Archive for 2023

YOU’RE NOT THE MAN I KNEW 42 YEARS AGO: ‘Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny’ Box Office Projections Described As ‘Abysmal,’ Film Could Lose Upwards Of $250 Million.

The outlet quickly started lowering its predictions for the film just a week later. On June 8th, their opening weekend estimates declined 17% to between $76 million and $105 million. The total domestic run declined to $211 million to $359 million.

Another week later and the predictions declined again. This time the opening weekend estimates declined 10.5% to between $68 million and $102 million. The total domestic run declined to between $211 million and $325 million.

It still did not stop there. It dropped even further on June 22nd. The opening weekend estimates now range between $68 million and $95 million. However, the total domestic run stayed pat at between $211 million and $325 million.

And those estimates might still be high as tracking numbers from The Hollywood Reporter at the beginning of June predicted the film would only have an opening weekend between $60 million and $70 million.

Deadline recently shared their tracking numbers and it lines up more with The Hollywood Reporter’s estimates, but on the high end it’s even lower. The outlet claims the film is tracking for an opening weekend between $60 million and $65 million. It notes the film could have a global opening of $140 million.

Disney has all-but-killed Star Wars and Marvel, Pixar appears to be on life support, and the new Indiana Jones has brought a scimitar to a pistol fight.

What high-priced IP does Disney have left to squander?

HEALTH: Why Europe and America are going in opposite directions on youth transgender medicine.

If implemented in American clinics, the European approach would effectively deny puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to most adolescents who are receiving these drugs today. Unlike in the U.S., in Europe surgeries are generally off the table before adulthood.

Why are more countries turning their backs on what American medical associations, most Democrats and the American Civil Liberties Union call “medically necessary” and “life-saving” care? The answer is that Europeans are following principles of evidence-based medicine (EBM), while Americans are not.

A bedrock principle of EBM is that medical recommendations should be grounded in the best available research.

That doesn’t count basing it on somebody’s college Gender Studies essay.

THE NARRATIVE MUST BE CONTROLLED: More censorship of RFK Jr. And the only ruling principle is “protect Democratic Party power.”

HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: Ron DeSantis Goes For Jugular of Education Establishment, Sues To Halt “Unchecked Power” Of Federal-Enabled College Accreditators. “Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is going after a big game in his latest battle over Florida and education. He is suing the Biden administration over the college accreditation system, which he rightfully calls unaccountable. . . . Florida governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, and other state officials argue in the lawsuit filed last week that Congress has ‘ceded unchecked power’ to the private accrediting agencies, violating the U.S. Constitution. They want a federal judge to permanently block the Education Department from enforcing accreditation-related provisions of the Higher Education Act. Currently, federal law requires that colleges and universities be accredited by an Education Department–recognized accreditor in order to receive federal student aid such as Pell Grants.”

Plus: “Whether you agree or disagree with what DeSantis is doing here, he deserves credit for getting involved in the issue of education, particularly higher education. The right ignored the issue for so long that the left completely took it over. More Republicans need to get involved.”

The full complaint is here.

GOOD QUESTION: Is Tennessee Governor Bill Lee Waiving a Red Flag or a White One? “It isn’t clear what ‘red flag law’ really means here and the Governor’s proposal seems to have shifted over time. In general, red flag laws allow the government to confiscate someone’s guns without the benefit of due process. Beyond that, the details vary. In this case it looks like the Governor Lee is working harder to please the press than he is to make anyone in Tennessee safer.”

We’ve never seen the Nashville Trans Shooter’s manifesto, even though we were promised. It seems odd to be proposing a new law as a remedy for a shooting that’s never even been explained.

AT LEAST THEY LEFT THE CHINA ALONE: Three retiring Republican Senators were able to take home more than $1.5 billion in earmarks for multiple projects in their home states, thanks to the 2022 Omnibus Spending Bill, according to Open the Books.

The departing trio was joined by three other Republican Senate incumbents and one Republican representative in dominating the top 10 of earmarkers. But not to worry, because overall Democrats in Congress got more money in earmarks than Republicans???