"Protect the rich" is NOT going to catch on

Yeah, lots of financial press whining in the last 2 weeks about how raising taxes on the rich or on corporations would be so unfair & so awful -- but "protect the rich!" just isn't going to cut it as a #BaloneyFactory slogan.

— Cathie from Canada 🇨🇦 😷🏳️‍🌈 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@CathieCanada) April 17, 2024

Recently I've been seeing many articles that tut-tutted about how awful it would be for rich people and Canadian corporations to have to pay more taxes. 

I couldn't understand why this had suddenly become such a hot topic and then I realized: why, of course!  There's a new Liberal budget coming up, and chances are it is going to raise taxes for the wealthy. 

So of course the corporations and the millionaires made sure to get their media out in force beforehand, to try to set the tone of the debate and generate sympathy for the trials and tribulations of the rich. 

But I don't think it will work -- even Poilievre's Baloney Factory won't likely promote a "Protect the Rich!" slogan, because Canadians won't be fooled:

If very rich people are mad about the budget perhaps it’s actually good.

— Will Greaves (@WillWJGreaves) April 17, 2024

Great stories

Just sharing some stories tonight:

Good Samaritans rush to save herd of elk trapped in frigid water

Two dozen people jumped into action Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. when a herd of elk fell through the ice at Palisades Reservoir near Alpine, WY.https://t.co/AshSFx87yshttps://t.co/NGkt21H4xB

— StrictlyChristo 🇺🇦🌻 (@StrictlyChristo) April 11, 2024

“I was headed into Jackson to go to work and I noticed a couple cars pulled over,” Dusty Jones tells EastIdahoNews.com. “I looked off to the left and saw a couple of guys beating on the ice with a herd of elk right there in front of them.”

Jones ran down to the ice and called a friend to bring him a chainsaw. There were around a dozen elk in the frigid water, which Jones says measured 8-10 feet deep, and suddenly people started appearing to help.

“Before you knew it, there were 30-40 people there,” Jones said. “We began cutting a little path toward the shore so the animals could walk out but they were so cold they couldn’t move. That’s when we just started grabbing them and pulling them out.”

“Somebody had a backhoe that we were able to put two calves into the bucket and transport them to the Alpine Feed Ground,” Wyoming Game & Fish Biologist Gary Fralick told SVI’s Dan Dockstader.

Jones worried the ice might collapse but said it was around 4 inches thick and nobody fell in. The elk just happened to be standing in an area where the ice was thinner due to thermal spring action, according to Fralick.

“There normally isn’t any water there at all,” Jones said. “We had so much snow last winter that lake runoff caused this part of the reservoir to be full all summer and fall.”

One by one, each of the 13 elk was pulled to safety. Two of the calves were severely stressed and could not get up, according to Fralick. Once they were taken to another area, they were released and stood up with the rest of the herd.

“No elk died, which is awesome,” Jones said.

Moving on:

George Springer wants to sign her jersey. Help me find her, Jays fans? #ToTheCore #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/MYR7WA7HNo

— Laura Brady (@LauraB7) April 12, 2024

I hope George Springer can find this fan.

Yeah, isn't this just what we all needed now ... bird flu!

So let's all worry about bird flu now!

The @USDA is closely tracking #H5N1 #flu in the dairy industry, and it's turning up in a very dispersed pattern across the USA.
States w/confirmed cases since March 25: TX, KA, MI, NM, ID, OH.https://t.co/2vuQKuh3CS pic.twitter.com/XWMoRya2xr

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) April 4, 2024

If you're following the #H5N1 in cows story, there's a lot of really important information in this story from @sciencecohen. https://t.co/s88QIYFMQR

— Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 (@HelenBranswell) April 5, 2024

Trending tonight: #PuntTheRunt

Canadians are laughing at Poilievre's three-word policies for anything that ails Canada -- and tonight, "Punt The Runt" is trending: 

Also today, Charlie Angus announced he won't run again, and Poilievre couldn't resist responding with the usual petty and mean whine. 

Christ, what an asshole!

