WTF?--- News hot off the press that makes you say--- WTF?

[Bruce551]

Billions spent and very little to show

? Published: 23/10/2009 at 12:00 AM

? Newspaper section: News

Splurge till you drop. Ask and you won't get. Nearly a century after King Chulalongkorn's departure, which is being commemorated nationwide today, our kingdom has been effectively split into two countries.

The divide goes deeper than the confrontations between the Democrats versus Puea Thai, Prem versus Chavalit/ Thaksin, yellow versus red, or even between Siam and Patani..

Here I am referring to a Thai-land-of-wastefulness, and on the other hand folks have to fight tooth and nail for years before they receive a single satang of compensation from the powers that be. And even then they may still be accused of being too greedy.

Two developments this week are more of the same national phenomenon. On Monday, Matichon daily reported how a disciplinary inquiry was recently concluded at the Science and Technology Ministry. Minister Khunying Kalaya Sophonpanich said some senior bureaucrats were found guilty of paying over two billion baht to a consultant and a contractor tasked with building a nuclear research centre that never was. The multi-billion-baht turnkey project, under the then Office of Atomic Energy for Peace (OAEP), was supposed to house a 10-megawatt reactor and the country's largest dumpsite for radioactive waste.

Besides rows of buildings, now the headquarters of the OAEP's offshoot the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology, the state-of-the-art reactor never materialised in Ongkharak, Nakhon Nayok.

Intriguingly, the investigation team only reported on the lesser portion, of about 200 million baht, that the OAEP had granted to Electrowatt Engineering Ltd (EWE). They kept mum on how to address the whopping payment of another 1,800 million baht to US-based General Atomics (GA). Of course, there is no mention about uncovering the irregularities and feasibility of the whole project in the first place.

Then on Wednesday, we learned of the latest plight of the 12 cobalt-radiation victims. Five years ago, the Civil Court ordered Kamol Sukosol Electric Co Ltd to pay those who had lost their limbs or relatives the sum of 640,276 baht (which would mean slightly more than 50,000 baht per person). Both parties appealed - the plaintiffs asked for 12 million baht, and the company did not want to pay at all. And now the Appeals Court has decided to stand by the lower court's verdict, saying the designated compensation was already "sufficient". (Judges deserve a free cobalt lunch)

In effect, over a decade after the incident took place, the only compensation the dozen had got was 5.2 million baht in total from the OAEP (found guilty of negligence by the Administrative Court in 2002).

Both the Ongkharak project and the cobalt victims thus merely confirm the trend of two Thailands. On the one hand, we see a growing number of monuments to profligacy - the scandal-plagued waste water treatment plant at Klong Dan, the ever-hopeless Hopewell railway project, the expensive but ineffectual Pak Moon dam, to name a few.

Then there are the unbelievably overpriced supplies, the billions of baht paid to contractors who rarely delivered but still got paid, and to numerous consultants to study, say, the Kaeng Sua Ten dam and other mega projects relentlessly pushed by government after government.

Imagine how the money we could have saved would have been sufficient to cover free education for 15 years for every kid, plus real healthcare services and not the half-baked system we have now.

But no, we have to scrimp and save. And who else should bear it if not ordinary citizens? Sometimes we can bargain the price tag down. Like the villagers in Ayutthaya, who get 414 baht per rai that has been inundated in order to keep Bangkok dry during the rainy season. Or drag out the compensation process for as long as possible until these people yield to any pittance thrown their way.

Sometimes we might not even have to pay them at all. Just ask the people at Map Ta Phut. Have they ever been paid any funds by the Board of Investment through all these years?

? Vasana Chinvarakorn is a senior writer for Outlook, Bangkok Post.

I guess we don't have to worry about Thailand building Nuclear Plants, government bureaucrats will steal all money before the Nukes can be build,. Hurray!!!!!

:arrow:

[funky_house]

To commemorate the launch of Microsoft's new OS Windows 7, Burger King Japan has launched a new Whopper with 7 burgers in it. WTF!!

Only in Japan. :roll:

[Treborz]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2009/10/22/2009-10-22_minnesota_man_dennis_leroy_anderson_pleads_guilty_to_driving_drunk_in_soupedup_l.html

Minnesota man, Dennis LeRoy Anderson, pleads guilty to driving drunk in souped-up La-Z-Boy

By Michael Sheridan

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Thursday, October 22nd 2009, 10:56 PM

Proctor Police DepartmentDennis LeRoy Anderson, 62, pled guilty to driving his tricked-out La-Z-Boy while drunk. At least he was in a comfy chair.

