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Poor Vlad
Vladimir, long time. How have things been going? I hear not too good.
I know you’re looking at Donnie and the mess he’s making with Iran, but you’ve got your own issues don’t you.?
It is said, that, since your little incursion into Ukraine, 500,000 of your troops have died. That’s a huge number Vladimir. Like humongous.
You figured you would just wear down Ukraine. With all your extra manpower. But losing 500,000 of your own has kind of diminished that hasn’t it?
Now you’ve got your young country men fleeing Russia just to avoid being sent to the Western front. This is kind of a reverse from WW2, when a German’s biggest fear was being sent to the eastern front.
Let’s see here. You sent a lot of conscripted prisoners to the front. That was not enough. Then you got troops from North Korea. That’s still not enough. Now you’re offering an incentive that willresult in covering debts up to $140,000 to get Russians to join the war. And a lot of potential candidates are saying nope not worth it.
Your economy is going in tatters. With 500,000 gone, for good, you are experiencing a shortage in the labour force. How are you gonna produce more weapons if you don’t have anyone to produce the weapons?
And now the Ukrainians are using drones, which have been pretty effective. And now they’re even attacking your own cities. So I guess you’re gonna stay living in your bunker for a while yet aren’t you? Sucks to be you Vladimir it really does.
That’s all I have today.
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This Time For Sure
Headlines are blaring today, stating that there will be an agreement within the next 24 hours between Iran and the US. This time it will be for sure. I guess this will be an agreement to work on an agreement. Have I got that right?
A few minor details, with the terms that each side think they’re agreeing to. Trump says that the Strait of Hormuz will be completely open with no tolls collected. Iran says that the Strait will be open and will be under its control and tolls will be collected.
Trump says no frozen assets will be released. Iran says $12 billion in frozen assets will be immediately released and the remaining 12 billion will be released when the final agreement is reached.
Trump says that all uranium materials will be immediately destroyed. Iran says not so fast.
Trump says that JD Vance will go to Switzerland and sign the agreement. Iran says nope it’s gonna be done over Zoom.
Not a prayer that this thing will be signed within the next 24 hours, even the next 24 days. Donald Trump you are being played again and again and again.
That’s all I have for today.
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War Over! Yeah, Right
On the same day, that Donald Trump announced that he loves inflation, he also mentioned that Iran was playing the US for suckers. Well, duh. I had chirps from a couple months ago, saying that. And Donald just realized that now?
Well, a couple days later, Donald is once again claiming that the war is over and that an agreement will be signed. Where have we heard that before? That would be from Donald. This would be around the 40th time that he has said the same exact freaking thing.
He claimed, this time, that it was a very detailed agreement, including the Strait of Hormuz being opened, the US blockade ending and discussions as to how Iran would give up its uranium program. There was even talk of the agreement ceremony being held in Switzerland, on Sunday.
Just as I was preparing this chirp, Iran state media published the memorandum of agreement to their people. The agreement included an unfreezing of $24 billion in Iranian assets, which would be returned to them immediately.
Donald Trump has since exploded saying this is not what they had agreed to, totally unacceptable. Here we go again.
Donald, you’ve just been played again. You look so utterly foolish it is now embarrassing. It really is. The stock market will probably sink again today. If this was not such a calamity, it would be a total freaking joke.
That’s all I have the stomach for today.
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USMCA
The USMCA comes up for review on July 1. It was signed six years ago and is not set to expire until 2036. Canada has $1.3 trillion in trade with the US and 90% of that is covered by the USMCA.
Donald Trump is threatening to do away with this agreement.
“USMCA did one thing that I loved. After six years, it comes up for renewal. I don’t know that I’m going to renew it.”
Back in his first term, when he signed the agreement, he had a completely different view of it
“the most modern, up-to-date, and balanced trade agreement in the history of our country.”
So why is Donald talking like this? Well, he cannot stand Canada and Mark Carney for not submitting to him. He is pissed off at Mark Carney, plain and simple.
