On 5/29/2020 at 2:03 PM, buffalo_bill said:

 

UTTC uniform. I taught there part time for years. UTCC and Bangkok University are know for having the shortest skirts.

Even the gal at the entrance of the mall couldn't get my phone (OPPO) to work with the graphic thingie. She gave up and told me to fill out the form for folks with recalcitrant phones.

Some nice news for a change ...

Thai Restaurant in Minneapolis, Protected by Black Volunteers, Lends a Hand

MINNEAPOLIS — Save for one shattered window, Khun Nai Thai Cuisine in Minneapolis was protected from looting by a group of volunteers, which include black Americans and Jamaican-Americans. 

“Luckily, our shop was not damaged at all since we have a volunteer group protecting the community right across from our shop,” Suniporn Yotharak, owner of Khun Nai Thai said by online messages Tuesday. 

“Without them, all the shops in the area would have been destroyed,” she added.

The restaurant responds with kindness: cooking free Thai meals for a Jamaican restaurant across the street who organized the volunteers that saved Suniporn’s business. The Jamaican restaurant, called Pimento Kitchen, in turn donates the food along with other essential goods to the community.

Suniporn is one of the Thais and Thai-born American citizens caught in the protests and unrest that erupted after a group of policemen were seen suffocating a black man named George Floyd to death. 

“White or black or whatever race, we should all have equal rights,” said Suniporn, who has lived in the U.S. for 13 years. “If we are nice and not discriminatory, and respect their human dignity, then people are nice back.”

Amazing Thailand, another Thai restaurant owned by a Thai in Minneapolis, is also reportedly untouched by the violence. The restaurant also put up messages calling for justice for Floyd as well as providing free meals to those in need, according to photos posted by Amazing Thailand. 

“Amazing Thailand and our staff are all doing okay this morning,” a statement by the restaurant said. “We are heartbroken for the pain our city is experiencing and thankful that our business, built and tended to by immigrants and people of color, can continue serving our community today.”

Thai businesses in other cities have not been as lucky – Sunday local time, a Thai restaurant and a jewelry store in Thai Town had been looted.

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2020/06/02/thai-restaurant-in-minneapolis-protected-by-black-volunteers-lends-a-hand/

Australian police probe Aboriginal boy's arrest after video emerges

An Australian policeman has been placed on "restricted duties" after being filmed tripping up an Aboriginal boy, who was then pinned to the ground.

The video shows the New South Wales Police officer and two colleagues holding the boy down.

The incident ended in the boy's arrest and subsequent release, authorities said. He was taken to hospital briefly for observation.

NSW Police said its professional standards unit would investigate.

The incident happened in the Sydney suburb of Surry Hills on Monday and came to public attention after it was shared on Facebook.

Australian media reported the boy was 16 or 17.

Criticism of police treatment of indigenous Australians has ramped up this week on the back of protests about George Floyd's death in the US. Protests have been planned around Australia.

In the video, three officers are seen speaking to a group of teenagers on a brick path.

After the teenager who was later arrested says "I'll crack you in the… jaw, bro" to one officer, the boy is told to "turn around".

The officer then kicks the teenager's legs out from beneath him, causing him to fall to the ground. An onlooker is heard is saying that the boy landed on his face.

The three officers then pin the boy to the ground, arresting him.

NSW Police said the boy was released to his family after being observed for a time in hospital.

"An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arrest is now under way by officers attached to the Professional Standards Command," a police statement said.

"The constable involved has been placed on restricted duties while this review is carried out.

"Senior officers have met with the community and local elders and will keep them appraised throughout the process."

Indigenous Australians comprise almost 30% of adult prison inmates, despite making up only about 3% of the population, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-528874

Cambodia reports 125 infections and 0 deaths, while the PDR Lao reports no infections. Who are you going to believe?

p.s. There are claims that China has underreported by at least 50%.

Mining firm Rio Tinto sorry for destroying Aboriginal caves

Mining giant Rio Tinto has apologised for blowing up 46,000-year-old Aboriginal caves in Western Australia dating back to the last Ice Age.

The Juukan Gorge caves, in the Pilbara region, were destroyed last Sunday as Rio Tinto expanded an iron ore project agreed with the authorities.