A Minnesota man has pled guilty to driving while drunk. The only hitch - he was driving a La-Z-Boy.

According to the Duluth News Tribune, Dennis LeRoy Anderson departed from a bar in Proctor, a town in northern Minnesota, and started to drive his chair home one night in August 2008.

However, the 62-year-old crashed the La-Z-Boy into a parked car. He was not seriously injured, but police found that his blood alcohol level was 0.29, more than three times the legal limit.

Anderson admitted to drinking eight or nine beers, a criminal complaint stated.

As for the chair, which was powered by a lawnmower engine and tricked out with headlights, a stereo and a steering system, is going to be auctioned off by police at an undetermined date.

The Minnesota senior will serve two years probation.

[beej]

Dallas police ticketed 39 drivers in 3 years for not speaking English

11:33 PM CDT on Friday, October 23, 2009

By SCOTT GOLDSTEIN / The Dallas Morning News

[email protected]

Dallas police wrongly ticketed at least 39 drivers for not speaking English over the last three years, Police Chief David Kunkle announced Friday while promising to investigate all officers involved in the cases for dereliction of duty.

Pending cases will be dismissed, and those who paid the $204 fine for the charge, which does not exist in the city, will be reimbursed, Kunkle said.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/DN-citations_23met.ART.State.Edition2.4bac015.html?nTar=OPUR

[SweetieBabie]

Cheerleader Gets A Flu Shot & Now She Can Only Walk Backwards.

Experts claim serious side effects of flu shots amount to about one in a million. A 25 year old woman in Ashburn, Virginia has come down with a severe debilitating neurological disorder days after receiving a seasonal flu vaccination.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mScGC7nFDxM

[IseeUcMe]

Cheerleader Gets A Flu Shot & Now She Can Only Walk Backwards.

Experts claim serious side effects of flu shots amount to about one in a million. A 25 year old woman in Ashburn, Virginia has come down with a severe debilitating neurological disorder days after receiving a seasonal flu vaccination.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mScGC7nFDxM

I truly feel sorry for her ..

.

[drlovelife8]

I cant be arsed to read all the pages so if this has been done, sorry.

Obama getting the nobel peace prize.

WTF

and respect the the massive whopper burger

[Mister Moobs]

Web Alphabet Set to Change

SEOUL -- The World Wide Web is about to start using the languages of the world.

Leaders of the private body that oversees the basic design of the Internet are expected to decide at a meeting here Friday to let Web addresses be expressed in characters other than those of the Roman alphabet. Already, portions of a Web address can be written in other languages. But the suffix, such as the "com" after the dot, must be typed in Roman letters.

The change will allow the suffix -- known as a top-level domain in the architecture of the Internet -- to be expressed in 17 other alphabets. They include traditional and simplified Chinese characters, Russian Cyrillic, Korean Hangul and Hebrew. Dozens of other alphabets are likely to be added in coming years.

That means computer users will be able to type or input a full Web address without the need for Roman letters. Web site designers will be able to use a consistent character set on a Web page without, for instance, having to resort to Roman letters to portray a link to another page.

Authorities who oversee top-level domains in their home countries could begin accepting applications next month.

Making it happen has taken six years of discussion by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or Icann, and technical work by the Internet Engineering Task Force, both independent non-profit organizations that endeavor to preserve the universality of the data network, which got started as an offshoot of a U.S. military network in the 1960s.

[LakeGeneve]

^Didn't understand what the WTF was in this story?

Gangsters try to burn alive homeless man

Extortionists target province's beggars

Bangkok Post 28/10/2009

AYUTTHAYA : An extortion gang has twice tried to burn alive a beggar who failed to pay protection money of about 400 baht a day. Prasit Ruangsombat, 68, suffered burns and other injuries when he was attacked while asleep at a roadside rest area which was set on fire by the gang.

The latest incident took place in the early hours of yesterday near Hua Raw market in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district. Mr Prasit is being treated at Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya hospital. He said he was attacked by the same gang last Friday after failing to pay them protection money.

In the latest attack, he was jolted from his sleep at about 2am to find the rest area where he was sleeping engulfed in flames. Passers-by helped him to escape the fire and took him to hospital for treatment. He said he saw members of the gang fleeing the scene after he woke up.

Mr Prasit said he was homeless and had been begging in the district, particularly near a market in front of Chankasem Palace. He said a group of three or four men had been demanding protection money from beggars in the area. Mr Prasit said the gang leader was named Chang. Each beggar had to pay the gang at least 400 baht a day. If they did not, the gang would terrorise the beggars.

