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Backlash
Another bad week wrapping up for Donald. A federal court judge has ruled that Trump must remove his name from the Kennedy Center.
“Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.”
Trump responded to this by saying he’s been treated unfairly, and,
“I have instructed the Department of Commerce to make all necessary arrangements with Congress to allow a full and complete transfer of this Institution, giving them the responsibility for its Operation, Maintenance, and Management,”
Trump’s $1.8 billion slush fund to the January 6 rioters and to friends such as Paul Manafort, Michael Lindell, and himself is facing headwinds. There were 2 Federal Court buildings on Friday, one blocking the slush fund process and another ordering Trump to respond to claims that he committed fraud in this entire process, in relation to the IRS.
Trump wants to hold a major, days, long, party to celebrate the 250 year anniversary of America’s birth. The problem is that acts lined up for the celebration have been cancelling out. So we might end up seeing days upon days of Kid Rock.
Finally, nothing has been settled with Iran. The Strait is still closed as we enter week 13 of the war. Fun times.
That is all I have for today.
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You Never Know
It was reported, the other day, that Claude Lemieux had passed away at the age of 60. Lemieux over 1200 games and had nearly 800 points. He was a better than average player and a player that fans loved to hate if he was not on your team.
He won four Stanley cups, one with Montreal, one with Colorado and two with New Jersey. He won four and he was a definite contributor in winning all four where most players are fortunate to have one Stanley Cup.
He was the torch bearer in game three of Montréal Canadiens/Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup conference final in Montreal, last Monday night.
A few nights later, he passed away. His passing was shock enough, given that he was only 60 years old. Then it came out that he committed suicide, sending shock waves through the hockey community and through the sports world.
You just never know what’s happening out of the limelight. He leaves behind a wife and four sons. Hopefully he has some peace, now.
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Stay In Bed
There are some days, where you checked the news first thing in the morning, while still in bed and are tempted to stay in bed all day.
Being in Alberta, with a forecast of a hot summer, I have five long months, ahead, of heated rhetoric from the separatist camp, until voting day of October 19. Social media is already heating up big-time.
In the states, the redistricting gerrymandering, is forecast to add 10 additional seats for the Republicans. Democracy is dying in America.
Iran and the US are back at it again with strikes launched by both sides. Iran is building up It’s missile capability again as shown in the image above.
Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his Israeli armed forces to take control of 70% of Gaza an increase over the current 53%. So tensions will flare up big time in Gaza.
And top it off, Ebola is raising its ugly head in Africa. Steps have been made to ensure that it stays in Africa. Hopefully it will. Because if it doesn’t, we could be going back into Covid times
I’m in the interior BC today where it’s gonna be hot. So even though I’m tempted to stay in bed with all this bad news, I won’t be. Maybe we should all just take a break from the news.
That’s all I have for today.
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Travel Day
Back tomorrow.
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Yet Again
An agreement was even closer this time. Just a couple words holding the agreement up. Oil prices went down. The Dow again went up. Peace was at hand after 12 weeks of a supposed four week war. This time it was really gonna happen even if it’s just a one page memorandum of understanding, it really was gonna happen for sure.
So the US bombs Iran last night and Iran is threatening retaliation again and Trump is saying all the uranium is gonna be removed. So we’re back at square one again. Oil prices are back up and, for now, for whatever reason, the Dow is still going up. Great for anybody with 401(k)s.
This time Trump throws in a new wrinkle by mentioning the Abraham accords, an agreement signed by some countries in the Middle East, recognizing Israel as a legitimate entity. This time, Trump is asking for other countries to join in such as Egypt, Syria, and Pakistan. He is suggesting that even Iran would sign into the accord. This is at a time when Israel and Iran are at war with each other, and Israel is increasing its attacks in Lebanon.
The next time this on again off again, circus happens, and it will, I just might use this same post and see if anyone notices,
That’s all I have for today.
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Games On
There are approximately 160 days until Danielle Smith’s referendum to have a referendum will be held, on October 19. The separatist movement is facing struggles right now. It started with the voter ID leak fiasco a few weeks back. There have been linkages to US right wing movements. Also, Danielle Smith’s announcement of a referendum to have a referendum has caused strife within separatist ranks. Many of the separatists wanted a referendum question immediately.
Meanwhile, there were a number of Canada unity rallies in Alberta during the weekend, including in Edmonton Calgary and Spruce Grove.
