Manila Chan

DON’T LICK THE WALLS, DON’T DRINK THAT SHAKE

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The majority of protein powders for sale in the US contain lead and other toxins

The demand for fitness, health, and wellness products have skyrocketed over the last 10 years. In fact, for protein supplements in particular, that number has doubled. Go back to 2015 data and you’ll find the protein supplement industry in the US hovered just below the $7 billion mark. Today, that number is approximately $9.69 billion and projected to grow to a staggering $21.97 billion by 2033. Industry analysts estimate the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.56%. 

This growth is driven by increasing health consciousness, much of which may be attributable to social media influencers–such as celebrity kickboxer Andrew Tate, four-time Mr. Olympia winner Jay Cutler and the like–who have made a lifestyle brand of themselves; showing off six-pack abs, and the kind of guns not covered by the second amendment. They hit the gym, and suck down a thick, protein smoothie at the end of it all as the sweat glistens off every rippling muscle. TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have put this type of physique goal in the palm of everyone’s hands…including our youth, who are buying into the idea that you can drink your way to big muscles. 

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Elon Envy – How Silicon Valley’s tech titans are scrambling to mimic Musk’s moves in Washington & curry favor with the Trump White House

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For years, it’s been a two-man race for the coveted title of “The World’s Richest Man” between tech titans Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. But in 2025, that moniker bears little import relative to the power of the President of the United States of America. So if you’re among the class of tech billionaires not in the running for the title of ‘richest man’, and you didn’t just stage the wildest political comeback in a century, your next best move is being power-adjacent.

That appears to be the tact embraced by industry elites in Silicon Valley just moments after Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election. A flood of donations came roaring in from the typically liberal-leaning west coast. More than $170M rushed into the coffers for his inauguration fund, with tech executives writing hefty checks to bankroll the festivities, and to secure their seat behind the dais. 

Million dollar donations came from Apple CEO Tim Cook, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft exec Bill Gates, Google’s Sundar Pichai, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman were among the laundry list of Silicon Valley’s biggest names to make it rain on the incoming administration, helping Trump eclipse any predecessor’s inauguration fund easily by $100M. Inaugural ceremony aside, no tech bro is any match for the total donations coming from one single donor–Elon Musk, who gave the Trump campaign roughly $277M. 

This mind-blowing amount is likely what’s earned Musk the unofficial title of ‘First Bro’, securing him not only a front row seat to the inauguration but even his own office in the West Wing. It’s no secret that Musk has Trump’s ear on everything from social issues, to trade and tariffs, to foreign policy and wars, leading many in Washington to view Musk as the most influential man in the world. And the rest of Silicon Valley has taken note. 

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War Criminal Talk

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There’s been much talk lately about ‘war criminals’ – with the latest accusation coming from the United States accusing Vladimir Putin of Russia of war crimes in the ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its sixth week. The rhetoric climbed to the highest levels in early April 2022 when for just the second time in history – a state was suspended from the UN Human Rights Council. In the UN’s 77 years, Russia joins Libya in this dubious distinction. This, highlighting not only US hypocrisy but that of all nations who supported the US-led vote because there is no other member country that has left behind greater humanitarian crises in its wake than the United States of America.

Take for instance Laos. The tiny, landlocked, Southeast Asian country was the staging ground for the first proxy war between the United States and Russia (then the Soviet Union). Many today, can compare the events unfolding in Ukraine to those of 1960s Laos – caught in the crosshairs of the American invasion of Vietnam, to the lesser-known Secret War in Laos that spanned four consecutive US presidents: Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. 

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Review: The Matrix – Resurrections

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Matrix Resurrection Review

If you’re like me and was coming of age when the first Matrix dropped in 1999, this was more than just a film. It was a paradigm shifting experience. From the storyline – a reality bending what-if, to special effects never before seen on the big screen, and a theme that would later lead me to question the very existence I knew which – is still evident today, in my adult career as a journalist. It was complete with the perfect pairing of angry, thought-proving, tracks from Rage Against the Machine.

SPOILER ALERTS!

By now, most of you have probably seen at least the first of the original Matrix trilogy. But if you haven’t – I suggest you stop reading now.

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Trump, Biden, OJ Simpson. What?

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At the risk of sounding crass, insensitive and terse, I’m going to simplify why the Biden presidency is going to happen – whether you like it or not; the Trump campaign is bringing knives into a nuclear war. Here’s what I mean.

Remember the OJ trial? America was riveted. The infamous glove, the Bruno Mali shoes, the blood spatter, the history of domestic violence, and of course – Ron and Nicole’s bodies — slain and left at the scene.

All the signs of murder were pretty self-evident, after ruling out murder suicide. Then, all signs pointed to OJ as the killer. By most people’s estimation from the evidence found at the scene and subsequent sites of investigation, most people believe(d) OJ did it. But do you remember the ruling in that criminal case? ‘Not guilty.’

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