Where have all the dolphins gone?
Hello world and kids of all genders, it's the morning of Monday May 2, and you can celebrate Eid al-Fitr this evening in Bangkok and in Saskatoon.
It Was Yet Another Sad Sunday for Thailand
The Chinese Covid-19 simply won't stop. In the 24 hours of Sunday, May 1, the country recorded:
11,535 confirmed and documented Covid-19 cases and
91 deaths by the novel coronavirus.
Since New Year's Day, Thais have suffered 2,039,049 infections.
Just when they thought Thailand was making progress against the Chinese Covid-19 pandemic, Thailand learned Monday morning that,
Nah. Not really. For example
Every day since the Ides of March, the number of new Covid cases and number of deaths from Covid-19 were in the Top Ten in the entire world.
Take Saturday (please). With all numbers in and counted, Thailand ranked
7th worldwide for new Covid-19 cases
3rd in the world for Covid-related deaths
The worst part is that it's not getting better. After 8 years of military dictatorship, health problems and and the economy both are getting worse.
On Sunday May Day, a holiday in Thailand:
The 8-year dictator Prayut explained to a diminishing number of junta fanbois:
The government is making progress. Measures have been launched to contain the spread of Covid-19 and mitigate the impact of the pandemic.
That's what he said.
To be fair, he also extended the nationwide curfew from 11 p.m. to midnight, so everyone can get an extra couple of rounds at the bar (which aren't open yet).
Students feel his pain
Prayut ordered full-on mask mandates and compulsory vaccination of all students, instructors and staff at every school in the nation.
But he insisted they will all be allowed to reopen for a new school year on May 22.
https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40015131
Ni hao! There has been a serious study of vaccines in Singapore. The headline conclusion:
People who received shots of China's Sinovac are FIRE TIMES MORE LIKELY to develop "severe Covid-19" than those who took other shots like Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, etc.
And wrinklies should know: Moderna Covid-19 booster gives 'significantly higher' antibody response among elderly with Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination.
https://bityl.co/C1op
The possibly dopey doomsayer (newly rich) who did nothing to mitigate, slow or stop Covid-19 has a warning:
U.S.A. must prepare for another surge of Covid-19 because
Summer is almost here
Immunity to Covid is falling
PHOTO: Physician, diplomat, problem solver, Doomsdayer Dr. Debbie Birx.
Just like Wuhan two-plus years ago, documentaries by citizens are leaking out of Shanghai, showing the incompetence of the CCP phuyai, and proving that all starvation and genocide is man-made.
ONE needed explanation: The term "da bai" or "white people" means the people clad head-to-toe in white hazmat suits - city officials, medical workers, Communist Party big shots, etc.
Other than that, the English subtitles of this 6-minute video translate the Mandarin well, including the near-incredible lying propaganda fabulists inventing stories of "stop worrying, everything's perfect".
Voices from the Shanghai Lockdown
U.S. medical volunteers fail to beat a dog to death, like Shanghai medical volunteers do.
Kind of cute.
Can you keep a secret? If so, make a mystery post on Twitter.
The Sunday morning event was a May Day march of workers and supporters, designed to publicise demands for a new daily wage minimum of 492 baht - 18.50 loones, or $U.S. $14.35.
Serious politics and political control are involved.
Last last year, Prayut and the junta promised to pass a 492-baht law. But since then, Thai companies and the most powerful buiness elite instructed Prayut to back off. They said the business communist can't afford it.
On Sunday, marchers from Democracy Monument to Government House to request a raise of the minimum wage to 492 baht per day. They also asked the government to control the prices of goods to help solve the problems of the people.
PHOTO: Workers held a large rally at Bangkok's democracy monument. Thhe army did not interfere - yet.
And then it went wonky.
Leftists in America claim that the 'job creation of the U.S. airport security theatre directors Transportation Security Administration ("I told you to take your damned shoes OFF, oaf")' is proof that 47,000 checkpoints create jobs and stop all that terrorism that's going on.
NOTE: The 47,000 TSA agents have stopped zero terrorists and prevented zero terrorist attacks. They won't let you board an airplane with that dangerous toothpaste. And some of them love to feel up small children. Legally.
CAUTION: This article contains several facts.
PHOTO: Hello Joey. Have you ever seen a grown man naked?
https://fee.org/articles/why-you-shouldn-t-celebrate-the-tsa-for-employing-47-000-workers/
The thrill of the Seven Year Wait
Nearly 8 years after the military seized total power in Thailand, it finally got a Toyota signature on a contract about Electric Vehicles (EVs).
Toyota still will not commit to making or assembling EVs at any of its Thai plants.
But the new contract says the Japanese firm will "promote the use of EVs" in Thailand and neighbouring countries.
https://bityl.co/C1sI
Straight outta South Africa
Journalist Cebelihle Bhengu has a list of her favourite spots in Thailand, plus why she likes them.
