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Here We Go Again
Like, seriously, here we go again. It is like déjà vu all over again and again and again.
Iran announced late last week that the Strait of Hormuz would be open and stay open. The stock market jumped by 1000 points and the price of oil went down by 10% and all was good in the world. Further negotiations were set for Monday. So the world could breathe a sigh of relief.
But Donald Trump decided to keep the blockade on Iranian ports in place. To add bluster to his stupidity, he said that Iran had agreed to all of his negotiation points. Like the matador waving a red flag on a bull who is chilling. Well the bull saw the red flag and started charging. The Strait is again closed and Iran took pot shots at a couple of tankers. Given that this is a Sunday the markets won’t open until tomorrow, but anticipate a downturn and anticipate a sharp increase in the oil prices. Trump once again is threatening to obliterate Iran if they keep the Strait closed. We are into week eight of this now and nothing has changed. Things are getting worse for countries in Asia, where they are running out of oil and for countries in Europe, where they are only a couple weeks away from running out of jet fuel.
So this thing better be settled soon or the economic repercussions are gonna get worse than they already are.
I should’ve stuck to just watching the playoffs.
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Playoffs Time
Back in 2001, Jim Mora, then coach of the Indianapolis Colts, after the Colts had lost a brutal game, was asked about his team‘s playoff chances. He responded with a memorable quote that you need to see.
“Playoffs? Don’t talk about—playoffs?! You kidding me? Playoffs?! I just hope we can win a game! Another game!”
They did not make the playoffs that year and he got fired.
Today, for sports lovers, is the official start of both the NBA and the NHL playoffs. Well, the NBA did have play-in games, earlier this week, but that is neither here nor there.
For us Canadians, we have the Toronto Raptors to follow, we of the north, and we have three Canadian NHL team teams to follow of which one of them is my Edmonton Oilers.
So this is going to be a great weekend. Not only that, but here in Alberta, we’re actually going to have some nice spring days. Deck weather.
So it will be a nice break from what is happening in the world today, like the Strait of Hormuz again being shut down.
Have a great weekend, everybody.
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Beware Of Lightning
It is rumoured that God has just ordered a bunch of lightning strikes from Amazon. He has also been doing some target practice.
In the past year, we have seen Donald Trump post an AI image of him as pope and of him as Jesus. We have seen Pete Hegseth quote fake Bible verses from the movie ‘Pulp Fiction’ as well as comparing the rescue of the American pilots shut down in Iran to the resurrection on Easter Sunday. We have also seen JD Vance telling the pope to stay in his lane.
Pope Leo has had enough of this garbage.
“I do not think the message of the Gospel should be abused, as some are doing.”
But he did not stop there. He went a lot further.
“Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”
Pretty harsh words, directed at Trump and his administration.
I’m starting to give some credence to the possibility that Trump believes he can take on God, and his representative, on earth, and win. Back in the 1960s, John Lennon created a fire storm when he said that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ. I think Trump has the same mindset now that he is more popular than God. If he continues along this path, it is not going to end well for him at all.
That’s all I have for today.
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Swalwell
Predator, narcissist, adulterer, self-centered. No, I’m not talking about Donald Trump. Well actually, those descriptions does fit Trump. But it is also applicable to Eric Swalwell.
Just a week ago, he was riding high. He was running for governor of California. In some circles, he was favoured to win. He had Nancy Pelosi backing him. He was a star in the House of Representatives. He had it all.
Now, he’s dropped out of the race for governor, and he has been forced to resign from Congress. All in a matter of a few days.
They say that power corrupts. Swalwell is a married father of three. Though how long he will remain married is between him and his wife. It is not the affairs that brought him down because affairs I guess are common in the seats of power, but it is the accusations of rape from multiple women. I know that an accused person is innocent until proven guilty, but it does not look good for Eric Swalwell.
It is just a bloody shame, all the way around. A career ruined, hearts, broken, and possibly even jail time in play. It is also a bloody shame that the ‘ grab em by the pussy’ guy remains in power. The entire thing is sad.
That’s all I have for today.
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With A Friend Like This
Donald, do you remember the good times, when leaders and countries would fall over themselves complimenting you, praising you, trying to get into your good graces? I guess those days are done aren’t they Donald? You did this to yourself.
NATO is just shunning you on this whole Iran thing. You started this without consulting them and now they are taking the approach, ‘ you started this it is your mess to fix’
This is what happens when you keep insulting people. You went after the Pope and now the Italian leader, a right winger, like yourself, with 40 million Catholics in her country had to defend him and go against you. How did you respond to that?
“I’m shocked by her. I thought she had courage. I was wrong. She is the one who is unacceptable, because she does not care whether Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow Italy up in two minutes if it had the chance.”
You were best buddies with Hungarian right wing leader, Viktor Orban. He had an election a couple days ago. You even sent JD Vance over there to prop up his election bid. He lost terribly. Mainly because of you.
Pierre Poilievre, the conservative leader, here, in Canada, had a 20 point lead three months away from our own election last April. Then you went nuts on the tariff thing. He didn’t bother attacking you. Mark Carney, the liberal leader, did. Now, Mark Carney has a majority government in Canada
You’re just bad news, Donald. Even your own apologists, in your own country, such as Tucker Carlson and Alex Jones are abandoning you. Megyn Kelly, she of the bleeding orifices put it bluntly. ‘ she is sick of your shit.’
Donald, you’re not gonna change we know that. But the rest of the world is. They’re sick and tired of putting up with your crap and they’re not gonna take it anymore.
That’s all I have for today.
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Pierre, Stay Or Go
Pierre, buddy, time to call it a day. It was just 15 months ago, that your party had a 20 point lead in the polls. You were three months away from a overwhelming election majority. Then Donald Trump came in and it all went to crap.