#PuntTheRunt@PierrePoilievre@CBCNews@CPC_HQ
Pierre Poilievre wants to be Prime Minister of Canada, and he doesn't even have the decency to wish a long-time member of parliament any good wishes. Can't get in lower than that.
Not fit to be Prime Minister. pic.twitter.com/kbIFentqLi

— Clay Thompson. (@harryt59_harry) April 4, 2024

I would rate Poilievre's chances of winning at 50/50 and dropping. https://t.co/NrLd6q2GHx

— Frank Graves (@VoiceOfFranky) April 5, 2024

Random Round-up: from the Sask Easter Bunny, to the Trudeau Liberals, the RCMP, Boeing, the eclipse, and even wigs

For Easter, here is the Craig Baird Saskatchewan Easter Bunny:

I recently found several good articles that are worth sharing: 

Evan Scrimshaw pleads with the Trudeau Liberals to smarten up --Jurisdiction's False Sanctimony and stop pretending they can get reelected by blaming provincial Conservative premiers:

...I want this government to be re-elected. Not all that many people seem to be agreeing with me. They were down 18% in Abacus over the weekend, there’s been polls with them in third place in Quebec in recent times, and the Tories just copped a 19 point swing in Durham. Every time we think the bottom has been hit there’s a new low, and the only thing that keeps this government from falling to fourth place in seats is the NDP is led by the human equivalent of using a croissant as a dildo.

For all the spilled ink about the media’s role in all of this, at the end of the day that’s not an answer to making this better for the government it’s just an answer to feeling better when the government get fucked. You know what’s going to feel even worse than your smug certainty about how everybody voting for Poilievre is stupider than you? When Pierre Poilievre wins 250 seats and we have to spend the 2025-29 Parliament arguing about whether the Liberal Party should bother to exist.

... I want the Liberals to focus on solutions and not just handwaving away responsibility. I want a Liberal government, and if that’s not possible I want as many Liberal MPs so that a Poilievre government can be as short as possible. But yelling about the media would make me more popular, because we definitely have our priorities straight.

The left have to decide whether they want to win elections and save the Liberal Party from its current malaise or whether they want to lose safe in the comfort of smug sanctimony. Denying reality ends in a Conservative landslide.

We're all bridge experts now, aren't we?

Here is a fascinating analysis of the Baltimore bridge disaster, by someone who actually does know a lot about ships and bridges:

   

 My bet is they will get some shipping lanes cleared within two weeks -- the Army Corps of Engineers already has a thousand experts working on it, and it wouldn't surprise me if vessels from Halifax to Sao Paulo are already on their way to Baltimore to help tow the girders out of the way and dredge that channel deeper.

Meanwhile, here's some of the day's less crazy commentary:
 

Post by @stonekettle

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Post by @stonekettle

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The Wire producer David Simon spent the day lambasting various idiots who blamed the disaster on everything from immigrants to vaccines. His twitter feed is pretty funny:

You useless squib. The correct answer is the IDF's abduction of the first mate, coupled with a draining of the ship's power by Jewish space lasers.
Also no ship's captain, collapsed or otherwise, is ever at the helm in Baltimore harbor. Licensed Bay pilots have control of ships. https://t.co/mzqAMCC0qz

— David Simon (@AoDespair) March 27, 2024

Here's some more:

Does anyone know if either the ship or the bridge were vaccinated? If so, mystery solved.

#baltimorebridge

— Scottacular (@Scottcrates) March 26, 2024

So far, Repubshave tried their darnedest to blame the #baltimorebridge disaster on:
1- DEI initiatives
2- Covid lockdowns
3- Drug policy
4- Biden’s infrastructure bill

These are not serious people.

— UTDemoLatterDaySaint (@UTDemLttrDaySnt) March 27, 2024

Canada is re-thinking Mulroney today. And maybe Poilievre, too

Canada is buzzing about Brian Mulroney's funeral -- so many profound, moving and memorable moments: 

Good God… when Marc Hervieux and Mulroney’s granddaughter Elizabeth Lapham stopped to let a recording of Brian Mulroney finish singing When Irish Eyes are Smiling — man, how moving. pic.twitter.com/Qr1YwfNk95

— Bryan Passifiume (@BryanPassifiume) March 23, 2024

But life goes on, as Pierre Poilievre is going to find out -- he seemed to think the Mulroney funeral should be just another campaign stop, and Canada is not impressed:

Re: Brian Mulroney.
I watch funerals, not because of religion. I find these interactions fascinating.

