Tag Archives: CBC

When the bough breaks

It is an old expression, it means “when a situation has reached the point of no return” and at this point we have had a few of these moments. First there is the setting of the President traitor Trump (not my words but I can live with them) telling us all that the 28 points was a Russian document, with Russian syntaxis, one person even told the world (via YouTube) that it was a literal google translation. I cannot say that because I have never seen the document. A whole range of politicians going all the way up to John Bolton (the former National Security Advisor of the United States)  and writer of the book ‘The room where it happened’ they all say that the Ukraine should never accept this setting. Then we get another event where ‘apparently’ the Kremlin misplaced 10 trillion rubles and they are now selling whatever gold they have to keep afloat. This gave me the speculation that two too debt ridden nations are helping each other out. It almost sounds like the passport switch. I go to Canada, from Canada I go to the United Kingdom on a British passport, I do whatever I need to do and return to Canada with a Canadian passport, no one is the wiser and from there I return to Australia on my own passport. Confused? You would be, but that is what is required to get trillions in debt written off in two places. They are in too deep and as Prime Minister Carney is now making waves in the G20 too many countries are now realising that they do not need the instability of America, Canada becomes the place to be. But that is not all.

CBC apparently reported (through LinkedIn) the image below, but that is all I see and there is nothing more and not on the CBC site either, so I am not sure where it is coming from. 

So, there is every chance it is some troll and to whomever it was (I’ll call him Vladimir) I say:

Is that a strong enough consideration? And as I see it, the entire Commonwealth is supporting the Ukraine. These so called Russian trolls will be dealt with in the near future. So feel free to consider where you can find the trillions you misplaced and stay out of out way. Oh, and a youthful young lady by the name of Sanna Marin (former PM of Finland) had a simple solution to stop the war. “Get out of Ukraine” was her view and nearly everyone who matters agrees. 

And that war you started on  February 24th 2022 which you said was going to take 3-5 days is now 1370 days and the Russian economy is about to end with 1,165,260 less Russian men. So how will you restart the economy considering you have all these men missing, energy plants are burning down and you are about to face a new winter with apparently 10 trillion misplaced. 

But, on the upside you can have Donald Trump if you want him, apparently he is about to get impeached. According to Newsweek ‘Donald Trump Faces Articles of Impeachment Before Christmas’ all this whilst News dot Com dot Au gave us 4 days ago ‘Trump Media stock crashes to all-time lows, wiping out $5B in first family wealth during crypto slide’ so this is his sixth failure? I don’t keep track of those settings. But it comes with the setting that you take him, you keep him, no take backsies on this deal.

So am I going too far? I might be, but that is the danger when you get so much news with the setting you do not know what to trust that it might make your head spin and mine is spinning. In this there are two settings that I am unsure of. Did Russia misplace 10 trillion rubles? Trolls are on both sides of the fence, so this could be another deception. But the anger we all have with the 28 point document is too fresh in memory and Ukraine was never consulted on any of this. And the BBC (at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g95x50kdyo) gave us ‘US insists it authored Ukraine peace plan after claims of Russian ‘wish list’’ a mere 6 hours ago. So why aren’t these documents released? So when we are given “US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that a proposed 28-point plan to end the Ukraine war, which has been widely viewed as favourable to Russia, was “authored by the US”.” In the old days (when I was young) you would show these documents with mention of who authored them and who was connected to the tutoring of these documents. Yet later we get “Rubio later distanced himself from those claims and said the plan came from the US, and was “based on input” from both Russia and Ukraine.” Really? Because Ukraine was seemingly not involved, so who were the people involved? Simple settings to logistics and they are largely missing. Then we get (through the BBC) “On Saturday, Republican Senator Mike Rounds said Rubio had told a group of lawmakers that the draft plan was not US policy. He told the Halifax Security Forum: “What [Rubio] told us was that this was not the American proposal.”” So we get one person telling us different stories? What on earth is going on in America? At present there is absolutely no way that anyone is considering having a vacation there and for other reasons? As it stands America is in an almost worse state than Russia apparently is in. 

So have a great day and whilst Vancouver is enjoying Sunday, I just entered Monday. Such is life.

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Tourism in the toilet

I have probably never seen any country throw his tourism industry in the toilet before like America has. Every country has its own methods and settings but 5 hours ago Canadian and the rest of the world got a rude awakening as to how this goes. CBC’s own Sophia Harris gives us in two broadcast the setting on how Canadians are for overthrown into the ‘dislike America’ setting. And the new rule is taking part this Friday. As of Friday every Canadian traveling to the US will have to supply their biometrics to America and it is given to us in “The United States is expanding its facial biometrics program with the goal of collecting images of non-U.S. citizens at entry and exit points at all airports, seaports and land borders”, as I see it, this will down Tourism a further 10%-15% and it is not in a nonchalant notion, “Just before getting on the plane, he says two uniformed officers approached him on the boarding ramp (Jetway), and one took his photo. “I was aghast. I felt ambushed,” said Shepell, a noted Canadian psychologist. He says the men never explained who they were or why he was photographed.” There is a found stretch coming from America (me quoting Hamlet). As we are given “CBP is expanding the program with the goal of collecting images of departing passengers at all international U.S. airports. The agency also plans to take photos of travelers when they enter and exit the country at all sea ports, and in vehicle lanes at land borders. CBP told CBC News it expects to have facial biometric technology fully in place at land borders sometime next year. Full implementation at sea ports and airports is expected within the next three to five years.” I reckon that this is data related and that is how America just lost a whole heap of tourists, because this makes (as speculated by some) Russia just a little more customer friendly. With the added “The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a new rule on Friday that makes it mandatory for non-U.S. citizens, including Canadians, to take part in its facial biometrics program. The regulation is set to take effect on Dec. 26 — even though full implementation of the program could take years. According to the rule, photos taken of foreign travelers will remain on a DHS database for up to 75 years.” As I personally see it, having my records somewhere is not what I fear, what I fear is American opportunity selling it to every tech boss in the world and them having a go at my details. And I can’t wait to report on how the DHS accidentally got hacked and our details are now with most of the cyber criminals in America and beyond. It is merely a waiting process, this is a ticking time bomb that will go boom in the night mark my words, And this all is something we were given by the same reporter a week ago with 

Canadian snowbirds fingerprinted and photographed at U.S. border as part of new requirement’ on October 19th. As I see it, it shows that America had long standing interests in who is in their country “Several Canadian snowbirds reported they were fingerprinted and photographed at the U.S. border this month when registering for their winter stay, which U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told CBC News is now standard procedure. 

