Another U.S. Congress team hits Taiwan with China tensions simmering
Good morning boys and girls, and all. We have reached the ides of August, Day 879 under 'Emergency Decree Rule' so keep masks handy.
It has not been a fun weekend for most.
A small crew of Ingenious Digital Repair in Nong Bon has made the Big Iron of the Daily Fishwrap as good as new. Or better.
Right now in attractive early-morning East Nong Ban, it is 28 Canadian degrees with a slight breeze that causes a wind-chill of 26.5 degrees - 79 in Fahrenheit. Many commuters are jacketed. Several cardigans have been seen. This afternoon, it will rain.
What an amazingly stupid time this is.
 -- Jonah Goldberg
Prison amnesty gifts pass 100,000
Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn signed amnesty decrees on the weekend that will free or reduce the sentences of more than 100,000 prison inmates, nationwide.
 The decree marks birthdays of both the king (July 28) and Queen Mother Sirikit, who turned 90 last Friday.
 Releases and sentence-reductions have become normal "gifts to criminal prisoners" in recent years, a campaign to try to "help inmates reintegrate into society as good citizens."
 INVITED to the Wat Phra Kaeo (Grand Palace) ceremony of the royal family to mark the Queen Mother's birthday: Three of her four children, but not her first (a daughter).
 NOTABLE: No jailed 'big shots' were among the beneficiaries. Also, none of the country's fast growing list of political prisoners was on the list.
PHOTO: Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun (right) presided over a royal-family ceremony at Bangkok's Grand Palace to commemorate the 90th birthday of the Queen Mother (formerly Queen) Sirikit.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2367518/
The Other Amnesty
The exact number of political prisoners in Thailand has grown too fast and too high for a reliable count. Also the number of 'dissidents' that the junta has abducted and killed.
But Amnesty International (Thailand) has now called on the junta and on public opinion for the release of dozens of 'activists' who are currently locked up and "waiting for trial".
AI presented a petition with 4,701 confirmed signatures, to the junta's token 'minister of justice' and political powerhouse Somsak Thepsuthin.
The 'top of the list' political prisoners currently face charges of offending the monarchy (lese majeste), or threatening national security or public order. Or both. All or almost all political prisoners also face simultaneous Computer Crime Act violations on exactly the same charges. And 'illegal assembly'.
AI Thailand's reply is that all citizens (including two current, 64-day hunger strikers, now in hospital) have the constitutional right to free expression, free assembly and the right to be granted bail.
PHOTO: Amnesty International members and supporters gather in front of the ruling junta's ministry of justice.
https://www.thaipbsworld.com/amnesty-international-calls-for-release-of-all-activists-held-on-remand/
IRAN FATWA SALMAN RUSHDIE ATTACK
Salman Rushdie in 'perilous' condition. His attacker pleads not guilty.
The increasingly useless F.B.I. and The New York Times are in total agreement that it is a huge mystery why this guy attacked Salman Rushdie. We may never know why, right? We may never know what might have motivated the attack.
It will take the combined efforts of Sherlock Holmes, Philip Marlowe, Hercule Poirot, Columbo, Sam Spade, Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and the Scooby Doo gang to unravel this vexing crime mystery. And proably Sereepisuth Temeeyaves.
The attacker, Hadi Matar, is an observant Shi'ite, of Indian origin.
Rushdie's agent said Sunday night that was already off the ventilator and 'road to recovery has begun'.
https://bityl.co/Dor5
Entirely unrelated:
 Iranian media outlets praise Salman Rushdie stabbing.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/iranian-media-outlets-praise-salman-rushdie-stabbing
GUNS AUSTRALIA U.S.A.
Gunman detained after firing shots in Canberra airport
https://bityl.co/DorK
Man dies after crashing car, firing gun near US Capitol
https://bityl.co/DorC
Chicago: 54 People Shot Over Weekend
Lengthy Roundup and background:
https://cnsnews.com/article/national/lucy-collins/chicago-54-people-shot-over-weekend-new-policy-stifles-cops-ability
MOVIE RESCUE FLOOD
This Thai reporter who covered the entire story of the cave rescue for Channel News Asia says Ron Howard's new movie "fills in the blanks" of some missing information.
Personal review at:
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/thai-cave-rescue-thirteen-lives-movie-12-boys-football-coach-2876161
And still on the subject of northern Chiang Rai province, site of those caves...
The Sai River, which marks the Burma-Thailand border, overflowed wildly on the weekend and this was the sight on Sunday at the traveller-friendly Mae Sai district town.
Excellent coverage at
https://www.matichon.co.th/region/news_3504945
Perfect storm?
