Thailand's high court warns progressives against changing royalty laws

Thailand 'deports' the Belarussian anti-Putin rock band to Israel.
Details on the WWE's Vince "Mister" McMahon are filthy and foul.
  

The worst time to have a heart attack is during a game of charades.
  

GLOBAL WARMING: As the increase of extreme weather hazards become more severe due to climate change, we need to adapt the way we are helping communities rebuild post-disaster.
-- Deanne Criswell, U.S. FEMA

China's first order to Srettha government:

 Speed up the high-speed railway line

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke to Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin -- but also to his government:
 Get a faster move-on with the Bangkok-to-Nong Khai railway.
The US$5 billion rail project is seen by some as a "fiscal trap" for Thailand.
DevDiscourse https://t.ly/qgXjN

Thailand (and the Bi-2 band) figured out a solution so crazy that it just might work.
The whole anti-Putin, anti-Ukraine was Russian-Belarussian band was put on flights to Israel.

Thailand's supreme Constitutional Court issued a harsh warning yesterday to the 'progressive' Move Forward Party (MFP)
The nine justices unanimously ruled that the MFP and specifically its prominent leader Pita Limjaroenrat, were guilty of seeking to overthrow Thailand's constitutional monarchy system, because of its open intention to amend or abolish Article 112 of the Criminal Code -- the lese majeste law. And they warned:
  Don't even think about 'reforming the monarchy'
  Do not even discuss changing the world's harshes law on lese majeste (defaming the king or royal family)
The warnings are clear. The nine-judge Constitutional Court can abolish the MFP at any instant.
https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40035187

The Constitutional Court's ruling caught MFP's official leader Chaithawat Tulathon (right) and the almost-prime minister Pita Limjaroenrat flat-footed.
Both of them claimed the party has no intention of changing the 'Thai democratic system', although it does and fought a winning election campaign on the issues last May.
Chaithawat said that the court's statement is detrimental to Thailand's politics.
 "What transpired, and the fallout from it, affects not just Move Forward but the whole Thai governmental structure."

REACTION and VIDEO: Pita: This Court Ruling is a setback for Thai democracy.
https://www.nationthailand.com/vdo/thailand-viral/40035186

The self-described super-royalist and hard-core military coup supporter Ruangkrai Leekitwattana called on the court, and even the government, to ban the Move Forward Party.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2734614/

SPORTS SOCCER ASIAN CUP QATAR
Iran dumps Syria out of Cup play, set to face Japan next.
https://www.nationthailand.com/lifestyle/sport/40035199

East-Southeast Asia analyst Kavi Chongkittavorn figures:
 Thai-Cambodian ties enter a new era
Since January 1, Thai pass holders have been allowed to travel to Siem Reap, Battambang province without a passport, to visit one of the world's seven wonders, Angkor Wat.
 Similarly, the residents of seven Cambodian provinces -- Koh Kong, Pursat, Battambang, Pailin, Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear -- could cross into Thailand.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2732910/
PHOTO: Preah Vihear, temple of endless Thai-Cambodian spats.

After armed clashes in 2011, Cambodia took Thailand to the International Court of Justice in 2013. The ICJ came out with a verdict demanding that Thai troops be withdrawn from the disputed areas.
Now, it appears that both countries are willing to reopen the temple to visitors, for the first time in 13 years.

In addition
When Cambodian prime minister Hun Manet visits Thailand in September, he and Srettha will discuss measures to reduce 'hotspots' -- the forest fires and crop burning that causes the heavy PM2.5 haze.
https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40035190

I retired and moved to Thailand. It's cheap, and I feel more respected here than in the UK.
A 75-year-old British retiree shares why he moved into an affordable retirement resort in Thailand. He said affordability and medical care were driving factors.

 Hands Up everyone who knew about these cheap retirement resorts!
 And in Hua Hin, no less.