Jacquie and Steve Ree of Ladysmith, B.C., arrived at the Peace Arch Border Crossing between Surrey, B.C., and Blaine, Wash., on Oct. 9.” The part that gets me is that they need these records on all the Canadian snowbirds as well. These people tend to have locations in America, they have their place and that was making them feel fine. I reckon that they might pick up and transfer to Australia or New Zealand in that same setting as they can get a better deal in these places and as I see it there are express ways to rely on this setting. No mater how we see it, America just scuttled their own tourism boat for the foreseeable future. We might not have liked who ran that place, but now we have seemingly valid concerns on how we are processed in America. I wonder how this is handled in the long run. A setting that DHS never considered is that America had in the past 72.39 million international tourists on an annual setting. There is a decent chance that this number goes down by a bit, but even if it decreases to 39 million, that implies that these 39 million biometric scans will occupy at least one data centre especially as it requires holding for 75 years. And these people will wonder what happens to these details now. 

Yup, I reckon that money spend on the Epic Universe was a little over enthusiastic at present, or at least its crown management issues are now decently solved by the Department of Homeland Security. So there is that.

Have a great day, and to the Snowbirds of Canada I say, come to Australia, we welcome you (New Zealand too) they have Auckland with temperatures of Auckland and Northland often reaching 28–30°C during their summer (December-February).

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The weighted fabrication

That is how I see it and the article by Stephanie Kirchgaessner (at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/18/saudi-arabia-turki-al-jasser-executed) goes straight into this. You see, I am not debating whether someone was ‘deleted’ it is what you can prove and we cannot prove anything. You see, The Guardian ‘hides’ behind a piece by the United Nations and I dove into this in ‘That was Easy!’ (at https://lawlordtobe.com/2021/02/27/that-was-easy/) I even added the UN document there and I made several connections, I used the setting of something called ‘evidence’ it is how I roll and seemingly the Guardian does not. Somewhere today I stumbled upon a Kirchgaessner article that was from June 18th 2025. I do not track everything that is out there, so I have an excuse. But the setting that the media uses requires me to illustrate where they went mad like a lemming. We get “It was the first high-profile killing of a journalist by the Saudi state since the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post columnist and prominent critic of the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who was lured into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and murdered by Saudi agents. A UN report concluded that the murder was an extrajudicial killing by the state, and an intelligence assessment released by then president Joe Biden in 2021 concluded that Prince Mohammed approved the murder.” We need to take heed of the two settings here. The first one is “A UN report concluded that the murder was an extrajudicial killing by the state” and the second one is “intelligence assessment released by then president Joe Biden in 2021 concluded that Prince Mohammed approved the murder”. So, we have two settings. Lets start with the second on first. How was this assessment obtained? That is the question. There is a chance that it came from Saad bin Khalid Al Jabri and the ‘pasted’ solutions that the Americans give him (read: CIA) sounds that he is all on the up and up. Yet “Aljabri has strong support in the US, where former intelligence officials have credited their Saudi counterpart for helping to save American and Saudi lives following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US.

On 60 Minutes, the former acting CIA director Mike Morell said Aljabri was “honorable”. Intelligence relayed to the US by Aljabri – Morell said – had led to the interception of bombs that had been planted by al-Qaida in 2010 in two desktop printers that were being flown as cargo on two planes. Morell said there were also other examples of Aljabri saving the lives of Americans, but that they were still classified.” Yet here too I have questions and they might be invalid and when we see the accusations of “The Saudi government did not address Aljabri’s allegations but said in a statement that “Saad Aljabri is a discredited former government official with a long history of fabricating and creating distractions to hide the financial crimes he committed”” So how does a general get these billions? That was the issues that I saw when I looked at the CBC article (at https://www.cbc.ca/news/investigates/saad-aljabri-assets-frozen-1.5903422

