THOUGHTS About The News.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

Entertainment Weekly: “'Mandalorian and Grogu' opens to the lowest box office in 'Star Wars' franchise history.” As I noted previously, the only Star Wars movies that I saw are the original trilogy. Done. Anyhow, creator George Lucas has apparently amassed gargantuan wealth from his brainstorm. He made the bulk of his billions by taking a massive pay cut for the original 1977 film in exchange for sequel and merchandising rights. His earnings from the franchise include roughly $4.4 billion from original box office runs, and an estimated $4 billion from the 2012 Lucasfilm sale to Disney.

       Because he sold the entire entity to Disney, Mr Lucas no longer receives royalties or writer/director cuts from newer Star Wars movies, television shows, or modern merchandise. However, as one of Disney's largest individual shareholders, he continues to build his net worth through the growth and dividends of his remaining Disney stock. 🎥💲📽

Associated Press: “South Korean Starbucks boss apologizes for ad campaign evoking massacre.” People don’t delineate anymore what is offensively political from sheer business. The advertisement in question is widely perceived as mocking victims of a bloody military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in the southern city of Gwangju in 1980. The coffee chain attempted to promote a large size of a tumbler it calls a "tank" by declaring May 18 to be "Tank Day." Stupid. Of course, the idea was pitched to the Seattle headquarters. I don’t believe the big bosses of the franchise didn’t know or didn’t approve. 😞🤨👎

ABC: “Iran's supreme leader says the U.S. will no longer have 'safe haven' in the Middle East.” / CNN: “Iran to commute to World Cup games from Mexico after U.S. refusal.” Media rabble-rouse! I hold on to my belief that negotiations have navigated a clearer path to peace, after Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin separately visited China and conferred with Xi Jinping. But the media has got to sow more fear and anxiety rather than influence calm and positivity. 

       Anyhow, regardless of war or peace, I don’t think the Supreme Leader would say otherwise how the hardline Shia Iran views the U.S. or the West. It’s a leader’s words, you know. And this CNN World Cup bit? That Iran’s national soccer team will sleep in Mexico and travel to the United States on the days of its three World Cup matches after Washington declined to host the squad for the tournament? What is so big a deal about that? The fact is, the Iranians are now allowed to join the games. So let’s go and play for Peace! ☮️⚽️☮️

Washington Post: “Suspected gunman dead after exchanging fire with Secret Service near White House.” Again! And as ever, when this side of the divide figures things out in front of the mirror, they see Donald Trump, and not our collective murk that breeds gung-ho hate as exacerbated by mental health ruin. The whacked-ness of America’s societal crack is–these suicidal lone wolves are “glorified” by those whose obsessive abhorrence of Mr Trump continually clouds their own sense of sanity. ☮️🗽☮️

NEWS STUFF. Political whiplash. China/U.S./Iran. China and U.S. wars. Migrants and stuff. E. Jean Carroll's $83 million. Wisconsin beagles. RFK Jr.

CNN: “America's political whiplash keeps getting worse. Neither party can stop it.” Political whiplash refers to the rapid, jarring, and often chaotic reversal of policies, political power, or public sentiment, causing disorientation similar to a physical injury. America's convenient alibi is Donald Trump. Just say, “Trump!” and that’d be it. No discussion. Done.

      While Mr Trump’s playbook is unprecedentedly unorthodox and high on flexibility, his Washington leadership adapts to global changes as the 21st century strode in. China’s trade expansionism, birth of the BRICS trade bloc, economic progress of Asia and the Middle East etc etcetera. All these as America’s foundations are continually wobbled by the ever widening divide. An inevitability that the revered historian Howard Zinn predicted before he died in 2010. Repeat: 2010. 🏛🗽🏛

CNN: “What China is learning from the U.S. war with Iran.” If there’s something that the CCP is “learning” from this current U.S. war, it is how to source oil as shipments from Iran have been “delayed,” obviously. But as the world’s #1 oil importer and #6 in oil production (but not selling at all), the Chinese are a resilient lot. Meanwhile, China has been watching the U.S. foreign policy since (maybe) the Tripolitan War (1801-1805), America’s first war overseas. Then after Western intrusions in the Opium Wars (1839-1842, 1856-1860) and Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901), what has China had to “learn” from U.S. wars? 🇨🇳🇺🇸🇮🇷

USA Today: “Padres prospect admits driving undocumented immigrants into U.S. and self-deports.” / CNN: “6 people found dead in Union Pacific cargo train in Texas at southern border.” These have been happening from the late-19th century. Border restrictions, following the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, etc etcetera. Until border crossings spiked to a record 1 million average from 2021 to 2024, around 100,000 cross the U.S. southern border illegally, annually. So compatriots helping each other? Of course. Also, many border patrols are naturalized citizens from Central America. Do they “assist” coyotes to facilitate transport of migrants to wherever in America? Figure it out. 🗽🏃‍♀️🏃

NBC: “DOJ backs Trump bid to halt E. Jean Carroll's $83 million defamation award.” Sure, defamation per se isn’t a good thing. But this gargantuan story is all-political bluster or hate-Trump murk-pinata to me. $83 million?!? These: <>In 2007, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles paid 508 victims of clergy sexual abuse, $660 million, which amounts to (only) $1.2 million for each rape victim. <>In 2018, Michigan State University paid the over 300 victims of sex-abuser Larry Nassar, $500 million, which is (only) $1.6 million, individually. <>Meanwhile, late-night TV talk show hosts "defame" and insult political personalities as their program moneymaker, and get paid in millions$. 🤨😞🤨

Associated Press: “Wisconsin beagles: 1,500 dogs will get new lives after release from research facility.” So many dogs! Some couldn't even walk on a leash or respond to situations that they weren't exposed to since birth. They were rescued in a farm that is used as a “breeding facility for laboratory research.” Because I have grown deeply attached, sentimentally attached, to dogs, I can't help but feel for these adorable animals. (Photo: The Guardian.) 🐕💝🐕‍🦺

New York Times: “Kennedy Starts a Push to Help Americans Quit Antidepressants.” And adds: “The health secretary has long complained that Americans overuse psychiatric medications. New policies he is introducing aim to change that.” RFK Jr.’s sublime cause (albeit quixotic) makes perfect sense to me. But in the context of American facts, it is a complex matter. I am not a consumer of mental health medications but it doesn’t mean I’d tell those who take them to quit. 

       America’s well-being has been deeply and massively dependent on antidepressants as a cultural conditioning driver, more than a temporary medical/health fix, so quitting them now could be disastrous. Even fatal. But pre-meds, I believe the only remedy to mental health issues is a better human interaction. 🏛🗽🏛