Trump and MAGA pledge Holy War on Taylor and the Swifties
 Trump is privately grousing he's more popular than her.
 Which is a magnitude of dumbass.
Rolling Stone: https://t.ly/mtgiB

THE UGLIEST AMERICAN

Vincent "Mister" McMahon has resigned (again) from TKO, the front-company for WWE rasslin'.
But a 67-page lawsuit bares his total perversity, criminality and delight in humiliating and trafficking women.
There's a reason why Fishwrap won't ever print not publish what's in this lawsuit, which has wrecked the WWE and in particular the (new) imbecilic CEO Stephanie and her truly dumb husband Paul Levesque, previously known as Triple-H.
https://www.salon.com/2024/01/27/lurid-new-allegations-surface-in-wwe-boss-vince-mcmahons-abuse-case/

GLOBAL WARMING
Hockey stick manufacturer Michael Mann's defamation case against Mark Steyn and Rand Simberg close to collapse.
 Mann's lawyers neglected to enter the allegedly defamatory articles into evidence. Mann looking anxious.

Hack the United States tax department, you'll be okay so long as you're on the correct political side.
Former Internal Revenue Service contractor Charles Littlejohn was sentenced Monday to 5 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to leaking former President Donald Trump's tax records, as well as those of some of the nation's wealthiest people.
Charles Littlejohn, 38, was charged in September and pleaded guilty the following month to one charge of unauthorised disclosure of tax returns and information about the returns. He received the maximum sentence of 5 years on Monday.
He won't serve a day.
Just The News: https://t.ly/5yB_k

USA POLITICS
BREAKING
Trump can stay on Illinois Primary ballot despite 'insurrection' allegations.
The decision by the state board of elections is a defeat for the push to entirely disqualify Trump from the 2024 election.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2024/01/30/trump-can-stay-on-illinois-primary-ballot-despite-insurrection-allegations-state-panel-rules/?sh=47cb639832e5

Kathy Griffin Begs People To Buy Tour Tickets. They're 'not selling well'.
Oh the poor woman! What did she ever do to cause a public boycott?
Newsweek: https://shorturl.at/hzDVX

TECHNOLOGY
Good news: ChatGPT is not leaking private chat content between users. (Ars Technica)
Bad news: Your account got hacked. (Ars Technica)
But if you're sharing confidential information with a chat bot, you're an idiot in the first place.
https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/01/ars-reader-reports-chatgpt-is-sending-him-conversations-from-unrelated-ai-users/

Cory Doctorow has a solution to what he calls the "enshittification" of technology. (The Register)
"So Bestie, where did it all go wrong?" The same question can be asked of today's tech industry.
SURPRISE! The solution is communism. (It's Cory Doctorow, Dummie.)
https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/30/tech_monopoly_doctorow/

Still, the guy has a point (as usual) and it's definitely not just America.
Streaming services are jacking up their prices, having locked in their viewers. Uber and Lyft are cracking down on drivers and pricing after having "disrupted" the taxi industry. Food delivery services are also increasing prices and adding mysterious fees after having seduced an audience unwilling or unable to leave their homes to seek sustenance.
and
 "The way to flush enshittification is enforcing effective competition." And there you have it.

Absolutely True Story: Microsoft Edge stole my Chrome tabs. (The Verge)
Edge has a setting where it will automatically import all your data from Chrome. And that setting sometimes mysteriously turns itself on.
You can turn it off, but the option is hidden under a special URL that can only be accessed from within Edge.
Gee, thanks.
https://x.com/thezedwards/status/1750952950598672455?s=20

Died, 42 Years Ago this week

Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins
Blues singer, songwriter, guitarist Sam Lightnin' Hopkins died of cancer aged 70. In 1968, Hopkins recorded the album Free Form Patterns, backed by the rhythm section of the psychedelic rock band 13th Floor Elevators. Hopkins influenced Bob Dylan, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix. R.E.M. recorded a song named after him on their Document album. (Info via thisdayinmusic.com)
Song at: