What the World Needs Now is a real War on Drugs
Morning, fellow childrens. It's Saturday again, first day of a two-day weekend. The next long-long weekend will be next weekend to mark the anniversary of the death of King Bhumbol the Great.
A time for mourning
Weeping, grief-stricken families gathered outside the preschool where a former policeman murdered nearly two dozen children in one of Thailand's worst mass killings.
The King and Queen headed for up-country yesterday, to try to console families in Nong Bua Lam Phu and Udon Thani provinces.
The alleged 'prime minister' was quite busy with other matters in Bangkok and couldn't make it.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2409266/families-mourn-preschool-massacre-victims
CONDOLENCE THOUGHTS PRAYERS
I am shocked and saddened to learn of the mass shooting... Singapore stands in solidarity with Thailand.
-- Written message from the office of Singapore prime minister Hsien Loong to Thailand's alleged 'prime minister' Prayut
Even though there was no mass shooting.
I'm so saddened by the loss of so many innocent lives, majority children.
-- Tweet by ex-general Tedros Adhano Ghebreyesus, director, World Health Organization.
We stand with the people of Thailand and offer our deepest condolences to the victims and their families.
-- Statement, U.S. Embassy, Bangkok
We stand with the people of Thailand, the victims and their whānau [meaning extended family] at this difficult time.
-- Tweet by Nanaia Mahuta, Foreign Affairs Minister, New Zealand
We are horrified and deeply saddened. Our heartfelt condolences to the victims' families, and to the people and Govt of Thailand over this terrible tragedy.
-- Tweet, foreign affairs ministry of Greece
Malaysians are shocked and deeply saddened to learn about the tragic loss of life and injuries following the tragedy. Our deepest sympathies to the bereaved families & friends who losttheir loved ones and we pray for the ones receiving treatment to recover safely.
-- Statement, Saifuddin Abdullah, foreign affairs minister, Malaysia
Unicef condemns all forms of violence against children. We join all people in Thailand in mourning and hope that those affected receive appropriate and timely support.
-- Statement, United Nations Children's Fund, New York
KINDERGARTEN OF SLAUGHTER
Bouquets of while (mourning) flowers line the front wall of the nursery where the massacre occurred - along with cartons of milk, yoghurt and snacks.
SOME GOOD NEWS
Three shooting victims return home
The mass murders on Thursday also left 10 people injured.
Three were declared fit to return home on Friday.
Token deputy prime minister and public health minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the other seven were still under close medical supervision.
Firearms policies 'under review'
Thursday's mass shooting at a nursery in Nong Bua Lam Phu has prompted an urgent review of the country's policy on firearms possession for current and former police officers, national police chief Police four-star General Damrongsak Kittiprapas claimed.
In the first such incident of a 'review'...
Police in Nakhon Si Thammarat in the south of Thailand arrested a man, hopped up on meth, and charged him with invading a school, while carrying a gun - allegedly to search for his own child.
They cornered, trapped, cuffed and strip-searched the 34-year-old man.
He was carrying 17 meth pills, a 9mm pistol, a .22-calibre rifle and 20 rounds.
He said he had a fight with his wife and the two yaa-ba pills he swallowed made him feel better.
DEAR BIDEN: Tick Tick Tick. Still waiting
DEFENCE
RTAF awaits U.S. F-35 decision
The newly appointed Royal Thai Air Force commander said he is not sure whether the United States will agree to sell F-35 fighter jets to the RTAF.
Air Chief Marshal Alongkorn Wannarot:
The project [of purchase] has been approved by an air force committee and the letter of offer and acceptance was sent to the United States.
The RTAF is now awaiting a response from the U.S., expected between January and July.
POLITICS NARCOTICS DRUGS TRAFFICKING
Pheu Thai Party seeks 'drug war' revival
What the world needs now .... is a war on drugs
The last major 'war' in Thailand was the 2003-2004 campaign organised and cheered wildly by then-prime minister Thaksin. Police killed around 2,500 people, some of whom were street-corner dealers.
Current Pheu Thai Party leader Cholnan Srikaew noted the link to drugs in the Isan school massacre.
Party secretary-general Prasert Chantararuangtong promised to bring 'an urgent motionto parliament', asking the House to convene a special sitting to discuss the country’s drug problems.
Thailand is a world hub of trafficking of meth and heroin from the Golden Triangle of Burma (Myanmar).
Also on the most-trafficked list:
Ketamine and depression: A mechanism of the antidepressant revealed.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-10-ketamine-depression-mechanism-antidepressant-revealed.html
THAILAND TOURISM OUTBOUND
Airlines eager to reopen Japan routes
Local airlines are banking on borders reopening in Asian countries, but are cautiously planning their routes as a weak currency and high fuel costs still afflict the industry.
Tassapon Bijleveld, chief executive of Thai AirAsia X, said Japan's planned reopening on Oct 11 has been a tremendous help in driving load factor for all routes to this country.
The airline's average load factor for its Japan routes already tallied 85-86% and is expected to increase to 90% by the end of this month as demand continues to grow.
