Mexican Bubble Glassware, noting that it had all of the charm of true craftsmanship, made in Mexico by the peons in the age-old manner of their ancestors. But it was produced under the supervision of their agent.

Another El Mexicano range from the Morgantown firm was advertised in a Marshall Field catalogue f 1933 in green or frosted glass. At the same time, Bryce Bros. of Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania, introduced El Rancho pitchers, vases, salts and peppers in reddish orange or greenish blue milk glass.

Animal Crackers: Are vampires alive and well?

by Mirin MacCarthy

Indeed, in Central and South America, many thousands of miles from Dracula’s castle in Transylvania, there are bats that turn grisly legend into chilling fact. Small remote colonies in the forest still flourish. In the natural state, vampires were few and far between, feeding on monkeys, peccaries, tapirs, anteaters and the larger game birds. Now with the arrival of domestic cattle they are flourishing. Legends must occasionally be reinforced by the odd person who is bitten by a true vampire.

Count Dracula

They are tiny brown bats about 100 mm (4 in) long that feed exclusively on blood, usually of animals. There are only three different kinds of true vampire bats and fortunately they have a taste for animals, not humans. By far the most common is Desmodus which feeds mainly on the blood of mammals; Diaemus, rarer and preferring birds as prey; and finally Diphylla, a rare bat about which hardly anything is known.

These little bats were not, as is popularly supposed, the model for Dracula: it was the reverse. When European explorers first arrived in South America, they were fascinated by the blood-feeding habits of these bats and christened them ‘vampires’ after those restless souls from Transylvania who rose from their graves on dark nights. In fact, as a result, all bats have suffered from bad press and the stigma of Dracula ever since. Not only are the majority of bats harmless, but they also help us in important ways by controlling insect populations, and, in some parts of the world, by pollinating plants.

The vampire bat often spends several minutes at its chosen site, sniffing and licking before actually biting. The bat’s saliva is mildly anaesthetic so that the unsuspecting animal does not protest too much. The long fangs, the canine teeth so characteristic of the fictional Dracula, allow the bat to shave some of the hairs at the chosen spot. Then it bites, using its razor-sharp incisor teeth to make a shallow scoop in the flesh, discarding the small piece of skin it has removed. These bats only operate on the darkest nights, live in dark caves and carry potentially lethal diseases (rabido viruses and Lyssa virus. Not identical to but of the same family as rabies).

The vampire’s way of life could be called a marvel of evolutionary specialization; it has few enemies, it does not tear its living prey to pieces like many of the carnivores, such as the big cats we admire so much. Indeed, it lives with great economic efficiency, only rarely killing its hosts; and were it not for the fact that, like our own much loved dogs, it occasionally carries rabido viruses, it could justly be called relatively harmless. But the name it has inherited means that in the eyes of most this little, meticulously clean creature is doomed forever to be loathed as a supernatural devil, a winged death.

The Computer Doctor

by Richard Bunch

From Brian, Pattaya: Great column each week and wonder what your views might be on this problem. I want to store lots of pictures and files off my laptop on to an external unit. I am always conscious of a crash or bug in the system and want to be sure I have them saved in any event. There is an element of backup and upgrading to consider using the external system. I am considering a Zip File, Second Hard Drive, a CD re-writer or a DVD/CD Player Re-Writer. I use an Action Book 345T here and a PC for the short time I am home in UK during the summer. What are your thoughts for and against and a guide price?

Computer Doctor replies: Thanks for the vote of thanks. It is good to be concerned about the possibility of a crash and having recognised this then the best method needs to be adopted. Zip units are a possibility, but I find these tiresome and if you want to interchange data then a Zip drive is required at the other end of the process, often you will need to transport the Zip drive with you and install software before using the disk. A second hard disk is also a possibility but this would need to be external and once again is limited by its inter operability. By far the best solution would be an external CD writer based on USB connectivity. These are quick and convenient to use and you only need to transport the written CD with you, after all virtually every PC has a CD ROM drive. As far as price is concerned, a 250Mb Zip drive (USB) will cost about 7,500 - 8,000 baht with disks at about 500 baht against a CDRW drive, once again USB at 7,500 -10,000 baht with media at 15 – 17 baht each for 650Mb storage.

From Ken Fellows, Pattaya: I believe in defragmenting my hard disk regularly as I believe it improves the systems performance. Under windows 2000 I used Diskeeper which was a vast improvement over the generic Defrag tool included by Microsoft. However, I upgraded to Windows XP and the compatibility report indicated that this program was not compatible and must be installed prior to upgrading, this I did. The Defragmenter included with XP looks very similar to the Diskeeper that I loved; the only thing that seems to be missing is a schedule utility. I have tried to set it up in Scheduled Tasks but have failed. Can you tell me how to do this please?

