Thailand challenges Cambodia over air pollution
Another week, another 16 tonnes of salt.
Thanks to workers, for 210 weeks of Covid, Thailand has suffered zero shortage of Thai food.
Photo (above) Thaksin's daughter Ung Ing picked up her daddy at 5 a.m.
Former prime minister Thaksin arrived at his family mansion in Bangkok early on Sunday morning after 17 years.
 He is free, but he also is on parole.
 Thaksin was wearing an orthopaedic neck brace -- presumably showing one of the troubles that has kept him in Police General Hospital and out of prison.
There was heavy police security outside his residence.
https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40035665
This week's Nida Poll showed that "the greatest concern" of Thais right now is the fear of yet another long round of political battling.
The considerable anti-Thaksin TDS clique, particularly the election-winning 'progressive leftists, will not, ever, allow Thaksin to live in peace.
Bangkok city and the Bangkok Skytrain, best known to citizens as the BTS, opened a campaign to try to force residents out of their autos and SUVs with a slogan
 This BTS Car Reduces PM2.5 dust
Which could be true.
Among other Air Pollution developments
Royal Thai Army officers invited Cambodian counterparts for coffee and cake
and discussions on what they can do to cut down and then stop the pollution from drifting across the border into Thailand.
Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Friday had harsh criticism of Cambodia for failing to stop fires that cause the pollution.
CAMBODIA ECONOMY AGRICULTURE
Question of the Week from Asia Society Policy Institute
 Is Cambodia a new agricultural power? [https://shorturl.at/hGIJV]
Cambodia's greater emphasis on local agricultural production and grand ambition of becoming one of the world's biggest agricultural producers face numerous domestic challenges.
Who had 'Russia Moving Quickly To Try to Colonize Indonesia' on their Bingo cards this week?
This is Parq, a community for "visionaries, creatives and entrepreneurs", which calls itself a "city of the future". "Digital nomads" work from the packed pool bar, where a self-styled guru films himself beneath a palm tree.
There's a Las Vegas-style mini Colosseum out front, which will soon be a shopping mall. [ABC Australia https://t.ly/sp9rz]
Suspicious Mystery-Death in Texas
A senior member of the Communist Party of China and board member of the Bank of China, Angela Chao, sister of the wife of U.S. Senate pooyai Mitch McConnel
got into her $70,000 Tesla, zoomed straight back into a pond, sat in the Tesla and drowned.
And among other failings of the U.S. MSM, they will not tell you it was a Tesla. Good PR there, Elon.
We cannot (yet) be told that it was probably SUA*, which solves none of the mystery.
Investorshub: https://t.ly/Q_sP1
*EXPLAINER
Sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) is the unintended, unexpected, uncontrolled acceleration of a vehicle, often accompanied by an apparent loss of braking effectiveness. Such problems may be caused by driver error (e.g., pedal misapplication), mechanical or electrical problems, or some combination of these factors.
Related, still TESLA
Quick answer, Hard Nope.
 Are Brand-New Tesla Cybertrucks Rusting in the Rain? [https://t.ly/uWXTF]
 It's the sort of twist that makes for a compelling schadenfreude read.
 And yet, the culprit may not be suspect Tesla steel at all. Instead, maybe we can blame trains.
TECHNOLOGY
Is your Facebook... chirping? (theverge)
 Here’s how to fix it.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/13/24072406/is-your-facebook-chirping-heres-how-to-fix-it
Microsoft is retiring Azure IoS Central, its hub service for the Internet of Insecure Pieces of Crap. (The Register)
The service will stay running for existing customers until March 31, 2027, but we're likely to see a bunch of devices simply stop working the next day.
https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/15/microsoft_retires_azure_iot_central/
Where would we be without highly educated scientific Experts?
Experts are -- again -- proposing the regulation of AI hardware. (The Register)
In situations where AI systems pose catastrophic risks, it could be beneficial for regulators to verify that a set of AI chips are operated legitimately or to disable their operation (or a subset of it) if they violate rules.
No. Stop it! No it wouldn't.
https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/16/boffins_propose_regulating_ai_hardware/
The Department of totally bananas nuts department reports
Proposed legislation would allow defendants to inspect the algorithms of any code used to produce evidence against them in court. (The Verge)
This is actually sound in principle, but would inevitably cause drama during its introduction phase. And for about twenty years following.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/15/24074214/justice-in-forensic-algorithms-act-democrats-mark-takano-dwight-evans
USA DEFENCE
The Little Carriers That Could
 More Is Better {https://t.ly/l3aMk}
 As a final note, if you have not already, notice that their deployment has been extended well past six months, as expected. How much longer? We’ll see. This is just another reminder that the US Navy is not large enough. We do not have enough of everything to do what our nation requires of her.
Who are the Main Suspects?
 Who's really behind the Biden administration's foreign policy?
https://shorturl.at/ewEK5
USA EDUCATION GRIFT CORRUPTION
Higher Education Bloat
Former University of Pennsylvania president shatters record for highest-paid college president
 $22,866,127. That's a yearly salary, just 818 million baht, 68 million per month.
The U.S. Congress has legal power to cap compensation for nonprofit executives, including higher ed executives.
https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2024/02/former-penn-president-shatters-record-for-highest-paid-college-president-23-million.html
Tuition, one year at UPenn: $65,000
Books and Board, on-campus: $25,000
Plus-Plus Wheels, meals, etc etc: $18,000 = US$120,000 = 4,300,000 baht in real money.
 Times 4 (years) (A-a-n-d) you have to buy your own cap and gown for graduation.