The rainstorms inundating northern Thailand are caused by Tropical Storm Mulan.
U.S.A. TAIWAN WEST
U.S. Congress team hits Taiwan with China tensions simmering
Soon to be known as the American Gang of Four
TAIPEI: The U.S. congressional delegation arrived in Taiwan on Sunday for a two-day visit. Members will meet President Tsai Ing-wen. It is the second high-level group to come, after a visit by Nan Pelosi and her son, who is closely connected to China.
The de facto U.S. embassy in Taipei said the delegation is being led by Senator Ed Markey, accompanied by four other lawmakers.
Tsai's office seemed happier than a pig in [four-letter word redacted]. Said a statement:
 Especially at a time when China is raising tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the region with military exercises, Markey leading a delegation to visit Taiwan once again demonstrates the United States Congress' firm support for Taiwan.
 The group flew in on a U.S. air force jet transport.
After meeting Tsai, the Americans went to a banquet hosted by Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, the ministry added.
And said Wu:
"The two sides will extensively exchange views on issues such as Taiwan-US security and trade relations."
Here they are:
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/us-congressional-delegation-visit-taiwan-aug-14-2879926
THAILAND CHINA WAR GAMES
After a three-year Time-Out for Wuflu, the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) and the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) will hold a new, 10-day 'Operation Falcon Strike', beginning next week at Udon Thani aka Udorn air base.
Falcon Strike 2022 will stretch from August 10-24.
China hs confirmed it won't be bringing down any SU-27s. In return, Thailand has agreed not to fly F-16s - only Gripens and Alphajets.
ASEAN CHINA
Vietnam considers US$58.7 billion high-speed railway
The Southeast Asian country's transport ministry will next month submit a proposal to build the 1,545km railway to the Politburo, the powerful decision-making body of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam, the government said in a news release.
The first two sections with combined length of 665km and total investment of US$24.72 billion would be open to traffic by 2032, the government said, adding that the entire project would be completed by 2045 to 2050.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/vietnam-considers-us587-billion-high-speed-railway-2879536
GOODBYE HONGKONG
Bloomberg reports
Searches for flights out of Hong Kong are up 290%.
The Number One desired destination: Bangkok.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2365843/
RETURN OF THE CHINESE. SORT OF.
We're Number FOUR! We're Number FOUR!
Chinese return
Thailand is among the five most favourite destinations for Chinese travellers as the easing of pandemic restrictions sees more Chinese taking trips outside of the country.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2367618/chinese-rate-thailand-no-4-as-tourists-return
Thailand is among the five most favourite destinations for Chinese travellers as the easing of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions sees more Chinese taking trips outside of the country, according to government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana.
The ranking was reported by the Global Times, a tabloid controlled by the Chinese Communist Party's flagship newspaper, the People's Daily.
Before the pandemic, more than 10 million tourists from China travelled to Thailand annually.
Last month, international arrivals via all modes of transportation stood at 1.05 million.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2367618/
You're going to need a lot more chairs. But for today, this is enough for foreign and local tourists taking a day off at Jomtien Beach, Pattaya.
Since he is bred-and-born Thai, Thanakorn refused to say what places ranked higher than Thailand, such as Japan, Canada, Taiwan, Australia, etc.
Related
MEDICAL EXPERTS SCIENTISTS
At this point, isn't it crystal clear that the science is settled?
 Doctors from USC, UCLA say mask mandates for Covid-19 not effective, as debate goes on.
https://www.ocregister.com/2022/08/13/doctors-from-usc-ucla-say-mask-mandates-for-covid-19-not-effective-as-mask-debate-goes-on/
Those Chinese sure know how to hurt the enemy America. Five communist-owned companies are going to stop listing their firms on the New York Stock Exchange. That'll show 'em.
 They will keep their listings in Hong Kong.
Set to delist: Oil giant Sinopec (600028.SS) and China Life Insurance (601628.SS), Aluminium Corporation of China (Chalco) (601600.SS), PetroChina (601857.SS) and a separate Sinopec entity, Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Co (600688.SS).
Possibly related and maybe a total coincidence:
In May, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) flagged those five companies and many others as failing to meet U.S. auditing standards.
https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/several-chinese-state-owned-companies-delist-nyse-2022-08-12/
Think Of The Children!
Shops still sell weed openly: governor
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt says more than 30 shops and stalls have been selling cannabis, some openly, in the Thong Lor and Khao San night entertainment venues.
LEGAL STATUS: Cannabis is now listed as a controlled herb under the Traditional Medicine Wisdom Protection and Promotion Act.
