THOUGHTS About The News.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

Associated Press: “U.S. and Iran blow past red lines as Strait of Hormuz tensions spiral.” This is the war that is either “hard to believe” or simply invites an arched eyebrow or rolling eyeballs. Absurd. Surreal. Not that I don’t believe that craziness is still happening at The Strait. I suspect that those who amass revenue from this drama are only taking advantage, until Iran finally accepts the deal.

      Meanwhile, from Associated Press: “8 killed as Ukrainian drone attack hits logistics hubs deep inside Russia.” Whether it is the Middle East “crisis” or Ukraine/Eastern Europe, this gargantuan wastage of taxpayer money is more a battle of geopolitical narcissism (and hand on the profit jar) than whatever stuff and things that they are quarreling about. ☮️☮️☮️

The Telegraph: “Zelensky ousts popular defense chief as protesters take to the streets.” Volodymyr doesn’t need to fire his military officers, that’s a lame PR. What he should have done was to at least try not to be a continuing puppet of the European Union and NATO (sans the U.S.) The Ukrainian people are (apparently) enraged, distressed, and have been suffering since 2022 (or since the Donbas conflict in 2014).

      Russia has, time and again, sent fillers to end the crisis, and Mr Trump has been pushing for peace as well. But Europe isn’t backing out from supporting this lost war. And Z keeps embracing (military) aid. The people know the lowdown in their government’s institutionalized corruption (per foreign aid). ☮️☮️☮️

California Post: “Snakebite victim got 54 vials of antivenom and a $1.3 million hospital bill.” Not really surprising, isn’t it? Especially for the 27 million Americans who don’t have health insurance. One night in a U.S. hospital (without insurance) costs an average of $3,000 to $3,132 for the base room and board alone. However, when you factor in tests, medications, doctor consultations, and initial emergency room fees, the final out-of-pocket bill for a single overnight stay typically climbs to between $9,300 and $11,700. Okay? 

       Also: The average cost of a ground ambulance ride typically ranges between $500 and $2,500+ without insurance, with a national average of roughly $1,000 to $1,300 per trip! So for the meantime, don't get bitten by a snake! 🐍😵🐍

Yahoo Sports: “Caitlin Clark's 45-point, 10-assist game wasn't just a career peak — it was a WNBA 1st.” Okay, finally, the WNBA news that I have been waiting for. Not particularly about Ms Clark’s record night (I know she’ll regain her magic touch anytime) but I am relieved that league news finally focuses on playtime, not drama time! 

       I mean, do people even know that a month or so ago, Toronto Tempo’s Marina Mabrey tied the all-time single-game scoring record (53 points) and most three-pointers in a single game with nine? Examples of what we mostly read these days are this: When Marina was hit by a flying shoe thrown by an irate Betnijah Laney-Hamilton of the NY Liberty. Or the never-ending Alyssa Thomas/Caitlin Clark thingy. 🏀⛹️‍♀️🏀

NY Post: “MLB fans criticize Patti LaBelle's national anthem rendition.” The legendary 82-year old R&B singer faced backlash from some MLB fans for her rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" to kick off the 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Says her critics: She took too many artistic liberties, adding jazzy runs, and putting her own personal spin on the traditional melody. “Disrespectful" and "horrible." 

       As for me, maybe I am a traditionalist, because I don’t concur with improvisational renditions of national anthems. I prefer the way it was composed/written. Years ago, the Philippines’ national anthem was also “covered” a-la the popular “We Are the World.” Oh well. Meanwhile, this related news, Yahoo: “The World Cup final halftime show headliners could break soccer's rules.” Well, indeed! Since all the brouhaha about the Super Bowl halftime “politics,” sports intermissions have been this frivolously bombastic. WTH?!? This is NOT a concert! 🤨😞🤨

THOUGHTS About The News.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

Esquire: “Why do Emmy voters keep snubbing mega-hitmaker Taylor Sheridan?” Of course all these so-called award-giving regalias are politically-greased up! Dominated by influential liberals or the new Left. Awards are not anymore about artistic integrity or sheer aesthetics. Anyhow, for many years now, I disagree with the Emmy’s choices. Most that I follow aren't even nominated. I watch shows for pure entertainment, regardless that I don’t side with the performers’ personal politics (which are highly publicized). 

