Thailand starts the annual water fight in appropriately hot-hot weather.
The only thing we have to fear is the Fishwrap itself.
REPEAT: This is an AI-free zone (to the best of our capability).
THAILAND ONLY Order is inapplicable to USA
The Thai government is suddenly caught on its back foot -- current intelligence indicates that 100,000... more than100,000 Burmese are going to try to flee Myanmar and claim asylum in Thailand.
Word is that the Burmese dictatorship is also frantic, because of manpower losses and territory to the many "pro-democracy" forces, which are mostly coming out of enclaves on or near the borders of China, the sub-continent and Thailand.
Ground fighting is intense in some areas.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said he has instructed the armed forces to secure the border with Myanmar and not allow any military aircraft from the neighbouring country to enter Thai airspace.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2775399/
Royal Thai Army commander General Charoenchai Hinthao told him on Friday that, "Everything remains under control."
The Royal Thai Air Force's air defence and radar have been monitoring Myanmar's aerial operations in Myanmar and have not detected any aerial threat to Thailand. Yet.
The world's largest water fight got under way Saturday morning, first day of the three-day holiday to mark the Thai New Year -- 2568.
The weather is perfect up and down Thailand -- hot as a firecracker, low humidity. But there are isolated summer storms as well, with warm rainfalls.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2775469/
TECHNOLOGY
The very precise definition of
DECOUPLING: Apple doubles India iPhone production to US$14 billion as it shifts from China.
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/10/apple-made-14-billion-worth-of-iphones-in-india-in-shift-from-china.html
Google is threatening to stop providing news links to California after California announced legislation charging companies that provide news links to California. (The Verge)
It's obvious to everyone that this is what will happen if these stupid laws pass, but they still pass these stupid laws.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/12/24128363/google-cjpa-news-removal-california
If a 4TB SD card isn't enough for you Western Digital has announced a 368TB portable SSD. (Notebook Check)
Well, kind of portable. It weighs 28 pounds.
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Western-Digital-s-368-TB-SSD-weighs-28-to-33-pounds-and-is-portable.826532.0.html
THAILAND ECONOMY POLITICS 10000-BAHT GIVEAWAYS
Rumours are rife that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and high-ranking bureaucrats have withdrawn tens of billions of baht in order to try to build up a fund to finance the promised 10,000-baht giveaway to every citizen that hasn't even started.
Plus -- there is an actual run on the government-controlled Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC).
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2775394/
Depositors were lined up Saturday to withdraw or cancel their accounts, fearful that Srettha and the government intend to pull 172.3 billion baht to fund the 10,000-baht giveaway.
Srettha and government spokespersonwomen have denied that report.
But in a hugely confusing "explanation" the PM said that, well, yes, yes it's true that the BAAC is going to fund or help to fund the 10,000 baht giveaway project.
https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/economy/40037214
USA TERROR
One person died and several others were injured when 42-year-old Clenard Parker stole an 18-wheeler and drove it intentionally straight into an office of Texas Department of Public Safety. He was being pursued by Texas Rangers in the rural Texas town of Brenham.
Just before he stole the truck, Brenham failed a test for a driver's licence. The man did not scream "Allahu Akhbar" at any point of his adventure.
Epoch: https://t.ly/uyfaJ
USA GUNS CORRUPTION
Living High on the Hogg https://t.ly/YRIY4
When he was a high school student in the U.S. state of Florida David Hogg saved his life by hiding in a closet during the murderous Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting that killed 17 others.
He now controls a hugely corrupt political group that claims to favour U.S. "gun control" but in fact pays him tonnes of money for travel, entertainment, clothing etc etc and so forth.
So he was unprepared when a Chinese (legal) immigrant took him to the constitutional woodshed, which is what Lily Tang Williams did at Hogg's political meeting in her state of New Hampshire.
Mic-drop moment: Go To China To See How Gun Control Works.
SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT
Died, at 76 in his home in Las Vegas, Orenthal James Simpson aka The Juice aka Wife Killer.
He was acquitted of murder but (The Law of Karma) served just under nine years in prison for robbery, kidnapping and fronting a sports memorabilia scam.
Tragically, he died before he could find Nicole's real killer.
News from the dying continent.
'The German industry has a disadvantage.'
German industry unlikely to fully recover from energy crisis, ever, warns RWE boss.
https://www.ft.com/content/5d98bcab-c8bc-49c8-83a0-88522194f64d
Where could all those new cases be coming from? https://t.ly/g-CLc
 CDC: Surge in U.S. measles cases threatens elimination status.
Well, yes, if there are more cases coming in than you can stop or even deal with...
TECHNOLOGY
SKYNET BLUFFS:
AI can pretend to be stupider than it really is, scientists find.
Thank goodness we have 'scientists' to inform us on this.
https://futurism.com/the-byte/ai-plays-dumb
That said,
The real trouble comes when a computer can easily pass the Turing test -- and chooses not to.
It's vital to remember that Decline is a choice.
https://twitter.com/JosephPolitano/status/1777115959872110967
A comfortable chair, perhaps even a sofa or (why not?) an old rocking chair. A kitten as warm companion, or puppy; we'll not judge you. And articles worthy of consideration.
The Word from the Philippines
How Marcos policies serve the U.S. but imperil us https://t.ly/c6W5e
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. gives the clearest demonstration yet of how the United States alliance has worsened, not solved, security issues with China.