Thai progressives wait for party death sentence
Hot Hot Hot Thailand northeast and parts of Bangkok hit 42 (105 American)
26 Ramadan Yogyakarta Fajr 0426 Sunrise 0542 Maghrib/Iftar 1743
Hari Raya aka Eid al-Fitr marking the end of Ramadan will be next Wednesday.
A recent study has found that women who carry a little extra weight live longer than the men who mention it.
I want to tell the Russian and Belarusian athletes that they are not welcome in Paris.
-- Anne Hidalgo, mayor, Paris (a city in France) kicks off the 2024 Olympics politics.
Thailand's election winners are 3 weeks from political death
The Thai Constitutional Court said it will rule on whether to dissolve the Move Forward Party -- the 'progressive' party that won last year's national elecion.
All nine judges ruled that MFP violated the constitution by proposing to change the world's most punitive lese majeste law that supposedly protects the king, queen and the entire royalty.
They gave the party three weeks to try to submit a written defence -- April 20.
The military-appointed Election Commission has demanded that the judges
• dissolve Move Forward Party entirely, i.e. make it illegal, and,
• ban all political activity by all progressive party executives for 10 years.
There is no appeal of rulings by the Constitutional Court (above); in effect it is the country's supreme court.
The nine-year military dictatorship also wrote Thailand's constitution.
At its core, the issue is ageing political conservatives vs. younger, more alert (and aware) voters. Likely outcome: Buh-bye MFP and leaders such as Pita "Tim" Limjaroenrat, the Harvard grad who almost-but-not-quite became prime minister.
Khao Sod (Fresh News) https://shorturl.at/ejsKX
A clean wrap-up on that quake (Khao Sod Fresh News https://t.ly/bptDl)
Horrified commuters thrown around train, child rescued from collapsed building as 7.2-magnitude earthquake kills 7, injures 700 in Taiwan https://t.ly/ppECJ
The quake, which rocked the island just before 8 a.m. local time, downed buildings in Taiwan's eastern city of Hualien and caused a small tsunami on the coast of Japan’s Yonaguni island, officials said. The deaths were reported in Hualien, which was the epicentre of the earthquake -- the strongest one to hit Taiwan in 25 years, according to the country's fire department.
And proof that satire is still legal.
It is satire, right? https://t.ly/jfWb_
And More
Early morning earthquake shakes Taiwan
The 7.2 temblor caused a small, 30-centimetre (1 foot) tsunami on some outlying islands of Japan.
Taiwan shut down all rail services including the Taipei subway. But by noon, life was approximately back to normal, with schools open and trains back on schedule.
The quake (photo) knocked over buildings in Hualien, collapsing the first floor of the one pictured, and leaving the rest leaning at a 45-degree angle. In the capital, Taipei, tiles fell from older buildings and within some newer office complexes.
As of last night, Taiwan suffered 4 dead, 57 badly injured by the quake.
ASSANGE USA BRITAIN EXTRADITION
America goes stubborn after warning by High Court of (formerly 'Great') Britain
And now America will never, ever get Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in a U.S. court
The Limeys asked the Yanks to assure them that Assange will receive a fair trial under American law, without capital punishment
And all Americans from Joe Biden on down went, literally dumb.
So, as they threatened, High Court judges will give the Aussie yet another appeal-trial against extradition.
PHOTO: Assange's wife Stella faces the adoring Britpress.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/uk/julian-assange-us-extradition-appeal-intl-gbr/index.html
U.S. authorities claim that Assange, 52, put lives at risk by publishing secret military documents and have for years been seeking his extradition on espionage charges.
British judges ruled that Assange had a “real prospect of success” on three of the nine grounds of appeal: that his extradition is incompatible with freedom of expression; that, if extradited, Assange might be prejudiced at trial due to his nationality; and that, if extradited, he would not enjoy adequate death penalty protection.
THAILAND POLITICS CORRUPTION POLICE
Thailand police brouhaha; Big Joke surrenders
Royal Thai Police deputy chief General Surachate"Big Joke" Hakparn (photo) ileed in bureaucratic battles with the national police chief.
Charges being thrown around include money laundering -- plus the actual arrest warrant for Joke..