She even likes "Old Phuket Town" - authentic Thailand.
The Sunday Times of Johannesburg has her recommendations.
https://bityl.co/C1ro
Stalin died, but his Ukraine Holodomor (4 million deaths) lives on for a second round
Ukraine minister accuses Russia of stealing 'several hundred thousands tonnes' of grain from areas of the country it controls
Some call it 'genocide'
Reuters reports that the Kremlin denied allegations of grain theft committed by Russian forces.
"We demand that Russia stop illicit grain stealing," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry recently said.
PHOTO: During the Holodomor (Terror Famine) of World War II, Russia's Stalin killed and starved millions of Ukrainians.
https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-accused-stealing-ukrainian-grain-minister2022-5
NOTE: The Vietnam Communist Party keeps it fairly quiet, but admits that it is a Stalinist party.
QUOTE UNQUOTE
The Holodomor was a policy of the Soviet Union aimed at the destruction of the Ukrainian nation... the peak of the Soviet repressions.
Ukraine.net
https://ukrainer.net/common-lies-about-the-holodomor/
Reuters: https://bityl.co/C2Dj
Bangkok's City Hall election heats up.
Two new polls on the weekend measured public opinion on the May 22 election for the next governor of Bangkok.
Away in front and looking like a runaway leader is Chadchart Sittipunt, who was a popular populist minister of transports in Thailand's last elected government, under Yingluck Shinawatra.
Chadchart is far ahead of Aswin Kwanmuang, who was appointed to be "temporary governor" by the junta.
Nida Poll: Nida Poll: 44.58% for Chadchart, 11.27% for Asain
Suan Dusit Poll: Chadchart 40%, Aswin 14%
PHOTO: Chadchart Sittipunt talks to children during a campaign in Lak Si district of northern Bangkok. NOTE: Children cannot vote.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2303134/
I'm very glad to meet you guys,
said 68-year-old American tourist William Nehrer, after he got lost in the jungle of Phuket, before two police rescue teams found him.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2302
CHINA VIETNAM PARACELS
China is attempting to enforce a three-month ban on commercial fishing, and Vietnam is unhappy about it.
The ban includes all waters around the Paracel Islands, known in Vietnamese as Hoàng Sa. A lightning military strike captured the entire Paracel archipelago in 1970, and Vietnam is not getting over it.
China claims the fishing ban is necessary on conservation groups. Vietnamese foreign ministry spokeslady Lê Thị Thu Hằng (photo below) isn't buying it. She said,
"Việt Nam demands China respect Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoàng Sa archipelago, sovereign right, and jurisdiction over Việt Nam’s sea areas when implementing measures for conserving fisheries resources."
Where did all the dolphins go?
Thailand's junta is "concerned" that the number of Irrawaddy porpoises is declining. The alleged 'minister of natural resources and environment' ordered "all concerned parties" to step up efforts to save the remaining 14 Irrawaddy dolphins in Songkhla Lake and 89 in
the Mekong River.
PHOTO: A pair of Irrawaddy dolphins gambol in the Mekong.
The Monday Morning Joke
PREGNANT GIRLFRIEND
Guy: Doctor, my girlfriend is pregnant, but we always use protection, and the rubber never broke. How is it possible?
Doctor: Let me tell you a story:
"There was once a Hunter who always carried a gun wherever he went. One day he took out his Umbrella instead of his Gun and went out. A Lion suddenly jumped in front of him. To scare the Lion, the Hunter used the Umbrella like a Gun, and shot the Lion, then it died!"
Guy: Nonsense! Someone else must have shot the Lion.
Doctor: Good! You understood the story. Next patient please.(h/t Ace of Spades)
TECHNOLOGY
Twenty years later...
The only legal gambling in Thailand is the twice-month lottery draw. And the Government Lottery Office just announced that within a month, the public will be able to downland a new "Pao Tang app" and buy lottery tickets online.
The rules are even crazier than rules for getting into Thailand.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2302942/
A world holds its breath waiting to see whether Biden's 'Government Disinformation Board' (official name Ministry of Truth) will try to label this as Russian disinformation, Russian-Trump misinformation, or try to bury it by government-decreed censorship.
The FBI searched the data of millions of Americans without warrants. (Bloomberg)
But you already knew that the F.B.I. is the largest organised criminal gang in the U.S.A.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-29/fbi-searched-the-data-of-millions-of-americans-without-warrants
The US and 60 other countries today announced A Declaration for the Future of the Internet and it is bilge. Although to be fair, let's wait and see if Nina Jankowicz approves.
(Access Now)
You can read the full document here (PDF) though it's a waste of your time. But we should wait to see what
https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/04/Declaration-for-the-Future-for-the-Internet-final.pdf
This is the U.S.A. but as a fantastic author once wrote, "an armed society is a polite society".