And, it was nice to see grown up politicians being kind to each other no matter their stripe.

And then Pierre Poilievre opened his mouth 😡#cdnpoli

— G Godwin (@gill_godwin) March 23, 2024

The late Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was a great man and leader and I’m outraged to learn his funeral cost 87% more because of the costly coalition’s carbon tax. Common sense conservatives will axe the tax and bring home more affordable funerals for hardworking Canadians. pic.twitter.com/v7QzszRAVU

— Barney Panofsky's Best Intentions (@mynamesnotgordy) March 23, 2024

Saw the weasel, Poilievre speak as he entered the Basilica for Mulroney's funeral. He repeated exactly what he said in the House & then turned it into a political attack on the Liberals. The man is despicable & completely without class. #NeverPoilievre #NeverVoteConservative

— D. J. R. 🇨🇦❤️🇺🇦 (@Cool2bCorgi) March 23, 2024

PP, you won't get a second chance to make a first impression on Canada. Everybody found you appalling:

The late Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s funeral was briefly interrupted today when Pierre Poilievre’s T-shirt cannon accidentally fired off six Axe the Tax T-shirts during the singing of Amazing Grace.

— Barney Panofsky's Best Intentions (@mynamesnotgordy) March 23, 2024

Trending tonight: #ScrapTheCrap and #22Minutes

[With thanks to Journo Dale Smith.]

So today Pierre Poilievre was getting lots of media attention due to his ridiculous "threat" of a non-confidence motion -- did he think the NDP would actually want to fight an election this spring? 

Not. 

#ScrapTheCrap #ScrapTheCrapPoilievre #PierrePoilievreBaloneyFactory #BaloneyFactory #HandsOffMyRebate #IStandWithTrudeau pic.twitter.com/xDCjFTUM2Q

— Carla⚡️⚡️⚡️ #IStandWithTrudeau (@CarlaMeckelborg) March 20, 2024

This dingus just called the NDP and Bloc childish names and then asked them to join the #CPC in their vote of non-confidence.

Nothing says you're serious about the vote like calling everyone else childish names.#ModiMuppet #ScrapTheCrap #BaloneyFactory #cdnpoli #QP pic.twitter.com/jGT6WFeQeM

— Jason Pugh 🏳️‍🌈 (@TheJasonPugh) March 20, 2024

Has America finally reached its gag limit with Trump?

I try to ignore just about everything Trump babbles. 

But tonight he is quoted by activist and former Labour Secretary Robert Reich in a post titled Trump is out of his mind, and desperate

At a rally today outside the Dayton International Airport in Vandalia, Ohio, Trump warned that “if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a blood bath … for the country.”

He also warned that if he didn’t win, “I don’t think you’re going to have another election, or certainly not an election that’s meaningful.”

In the rest of the speech he repeated his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, which have been utterly discredited.

He praised the people serving sentences in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol — calling them “hostages” and “unbelievable patriots,” commending their spirit, and promising to help them if elected in November.

He cast migrants as threats to American citizens — claiming without evidence that other countries were emptying their prisons of “young people” and sending them across the border. “I don’t know if you call them ‘people,’ in some cases,” he said. “They’re not people, in my opinion.” He later referred to them as “animals.”

Trump is clearly desperate. He knows that his future freedom and his fortune both depend on winning in November. He has no qualms about turning Americans against Americans to achieve this goal. Apparently he is even willing to fuel violence, a second civil war.

Wow! 

And finally -- FINALLY -- that "bloodbath" remark seems to have triggered America's gag reflex. 

I'm seeing tweets and columns about it all over.

"If I don't get elected, it's gonna be a bloodbath. It's going to be a bloodbath for the country"

He's taken a political party and transformed it into a cult of political violence & chaos. The only way to stop the madness is to vote against him in Nov. pic.twitter.com/EaFR2RfkYB

— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) March 16, 2024

Insurrectionist orange traitor has now issued a threat today at his MAGA hate rally in Ohio that if he isn’t given access to our White House again, he foresees a bloodbath throughout the US.

He needs to be in jail for the rest of his disgusting existence. Period.

— Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) March 17, 2024

Trump is threatening a “bloodbath” if he loses in November. You know what I say to that? Screw you, Trump. The American people will not be intimidated by your threats and your lies. We will show up, vote, and make sure that Trump NEVER gets into the Oval Office again.

— Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) March 17, 2024

The Golden Calf and the Three Little Pigs

In America, Trump is the Golden Calf - because he has no philosophy or morals or principles himself, he can only reflect the hatreds and prejudices of his worshipers. And they love him for it.

Here in Canada, we're dealing with out own fairy tale. Poilievre's three-word solutions --Ax the Tax, Build the Homes -- and his frothing hatred of Trudeau makes him a kindred spirit to people who want shouting and slogans and fist-raising rallys but who don't know what his slogans actually mean. 

Mulroney knew the real Poilievre, as does Kim Campbell. 

"SMOKE THE TOKE" "FLOAT THE BOAT" "SPLASH THE CASH"
Any other #PierrePoilievre slogans come to mind? https://t.co/t4dIIN2iqU

— RF 🇺🇦 (@dipbrat70) March 12, 2024

Now his MPs are following in his footsteps:

Dirty tricks politics. They are not the loyal opposition. Looks like each Con MP has been tasked to fabricate a scandal and hammer away at it whether it is one or not.

— Colleen 🟦 (@wildplumbay) March 11, 2024

#Kate-Gate: maybe she just exited, pursued by a bear

Oh, wouldn't you know that the Kate Middleton story is now so big it just had to become "Kate-Gate"!

The Princess of Wales is missing and the spare Prince is in exile and the King is treating his cancer with herbs. If this were the 1300s France would be looking to invade.

— Stefan Smith (@TheStefanSmith) March 11, 2024

if I was kate middleton I would tweet “they got me” and then log off

— empress sissi (@historicalfits) March 13, 2024

I got about 8 seconds into explaining the Kate Middleton situation to my French husband before he told me, in the Frenchest voice imaginable, "ah yes, that's why we decided not to have those sorts of people anymore"

— Janel Comeau (@VeryBadLlama) March 14, 2024

Husband: “So what’s the deal with all the Kate Middleton”

Me: “I thought you’d never ask.” *pulls out projector for my professional grade power point presentation*#KateGate #WhereIsKateMiddleton

— 📣Cheryl B (@forevermrsccbb) March 13, 2024

Imagine they bring Kate out to prove she’s fine but then they cut into her & it turns out she’s actually Cake Middleton instead. Will the horrors never cease

— Gwdihŵ 🦉 (@youwouldknow) March 14, 2024

Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri has a whole list of possibilities [gift link] -- from turning into a giant bug, to stepping into a mysterious wardrobe, to falling down a rabbit hole, or just "exited, pursued by a bear" (ie, she left William). 

The late night TV talk shows are getting into the swing of things too:

The cover-up is always worse than the crime. #WhereIsKate #KateGate

pic.twitter.com/eSfnj4Q4mt

— LC (@lc1_summit) March 13, 2024

We also didn't warn them about the Boston Tea Party or the Battle of Yorktown and they both turned out pretty well, too.

Stephen Colbert owed the British monarchy nothing and the arrogance of such a statement is disgusting.

— Carla Pace (@carlapaceNY) March 14, 2024

"Say....what????" moments -- with Campbell, Middleton, Moe, and LA

Several "Say....what????" moments tonight: 

First, Kim Campbell called Pierre Poilievre a liar and a hatemonger. Wow!

Kim Campbell. Brian Mulroney. Flora MacDonald.

Back when Conservativism was actually just a different way of trying to make a country better...not take it backwards. #cdnpoli https://t.co/yGVpuylyOb

— Mark Gerretsen 🇨🇦 🇺🇦 (@MarkGerretsen) March 10, 2024

Former Conservative Leader, Kim Campbell, says she won’t vote for Poilievre because he is “a liar and a hate monger”, & a “climate denier”, and he doesn’t address
Russia & plays footsie with Donald Trump!