Computer Doctor replies: Actually this is something that has cropped up several times before and like everything else it is easy when you know how. I personally do not like using the Scheduled Task Wizard but prefer to use this method. From Control Panel, select Scheduled Tasks, then File>New> Scheduled Task. Give it a descriptive name, then Right Click and select Properties, in the Run Box type c:\windows\system32\ defrag.exe c: (or whichever drive you want to defrag, remember only one instance of defrag can run so if you have several drives to defrag, leave sufficient time between to allow the first instance to complete) then in the Start in box type c:\windows\system32, for Run As enter a user with Administrative privileges and a password (a password is mandatory, if you don’t use one set one up through the User Accounts) then click in the schedule tab and select a date/time, once a week should be adequate in most circumstances.

Send your questions or comments to the Pattaya Mail at 370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, 20260 or fax to 038 427 596 or e-mail to pcdoctor@pattaya mail.com

The views and comments expressed within this column are not necessarily those of the writer or Pattaya Mail Publishing.

Richard Bunch is managing director of Action Computer Technologies Co., Ltd. For further information, please
tel. 0 1782 4829, fax 0 3871 6816, e-mail: [email protected] or see the firm’s website www.act.co.th

Social Commentary by Khai Khem

Kids can ruin your life!

There are many men and women who find the rearing of children to be the biggest joy and sense of accomplishment in their lives. But there are those who agree that parenthood is life-draining, wretched and difficult. “Why didn’t anyone ever tell me how shockingly demanding it was going to be?” they moan. Perhaps because society sends the underlying message that in order to be fulfilled as human beings, we must have children. And so we have children. After all, who does not want to be fulfilled as a human being? But not only are we unprepared, we are filled with illusions about the joy and wholeness we will feel.

For those couples who were both born with the ‘love being a parent’ gene, and truly enjoy sharing all that parenting involves need read no further. However, those who were sleeping when the gene was handed out are probably tired of feeling guilty, and sick of worrying. They are fed up with being blamed for al the ills in their children’s lives when they tried so hard to do their best. They love their children, but for a whole list of reasons, many are resentful. Everything changes when you have a child - physically, psychologically, financially, intellectually. You name it, it changes. It’s as though you’ve traded one life for another, and the big shock comes when you realize there is no going back!

Some parents don’t mind the losses in their lifestyle; in fact they feel they have gained so much. Others can’t believe the sacrifices they need to make to rear their children. Stay at home mothers are affected the most.

There are few relationships that can last when where a love-triad exists. One of the three is usually excluded, while the other two embrace. When a child enters the picture, it is usually the mother who attends his needs. Also understandable is the fact that many husbands feel resentful when they are left out. Some women truly love the exclusivity of the mother-child relationship and push the father away.

When the father is not invited into the circle of love between mother and child, he feels he is valued only for the financial support of the others and he may be right. As the child gets older, sometimes the father and child become the dynamic duo. Here the mother feels resentful. Indeed, you and me and baby make three. And three is definitely a crowd.

When you see couples walking together arm and arm, kissing, talking, hugging, there are no children in sight. After babies arrive, parents spend too little time together enjoying the simple pleasures they used to share. Resentment is a big separator in relationships. It starts insidiously, with the lack of sleep. And unless the resentment is dealt with satisfactorily, the cracks grow and grow.

Many women at home resent their husband’s freedom. Their pain does not allow them to see how much the increased financial responsibility burdens the men. Both feel unfulfilled and instead of consoling each other, they often blame each other. They would feel too guilty to blame the innocent child. Actually, they need to place ‘blame’ where it truly exists. The radical changes in their lives occur because of their children’s demands. They need to admit that parenting is exhausting and they need to work with their spouse to help heal whatever anger may exist, so that love can flow again.

At a very early age, children master the art of divide and conquer when it comes to their parents. So couples need to assess the home situation and ask themselves if they want to stand together, or let the child divide them. The couples who choose to stand together have a better chance for their marriages to survive. Many marriages do not survive the rearing of children! Some survive legally, but not emotionally. What a waste of two lives.

The enormous chasm created when a couple brings a child into the relationship cannot be denied. There are obviously many marriages with children that carry on happily. What is their secret? Perhaps those couples have a realistic expectation of what having children entails, and are willing for years and accept less intimacy, romance and togetherness in their marriage. These couples trust that it will be restored when the children are grown.

Also there are couples who have the “love being a parent” gene and truly enjoy sharing all that in involves. There are also couples who are so close that they become the dominant twosome, and simply don’t allow children to interfere with their intimacy and have great times together. Most of these have a nanny or minder for their child. They see themselves as a team and rarely allow their child to pit one against the other.

