China's economy and China's banks are in trouble
Mesdames and messieurs and all others, it is Tuesday yet again, second-last one of August, 2022.
Anti-junta countdown moves to court
3...2...
Thailand's junta-controlled Constitutional Court rules on Monday that, just in case the alleged 'prime minister' Prayut Chan-o-cha is kicked out of office, he can stay in the cabinet.
This happened while the same court is considering a petition from anti-Prayut, anti-coup activists to remove Prayut from office on Wednesday, which is... [consults calendar] tomorrow.
While this going on, there was a second day of mostly peaceful anti-junta demonstrations in the square in front of Bangkok City Hall.
 This is the situation as explained by junta loyalist and lawyer, deputy prime minister Wissanu Krea-ngam:
 "If the [Constitutional] court accepts the case [by tomorrow], it would then make another decision on whether Prayut should be temporarily suspended from office until the judges rule on the issue, or he would be allowed to continue to work as prime minister.
 "Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon (and Prayut bff) would likely take over as acting prime minister if Prayut were suspended."
BUT it is necessary to complicate the matter. So:
 "Even if the court rules that Prayut's eight-year tenure ends tomorrow, he will remain in a caretaker role and the cabinet will still be able to continue to work and issue cabinet resolutions."
Tatmadaw dictators send an ambassador to Thailand
He is the first Myanmar ambassador in 18 months of Burmese dictatorship.
And Prayut was right on it.
Prayut personally welcomed and glad-handed U Chit Swe at Government House.
Prayut said the close-knit relationship between Thailand and Myanmar will assist with bilateral cooperation and U Chit Swe’s post will strengthen ties between both nations.
Meanwhile...
Columnist Kavi Chongkittavorn's weekly commentary is headlined:
 UN envoy and SAC: more than tit for tat
The senior general also felt uneasy about the mounting pressure from the ASEAN family.
Myanmar's armed forces chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, right, meets with U.N. "Special envoy on Myanmar" Noeleen Heyzer, left, in Nay Pyi Taw last Wednesday.
It was a sign of 'the good old times' that the Tatmadaw allowed no coverage of even the presence of in the country, and handed out one (1) copy of one (1) unusually  dreadful-quality photograph of her audience with the military commander. Burmese authorities insisted that any publication of that useless photo must include in the caption: "MYANMAR'S MILITARY INFORMATION TEAM."
As always in the presence of the HDICC, the phrase "Aung San Suu Kyi" was un-utterted.
POLITICS
Students call for an end to protest curbs
Students, activists demand end to protest curbs
Student activists have called on the Civil
Court to scrap a section in the emergency decree, which they say imposes disproportionate  legal  punishment
for protests.
Activists from six universities also held token 'prime minister' Prayut and Thai defence forces chief General Chalermpol Srisawasdi accountable for the decree.
 WHAT HAPPENED
In 2015, when the military coup was still less than a year old, Prayut's loyalists wrote and passed a decree that limited public protests.
Hidden within that new law was a stipulation that authorities, includingf the coup 'government' could limit or harass any demonstrations - IF there were other emergencies. Such as today's emergency about Covid.
CORONAVIRUS
DMS to cut quarantine time
Thailand's junta declared an indefinite "medical emergency" 887 days ago, giving outlines for mask mandates and quarantine.
As of this morning, the Department of Medical Services (DMS) is reducing the amount of time in soliday, quarantine isolation from 10 days to five (5 days), including all new arrivals such as tourists.
EXCEPT
If newly infected patients are in obvious distress from the Covid, they will be whisked quickly to hospital isolation chambers were doctors will decide how long - up to 14 days in solitary.
PHOTO: A health professional prepares necessities for Covid victims under home isolation.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2373591/
Boosters wanted
People getting vaccinated against Covid-19 at the Bang Sue Central Vaccination Center in Bangkok. Health officials have decided the centre can stay open until September 30.
 The junta is now saying, "Yes, that was our plan." But it wasn't, and now, no one knows 1) if there's a plan and 2) what is the plan.
ON THIS DAY just 1,457 years ago, the Irish monk Saint Colomba made the first, recorded sighting of a strange cryptid now known as the Loch Ness monster. The amount of amber liquid ingested by Colomba has never been verified.