Many prehistoric artefacts have been found at the remote heritage site.

"We are sorry for the distress we have caused," said Chris Salisbury, the firm's iron ore chief executive.

"We pay our respects to the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura People (PKKP)," he said. The PKKP are the traditional owners of the site.

"We will continue to work with the PKKP to learn from what has taken place and strengthen our partnership. As a matter of urgency, we are reviewing the plans of all other sites in the Juukan Gorge area."

Artefacts found there include a belt made from human hair, analysis of which showed a direct link going back 4,000 years between the PKKP and the prehistoric cave-dwellers.

'Devastating blow'

"Today we also recognise that a review is needed in relation to the management of heritage in Western Australia more broadly," Mr Salisbury said.

Besides iron ore, the Anglo-Australian giant has many mining interests in Australia, including bauxite for aluminium, diamonds and uranium.

Last week a PKKP representative, John Ashburton, said losing the site was a "devastating blow".

"There are less than a handful of known Aboriginal sites in Australia that are as old as this one... its importance cannot be underestimated," Reuters news agency quoted him as saying.

"Our people are deeply troubled and saddened by the destruction of these rock shelters and are grieving the loss of connection to our ancestors as well as our land."

Australian Minister for Indigenous Affairs Ken Wyatt, who is Aboriginal, said it was "incomprehensible" that the blast had gone ahead, but added that it appeared to be a "genuine mistake". State laws had failed in this instance, he said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-52869502

Sorry about that, mate. But money is money!

On 5/29/2020 at 12:49 PM, Coss said:

Some of my Thai friends here in NZ, when asked about the low numbers of Covid cases in LOS, told me unprompted, "no there are many, many".

Is this being felt by people in LOS? to the numbers stack up?

I'd say they are reasonably accurate. However, who knows how many cases might have been misreported as something else, especially in rural area?  Most who have been infected have had only a mild case of the disease, some not even showing any synptoms at all. Thailand's death numbers are remarkably low, since  very few have died of the virus alone.  What it has done is finish off those who were already weaekened by something else. e.g. One of the first death was a man in his mid 20s who was seriously ill with dengue fever. Covid 19 plus another serious disease is a deadly combination.

When your friends say there have been many, well isn't 3,077 cases "many, many"? Only 57 deaths recorded though.

The government has set July 1 for the lift of all business and activity lockdowns ordered earlier to cope with the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), said the National Security Council chief.   

These include interprovincial and international travel, as well as the end of emergency decree and curfew.

NSC secretary-general Gen Somsak Rungsita said on Thursday that the lift of restrictions would be a complete reopening of the country. Officials would next month prepare measures for the reopening.

Gen Somsak said the executive decree on public administration in emergency situations would end in June and the ban on international travel would continue until then.

The full reopening will come after the third phase of the relaxation to take place in June.

"People's cooperation is important. This concerns the use of face masks, social distancing, hand wash and limited activities. As long as the disease is spreading worldwide, we will have to fight against it for a while."

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1925768/complete-end-to-lockdown-on-july-1

23 hours ago, chocolat steve said:

I'm western without question. When people in America ask me how I'm treated around the world when I travel, I tell them "you are your passport". If I'm sitting in any random bar and a white American is on my right and a Nigerian double is on my left. Once the bartender hears my accent, sees my mannerism as well as my dress which is going to be similar to any other American, he will mentally put me in the same group as the white American. For the most part, with few exceptions globally, people look at nationality and culture over race. Not 100 percent but almost always. 

I will give you a real world example. I went to Cambodia for the first time in 2006 to visit a friend of mine who retired there. I learned about The Walkabout, in the capital PP. Its the most famous expat bar in Cambodia at the time, maybe still is, if its still there (I haven't been there since). At the time, and unknown to me, there was a no African policy in the bar. There was something to do with some local Nigerians acting badly, I found out later. 

There is a guard outside, I was by myself, I strode by the guard, who looked at me a bit suspiciously, I went to the bar, asked for a menu and went about my usual business when I was in the bar. There were stares and such from the regulars, all white from various countries I found out later, same as any random expat bar in SE Asia. I didn't think much of it. I just assumed they were all regulars and I was the new guy and needed time to warm up to me once I started coming there regularly. And my natural good looks and charm would do its usual business (stop rolling your eyes). 

