The forest fire in Chiang Mai is Huge!
Hello World and all other superbly welcome readers outside our solarium.
This is the Early Edition of Fishwrap for The Last Day, February 29 of Year 2024. And by the by...
Extremely well trained scientists and mathematically gifted experts claim that the chances of a Leap Year birth is one in 1,461.
The forest fire in Chiang Mai -- It's Huge!
Fires have burnt for a week and destroyed 30,000 rai (4,800 hectares; 12,000 acres) of forests straddling three districts of Chiang Mai province.
Park officials said most of the burned forests were located in the Ob Luang National Park.
https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40035868
And it's not only the destructive blaze itself.
The fire is spewing massive amounts of smoke -- otherwise known a PM2.5 air pollution.
The Chiang Mai PM2.5 monitoring centre reported that 69 hotspots were detected on Sunday and 38 of them were in Hot district, 13 in Mae Cham, 6 in Doi Tao, 4 in Chomg Thong, 3 in Mae Taeng, 2 in San Sai, and one each in Prao, Mae Kwang and Chiang Dao districts.
Obstinate cab drivers
The government insists taxi drivers should not and cannot refuse to carry passengers. The taxi drivers laugh.
Now, Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit (who has comfortable cars and never, ever takes a taxi) claims that he has signed orders to the Land Transport Department to "solve the problem" of Bangkok taxi drivers refusing passengers during rush hour.
And Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has jumped into this ring, demanding improved taxi services, safer and more convenient.
Here are tips on fighting the obstinacy, you-against-them -- https://shorturl.at/cyCP0
Suriya told the Thai and foreign media that he has instructed the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) to find out how the entire taxi system can be improved and study the fare structure by taking into account the current cost of living.
French ambassador to Thailand Jean-Claude Poimboeuf and German counterpart Ernst Reichel explain why
Ukraine's two-year (and running war against Russian invaders matters to Thailand too.
It was clear the Russians expected Kyiv aka Kiev to be conquered within three days. Russian tank crews even brought their parade uniforms with them when they invaded across the border.
We must protect ourselves from potential aggressors, be they in Europe or in Asia or elsewhere. Therefore, it is in our own direct interest to resist aggression wherever it occurs, and to support the attacked party.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2748429/
PHOTO: Ukrainian performance artist Lidiya Lakshmi Zhuravlyova poses during an anti-war protest in Bangkok.
NOTE: Lidiya runs an escort service out of Bangkok and is sometimes, erm, available.
Tricky Nikki Haley finishes a strong second in the Republican Party primary election in her home state of South Carolina.
TECHNOLOGY
Why is Google creating pro-Nazi and pro-Confederate propaganda?
Tired of being accused of being communist? Possible.
Quick Summary: Great Performance, Bad Visibility
2024 Tesla Cybertruck Dual MotorFirst Drive: Hype Machine or the Real Deal?
All in all, it's obvious that Tesla did its pickup-truck homework. The owner of our test truck is not an EV or Tesla enthusiast. His other cars are a heavy-duty Ram pickup and a Jeep Wrangler, and he bought a Cybertruck because it struck him as a proper pickup.
Early in his ownership, he has not been disappointed.
MotorTrend, with many good pix: https://t.ly/Qes_g
GLOBAL WARMING AMERICAN JUSTICE
You Can Lead a U.S. Jury to Water But You Can't Make Them Think
The world's greatest hockey stick manufacturer Michael Mann of UPenn wisely took two of his leading critics to a New York City jury trial
Where he beat the pants off Canadian iconoclast Mark Steyn and blogger Rand Simburg for defamation and proved that
there are two tiers of justice in the USA: one for the Brahmandarin Caste, another for the rest of us (including ex-Brahmandarins outcast for going rogue on the caste).
Our best read was by the extremely biased and excellent reporter Roger Pielke.
As Michael Mann stated after the verdict, the case was really about politics and ideology:
https://www.desmog.com/2024/02/08/michael-mann-wins-defamation-trial-climate-deniers-rand-simberg-mark-steyn/
The process was about making sure that bad actors aren't allowed to make false and defamatory statements about scientists.
You catch that vital: "aren't allowed"?
CCP Dictator Xi Jinping encourages U.S. students to get brainwashed in China.
But why? They can just stay at home and watch TikTok. https://shorturl.at/jmB28
The British National Health Service isn't that good:
For Example: U.K. cancer treatment falls behind other countries.
One of the greatest triumphs of British colonialism was convincing the English to see the BBC and the NHS and Scotland Yard as items of national pride.
For example, Cancel Culture In Britain Is Happening On A Historic Scale, Part 4
Limey police have now arrested more citizens for Freedom of Speech than they ever arrested during the Great Red Scare, including the Palmer Raids.
Without Freedom to Hijack With Impunity, Palestine will never be free.
['El-Kurd' (rhymes with tCENSOREDd) is an Israeli citizen living peacefully in Jerusalem.]
