Good afternoon,

Police have found the decapitated head of a western man in his forties (it is not me, OK) suspended five metres below the Rama VIII bridge here in Bangkok. A note was attached, apparently written in English, saying (perhaps more than just) ‘"I want it but I didn't get what I want," and "I came here to see you.” Police estimate the man died some eight hours before the head was found. This is the line that persuaded me to start with this: “Investigators do not believe he took his own life.” Indeed.

I thought it was hot: it is already 38 degrees in some parts of the country and we must prepare for a long, hot, drought-filled summer with temperatures of up to 42 degrees. At least I can skulk inside in air conditioned rooms: there will be plenty of farmers who will lose their crops and livestock for lack of water and, inevitably it seems, this is followed by a wave of suicides after murder of family members.

Southern insurgents have beheaded another man as part of their ongoing protest, also murdering his wife. Another man was murdered on his way to a mosque. A police officer received severe shrapnel wounds from a bomb. It is not clear whether the military control of the situation is yielding any positive results now or, indeed, ever.

I have had two new articles published, one ‘Rama’ is now available at relijournal and the other, ‘The East Asian Economic Model,’ is available at socyberty.

Back tomorrow.

Salt is being strewn in the destroyed ground e’en as I write.