PHOTO: A shop on Khaosan Road. Prices are per one gramme.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2367930/
Unbelievably wealthy weed legalisation supporter junta supporter and token 'health minister' Anutin Charnvirakul said:
 "Selling cannabis flowers requires a permit and it is impossible for us to grant permits for smoking".
CORONAVIRUS THAILAND
Covid cases are likely to increase or decrease. Trust the science.
One day after Thailand's leading "medical experts" and "scientists" announced that 'everyone in Thailand will have Covid' before New Year's Eve...
Medical experts and scientists assured the country that the current "sixth wave" of Rona will settle and then stop within 60 days of today.
Both of the above tea-leaf readings were made by Doctor Yong Poovorawan, chief of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, the expert wrote:
 From July 31 to August 6, there were 33,679 new Covid-19 cases daily on average, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).
 However, that number should drop from the middle of October.
And for God's Sake Don't Panic because
 No matter how many anti-Covid inoculations that people had and regardless of the types of vaccine, people are not immune to contracting the virus. But the vaccine can reduce the severity of the disease.
Good to know.
And the token junta chief Prayut on Saturday ordered law enforcement agencies to act swiftly against those who produce and peddle fake ATK test kits, because there are so many on sale. Including via internet pitchmen.
Also, the Ministry of Public Health warned the public not to purchase antiviral drugs without a prescription after police raided a house and seized 80,000 illegally imported tablets worth about 10 million baht being sold online.
CORONAVIRUS U.S.A.
The still useless CDC says forget all that stuff we told you about COVID; we give up. (Ars Technica)
Thanks guys. Masks, social distancing, etc. Rubbish.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/08/cdc-eases-covid-quarantine-distancing-advice-in-case-you-still-follow-those/
SPORTS U.S.A. BILL RUSSELL BASKETBALL
Bill Russell and the Forgotten American Dream Team
Remembering the first American pros to crush the communists on their own turf.
https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2022/08/bill-russell-and-forgotten-american-dream-team-lloyd-billingsley/
U.S. leftists supported the Communist Party doctrine that blacks were not Americans.
Muslims oppose statue of goddess Guan Yin
'It's a Gateway to China Takeover'
The large Muslim majority in the South of Thailand has formally opposed a fast-developing plan to erect a tall statue of the Chinese goddess Guan Yin on a hill overlooking the Gulf of Thailand.
The multi-billion international firm TPI Polene Power has bought and clear-cut a hilltop in Songkhla province for the icon.
A large protest in the province declared that the Guan Yin plan was the first phase of a project to build a new industrial zone and invite Chinese-only investors.
Naturally, anti-Muslim groups are presenting the issue as proof of Islamic intolerance.
PHOTO: Muslims met in Songkhla last Friday to protest plans for the statue of the goddess.
PHOTO (below) Architect's drawing of the proposed goddess statue at a Songkhla province beach.
https://prachatai.com/english/node/9958
THAILAND POLITICS
Top 3 junta generals 'will quit' - but not yet
The latest news from the sanctums of loyal junta members: The Three P's intend to get out together.
 The Three P's are Prayut, Prawit and Anupong, whose nickname is Pok, which starts with P. Each of them, in turn, was a four-star army general and national commander of the Royal Thai Army.
 Anupong, who is the 'minister of interior' in the current ruling junta setup, let the cat out of the bag last Thursday, at a birthday party for the (now) 77-year-old Prawit Wongsuwon. Prawit is considered the author and shepherd of the May 22, 2014 coup d'etat that brought down Thailand's last elected government, headed by ex-premier Yingluck Shinawatra, now in Dubai.
 At that party, a reporter asked Pok-Anupong if Prawit was capable of replacing Prayut as the country's token 'prime minister'. Here's what he said, verbatim:
 “Uh, uh. I don't think so. No, definitely not, honestly. Those two {Prayut and Prawit} will almost certainly leave office together. I have no interest in contesting the next general election" [early next year].
 Prawit has not been particularly healthy for at least three years, and holds the honorary junta token title of 'deputy prime minister'.
PHOTO: From left, ex-army generals Prawit, Prayut, Anupong, now known as The Three P's.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2366721/
Closely Related Oped
Good leaders always know when to quit
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2367668/
Which raises the obvious question: Are any of these guys 'good leaders'?
THAILAND ECONOMY BUSINESS PETROLEUM SPILL
Come next month, the Thailand Board of Investment will sponsor a webinar entitled 'Long-term Resident Visa' - a never-ending topic.
The meeting will be aboard the Chinese sexting software Zoom, at 10 a.m. Thailand time on August 19 - Friday in Thailand, Thursday evening in North America.