This guy is risky and reckless, and reasonable people know it! #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/XjFKEb1kev

— MP Ryan Turnbull 🇨🇦🇺🇦 (@TurnbullWhitby) March 9, 2024

Hey Canadian media!!!
The story here isn't that Kim Campbell called Poilievre a "liar and a hate monger". The story is that Poilievre is a liar and a hate monger.#CdnMediaFailed

— Christopher Byrne 🇨🇦🇺🇦 (@CBinVAN) March 10, 2024

@AKimCampbell called @PierrePoilievre a liar and a hatemonger and Conservative clapping seals attacked her mercilessly BUT....not one came out and said Pierre wasn't a liar OR a hatemonger. Not one. Think about that.

— LightningCatcherExtraordinaire (@ButlerLonney) March 10, 2024

And on a side note, isn't this the truth?

Even weirder, there really isn’t anything out there showing him with ANY actual human interests. No sports, no music, no favourite books - his entire personality seems to be hating Trudeau. https://t.co/NHzxOwPigI

— Diamond Jim Lowe (Parody. Maybe.) (@DiamondJimLowe) March 6, 2024

Wow, wasn't that a great State Of The Union?

Dark Brandon was in the House tonight!

President Joseph R. Biden kicked ass.

— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) March 8, 2024

Enjoyed watching Biden dancing the hully gully on Mike Johnson’s Adam’s Apple. #StateOfTheUnion

— Al Franken (@alfranken) March 8, 2024

Let this be absolutely clear: that wasn't just a great speech for President Biden. That was a great speech for anyone. The President gave brilliant rhetoric, but moreover, he directly engaged heckling Republicans with disarming humor, making them look small and petty and weak.

— Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) March 8, 2024

WOW. CNN just found 64% of their SOTU viewers had a positive reaction to President Biden’s speech & that 62% now think Biden policies will move U.S. in the right direction—which is 17 points HIGHER than pre-speech. Joe Biden won the night. He will win this election. Amazing.

— Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) March 8, 2024

The Republican response from their Senator Kitchen Barbie was long and lurid - especially the way-too detailed gang rape anecdote with her whispery, overly-dramatic voice:

Kate Britt sounds like an out of touch lunatic.

— ❤️🧡💛ᗰia💚💙💜 (@mommamia1217) March 8, 2024

This makes Bobby Jindal's response look like the Finest Hour speech.

— Tim Miller (@Timodc) March 8, 2024

More great stuff -- from #snowmageddon to dogs to Amish barn-raising

We got a huge dump of snow this weekend - its #Snowmageddon2024 -and our street is now impassable. So we'll be cocooning at home for the next several days:

#Saskatoon #Saskatchewan 🇨🇦 is closed 🔒 DON'T even try to get around without a 4 x 4 with #winter tires 🛻 AWD pretty much useless with low clearance 😐 Cars 🚗 stranded everywhere 🤦‍♂️ #CantFixStupid Hardly any ploughs out either 🤬 #StayHome #skstorm #Snowmageddon2024 pic.twitter.com/VPGAo0xC2t

— George - Bulls Club 🐂 🌾 💪 🇨🇦 (@Big_G_09) March 4, 2024

Latest from the highways in Saskatchewan as of 10:30AM today. Find something to binge and cancel your plans. #skstorm #yxe #yqr pic.twitter.com/FmcOhIHiKE

— Pat Dubois (@patdubois) March 3, 2024 

Let's continue with some dogs, bruh!

My pupper loves the snow and especially when we shovel! Happy snow day for her! #skstorm #lightsnow pic.twitter.com/0ObbJ29L83

— Hntrss🫎&Fshr🐟 (@hamiltond3) March 3, 2024

Post by @thecompletefacts

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Here's some great stuff - from the solar system to dogs, bruh!

Amazing!

This is how our Solar system is.. ❤️🔥pic.twitter.com/zOXqT87Hob

— The Random Guy (@RandomTheGuy_) February 27, 2024

You've seen me share a few maps and videos of the Panama Canal. I love that engineering marvel. This animation shows a map and a timelapsed journey through the canal. 15 seconds worth watching! pic.twitter.com/NcAuOe4tSH

— Simon Kuestenmacher (@simongerman600) February 19, 2024

Never beaten. That’s why you love the #WorldBollardAssociation
pic.twitter.com/emDIIIsJ3r

— World Bollard Association™ (@WorldBollard) February 3, 2024