In 1305, dirty English (but I repeat myself) king Edward I executed William Wallace, and all Scots have hated all the dirty English ever since.
In 1996, Osama bin Laden declared war on America.
AMERICA U.S.A. CULTURE
The potato of XiNN uses his last arrogant, hate-filled show to remind everyone why he deserves to be canceled.
 Being a journalist in America is JUST like reporting in China, Myanmar, North Korea, and Russia! Where Stelter never has worked.
 One thing that the potato and far, far too many of his ilk refuse downright to recognize (and to celebrate): the First Amendment covers all people in all of America.
Twitchy. And a lot of Tweets: https://amz.run/5sYL
Twitter delenda est
THAILAND DISASTER
ATTENTION ACHTUNG Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation
Claiming that Thailand's departments of disaster prevention are 30 years behind the curve is actually a compliment. They are way, WAY farther behind than that.
SURF CENTRAL: Wave created by Tonga volcano eruption reached 90 metres - nine times taller than the 2011 Japan Fukushima tsunami.
 "An international research team says the eruption should serve as a wake-up call for international groups looking to protect people from similar events in future, claiming that detection and monitoring systems for volcano-based tsunamis are '30 years behind' comparable tools used to detect earthquake-based events."
CLIMB to safety! Fast!
https://phys.org/news/2022-08-tonga-volcano-eruption-metersnine-taller.html
ys.org/news/2022-08-tonga-volcano-eruption-metersnine-taller.html
ASEAN GAY HOMOSEXUAL
The next, but not the last county to legalise gay sex is... Singapore.
The anti-homosexual law provides two years in prison. But it's not enforced.
What is definitely and strongly enforced is legal marriage: One man, one woman, no other union.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/singapore-will-decriminalise-sex-between-men-pm-2022-08-21/
Biden Hasn't Been Able to Free Brittney Griner. Maybe Dennis Rodman Can?
Rodman, remember, is Kim Jong-un's old pal from their basketball days.
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2022/08/21/biden-hasnt-been-able-to-free-brittney-griner-maybe-dennis-rodman-can-n1622844
Read between the lines and it sounds like the [Biden] administration is afraid [aka scared spitless] that Rodman might show them up and accomplish something they couldn't: Griner's release.
TECHNOLOGY
If you get an 'from PayPal.com' saying you owe several hundred dollars... well, you didn't and you don't.
The email is from scammers. They want you to call them on the telephone to dispute the fake PayPal invoice, and grab control of your computer.
Do not click. Delete the email.
If you're still curious, that phone number is the scammers' call centre, in the Punjab.
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2022/08/paypal-phishing-scam-uses-invoices-sent-via-paypal/
CHINA ECONOMY TROUBLE
Well... all bubbles pop.
 Unfinished Buildings in China Put Trillions of Chinese Bank Loans at Risk.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/unfinished-buildings-in-china-put-trillions-of-chinese-bank-loans-at-risk_4667589.html
Who can deny it?
MARGARET ATWOOD: If we don't defend free speech, we live in tyranny.
https://hotair.com/headlines/2022/08/15/if-we-dont-defend-free-speech-we-live-in-tyranny-n489737
The big news is how routine this has become.
The bigger news is why in blue blazes do we need NASA?
Sunday: SpaceX launched 53 Starlink satellites, and then landed a rocket at sea.
https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-group-4-27-launch-rocket-landing
U.S.A. DRUGS
This is surprising?
Gosh golly, REALLY? Whoever would have thunk that?
 Injecting morphine into shin bone during knee surgery may reduce pain.
https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2022/08/18/pain-relief-knee-replacement/5571660844717/
Just when you think it can't get stupider, it does.
 Dumber than PETA: Milk is racist.
Not all citizens of Toronto are completely on board.
Animal Rebellion activist Tim Speers told Express UK that cow's milk is 'racist' because people of colour are more lactose intolerant than their white counterparts.
https://www.rebelnews.com/animal_rebellion_says_milk_is_racist
WEEKEND READ
I'm 30. The Sexual Revolution Shackled My Generation.
This dopey (millennial) chick And it didn't work out for her.
