5/15/2023

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            It looks like you will have perfect weather for your granddaughter’s graduation from Penn. It’s cool that Maisy is following in her dad’s footsteps as an artist. I hope Idina Menzel ends up singing her commencement remarks. That would be a lot more interesting than the usual, BYBS kind of thing.

            Isn’t it great news that Pita Limjaroenrat might be the new leader of Thailand? You gotta love his 3Ds plan to “demilitarize, de-monopolize and decentralize” by ending military conscription & lèse-majesté, which criminalizes speaking poorly of the monarchy. According to the WP, “his ascendance could be complicated by the military’s lingering influence, including its power in the military-appointed Senate, whose 250 votes will also be included in the count to name a prime minister.” Hopefully, this election will turn out better than the 2020 debacle in Burma.

            Speaking of which, it’s still too hard to tell how badly the Rakhine State may have been affected by Cyclone Mocha. The winds have cut off communication which was already limited due to the conflict. The Arakan Army has a tenuous grip on that part of Burma so it’s unclear who you should communicate with about getting help to storm victims. More than 750,000 people evacuated the villages closest to the shoreline & they will be needing food & shelter. Please see what you can do.

            BYBS,