Hang around the fort long enough, and you too could become Governor General

What strikes me about Mary Simon's CV is the almost fifty years of service to the government. That would be the settler government.

Stuck in a tsunami of bad press re: those thousands of missing native kids from the residential school era, our ever-opportunistic PM came up with a brilliant PR solution to a bedevilling PR problem; make an Indigenous woman the Queen's representative in Canada!

The establishment commentariat has lauded this bold stroke. How refreshingly post-modern to have the colonial power represented by an Indigenous person! And oh, what wonders this appointment will do for reconciliation! A mere 410 years after the first English settlers arrived in Canada, the English monarch has finally made things right!

Although it's hard not to be cynical, this symbolic gesture is better than nothing. On the other hand, given the history of the past 410 years, let's hold the hosannas for now. Symbolic gestures are too often conflated by our political class with "doing something" or "redressing issues."

Time will tell.

The future of farming

I'm sitting on the front stoop listening to the neighbour across the side-road bale up about five acres worth of large round hay bales. I'd be surprised if there's more than a dozen bales coming off there. That will have a max value, depending on market conditions, of around $1,200.

The place across the side-road changed hands a couple years ago. It's a hundred acre spread and the house is a sister-house to Falling Downs, most likely put up by the same crew. The new owners are not "farmers" per se. But they do invest in the local economy.

That $1,200 worth of round bales pooped out of a $40,000 baler towed behind a $150,000 tractor. That'll feed the dozen cow-calf pairs they keep on the place over the winter. 

From a farming point of view, none of this makes sense. 

The numbers don't work.

But from a hedge-against-inflation perspective, the numbers work just fine. The play-farmers bought the place three years ago for half a mil.

They could probably turn it over for a million and a half today.

I hear Bill Gates is buying farmland.

 

Ukraine reveals secret weapon - Russians die laughing

Mission accomplished... so long as the Russians actually do die of hysterical, uncontrollable, terminal laughter. But how could they not?

Come on Zelensky! What kind of shit is this? You think this will speed up your NATO membership?

What's that?...  that's the new Trans Company A training up for the Azov Brigade?

Oh, beg your pardon. My bad!

Good one, Zelensky! That gambit should have you in NATO before the snow flies!

USA! USA! USA!!! America is down, but not defeated...

Happy 4th of July!

It's not the best of times for the Light unto the Nations.

They haven't won a war since '45, although God knows they've started enough of them.

The Germans have been building better cars since the sixties.

The other losers of the WWII have been building better cars since the seventies.

They're a dependency of Taiwan when it comes to computer chips.

They're a generation behind in hypersonic missiles and "next generation" fighter jets.

They've got the most awesome military budget on the planet, not that any of the adversaries are impressed.

Although they lost their own democracy years ago, you gotta give 'em credit for never giving up on spreading democracy to the rest of the world. 

There isn't a modern "developed" nation on earth that can hold a candle to them when it comes to people living in tents on sidewalks. Nor is there another "developed" country where routine health challenges mean certain bankruptcy.

And nobody, but NOBODY, is gonna come close to Joey Chestnut's new world record of downing 76 hotdogs at a sitting!

USA! USA! USA!!!

Proper etiquette when you're being robbed

1. don't panic, act normal

2. don't make eye contact

3. hand over the goods - your iPhone isn't worth dying for

No point letting a little armed robbery ruin your day!

Turban guy gets uppity - military coup coming in Canada?

Well, isn't this interesting! Canada's turban-sporting Minister of Defence is refusing to roll over for his betters. Talk about insubordination!

Harjit Sajjan is flat-out contradicting both the PM and the power behind him, the She-wolf of Galicia. They've told the CBC that acting CAF Top Gun Lt. Gen. Wayne Eyre is not fit for service, and what does Sajjan do? He turns around and tells the CBC, nevermind those two; I, who serve at their pleasure, have full confidence in the man.

Hmm... this can't end well for Mr. Sajjan. I'm expecting to see an imminent reduction in diversity in Fluffy's cabinet, real soon!

Unless...

Would the Prime Minister treat a white cabinet minister like this?

PM Chrystia Freeland and her front man Justin today reprimanded the country's top military officer for some personnel decisions arising out of the never-ending Canadian Forces sexual harassment scandal.

Normally that should be the job of the Defence Minister, Harjit Sajjan. He's the guy who helped Justin burnish his bona fides by becoming our first Defence Minister to sport a turban. Just within the past week Justin had assured the public he maintains full confidence in the man.

Alas, that was before Chrystia, aka Justin's brain, clued him in as to which way the winds of political correctitude were blowing. As in, look chump, a vagina trumps a turban any day. If anyone knows those fickle winds it's Chrystia. When making a speech about Canada's threat horizon as Foreign Minister, she listed "incels" right alongside Putin, commies, and terrorists. You'd have be among the PC cognoscenti for that to happen. 

As for Sajjan, once both the PM and the deputy PM talk for you in the media, they really aren't that into you anymore. Do the honourable thing and resign.