Big Joke surrendered himself at the Tao Poon police station in Bangkok.
He was later released on bail and declined to speak to reporters -- except a terse statement that, "I am innocent."
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2769651/
NOTE (repeat) Joke is not a haha-555 nickname; in Thai the word means 'rice porridge' and he got the nick as a child.
MIDEAST ISRAEL USA HAMAS
Biden to Bibi: An immediate ceasefire. Or else!
In fact, future U.S. support for Israel depends on it.
marks a sharp change in his administration’s steadfast support for Israel, including its war efforts. Including Israel's current war against Hamas terrorism. Including all and every arms sale to Israel.
The White House, which has lacked a competent spokesperson for several years, downright refused to comment on possible American changes towards Israel.
A statement issued by the White House press room stated:
[President] Biden made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers.
The statement described the conversation as "direct" and "honest."
In complete safety in Brussels, Belgium, the American secretary of state Antony "Tony" Blinken told reporters that
U.S. support of Israel will be curtailed if Israel refuses to adopt the dictated 'significant adjustments' from Washington.
Allahu Akhbar, By the grace and will of Allah, as dead as a carrier pigeon, expired by an attack on Damascus by the Israeli air force:
Brigadier General Mohammad Zahedi, commander of the Quds Force, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of Iran.
THAILAND ECONOMY GOLD
Coming soon... to a Thai gold shop near you...
The price of gold in Bangkok has hit a new high of $2,250 per ounce -- 82,500 baht in real money.
TECHNOLOGY
True Story
Amazon is closing its automated grocery stores that delivered the magical experience of walking in, picking out whatever you needed, and walking out again, and then having an amount possibly even related to what you had taken deducted from your credit card. (Gizmodo)
Automated.
Well, as to that, all those cameras weren't hooked up to some carefully trained visual AI system, but to a warehouse full of people in India keeping track of your every move.
Only you can decide if that's better or worse.
https://gizmodo.com/amazon-reportedly-ditches-just-walk-out-grocery-stores-1851381116
Dell's new Inspiron 14 Plus is HP's Pavilion 14 Plus only worse. (Liliputing)
The Dell has a 2880x1800 display but it's half as bright as the HP's OLED panel, and the Four Essential Keys are absent as they are on all of Dell's current laptops. Since it's the same price as the HP, so-o-o-o...
Is there any reason at all to buy it?
https://liliputing.com/dell-inspiron-14-plus-2024-laptop-is-now-available-with-intel-meteor-lake-and-up-to-a-2-8k-display/
How to hack any AI. (Tech Crunch)
Be very annoying.
Details on how to do that at:
https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/02/anthropic-researchers-wear-down-ai-ethics-with-repeated-questions/
Wait, is Qualcomm's new laptop CPU actually good? (Tom's Hardware)
Maybe so. Qualcomm's previous efforts in this space have been underwhelming, but all reports on this venture have been positive so far.
https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/snapdragon-x-elite-beats-amd-and-intel-flagship-mobile-cpus-in-geekbench-6-qualcomms-new-laptop-chip-leads-in-single-and-multi-core-tests
USA EUROPE RUSSIA WWIII
Blinken predicts Ukraine will join NATO. Soon.
https://shorturl.at/byQVW
U.S. Secretary of State Don Tony (Antony) Blinken says that NATO's July summit in Washington will be "highly focused" on admitting Ukraine.
This is even though NATO never has conquered a square inch of territory.
Not to mention that Russia has spent the last 16 years expanding through force of arms.
Even though Covid 19's Don Tony never managed a trip to Thailand, we are celebrating this month the fourth (4th) anniversary of Faucism.
We failed to fight him on the beaches ... https://t.ly/U4VXc
Denver to Illegal Aliens: Go Away.
Go to Canada, we will buy tickets for you. Go to Chicago!
With subtitles:
Full show:
https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1774510815325917456
NOTE: It was Bob Seger (of Detroit) who wrote and performed the 1975 song Get Outta Denver.
With lyrics:
GLOBAL WARMING EVs
OUCH! Hey! That hurt!