       Emmy voters consistently overlook Mr Sheridan’s shows because of his dismissive attitude toward industry campaigning and the  cultural and political assumptions about his "heartland" audience. Naysayers contend that his “Landman” and “Yellowstone” imbue "right-wing" stereotypes. Stars like Billy Bob Thornton have pointed out that this bias causes voters to dismiss Taylor’s “raw, authentic storytelling as purely political, ignoring the artistic merits of his work.” 🎥📹📽

Apparently, I do watch many TV series, at the same time (1 episode at a time), yeah? By myself in the bedroom and with my BFF watch-partner in the living room. There are a lot of overrated shows that the media continues to hype. Maybe they’re cool to many, maybe not. Not to me. Currently we are watching Season 5 of “The Bear.” Just watching to get it done, uh huh. I still don’t know what’s going on, the performers seem bored as well. Same case with “The Handmaid’s Tale.” We got tired of Elisabeth Moss’s close-up shots.

      Meanwhile, we tried a few episodes (or a season) of “The White Lotus” and “Hacks.” I don’t know what makes these derivatives awesome to many! “Bridgerton” or “Euphoria,” nope. I tried Season 1 of “Severance,” nah! We also gave up “Industry” due to the reason why we gave up “Game of Thrones” and “The Outlander.” Too much sex. We are not 17 year olds, okay? 🎥📹📽

Entertainment Weekly: “Despite dual citizenship, Jesse Eisenberg says leaving the U.S. would be 'a little silly'.” An individual choice, especially because the rich and famous (Jesse is worth $12 million) have the ways and means. And then they may go back whenever they want. Beyond the obvious reason why a failed actress/comedian moved to Ireland, there are a number of other alibis or rationales why some Americans leave the U.S. But Left-wing media accentuates the not-so-unusual move behind their no-brainer advocacy trajectory: Mr Trump as POTUS (which isn't a forever situation, of course).

      Anyhow, of course, the relatively wealthy can “afford” Europe, despite the fact that taxes out there are a lot higher. The overall tax burden in the European Union hovers around 39.4 percent. Top earners face the highest taxes: 55 percent to 60 percent. Meanwhile, the average income tax rate in the U.S. is approximately 14.5 percent. Middle Earners: 15 percent to 26 percent average rate. Top 1 percent? 23 percent to 26 percent av. So in case the rich got a bit “poorer” while in Denmark or France, expect them to be back home. 🤨😞🤨

The Hollywood Reporter: “Anatomy of a flop: The chaotic back-and-forth behind the scenes of 'Supergirl'.” These “new” filmmakers don’t really care about “losses” per 1 movie because the end-game is “winnings” in profit. DC Studios lost between $85 million and $125 million for this superheroine re-do. In the first quarter of 2026, parent company Warner Bros. Discovery reported a net loss of $2.9 billion on $8.9 billion in revenue. But last year, the multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate generated a total revenue of $37.3 billion (still counting, per global sales)! 

       So the narrative has to carry on, anyhow. A Supergirl who cusses, drinks, and with an attitude. Won't be long till that is an "accepted" societal norm. Experts are already saying cussing and swearing are “good” for your mental health. Right. 🎥📹📽

Politico: “Canada's military push could reshape everything from foreign aid to health care.” We are talking about Canada’s new, historic, $500B+ defence overhaul. Getting to be a fad, this military bombast, ain’t it? No brainer if we wanna talk about the U.S. These #1 statures: <>Military spending, $954 billion (and exponentially increasing, since the 1950s). <>Top 3 arms manufacturers, and 6 giants in the top 10. <>120.5 gun ownership per 100 (so mass shootings? Uh huh.) But Canada?

      Meanwhile, no Canadian-owned arms manufacturer is in the top 20 globally. But expect the country’s Colt Canada, Cadex Defence, and Rheinmetall Canada Inc. to be up there soon. Also: Canada is at #14 in the Defense/military budget. The rest of the Top 10 in arms expenditures: China, Russia, Germany, India, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, France, South Korea, Japan. In the category of per capita military spending: Israel ($3,700 to $5,000 per person), Qatar, the U.S., Singapore, and (tied) Kuwait and Australia.

      Before this “push” under PM Mark Carney, Canada ranked only near 27th, in terms of military expenditure per capita. That is bound to change in no time. ☮️🗽☮️