Thailand's junta promises China. With conditions
Up and at 'em boys and girls and others. It's the eve of another weekend - Friday, July 8.
Buh-bye BoJo
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has agreed to resign, ending an unprecedented political crisis over his future. Johnson had rebuffed calls by his Cabinet to step down in the wake of ethics scandals. He gave up after more than 40 ministers quit his government and told him to go.
The man who utterly squandered an eighty-seat parliamentary majority.
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-politics-62072419
Thailand's junta promises China
During the 30-hour visit to Thailand by Chinese foreign minister and senior Communist Party of China member Wang Yi, Thailand's ruling junta gave in, on one point.
The junta's official front man and designated 'prime minister' Prayut promised to Wang:
Thailand will complete the main part of the high-speed railway to link Thailand to Yunnan province, through Laos...
by 2028
So there is still lots of time for even more procrastination.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2340997/
But wait! There's more!
Then, Prayut himself went a bit up-country to Kamphaeng Phet province and told a carefully hand-selected group of supporters that he would
try to speed up the China-supported railway construction
If And Only If
he and his junta supporters and loyalists are re-elected and put back in power after a 2023 election that has not yet been scheduled.
"If I can continue [as prime minister after the next election], the [Chinese-supported belt and road] projects will proceed faster."
NOTE
It was the first up-country trip by Prayut this year
Prayut has never run for office
Reminder
Prayut flew to Washington (with wife and office toadies) in 2016 and promised Trump and Thailand in writing that he would have an election in 2017. He had one in 2018 but he didn't run. Again.
Prayut's 'ministry of transport' held a mini-meeting on Thursday and approved a plan to enlarge Suvarabhumi airport's east side to handle another 15 million passengers - by 2025.
Two of Prayut's closest loyalists chaired the meeting.
Covid hits Bangkok Christian. Hits it hard.
An outbreak of the Rona has infected 700 students and staff. The junta locked the school doors and ordered all classes to go online, starting Monday.
Onsite classrooms will resume on July 20, after workers disinfect the entire building.
This afternoon, the  Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) will decide today whether to mandate and enforce masks for indoor spaces, everywhere, all the time
.
CORONAVIRUS THAILAND
The disease continues its relentless attack in Thailand.
The number of new cases on Thursday dropped by 100, compared with Wednesday. The recorded death toll: Another 20 virus victims.
The medical summary for Thursday, July 7, 2022:
• 2,366 new cases
• 20 deaths
• 24,904 active cases
• 757 serious cases
• 2,234 recovered
BUG HUNT
 U.S. Army Cuts Off all pay and benefits for more thant 60,000 Guard and Reserve soldiers who are unvaccinated.
The pro-business Tribune of the Ruling Class Wall Street Journal Asks:
Why Are We Rushing to Inject Toddlers With an Experimental Vaccine Against a Disease That Is Virtually No Threat to Them?
This urgency now feels political.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-the-rush-for-toddler-vaccines-covid-pandemic-children-fda-pfizer-moderna-medicine-evidence-11656951993
Somewhat related
In October 2021, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) mandated that all students be vaccinated for Covid-19 or to go back to virtual learning.
 The judge thought for a moment, laughed and wiped the mandate off the books.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/judge-deals-blow-to-lausd-student-covid-vaccination-mandate/ar-AAZgXmL
R.I.P.
James "Jimmy" Caan, movie-actor tough guy best known as hot-headed Soony Corleone of 'Godfather', dies at 82. Cause of death is unknown.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/james-caan-veteran-godfather-elf-actor-dies-82-rcna37148
THAILAND FINANCE INFLATION RATES
The Bank of Thailand has scheduled a major press conference for mid-morning.
Central bank officials promise a full update on policy rates and the slowly devolving baht-exchange problem.
The last word came last month when the BoT decided to keep policy interest rates right where they have been for three years.
This afternoon's press conference is not (not) an urgent policy rate meeting. The Bank of Thailand's (BoT) next monetary policy review will be on Aug 10.
ProTip: Bet that the bank will raise interest rates next month.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2341617/
Yes? And? Do you have a point?
Today's blacklisted American: Democrat politicians threaten local Aspen newspaper for its news coverage.
China censors the news stories reporting the theft by hackers of data on one billion-with-a-b citizens and residents.
https://fortune.com/2022/07/06/china-hack-1-billion-database-breach-shanghai-police-censor/
QUOTE
If we had killed 10.3 million Jews I would say with satisfaction 'Good, we destroyed an enemy.' Then we would have fulfilled our mission. And thus, to my regret, it was not to be.
Adolf Eichmann, executor of the Final Solution of World War II, which resulted in deaths and murders of 6 million Jews.