A look at social media appears to show a strong sentiment for the unity side and less support on the separatist side. That is not to downplay the separatist side at all. They are strong in their beliefs and will push for a yes vote on the October 19 referendum question. So anything can happen between now and then.
One thing that the Canada unity movement has going for it is the upcoming July 1 Canada Day. This is a gift falling into the unity movement laps and they no doubt take full advantage of it.
That’s all I have for today.
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Not So Easy
Back, in February 2022, Vladimir Putin decided to invade Ukraine. I still remember pictures of Russian tanks lining up on a Ukrainian highway on their way to Kyiv. Kind of a stupid move because they were easy prey for drones.
It is now four years later and Russia is facing drone attacks from Ukraine, even into Moscow. It is estimated that that 30,000 to 50,000 Russian troops are being killed or seriously injured each month. Not each year, but each month. This is far greater than what the US suffered back in Vietnam. Dissension is strife in Russia right now. There are shortages. The economy is hurting. Families are losing their sons and fathers at a horrendous rate. This is made worse by those military veterans coming back from the Ukrainian front. Many of them are suffering PTSD and many of them are going into crime. It is going so bad that Putin spends a lot of time in underground bunkers.
His number of public appearances has diminished.
Donald Trump attacked Iran in March of this year. We are almost into June. He thought that the war would be over in a couple days, especially after wiping out 48 members of Iranian leadership on the initial day of attack. He said at most this excursion would last maybe four or five weeks. It is now week 12. The Strait of Hormuz it’s still closed. Gas prices at the pump have skyrocketed. Soon shortages of oil related products are going to start hitting home. Furthermore, inflation is up to almost 4%.
This weekend, Trump is again saying that negotiations are progressing and an agreement is close. I’ve lost count of the number of times he has said this.
Let me get this out right now. Iran is a very bad actor. But, right now, they’re holding all the cards, it seems. It is possible that the current negotiations could end up with an agreement to end of war. But there is no way that this agreement will even come close to the agreement that Obama made a number of years ago with Iran. Trump will have to live with that. It will most likely cost Republicans the house and the Senate in November.
Donald and Vlad, this hasn’t been as easy as you thought it would be, has it?
That’s all I have for today.
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Jeffrey Rath
This is Jeffrey Rath. He is legal council for the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP). The APP are seeking separation from Canada. Members of the APP, including Rath, have sought support from US interests such as the Trump administration.
The text above shows how strident a separatist Rath is. He is known to make controversial, out of the park statements, such as the following,
“The Americans see it within their national interest both under the Monroe Doctrine, that has been around forever, and their new national security strategy to support Alberta independence and freeing the third-largest oilfield in the world from control by the Communist Chinese.”
Rath was also quoted as saying the following, with regard to meetings in Washington,
“To explore the benefits of either Alberta becoming an independent sovereign nation with economic union to the United States, becoming a U.S. territory, or pursuing full statehood.”
Rath’s company, Rath and Company, was involved in a dispute between the company and the TallCree Band, a few years ago. The company represented the Band in negotiations between the band and the federal government on an agricultural benefits settlement. The band claimed that the 20% contingency fee, charged by the company, was too high given the amount of work done by the company in arranging the settlement.
Given that the settlement totalled over $55 million, Rath’s company had a payday of over $11 million.
A judge reviewed the case and determined that the $11 million payment was much too high given the work that was performed. The judge noted that much of the work were emails that were ‘ created and signed’ by the company’s paralegal. As a result, the company actually received a substantially lower amount of payment, totalling $3 million, after the judge’s findings. The company appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada, but that court decided not to hear the case.
This is an example of who will be representing the separatists in their fight for separation from Canada. The federalist side will need to be at the top of their game this summer because things are going to get down and dirty.
That’s all I have for today.
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Self-Made Mess
Danielle, you did this to yourself. Political commentator Andrew Coyne said it best and I am paraphrasing here ‘ when you ride the tiger sometimes you end up inside the tiger’.
Danielle made her address to the province last night, an address which she pre-recorded the night before. In trying to address the growing referendum boondoggle, she stated that it was not time to kick the can down the road and then she did exactly that.
When the Forever Canadian petition movement started, the intention was for the legislature to decide on the question. The separatists then got involved with their own petition, pushing for a referendum and tied Danielle in knots, given the legality of the separatist question and the legality of even having a referendum.
