Good afternoon,

More protests at Government House today – some hundreds of disabled people are there to hand in a petition requesting a fairer quota for their share of lottery tickets (selling lottery tickets is one of the occupations that has been reserved at least in part for people with disabilities). Also, hundreds more of public sector union workers are demonstrating in favour of the union of the State Railways of Thailand who have a six point petition – reinstate the strikers sacked by the SRT and reject all plans for privatization. I may of course be wrong (it did happen once before, in 1989) but I would be surprised if any investors could be found for the SRT given the state of dilapidation into which it has fallen over the years. There would have to be some kind of strong ‘sweetheart’ deal to persuade anyone to take it on and, under the current climate, this would probably result in court-based accusations of bribery in due course.

From the sublime to the ridiculous – well, not quite but it was only a matter of time before the obviously nonsensical case against the ‘rumour mongers’ transmogrified itself into the obviously politically motivated suggestion that it was all a plot by the ‘old political clique’ led no doubt by the Dark One himself. Absolutely disgraceful.

The army was full of itself a few weeks ago with talk about its shiny new airships, not least because they could actually point to something to show for the enormous budget it receives under the Abhisit regime. Alas, the shiny, shiny airships are grounded because the Americans (no doubt under the influence of ill-intentioned people, wink, wink, nudge, nudge) are hesitant to sell high definition cameras to General Jackboots (why can’t they just go to Pantip Plaza like everyone else?) – because “"The US first needs to be confident that the cameras will not be misused or fall into the wrong hands when they arrive. "Internal coordination between the manufacturer of the airship and the US administration is required before the endorsement for the export of the cameras.” But surely, General, your name is all over the paperwork? Surely everyone trusts the Thai army? Eh? Oh.

Two more of my articles have appeared at Bookstove, they are Romances of Shakespeare: Cymbeline and Romances of Shakespeare: Pericles, Prince of Tyre. Nearly finished all of the plays now.

Back tomorrow.

It’s cooler outside than in here.