Where we see ““Although the investigation is ongoing, it is clear that from at least 2008 to 2017, Aljabri masterminded and oversaw a conspiracy incorporating at least 21 conspirators across at least 13 jurisdictions to misappropriate at least [$4.3 billion] from the plaintiffs,” the lawsuit states.” As well as “It alleges Aljabri funneled security and counterterrorism funds from Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry to himself, his family and associates.” So is one true, or is the other true? It is a fair question as the sources of the “intelligence assessment” remain valid if Saad bin Khalid Al Jabri was involved. At that point, merely one issue remains and I blew that apart in my initial blog (link above) and what wasn’t mentioned is that the so called ‘torture tapes’ were never forensically cleared in any way. There are mentions of “I heard them and they were dreadful” or something of that nature. That is not evidence. Evidence is “The tape(s) consist of x number of tapes (or files). They are set to a length of XXX minutes and the voices on the tapes include Jamal Khashoggi” That NEVER happened, that was NEVER done. As such there is no evidence and the shoddy journals behind blood and oil added a few inches of fantasy to that counter. That as well as the issues in that UN report gave me enough to call Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud innocent. Evidence is set to that, not thoughtful processes of ‘I don’t believe he is guilty’ a person is innocent until proven guilty and that proof never came, no matter how intensely all the media is pushing for it and the media with people carrying trash bags stating “This could be the part of the body of Jamal Khashoggi” is nothing less than a joke, a bad one at that. So as Stephanie Kirchgaessner is linked to several of these articles the journalist is just as guilty as the story. She never properly investigated the articles she wrote and I just called out several parts. There is no such setting with Saudi journalist Turki al-Jasser, as the news gives us “the Saudi interior ministry announced that al-Jasser had been executed in Riyadh, for crimes including “high treason by communicating with and conspiring against the security of the Kingdom with individuals outside it”.” It seems like a setting that is. There is no wonder about guilt or innocence. He was found guilty and executed, but leave it to the Guardian to add the columnist no-one ever cared about to the mix (Jamal Khashoggi). Yet I have seen this game being played by the Guardian and several other sources and I have had enough. As such I have questions. Questions like will Stephanie Kirchgaessner ever be questioned and will there be a larger setting where journalists like this are held to account on what they write, because as I see it this cannot continue as it is. The CBC gives us a lot more. You see as we see “Aljabri, 62, was MBN’s chief advisor. As Minister of State and head of security and counterterrorism, he was a key member of the regime. He was stripped of his duties in 2015. Following the power change in 2017, he fled the country and now lives in a mansion on The Bridle Path, one of Canada’s most upscale residential neighbourhoods.” Is a setting that does not imply he is guilty of anything, but as I see it, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has 4.3 billion reasons to want him and I do not know any government that takes such a loss for granted. And they would be right. And as I see it, there is an easy setting, get a forensic accountant go over the records and I reckon that this is where the CIA is not to happy over that happening and I expect neither is Saad bin Khalid Al Jabri. I wonder why the media didn’t set this setting to paper, do you know? 

So when the Guardian gave us (in June) “The former intelligence chief also claimed Prince Mohammed “feared” the information Aljabri knew about him, including a 2014 recorded discussion between Prince Mohammed and the then crown prince, Bin Nayef, in which Prince Mohammed allegedly said he could kill the sitting king, Abdullah, to clear the throne for his own father, Salman.” The use of ‘allegedly’ makes the quote dubious, did anyone hear that recording? Was it forensically analyzed? Simple questions that could lift the veil of this. Did no one catch on to this?

I think I have raised enough doubt on the settings we see. And as we go back to the setting of “an intelligence assessment released by then president Joe Biden in 2021 concluded that Prince Mohammed approved the murder.” As such, as it was released, why didn’t the Guardian include this to give weight to the article? Was it because it relied to heavy on Saad bin Khalid Al Jabri? I don’t know, I never saw the assessment. So have a great day and consider what others want you to think. I, merely want you to see the evidence because that decides the guilt of someone, I could (of course) be wrong.

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A few days ago 

A few days ago we had the impact of the ban of Jimmy Kimmel and that impact it had. Disney need to raise all awareness flags because like the little weasels they seemingly are, the subscriptions were cut. According to some sources almost $4 billion in subscriptions were lost. Some will howl with laughter, but the impact is a little bigger. You see, soon after that (at https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/disney-subscription-increase-1.7641020) we are given by CBC that ‘Disney+ is raising subscription prices for the 4th year in a row’, one could say this is exactly why I prefer physical media, but Disney wants people to ‘embrace’ Disney plus forever. That Will never do for me. So as the CBC is giving us “Starting Oct. 21, the ad-supported Disney+ plan will increase by $2 US to $11.99 US per month, while the ad-free premium tier will rise $3 US to $18.99 US a month. Annual premium subscriptions will jump $30 US to $189.99 US. Bundled packages combining Disney+ with Hulu and ESPN+ will also see price hikes, according to the company’s website.” This makes them more expensive than Netflix. We see all the iterations and the settings that others bring, but the short and sweet stuff is that there is a case to be made for owning physical media. You see, what these streamers seem to forget is that the subscription will have two sides. The subscription and the price of internet streaming. Some providers have ‘a tentacle’ setting that those bytes are disregarded from your internet subscription. Yet as I see it, when the going gets tough, those ‘arrangements’ will fall flat and the prices really will add to the equation. And as we are given “The price increase also appears to apply to Canadians. An email sent to a Disney+ subscriber and reviewed by CBC News shows that the cost of a premium subscription will jump from $119.99 to $159.99 on Oct. 28, though it’s unclear if there are other Canadian price increases” we see this setting (optional) in “it’s unclear if there are other Canadian price increases” but we need to reconsider some streaming solutions and weirdly enough. I raised that very topic in ‘Choice, can you choose?’ which I brought to you on January 9th 2021 (at https://lawlordtobe.com/2021/01/09/choice-can-you-choose/) and there we see the setting evolve and I was only 4 years ahead of the rest. I also (not there) raise the setting that someone brings is a collective of these channels, because there is the setting that people are willing to pay $20 a month for both Disney+ and Netflix, optionally a little more for others to be included. So when you have Netflix $18 + Disney Plus $19. Would it be an idea to get BOTH for $25? (I personally would prefer $20), but that is where the setting is set. At present the setting does not allow BOTH to be included and in this time where (especially the Americans) will have to live on the Roman setting of Bread and Games which was opted be the Roman Poet Decimus Junius Juvenalis and as I see the setting where “Roman government used free food and public entertainment to pacify the populace and prevent revolts, a practice now used to describe any form of mass distraction that diverts attention from societal grievances” is pretty much what the American government needs at present (my speculated view). And as we see the settings of Army deployments in America, ICE dressing up like bank robbers and a whole range of other settings gives rise to my point of view. 