"Japan has the fastest growing routes at the moment for every airline that flies to that nation.
"The advantage for this market is there’s less impact from currency exchange as both the Thai baht and Japanese yen are weakening," he said.
PHOTO: The scene at Bangkok's Don Mueang airport.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2398678/
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/questions-about-visiting-japan-in-2022-2023
The New Space Race has many arms:
Report highlights U.S. concerns over China's space infrastructure in South America.
https://spacenews.com/report-highlights-u-s-concerns-over-chinas-space-infrastructure-in-south-america/
Interesting sidelight to this study: Older people were less swayed by media hysteria.
CORONAVIRUS WORLD
The Gang of 97 is quite wrong about this. It was not the pandemic that did this. It was the response to the pandemic, much of it designed and championed by the Gang of 97:
The Pandemic Really Did Change Us on a Personal Level, And It Wasn't For The Better
. "The global coronavirus pandemic affected just about everyone across the globe in ways that we're still trying to understand. It appears that one of the effects is that many of us became moodier along the way, often to the point of becoming more neurotic and less agreeable. According to a new study of 7,109 people aged between 18 and 90, the shift was most noticeable in younger adults. Amongst the elderly people included in the research, there were no statistically significant changes."
https://www.sciencealert.com/the-pandemic-really-did-change-us-on-a-personal-level-and-it-wasnt-for-the-better
Hey Sluggo, don't forget to say your prayers.
US splashes $290m on anti-radiation drugs after Putin ups nuclear threat.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/other/us-splashes-24290m-on-anti-radiation-drugs-after-putin-ups-nuclear-threats/ar-AA12Dv4K
And... (And this is NOT a joke, even though it's a joke)
Click or tap to embiggen.
Here's the whole document:
https://www.ready.gov/nuclear-explosion
This is the sort of thing you can now expect from the U.S. media - the whole shebang.
Biden hates Republicans so much, he would rather give oil money to Venezuela and Saudi Arabia than Texas.
Remember Unity? heh
https://nypost.com/2022/10/06/biden-hates-republicans-so-much-he-would-rather-give-oil-money-to-venezuela-and-saudi-arabia-than-texas/
U.S.A. MILITARY TWITTER
The U.S.A. could use a lot more like this.
U.S. Inspector General's Office reprimanded a senior general (Spoiler: two-star general Patrick Donahoe) for going on Twitter to troll Fox News' editorialist Tucker Carlson.
'You discredited the United States by improper use of social media, toxic and counterproductive leadership, and failing to treat a subordinate with dignity and respect.'
But the guy will stay in the army.
The Inspector General's office concluded: Donahoe's tweets were unprofessional and brought 'negative publicity' to the military.
Suggestion: Soldier, STFU. Given the state of today's post-Afghanistan-debacle U.S. military, there's no time to waste on Twitter warfare.
PHOTO: Donahue: Yeah? And? So what? It's the I.G. Who cares? Feels zero shame, intends zero consideration.
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-investigation-pat-donahoe-social-media/
https://bityl.co/EwyW
SRI LANKA CEYLON CORRUPTION INCOMPETENCE
COLOMBO: The country's top court has ruled that a citizens' lawsuit against ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa can move forward.
The court also agreed to allow proceedings against former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, a former finance minister and two former central bank governors. All five of the men were tossed out by citizens' protests, some of them violent.
PHOTO: Protests continue in Colombo and other locations against Rajapaksa and cronies.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2409370/
This video starts with a spider on the ceiling and if you don't know where the video winds up going you're probably not ready for the video.
TECHNOLOGY
TOP STORY: A hacker has stolen $566 million from Binance Bridge... Sort of. (Bleeping Computer)
This was an item duping scheme, and much as with Ultima Online, Binance responded by burning the hacker's house down. There's still about $70 million of duplicated funds that haven't been incinerated yet, though that might still happen.
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hacker-steals-566-million-worth-of-crypto-from-binance-bridge/
Twitter is about to introduce a feature it calls 'Birdwatch' - more correctly called 'the American Stasi'
Twitter described it as. well, a combination of the Stasi and the HOA you moved to a different state just to get away from.
Recession? What recession? AMD has warned that it will miss its previously expected revenue for Q3 by, well, about a billion dollars. (AnandTech)
https://www.anandtech.com/show/17603/amd-issues-early-q322-financial-results-misses-guidance-by-1b-as-client-revenue-craters
Elon Musk asked for a stay in Twitter's lawsuit attempting to force Elon Musk to buy Twitter on the grounds that Elon Musk has agreed to buy Twitter and now Twitter is just stalling. (WCCFTech)
Twitter opposed the stay on the grounds that Elon Musk will fire them all once he takes control.
The judge has granted the stay on the grounds that they richly deserve to be fired.
https://wccftech.com/elon-musk-rages-that-twitter-will-not-take-yes-for-an-answer-and-calls-upon-the-court-to-delay-the-trial-until-funding-is-secured/