Tesla shares fall after deliveries drop 8.5 percent year-on-year -- far below even the lowest predictions of "experts".
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/02/tesla-tsla-q1-2024-vehicle-delivery-and-production-numbers.html
ALSO EVs
Vietnam's Vinfast appoints 15 Thai dealers
Ms Vu Dang Yen Hang (photo below with Thai reps), CEO VinFast Thailand:
Through this partnership, we aim to swiftly deliver smart electric mobility solutions to consumers in Thailand.
VinFast Auto Thailand is targeting expansion to at least 50 countries in 2024. Beyond established markets like the US, Canada, and Europe, VinFast is building its presence in neighbouring Asian countries including India, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines, alongside the Middle East and Africa.
https://www.nationthailand.com/business/automobile/40036763
SPACE
This (below) is a volcano, just discovered by astronomers. It's the size of Mount Everest.
It's not dangerous to anyone except the aliens living on Mars.
The boffins call it Olympus Mons. It's the largest known volcano in the entire solar system.
Researchers are lobbying for massive searches near Olympus Mons, to try to find water-ice or, of course, actual living aliens.
Much more, including some details of NASA's latest 'simulated Mars mission' in Texas, just getting under way.
Full report: https://shorturl.at/euyES
SpaceX sends Eutelsat telecom satellite into orbit. Aboard a Falcon9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which is a state in America.
The Eutelsat 36D geostationary telecommunications satellite is designed to provide TV broadcasting and government services to customers in Africa, Europe and parts of Asia.
What a pity that Europe and Eutelsat couldn't manage it themselves.
https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2024/03/30/spacex-eutelstat-satellite-launch/6911711835025/
USA POLITICS
ACHTUNG! WARNING!
The following is not for anyone below the age of 26, after your brain has stopped being easily changed, and not for anyone with a heart condition or general nervous temperament.
We’ve descended into some sort of bizarre hell-world in which Jon STEWART is a voice of sanity:
Watch: Jon Stewart Mocks Ms NBC and CNN Into Next Week for Histrionic Coverage of Hogtied Biden Image.
https://redstate.com/mike_miller/2024/04/02/john-stewart-mocks-the-bejesus-out-of-msnbc-and-cnn-over-histrionic-coverage-of-hogtied-biden-image-n2172205
Biden campaign spokesman Michael Tyler says
This image from Donald Trump is the type of crap you post when you’re calling for a bloodbath or when you tell the Proud Boys to ‘stand back and stand by.’ Trump is regularly inciting political violence and it’s time people take him seriously — just ask the Capitol Police officers who were attacked protecting our democracy on January 6.
Directly Related: Watch: James Carville Calls for 'Wet Work' (Assassination Term) to be done against Donald Trump. https://t.ly/08HcM
Also Directly Related II, Flashback: Bernie Bro James T. Hodgkinson, Attempted Assassin Of Steve Scalise, Already Being Erased From History. And additional examples of violence and eliminationist rhetoric at the link.
MEDICAL LONGEVITY
It's always the mice that get the benefits of medical research. Well, this time, it's only large mice. And no girl mice.
Large mouse study still tracking to experimentally doubling remaining life of middle-age male mice.
https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2024/04/large-mouse-study-still-tracking-to-experimentally-doubling-remaining-life-of-middle-age-male-mice.html
Although this is about humans, and it seems to be good news, at that.
Pilot study shows ketogenic diet improves severe mental illness.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-ketogenic-diet-severe-mental-illness.html
And this sounds tasty, so, FASTER, PLEASE
Researchers discover new class of drugs to fight antibiotic resistance. https://t.ly/mX8kR
Those in the know, and possibly no one else realise and grasp the concept of the greatest Canadian artist of all time:
The totally made-up slam poet and radical intersectionalist Titania McGrath has made more outlandish claims and tweets than you can imagine. And here are just some of them that came true.
A short summary:
Limey Olympian swimmer Sharron Davies noticed something about some of her competitors in 1974.
Then and now, she's quite outspoken about East Germany's manly sportswomen. https://t.ly/a7WEU
No animals were harmed during the making of this Fishwrap. Rectal thermometers were washed before oral use.