So will Disney evolve? Will we see the Blu-ray version of the Mandalorian? Or will we see the settings of accumulated streaming? Tune in next week when you will hear nurse Piggy say “Oh doctor, he is not 5G compatible” we look back and see how relaxing and entertaining the Muppet Show really was and we still remember that after 50 years these 5 seasons are still on the minds and in the hearts of millions of people. Well done Jim Hanson and Frank Oz.

Timeless humor is truly timeless. Have a great day and don’t get your coffee from the Swedish chef. I ordered it with the music of the Beatles and got a handful of those critters in his cup of Covfefe.

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That’s one way to see it

I saw a setting in the CBC yesterday, the setting was given (at https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/us-h1b-visa-canada-benefits-1.7640068) with the capture ‘The new, steep price for this U.S. visa could be a blessing for Canadian tech’. Well that’s one way to look at it I reckon. As such plenty of Amazon employees might wanna consider switching to Vancouver for that. The second reason is that they are a mere 90 minutes from the greatest ski slopes on the world. And the text “As the Trump administration moves to limit some skilled workers from entering the U.S. on a specialized visa, the Canadian tech sector is champing at the bit — hoping the new restriction will send talent up north.” I the directly seen setting for that. So with the added text ““Canada has built an entire industry by capturing this talent. And with this $100,000 fee, that trend is about to grow much stronger,” she said. “This is almost a gift because every time the U.S. closes the door on global talent, Canada gains.”” And as I see it, a direct blessing for Vancouver in disguise, other cities might benefit too from that. And it will benefit places like Amazon to set up locations in Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa for AWS pools. I reckon that Google Portland, Google Seattle, Google Ann Harbor, Google Detroit might see the same setting as they are relatively close to Canada, which could save them a clean billion from the get go. I reckon that others like Microsoft would follow that example. It stands to reason that the new set places like AI verification places would be created in Canada as the whole range of NIP locations would require hundreds of Verification stations. Canada might do well to ensure these locations as President Trump is now making them too expensive to create them in the USA. Perhaps he forgot that Stargate without verification becomes useless near the moment those settings are switched on?

So as we are given ““There’s going to be a net benefit effect for Canada across the board,” said Andres Pelenur, an immigration lawyer and founding partner at Borders Law Firm in Toronto.” I guess he is seeing the upbeat Ka-Ching of the cash registers in his location and he might consider branching out to both Vancouver and Ottawa in the near future.

So as we are given “The visa isn’t exclusive to the tech sector, but 60 per cent of H-1B holders approved since 2012 have held computer-related jobs, according to Pew Research — and the visa is used heavily by giants like Apple, Amazon and Google.” Gives us the other setting that we until now ignored. What is Apple going to do? Set up a much larger distribution shop in Canada? Doesn’t that imply that President Trump is shooting himself in the foot yet again?

So as we see the response by Pew Research (which hilariously relies on foot shooting) with “The fate of the H-1B program – which offers U.S. employers a way to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialty occupations – has divided influential Republicans. Tech leaders like Elon Musk strongly support the program, while other Republicans question its impact on American workers. President Donald Trump imposed restrictions on the program in his first term, but his current policy agenda on H-1Bs remains under discussion. Meanwhile, bipartisan calls for H-1B reforms advocate for more oversight to protect American workers while addressing skill shortages.” But as I see it, the setting set into law with the use of a handpscribble makes that a little too late unless President Trump undoes the damage he has done, which is seemingly unlikely. Some will remember his smudging up the error that the coffee typo gave the press. And you can mesmerize on that whilst having a Trump Sandwich in Lambo’s Deli (176 Bellwoods Ave, Toronto). It being a sandwich with Baloney with a small pickle. The other one is on 1372 Queen St E, Toronto. Others might have it that option on their menus too.

Yes, Canadians like their comedy that is easy to swallow as good as Australians do. As such we are also relieved that around 400,000 H-1B applications for high-skilled foreign workers were approved in 2024. That’s more than twice the number of applications approved in fiscal 2000. Approvals peaked in 2022, when 442,425 applications were approved. (source: Pew Research Centre) Since 2013, the majority of approvals each year have been applications to renew employment. In 2024, 65% of approved applications, or 258,196, were renewals. The other 35%, or 141,207, were new applications for initial employment. And all that gathered workforce could now be heading toward Canada as well, and optionally reduce the pool of work seekers in Canada as well as adding fresh blood to Ottawa, a setting that place needs like yesterday. I reckon that the pools in Vancouver and Toronto are already well set. 

Beyond what is great for Canada, there is a larger industrial move already on its way and the VISA costs merely enhanced that setting and added a few requirements to the needs of Canada. Making it fast into the new work-hub to be for the Commonwealth. 

Good going Trump, you American president you. 🙂

So you all have a great day and start dreaming of a job in Canada whilst snacking on a Pizza at Eataly, they are opening in the Eaton centre in the near future, your place to be for fashion and interior needs in Toronto. 

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Wrong premise

That is what I see when I get the news from CBC at present. There are two articles in play. The first one (at https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-big-step-back-from-us-data-1.7637651) where we see ‘Canadians are taking a big step back from the U.S. — and here’s the data to prove it’ giving us the settings around American travel and goods. What was a little surprise that export to the UK had risen over 60%. With “Canadian exports to the U.S. have dropped off while those to non-U.S. foreign countries have surged — a pattern that could accelerate further as the government races to cut new trade deals and help businesses capitalize on the ones that have already been signed.” And as I see it, this setting will merely increase when Canada starts infringing on American exports to Australia by setting a stronger vibe towards Canadian Tire. And I reckon that Simons could make a decent entry into Sydney and Melbourne as well. 

You see the entire commonwealth is fed up with the White House and its [CENSORED] whatever. He might have thought that he was making pointers by slapping the ABC reporter around asking valid questions in the UK, but the answer was not accepted and we have an issue with bully tactics. 