Then of course, there are other couples who weren’t that close to begin with. They never thrived on intimate moments and time together. Some couples have separate lives and separate interests. These couples find it easier to be child oriented and may welcome the glue that a joint endeavor provides.

Happy parents set boundaries over which their children are not permitted to cross. They demand to be treated with respect and this demand is usually met. Too many parents let their children walk all over them. A friend of mine told me that every time her teenage daughter didn’t get her way she would go into her bedroom and slam the door. What did my ingenious friend do? She removed the door from its hinges! When the door was finally replaced, you can be sure that it was never slammed again.

But what makes a GOOD parent? I have no answers for that question. I have seen children who have been dealt the worse experiences life has to offer, yet they have turned out to be wonderful human beings. I have also seen children given much love and tenderness who have turned out to be ungrateful takers living in state of constant immaturity or worse. If you have searched your soul and have decided to commit to parenthood, good luck!

Roll over Rover: Who is my dog and how does he learn?

by C. Schloemer

This question seems pretty simple. Who is your dog? Take a look. Big or small? Pup or adult? A special breed from a special country? How about your dog’s ancestors - did they do anything fancy for their keep, like hunting or livestock herding or pulling a sled? Your answers to these questions will shape how you map your way through the various ways in which a personal training program is to be approached. All dog owners have different lifestyles, schedules, and social commitments. Owners need to cover all angles. They and their canine companion make a unique pair.

Dog psychology

Some dog owners will certainly roll their eyes and say, “Great, I’ve got this nutty dog running my life that, in addition, is unique to me. Very poetic, but how can that help me train him?” Well, nutty or not, the first step in teaching your dog how to behave is to understand him. He is not human. He doesn’t think, look or feel like a human. He wasn’t born knowing a house from a hole in the ground, a rug from grass, or a stick from a table leg. He’s a dog.

The most important thing for the owner to keep in mind as he brings an older dog up to snuff or raises a puppy is that the dog thinks of the owner and the family as another dog. Aha! I know owners who say their dogs think they are human. Dogs are the quintessential product of our domestication efforts. Humans did such a good job that they do think dogs as being just like them. And that’s quite a compliment. Therefore, the first step in the training process will be for the owner to try to think and act like a dog. Don’t laugh. It can be fun.

The leadership principle

Dogs are not terribly democratic. Instead, they live in a hierarchy, in which group members are classed according to their leadership potential. The ‘leader’ acts beyond question and is respected by all. To be truly influential in a dog’s behavior, the owner must align himself with the human race, and if family members are involved, the dog must learn that ‘two-legged dogs’ rule four legged ones. No ifs, ands or buts.

The attention factor

Dogs love attention. They are motivated by it. And they don’t care whether it is negative or positive. If an action gets a reaction, they will repeat it. Imagine this scenario of a homecoming. The owner enters the house, the dog goes wild. The poor owner wants to run for cover, but the dog will follow. Pushing the dog off or hugging the dog is communicating with the dog. And that’s called attention. Therefore, owners must pay attention to the behavior they want to encourage. For example, when your dog is chewing on a bone, lying down or sitting quietly by your side, and that is what you desire, communicate positively with the dog so that it will repeat that positive behavior.

A Slice of Thai History: The Opium Trade

Part Eight 1967-2000

by Duncan Stearn

Over a period of time, the KMT broke into three distinct competing factions and between June and July 1967 their uneasy alliance came to an abrupt end.

A large caravan of opium, collected in the Shan States of northern Burma by one KMT faction and ordered, via a Chinese broker in Chiang Mai, for General Ouane Rattikone (a senior Lao commander), made its way into Laos, only to be confronted by a combined force of troops loyal to the other competing KMT factions.

The result was the battle of Ban Khwan, an engagement that also involved sections of the Royal Lao Army.

Given forewarning of likely trouble, the 20 or so families living in Ban Khwan had crossed the Mekong for refuge in Thailand.

After ignoring warnings by the Lao army to quit the country, the KMT forces were subjected to two days of bombing by aircraft from the Lao air force. Crack Lao troops were also placed in positions to cut off any and all escape routes. All told, over 150 KMT soldiers from all factions were killed in the two-day battle before the survivors surrendered. The Laotian army confiscated the opium shipment.

After a series of negotiations, the KMT forces paid an indemnity for the right to return to Thailand and on August 19, 1967, some 700 KMT troops crossed the Mekong. Allegedly, the Thai police failed to disarm the KMT troops and instead they travelled, fully armed, to Mae Salong aboard 18 chartered buses.

The villagers of Ban Khwan had moved back across the Mekong River three days after the battle.