He said Chang often extorted money from him, but lately he could not earn enough to give to him. The gang was furious and threatened to harm him. Mr Prasit said the attack last Friday left him with burns to his legs but he decided not to see a doctor or complain to police for fear the gang would come after him. He said he managed to make only 200 baht on Sunday and did not have enough to pay the gang.

Pol Col Sombat Chuchaiya, the district police chief, said a warrant would be issued for the arrest of the man known as Chang on a charge of causing physical harm to others.

Pol Col Sombat said checks had found Chang was also a vagrant who drifted around the area and extorted money from other beggars. He said the man had had his right leg amputated and wore a prosthesis. Police did not believe Chang was a member of a mafia gang because he targeted only beggars and not members of the general public, Pol Col Sombat said.

Many beggars roam the streets in the central province. They usually congregate in crowded areas such as the night market near Chankasem Palace and the Grand market in Uthai district, which is the biggest night entertainment complex in the province. During the day, beggars usually panhandle at well-known temples where a lot of people come to make merit as well as at other spots popular with tourists and ancient sites in the province.

[Mister Moobs]

there was a story on CNN.com recently about a group of 15 young males who raped and beat a girl and then left her.

worse, though, was the fact that while it was occurring, people stopped by and watched.

No one called the police.

Until a few hours after it was all over and someone uninvolved found her under a bench

This happened at a high school prom

people just casually spread the word that it was happening, people watched, no one helped, no one protested, no one called the cops....nothing

do these fucks have parents or sisters

sick bastards what need shot

[Bruce551]

Published: 29/10/2009 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: News, Bangkok Post

Re: 50 retired generals sign up to Puea Thai. How ironic that the UDD complains bitterly about the military meddling in politics when its political ally is busy signing up dozens of military top brass.

I can think of no other democratic country in the world that has so many politicians, state board members and high-ranking government officials that carry rank in their title.

BEMUSED

[GAV]

Dam, I dont think Australia would have 50 Generals total, Retired or Active.

[Mister Moobs]

Published: 29/10/2009 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: News, Bangkok Post

Re: 50 retired generals sign up to Puea Thai. How ironic that the UDD complains bitterly about the military meddling in politics when its political ally is busy signing up dozens of military top brass.

I can think of no other democratic country in the world that has so many politicians, state board members and high-ranking government officials that carry rank in their title.

BEMUSED

Great Britain???

Lord this and Field Marshall that...

[GoodKarma]

Thailands former exiled leader Tweets on the go. by Patrick Winn - global post

BANGKOK, Thailand ? To hear the Thailand?s ruling government tell it, Thaksin Shinawatra is the kingdom?s most meddlesome fugitive.

Since fleeing Thailand last year, the self-exiled, billionaire ex-premier has zig-zagged the globe while stirring anti-establishment supporters from afar. He has incessantly needled the ruling party through in-country proxies, sarcastic Tweet messages and Skype video calls, broadcast at political pep rallies that sometimes turn violent. read more...

[Bruce551]

Villagers storm nuclear forum

? Published: 3/11/2009 at 12:00 AM

? Newspaper section: News, Bangkok Post

SURAT THANI : Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand staff have been forced to abruptly end a forum on nuclear power plants after villagers stormed a community hall in protest at not being invited.

About 200 villagers from tambon Kantuli in Tha Chana district, viewed as one of 16 possible plant sites, yesterday berated the Egat officials and demanded they leave the area immediately.

Egat has proposed the construction of two nuclear power plants to generate a combined 2,000 megawatts between 2021 and 2022.

It sent experts equipped with drilling equipment to survey the area at tambon Kantuli, but "did not inform all villagers and landowners", protester Kalaya Maison said.

The survey team, headed by ACM Pinet Sukornwan, was invited to give details of the project to tambon and village heads at the local community hall. But the villagers were blocked from entering the hall and left standing outside with banners written in Thai and English slamming the project.

The forum was then interrupted when Boonyong Jaratjaroonrit, a former member of the council of the provincial administration organisation, rushed to the stage and grabbed a microphone to invite villagers to come inside.

The survey team's leader and Tha Chana district chief Santad na Nakhon tried to stop him by snatching back the microphone, which led to a tussle.

The protesters then broke through a flimsy line of security staff and surrounded the stage, demanding Mr Santad abort the meeting. He agreed to do so.

