Friday, September 28, 2012

Medical firm Cepheid buys plastics molder

Medical diagnostics firm Cepheid plans to buy a plastics molder to overcome supply constraints for cartridges it relies on for its systems, according to a news report.

GenomeWeb News reported Sept. 27 that Cepheid President and CEO John Bishop told analysts that the firm’s diagnostic systems sales were hurt in the third quarter by “intermittent interruptions in the supply of Xpert cartridge parts.”

Bishop did not identify the current molder of its cartridge parts or which molder it is targeting to acquire. Cepheid CFO Andrew Miller reportedly told analysts the price of the acquisition would be in the mid-teens of millions of dollars. Cepheid would move the molding operating into a new facility, buy new equipment to boost molding volumes and also eventually set up a molding operation in Cepheid’s facility in Sweden.

Sunnyvale-based Cepheid has developed a compact, fast, automated molecular diagnostic workstation system called GeneXpert. The system relies on patented cartridges.

Cepheid officials told analysts that its third quarter revenue would be in the $79 million to $81 million range, below its target and below analyst’s expectations. They blamed the shortfall on a shortage of cartridges as Cepheid was developing higher capacity production tooling and processes.

Cepheid systems are employed in clinics around the world to check on infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. The firm had sold 3,350 systems globally by the end of its second quarter, June 30. Its second quarter sales was $81 million and net profit, $1.1 million.

Eighteen months ago, and just two weeks after Merivale supremo Justin Hemmes' latest restaurant, the Asian mash-up Ms. G's, was rammed with the glamorous and the gluttonous, Hemmes called in the restaurant's new executive chef, Dan Hong, to talk about the future. The young chef had barely drawn breath as his kitchen heaved under the strain of a manic kitchen, but Hemmes was in no mood for pausing. He asked the then 28-year-old Hong, a Vietnamese-Australian who trained at Tetsuya's, if he would run a new Mexican cantina that Hemmes had in mind. Easy enough. Then came the kicker: Hemmes also wanted Hong to head up a modern Chinese restaurant he was planning to build in his Tank nightclub space. "Justin's always coming up with crazy, visionary ideas but this was pretty daunting," says Hong, who took a week to get back to Hemmes.

"I knew just how massively huge Tank was."

Now that Mr. Wong has opened, Hong must be wondering if he really understood just how massive an undertaking it would be. The head chefs are doing eye-bleeding, six-day-a-week double shifts to cater for daily covers that can top 850 in the 240-seater, spectacularly fitted-out space. There are two kitchens - including one dedicated solely to dim sum, headed up by dumpling guru Eric Koh, headhunted from the Michelin-starred Hakkasan in London - as well as a three-tonne duck oven that empties faster than they can fill it. The glass-encased two-storey wine cage holds 5500 bottles. At times, the laneway off Bridge Street almost isn't long enough for the queues that snake from the restaurant's front door.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Asylum seekers 'shocked' to be on Nauru

The Salvation Army says many of the asylum seekers transferred to Nauru are "quite shocked" to find themselves on the tiny Pacific island.

A fourth group of men was transferred there on Tuesday to have their refugee claims processed, bringing the total sent so far to 120.

The Salvation Army's Major Paul Moulds said many of the asylum seekers he had spoken to had got on boats before learning Australian laws had changed.

"I think many of them that are here in this first group had thought that they would be processed in Australia," Mr Moulds told the ABC radio on Thursday.

They had expected to be held for a period of time, but in Australia.

"They're quite shocked, I think, to find themselves in this little island in the middle of the Pacific with very basic facilities."

Mr Moulds said it was not surprising some of the men were questioning how long they could stick it out, given the lack of clarity about their likely length of detention.

One Sri Lankan man already had decided voluntarily to return to Colombo from Nauru, the immigration department said on Tuesday.

Nevertheless, Mr Moulds said the atmosphere in the camp was "quite amazing" and it was a credit to the service providers that morale was so good.

The Salvation Army is one of those organisations, along with defence and the immigration department, working to finish the camps on the island.

Mr Moulds said the situation was not ideal but he rejected recent reports the asylum seeker camp was some kind of holiday resort.

His group and others needed to provide activities and not just leave the asylum seekers "sitting in depression and boredom".

