Biden makes it rain in Southeast Asia.
Aha, finally, it's Saturday, which in the old days meant the first day of a two-day holiday. 82 degrees with just a hint of a breeze in cool downtown Bang Na.
And just by the way, we're in the midst of a four-day holiday weekend - Sunday and the (makeup) Monday mark the Visakha Bucha Buddhist Festival, celebrating the Big Three events in the life of Buddha - his birth, enlightenment and his death.
Tourists included: Thailand's ruling junta has warned that it is illegal to remove a face mask while in Thailand.
Saturday morning headlines everywhere in Thailand:
Biden makes it rain in Southeast Asia.
U.S. president, heretofore to be known as "Generous Joe" throws 5.2 billion with-a-"b" at ASEAN.
Details unknown but in the words of Lil Wayne:
A million here, a billion there,
Pretty soon you're talking about real money
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2309482/biden-makes-150m-commitment-to-asean-leaders
Yes, Bob, it was Ev Dirksen but everything needs updating.
And Lil Wayne definitely updates. Take a look at the lyrics.
Al and Tipsy Tipper Gore also do not approve.
The United States explained the generosity this way:
The United States has pledged over US$150 million (5.22 billion baht) in investment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for maritime cooperation, infrastructure and other initiatives as it kicked off a two-day summit with ASEAN.
The Biden administration is expected to pitch to the fast-growing region its proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework — a still vague regional engagement initiative that is expected to reconcile to some extent the US’s absence from major free-trade agreements in the region.
White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell saying on Wednesday (US local time) the United States wants to convey the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
(Which is not close to ASEAN)
Prayut stood in front of a small contingent of Thais assembled for him in Washington and explained that Thailand has no political problems, everything is going swimmingly.
Reports of problems are fake news or simply made up, he explained.
People have different ideas, so we must be aware of how reliable the information is that we receive" said the Thai junta's chosen 'prime minister'.
"I will not fear anything as long as I stand against corruption."
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2309102/
TRIVIA FACTS
Give or take...
There are 21,400 Thais residing in Washington, D.C. and the nearby states of Maryland and Virginia.
Other developing news, as of midnight on Friday:
Thailand is unlikely to receive any of the promised Biden aid.
There is no U.S. decision on whether to straight-up sell F-35 fighter jets to Thailand.
There is no U.S. ambassador in Thailand, although one has been promised "real soon now".
The Talking Ox: What do the Brahmin Oxen say?
Every year in May (depending on the moon), Thailand holds a 'Royal Ploughing Ceremony' at Sanam Luang, the huge, park-like area near the Royal Palace and Wat Phra Kaew.
It's all quite staid and colourful.
Oxen are offered choices of water, grass, soybean and liquor - 7 items in all, from gold and silver baskets.
Depending upon which the oxen eat, and in what order, the entire fortune of a nation is ordained.
The 2022 result:
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2309658/royal-ploughing-ceremony-foresees-abundant-water-food
The case for a war by Good People Against Canada
In the past, Canadians kidnapped (or simply abducted) tots and toddlers, removed them to indoctrination homes, enslaved them and tried to bury the evidence.
Today?
Canadian kindergartners given masturbation homework assignment.
https://thepostmillennial.com/canadian-kindergartners-given-masturbation-homework-assignment
This is very specialist but another well-done paper by undoubted Vietnam expert Carl Thayer.
This Background Brief provides a textual analysis of the speech by Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. with a specific focus on his references to comprehensive partners.
The Brief considers three questions:
(1) what role does the United States play in Vietnam's foreign policy?
(2) Will Vietnam be able to maintain a balance between China and the United States and if not with whom will Vietnam side?
(3) will there be change in Sino-Vietnamese relations after the visit of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to Washington?
https://www.scribd.com/document/573909347/Thayer-Vietnam-U-S-Relations-and-Impact-on-China-Vietnam-Ties
In Thailand, the bad news never stops
Covid figures for Friday the 13th in Thailand:
Document new cases: 7,779, up 3% over Thursday.
Deaths on Friday: 59
A troubling statistic: Of the 59 deaths from coronavirus that were recorded on Friday, 70%, or 41 of the victims were never vaccinated.
More at
https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40015505
RIP
Good guy in person, and he made fun and cult movies.
Fred Ward, star of The Right Stuff, Tremors, and The Player, dead at 79. Cause of death unknown.
PHOTO: Ward (R) and co-star Kevin Bacon after they glow up one of the underground beasts in Tremors.
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/13/1098760992/actor-fred-ward-dies
Junta: Leave your mask ON
Strict rules cover indoors and outdoors
The ruling junta's loyal 'public health minister' has bad news:
No matter what happens, forget this pandemic-endemic stuff, everyone in Thailand must wear a face mask, no exceptions.
All police officers and deputies (including the military) are authorised to stop, question and fine any bare-faced person 20,000 baht on the spot - U.S.$863, 1,123 loonies.
The National Communicable Diseases Committee said there's no end iin sight for this.
It includes all tourists and visitors of all countries.
The N.C.D.C. is holding talks on if-and-when to change the "pandemic" into something else, probably an endemic, and possibly in July.
That will not affect the mask mandate said the wealthy minister, Anutin Charnvirakul.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2308378/
https://thepattayanews.com/2022/05/12/analysis-thai-public-health-ministry-doubling-down-on-public-mask-mandates
NOTE: On the website of the Bangkok Post, the above story was ratio'd 233-14.