Mr Santad said the forum was intended to educate tambon and village heads on nuclear fuel so they could pass on correct information to other villagers.

Yesterday's protest followed an attempt by angry villagers on Friday to block the survey work by cordoning off a drill site in Ban Kuan Lay in tambon Kantuli, he said.

In September, Ms Kalaya said, the surveyors began drilling in Ban Don Talay in the same tambon, but only a small group of villagers were informed.

Slammed for not having told the people about the project, Ban Don Talay's village head decided the villagers should meet the survey team on Sept 8 for clarification on whether the project would affect the local ecology and the locals' fishing livelihoods.

"There was no clarification from the team," Ms Kalaya said. "They just showed the villagers a video presentation of nuclear power plants."

Mr Boonyong said the villagers wanted Egat to hold a national public hearing on nuclear power before going any further as well as withdrawing its surveyors from their neighbourhood.The protesters dispersed when a drilling vehicle was driven away from the village.

Business as usual, EGAT style. THERE WILL BE BLOOD!

:!:

[English_Bob]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8339549.stm

[Stramash]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8339549.stm

that's cool...

but this is way cooler.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8331106.stm

1 less Canadian AND 1 less folk singer.

Finally a victory for Wil E!!!

[CocoaBrotha]

***Side Note:*** Does anyone have the video link of the Thai lady kicking the buffalo in the balls? She was pissed!

[eagle]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8339549.stm

that's cool...

but this is way cooler.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8331106.stm

1 less Canadian AND 1 less folk singer.

Finally a victory for Wil E!!!

your too funny :roll:

[DJTX]

Someone isn't happy :!:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091103/lf_afp/migrationusafricaasiaeurope_20091103190030

Millions worldwide would like to switch countries: study

WASHINGTON (AFP) ? Some 700 million people worldwide, or more than all the adults of North and South America combined, think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence and want to permanently move to another country, a poll showed Tuesday.

Residents of sub-Saharan African countries were the most likely to want to move abroad permanently, the polls conducted in 135 countries between 2007 and this year by Gallup showed.

On average, 38 percent of the adult population in sub-Saharan Africa, or around 165 million people, said they would up stakes and head for another country if they had the chance.

The most popular destination was the United States, where nearly a quarter of the 700 million -- around 165 million people -- said they would like to settle.

In joint second were Britain, Canada and France, each being named as the preferred destination of around 45 million people.

Thirty-five million said they would go to Spain, 30 million to Saudi Arabia, and 25 million each to Australia or Germany.

The least likely to want to emigrate were Asians -- only one in 10 Asian adults said they would move to another country.

Nearly 260,000 people aged 15 years and older were surveyed, either by phone or face-to-face, for the poll, which has a margin of error of around five percent.

[Ngairo]

My goodness....these people need help?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/3031266/Pair-stole-1000-bags-from-airport

[Stramash]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8339549.stm

that's cool...

but this is way cooler.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8331106.stm

1 less Canadian AND 1 less folk singer.

Finally a victory for Wil E!!!

your too funny :roll:

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

what?????

[Bruce551]

Stop the BoI's hurtful plans right now!

Published: 5/11/2009 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: News, Bangkok Post

As if our commons have not been destroyed enough by the local money barons, the government is planning to invite foreign investors to bleed dry our seas, forests and biodiversity resources.

This is sheer madness.

At a time when Thailand cannot escape erratic weather patterns and natural disaster threats from global warming, our nation's priorities are pretty clear. We must preserve what little is left of our healthy environment. At the same time, we must nurture the degraded natural environment back to health to ensure that the majority have enough to eat.

When climate change keeps breeding new diseases, we also need to protect our biodiversity as a source of medicinal ingredients that will save the lives of millions.

Yet, under the Asean Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA), our government is going to do just the opposite. Instead of ensuring that the majority, ordinary people have control over their local natural resources, the government will serve our precious natural resources to a handful of rich foreign investors on a silver platter.

What is going on here?

If the Board of Investment of Thailand (BoI) and the Department of Trade Negotiations have their way, Thailand will lift investment restrictions in forestry, aqua culture and plant breeding for Asean investors, offering them also special BoI privileges and protection.

In short, the scarce resources that are the basis of the country's food security in a time of climate change crisis will be up for grabs - thanks to our policy obsession with foreign investment.

The Fisheries Department, Rice Department and the Office of Agricultural Economics are unhappy with the BoI move, believing this will put too much pressure on scarce resources while making rice and other plant varieties open to greater bio-piracy.

