Emdog

"The businessman sought to sway U.S. public opinion and influence an American investigation into a Romanian investigation targeting him, according to the prosecution." "The prosecution's case will not allege that Hunter Biden engaged in lobbying activities as part of this compensation." So the Romanian spent his cash thinking somehow Hunter could influence US policy, right? He sought to sway opinion etc. Sounds normal corruption so far. But "case will not allege that Hunter Biden engaged in lobbying activities" seems Hunter did nothing. "Money for nothing and the chicks for free"

Reading comp classes are in order: LOOK at the X (aka Tweet) post from Duncan Porter, the original poster of the two photos (I assume is of him): "Fifteen years minus one day between these two photos" minus one day doesn't even work for equinoxes, as there are season known as either fall or spring between summer and winter. And they last more than one day

You need to take a basic class in stats and reasoning 51% of US population is female... somehow you added 3 categories and came up with 13%. You get an 'F'. Along with absurd belief that Americans only vote along "identity" lines: I am not black (white); I am not female (male); have no inkling of what you mean by "her' people ... those who believe in democratic ideals, equality under law, equal opportunity, etc? Then I guess I'm one of 'her' people then. I am also over 70 And yet somehow I will vote for her and even donate some cash It's a strange old world....

"Is this a private war, or can anyone join in?"

"...exploiting customers by selling overly priced and ineffective herbal remedies." That's one of those "protected occupations" for Thais only. "The businesses were compelling foreigners to purchase these expensive items." Someone please explain how the compel people to buy their products: hold a gun to heads or what?

crackdown on "substandard products" implies there is some "standard" to be below

Backs up the wisdom here: "Don't make yourself worth more dead than alive"

If the gulf stream stops, the winters in northern latitudes near Atlantic will be extreme. Maybe could mean and end to football (Yankee and Euro type). Maybe that threat could be an incentive to get folks on board to doing something (optimistic, eh?). I heard about this danger from ice caps melting at least 20 years ago & I wouldn't call myself an ecologist type.... Some deniers keep splitting hairs over could this happen and to what extent.... here is an article about 97% agreement on climate change by scientists and some of the myths Science consenus on global warming

Release from what? I haven't seen any limitations on what he can do, who he can plot with.... the only restraint was not being allowed to go back to Dubai for dubious medical reasons

"..a mental health checkup for all army supervisors and trainers nationwide." Ah, but what is the baseline for "acceptable mental health"? There's the rub. Thais are taught from day one to bow down and never question their "superiors" in the schools. Those who question are trouble makers. The military is just a slightly more extreme version of what Thais encounter in everyday life.

Cars aren't selling so well; the trucks are a joke and stock is down 40%. Maybe Thailand dodged a bullet by not having a factory...

Wondering about if any other "democracies" have the power to ban a political party.... too lazy to research, but I assume Germany banned the Nazi part.... I'm an old yank, but when I was a kid teachers would like to point out that USA allowed Communist Party to exist and their perennial candidate for president Gus Hall...

I wonder if his tour of black sites included the one in Thailand?

"offer dubious fortune-telling services " All fortune telling services are dubious.

Like Ben Franklin said "The school of life has a high tuition, but some fools will learn in no other" (more or less)

One branch of government wants to eliminate the street food vendors, another wants to support as per this article. Gotta love Thailand The left hand doesn't know what the right hand may be doing

These sorts of stories are not uncommon. I can't figure out how someone, no matter how drunk, might decide "oh yeah, take a nap on railroad tracks. What could go wrong?" Although the wooden ties are called "sleepers"....

"Soi Yen Sabai in Nongprue" Hmm I'm not expert in any sense with Thai language, but seems sort of ironic name if I have translation right: "Yen" can mean cool, temperature or demeanor, as in compliment "Chai Yen" (cool heart, not a hot head). And "sabai" generally means comfortable, at ease, etc... Maybe change name to "Soi Chai Rohn" as in "Soi Hot Head". That's my story and I'm sticking to it...

Another great avenue for money laundering and record breaking corruption. Licking their chops

"The ministry launched the Thailand Best Local Food: The Lost Taste project" I hope that is some error in translation.... in that lost taste can refer to an individuals liking/disliking some food or other experience: "I used to like Star Wars, but I've lost my taste for that".

It wasn't a "car wash in disguise". It was a gambling site disguised as a car wash. Tell that to your AI grammar banks

"The specific ways in which the vendors were exploiting tourists have not been disclosed to the public or the media" Well, we don't know what they did, but they'd better watch out or tourists will complain about.... what? there are so many ways to treat tourists "unfairly"

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"

Rushdie's books are great. The Satanic Verses is amazing display of masterpiece writing. He is great with "magic realism".... get it, read it. But it is no Joan Collins offhand fluff.... His first novel, "Midnight's Children" got him the Booker prize in the UK, so evidently others in the know agree to his ability. I 100% doubt the Ayotollah read Satanic Verses, lazy bugger. If you are going to condemn someone to death, at least examine the 'evidence' that lead to that death warrant (Call it what it is, don't dress it up in some Arabic word)

Anthony Burgess, author of "A Clockwork Orange" and others, commented in a Playboy interview way back when "Never fly on an airline where the pilots believe in reincarnation". Stuck with me over the decades