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Peoplestown civil rights activist

In 2008, the Poverty Rights Office of Emmaus House was renamed for one of its most enthusiastic supporters: Muriel Lokey. For 40 years, Mrs. Lokey volunteered her services to Emmaus House, and the center, to ensure those who needed assistance received it.

“She understood that we are all humans,” said Fletcher Lokey, one of her three sons. “She understood that we are all in the world together, and that we do owe each other something, that we are connected.”

Muriel Mattson Lokey, of Atlanta, died Aug. 27 from complications of dementia. She was 90. A memorial service is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Atlanta. Her body was cremated by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society, Marietta.

Mrs. Lokey came to live in Atlanta in the mid-‘40s, after her husband, Hamilton Lokey, finished his military service. The couple was married for 52 years when Mr. Lokey died in 1996.

A native of Tacoma, Wash., Mrs. Lokey, did not fit the mold of the average housewife, her son said. She graduated from Wellesley College in 1943 with a degree in sociology, and “had a Christian urge to serve,” Mr. Lokey said, of his mother.

While her husband worked as an attorney and politician, Mrs. Lokey fought against the oppression and discrimination of people of color. In the late ‘50s, the Lokeys were among the first supporters of H.O.P.E., Inc., which stood for Help Our Public Education, a nonprofit organization that worked to prevent public schools from closing during desegregation in Atlanta.

In the early-‘60s, Mrs. Lokey lent her support to Partners for Progress, an ally of H.O.P.E., which sought to help implement the Civil Rights Act of 1964. By the late-‘60’s Mrs. Lokey was a volunteer at Emmaus House in Peoplestown, and for 20 years was the director of the Poverty Rights Office, which is now called the Muriel Lokey Center.

“Her major activity was recruiting, and really inspiring, people to participate in things she considered very important,” said Rev. Austin Ford, founder of Emmaus House.

From making sure families got the food they needed from the government surplus warehouse, to making sure children involved in court cases were treated properly, Mrs. Lokey organized people to help with it all, Rev. Ford said.

“She wanted to help people as persons, not isolated members of a race,” Rev. Ford said. “That was very important to her.”

Mrs. Lokey is survived by two additional sons, Dr. Hamilton Lokey Jr. of Wheat Ridge, Colo., and William Mattson Lokey of Tacoma, Wash.; two daughters, Ann Montgomery Lokey of Mercer Island, Wash., and Rebecca Hazel Lokey of Decatur; 13 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Good Behaviour and the Role of the Church in Society

HUMAN beings are born and grow up in a society. No normal person is born a criminal. Normally, the character of the child is moulded by the early environment in which such a child finds itself as well as subsequent interactions with peers.

It is very interesting that even a wild animal, which is normally dangerous such as a lion or tiger, if it has grown among people and is cared for by them, such an animal becomes a harmless and gentle pet and behaves like any domesticated animal.

Therefore, the environment plays a vital role in determining the behaviour not only of a person but all living beings. The society in which the child has grown moulds the character of such a child. Therefore, by and large, if the child has grown up in a Christian family and a peaceful and law-abiding society he/she is likely to have a strong foundation and a peaceful and loving life.

As such a child grows into an adult person his/her behaviour is influenced by the people he/she normally associates with. Therefore, the Christian family and environment mostly is the nursery for God-abiding behaviour. A child who was born into a Christian family and started going to church very early in its life is likely not to give much problems both to his parents and the society.

The church and the Christian family help such a child to grow up into a person who is never disrespectful, and who is not arrogant or does not disobey the orders of his parents. Such a child becomes a disciplined person.

In many cases he/she will detest and resist running around and associating with undisciplined peers and do what such undisciplined peers are doing. The love of the parents and the teachings of the church may make such a child resist the temptation of running around with peers who can get them in trouble.

The most important thing is that the child must feel that his parents care for him/her. The child must at all times feel that he/she is genuinely loved and accepted by his/her parents. In addition to parental love, a child being a spiritual human, should be encouraged to have a passion for Christian values, which will create in such a child a sense of purpose and self-worth. The church will help the child not to be unruly and show a tendency of being attracted by the evil behaviour of peers but to discover himself/herself to believe in good things and display proper behaviour, and such behaviour will surely create conviction in such a child that his/her life depends on being disciplined and thus will strive to do only the right things in society.