I joked a bit with waitress, asked if it was okay to eat at the bar, she was a bit nervous, okay, didn't think much of it. Eventually, they must have sussed out I was American, not too difficult, and after a while I was arguing football with a Belgian and a Brit about Arsenal. That week, I saw an African try to get in the bar and the security guy, stopped him. Some were across the street, saw me going in and thought it was okay for them to go in. That's what I assumed based on what was going on. We can argue about whether they should be allowed in or not but my friend said they would do a runner or get girls and not pay or wouldn't pay as much (same thing I heard when I first visited Bangkok late '90s). 

Places where Africans, Nigerians, etc are not welcome, I am treated differently. Why? I'm American. I have rented airbnb from Chinese in Philippines and Malaysia who I later heard will not rent to local Africans. Africans regard African Americans as western. I've been to Ghana and Kenya, they see me as 'white'..lol. I'm over charged the same. I'm propositioned the same. Am I seen 100% the same? No. Globally among millennials they grew up with black American culture, rap music, Obama, Michael Jordan, etc. and I often get 'Yo man" from the teens and 20 somethings, and Im almost always the first black American they meet. I'm old enough to be their father (or even grandfather in some cases). I'm not upset, its not them trying to disrespect, they like the culture, music. The same happens to Koreans when they travel to small towns in America, with Korean drama being big. 

I will say this, Asian- Americans and non white and non black Americans are seen as more of an oddity. Everyone knows Americans have whites and blacks even latinos but they don't really process it. I have a very good friend, Latina from LA and she is working in Hong Kong and when she says she is American the follow up question is "where are you really from?" I was born in LA "Where are your parents from?" They were born in LA. .lol. 

 

Thai taxi drivers have nothing good to say about Africans, whom they usually refer to collectively as Nigerians, no matter where they are from. They tell me about them jumping out of taxis and running without paying, or maybe throwing down 30 baht and running when the fare is over 100, or even getting angry and yelling when the cabbie refuses to drive the wrong way down a one-way street. But they invariably tell me they have no problem with African Americans and Black Brits. They are "same same Farang".  (In the VN War days I heard the expression Farang Dam used for Black GIs.)  Taxi drivers claim they can recognise Brits and Americans by the way they dress, and say they will always stop fpr them. (They may lock the doors to keep Africans out.)

A Black Brit colleague at Thammasat had one of the most posh RP accent I've ever heard. He told me he would always call in advance of a job interview and speak to the Thai department head. After that, he had no problem getting hired when he showed up in person.

Face The Facts: US COVID Death Numbers Are A NYC Epidemic, NOT A National Epidemic

The sheer ease with which the American left has politicized the deaths of thousands of Americans has shocked even me. The United States is approaching 100,000 deaths and the left seems determined to make sure the public blames President Donald Trump for those deaths. As PJM’s Tyler O’Neil noted, the Democratic Coalition is trying to make “Trump Death Toll” a thing. While Tyler effectively demonstrated the absurdity of blaming these deaths on Trump, I’m going to show that despite the headlines that suggest things in the United States are the worst in the world, that is emphatically not the case.

First, let’s take a look at the total confirmed deaths of the ten worst-hit countries in descending order (based on the numbers from the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University as of 9:30 am ET May 24).

1. USA (96,046)
2. UK (36,757)
3. Italy (32,735)
4. Spain (28,678)
5. France (28,218)
6. Brazil (22,013)
7. Belgium (9,280)
8. Germany (8,275)
9. Iran (7,417)
10. Netherlands (5,841)

But, here’s what happens when you adjust these numbers per capita. The following countries are arranged in descending order by their coronavirus death rate per million people (based on population data from The CIA World Factbook).