Even though the agreement is set to expire in 2036, any of the three countries can terminate with six months notice.
Donald Trump could by executive order terminate the USMCA, without congressional approval. The keyword here is good. It would result in a constitutional crisis and a lengthy legal battle that could end up going all the way to the Supreme Court. Donald Trump could terminate it. But he would face a major revolt by northern state Republicans in both the house and Senate. He would also face a major revolt in the auto industry.
Will he do it? No he won’t. He is TACO after all. He will chicken out. It is definitely not something to lose sleep over.
That’s all I have for today.
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Madison Square Miracle
Flipping through channels last night. My Tigers were losing. On CNN, they had a panel discussion about Trump loving inflation. The NBA finals, San Antonio was ahead by 29. The Toronto Tempo in the WNBA made a great comeback to win their game. Watch that for a while as it went into overtime. Turned back to the NBA game and San Antonio was up 27 at halftime. More discussions on Trump loving inflation and I turned back to the NBA game and San Antonio was only up 18.
So I decided to watch more of that and then San Antonio was only up 15 at the end of the third quarter
Then it was 10. The three-pointers that San Antonio were making in the first half were not going down in this half. Then the Knicks were only down five. Taylor Swift and her posse were hugging each other. Fans who paid $9000 for a seat in the mid-levels were ecstatic. Then with 2.1 seconds left, OG Anunoby, tips in a Brunson shot and the Knicks win. And literally the crowd goes nuts.
The Knicks have just made the greatest comeback in NBA finals history, the greatest playoff halftime comeback in NBA history.. As one commentator stated, it was not the greatest NBA finals game, but, it was the most stunning NBA finals game ever.
I’m not a Knicks fan. I’m not a fan of anything, New York. But yesterday was something else.
That’s all I have for this.
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The Art Of No Deal
Donald, you are supposed to be the great negotiator. Well, you are falling flat on your face with Iran, aren’t you?
You tore up the deal that Obama had reached with Iran, negotiations that took two years and now, after promising, maybe about 50 times that an agreement was close, you are ready to pound Iran. And the reason why is because Iran is taking too long to come to an agreement. Might also be because of the helicopter they downed a couple days ago.
I guess, also, you are not happy that inflation is now at 4%, the highest it has been in three years. Do you remember when you promised that inflation would go down, that grocery prices would go down?
Donald, you are just being out conned. The con man being out conned by a con nation. Iran has been at this stuff for 2800 years. You are just a novice at this. You’re being made a fool of and that drives you crazy. Let me rephrase that. Crazier than you already are. Keep on flailing Donald. Oh, and also, release all the Epstein files.
That’s all I have for today.
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Stable For Now
We are now passed day 100, of the US war with Iran. Iran still has its blockade in place and so does the US. So we have a double blockade. Yet over the past couple of weeks oil prices have remained kind of stable. Maybe this is the new reality. Then again maybe not.
Are people buying into Donald Trump’s almost daily statements that an agreement will be reached very soon. Nobody is falling for that anymore. So why are prices so stable the last couple weeks?
There are a few reasons. Prior to the war, about 15.6 million barrels of oil went through the Strait of Hormuz, daily. Now an estimated 2.9 million barrels are getting through, which is about 15%. It is estimated that 2.1 million barrels, of that amount, is getting through because tolls are being paid to Iran. It is estimated that remaining 800 thousand barrels are getting through because they are sneaking through. The ships carrying these barrels have turned off their transponders and are sneaking through.
What is also easing the pressure, is that approximately 4.5 million barrels, per day, are going through apipeline in Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea. Finally, China has cut down imports of oil big-time. They are using up their large supply of oil reserves, that they have on hand.
This might be a major reason why oil prices have been stable the last couple weeks. Sooner or later, though, if this war continues, China’s oil reserves are going to run out, which will put immense pressure on oil prices. If this continues through July or August, oil could still top $200 a barrel. Right now it’s at about $95 a barrel.