Once the child is convinced in doing just the good things that the society expects from such a child he/she grows up into a person who has initiative, passion for good teamwork, discipline, confidence and a focused mind, compassion, peace and patience.

Once the child grows spiritually as a God-fearing person through the teaching of the church, the chances are that true leadership potential will develop and take root in that child.

If these attributes are not pretentious but real, the child when growing into an adult will not be tempted to commit crimes and get involved in anti-social behaviour. Therefore the chances of moulding a law-abiding and properly behaved person with an upright character, is greater under the above-mentioned circumstances. Good behaviour creates a positive attitude, and that positive attitude dictates the perception which one has in the society and this perception is translated into one's proper and appropriate manners towards other members of the society. At the end one becomes a likeable person.

The Christian values in which the overwhelming majority of the Namibian people believe will help them to resist the temptation to commit crime thus making the country a better and safe place to live in.

It is in, among others, instilling the requisite character traits in young people where the church becomes a vital instrument. It must be understood that I am not underestimating the role other religions might play, but I am talking about Christianity because the overwhelming majority of Namibians are Christians. This article tallies very well with the one I wrote not long time ago and published in the New Era newspaper in which I supported the introduction of Bible Studies in school.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Carrie blast furnace along Monongahela River

The enormous blast furnace on the banks of the Monongahela has been cold for 30 years. But for a few moments on Saturday, iron flowed on the grounds of the hulking relic of the Industrial Age.

Docents with the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area led visitors on a tour of the mill that fired iron ore starting in 1884 for everything from the Panama Canal and the Empire State Building to the Golden Gate Bridge and the Alaska Pipeline.

As visitors stared in awe at the giant blast furnace that once produced 1,250 tons of iron a day, artist Ed Parrish of Hot Metal Happenings carefully tended a small cupola blast furnace he uses to melt recycled bathtubs and radiators that are then funneled into molds for plaques and art work.

"It's pretty awesome," Parrish said softly looking up at the plant's abandoned powerhouse. "This is the first time since the mill shut down that any metals have been poured here."

Maryann Ostrenga and her sister Claudia Reuteler, who traveled from Wisconsin, arrived for the tour after circling through Braddock and carefully driving the final quarter-mile to the mill along a crumbling and rutted road that runs along the railroad by the Mon.

"This is just amazing. Our grandparents met and married here, and our grandfather Edward Jacob Garnier helped start the mill in Gary, Ind.," Ostrenga said.

Rivers of Steel is spearheading a drive to create a national park that would include 38 acres of the original Homestead Works just across the river from the Carrie Furnace site. The group provides weekend hard-hat tours of the Carrie Furnace site, a national historic landmark where two of the original blast furnaces and mill buildings remain a tribute to the region's steel heritage dating to before the Civil War.

Like the Carrie Furnace site, which is fueled by solar power today, Rivers of Heritage volunteer docent Gary Condon has come full circle.

Condon, 61, of Washington was a pipe fitter and millwright at the Carrie Furnace until 1984, when he left as a member of the last crew mothballing the giant facility. After working as a coal miner for Consol Energy and finishing his engineering degree, he went on to become a researcher specializing in synthetic diamonds for industrial uses.

"Now we can hear crickets and birds and there's a huge herd of deer here," he said pointing to the weed field surrounding the ghostly mill.

Today, graffiti adorns the dark walls of the long stock house and trestle that was used to move ore to the furnace, and a giant deer head artists constructed of discarded wire faces the cold furnace.

Condon explains how coke, iron ore and limestone were used to make iron ingots at the Carrie Furnace that were then transported across the river to the Homestead Works, where they were fired into steel.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Glass and plastics access third ambit

Kunststofff-Institut Lüdenscheid (KIMW) in Germany has started two new projects in 2012; one involving moulding about bottle and the added bang moulding plastics to glass.

After the aboriginal KuGlas activity focused on moulding about bottle and ample collapsed apparent backmoulding of artificial to glass, the additional activity on bang moulding plastics to bottle started in June, with a focus on attenuate thermoformed glass.

KIMW expects applications to cover displays fabricated from 0.05-0.1mm bottle backmoulded to plastic. This improves glass's automated amount address adequacy and offers an another to hard-coated artificial displays.