1. Belgium (791.76)
2. Spain (573.38)
3. UK (558.95)
4. Italy (524.58)
5. France (415.90)
6. Sweden (391.87)
7. Netherlands (338.01)
8. Ireland (309.86)
9. USA  (288.74)
10. Switzerland (226.80)

It makes an amazing difference, doesn’t it? The United States dropped from number 1 to number 9 once you adjusted for population. Oh, but wait! I’ve previously documented how the United States’ coronavirus numbers are skewed by downstate New York. So, here’s the same list as above, treating downstate New York as a separate country from the rest of the United States:

1. Downstate NY (1,771.86)
2. Belgium (791.76)
3. Spain (573.38)
4. UK (558.95)
5. Italy (524.58)
6. France (415.90)
7. Sweden (391.87)
8. Netherlands (338.01)
9. Ireland (309.86)
10. USA sans downstate NY (233.44)

Once you separate downstate New York from the rest of the United States, it jumps to the top (by a long shot), while the rest of the United States is at the bottom—barely edging out Switzerland.

It should be noted here that several countries are reportedly undercounting both cases and deaths, including Iran, China, and Russia. It’s very possible that the actual case and death numbers for these countries are much higher, possibly even putting them in the top ten, but without reliable data I can’t correct for this.

As usual, the media wants the public to believe that the situation in the United States is worse than anywhere else in order to make Trump look bad. The United States approaching 100,000 coronavirus deaths is a grim milestone to be sure, but these deaths should not be politicized. Trump’s response was quick and decisive, and likely saved thousands of lives.

https://en-volve.com/2020/05/25/face-the-facts-us-covid-death-numbers-are-a-nyc-epidemic-not-a-national-epidemic/?fbclid=IwAR2s6yaThsCqZBWAg45x1blKB2O3MPi1wqGGonNp1Sny-7d_nSfUhtYQ7LY

Well, that linked didn't work. Wonder why.

Sort of like Joe Biden.   

Try as they might, the QR wouldn't work on my phone. Instead, I just wrote my name and phone number of a sheet they had for that (since apparently it wasn't uncommon). Also, at least in the mall I went to (Ngamwongwan), you had to sign again at every shop or restaurant you visited. My impression was so they could locate you, if it turned out some who was infected had been to the mall or shops the same day as you were.

The Hooters is all right, but I wish they hadn't done in the Golden Beer Bar. 

Bangkok is finally coming back to life. Not the nightlife scene of course, but the malls are opening including the restaurants. I did some roaming yesterday, and it was nice to be able to get out. 

It is? I thought it disappeared years ago. I've had breakfast at the Bus Stop, good value.  But I haven't seen any "new Golden Beer Bar".  It is now a Hooters.

https://bangkok112.com/the-golden-beer-bar-closes/

p.s. On the positive side, the freelancers still congregate at the Nana Hotel car park(or at least will again after the lockdown is over).

Little Richard, age 87  

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52601228

And this is the best the Democrats could come up with?

'I Want the Same Equal Treatment' as Blasey Ford: Biden Accuser Calls Out Silence of Media, Women's Groups

https://www.westernjournal.com/want-equal-treatment-blasey-ford-biden-accuser-calls-silence-media-womens-groups/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=conservativebyte&utm_campaign=lminetwork&utm_content=2020-05-01&fbclid=IwAR2tv1-xsdfsPeeh5wfxwgKdNbsGqbXNaYl1HfwsJIMFNwAjcgxrsB71qMI

Millie Small: My Boy Lollipop singer dies aged 72

Aw, I liked her. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52557332

So what is your suggestion? With two decidedly uninspiring candidates for the highest office in the USA, should we pretend that they are competent?  I'm old enough to remember a time when we had a choice between equally competent candidates. Nowadays it seems we have a choice between men who would never have even been considered for the office a few decades ago, one of whom actually appears to be senile.

8 minutes ago, Mekong said:

And more people have died / Trump is responsible for, in just over two and a half months, than the total number of casualties for the entire Vietnam Conflict.

 Trump is responsible for the coronavirus? Does he have some kind of magic want that could have prevented it? 

On 5/4/2020 at 2:45 PM, Coss said:

Off the rails?

Problem is that the GOP keeps laying more rails as Donald reaches the end of the last one, think Wylie Coyote,  slapping down rails as fast as he can....

 

 

God help us if either one of the parties wins the White House. The Dems are showing them once again to be absolutely unethical with their defence of Creepy Joe in the light of the evidence against him, while the Donald is almost acting bored with his job. As my father suggested years ago, maybe we should go for a while without a president and see if it makes any difference.