A major study involving 4 million people, published in Circulation, reveals that owning a dog reduces the risk of death by 24%. Researchers explain that this is due to increased walking, lower blood pressure, and better control of triglycerides. Beth Frates, a professor at Harvard, comments: “If people meet physical activity guidelines, they are healthier.” Thank goodness, Professor. It took a massive study to discover that those who walk their dogs daily move more? The real news is that science, once again, has taken decades and millions of dollars to prove the obvious. Meanwhile, stray dogs are still waiting for serious legislation to protect them. But those are minor issues. Better to publish in Circulation. After all, wagging a tail always draws an audience.
USA-Iran: War is a Soap Opera, and We Are the Distracted Spectators
Trump suspends the attack on Iran because the Emir of Qatar, the Saudi Crown Prince, and the President of the UAE asked him to. “They are great leaders and allies,” he writes on Truth. Then he threatens: “Ready to proceed with a full-scale assault with minimal notice.” Meanwhile, in Tehran, women in chadors dismantle Kalashnikovs in the square, young girls handle unloaded rifles, and a TV presenter brandishes an AK-47 on air. Host Hossein Hosseini fires a shot at the ceiling in the studio. The show is served. On one side, an American president playing war like a video game; on the other, a regime arming civilians and training children. And Europe? Italy? Meloni writes to von der Leyen requesting flexibility on the Stability Pact due to high energy costs. Because oil, meanwhile, continues to heat up talk shows. But when the bombs fall, they will make more news than price hikes. And we, obedient spectators, will change the channel.
New Pandemics Loom: The World is “On the Brink of Greater Harm”
The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (WHO + World Bank) publishes a report warning that pandemic risk exceeds investment levels. Trust in governments has collapsed, inequalities in vaccine access have increased, and geopolitical fragmentation makes everything more fragile. The report arrives ten years after Ebola and six years after Covid. But who reads it? Governments are busy cutting health spending and increasing military expenditure. The Pandemic Accord is still stalled. Europe, meanwhile, discusses how to save the economy, not lives. The next virus, when it arrives, will find a world more divided and poorer. And we, as usual, will wake up too late. At least we will have dogs. And studies confirming they extend life. Thank goodness.
Child Soldier Drones: Russia Trains Ukrainian Minors to Operate Military Drones
A report by the New Lines Institute reveals that in occupied Ukrainian territories, children as young as eight—even those with disabilities—are being trained to pilot military drones. Training centers, simulations, and school incentives. Moscow’s goal: to train one million drone specialists by 2030. Children with video game skills are the most sought after. The scenario is chilling. But the major media will cover it for a day, then move on to the next atrocity. Because memory is short, and the public gets tired. Meanwhile, an entire generation is stolen from childhood and turned into a cog of war. And we, sitting comfortably, comment on Facebook. At least we have dogs. And studies. And wars. And child soldiers. And looming pandemics. But we no longer have the capacity to be indignant for more than 10 minutes. The coffee is served. Let’s drink it and cheer for the next plot twist.
Today, dear readers, we have witnessed yet another parade of idiocy and horrors. RVSCB continues to watch. You, meanwhile, try not to lose your minds. And if you must get a dog, do it out of love, not to extend your life. After all, life without meaning is just a longer agony.
RVSCB – Archive of Uncomfortable Truths, May 19, 2026
“I am not interested in being loved. I am interested in being read after they have hated me.”