Glass is commonly formed by acute and sag bending, as acclimated by, for example, bottle finishing specialist Flabeg. But KIMW credibility out that there is now not alone a new thermal area moulding (TSM) thermoforming process, enabling bottle appliance to free-form 3D surfaces, but aswell new chemically pre-stressed glass, which offers top angle strength.

TSM is offered by Potsdam, Germany-based GP Innovation. The aggregation says the actual offers 3D possibilities with 0.3-40mm glass. GPI uses Schott's Borofloat 33 bottle and Corning's 0.5-2mm Gorilla Glass, which the abutting says is fabricated with an ion-exchange action creating a "deep compression band on the surface" that acts as "armour". Since June, it has aswell offered Corning's 0.1mm Willow Glass.

At the IAA 2011 automotive industry fair in Frankfurt, Seat presented its IML abstraction car which has a "complete cockpit below a arced bottle surface" and a individual section of bottle accoutrement the complete apparatus console all the way to the accessory affectation in the centre of the car cockpit. There is accordingly abeyant for KuGlas II to be acclimated to advance consoles in amalgam glass/plastic form.

In March this year KIMW started new bang moulding apparatus discharge projects, absorption on abbreviation the amount of apparent defects with exhaustion discharge on absolute and new tools.

KIMW says air cannot calmly escape by itself from mould cores, inserts and ejectors in attention tooling. This can advance to low knitline strength, voids, dieseling, streaking and bore marks. Air trapped amid artificial melts and top appearance surfaces - which causes moulders to use foolishly top burden for abounding captivation burden alteration - aswell leads to apparent defects. Exhaustion degassing aswell ensures added reliable moulding processes and bargain apparatus wear, KIMW adds.

The third two-year optical technologies project, which aswell started in March, is investigating action optimisation and automation of top attention optical components. KIMW's ally are S?dwestfalen university and consultancy ISK Iserlohner Kunststoff-Technologie.

The activity looks at automated sprue and agent break aural and after moulding tools. It is aswell developing analytical approaches to optimisation, statistical planning and appraisal of circuitous action constant inter-relationships based on a lighting part.

The project's goals cover developing a way of automatically evaluating optical properties, and creating software to accredit absolute superior assay based on apparatus and sensor signals.

A new two-year "heat and cool" project, which started in June, draws aloft KIMW's acquaintance in consecration heating,and the institute's BFMold abutting curve "ball-filled" mould temperature ascendancy technology.

While aspects of bigger quality, bargain aeon time and added abundance in thermoplastic moulding play important roles, KIMW has started plan in a new area: accelerated heating to cut moulding aeon times in curingthermosetting plastics. It expects able results, for example, with aqueous silicone rubber.

Another activity started in January, the TSGPro thermoplastic structural cream project, which includes actinic bubbles of polyetherimide, arch to top appearance surfaces. KIMW says variotherm accelerated activating temperature ascendancy can be acclimated to aftermath electroplated structural cream parts.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Grammar School's on a advance spurt

THE Rockhampton Grammar Academy is basic itself for big changes over the next few years.

The academy of 1300 acceptance will aggrandize to acceptable 250 added pupils in 2015, if Year 7 will be bumped up into accessory school.

Headmaster Dr Phillip Moulds said it was about accouterment for association appeal for places at the school, and ensuring a bland alteration for Year 7 students.

The amount of Year 7 classes at the academy will added than double, and one chic will be added to anniversary primary year.

To accomplish way for the changes, the academy will recruit about a dozen new agents and able staff.

The academy will aswell aggrandize its Early Learning Centre in acknowledgment to affliction for added accouchement from six weeks to 5 years of age.

As Queensland's better co-education boarding school, Dr Moulds said boarding accessories would aswell charge to be expanded.

But Dr Moulds said the school's top standards and apprentice focus would not be absent during all the changes.

"We're actual appreciative of the achievement and types of acceptance at the school," he said.

Dr Moulds said the changes would accurately ambition Year 7, which would become the year with the above assimilation of students. "Year 7 is a absolutely important alteration aeon for students, academically, socially and emotionally."