So as the US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra thinks (at https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/us-ambassador-to-canada-disappointed-anti-american-campaign-1.7637534) that the setting of “The U.S. ambassador to Canada is expressing frustration over the anti-American sentiment he sees in this country, including from politicians, after U.S. President Donald Trump hit most of the world with tariffs.” Which might have caused concern with Mexico (not his bother), United Kingdom (not his bother), Australia (not his bother) and the EU (not his bother either). The thing that is in his plate are the 51st state mentions. That got the Canadians in an uproar and for the most other Commonwealth nations as well. There is no mention of that from him, is there. I get it. He is the American Ambassador to Canada and he doesn’t want to acknowledge the failings of his own government. He is all about calling waves, but the fact that he is unsuccessful, is due to the larger failing of his own government. So as we get “Hoekstra said Prime Minister Mark Carney’s remark in the House of Commons on Monday that Canada currently has “the best deal with the U.S. worldwide right now” has helped “take the tone and tenor of the debate down.”” Is merely the beginning of a new chapter. The old chapter is now done for and Canada will seek other venues for their goods, as such Mexico and the Commonwealth are larger allies Canada can count on. There is also the setting of the EU and optionally Saudi Arabia and the UAE. You see, it is time for Canada to seek out the revenue spending nations (Saudi Arabia and the UAE). There might be a larger audience for the CG634 currently in use in Canada and the Ukraine (the last one die to donations by Canada) as such there is ample evidence that these helmets hold up in battle. And there is more Canadian hardware that could be sold to both Saudi Arabia and the UAE. And as Canada is developing technology to counter hypersonic missiles. There is every chance that Saudi Arabia might be up for a new trade partner, if only not to be dependent on China, replacing China with America gives them a similar dependency and there Canada (Aussies too) might be a willing trade partner. And again America is seeing the short end of that trade deal and it pays for Canada to seek visibility of Canadian Tire to whatever either Saudi Arabia and the UAE have. All options that are out in the open. 

The wrong premise is not that we are sick and tired of America (optionally that too), but when. America collapses, which is not that far away at present we all need alternatives and seeking them out now is merely good business. And in light of the disaster that Disney unfolded, there is a definite chance that there are options in tourism too in Yas Island and in Jeddah too. A 3.2 million population in the Mecca province is likely to need all kinds of entertainment and as the banning of Jimmy Kimmel is said to have cost Disney a simple $3,800,000,000 there is every chance that Disney needs to tighten the belt as of this year. All settings that the American Administration called on the world and the world is answering by looking for goods elsewhere. 

So as I see it the premise we see is incorrect, everyone has had enough of the tantrums of an American Administration that can’t get his head in the game and as everyone in the Business Intelligence can tell you, loyalty was a 1960 term that cannot hold up, not after 50 years.

Have a great day today this Monday, but not to fret, Friday is merely 4 days away now.

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On the other side of the table

I have been weary of the other side of the table. In many cases it pays to see both sides of the table. As such, Today I saw the news by the Khaleej Times (at https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/residents-stranded-air-canada-flight-attendant-strike-high-prices) giving us ‘UAE residents stranded amid Air Canada strike stressed by vague responses, high flight prices’ and there we are given “A sudden strike by more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants has grounded hundreds of flights, leaving some UAE residents stranded in Canada as the disruption stretches into a third day. The walkout, which began on Saturday, has shut down operations for the carrier that usually transports 130,000 passengers a day. Despite a back-to-work order from Canada’s labour board, the union has refused to comply, demanding the airline return to the bargaining table.” At present I am not taking sides. I do not know the plight of the Air Canada flight staff and crews. Strikes happen and they aren’t nice. As a tourist I would vie for an extension (if possible), there isn’t much use walking on a airport for a few days. There is only so much you can do, and even if there is enough food, there is a larger concern here. 

The setting I do want to comment on was the small setting in the header namely “high flight prices” and the quote “UAE resident Emma Dylan, currently in Toronto, said the lack of communication from the airline has been frustrating. “They cancelled our direct flight without prior notice and moved us to an option with multiple layovers,” she said. “When I asked about compensation or alternatives, the response was vague. At one point, a staff member even suggested the Dubai route was cancelled because of the situation in the Middle East.” This left her confused and uncertain about next steps.” In the first Dubai is one of the safest places on the planet, as such that staff member should be fired (at the very least) and as far as we get ““Everything now is, of course, triple the price since it’s a last-minute booking,” she said, noting that she usually books her flights to/from Canada months in advance.” It is partially fair, Although, I am not sure how cheap here initial flight was, On the other hand, I would think that setting up a charter by Emirates, to pick up stranded Emirates might not be the worst idea and that could have been arranged as was on Saturday. One flight optionally taking care of the bulk from Saturday/Sunday night have been a solution, optionally costing the passengers something, but 

I reckon not as much as the ‘three times’ that quoted price. Optionally a setting that airlines can bring is a flight to London and subsequent flights from London to Europe and direct flights to Riyadh, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. That merely my brain contemplating the issue in less than 30 seconds. Was that hard? Was it even possible? As crews shut down in Toronto, planes might not get sustenance (read: fuel) I reckon that the Canadian air-force could fuel the planes and fill the plane up with pizzas. Just a thought to have. I am not turning against the strike, but everyone will realise that stranded passengers is a rather large call to make. 

So as we see “For now, passengers remain in limbo, refreshing their phones for updates, weighing costly alternatives, and hoping for a swift resolution between the airline and its workers.” We get that there are issues, but the setting how to resolve them is also up I the air (as expressions go), but a larger setting is, what can be done without setting off the unions and presenting the opposite side with an unmanageable evolving issue. 

