Previously posted on my Facebook Page.
New York Times: “Biden Expresses Confidence on the Economy. Voters May Be Skeptical.” Ah. Here are the numbers. Prior to Joe Biden’s presidency and the coronavirus, GDP increased by an average of 2.3 percent annually from 2016 to 2019. When Biden took office, the annualized rate was 1.4 percent. Inflation peaked at 9.1 percent in June of last year; presently, 5+ percent. It was 2+ percent av before 2021. Price per gallon of gasoline? Google it. You want another 4 years of Joe?
News adds: “President Biden believes that focusing on the economy will help his campaign for a second term, despite inflation and high interest rates.” The cause of much of the high inflation, which began accelerating in 2021 and peaked last year, has been a rise in the price of energy that led to gasoline prices topping $5 a gallon nationally last summer. Although prices were rising from the recovery from coronavirus, they spiraled upward following the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Yet Biden continues to support the war via a $113 billion Congress-approved aid to Ukraine, in favor of peace negotiations that could lead to end of armed hostilities. In fact, he even picks a fight with China with Taiwan as rationale. 🏦🗽🏦
Time: “China Says Biden Calling Xi a Dictator Is 'Provocation'.” What really is wrong with the President? Of course, China hit back after President Biden referred to President Xi Jinping as a "dictator,” saying the remarks were absurd and a provocation. Joe’s whacked snide (sic!) follows attempts by both sides to reduce friction. Now, it appears that Biden's comments could undermine the “progress” that was made by State Secretary Antony Blinken. (Photo credit: Reuters.) 🇺🇸☮️🇨🇳
New York Times: “Putin Casts Mutiny as Proof of Solidity, as Belarus Opens Doors to Rebels.” And adds: “Belarus said it had taken in the mercenary boss Yevgeny V. Prigozhin and might welcome his Wagner troops, while Russia dropped a criminal investigation of him for the uprising.” The thing is, Prigozhin sought “refuge” in Belarus, a very close ally of Russia. If the guy escaped to London or New York City, then that’d easily tell us who paid Wagner Group for the failed coup. 🇧🇾☮️🇷🇺
New York Times: “The Supreme Court Is Wrong About Andy Warhol.” And adds: “The artist was never concerned about copyright. He cared more about the right to copy, as an artistic method and a design for living.” The right to copy as an artistic method? Laughably insane! And then he got famous? At the time of his death in 1987, Mr Warhol was worth $220 million. And counting to date. "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn," which is a Marilyn photo not his, fetched $195 million.
The Marilyn photo that Warhol used as basis for his previous silkscreen painting “Marilyn Diptych” was a publicity photo from the 1953 film “Niagara.” Andy copied the photo in the weeks after Monroe's death in August 1962. Same photo became "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn.” 🏦🎨🏦
New York Times: “At This Staten Island Garden, the Plants Are All Queer.” And adds: “The Alice Austen House is celebrating the complicated and diverse sexuality of plants.” Uh huh. Also, a group of academics assign he/she/they to inanimate objects such as table, chair, book, spoon etcetera. Not the neuter it/its/itself. In modern Tagalog, we Filipinos call objects “s’ya” and not “ito” (for things). But “s`ya” is either male or female, which is also used to ID all genders. 👈🏝👉
Time: “China Backs Russia's Actions to Maintain 'National Stability' After Wagner Group Revolt.” China favors peace and resumption of trade. Not a surprise. Yet if China is pulled into the fray and U.S./China trade breaks down? China would close its ports, as it did in the past. U.S. supplies of many products would run low, paralyzing a vast range of businesses. It would take a long time to restore the economy. Emergency rationing would be needed. Why do we have to go there?
Fact: China and Russia are members of BRICS, with Brazil, India, and South Africa. Fast-growing economies that emerged as 21st century strode in. Goldman Sachs predicts that BRICS would collectively dominate the global economy by 2050. BRICS occupies about 26.7 percent of the world's land surface and 41.5 percent of the global population. Brazil, Russia, India, and China are among the world's ten largest countries by population, area, and GDP (PPP), and the latter three are widely considered superpowers. ☮️☯️☮️
Associated Press: “The head of the Wagner Group is defiant in his first audio statement after the rebellion.” / New York Times: “Revolt Raises Searing Question: Could Putin Lose Power?” Many on Facebook favor a “regime change.” But then Russia is not Venezuela, Nigeria, or Myanmar. Russia isn’t the Soviet of old. Moscow is now a superpower with massive economic leverage and political influence. And it is a friend of China, Brazil, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.
As in the classic case, sponsors of a coup d’etat line up alternative Kremlin leadership. That’d be a no brainer. But given Russia’s current role in global economics and political power play, such a transition wouldn’t be so cool with Moscow’s current allies. These allies are huge and powerful as well. ☮️☮️☮️
New York Times: “A Wellness Chatbot Is Offline After Its ‘Harmful’ Focus on Weight Loss.” The artificial intelligence tool, named Tessa, was presented by the National Eating Disorders Association as a way to discover coping skills. “But activists say it veered into problematic weight-loss advice.” I don’t really believe food and eating work around a singular scientific/wellness measure. But certainly, Tessa The Influencer will sell what the corporate boss says. 🤖🍎🤖
Time: “How to Talk to Your Kids About Gender.” Many blame religion or Christianity for anything old-school, conservative, or naturally primal. Why is that? I am not religious. But how to talk to kids about gender? Linear: Male, female. But in case they evolve into or identify with LBTIQA+ (which I don’t even know what is, honestly) let it be. Just be happy. But must I alter my beliefs as support to them? Nope. I am happy as I am, they are happy as they are. Then we can all play Uno. 🫤😑🙄
Smithsonian: “What Did the Ancient Romans Smell Like?” And adds: “Scientists have analyzed the composition of a 2,000-year-old perfume unearthed in Carmona, Spain.” Per historical coolness, I bet the cost of that perfume when developed by Chanel or Dior would rival Shumukh by Nabeel ($1.5 million) and Golden Delicious by DKNY ($1 million). Anything for the rich. Don’t be surprised to read later the smell of dinosaurs or Viking warriors–as lotion and deodorants. 👃💋👃
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