Better than ALL the rest - dead at 82
Good morning kids. Are you enjoying your last holiday of the year, New Year's Eve 2022/2023.
There is a lot of cancellations of 'New Year's Countdowns' so Fishwrap's current recommendation:
Get Momsie and Pops to rent a boat and you all go out on the Chao Phraya at, oh, say, 11, maybe 11:30. The riverside Iconsiam mall will show the Countdown to midnight and then light off the annual giant fireworks show.
OFFICIAL NOTICE ACHTUNG
The Chief Editor and all editorial staff of Fishwrap aren't here, so don't call.
All of us are taking the rest of the year off.
BURMA MYANMAR SUU KYI
You do the math...
Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar is 77 years old.
A kangaroo court in Yangon (formerly Rangoon), owned and operated by the Tatmadaw [army] dictatorship, yesterday tried her on five [5] newly invented nonsense charges of corruption and quickly announced prison sentences totaling 33 more years.
WWHD*
Will your government announce that it might sign a stern whingeing letter of reprimand and then supervise New Year's Eve frivolity, or,
Nah, forget that, just go and oversee New Year's Eve fun?
https://tinyurl.com/mv6yzkut
*What Would Hillary Do?
So Long, It's Been Good To Know You
By The Weavers:
RIP SPORTS SOCCER BRAZIL
The most flamboyant, the most entertaining,
better than ALL the rest
The Greatest Soccer Player In The History Of Soccer
Pele dies at 82
... Considered by many to be the greatest ever footballer, Pele is the only player in history to win three World Cups, the first when he was a teenager.
https://www.dw.com/en/brazilian-football-legend-pele-dies-at-82/a-64223887
Every time you see a soccer player make a good or superb play, you can say confidently that Pele did it first.
Except dive to the turf and writhe in pretend-pain. Pele never, not once, fell down and pretended to be hurt.
Cambodia casino conflagration - Day 2
Bodies of the first twenty-seven [27] Thai victims of the Poipet casino fire arrived home yesterday.
Most of the victims died in their hotel rooms of smoke inhalation, because of the old and outdated (and cheapest) lock system controlling their doors.
No one has heard from the doddering owner of the complex, fugitive Vatana Asawahime. (Surprise!)
Most victims of the fire were felled by smoke inhalation, locked in their hotel rooms by an outdated, cheap door-lock system that should have been updated years ago.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2472214/
A strange way to address the problem: Keep it negative.
The junta's token 'minister of public health Anutin Charnvirakul says he does not expect a sudden influx of Chinese tourists.
Also he does not see any reason to prepre for testing Chinese visitors and tourists for Covid-19.
Coup-loyalist Anutin is also a junta-approved 'deputy prime minister' to Prayut --.
This "there will be no just-in-case planning" may not go well for him.
Prayut, self-designated 'prime minister' forever, did not at all agree with Anutin.
Yesterday, he instructed the Tourism and Sports Ministry to map out measures to handle the return of Chinese tourists.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2471820/
Prayut, however, came out of his corner punching and kicking like a champ.
 Yes, he said, Thailand expects a sudden wave of Chinese tourists and visitors but I have plans:
1. Every Chinese arrival will be medically screened to see if they have Covid.
 Not once, not twice... four times.
2. We're going to discuss more "special arrangements" for Chinese tourists, visitors and opportunists next week, so come back on January 5 for more.
All Thai media now are packed with news stories and analyses like these:
Lack of Info on China's Covid Outbreak Stirs Global Concerns
https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/international/2022/12/29/lack-of-info-on-chinas-covid-outbreak-stirs-global-concerns/
Casino fire update
Meanwhile, horrible news for the annual surge of Thais planning a pilgrimage to Lumbhini, site of The Buddha's birth [623 B.c.] at Lumphini in southern Nepal.
COVID CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN INDIA
Effective Immediately.
This applies to everyone headed to India.
You have two choices:
Get your RT-PcR test with a confirmed, documented Negative result
or enjoy the new iteration of Isolation At Home!
The tweet is from India's Minister of Health and Family Welfare -- so they're not messing about.
India! Why?
Amid a sudden surge in Covid-19 cases in neighbouring China... and: 2 more returnees test positive for Covid-19 in Chennai.
 That's why. Stop whining.
A little bit of help - Deccan Herald
Air Suvidha forms, RT-PCR tests 72 hrs prior to departure is mandatory for international fliers
and at ZeeNews
Covid-19 scare: Govt makes RT-PCR test mandatory for passengers coming from THESE 6 countries
https://zeenews.india.com/aviation/breaking-government-makes-rt-pcr-mandatory-for-passengers-coming-from-these-6-countries-from-jan-1-2555409.html
CHINA USA TAIWAN SOUTH CHINA SEA
American and Chinese fighter jets in near collision:
 Incredible footage shows aircrafts just 20 FEET apart, engines balls-to-the-wall...
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11583839/US-pilot-takes-evasive-maneuvers-South-China-Sea-avoid-collision-Chinese-fighter-jet.html
TECHNOLOGY
Barnes and Noble is profitable, opened 16 new stores this year, and plans to open 30 more next year. (Substack)
Given the decline of brick-and-mortar retail in general and books in particular, how did they manage this?
Simple: They hired a CEO who wants to sell books.
Every planet in the Solar System is visible tonight. (Space)
Look up. That's where they are.
https://www.space.com/solar-system-planets-visible-grand-tour-livestream
The Asus Zenbook 17 Fold is a dazzling new concept: A laptop that folds in the middle. (Hot Hardware)
Um.
Prices start REPEAT "start" at $3499.
https://hothardware.com/reviews/asus-zenbook-17-fold-oled-review-possibilities-unfold
SpaceX has launched 54 Starlink 2 satellites - the first launch of the new model - for SpaceX's 60th launch of the year. (Space)
And did the same old trick of landing on a barge. Ho hum.
https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites-5-1-group-launch
U.S.A. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Finish your 382.5 pounds RIGHT NOW or there will be no chocolate pudding!
True Story
After two decades of overall decline, U.S. vegetable availability increased in 2020
Apparently... This has delighted several people, while a few others are overjoyed.
The overall amount of vegetables available for consumption in the United States has decreased 6 percent over the last two decades to 382.5 pounds per capita in 2020 from 407.3 pounds in 2001.
Michelle "Ma Belle" Obama Says She "Hated" Barack for Ten Years, Calls Her Bratty Kids "Terrorists"
To paraphrase Michelle Obama,
 This is the first time in my adult life that I am proud of Michelle Obama.
Former FL Ms. Michelle has revealed that she 'couldn't stand' husband Barack while their children were young.
Now 58, Ms. Michelle also dubbed their two daughters, Sasha and Malia, as 'terrorists' when they were small.
She claims the couple struggled as they were both trying to 'advance their careers' -- one quite a bit more successfully than the other.
PHOTO: 2003, NOT the happy days.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11580191/Michelle-Obama-admits-raising-kids-Barack-launched-career-strain-marriage.html
Generally speaking, giant brown bears are not your friend.
However, watch a
woman feeding strawberries to a giant brown bear.
 That's not the bold part.
 The bold part is that she does this while lying on a bearskin rug.