Him and his stupid tariffs, huh Pierre? You even had Daniel Smith go down and ask Donald to hold off on the tariffs until after the election and Trump did not.
Yesterday, three terrible losses. In one Toronto riding your party skirted around 25% of the vote. In the other Toronto riding it was under 20%. In the Quebec riding, it was far worse, not even 5%
You did not help yourself after the results came out. Nope you came out whining.
“The Carney Liberals did not win a majority government through a general election or today’s by-elections. Instead, it was won through backroom deals with politicians who betrayed the people who voted for them.”
Come on Pierre, you sounded like a sore whining loser. Not a good look at all for you.
To make it even worse, Pierre, Mark Carney announced this morning that he is suspending the federal excise tax on gas, for the next five months, which will result of a price reduction of $.10 per litre, at the pumps.
I guess your only saving grace is that there’s no one really in the wings to take your place. But still, your party is a mess right now and a lot of it is on you.
That’s all I have for today.
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Of Course
Waking up early Monday morning, wondering what fresh hell awaits. Trump’s blockade starts in a couple of hours. Eric Swalwell is giving up his run for governor of California. Democrats are tough on their own, not like MAGA.
Then I see the image above. Please let it be a parody account. In all that is holy, let it be a parody account. But, no, Donald Trump did post this.
It seems that he is now at war with Pope Leo. He is at war with the head of the Catholic Church. At war with the head of billions of Catholics around the world and 53 million Catholics in the US , including his current wife, Melania, JD, Vance, and Marco Rubio
“We don’t like a pope that’s going to say that it’s OK to have a nuclear weapon. … He’s a man that doesn’t think that we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world. I’m not a fan of Pope Leo.”
The problem for Donald is that this pope, this American pope, is no shrieking violet. Leo struck back.
“I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the church is here to do.”
The pope also struck back at Pete Hegseth who is claiming, in his press conferences, that God supports this war on Iran
“Jesus is the king of peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war but rejects them.”
Well, Donald, you have pissed off the Muslims and now the Catholics. I would not be surprised if a Jehovah’s Witness comes to your door, asking if you are happy with the current government.
That’s all I have for today.
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Boxed In
Iran has been around in its various forms for 2800 years. The US has only been around about 400 years. Iran has been playing this game a whole lot longer and it is showing.
Just a week ago, on Easter Sunday, Trump demanded that Iran open ‘the fuckin strait’ or the Iranian civilization would be destroyed.
Here we are a week later, negotiations have failed and the Strait of Hormuz is still closed and Iran is still around. No offramp for Donald.
So now, Donald is saying that he will enforce a blockade on the strait so that no ships go through
“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.”
Donald does not stop there though
I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.”
Let’s think this through a minute. There are some countries who have been willing to pay the toll. So these countries will no longer get oil. So instead of Iran, being the bad guy, the US is the bad guy.
But there’s even a far more frightening consideration to take into account. . Some of those ships that are going through the strait are Chinese and Russian ships. If Trump blocks those ships, this will be a direct confrontation between world powers.
For the longest of time, the US and China have been having their own Cold War using proxies. This time it’s face-to-face. Can anyone say World War III? And what happens with Russian ships? What happens if Trump lets those ships through? It will make him more look like a Putin puppet.
The next few days, the ante has been raised big time. Sooner or later adults will prevail, hopefully. But until then….
All I have for today.
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Let’s Make A Deal
Negotiators from the US, led by JD Vance, and Iran, were to meet in Pakistan on Saturday. As I chirp this, while it is still early Saturday morning, where I am it is late Saturday afternoon in Pakistan. The negotiators are just starting to meet now. Both sides, earlier in the day met with the Pakistani Prime Minister. But it is only now that they are face-to-face, late in the day.
The US is facing an uphill struggle here. Just yesterday, the Pakistani defence minister said the following.
“While peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon. Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated. I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinians land to get rid of European jews burn in hell.”
Not a good start. That post has since been deleted.
The question is, who wants this worse? Iran, for all the missiles that have been launched against them still have enough military hardware to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed. Iran believes that it can withstand any attack by the US and still maintain the upper hand. Some ships are going through, but they are mainly Chinese, an Iranian ally, in origin. US intelligence is now indicating that China isplanning to send military hardware to Iran, which only ups the stakes even more.
Donald Trump had his ‘destroy the Iranian civilization’ threat on Tuesday. He pulled another TACO and backed down. He claimed victory, but the Strait is still closed. He has backed himself into an almost no win situation.
Not much is going to be achieved in a couple hours that the two sides will meet today. Tomorrow is going to be another bad day for Donald Trump and for the rest of us.
That’s all I have for today.
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Oil Be Back
During one of Donald Trump‘s election campaigns, Trump said that we would be winning so much that his supporters would be begging him to not win so much. He has said that he has won the war with Iran. Frankly, we have won this war. He then threatened to destroy the Iranian civilization before backing down again into this so-called ceasefire.
So what has America won so far? Inflation jumped up by almost one percent in only one month. It has jumped up to 3.4% for the year.
Asian countries are so desperate for oil that they are now buying oil from Russia, at over $100 a barrel. This is a windfall for Russia in their invasion efforts of Ukraine.
China is better able than most countries to handle this oil crisis because they have diversified into energy alternative sources like wind and solar.
The Strait of Hormuz it’s still closed. Countries, including European countries, are making deals with Iran to have their shipments go through at a toll price of course.
Iran has boosted its export of oil and where before they were selling at $45 a barrel now they’re selling at $100 a barrel. This is over and above the toll revenues they are receiving.
Did I mention that the Strait of Hormuz it’s still closed?
What a crap show.
That’s all I have.
Bird's Chirp
So I don't have to put it on Facebook anymore….