Good morning,

The Burmese junta has stepped up its propaganda against the pro-democracy movement (http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=121488) amid rumours of the rounding up of thousands of protestors and dissidents throughout the country. Six labour activists have been jailed for 28 years for organizing a seminar at the US Embassy (http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=8550) and armed troops are reported as patrolling the streets of Mandalay.

Military junta cronies blaming banned democratically-elected politicians for anything that goes wrong? It could never happen here. Speaking of junta cronies, workshy leader of the Democrat Party Abhisit Vejjajiva managed to get out of bed long enough to visit a palm-reader, Mr Pisit, who observed that Abhisit’s power was now at its peak and he is ready to lead the country (http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=121488). Foppish quisling Abhisit was apparently presiding over a ceremony awarding certificates to astrology students. Other junta henchmen have been setting up magic rituals designed to rid the country of bad luck on September 19^th. Perhaps they could emigrate?

Thousands of people rallied outside the Suvarbabhumi Airport yesterday, being fed up with the late night noise and not overly impressed with the offer of ear plugs and sleeping pills (http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/10Sep2007_news01.php). They are again discussing the release of balloons to confuse air traffic controllers. They seemed to have disappeared by the time I came back from Singapore, around sevenish, fortunately for me.

This is what former prime minister Chuan Leekphai has to say about Thai democracy (http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=121489).

I have published four more reviews. At Bookideas, there are new reviews of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowlings (http://www.bookideas.com/reviews/index.cfm?fuseaction=displayReview&id=3924), The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds (http://www.bookideas.com/reviews/index.cfm?fuseaction=displayReview&id=3923) and C.M. Woon’s The Devil to Pay (http://www.bookideas.com/reviews/index.cfm?fuseaction=displayReview&id=3922). Meanwhile, at Bookpleasures, there is a review of Michael Lee Stallard et al’s Fired Up or Burned Out (http://www.bookpleasures.com/Lore2/idx/0/2992/article/Fired_Up_or_Burned_Out.html). There are more to come and I will try to put up something on Suite 101 as well. However, a large number of articles await my editing eye and there is pressure to complete a number of academic papers as well.

Back tomorrow.