Thailand warns Facebook users against criticizing the king

For the most part, the kind of Thailand seems like a decent enough person but this is downright silly. When I was there a few years back, I thought people were kidding when they said not to criticize the king in public. They immediately looked around and spoke in hushed voices. Instead of blatant criticism, people would come up with fake names for the king, his unpleasant wife (who nobody likes), his daughter and his allegedly drugged up loon of a son who many say tried to assassinate his father. It's really easy to play the game, so why do they continue with this outdated policy? Even worse, why are they expanding it to cover Facebook as well?

If anything is insulting, it's this policy.

A government minister in Thailand has warned Facebook users that anyone pressing the "like" button on posts that might be offensive to the monarchy could be prosecuted under the country's strict lèse-majesté laws.

The warning was given two days after a Thai criminal court sentenced Amphon Tangnoppaku, 61, to 20 years in prison for sending text messages deemed insulting to the country's queen.

Amphon was found guilty on four counts and sentenced to five years' consecutive jail on each charge.

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More trouble in euro-land as Italy, Spain and Belgium seek assistance

Pass the Rolaids because this is going to get worse before it gets better.

Eurozone leaders were tonight looking again to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help countries in distress as bond yields in Italy and Spain hit new highs and the credit-ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P;) downgraded Belgium.

Meeting in Berlin, the finance ministers of Germany, Finland and the Netherlands even hinted at the prospect of an enhanced role for the European Central Bank (ECB) if all other steps to save the euro collapsed. But they again ruled it out as an immediate solution.

Their talks, ahead of Tuesday's meeting of the 17-member Eurogroup in Brussels, came amid reports that Spain's new centre-right government might soon apply for aid from both the IMF and the European Union's main bailout fund, the European financial stability facility (EFSF). Spanish state borrowing costs earlier leaped to the dangerously high level of 6.7%.

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Off duty NC cop sprays pepper spray at crowd of Walmart shoppers

It's becoming more obvious why some countries ban this stuff. If trained police can't figure out the right time and wrong time to use it, maybe it's time to stop equipping them with it. It doesn't matter if it was a single "puff" or not, it's not to be used in such circumstances. What kind of an idiot thinks this is the right thing to do? NBC News:

Kinston police are disputing accounts of the incident, telling NBC News that they fired a single "puff" of pepper spray when a large group of people tried to grab products before Walmart employees were finished putting the items on display.

An officer sprayed "a puff" of pepper spray in the air to have the crowd "regain composure," police said. They told NBC News that none of the substance was sprayed into anyone's eyes or face and that no one requested medical attention.

Police confirmed that one man was arrested but wouldn't confirm his identity as reported in local news accounts.

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Fran Lebowitz explains our world: It's "a truly revolutionary era"

This is genius, wall-to-wall brilliant observations. And since Fran Lebowitz is both a humorist and a mighty fine writer, it's also a blast to listen to.

Give yourself a treat and listen as Fran Lebowitz explains this modern world.



This is from Sam Seder's 12-hour marathon show on Majority.fm. (If you liked this, the show could use some love. Here's how you can help.)

Just two observations: She's right about change coming from culture (and "certainly not from politics"). In every revolution, if the culture doesn't change, you get back the same thing you tossed out.

Examples (two of all too many): Czar Lenin replaced Czar Nicolas in the early 1900s; and the great Virginia owner-class replaced the great British owner-class of the 1760s. Note: In neither case did the form of government change; just the faces. (It took a while, but we even got back the king.)

Her second observation: This is truly "a truly revolutionary era." I've argued this as well. Lebowitz adds her own reasons why.

By the way, Fran Lebowitz is the author of one of my favorite comic lines, from one of her innumerable essays. She hates clock radios. When she wakes up in the apartment of a lover, she doesn't want to be listening to the radio. Paraphrased:

I tell them, if I wanted to wake up with Stevie Wonder, I would sleep with Stevie Wonder.

For more of Ms Lebowitz, watch Martin Scorsese's film Public Speaking. All Fran.

I'd sure like to write that well when I grow up.

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Gov. Brownback's staff report teen to principal for mocking tweet.

If Senator Brownback had any sense he would reprimand his staff and give a public appology. But he is a Republican so bullying teenagers who disrespect him is the type of thing that makes him feel important.

According to the Witchita Eagle, Emma Sullivan, a senior at Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village was called in to the Principal's office after Brownbak's staff objected to this comment on Twitter:

“Just made mean comments at gov brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot”

If there is one thing I hate, it is people who use their positions of power to bully other people

Update: Sorry, that is Governor Brownback now, not Senator. But that only makes things worse. Read the rest of this post...

The Specials - It's Up To You

The sun is trying to peak out today after a few really gloomy days. If I can get motivated and the rain doesn't show up I'm going to cycle out to Versailles. This evening we're going to a concert at the Sainte Chapelle where we will listen to Vivaldi's Four Seasons. I misread the date and we both wrapped up our week and then ran across town to meet there last night. Naturally the subway was closed due to an incident (lots of police everywhere) so we had to find alternative routes that brought us sort of close, but still a walk to the Ste. Chapelle. The upside though was that it was a nice evening so we walked through Odeon and the Luxembourg Gardens back home. We will try again tonight. Read the rest of this post...

NATO troops cross Pakistani border, kill troops

There may have been justification for the cross border raid, but this can easily trigger a much bigger reaction that nobody wants. In the end, where is the war in Afghanistan really going? If there's no plan (and there doesn't appear to be other than "we're there"), this is an even worse idea. The Guardian:

Nato helicopters from Afghanistan have intruded into north-west Pakistan and attacked a military checkpoint near the border, killing as many as 25 Pakistani troops, intelligence officials in the country have said.

Sources in the region said up to 14 other soldiers had been wounded in the attack on the Salala checkpoint, about one and a half miles (2.5km) from the Afghan border.

A Pakistani military spokesman confirmed the pre-dawn attack in the tribal region of Mohmand.

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Economist: Bail out debtors, not creditors

It's an interesting discussion and worth watching. As bad as it may be to bail out debtors who made irresponsible decisions, it's also obvious that bailing out the creditors has not helped the economic situation. That policy has failed and has only encouraged the bankers to go back to their old bad habits. Why should taxpayers keep bailing out banks just so the bankers can keep their inflated bonus plans?

This economist had previously called the 2008 crisis and now believes that we are in another depression. If that's the case, we really need to ditch the bad ideas that got us into this situation and think differently about how to get out. The challenge is that politicians rarely show any capability of real change or doing things differently from the mainstream, no matter how poorly those ideas work. Read the rest of this post...