So Danielle tied herself in knots, and Alberta is going to have a referendum in October to decide whether there should be a referendum on separation. That’s right folks. A referendum on having a referendum.
Here’s the question that’s going to be voted on
“Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”
You did not read that wrong. Albertans will be voting on this referendum to decide on whether a second referendum will be held.
If Danielle was hoping to appease critics, she got no help there.
Jeff Rath, lawyer for the Stay Free Alberta separatist group, stated
“She’s just alienated the most hardcore portion of her base…. The 301,620 people that signed the petition are smart enough to see through it, and she has just created an unstoppable political force in the province of Alberta that will be rallying against her.”
Yep, they want to kick her out of office. Cam Davies, leader of the Republican Party of Alberta, a separatist party, added
“A vote to have a vote is the literal definition of kicking the can down the road.”
Meanwhile, Naheed Menshi, leader of the NDP party, the official opposition party in Alberta, vowed,
“This spring and summer, we’re going to be knocking on doors, we’re going to be talking to our neighbours, we’re going to be mobilizing, we’re going to make sure that Danielle Smith and the separatists get the defeat they so richly deserve.”
Thomas Lukaszuk, backbone behind the Forever Canadian group, said it best,
“Danielle Smith decided that six months of a divisive campaign and economic damage to Alberta isn’t long enough. She wants to hold a referendum on holding a referendum to break up Canada.”
He is exactly right. Prior to Smith’s address last night social media has already been heating up on both sides of the question. Now, Albertans will be going through a long hot summer of divisiveness and discord, before the vote is held in October. Thanks a lot, Danielle.
That’s all I have for today.
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Smith UCP Referendum Mess
This is Thomas Lukaszuk. He was a former deputy premier of the conservative party of Alberta. He is the backbone behind the Forever Canadian group. . Last year, this group developed a question.
“Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?”
Lucaszuk started a petition for the purpose of presenting the question to the Alberta legislature for them to vote on the question. He had the option of also having this go to referendum. He chose not to do that because he did not want to create tensions and divide the province. Under legislative law at the time, Lukaszuk how to get signatures representing 20% of voters, who voted in the last provincial election and he had to do this within 90 days. He ended up getting over 460,000 signatures far above the required number of signatures.
It was presented, after being approved by elections Alberta, to the legislature at the end of 2025
Alberta separatists wanted their own question. UCP premier Danielle Smith eased the path for the separatists by bringing in new legislation that for any petitions, only 10% of those who voted in the last election was required and the time limit was extended from 90 days to 120 days.
The question developed by the separatists was as follows
“Do you agree that the Province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?”
This question, itself, was challenged for its constitutionality. Before a judge could make decision, Smith used her leverage to take the judge out of the equation. The question is also being challenged by First Nations in Alberta. A judge here ruled in favour of First Nations, but Smith appears to be ignoring that.
A committee was formed to look at the question developed by the forever Canadian group. The UCP has done a slow walk on this committee. Given a UCP controlled committee, Lukaszuk was not even allowed to speak on behalf of the forever Canadian group
The committee held another meeting yesterday. Prior to the meeting Lukaszuk was informed that he had five minutes to present his case. This is where the mess exploded. During the meeting, prior to any votes being made, the UCP issued a press release
“More than 400,000 Albertans signed Mr. Lukaszuk’s Forever Canadian petition. Combined with the reported 301,000 who signed the Alberta independence petition, this means over 700,000 Albertans want — and deserve — the opportunity to have their voices heard in a referendum.”
The meeting exploded into chaos. Rakhi Pancholi, Edmonton- Whitemud NDP MLA, announced during the meeting,
“I understand the UCP has already issued a release about a referendum being called and that’s already been released to media.”
The meeting went downhill from there. The meeting was abruptly ended with no vote held, meaning no recommendation on the referendum was made. The committee will be meeting again this afternoon.
Following the meeting, Lukaszuk who wanted to question, settled by the legislature rather than by the referendum route, stated the following..
“It was always abundantly obvious that this government wanted to have a referendum on tearing Canada apart by hook or by crook. And the process was fixed to such a point where they already had press releases ready.”
Where does this leave Danielle Smith in this whole mess? Tomorrow’s chirp will cover that.
That’s all I have today, though.
Bird's Chirp
So I don't have to put it on Facebook anymore….