I don’t have anything decent answers at present. I merely went into trouble shooting mode (without shooting people). And it was nice to see both sides of the equation. If you want to know more about the other side you can catch that in the publications of the CBC, so good luck with that. I just wonder what happens when you are with a business or First Class ticket at the Toronto lounges. I reckon I would gain a few pounds chomping down food and drowning in bubbly, but that is me, Always seeing to light in the darkness, even if Toronto was my destination, there is nothing wrong with a bottle of Champagne to wash down the Nova Scotia lobster rolls, Montreal style smoked beef, Bambi burgers, Poutine (mandatory), Nanaimo bars with Maple Taffy and in the end ash that down with some British Columbian ice wine. A nice way to get not a food coma to wait out the strike and at the end, simply ask them where the taxis are and you will have saved at least a day on your food budget. 

Have a great day, and it is now breakfast time in Amsterdam. So poffertjes, or Pancakes. I’m hungry again already. 

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Changing tracks

CBC informed me a few hours ago that(at https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ttc-alstom-train-deal-1.7609756) that ‘Toronto pursuing sole-sourced deal for new TTC trains in wake of U.S. tariffs’, so this is another fine mess that Trump left America. It might be seen as the cost of doing business, but consider the amount of business that America lost and is still losing against what they made. And you need to see this in additional light of what the department of labor statistics I also giving the American people. I don’t mind. I reckon that Canada could easily get this stuff from Australia or the United Kingdom, as such no biggie for Canada. As such there might be a need to get both involved as it concerns “Officials say deal is for 70 trains to run on Line 2 and for Yonge North, Scarborough extensions”, a setting where both leading to all three profiting on this deal alone. In light of “In a news release issued Friday morning, officials said both the federal and provincial governments, alongside the city, gave the TTC the go-ahead to pursue a single-source contract “in the face of U.S. tariffs and economic uncertainty” in order to support Ontario workers.” So, Canada needs to pick one of them, either will do, yet we also need to see that France is a viable option for Canada. Their subways have been running (not walking, but operating) for more than a century. In 2024 it transported over 1.5 billion passengers. As such Canada seemingly has three options. Of course I am biased as a Commonwealthian and I would prefer to see this deal go to either Australia or the United Kingdom, but it is what Canada needs is what counts and they are telling us that America is no longer a viable option. 

Ands as we are given “Officials say the base procurement is for 70 six-car train sets in total — 55 to replace aging trains on Line 2, and 15 trains for the Yonge North and Scarborough extensions.” I reckon that both Australia and the UK are chomping at the bits to get into this deal. In addition we are given “The Ford government had expressed its desire to see the train cars built in the province amid the ongoing trade war with the U.S. All three levels of government have committed money to buy the new rolling stock, which is expected to cost some $2.3 billion.” As such there is an additional need to get them built in Ontario, but there is the setting. These parts might be ‘built’ in another place and completed (see assembly, adjusted, and painted in Canada) as such there is a larger setting to give the Commonwealth the larger setting. And this approach will give the Commonwealth a setting for other regions. So this does not hurt the approach that is given through ““Our government is proud to protect Ontario from U.S tariffs by ensuring the TTC’s Line 2 subway trains will be made in Ontario, by Ontario workers,” said Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria in a statement. The current, almost 30-year-old trains, as regular commuters will tell you, are nearing the end of their lifespan and are vastly different from the Toronto Rocket trains that service Line 1. ” It doesn’t matter how this plays out, the important setting (for me) is that America is stumped out of a race yet again. And that needs the proper illumination. So how many American jobs would be endangered to this setting? 

It is a virtual little circle in here. We deprive America from getting the jobs and America remains in denial and tells the world that it is doing well. How much longer do they think they can maintain this delusional illusion? 

So whilst Canada is changing tracks we are starting to see the cracks in the delusions that America is trying to show us through film flam artists. So whilst the ‘world’ is wondering whether ABC giving us “The war in Ukraine will continue and Vladimir Putin has outmaneuvered yet another US president.” Whilst news.com.au gives us “Vladimir Putin was treated to a show of US military might when he arrived in Alaska for his high-stakes talks with Donald Trump, with a row of aircraft proudly lined up on display in view of the leaders’ motorcade.” As such, which version do you want to hang onto? So is this a PR masterclass, or should someone ask President Volodymyr Zelensky what is happening to the Ukraine? Did America do right by him, or is Europe seeing another example of what needs to be done? It matters, as the Trump Administration is seemingly abandoning Ukraine, it will be in hands of Europe to make progress and as such The Canadian trains cannot fall in the hands of America. This needs to be in hands of the Commonwealth and the hands of Europe. With the hardship they are about to face, we need to make sure that their wallets gets filled with all kinds of jobs. The trains might be an indicator, but the larger story tends to be “Broke superpowers aren’t anything” and that needs to be said. And when you realize that America is playing a juggling game with Energy requirements, nonexistent AI, manufacturing jobs lost and rare earth requirements and they are juggling so that you can’t see the full picture. That is the job of the film flam operator and as we realise that each of these jobs are time sliced we get to see that we merely get to see that any job gets a mere 25% of the time slice. Are you catching on?

Have a great day today.

