In case you were seeking a healthy late-winter vacation that is worth going through massive paperwork
Good morning to all, It is the first Friday of March, 2022, March 4, and we have much to do.
ATTENTION ACHTUNG
I have first-hand knowledge that Dean Barrett is not just alive, but well. Does anyone know if his blasted Loxinfo mail is working again?
Thank you. Resumption of sleepy attention is authorised.
CORONAVIRUS WUHAN THAILAND
The new outbreak of the uncontrollable disease gets even worse.
Thursday's victims: 23,618 new Covid cases, 49 more deaths
 The military controllers and the ineffectual Public Health Ministry look on, helplessly.
 The single province of Chon Buri, including Pattaya, suffered 1,217 new Chinese Covid-19 infections and three deaths from the coronavirus.
PHOTO: Sunbeds at Pattaya beach were largely empty on Thursday, as the unstoppable surge in Covid-19 cases kept away foreign and local tourists alike.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2273887/
And in case you were seeking a healthy late-winter vacation that is worth going through massive paperwork, well...
 In Phuket, as of Friday morning, there are
 689 confirmed cases of Chinese Covid-19 coronavirus victims and 684 probable cases (ATK) on the island. Of these confirmed cases, 623 are local and 66 were brought by tourists, visitors and others from abroad. There were five deaths on Thursday, with 7,142 people in care
Rap Against Dictatorship is BACK! Calling out the military dictatorship's failings.
https://bityl.co/BAka
 Their new song is 'Homeland', which had more than 100,000 YouTube views as of Friday morning. It is meant to speak out on behalf of many young citizens.
 The Thai dictators have labelled the group as "a threat" for almost five years.
Lyric sample:
 Saying Thailand's never been colonised, but people still have no freedom.
 What a distorted pride we've been told to be proud of.
 Telling people to be loyal, but people with different opinions are threatened with lawsuits.
 Every moral you say is good doesn't exist in this homeland.
 ... This is my home too. But you're claiming it's all yours
The United States Department of State says that "positions of neutrality" by India and the United Arab Emirates mean that they are clearly "in Russia's camp".
Just saying.
https://news.yahoo.com/u-recalls-cable-saying-india-012125149.html
https://www.axios.com/us-accuses-india-uae-russias-camp-8dc60479-e897-454f-8ac4-45aef5c39458.html
THAILAND ECONOMY
Those darned truck drivers who caused the near-total dementia of Canada's alleged "leader" are at it again in Thailand.
 And this time, they have the eggheads of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) on their side, demanding a price freeze and a cut in
 fuel bills for truckers
 electricity bills for homes and small businesses.
 A total of 87.3% of business executives surveyed by the FTI now agree:
 Expensive goods prices caused by higher energy costs is the most serious issue requiring swift attention from the government.
 The absolutely most important point is that truckers, businessmen and residents will never, ever believe one word the alleged "government" of Thailand utters on the subject. The day of "we promise" from the so-called 'prime minister' is gone.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2273667/
Prediction du jour
 Gold will soar as China seeks U.S. dollar alternatives.
https://www.intellasia.net/gold-will-soar-as-china-seeks-us-dollar-alternatives-1024480
Bad news for pathetic believers in "Neutral" and Russian tourism.
 U.S. Pentagon spokesman:
 "We are also picking up signs that they're having problems feeding their troops, that they're not only running out of gas, but they are running out of food."
 Gosh gee, how very sad.
https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpoints/ukraine/2022/03/02/ukraine-jets-hit-russian-column-russia-has-used-thermobarics-ukraine-military-says/
From the same source, and confirmed:
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is an idiot who has no idea what she is babbling.
Related
PROCUREMENT MATTERS: How cheap Chinese tires might explain Russia's 'stalled' 40-mile-long (64 Canadian kilometres) military convoy in Ukraine.
https://theweek.com/russo-ukrainian-war/1010857/how-cheap-chinese-tires-might-explain-russias-stalled-40-mile-long
And why would China lie?
China denies asking Russia to delay Ukraine invasion until after Beijing Winter Olympics
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/ukraine-war-china-denies-asking-russia-delay-invasion-until-after-beijing-winter-olympics-2536256
CHINA TAIWAN INVASION
[REUTERS] Taiwan to more than double annual missile production capacity amid China tension
... The ministry was also planning to start manufacturing unspecified "attack drones" with an annual production target of 48 such aircraft.
FILE PHOTO: An Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) fighter jet and Wan Chien air-to-ground cruise missiles line up at Makung Air Force Base in Taiwan's offshore island of Penghu.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/taiwan-more-double-annual-missile-production-capacity-amid-china-tension-2535766
U.S.A. CIVIL RIGHTS UPDATE
Judge Rules New York state attorney general can't dissolve the NRA.
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/judge-rules-new-york-attorney-general-cant-dissolve-the-nra/
https://twitter.com/reaidonjtrump45
U.S.A. MASKS
Looks like all hope is lost for the entire state.
 Are there plans for the care and treatment of 12.8 million inhabitants?