Free registration via QR code, here:
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2364026/
The privately owned Star Petroleum Refining PLC says it has paid 'most' of a compensation claim for two oil spills in Rayong province earlier this year.
"SPRC has made substantial progress and compensated about 90% of eligible claimants with payments of more than 299 million baht to more than 10,300 individuals and businesses," the firm said in a weekend statement.
Breaks in a Star pipeline last January 25 and February 10 poured more than 52,000 litres of oil along the Gulf of Thailand periphery.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2366776/
CORONAVIRUS KOREA
North Korea's most-likely next dictator Kim Yo Jong explains what's actually going on. Canadians are on the case and dare not contradict.
South Korea developed and then spread the Covid-19 virus.
They spread it by propaganda balloon, which made her patriotic brother Jong-un ill, with a high temperature.
Kim Jong-un had a high fever, but worked every day, "thinking about the people he had to take care of."
South Korea will suffer 'deadly retaliation' for this evil.
The entire coronavirus pandemic is an "hysteric farce caused by South Korea"
The extremely brief outbreak of Covid-19 which killed 78 people in North Korea has been competely defeated and ended.
The DPRK is considering the proper response for South Korea's Covid-19 attack but be advised: "It will be dealy retaliatory".
North Korea has completely destroyed Covid-19 - an 'amazing miracle'.
But the task at hand is "to eradicate not only the virus but also all treacherous [South Korean] government authorities".
It is possible that the obviously unsated politburo member Kim Yo Jong, 34 and seemingly in need of one night of romp, will not be as nice as her brother and terrorist father.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/north-korea-kim-covid-19-1.6548032
Remember that time the U.S.A. finally arrested the guy who led and conducted "the worst intelligence disaster in U.S. history"? And he was an F.B.I. agent?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hanssen
Abolish the FBI
The real force is the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Few in either the executive or legislative branches of the federal government, and few even in state and local law-enforcement agencies as well as those occupying state political offices, are inclined to do anything to incur the bureau's wrath.
https://compactmag.com/article/abolish-the-fbi
or
Don't Eliminate the FBI, Eliminate the U.S. Department of Justice
https://www.frontpagemag.com/point/2022/08/dont-eliminate-fbi-eliminate-doj-daniel-greenfield/
 Ex-Twitter Manager Convicted of Being Secret Agent for Saudi Arabia and Leaking Private User Information.
It's as if Twitter is a garbage platform run by garbage people
https://reason.com/volokh/2022/08/11/ex-twitter-manager-convicted-of-being-secret-agent-for-saudi-arabia-leaking-private-user-information/
Did you know?
In July 2016, Oroplata Resources hired Paul Pelosi, Jr. as an adviser, "to play an integral role in promoting Oroplata Resources as a potential supplier of environmentally friendly and economically viable lithium. Oroplata has addresses under a shell name in Quebec province, Nevada state and the name of a law firm in Los Angeles
https://www.insidertracking.com/paul-pelosi-jr-enlisted-to-promote-domestic-energy-source-lithium-by-oroplata-resources
SPORTS SOCCER ENGLAND
 Manchester City, Arsenal maintain perfect Premier League start MANCHESTER (UNITED KINGDOM) - Manchester City stormed ominously to the top of the Premier League by cruising to a 4-0 win over Bournemouth, while Gabriel Jesus opened his Arsenal account in a 4-2 win over Leicester on Saturday.
Man City blanked Bournemouth 4-0, while Arsenal pummelled Leicester 4-2.
Manchester United were labelled 'a joke' after being 'bullied' by Brentford in Saturday's 4-0 defeat.
Steven Gerrard won the first managerial clash between him and former England teammate Frank Lampard as Aston Villa beat Everton 2-1 in their opener.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/sports/2367890/man-city-arsenal-maintain-perfect-premier-league-start
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT
Top Gun: Maverick has just edged out Titanic to become the seventh highest domestic grossing movie of all time. Yeah yeah, note, this is in non-inflation adjusted dollars.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/top-gun-maverick-beats-iconic-021501963.html
TECHNOLOGY
To Google, this isn't even lunch money.
Australia fines Google $40 million over location tracking on Android.
https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/08/12/australia-fines-google-40-million-over-location-tracking-on-android
If you are at all interested, the complete search-amd-seizure warrant and property receipt for the raid on Trump's Mar-a-Lago property is here:
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/paula-bolyard/2022/08/12/breaking-search-warrant-and-property-receipt-from-mar-a-lago-raid-released-n1620615
There is a thread, of length. LOL is encouraged.