But chill out! IT'S FOR THE CHILDREN: They make kids wear masks and stare at a computer screen instead of a real, live human being.
Some people insist this is NOT part of THE PLAN.
CORONAVIRUS CHINA
New, from China:
China Sets Up Permanent Chinese COVID-19 Testing Sites
Officials said the residential stations will allow residents to be tested within 15 minutes and that the new system would require people to have a negative PCR test before entering public spaces – though it remained unclear how recent the tests needed to be. "
https://humanevents.com/2022/05/06/china-sets-up-permanent-covid-19-testing-sites/
CANADA CENSORSHIP
All media in Canada, publishers and broadcasters for a start have censored and blocked all news stories and analysis in the hundreds -- and hundreds of arrests and prison sentences on charges of Mischief.
The same media is refusing for the fourth month in a row to divulge who ordered the news ban, cover-ups and censorship.
Foreign media reporters and producers, who are not Canadian, have either obeyed the censorship order or imply refused to report.
U.S.A. DEAD BABIES
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., currently serving as president of the United States, held a special "press event", no live coverage allowed, to speak to the most-favoured White House reporters about babies.
Actual, real reporters found out before the "event" that the White House had distributed tonnes of needed infant formula to large groups of illegal aliens in Florida and along the U.S.-Mexico border.
https://nypost.com/2022/05/12/border-detention-center-has-baby-formula-amid-shortage-photos/
40 years? That would be...
<checking my notes>
... Jim Carter, right? And papa (maybe) Trudeau?
BIDENFLATION: Wholesale inflation climbs 11% in April, remaining near 40-year high.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/wholesale-prices-producer-inflation-april-2022
Oh my, did anyone see this coming?
Biden has lost Univision!
Línea de fuego: Biden, Es Su Responsabilidad
(VIDEO has English subtitles)
HANDS UP everyone who did not already predict this:
Musk: Twitter deal 'temporarily on hold'
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/elon-musk-twitter-deal-temporarily-hold-84690909
And also very predictable, eh? Probably just a coincidence?
Top Twitter execs, including heads of revenue and consumer products, are out following Musk deal.
https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/12/top-twitter-execs-including-heads-of-revenue-and-consumer-products-are-out-following-musk-deal/
SCIENCE
Yes, this extraordinary first-photo below shows the supermassive Black Hole at the centre of our galaxy.
Don't let anyone kid you or mislead you. This is real, actual science. It's an incredible achievement.
The data was collected from 80 radio telescopes from around the world, and more than 300 scientists took part in the experiment to image the black hole.
https://bityl.co/CChz
And here is a little more.
It’s extremely difficult to imagine that black holes even exist. Most physicists doubted they were real despite the proof contained in Einstein's mathematical equations. (Or as we laymen call it, "PROOF")
The scientists involved in this effort made their observations in 2017. It has taken that long to put the image together.
And do read the whole Twitter thread.
U.S.A. INFLATION
Major U.S. retailers like CVS and Walgreens are rationing sales of baby formula to new mothers. And their families and friends.
'Online sellers' (gee, who could they be?) have jacked up prices of formula.
U.S. government agencies including the useless CDC and the effete FDA are cool with the rationing, while the White House and Biden administration want more.
The U.S. government has not (yet) printed or issued official ration cards.
Biden's official press secretary Ginger Jen Psaki refuses to say the word "ration". These are just "purchasing limits" but c’mon man. The important thing is "saving babies' lives".
Speaking of 'every tool', Jen Psaki was a parent that one time.
https://www.thecut.com/2022/05/the-baby-formula-shortage-keeps-getting-worse.html
Who knew there was a Tibet Airlines.
"Was" is the operative word.
https://bityl.co/CBky
The knock-ons are what no one even tries to predict.
High inflation leaves food banks struggling to meet needs.
https://thehill.com/news/ap/ap-business/high-inflation-leaves-food-banks-struggling-to-meet-needs/
And did the C.I.A. or the Thai foreign ministry even so much as try to predict this?
Food Riots Hit Iran ... Are We Next?
https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2022/05/12/food-riots-hit-iran-are-we-next-n1597377
And fergawdsake, sir, do NOT forget the clickbait - not all of it at Jeff Bezos' daily bulletin, but most of it. like:
https://t.co/fle935Cvnq
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/05/11/roe-v-wade-abortion-bungie-microsoft-activision-blizzard
Also, we don't know the opinion of the Olive Garden. Is the Bezos publication on that story?
Weekend read
Have you ever heard the story of Pardo's Push?
It's a Vietnam war story for fighter jets, set mostly in the skies, and also at Ubon Ratchathani airbase, which is not in Vietnam.
Quick and dirty summary:
An F-4 literally pushed another damaged F-4 out of enemy airspace.
You will have to decide for yourself the truth of the whole story, but I can attest this first paragraph is full truth.
The climax is magnificent.
Sitting in two F-4 Phantoms, the four American airmen awaited their takeoff orders. It was March 10, 1967, and their mission to bomb a strategic target in Thai Nguyen, 30 miles north of Hanoi, was now a reality. It was also more dangerous than any mission they had yet flown in Vietnam. The target was the enemy’s only steel mill for the production of essential war materiel, and was therefore well protected.
Pardo's Push was originally published in Vietnam magazine.
https://www.historynet.com/pardos-push-an-incredible-feat-of-airmanship/
ADDENDUM
There are a lot of authentic and good-quality photos for this story, but none in the original magazine story. Click this link for the Google images:
https://ggle.io/54Fx