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The small stuff

That is where we need to look, the small stuff. In the first there is the BBC, who gives us a story that seems nice in one setting, but in the other setting we need to ask ourselves serious questions. Now as a warning I need to give you a fair warning. I am a person of ‘decent’ taste. Yet in tis universe you have people that are ‘allowed’ to give fashion knowledge and I couldn’t be further away from that cluster anywhere else in this universe. So, when you seek fashion advice. I am not part of that cluster, so be aware. As I said the BBC has the first setting (at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8zwdy98k8o) where we see ‘Claire’s falls into administration with 2,150 jobs at risk’ and the hidden gem is already there. You see when we see “Fashion accessories chain Claire’s has collapsed into administration in the UK and Ireland, putting 2,150 jobs at risk. The company has 278 shops in the UK and 28 in Ireland but has been struggling with falling sales and fierce competition.” Now consider a simple truth. 278 shops. Now it is seen as a little speciality, yet how many fashion accessory shops are there? Now consider that there was a setting that the quality of life would be dwindling down as it has been for around 20 years. So in what universe does it make sense to have a cluster of 278 shops? In a world where there are “Over 10,000 businesses in the broader Clothing Retailing sector. This includes everything from large chains to smaller boutiques and specialized stores.” So, this has been going on for the better part of a decade and Claire’s could have been dwindling down for half a decade, but they didn’t and now they collapsed into Administration and put 2150 jobs at risk. So, as we are now given “Caitlin, 21 (left) and Amy, 16 (right) from Oxfordshire were shopping at Claire’s in central London on Wednesday and said the news was “quite sad because people have been going there since they were little. It’s a part of my childhood personally, said Caitlin, said she used to go a lot when she was around 11 years old.”” So, how was that realistic? I get it, we all want our knick knacks and that cluster can be found on both side of the specter of genders, But as we see it this group largely caters to one gender. This is not an issue, but with the dwindling down of the quality of life you cannot hide behind “But it is only £5-£7” in an age where many people have to turn over every penny to make it through the month. Don’t think I am ‘heartless’ (I kinda am) and people should be able to afford that once a month, but that is a far stretch from ‘once a week’, as such the setting was already a decrease of 75%, as such steps had to be taken years ago, but the ego of the people behind Claire’s had to intervene years ago. So what gives people the idea to make a ‘terrible’ setting from this?

The (sort of) hilarious stage from “The move in the UK comes after it filed for bankruptcy in the US earlier this month, where the firm said it was suffering from people moving away from bricks-and-mortar shops. The firm has $690m (£508m) of debt.” What were these ego trippers hoping for Unicorns? The setting from a $690 million gives a straight setting to my point of view. So whilst it is nice to give two people a voice, the setting is that every woman from 15-21 should be handed £5 to spend at Claire’s and when you see that isn’t possible you can clearly see that the people behind Claire’s should have acted years ago and not hide behind the wish for unicorns. Not when you are a mere 2.78% of a group and you are $690 million in debt. Seems a little short sighted doesn’t it? So, when we get “Claire’s and Icing, and is owned by a group of firms, including investment giant Elliott Management.” We might consider the setting that investment giant Elliott Management had made a silly investment in an economic downturn of the people. Some win, some lose and they lost. It is as simple as that.

In that same setting the ending of the article is sort of hilarious when we consider ““A lot of that category is sourced from Asia, and any increase in import costs hits hard when your price points are low and margins are tight,” retail analyst Catherine Shuttleworth” It isn’t merely that, the setting is that there are less pennies for the cluster they were aiming for, for over a decade. I am willing to go one step further. This step could have been predicted since 2008. I am willing to lay a bet that people at Elliott Management would have ‘stated’ “This will turn around, the economy is expanding. Wait and you’ll see” That is my speculated view, and I am seemingly right, to wait until there was a debt of $690 million could be construed as evidence. 

So this is the first story, the second one is given to us by CBC. I have written about this side for over two weeks and here I have a few issues. The story reads correctly and I have no issues with the story itself, but it also hits on a few sides that has ‘shortfalls’ (as I personally see it). The story (at https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/las-vegas-tourism-canadian-slump-1.7607707) gives us ‘Las Vegas is hurting as tourism drops. Are Canadians behind the Sin City slump?’ There is a larger setting and we love to take credit at times as it is the right of Canadians. So when we see “Las Vegas is in the midst of a slump, with the number of tourists down sharply as Canadians in particular avoid Sin City amid bilateral bad blood over trade. The total number of visitors is off more than 11 per cent year-over-year, according to data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, one of the most dramatic declines in recent memory outside of the pandemic.” After which we are given the numbers of “Drop in Canadian air travelers to Las Vegas” and these numbers are swallowed whole. My issue is that there we see less than 100K visitors, that’s fair and it matter, but the other side of the equation is that we see a top of 11%, so at what point do we get to the point that these 11% are in no way to be seen as the ‘hardship’ given to us, unless the 11% is a lot bigger than anticipated I reckon that we might see an 11% loss as Canadians avoiding Las Vegas and they are merely a small group of a much larger issue. If we now see a $15,000 bond for tourists, which might give us that 80% of all foreign tourists are avoiding America. You see, 89% of tourist should support the larger setting of Las Vegas, unless someone was living under the assumption that Las Vegas could continue to support itself with 92% filled. Now we get the betting place long out on a mere 3% shortfall, not the best betting setting for ‘the’ house, is it?

So when we are given the stage by MGM Resorts president and CEO Bill Hornbuckle said the number of Canadian visitors started to fall earlier this year and they hold some of the city’s top properties, such as Aria, Bellagio and the Cosmopolitan and part of the NHL rink, T-Mobile Arena. A dire setting for a company relying on 92% filling and coming up short 3% of that number. I reckon that more than one person are on the betting stage of numbers and when you come up short over the whole range by 3%, you will toll the bells of panic. 

