MY THOUGHTS About News and Stuff.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

New York Times: “After a Show-Stopping Entrance at the G7, Zelensky Pleads for More Aid.” And adds: “He urged his supporters to stay the course and tried to convince fence sitters like India and Brazil that there is no middle ground.” Mr Zelensky tried to convince India and Brazil? These giant economies are buddies of Russia and China (and South Africa) in BRICS. And India, with a 6+ percent GDP growth, refines most of Moscow’s oil since the war started. Volo is so clueless. 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

New York Times: “Managing Screen Time Is a Family Matter.” And adds: “Parents must help their children live healthier digital lives.” Average daily screen time among tweens (ages 8 to 12): 5 hours and 33 minutes; teens (ages 13 to 18): 8 hours and 39 minutes. Adults? Six hours and 58 minutes. Let’s do the math: 24 hrs - 8 for sleep = 16. Minus 8 for work = 8. Minus 6 for internet = 2. What can you do in 2 hours? Gardening and plays with dog. Or stare at the ceiling. ⏰👨‍👩‍👦‍👦⏰

Time: “Why Body Neutrality Works Better Than Body Positivity.” Body neutrality: A shift in perspective, from body hatred, disgust, and dislike, to body appreciation and respect. Body positivity: A social movement that advocates for the acceptance of all bodies, regardless of size, shape, skin tone, gender or physical abilities. All these “mind calisthenics” comes with market economics. Yet it’s all common sense. Just do it. All I know is, if my thin/fat body feels sick, then I am sick. 😏😒😟

New York Times: “It’s Time for Biden to Out-Trump Trump on Immigration.” And adds: “The only way to have a rational discussion about immigration is to do everything possible to secure the southern border.” Trump’s wall: $12 billion, tops. The Trump administration built 52 miles of wall where no barrier previously existed, costing taxpayers $46 million per mile or less than $3 billion. The U.S. has sent $46 billion of military aid to Ukraine in one year, in a war that can never be won. 🏃‍♀️🏃🏃‍♂️

       Washington approved $133 billion in aid (or taxpayer money) for Ukraine, so far. Some $75 billion, excluding upcoming F-16 warplanes, have already been handed to Kyiv. Yet the southern border wall’s projected $12 billion budget was a huge issue. Confounding. 🏃‍♀️🏃🏃‍♂️

New York Times: “To Counter China, G7 Countries Borrow Its Economic Playbook.” And adds: “Wealthy democracies rev up an effort to spend trillions on a new climate-friendly energy economy, while stealing away some of China’s manufacturing power.” The West’s best bet is India. The world’s second largest labor force (476,670,000, 2021 data) behind China (China: 791,383,000). Provided G7 could work around Narendra Modi and his BRICS buddies, which of course, includes China.

       The world’s 3rd largest work humanity is in the U.S. but labor laws and high (yes!) wages + benefits bring us back to “cheaper” manufacturing spots elsewhere. There’s #4 Indonesia but Jakarta’s top trading partner is already China. Other massive concentrations of workers are located beyond the West: Brazil, Pakistan, Russia, Bangladesh, Japan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Mexico, Philippines, Thailand. Germany and the U.K. are #15 and #17. Japan is G7, and regardless of hosting America’s largest number of troops overseas, Beijing is also Tokyo’s top business BFF.  🏢🇨🇳🏢

New York Times: “Trinidad and Tobago is the #2 exporter of liquefied natural gas in the Americas. Its output has been falling, but it remains committed to fossil fuels.” Of course. Poor countries like South Sudan, Congo, and Gabon, despite being small producers, rely on oil/gas production to survive. Blame the impoverished? What about rich countries? They vow to end oil and gas production by 2034. Really. Yet they refuse to end the war in Ukraine. Why? Oil and natural gas. 🚗🚕🚙

Time: “Are Teens Really Having Less Sex—Or Do They Just Define It Differently?” Data needs deeper analysis. CDC study: Among teen females aged 15-19, 42 percent said they had sex, and among teen males, 44 percent. These percentages have gradually declined since 1988, 51 percent of female had sex; male, 60 percent. Now, were they asked to define what sex is? Oral sex, sexting, mutual genital stimulation, some “kids” even say sex with condom is not sex Sex. 🤨😒😏

Rolling Stone: “Anti-Fascist. Armed to the Teeth.” And adds: “The far right brings guns to drag shows. Now, the left is showing up with weapons, too.” Based on my experience elsewhere–Martial Law, coup d’etats, countryside wars, narcos hits–I haven’t experienced such blatant showtime of civilian military aggro as what's going these days in the U.S. Props of dominance? Showtime? Why the eerie frequency of mass shootings stays largely unchecked? Because these are all video games? 👎👎👎

Time: “More Than 70 percent of Americans Feel Failed by the Health Care System.” Government press release says the number of people with health insurance in the U.S. was over 300 million in 2021, about 92 percent of the population. But another media data says an estimated 112 million or 44 percent of American adults are struggling to pay for healthcare, and more than double that number or 93 percent feel that what they do pay is not worth the cost. 🩺💊🩺