ASEAN CAMBODIA RUSSIA UKRAINE
Background: Cambodia is this year's chairman of ASEAN, and Hun Sen and associates asking no one and no nation for guidance. Also, and related: Cambodia has neither pledged nor tried to remain neutral in the Russia-Ukraine fight.
Cambodia's foreign minister Prak Sokhonn (photo below, with Lavrov) revealed Thursday that he has sent a personal letter, in secrecy, to invite Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov next month's series of ASEAN summits and the annual ASEAN Regional Forum, which, yes, is called ARF. He is waiting for Lazrov to replay.
The semi-frantic rounds of meetings are to begin in Phnom Penh on July 30, and run for at least 10 days.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501108346/invitation-letter-already-sent-to-russian-foreign-minister-for-asean-meets
#MeToo, Jessie.
But it's the best July 4 fireworks vid so far. Click to laugh.
And another possibly even better Tweet:
Chester The Molester molests woman in elevator.
Chester The Molester seriously wishes he hadn't done that. Twice.
Happy birthday, Spam. The Little Blue Can's 85th Birthday was last Tuesday. Inside info, at:
https://www.insidehook.com/article/food-and-drink/visual-history-spam-blue-can-birthday
U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
SEGREGATION NOW, SEGREGATION TOMORROW, SEGREGATION FOREVER!
NO ASIANS! NO ASIANS! NO ASIANS!
BIPOC stands for Black and Indigenous People of Color.
That is: Black and indigenous Indians and Latinos of the Americas, who are partly descended from Indians.
This is vital. Because BIPOC means "NO ASIANS". This is critical to the meaning. Under no circumstances, in no place, at no time, must any Asian receive any benefits of affirmative action and forced racial hiring. Or party invites.
 Joe Biden was an originator of NO ASIANS immediately following the Vietnam war, and referring to refugees and resettlement of all Indochinese. Joe's son Hunter made 'NO ASIANS' an explicit instruction to a pimp.
Also
Video:
When Wokes and Racists Actually Agree on Everything
TECHNOLOGY
The EU has declared war on Apple. (MacRumors)
More specifically they've adopted legislation requiring big tech companies (including but not limited to Apple and Google) to allow developers to use third party payment providers (killing the 30% cut they take of every transaction) and access all services provided by the hardware device if given permission by the user.
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/07/05/eu-approves-landmark-legislation-to-regulate-apple/
Good question du jour:
What use is the world's most accurate clock? (New Scientist)
The most advanced atomic clocks don't just tell time – they could soon get so ludicrously accurate that they could be used for detecting gravitational waves and testing the limits of relativity
Are you sorry you asked?
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25433911-000-jun-ye-interview-what-use-is-the-worlds-most-accurate-clock/
PHOTO: Lazada Thailand (Jack Ma) will sell you this Atomic Digital Wall Clock for 771 baht, or 28.35 loonies. It's really accurate.
Four features we expect to see on iPhone 14 this year (9to5Mac.com)
1. The mini version is dead, Jim.
2. Regular and Pro models will look different.
3. 48MP main sensor for the iPhone 14 Pro, biggest front-facing camera upgrade in years.
4. iPhone 14 models will use the same A15 chip as the iPhone 13.
https://9to5mac.com/2022/06/16/four-features-we-expect-to-see-on-iphone-14-this-year/
Half of Japan's businesses haven't yet ditched their Internet Explorer web browser.
They'll be sorry. That illustrates the old saying, 'Live and Learn'.
https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-internet-explorer-japan-business-151751069.html
The Madness of King Joe?
Biden selling U.S. oil reserves to Europe, Asia.
Netherlands, Italy, India, China...
As Reuters puts it:
Sure looks like madness.
The export of crude and fuel is blunting the impact of the moves by U.S. President Joe Biden to lower record pump prices.
https://bityl.co/D814
China is the major recipient of oil being drained from the SPR.
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-us-reserves-head-overseas-gasoline-prices-stay-high-2022-07-05/
The important question is: Did The 'Big Guy' GET HIS 10%?
https://nypost.com/2022/07/06/joe-biden-exports-oil-barrels-despite-us-gas-prices-report/
Because he can, right?
Elon Musk's Boring Company will build a 34-mile (54.7 Canadian kilometre) tunnel network underneath Las Vegas.
https://www.engadget.com/the-boring-company-tunnel-expansion-las-vegas-080509791.html
Bun is a JavaScript and TypeScript packaging tool, transpiler, and runtime, written in Zig. (Bun)
On the one hand this is insane; on the other hand it is three times faster than Node.js.
On the third hand Node.js is the single worst thing humanity has created.
https://bun.sh/?launch
On this day in 1951
Who was alive (and well)?
