Buy an orange. Eat the peel.
Welcome to the almost world-famous Daily Fishwrap, originating once again from the rare green spaces of downtown Bung Nong Bon.
As always: Pants are required.
You are allowed... nay, encouraged to find a warm kitty or puppy to curl up in your lap as you read.
SPORTS THAILAND
Thai chicks beat the living crap out of the Germans. Now they are in the final-8 of the world championship.
The final round will begin in Ankara. Thailand will play in the opening match, against Turkey, on next Wednesday, July 13.
Only seven teams in the first round and hosts Turkey advance to the finals. Thailand occupy the last spot with 15 points from five wins and seven losses.
https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40017339
The chargé d'affaires looking after the U.S. Embassy for the past 531 days (and counting) and waiting to see if Joe Biden will move to install a new ambassador is Michael Heath.
He wrote a July 4 Oped for the Thai media, stating:
The enduring Thai-U.S. friendship
The alliance has advanced the interests of both countries.
To my fellow Americans in Thailand and to our Thai friends and partners, Happy Fourth of July!
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2339027/
Also America
Police say 6 people killed including a child, 19 hospitalized in shooting at July 4th parade in Highland Park near Chicago
The reason that the U.S.A. has police is because the country needs someone to do the body count.
When seconds count, the police are only a couple of hours away. Zeroing their abacus.
And how useless is the U.S.A. media when only foreign media cover the story?
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62042636
On to the bonfire
Staff move seized narcotics from a storage unit of the Food and Drug Administration to be inspected before being put to the torch today and tomorrow at Samut Prakan province's Bang Pu industrial estate, just southeast of Bangkok city.
Thailand junta to burn 40 tonnes of seized drugs
The boxes are packed with
23,365 kilogrammes of methamphetamine (yaa ba) pills,
14,482kg of crystal methamphetamine or ice,
738kg of heroin,
29kg of raw opium and 4kg of ecstasy pills.
Other drugs to be burnt are 'other psychoactive substances'.
Two Takeaways
1. The drug lords and winning and the Thailand junta's 'War on Drugs' has no effect.
2. It's curious that the junta now refuses to say how much marijuana it has seized, and how much they will burn tomorrow.
TOURISM
BMA says 'no' to pot hub at Khao San Rd
Bangkok City Hall has 'firmly rejected' a call by business owners on the backpackers' favourite street owners to turn Khao San Road into Thailand's cannabis hub.
And anyway, only the Public Health Ministry can regulate the cannabis trade, not the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA aka City Hall.
Islamic school association blasts weed legalisation
The Private Schools Confederation Association of [Muslim-dominated] Southern Thailand called for all schools and mosques [masjids] to be cannabis-free zones - as instructed by the Office of the Chularachamontri, Thailand's Islamic spiritual leader.
Separately, the influential Rural Doctor Society (RDS) called on the junta to reconsider its partial legalisation of cannabis and restrict cannabis and hemp for medical purposes only.
The group claimed the policy which allows each household to grow a maximum of six plants is a ploy. The doctors said it merely paves the way for commercial cannabis farming by large corporations.
THAILAND TRAVEL TOURISM
Bangkok tops the poll
'The Poll' was an online survey of visitors to the Travel + Leisure website [https://travelandleisure.com]
Visitors determined their favourite city and island to visit in Southeast Asia.
One outstanding error: Travel + Leisure stated that 'Bangkok has long reigned as the most visited city in the world.'
Which it has not, and isn't.
THAILAND CORONAVIRUS
Thailand's ruling junta claimed on Monday that junta members knew all along that its attempts to reopen the country to tourists and visitors would bring a large, new outbreak of Covid-19.
But the chosen junta 'spokesman' did not explain why no one warned the public.
Here is Dr. Chakrarat Pittayawonganon, director of the Bureau of Epidemiology:
"Higher vaccination rates are slowing the rise in new infections which is predicted to peak in September when about 4,000 new cases are expected per day."
Right now, the rate of new Covid-19 infections is running at somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 per day.
There was absolutely no reaction from Prayut or other top junta members.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2339432/
There was one reaction.
Chulalongkorn Hospital banned all visitors of Covid-19 patients.
No exceptions.
Chula, which is a very big hospital, currently has 678 Covid patients listed as "serious conditions". 298 are on ventilators.
Chula Hospital bed occupancy by COVID-19 cases is 10.90%. https://www.thaipbsworld.com/chula-hospital-bans-all-visits-to-ward-patients-as-new-covid-19-cases-surge/
The bad news for Thailand during Monday:
1,995 new, documented Covid-19 cases and 18 deaths.
Respiratory specialist urges people to continue wearing face masks
Dr. Manoon Leechawengongs of Vichaiyut Hospital said that most of the new victims of Covid-19 in the last few months have been fully vaccinated.
"This proves that the current Covid-19 strain is spreading quickly and is able to evade the immunity built by vaccines compared to previous strains."
Assuming there is any immunity built by vaccinations.
https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40017354
Two years later
Doctor Fauci approves. Finally.
New York City first to offer Paxlovid at COVID-19 testing sites.
https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2022/07/02/covid19-paxlovid-nyc-testing-sites/8501656801020/
STILL COVERED UP
Whatever else is happening, Bangkok's commuter bus drivers and bus conductors and bus passengers are doing it behind their masks.
THAILAND MARIJUANA CANNABIS
ANALYSIS: Is medical grade cannabis going to be the new cash crop for Thai farmers?
https://www.nationthailand.com/program/40017353
And The New York Times emphasises:
Laughable U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urges booster update as new outbreak looms
The F.D.A. advised coronavirus vaccine manufacturers to update their booster formulations to target the fast-spreading Omicron subvariants known as BA.4 and BA.5, which are now estimated to account for more than half of new virus cases.
In order to have an option ready by the fall, the design of the vaccine would have to be selected by early summer.
[So kind of like the flu then, right?]
U.S.A. REVOLUTION
When I was a tyke in Canada and our (pretty excellent) history teacher first introduced me and the class to the American Declaration of Independence, there was one small and significant sentence that caught my eye, and I've never forgotten it. It is among the list of offences by the King of England:
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
"Swarms". I love that. Still do.
SAUDI MUSLIMS HAJ
A million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia to begin the 2022 Haj pilgrimmage.
It's the lagest number of participants in three years.
Banners welcoming the faithful, including the first international visitors since 2019, festooned squares and alleys in Mecca ciy, while armed security forces patrolled the ancient city, birthplace of the Prophet Mohammed.
"This is pure joy," exclaimed Sudanese pilgrim Abdel Qader Kheder in Mecca. The actual pilgrimage begins tomorrow. "I almost can't believe I am here. I am enjoying every moment".
The haj is a key pillar of Islam, requiring all able-bodied Muslims are required to perform at least once
PHOTO: Muslim worshippers gather before the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca. (Photo taken on Sunday)
https://bityl.co/D3Ho
GENIUS AWARD WINNERS
This is the exact equivalent of peeling an orange, throwing away the fruit and chewing down on the peel.
GLOBAL WARMING AUSTRALIA
Thousands evacuate from 'dangerous' Sydney floods
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2339407/
He may (probably) need a lawyer but he definitely needs a new wardrobe assistant.
An Alabama man wearing a t-shirt proclaiming "I'm Too Good for drugs!" was arrested for possessing methamphetamine and narcotics paraphernalia, police report.
PHOTO: Genius Of The Week?
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/stupid/too-good-for-drugs-759208
TECHNOLOGY
In Case You're Trying To Catch Up
Meta's Novi - formerly Diem - formerly Libera from formerly Facebook - is toast. (CNet)
This was a technically promising crypto project backed by more than a dozen industry leaders that withered and died because (a) all the industry leaders hate each other and (b) absolutely everyone hates Facebook.
https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/crypto/metas-novi-service-to-be-phased-out-what-you-need-to-know/
Intel's 13th-gen chips will be accompanied by new motherboards, but will work fine in current boards. (WCCFTech)
Also they will still support DDR4, which AMD has dropped. On the other hand, DDR5 now costs only 50% more than DDR4 rather than double, so that's gradually becoming a less compelling feature.
https://wccftech.com/intel-z790-motherboards-pcie-gen-5-ssd-13-gen-raptor-lake-cpu-support-q3-2022-reveal-rumor/
The Tuesday Morning Joke
[Comment: I'm so sorry and semi-ashamed of burdening you with two jokes in two days.]
Teacher arrested at JFK Airport....
A school teacher was arrested today at John F. Kennedy International airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a compass, an ancient wooden device called a "slide-rule," as well as a code device called an "abacus" that he claimed was a calculator.
At a morning press conference, the Attorney General said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-Gebra movement. He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.
"Al-Gebra is a problem for us," the Attorney General said. "Al-Gebra has terrorized many young people for years. They derive solutions by means and extremes and sometimes go off on tangents in search of absolute values”.
"They use secret code names like 'X' and 'Y' and refer to themselves as 'unknowns,' but we've determined that they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country.”
"As the Greek philosopher Isosceles once said, 'There are 3 sides to every triangle.' "
When asked to comment on the arrest, President Biden said, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, he would have given us more fingers and toes."
White House aides told reporters they could not recall a more intelligent or profound statement by a President at any time in all of history. ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, NBC proclaimed Biden has solved yet another problem created by Trump. [h/t Ace]
Not technically a joke but funnier'n all hell:
Get the hell out of my house. And get off my lawn.
A 93-year-old man has shot and critically injured a would-be burglar after a gang tried to break into his home in California.
He warned the guy!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10972991/93-year-old-man-shoots-burglar-enraged-slow-police-response-string-break-ins.html
CHINA XINJIANG SLAVES
China Appears to Be Selling Electric Batteries Made by Slave Labor
Which is like everything else China sells?
https://legalinsurrection.com/2022/06/china-appears-to-be-selling-electric-batteries-made-by-slave-labor/
China is counting on the U.S. EPA
Beining Slams U.S. Supreme Court's EPA Ruling, Tells Biden to Stick to his 'Climate Obligations'
https://bityl.co/D2Aa
Have these people not even attended an Economics 101 Introduction
Bezos and others bash Biden for blaming gas stations for high gas prices, Chinese state media applauds the president.
San Francisco couple gets $1,500 fine (53,400 baht in real money) for parking in their driveway despite doing so for nearly 40 years.
UPDATE: "Wow. Imagine the revenue potential if the City and County of SF started fining people for shitting on sidewalks."
https://abc7news.com/san-francisco-parking-violations-driveway-carport/12009975/
Hands up everyone who had "Chinese Communist Party praises Biden on July 4" on their bingo cards.
Biden replied. Sort of.
TRUNALIMUNUMAPRZURE
Which earned President Biden plenty of sarc:
But as Biden himself told the world:
High gas prices will last 'as long as it takes' for Ukraine victory.
https://nypost.com/2022/06/30/biden-gas-prices-will-stay-high-until-ukraine-victory/
TECHNOLOGY
3 Ways to Make Poached Eggs
(Although I'm sure the first two weren't actually poached.)
Facebook: https://fbook.cc/3yGy
Elon's SpaceX put the first of six C-band SES communications satellites into orbit with a SpaceX rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
This raises the now-eternal question: Why does NASA exist?
https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2022/06/30/c-band-satellite-SpaceX-SES-22/8901656608709/
U.S.A. EDUCATION
The Death of Literature
Read. Absorb. Fabulous article.
The deracination of literature by Mary Gaitskill.
We know a sizable fraction of students are graduating high school with subpar reading abilities.
https://unherd.com/2022/06/the-death-of-literature/
Well, Yes, I hereby volunteer to be late to wherever the hell I was going. Even an Exclusive Interview with Prayut.
CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WOOD) - Ten thousand dollars to miss an airline flight?
That’s what some passengers flying Delta Airlines out of the Gerald R Ford International Airport say they were offered earlier this week.
"I think the airlines are doing everything they can to make it a good experience. But $10,000 is a lot," said passenger Jason Aten.
[Jason does not say if he volunteered to miss his flight.]
https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/man-turns-down-10000-to-give-up-airplane-seat/
Thailand's top journalistic expert on ASEAN
Kavi Chongkittavorn:
Time to strategise Thai-Philippine ties
Don't believe everything you read on the internet.