In 1994, Nishi wrote a annual commodity about Japanese women authoritative new appropriate in this field. Her analysis buried the seeds for the exhibit, although it would yield added than a decade to appear to fruition. While Soaring Voices is actual abundant about artistic breakthroughs, at its amount is an even added sea change in cultural ethics and assumptions.

After centuries of their affectionate ancestors’ toiling in the caliginosity of the ancestors branch or as bearding cogs in ceramics factories, the women of Soaring Voices are alive to the new awareness of seeing themselves accustomed as bowl artists.

“Women accept consistently been complex in the assembly of ceramics in Japan,” writes Smithsonian Institution Babysitter for Ceramics Louise Allison Cort in the display catalog.

Their roles predated the accession of the potter’s caster in the fifth century; they created hand-pinched commonsensical accouterments and dishes for added than a millennium. By the nineteenth century, women were revolving the caster for the macho potters, complementing the men’s harder concrete tasks with added able activities, like advancing glazes and abacus lugs and spouts to teapots.

“What I saw in these women’s plan was power, strength, beginning energy, as if they had been trapped or hidden beneath the apple until then,” says display babysitter Maya Nishi.

The exhibit, absolute a ten-museum bout at the MACC, showcases artists alignment in age from their twenties to their eighties. Their contributions to Japan’s proud, millennia-spanning bowl attitude accept aggregate to do with breaking molds. These women can about-face adobe into something organic, like plants or animal physique parts; or abundantly thin, like paper. They can animate it with an apparition of weightlessness, acutely defying gravity. Others atmosphere their raw actual — apprehensive apple — into colors and concepts it’s never captured before.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Based Business Access for Apparatus Accoutrement

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries,is demography an important footfall to accent its proposal-based business of apparatus accoutrement and acid accoutrement to the apple bazaar through a new access all-around with Federal Advance Holdings, LLC, a aggregation MHI acquired this April. Going forward, MHI will aggressively analyze appeal from barter gluttonous added assembly ability and machining accurateness in the automotive and aircraft industries, and will abutment them through machining systems accumulation the technologies of the two companies. As allotment of this initiative, MHI will present its apparatus accoutrement and acid accoutrement at the All-embracing Manufacturing Technology Appearance 2012 to yield abode September 10 through 15 in Chicago, Illinois, in accord with Federal Broach, to authenticate their high-level solutions for assorted needs in a ample ambit of fields.

In advancing synergy furnishings from the affiliation of its business operations with those of Federal Broach, MHI looks to analyze all-around markets leveraging the two companies' corresponding business bases. Major targets are automotive-related industries and manufacturers of jet engines and turbines that use the broaches and advance machines produced by Federal Broach, as able-bodied as users of automotive, architecture and automated accouterment in the Asian markets, area MHI is in a position of solid strength.

Together the two companies will action abeyant barter proposals on assorted apparatus accoutrement and acid tools, including accessory acid machinery, as able-bodied as ability in selecting optimum machining technology. This access is advised to advice barter extend their ambit of machining action choices according to their specific needs: for example, accessory of accomplishment capability, greater machining accurateness or amount reductions. In addition, affiliation of the two companies' assembly and production-control technologies will accredit beneath supply periods and accouterment of cautiously acquainted application and abutment leveraging their corresponding operating bases.

At IMTS 2012 MHI and Federal Advance will accordingly adduce systems able for accelerated attention machining of workpieces, including gears. MHI will present its "MVR30," a double-column 5-face milling machine, and two accessory machines: the "SE25A," a dry-cut accessory abstraction machine, and the "ZE40A," a accepted accessory acid apparatus able of numerically controlled high-precision machining of post-heat analysis gears. The MVR30 provides awful accurate, accelerated machining and has an abounding supply clue record, mainly for machining of brownish molds for auto locations and locations acclimated in assorted large-size machines. The ZE40A is able of all-around both breeding acid and contour acid and can be activated to machining of assorted workpieces. Federal Advance will display assorted acid tools: circling broaches acclimated to action the close teeth of circling gears, which are begin in the automated manual apparatus of motor vehicles, and "pine tree" blazon broaches, which are acclimated primarily for machining grooves that acquaintance blades and agent discs in the artifact of jet engines and turbines for ability bearing plants.