 CHANGE: Philadelphia Flyers (hockey) and Sixers (pro basketball) fans no longer need to wear masks at Wells Fargo Center.
And it is not only one U.S.A. state:
 By 49-44, U.S. Senate strike down Biden vaccine mandate for healthcare workers.
https://humanevents.com/2022/03/02/senate-republicans-vote-to-strike-down-biden-vaccine-mandate-for-healthcare-workers/
HMM: Discovery may explain why more females than males get knee osteoarthritis.
 Insert mandatory dirty joke here: _______
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-03-discovery-females-males-knee-osteoarthritis.html
Yes, but..
Thailand was one of 141 countries that supported a United Nations resolution deploring the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
But the resolution didn't even mention 'Russia'.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2273307/philippines-approves-revival-of-nuclear-power-to-help-replace-coal
Yes, China withheld and covered up information and confirmed documents about the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Yes, U.S. officials including Saint Tony Fauci knew of the cover-up. And took part.
The new documents confirm that Fauci's agencies "hid and covered up information on China's failure to provide essential data on Covid-19".
PHOTO: We are starting to learn why armed Chinese police guarded this building (and still do).
https://news.yahoo.com/documents-show-us-officials-knew-205619827.html
Also uninvited and barred by armed guards from Biden's latest Victory Speech on Wednesday morning:
Doctor and part-time "U.S. Ambassador '' Debbie Birx, the highest ranking anti-virus expert virology scientist and failed anti-virus woman campaigner in the entire history of Earth.
 Remember when Doctor Ambassador Debbie, M.D. was the leading expert on the planet on the absolutely completely deadly Delta mutation ofa the Chinese SARS-Cov 2 novel virus? Good days...
tbf Biden locked out a lot more than just Fauci and Debbie:
MASTERS OF THE PSYWAR
 Ukraine has invited Russian women to come to Kyiv and collect their sons, many of whom appear to be inexperienced and frightened teenage conscripts.
 Read the story. This is beyond brilliant. Jane Plemiannikov and Hanoi Hannah and Tokyo Rose should hang their heads in total, unmitigated shame:
https://althouse.blogspot.com/2022/03/ukraine-has-invited-russian-women-to.html
You don't stay "Neutral" in a European land war.
Chapter 'Iva'
In this unpleasant atmosphere of the Russia-Ukraine land war, it turns out that
 There aren't many countries, leaders, companaies or tour leaders who are neutral.
 There are no important companies or individuals who pretend to be neutral.
Reality surrounds the supposedly neutral Thailand:
 The Russian rouble is crashing, their banks kicked out or soon to be elimited from SWIFT system.
 Airlines are not neutral or, maybe, the countries that cointrol airlines are not neutral.
 The fresh and savage blows to Thailand's tourist industry, tourism operators, alleged "intelligent people" running tourism plans are currently useless.
The money-transfer systems built on hopes and wishes are going, going....
That large and most-desired group of Russian tourists that spent US$3.3 billion in 2019... where they heck are thery now?
Isn't anyone interested in the plans of Thailand's ruling military junta to juwt, you know, be NEUTRAL?
In January, two months ago, Russians were the largest group of tourists and visitors to Thailand.
Their fresh applications to keep pouring into a mostly quarantine-free (and warm) Thailand have dried up.
 Also
 There will be no "bubble agreement" with China, or India or within ASEAN.
PHOTO: Departure gates on Wednesday at Bangkok International Airport.
Many more details at: https://bityl.co/B9v4
COVID OVERLOADS
Thailand military regime orders 14 up-country provinces to prepare to treat thousands of Covid-infected patients from Bangkok.
Bangkok resources are overloaded
The Public Health Ministry announced:
 "All hospitals under its responsibility to serve outpatients based on the self-isolation system, he said.
“We have been concerned because there are around 50,000 pending cases waiting to access our outpatient self-isolation service in the capital."
PHOTO: Dr. Kiattiphum Wongrajit, permanent secretary for public health, left, visits staff who treat Covid-19 cases as outpatients at Rajavithi Hospital in Bangkok.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2273423/
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2273887/
Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Chulalongkorn University is, by far, Thailand's best-known pointy-headed critic and analyst.
 He has a column in today's newspapers/blogs on the eastern European developments:
Early implications of Russia's invasion
His analysis claims:
 Both NATO and the EU now appear revitalised with renewed commitment and resolve to thwart Russian aggression.
 Completely Missing in Action from the Bangkok professor's thumb-sucker: responses to the Russian invasion of Ukraine by Thailand and ASEAN
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2273531/
ASEAN MYANMAR BIDEN
Twenty-four days before convening an "ASEAN summit" to brag about, Biden throws a spanner into his own machine.
U.S. President Joe Biden has announced detailed plans to sideline, derail and ruin his brag-worthy ASEAN summit in Washington on March 28-29.
A Biden spokesperson has suddenly announced: "The United States supports Asean's decision to invite non-political representatives from Burma to high-level Asean events."
ASEAN had already tossed all and any reps from the Tatmadaw dictatorship.