STUDY: Burglaries Drop In Areas With High Gun Permits
The non-partisan study published earlier in April took data from an open-access database containing information on Tennessee handgun carry permit holders and cross-referenced their zip codes with rates of burglaries. The researchers found a significant decrease in burglaries in zip codes with high rates of gun permits.
Full text of the stury ()PDF): https://bityl.co/C1kz
https://libertyunyielding.com/2022/04/28/study-burglaries-drop-in-areas-with-high-gun-permits/
https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w29940/w29940.pdf
Where by "all" the governor of California means NO EXCEPTIONS
Newsom makes vaccines mandatory for all school children in California
https://libertyunyielding.com/2021/10/03/newsom-makes-vaccines-mandatory-for-all-school-children-in-california/
Related
Spotted: Socialist AOC's Tesla Parked Illegally Outside Whole Foods in Posh DC Neighborhood.
https://freebeacon.com/politics/socialist-tesla-whole-foods/
I have no idea who this 'Catholic adventurer' is but if he's actually getting U.S.$300 nods, I'm buying his first beer.
The EU has set up a Mastodon node. (PC Magazine)
Congratulations Europe! There's no limit to what 450 million citizens of a dying continent can do if they put their minds to it. Maybe next year they could start a blog.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/eu-joins-mastodon-social-network-sets-up-its-own-server
Qualcomm is promising to release new Arm-based laptop chips that don't suck - next year. (Ars Technica)
These are intended to compete with Apple's M1 chips from 2020.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/04/qualcomms-m1-class-laptop-chips-will-be-ready-for-pcs-in-late-2023/
Samsung's 3nm process is scheduled to start mass production in Q2. (Tom's Hardware)
First impression, from the specs, it is not a much denser process than TSMC's 5nm, but should be faster and use less power.
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/samsung-to-sta
TECHNOLOGY WARFARE
There is one (and only one) rule of knife-fighting:
Everybody bleeds
SHOT: Russia Is Losing a War Against Hackers Stealing Huge Amounts of Data. “Dozens of Russian companies and government agencies have been hacked in apparent retribution for the invasion of Ukraine.”
https://theintercept.com/2022/04/22/russia-hackers-leaked-data-ukraine-war/
Chaser: Russian Linked Attackers Barraged Ukrainian Networks With Hundreds of Attacks. “Attackers reportedly conducted 237 operation with some seemingly occurring in tandem with kinetic military strikes.”
https://gizmodo.com/russian-linked-attackers-barraged-ukrainian-networks-wi-1848853747
What was supposed to be a quick war has turned into a real knife fight. And the rule of knife fights is: Everybody bleeds.
For all fans of the coming Cascadia cataclysm in the Northwest of the U.S.A. and southern British Columbia:
4PATRIOTS: Emergency Solar Powered Tactical Flashlight.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TKDL1WH/ref=as_li_tl
The United States is sending incredibly expensive 'Phoenix Ghost' drones to Ukraine for instant anti-Russian use.
They're kind of like Switchblade drones, only different. Here's the four-one-one:
https://www.popsci.com/technology/phoenix-ghost-drone-explained/
Sidebar
Switchbladeapalooza
Everything you ever needed to know about the Switchblade drone (but were afraid to ask).
https://www.battleswarmblog.com/?p=51295
'The Closet is Bare'
Oh, and just as a side comment...
Biden and Sons is sending so many Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to their buds in Ukraine that the U.S. military is about depleted.
Decent information-roundup at
https://lidblog.com/weapons-shipments-to-ukraine/
GLOBAL WARMING
No U.S. State Imports More Electricity Than California
California promised to close its last nuclear plant. Now Newsom is reconsidering.
Much more, with background, at
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2022-04-29/california-promised-to-close-its-last-nuclear-plant-now-newsom-is-reconsidering
Related
Is This Man Talking California Into Nuclear Power?
Let's hope so.
https://bityl.co/C0vx
LAZARUS
North Korean Hackers Stole Nearly $400 Million in Crypto Last Year. Here's how.
(You say that like it's a bad thing.)
https://www.wired.com/story/north-korea-cryptocurrency-theft-ethereum/
No comment
Social Good
Where you can read banned books for free
https://sea.mashable.com/social-good/20152/where-you-can-read-banned-books-for-free
Get with the program!
Why everyone should switch to reusable coffee cups already
https://sea.mashable.com/tech/11871/why-everyone-should-switch-to-reusable-coffee-cups-already
SPORTS
U.S.A. plus ONE OTHER COUNTRY
STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS, ROUND 1
The totally honest and completely neutral website NHL.com "reports":
Maple Leafs will win Stanley Cup thanks to Matthews, Giordano
https://www.nhl.com/news/why-toronto-will-win-stanley-cup/c-333629102?tid=280255836
Tonight
Minnesota vs. St. Louis
Edmonton vs. Los Angeles
Toronto vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Carolina vs. Boston
==
Tomorrow
Nashville vs. Colorado
Calgary vs. Dallas
Florida vs. Washington
New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh
