I was brought up to believe that it was your civic duty to vote, and instilled that value in my children. But you should see [no you shouldn’t, ed.!] the cast of clowns running for Premier of Ontario, the fabulous province, geographically speaking, that I live in. Rarely has someone I voted for won, and when they have they have proved a gross disappointment.
The only time I voted for a party with whom’s platform I entirely agreed was when I voted for the Marijuana Party, federally, who had but one plank in their platform, but it was made of solid hemp. They also had the best party slogan ever, Let’s Roll. They did out poll the two Communist parties running, but those nitwits had to fracture their lunatic fringe vote by having both a Trotskyist party and a Leninist party, so they divided their vote, allowing the stoners to sneak up the middle. Needless to say, we didn’t win. Now we have a guy running for Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, because he is cute and his dad, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, a Jesuit, was Prime Minister forever [and was a total jerk], who is promising to legalize marijuana, but I am sure he is just lying to get the youth vote. Believe it when I see it, that’s my citizen’s platform.
But is it fair to not want to vote for someone, not just because they are seemingly corrupt and their policies are vacuous, but because you cannot bear to look at them or hear their voice? Male politicians have had this effect on me, before I get accused of only judging women by their appearance, and Preston Manning comes to mind. He was a fundamentalist preacher too, I believe, which really helped my attitude.
In this case, however, it is a woman who has been astonishingly chosen to lead the Liberal party in Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, and is in fact currently our Premier.
A throw away line in Monk, a peculiar but entertaining television series
has stayed with me, apropos of all this. When asked whom she was going to vote for, his sidekick responded that she never voted because “it only encouraged the bastards.” Yes, well. She had a valid point.
It doesn’t matter much anymore whom [three whom’s in one post!] you vote for, they all want to pave the province and promise jobs, jobs, jobs, and mega-projects are what they love. Big announcements, up on stage, making the rich industrialists who fund their campaigns richer, and better and better hors d’oeuvres at the soirees, whether fundraising or in sick victory.
I can only assume that my city councillor looks at that woman with envy, and hopes one day to have her job. Do you remember these people from school? Eager to please the authorities, and dreaming of being a hall monitor. I sometimes wonder how they grew up in the same world I did, and what could possibly motivate them to try to run the lives of 8 million people. Me, I don’t like being run. And I wish they didn’t like running.
There seem to be a ridiculous number of parties registered in this provincial election, including a vegan option. But wait, amongst the fringe we have a winner: None of the Above Party of Ontario / (NOTA) Independent ministers, free from party whips? Now there’s an idea long time coming! Referendums? No brainer in this informational age.
Gosh, I feel better now. I can cast another fringe vote to the wind, perform my civic duty, and pretend it will help lurch the ship of state in the correct direction.
And having decided the direction of the province for the next four years, I can get back to the mundane, and a second cup of tea, which I hope you are also enjoying, if tea is just your cup of tea that is.
Yes, a second cup sounds like just what the doctor ordered.
And oops, just noticed that the long awaited post-Ukraine-vote metals smash appears to maybe be underway. Not that I really care anymore. My overall exposure to the sector has been trimmed far enough that things can really swing quite a lot in either direction before it would materially impact me one way or another. But I still watch the action, out of habit.
Everybody and their brother has been talking 1280 as critical support. Currently 1276.
Yes, I was wondering what that dip was all about. I guess the masters of the universe planned the election outcome and response to mask their devious manipulation of the price of gold to either 0 or 50,000, take your pick! I just happened to be looking through the odd files I have accumulated in my Documents folder, and so the swamp came to mind because I found the letter I wrote to TF after Dagney’s repelentest comment. It was so classically Jane/Stephanie to claim she wasn’t posting much around the time I left, when she was material in the mechanics of me leaving, active in emails behind the scene and allowing the grotesque behaviours to continue and in fact be promoted. I have often wondered if she was Dagney – it would be a simplistic enough fantasy character to fit her multiple personality profile. Anyhow, I had been thinking about people’s lives and fortunes being ruined, when I noticed the price was down, and can’t help but feel partly responsible. Damn. Somehow it will be made right, but the path is currently unclear.
Perhaps I will find it in Newfoundland! Piles of laundry and stuff in the living room, because I am literally a little lame, and an over packer. The weather looks like the poops, except it might not rain. Which leads me to my brilliant idea, which I am about to give away for free. The Canebrella, both a cane and an umbrella. I realise you will not be able to walk far when it is raining, but carrying an umbrella can be stylish, and even like a Bulgarian spy, where carrying a cane means put out to pasture.
Decisions, decisions…….Marijuana Party or NOTA? Sharona or Natalie- actually that’s easy- Sharona.
I can often identify with Mr Monk, for certain things continually perplex me, such as why do dogs drink so inefficiently? and why do the French persist in not pronouncing the last letter of many words?
Oh well, at least I’m at a point now where I am much amused by pm smackdowns.
Sharona. Someone even made a youtube of clips of her walking in leather pants. In one of my marathon squirms before my nerve surgery I watched the whole series and losing Sharona was sad. She was neurotic too. But Natalie tried …
You are not the first person to wonder whether Stephanie is maintaining multiple personalities on the site, and I won’t entirely discount the possibility, but I think it more likely that Dagney is a friend or an entirely scripted personality, on the payroll of Shimshock Group, or perhaps Shimshock is being paid by someone else, to keep DT prominently on the site. It’s like buying advertising space, and it definitely happens. DP can tell you more.
EDIT: same with Fix, btw
the main characters left over there all have agendas, and many of them are what are termed sock puppets. some of it falls under PR – yes, there is pay for play EO. others have their own personal axes to grind. there are a few innocents left over there still simply brainwashed – but at this point who cares if they all go down. we here, and so many others tried to warn the remaining members in our own ways before we were all one by one pushed out.
just be glad we cut ties before the final reckoning. i am not the only one that quite thoroughly investigated that pile of hell. better watch yourself Stane. you can’t just shit all over people like that without making a lot of enemies.
Turd, you are a classic narcissistic asshole. oh, and BTFD! why quit now? stupid fucker.
did you get your reply from the Pope yet? jfc.
classic rant. not having a good day here. sorry.
When is the big move?
Here it comes. The Koch Bros. must worried about their lapdog here in Wisconsin. They are pouring in $900,000 to protect their investment.
Conservative Americans For Prosperity Pours Major Cash Into Walker Race
Americans for Prosperity
I think he should run for prez- he’s so stupid, I’m sure it will blow up in his and the Kochs’ faces. I laugh every time I think of the time he was pranked.
Hello good people, regardless of whatever side of whatever fence for whatever reason any or all may or may not be on. (not be on. . . .Xty, is that that how you’re not supposed to end a sentence thing?)
Just wanted to say ‘hey’, and that’s it for me. The night shift is cutting out early. All the best folks!
HABS!
Now that was a jeu au hockey! Never say jamais!
Yes, let us hate on politicians of all stripes, because most of them should be wearing them. For example, old news, but this was a good start:
Illinois Governors In Prison: 4 Of State’s Last 7 Governors Were Convicted, Imprisoned
Now they need to move on to former governors of New Jersey.
Derek Stepan is a former Wisconsin Badger, btw. I’m still for the Habs tho.
Habs Black Hawks would be best.
Here’s an ugly chart for ya. I remain “all in” on the stock market, fwiw.
Here’s a completely different kind of chart.
My daily affirmation:
Don’t Fight The Tape
Don’t Fight The Fed
The Trend is Your Friend
Buy Strength, Sell Weakness
Let The System Work
Don’t Get Too Clever
Ignore The Chatter
Here’s a case study in the most interesting dynamic of the 2014 election. Is O-Care a plus or a minus? Do you attack it, or defend it? Or waffle? All prior conventional wisdom, on both sides, seems to be in flux. Not just in Kentucky, but across the country.
McConnell suddenly afraid to run against Obamacare
Oops, it gets worse. 1258. And miners getting drilled as well. Bend over, boyfriend.
What a f*&(**(&^ing morning! Just ready to leave for the aeroport and I go to double check my travel wallet, and my entire wallet, passport and all were simply gone. Retraced all steps, just gone. But no cards used, apparently. So I missed my flight and didn’t really see how I could catch the later one without any id. Phone airline, they say can you find two pieces of government issued id, even without pictures. Find my british birth certificate, my marriage licence and an expired passport. Guy says it will cost over 300 bucks to change the flight on the phone but only 150 at the aeroport. Go to the Porter counter, the guy is insanely pleasant and also British born, puts me on the later flight, tags my file with the weird id so it won’t cause problems later, and doesn’t charge me a bean! Now cards cancelled, calming down but a little freaked, sitting in the Porter lounge way to early for a 1:40 flight. Strangely all is okay, even though it was a total disaster. But boy am I stumped about that wallet. Like I was trying to sabotage myself. But why? But how?
Maybe gold just decided to suck my wallet and its tawdry contents into the black hole with it!
Ooh, tough morning, xty. Glad your secret handshake with a fellow Brit saved your day.
I was reading your song of the day stuff, and I must say (please don’t judge me) that the use of the word aeroplane gives you that sexy exotic persona that is soooo attractive. ; )
And also, fwiw, there are a ton of PP&M tunes that just flat out make me cry. Can’t listen to them, with anyone around, especially if I’ve been drinking, or else I turn into a blubbering little girly-man.
Puff. Jet Plane. There’s more. I’ll find one and post.
OK, this isn’t the crying type, but it more fits my mood today.
No judging, just pleased to be pleasing!
I blubber at Puff, but that is one beautiful frog. I would be very tempted to lick it.
And I had meant to add, doomers cries about the decline of the west notwithstanding, that your experience this morning proves it’s still a net plus to be a former member of that former empire upon which the sun never used to set. Take it and run with it!
Time to mow lawn. It is out of control!
Dang lost a nice little rant to the sketchy free wifi. But basically if you had to be colonized, it was best to be colonized by the Brits. Spanish and Dutch, not so much. I have very little doubt that North America is still the bee’s knees of comfort and opportunity compared to most other continents. We got the best kind of governments, in both countries, it is just a very high corruption moment. But it gets harder and harder to hide under rocks in this day and age, and I am still flumoxed that that Edwards fellow actually thought he could pawn off his love child on an aide, while he pursued his dream of becoming president. I guess narcissism comes with excellent blinders. You can just imagine his conversation in later life with the child: “But I had to do it, to become President, you do understand don’t you, my little abandoned tot?”
Oh, totally. I know some Brits, not including Xty and her wasted youth, plus I can read.
Look at the world around us. The fact remains, never mind the axe grinders wailing to the contrary about how Britannia has been a socialist hell for a hundred years or whatever, that the UK, Canada, Aussieland, and the US are vastly better than average places to plant your flag and raise your kids. You could do a lot worse. A lot…worse.
And yes, that Edwards fellow. Ah, shit, don’t get me started.
Have a nice flight, xty. Those little bottles are nice, though since you’ve already spent a few hours in the lounge, they might not be necessary, except perhaps for maintenance.
If I had to leave Canada, it would be to inhabit your snake pit, first and maybe Australia if they stopped me at the border.
It was really when daughter graduated and they spoke about Memorial being a living memorial to remind us to work for a better future, and that that message could resonate through a century, that I broke out of my trance. Things are more functional than not, it would appear, and I just saw my plane touch down at the gate, after applying for a new RBC Visa card at a kiosk, which I had wanted to do anyway as our previous Visa was actually bought by a different bank and they are changing it over, and we recently started using RBC as we regathered our few beans together.
Maybe it is sheep land but there seem to be a lot of happy sheep getting along rather fabulously, and as I drank a free latte in the Porter lounge it was a little hard to believe it is all a mirage.
Lounge booze free. But flight has free glass of wine … I had figured I wouldn’t accept one on the 10 am flight, but there is a stop in Halifax and then they offer you a second free glass … and now it is afternoon, so a slightly pickled mum will be on offer in St. John’s, as a resounding yes to both offers. And apologies to those who really shouldn’t drink, but I have been a sober puppy except for Easter and pop-in-law’s birthday, and a little bit of vino after the peculiar morning is just what the doctor ordered.
And now they have deboarded the plane so it must be us next. I will ask the pilot to fly safely, this time.
And re Edwards – not trying to pick sides, he was just such an egregious example of the hubris one is forced to consume, that it was actually kind of enjoyable from a distance.
lounge booze free? Crap, Canada is sooooo much better than US! Go Habs!
And yes, dangit, you got me started. And no pretense of not picking sides since you guys all know I’m a bomb throwing bolshevik anyway. Why pretend?
YEs, Edwards was my guy. I admit it. He said all the right shit, gave a great speech, and was good looking to boot. That was one prong of my thought process. The other prong was “what is the alternative?” We had this polarizing woman, or that black guy with the funny name. Best to stick with Mr. Wonderbread. But godammit why can’t these guys ever keep it in their pants? And then the finisher, when he basically stepped over his wife’s cancer ridden body like it was just another dogpile on the sidewalk….