Meanwhile, civil society and grassroots groups foresee explosive conflicts on the ground. To start with, tree farms by new Asean money will definitely accelerate the already serious land rights conflicts since local villagers have to be evicted to make way for large-scale tree farms, not to mention more losses of biodiversity.

Along the coasts, small-scale fishermen are already at their wits' end with the local mafias who destroy the seas and their livelihood through big trawlers and gigantic prawn and cockle farms. Now, they will have to face a new set of enemies armed with special protection from the government. The BoI insists that local rules and regulations can be set up to keep Asean investors in line. But no one buys this. If our laws are so effective, how come we are in such a deep environmental mess?

But the forestry officials, the main supporters of tree farms, are in favour of the Asean free investment push. No need to fear foreigners taking over Thai forests, they say, for only Thai nationals are allowed to have tree farm concessions.

Excuse me, but we are not talking nationalism here. We're talking about protecting the natural environment and the locals' livelihood from the onslaught of excessive investment, Thai or foreign.

In fact, this Asean free investment move will strengthen the local mafias like never before.

Up until now they have been green with envy for the privileges enjoyed by foreign investors.

But through the Asean free investment drives, the local money barons can act as a front, get additional capital, and enjoy a tax holiday and other legal protection. How nice! This is also true for agro-industry giants in Thailand. Imagine how rich and powerful they will be with more privileges and protection?

The Abhisit government will decide about this issue tomorrow. If the BoI wins, the country will lose and more than 100 civic groups will team up to sue the government to stop the onslaught on the environment and the villagers' livelihood.

Indonesia and the Philippines have already refused to lift similar investment restrictions to protect their local people and the foundation of their food security. Why can't Thailand?

Tomorrow, we will know if the Abhisit government is with the common good, or with big business.

Haven't seen to much Gov. action for the "common good."

:?

[Admin_2]

Courtesy of the Onion News:

"Aries Mar 21 - Apr 19

Your body will soon go through a series of new and exciting changes, thanks in large part to the amazing reconstructive work of Dr. Howard Rosenthall.

Taurus Apr 20 - May 20

Remember: It's always a good idea to wait at least 30 minutes before going ahead and defecating in the pool.

Gemini May 21 - Jun 21

You'll once again fall for the oldest trick in the book this week, moments after picking up a copy of the King James Bible.

Cancer Jun 22 - Jul 22

Turns out it's actually a grease fire, that pitcher is filled with gasoline, and all those firefighters are merely strippers.

Leo Jul 23 - Aug 22

While teaching the lowland gorilla how to communicate is entirely possible, getting the self-obsessed primate to shut the hell up is a whole other story.

Virgo Aug 23 - Sep 22

Your insistence on having your father walk you down the aisle may seem odd to some, especially considering the two of you are only going grocery shopping.

Libra Sep 23 - Oct 23

The otherworldly spirit of William Safire will visit you this evening and spend the next three hours correcting every grammatical mistake you've ever made.

Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 21

You'll have a hard time controlling yourself this week, but then that's what the serene-looking men in lab coats are here for.

Sagittarius Nov 22 - Dec 21

Due to adverse weather conditions and severe delays, your next stop this evening will no longer be "Party Town!"

Capricorn Dec 22 - Jan 19

Your big mouth will get you in a lot of trouble this week, though it's actually your small jaw that'll be to blame.

Aquarius Jan 20 - Feb 18

Life may seem like one big game to you, which explains the little plastic tokens, the† six-sided dice, and your repeated utterances of "sorry!"

Pisces Feb 19 - Mar 20

Take the stars' word for it: That guy Dave from work really has it coming."

[GoodKarma]

NJ Judge Says Quadriplegic Man Can Have Guns .-New York Times

He plans to mount the gun on his wheelchair and operate it with a breathing tube.

Street scenes from Havana. -Boston.com

The coolest street scenes of Havana you'll see all day

Milwaukee muggers see Army ID, return wallet.-Boston.com

MILWAUKEE?A 21 year old Milwaukee Army reservist says four muggers returned his belongings when they discovered his military identification.

four muggers rob man.The man is an Army reservist.The Muggers return his wallet, apologize, and thank him for his service. Ultra Bizarre: one of the muggers even gives him a fistbump

Armistice day.-wiki.

Happy Armistice Day or Veterans Day

Placenta Teddy Bear Repulses Many.-Fox News

Some new fathers pass out cigars after the birth of their newborn. Others gather up the placenta and make it into a bendable teddy bear

Strange: British designer Alex Green is taking people's placentas and turning them into teddy bears