Hopefully, this war will end soon sooner than later. But who knows.
That’s all I have for today.
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Meltdown
Donald, what happened to you yesterday? You lost your temper, big time being interviewed by Kristen Welker, on NBC.
All she did was challenge you on your lies about January 6, about the California election, about your convict slush fund. You really told a whopper when she asked you that you had said that there would be no more wars during your election campaign. You did say a number of times, but yesterday you claimed you didn’t
And then you got upset and took your ball and went home, leaving halfway through the interview.
“They’re crooked. Just like you’re crooked. Your press is crooked and Meet the Press is crooked.”
“Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you darling. Have a good time.”
Darling? You called her darling? Well, you also called her corrupt and stupid. You called the interviewer stupid. You also did not limit it to Meet The Press, you also called CBS, ABC and CNN, corrupt.
Totally bad look Donald. Acting like a baby. You really did. You lost your cool Donald.
The pressure must really be getting to you. It is showing. Kind of warms my heart. Sorry, not sorry.
That’s all I have for today.
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What Now Vlad?
 Vladimir, comrade, how’s it hanging these days? It was just a little over four years ago that you marched the tanks into Ukraine, even had the tanks lined up on the main road to Kyiv. It would be a piece of cake you thought. Just like Crimea all over again. You even thought the Ukrainians would welcome you with open arms. Heck their leader was a comedian.
Yet, here you are four years later. I heard you’re taking to living in bunkers. Your country men aren’t that happy with you. People are using burner phones to get around your Internet crack down. It is estimated that 30,000 Russians, a month, are seriously injured or killed. 30,000, that’s a big number, Vladimir. And now long range Ukrainian drones are going deep into Russia. The other night, the Ukraine sent 500 freaking drones into Russia. You had some big to do in Saint Petersburg, and Ukraine decided to blow some of it up while you were there. Your hometown, Vladimir. That must’ve pissed you off. The sanctions are working even despite your best buddy Donald trying to help . He’s having his own little issue with Iran right now. You may have noticed.
Vladimir, maybe you and Donald should get together for a couple days and have a kind of pity party. No one understands the both of you. You’re just trying to do what’s best for your country, while ripping off your citizens of billions of dollars. Sucks to be you, Vladimir.
That’s all I got for today.
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Nursing A Trade
I could’ve done a political chirp today, but it’s too depressing and too repetitive. The Iran war continues. Trump is being Trump. Ukraine and Russia still at war. On and on and on. So bear with me.
The Oilers are trying to trade Darnell Nurse. He has just completed his fourth year of an eight year contract valued at $9.5 million a year. He is not playing at the level of a $9.5 million player. The Oilers did this to themselves. They signed Nurdr to two short-term bridge contracts so they have no choice at that time to sign Nurse to a long-term expensive contract to keep what was then a valued defenceman on the team.
His value has since gone down. He is best buddies with Connor, McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. He wants to stay an oiler. He is upset, naturally, about rumours of him being traded, of him being shopped around. He also has one more year of a no trade clause. He has to give approval to the Oilers for a trade.
The Oilers management are telling him you’re going to get traded this year or the following year after your no trade clause is gone. So, to put it bluntly, the Oiler management and Darnell Nurse are not on good terms, right now.
The Oilers stumbled to a first round exit this year. Stan Bowman made a questionable trade, trading Stuart Skinner, who is at the last year of his contract, to the Pittsburgh Penguins, for Tristan Jarry who has two years left of his contract valued at over 5 million per year. Bowman saddled the Oilers to a $5 million goaltender who is not at the top of his game for two years. If he had kept Skinner, there would been $5 million of play money to find a good goalie. Connor McDavid gave the Oilers a break by signing a two-year contract at the same amount that he had been paid for the last eight years. So Bowman threw it away by trading for Jarry
Something tells me that this is going to be a painful summer for Oilers fans. Leading to a painful season.
That’s all I have for today.
Bird's Chirp
So I don't have to put it on Facebook anymore….