Then on to O. He emerged the survivor, as a master of gauging the public pulse and remaining the lesser of two weavils. Twice. And yes, he was the best crappy choice both times. Can you imagine President McCain or President Romney? It’s a nightmare.
2016 is all about Hillary. What is the alternative? Rand Paul? Paul Ryan? Ted Cruz? Huckleberry? Jebby? Oh, puhlease!
Just no more of the baking cookies speeches or the war drums stuff. Just learn something from O, be the lesser of two evils, and we can have 4 to 8 more years of no harm done. By then my kids can be out of school and on with their lives, and I’ll be too old to give a shit any more.
For the record, I LOVE the baking cookies comment, but it’s not the way to get elected.
This is the sort of thing that made me say, “oh shit, now we’ve got nothing left but that black guy with the funny name.”
Having O beat McCain/Pailin was some sort of miracle from god (if there is one, which there ain’t.)
And just to sign off and change the subject
OK, maybe this one too. Have a good one out there in New Fun Land.
I meant Palin, not Pailin. Too much time in the Swamp.
I think perhaps I misunderstood. The lounge is booze free? As in “dry”? Oh… I thought you meant the booze was free. Ok, screw it. Canada sux and so do the Habs.
I’m a fickle bastard.
(just kidding)
so much talk about the benefits of drinking, and the true nature of politicians. it could be 5000 years BC… for you heathens, make that 7014 BP, or it could be this afternoon.
sorry to hear of your setback Xty. i had one of those days lately. today is going pretty well though, so not having a neon blue frog to lick, i will settle for a green one, and some Pabst to wash down the bitter taste.
hey, i’m wondering if this is the dip to buy? it seems that one of these bottoms will be the 2nd Turd bottom correctly called. EO, please post some charts and quick. i will check back after a short while.
Yo, the only one I remember Turd getting right was the famous “Turd’s Bottom” in January of 2011. Unfortunately, it set people up perfectly to get massacred on May Day of that year. I’m sure he’ll get another call right one of these days, stopped clock and all, but I don’t know of one as of yet.
“Turd’s Bottom” Jan. ’11. Yes, that was the one that sucked me back into the miners, after a 10 or 12 year bout of sanity. Some early success, and then…same as it ever was. 😥
And then, encouraging others. Oh, shit…
I beat myself up about whole experience all the time. Apparently Turd has no such problem. Amazing.
And then the “HEH Summer” !!! Wow. Was that in ’11 or ’12? Can’t even remember, but it was wrong, and a moral and ethical failure, and that’s a stain that sticks forever.
BP means Before Peckerwood, 😛
But wait, are we on Julian calendar, or what? Wouldn’t want to screw up some calculations and lose track of Christ’s birthday, or anything like that. Then we’d be forced to just start making shit up.
You want charts? Fckinayyy, I’ve got charts. How does this one grab you? Junior miners since Turd’s Bottom. I know it’s painful and rude, but it has to be said.
And fwiw, I was in at the beginning of that chart, and out in late 2012 there where the blue line fell below the red line, for a roughly 50% trim.
Wait, more like 40%. Whatever. I’ve started to block it out of my mind. And I’ve made it all back in those evil S&P’s anyway.
Wait! That would be a great chart! Be right back.
Here you go. This covers over 4 years of the Swamp Cult telling people to BTFD everything in metals, and don’t you dare touch those evil, fraudulent, Fed pumped, ponzi, stocks. And I added long term treasuries on there too, just to twist the knife. You know treasury debt is the work of the devil…
oops, 3 years, but the song remains the same. Someone cue the Led Zeppelin.
thanks for the charts EO. it had to be said, and it had to be presented visually as well. i have been behind the curtain lately, and it is the same old shit. brag about the short term calls. can’t brag medium or long, because that drops way too far below flipping a coin ya know, statistically. so lately back out a few weeks again, but that was before today. should be overdue for the disclaimer, forget how it goes, but it’s such and such about being for entertainment purposes only.
Well, that was quite a day. 23 posts at xty’s. 10 at Dan’s. And 6 related emails. Just like old times. And I don’t mean that in a good way. In the immortal words of Crassus in the old “Spartacus” movie, “I shall now retire from public life”.
He was lying. And so am I. But I think I need a break of at least a day or two. And so do you all. Be well.
EO
you all had your chance. the easy fruit has now been picked. :HerrGrün:
and go Habs 😎
fiddy, fixty, what ever. fünfzig. yeah, that’s it, fünfzig.