IMTS, which takes abode every added year, is one of the world's three better all-embracing apparatus apparatus fairs, forth with Europe's Apparatus Apparatus Apple Exposition and the Japan All-embracing Apparatus Apparatus Fair. IMTS attracts manufacturers and users not alone in the U.S. but from all over the world, ambience the arena for alive business negotiations. Through the appearance MHI aims to aggrandize its proposal-based business access to abeyant customers, with expectations of adjustment receipts during the exhibition.

MHI is one of a few companies in the apple which handle both apparatus accoutrement and their acid tools. Leveraging this advantage, the aggregation has developed assorted avant-garde articles and technologies, including the world's aboriginal "dry-cut accessory acid system." The markets and articles of MHI and Federal Advance are awful complementary, with added than 95% of MHI's apparatus apparatus and acid apparatus sales advancing from Asia and about 80% of Federal Broach's sales appearing from North America and Europe. Going advanced the two companies intend to abide deepening their accord to absolutely acknowledge to needs of customers.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Ominous start for sluggish Eastern

Poor shooting and soft turnovers contributed to Eastern's woeful start to the National Netball Championship at North Shore.

"A positive was the fact we made 49 attempts, which means we are getting the ball to the circle," Eastern head coach Jewels Falcon said after the 71-26 loss to North Harbour on Saturday. "However we only succeeded with 53 per cent of our attempts and that's something all of our shooters have to take responsibility for."

"It was always going to be a battle to hang on after that. We were up against a side coached by Yvonne Willering and Linda Vagana ... they had three New Zealand secondary schools representatives and some experienced campaigners in Julie Kelman-Poto, Brigette Tapene and Jessica Moulds."

Eastern were beaten 17-6 in the second quarter and produced their best quarter in the third when beaten 13-11. North Harbour won the fourth quarter 17-5. Woodford House and HHSOG Huias player Millie Ironside was the best of the Eastern shooters with three from five attempts.

Veteran Physique shooter Cheleme Smiler-Ah Kiong had a couple of long shots as the North Harbour defence did a top job in keeping Smiler-Ah Kiong well away from the net.

Falcon said goal keep Rhiarna Ferris and goal defence Briar Chalmers worked tirelessly. "They did some honest defensive work and then we would turn the ball over and Harbour would be shooting again. Rhiarna and Briar both play for Otane ... I tried to go with club combinations as much as possible as we only had one training session as a team.

"Things won't get any easier in the buildup to Sunday's game against Western in Pettigrew-Green Arena."

Ironside and the Hastings Girls' High School pair of Taylor Greening and Leykin Rowlands-Huirama will be away at the Lower North Island secondary schools tournament in Palmerston North this week and with the Wellington-based pair of Candis Cardie and Bianca Lloyd-Jones not arriving until the weekend, Saturday will be the only day Falcon can have a full team training.

Opposite the house is also a townhouse with big trees. But this house is quite open as it is the place where Jatuporn welcomes his guests. He said the second townhouse does not belong to him. "If they didn't give it to me, I wouldn't have bought it," he said, without elaboration.

Decorating his house here and there are products made by the red shirts, especially from Chiang Mai's Ban Thawai. He is particularly proud of the bouquets made with Bt20 banknotes that the red shirts made for him while waiting to hear the bail order for this suspect, who is facing a terrorism charge.

On the second and the third floors of the Bt2.7-million worth townhouse that he has reported to the National Anti-Corruption Commission, Jatuporn keeps dozens of Buddha images, sculptures of Thai revered kings and respected monks as well as the clothes - red shirts - given to him by his admirers.

"It is strange. They just came to me. One time I thought before I went to bed that I'd like to have a sculpture of King Taksin the Great for me to worship. In no time, even before I woke up in the morning, someone called me and told me that he would give me this sculpture," he said. He now has such sculptures of King Taksin the Great in various postures, he claims.

Jatuporn also proudly said there were delicate ceremonies and mysterious stories behind the transportation of such sacred items. For example, a rare set of sculptures of six Great Kings of Thailand made in Nakhon Si Thammarat were meant to be given to some other person before, but the engines of the vehicles did not work so the set was safely transported to his house.

"And this is the house of the person accused of overthrowing the monarchy," he said, laughing. "I am sure I have more sculptures of Thai kings than the Army chief does."