Yeah, unless she can finish over the summer somehow? I think a winter start in your freshman year would be incredibly difficult. It was tough for me when I transferred mid-year and I wasn't 17 and just out of high school then.

Her friends (who are, in her words, "not people I would be friends with if we hadn't grown up together") are shunning her for daring to be smart and leave school early. I hates her friends, yes I do.

Whichever way she decides to go, I'm glad she's got you for support. Every so often I remember an incident when I was 8 or 9 when one of my friends (very like your cousin's friends, we just happened to have grown up together) complained because I used too many "big words". My Aunt Marlene happened to be over and when I told her the story she told me to go ahead and keep using the big words, and if my friend didn't know the meaning, she could just ask me. I keep meaning to write her a Thank You card or something for that. I often think that I might not have been strong enough to Be Smart yet myself back then, but a little encouragement went a long way. I haven't seen that girl in decades, but me and my vocab are thisclose.

Christ on a crutch, Epic. Fingers crossed.

Change Thai to US and you get five times as many hits off that search.

This.

Now I bet they're not exploiting elephants over there either.

You know, I've tried to answer this politely for the past half hour, but I don't think I can. It's just going to be an argument.

Suffice it I respect the fact that you are electing to spend your money only in ways that you feel confident will not in any way support causes or behaviours of which you disapporove. Good for you. And I respect your right to disapprove of Thailand, or boycott it, or whatever.

Oh gosh, fay. I'm so sorry. My post about how I found it on the internet was supposed to be my way of saying I'm sorry I said that without actually doing the research myself. That I sometimes believe stuff because I read it on the internet only to be corrected later by more well informed people such as yourself. Since I was wrong about the extent to which the government condones child prostitution I assumed I was probably wrong about the elephant exploitation as well. I shall now attemp the difficult process of removing my foot from my mouth. I only hope I can keep it in my shoe where it belongs.

Generally, the best way to apologize (and have it be accepted as such) is to simply say you are sorry. And mean it.

I was trying to apologize and be funny at the same time. I guess I should cancel that comedy tour.

Well, just make sure it doesn't overlap with your apology tour.

We all slip in the guac from time to time, Laga. It's clear that your apology is heartfelt (to me, at least).

FWIW, Laga, I understood that your comment was meant to be an admission of relying on questionable internet research and that you were poking fun of yourself.

As did I.