But what in tarnation could those little ASEAN people know better than Biden, right? Therefore:
"We have decided to invite a non-political representative from Burma to the summit. The regime has failed to make meaningful progress on Asean's Five-Point Consensus and should be held accountable."
BBB - Biden Builds Better.
NOTE: The U.S. State Department has issued orders to call Thailand "democratic".
NOTE II: In ther past 143 days, Biden has failed to nominate a United States ambassador to Thailand.
PHOTO: This is what the people of Myanmar think of their Tatmadaw (army) dictatorship.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2273291/
https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/international/2022/03/01/biden-to-host-asean-leaders-for-washington-summit-in-march/
Sidebar
New proof emerges that every dark cloud has a silver lining.
In his "State of the Union" speech on Wednesday morning, United States President Joseph Biden never once mentioned the word "Thailand".
Are there any recent updates on how many Americans and how many Canadians have been charged and sent to trial for insurrection, rebellion, revolt or whatlike? Or, nah?
IRONY MYANMAR
At this Washington "summit", Biden and Company will claim to be neutral about Myanmar citizens' protests against their new Tatmadaw (army) dictatorship.
What else can he do?
ENERGY ASEAN NUCLEAR
Thailand is still 'neutral' but Philippines plans to go nuclear
 Philippines approves revival of nuclear power to help replace coal
MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has signed an executive order to include nuclear power in the country's energy mix, as authorities prepare for the phasing out of coal-fired power plants and after earlier efforts failed due to safety concerns.
 The Feb 28 order, made public on Thursday, could be a major milestone for an economy which suffers seasonal power outages and high electricity prices but will concern opponents of the move.
 Signed three months before Duterte ends his single six-year term, the order also directs an inter-agency panel to look into reopening the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (below).
 ... Duterte said nuclear power would be tapped as a viable alternative baseload power source as the Philippines seeks to retire coal plants to help meet climate goals.
 His Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi has backed nuclear power and said it could help alleviate supply issues and high costs.
 ... "The Duterte administration is about to leave a tarred legacy and is setting us up for another horror story like Chernobyl and Fukushima," Greenpeace campaigner Khevin Yu said.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2273307/
You don't stay "Neutral" in a European land war.
Chapter 'Shisi'
 In less than one minute on Wednesday morning, Biden unleashead a nuclear-style attack on Russia. And on Thai tourism.
 Biden's attempt to crush the rouble and cut off Russia from global finance is an attack on Russia's ability to continue functioning as a nation-state.
https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2022/03/02/battlefield-nuke-detonated-and-joe-biden-dropped-it-n1562958
And Marvelous Salena Zito hits the 8-inch spike directly on the head:
 The Hypocrisy of Coca-Cola.
 The company is eerily silent on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/the-hypocrisy-of-coca-cola
"Putin may circle Kiev with tanks, but he'll never gain the hearts and souls of the Iranian people."
Yes, U.S. President Joe Biden actually said that.
But give him credit. At no time did he mix up "Thailand" with "Taiwan".
CRIME DRUGS TRAFFICKING
Four nabbed in drug ring busts
Assets seized totalling 130 million baht - 4 million U.S. dollars or 5 million loonies
Four suspects wanted in connection with a major drug trafficking and money laundering network were arrested in raids carried out in seven provinces on Thursday.
The suspects were detained in raids carried out on 14 locations in Bangkok, the northern provinces of Chiang Rai and Tak, Maha Sarakham in the Northeast, and in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chon Buri and Nonthaburi, a Bangkok suburb.
It is an ongoing extension of a 2019 anti-trafficking operation that has arrested Zero major dealers.
You were asking why America (and most of the world) has lost faith in the "follow the science" fakery?
Well... because so much of it is fake.
 Around one in 12 postgraduate researchers would publish fraudulent results if it helped them get ahead.
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/academics-underestimate-willingness-phds-use-fake-data
TECHNOLOGY
Not to mention the entire internet...
 SPACE: Experts: Russian move to hold up OneWeb launch may affect entire space industry.
https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2022/03/02/Russia-Roscosmos-OneWeb-launch-Ukraine-conflict/3461646234208/
Russia slaps the table and lays down the law to VOA
If the Voice of America doesn't stop reporting on the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, Russia will block VOA.
tbf, Russian dictator Putin also ordered that three home-town newspapers be shut down.
https://www.axios.com/russia-threatens-block-voa-removes-ukraine-invasion-coverage-cb1a930b-87b9-460f-8ac6-08a02b670ccc.html
The United States is about to ban and burn all 3G, including older cars, medical devices and the phones it runs.
Thailand's passitonate Love Affair with Huawei means we're next.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/att-3g-shutdown
America's alleged "educationists"
Washington, D.C. School System: Screw the CDC. The masks stay on in schools.
Makes sense. You're only harm children and they fight like girls!
"https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2022/03/02/d-c-schools-screw-the-cdc-the-masks-stay-on-in-schools-n452361
Information available as of 0940 on Friday, March 4, indicates that she is eligible to be the next Jamaican-Indian president of the U.S.A.