By this time, chemists from Hong Kong had begun opening heroin laboratories in the Golden Triangle, mainly to supply No 4 grade product to the United States soldiers operating in South Vietnam.

However, heroin also became a drug of choice for many addicts in Thailand and by 1967 it was reaching epidemic proportions, not only in Bangkok but also rural areas.

In 1973, the Nixon government sent a team of 30 Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents to Bangkok with the aim of reducing the flow of heroin from the Golden Triangle into the United States.

That same year, Puttapron Khramkhruan, a Thai national, was arrested in Chicago in connection with a large quantity of opium. Puttapron was never arraigned as the CIA stepped in and quashed his case for fear of embarrassment over his activities with the agency in northern Thailand. Puttapron was a CIA informant on drug trafficking and claimed the Central Intelligence Agency had full knowledge of his activities.

The DEA agents in Bangkok, after recruiting a number of trusted Thai police into their service, soon proved effective in stemming the flow of heroin to the United States. By 1976, the amount of heroin emanating from Southeast Asia and being seized in the United States had dropped from a high of 30% to just 8%.

Mother Nature then took her toll of the opium trade when a major drought between 1978 and 1980 reduced production by over 75%.

Nevertheless, by the 1980s the incidence of heroin injection among the youth of Thailand continued to rise. By the turn of the century, synthetic drugs such as methamphetamines and ecstasy were becoming the illegal substances of choice for the increasingly upwardly mobile youth. Nonetheless, the opium poppy remains a source of important revenue for many hilltribes in the Golden Triangle.

The Message In The Moon: Sun in Cancer/Moon in Capricorn

The Inferiority Complex

by Anchalee Kaewmanee

In this combination the Sun and the Moon are in opposing signs. The Cancer personality is shy, emotional, and sympathetic. But the Capricorn inner nature is ruggedly ambitious, aloof and calculating. As with all polarized combinations, these natives will have many inner conflicts to resolve as well as much strength to develop.

It is very likely that these natives' early childhood environment was somehow strife-torn or restrictive. Looking back on their childhood, they may remember a lot of rules and regulations, and probably not a lot of love and affection. But a great inner resolve and determination helped them overcome those early obstacles, and in turn made them far more shrewd and introspective than their fellow Cancer Sun signs. They learned rapidly and took everything with utmost seriousness. Experience gave these individuals keen insights into their fellow men and women. But just as that dual combination of Cancer and Capricorn gives these people special perceptions, it also brings painful inner struggles and inhibitions.

Unlike most Cancers, this combo is not threatened by an uncertain future. Ambitious and desiring recognition, these individuals will set high, almost unreachable goals for themselves. Unfortunately that gentle Cancer personality finds it hard to meet the challenge of a tough Capricorn inner nature. This conflict can make these natives forever feel that they have something to prove, not just to the world at large, but to themselves. Such continual dissatisfaction will lead to much frustration, ending in depression and even withdrawal. In extreme cases, they will often seek escape and solace in alcohol and drugs.

Learning to appreciate themselves for who they are and acknowledge their many talents and achievements is vital to their well-being. At the same time, these people must recognize and accept their limitations. Accepting rather than denying their sensitivity will help them see it as strength and not a weakness. Self-assurance and self-love are two things the Cancer-Capricorn must really work on.

Once natives born into this Sun-Moon combination have learned to work in harmony with their inner nature, there will be little they cannot accomplish. Cancer's perception and intuition combined with Capricorn's pragmatism, organization and ambition will provide an excellent business sense. Never satisfied with superficial impressions, these people will have a somewhat unorthodox approach to life. But whatever they do, they will move forward with an eye towards change and innovation. The writer Ernest Hemingway and the astronomer Galileo were both natives of this combination, and their work demonstrates the uniqueness of the Cancer-Capricorn complex.

This Sun-Moon combo has a tendency to seek seclusion. While a certain amount of solitude may be beneficial, too much can lead to an alienation from the world, and worse, a feeling if inferiority. It is imperative that these natives try to stay sociable. That sense of humor of which they are so well endowed is remarkable. It may be attuned to the dark, wry and melancholy side of life, but it will certainly assure them popularity with friends and associates. Others are always intrigued by the Cancer-Capricorn's unconventional approach to life.

In romance, that dual nature may cause considerable problems. Some people born into this sign do not feel the need for the comfort of one lasting relationship, yet something within still desires warmth and security. Eventually it will be important that they have someone to share their life with. There is a strong need here for companionship, whether it is fully acknowledged or not. A choice of partner, who doesn't have difficulty with all those sudden mood swings, sympathetic one moment, aloof the next, will need some serious consideration. The Cancer-Capricorn must find a lover who appreciates that unique nature.