• OVER HALF OF AMERICAN MEALS AT HOME ARE EATEN WHILE WATCHING TV OR SCROLLING A SMARTPHONE, “despite evidence that mindful eating is the best way to eat less, healthier, reduce stress and aid digestion.”  Also, based on latest Datassential survey of thousands about their eating habits: (1) More time is spent preparing meals than eating; (2) Paper towels are used more than cloth or disposable paper napkins; (3) Younger consumers prefer disposable silverware/ plates/ bowls/ kitchen gadgets with newer technologies (like air fryers, SodaStream); (4) Over 20% of food service meals are eaten in the car; (5) Nearly half of away-from-home meals are comprised of burgers & American cuisine, followed equally by pizza & Mexican; (6) Millennials are most likely to eat alone, but most consumers overall dine out in large parties; (7) Whether animal or plant based, focus now is on protein, generally 38% of a meal. [SMARTBRIEF – 6/13/22]
  • A ‘DOPPELGANGER’ OF YOURSELF ‘LIVE’ IN THE DIGITAL WORLD MAY BE SOONER THAN LATER. Avatars are being developed which are “constantly learning from and helping improve their real counterpart… Digital Twins are already improving design & operations of buildings/ transport systems/ streets/ underground lines (in Shanghai, Singapore, Middle East), sustainable shampoo bottles, jetpacks, motorbikes with floating wheels, flying cars, and modeling human hearts/ organs/ eyes/ brains… Even more ambitious is the race to build a digital version of our entire planet (by Nvidia and the European Space agency) — a digital doppelganger of the Earth for solutions to climate change/ floods/ draught/ heatwaves/ earthquakes/ volcanic eruption & tsunamis.”  Potentially evolving is an exact copy of humans – yourself bizarrely living a purely digital life. [BBC – 6/13/22]
  • THE DECAY OF DEMOCRACY used to be seen as a one-way street. But not so much today. “Politics are now marked not just by polarization, but also by fragmentation and extreme weakness of political parties, making stable governing majorities hard to assemble. This downward spiral is accelerated by the malign influence of social media & identity politics, where technocrats are discredited, organized crime is a big factor in an epidemic of violence, and jobs in government are increasingly seen (on both the left and right) as perks to be doled out, rather than crucial responsibilities to be reserved for capable administrators… A vicious cycle of economic stagnation, popular frustration and polarized politics” shows no obvious sign of diminishing.  [ECONOMIST – 6/11/18]
  • WOKENESS WINNERS THIS MONTH: (1) Priorities for another ridiculous radical activist group (The Nonhuman Rights Project) are about whether animals are ‘intelligent’ and deserving of Human Rights to Constitutionally-protected ‘liberty.’ They spent substantial time and tax dollars suing the Bronx Zoo, appealing all the way to New York’s Supreme Court, on behalf of Happy – a 41-year-old elephant – who was ‘confined’ and entitled to Liberty with same Rights as a human person. Two of the Court’s seven judges actually agreed, saying “Happy should be afforded a better life,” but the Court (much to chagrin of many crazies) disagreed. (2) San Francisco School District is removing the word “chief” from its job titles to avoid offending Native American Indians, prompted by supposed concerns of “community members.” Since the word Chief came from the French term ‘chef,’ that large community is now also protected.
  • THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK:  The “Age of Artificial Stupidity and Indoctrination”:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtzLIKzrGpY&t=62s

         98% of public shootings occur in ‘gun-free- zones. “The core philosophical tenet of gun control is that ‘laws are all the defense one needs against violence… When mass shootings occur (FBI defined as when four people murdered), the media & politicians have a knee-jerk response: blaming the tragedy solely on the tool used and focusing all proposed ‘solutions’ on more Laws, ignoring that the murderer already broke numerous laws when committing the atrocity.”

       If you’re a fan of James Bond movies, you might like to see 22 Bond Girls then and now: https://biggeekdad.com/2021/06/22-bond-girls/