Yet then we get the ‘goods’. You see, the numbers do not add up. We are given “As the director of the university’s business and economic research centre, he crunched the numbers and found Canadians contributed $3.6 billion US to the local economy last year. Canadian spending supported some 43,000 jobs in the region, more than those employed in the manufacturing sector, Miller said. That $3.6-billion figure comes close to the economic output of the local Nellis Air Force base — and that’s saying something, given it’s one of the largest and most important military installations in the U.S., with some 15,000 personnel.” In the first setting, some might find the ‘observation’ of “he crunched the numbers and found Canadians contributed $3.6 billion US to the local economy last year” I reckon they had to have these numbers clearly ahead of schedule as it sets the advertisement budgets (nearly everywhere) and if the loss of these numbers are set to 11%, the news is much worse than we get and the setting of Las Vegas is likely more dire than we are meant to believe. It implies that Asian and European visitors are connected to this and the losses are worse than given at present. And my view is warranted by other views. A source gives us that “Passenger volume at Harry Reid International Airport also declined 6.3%, from 5 million to 4.7 million” that number implies that the numbers are down from one source by over 300K visitors. I reckon that the bulk of tourists would come by plane. Another source gives us “Visitors to Las Vegas mainly come from Mexico (989,000 arrivals), Canada (886,000 arrivals), the United Kingdom (482,000 arrivals), Australia (152,000 arrivals), and Germany (125,000 arrivals).” That sounds nice, but the (as the expression goes) whales from Asia is the larger setting and when they stay away Las Vegas hurts a lot more. These 12 people represents millions of dollars and a decadent lifestyle. When that falls away the pressure isn’t merely 11%, it is a lot larger. The setting is a lot larger as we don’t have anything passed November 2024 yet and that is the larger setting as we get the larger stage of Visitor volume and convention attendance. I reckon that in Q4 2025 we are likely to get to see the larger downturn and when we get to losses of whales the larger truth of what Las Vegas is losing in income. As I see it, there is a larger truth behind the second part of the headline ‘Are Canadians behind the Sin City slump?’ I think they are part of it, but there is a larger truth hidden, America (basically its president) gave us all a headache and the fact that there are larger settings in play make it clear to me that it isn’t just Canada, there are more settings in play for Las Vegas and the news is a lot worse than anyone is willing to admit. The simpler setting (a highly speculative stage) that the loss of 100 Asian Moby Dicks represent almost the entire 11% loss that Las Vegas sees as represented, so the losses are a lot worse than given at present. When you consider that the ‘panic’ we see is more represented by 22% loss, a stage no one in Las Vegas wants to admit to is driving people like Bill Hornbuckle to near desperation, especially as his bonus is likely linked to ‘continuance’ of revenue.

So my speculation might be wrong but it seems to make sense. But I need to emphasize that my view is speculative.

Have a great day and don’t put it all on number 10 (it is crowded by labor). 

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Simpsons epic vacation

Yes that happens, we all have vacation, but this one has a difference. The vacation is already sold out, a year in advance. And in comes a hero shaped like Bart Simpson (aka Tom Holland) and he is accompanied by grandpa Simpson (aka Matt Damon) there is a princess involved played by Zendaya, it might be a coincidence, but Tom Holland is her +1. Bruce Wayne is involved (Robert Pattison) So as the story goes about grandpa getting home to son and wife we get to see a abundance of types and people. OK, this is as much damage as I can get away with (and stay alive) against the setting of the journey home of Matt Damon. As such this is the book about the journey home after they sacked (also destroyed) Troy, which can be seen in the 2004 movie Troy. 

So why am I talking about this?
A few months ago I saw the announcement that tickets are already being sold a year in advance for the IMAX version of the movie. I desperately want to see it, but I have to save my coins to afford that ticket and there will be a showing in Sydney (one in Australia and I reckon Sydney gets it) there are also more codes according the CBC (at https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/christopher-nolan-1.7597788) these are 16 in the U.S., six in Canada, two in the U.K., one in Australia and one in the Czech Republic, according to the source that gives us ‘Sellouts for Nolan’s The Odyssey shows audiences’ hunger for movies projected via film’, I want to go as Nolan’s movies are awesome. The last time I went to the IMAX was a decade ago to see the 3D version of Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity. That movie was so amazing that it still caresses the retina’s a decade later. I also got the Blu-ray of that movie and I love it, but it can never compete to the 3D IMAX experience. As such it is time to see that youthful young sprout shine on IMAX (I did mean Christopher Nolan). 

So why?
I reckon that most people have the same setting. To see the works of Christoper Nolan on IMAX is pretty much a must and to see what Christoper Nolan makes of this classic work is stimulating the ‘must see’ vibe in my blood. In addition to see what can be made from a 1400 year old story is one you just have to see and the crowds are set on seeing it to, at least the thousands that will go to see it in the 26 IMAX theaters. 

One might think that it will make Homer rich, but as his bones have turned to dust, it is un likely that he will see a penny of this. There is a side of the CBC article that I tend to reject. It is “The rush could be interpreted as a rejection of near-ubiquitous digital screenings in favor of the analog appeal of celluloid.” I don’t think the writer is wrong, the writer is merely incorrect. Apart from the IMAX experience, there is the setting that we have been bashed to near death with Marvel and DC movies. Don’t get me wrong, I like these movies too, but when did you last see an epic movie? For me it was the Avatar movies and they do have their own appeal. Then we get Gravity, Kingdom of Heaven and Apocalypto. These movies are rare to say the least and to get the advance tickets of a movie like that (optionally a week before anyone else sees it has appeal), massive appeal. 

The reason for my attention to this is the fact that the movie is already sold out a year in advance and the fact that it comes to IMAX, and the fact that it is the latest Christopher Nolan experience. The fact that this movie is nothing less than star studded is merely icing on the cake. And it is a bonus for all the actors (actresses too) that are involved. Christoper Nolan expects excellence and the fact that an actor is involved shows us that these are real stars (if that expression is allowed), so I will try to get a ticket in a few months, but in the end I might have to wait until the movie is released. The article has a lot more than I looked at, it is a nice trivia of IMAX to behold yourself. As such there is a risk that you might want to get a ticket yourself and it will be money wisely spend.

Have a great day today.

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