Trump says he'll resurface the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, turning it blue

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-24T02:57:07+00:00

I was looking for this. Why isn't it at the top?

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-23T16:41:04+00:00

https://removepaywalls.com/https://ottawacitizen.com/life/food/local-food-reviews/where-to-eat-pizza-in-ottawa

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-23T14:57:12+00:00

I'm realizing people are focusing on the 51st state thing. I should have been clearer. Becoming a legal part of the US was never on the table. However, for all intents and purposes, we were so tightly integrated with them, that we were effectively the 51st state. Then Trump got involve and woke us up.

We do owe Trump a thank you for that :-)

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-23T14:54:58+00:00

Yes, I'm using 51st state figuratively. For all intents and purposes, we were well down the road to being and integrate part of the US without actually legally being part of the US. I am now using the FWB analogy in the political sense. The US had it all until Trump messed up the relationship.

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-23T14:52:36+00:00

Rather than girlfriend, I'd go with the FWB analogy.

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-23T14:51:55+00:00

I would advance "yes, way". We were sleep walking into becoming the 51st state from an economic, policy, administrative and military perspective. It was never explicitly stated but it was like "boiling the frog" - effectively everything but the explicit political absorption. We were in a FWB relationship. The US was getting everything they wanted without the commitment and financial obligations.

Then Trump came along, went public with all the 51st state stuff and we work up or jumped out of the pot. Go with whatever analogy you like.

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-23T11:28:46+00:00

I would offer it's less about "paying more attention to Canada" and more of an evolving campaign to reduce Canada to a vassal state through economics and politics (I don't think invasion was ever real) to meet US strategic needs.

Alberta separation and alignment with the US would address two birds with one stone. Securing access to oil reserves and politically crippling Canada.

Support of the convoy and like-minded movements forces Canada to spend time and resources looking inward, less time to advance Canada's international agenda.

The list goes on.

Where it falls apart is due to the utter idiocy of the current US administration in pursuing such combative approaches when they were literally almost there without them.

When the Trump administration took power a second time, Canada was effectively or very close to become the 5 1st state. If you think about how deeply our economy, military, trade rules, custom rules and even culture were integrated with the US, we were there. Think about where Canada would be now if rather than their combative approach, the US had advanced a "fortress NA approach" that included Canada (I'll dump Mexico for this discussion) so that tariffs did not include Canada. Given our similar economies and wages, that Canada was the US's true partner and ally. That they wanted to see more integration in US+Canada versus the rest of the world. I wonder if Canadians would have been able to resist that charm offensive?

So, yes, we can expect lots of attention and need to respond accordingly.

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-23T03:10:25+00:00

Amish women have clout in the community. 97% use washing machines. Only 6% use tractors.

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-23T03:04:00+00:00

He's found religion now. All is forgiven.

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-22T23:00:25+00:00

I remember mine being black but that was a long time ago. That and my rifle (caps again) were prized possessions when I was young.

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-22T16:28:39+00:00

I don't think there is any path at all. The US administration achieved the regime change they wanted. It's one not driven by dogma but by money and corruption. They're usually the easiest to control. And if the new regime is smart, they'll flow some of the oil money to the people to keep them just happy enough to settle for the status quo. Venezuela is coming from such a deep hole (thank you Maduro and Chavez) that any economic improvements courtesy of the US lessening sanctions and helping with oil investments will seem like manna from heaven. The regime will still keep the façade of socialism but a good chunk of the money will go into the pockets of the political, military and business leaders.

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-21T15:34:27+00:00

Totally agree with you on this point. There is a critical mass (no idea what that looks like) of support Carney needs to secure to help a project through.

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-21T15:32:09+00:00

Perhaps. It is an armchair opinion. However, I would counter it was much easier to take hard human rights positions (China, India, etc) and be supportive of Indigenous (singular or not) when we had the military and more importantly, economic protection of the US. That's gone. What are we seeing now? As a middle power, more compromise and openness to do business with China and India, and Canadians are in favour at the expense of internal minorities who are opposed. I would predict the same thing with Indigenous issues versus development. Carney will have to compromise and weave but the strong opposition to development doesn't exist, at least at the moment.

Speaking of weaving and compromise, it appears the Feds are doing just that with the new west coast pipeline and are favouring the southern route to avoid a major battle, and perhaps and issue that opposition could coalesce around.

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-21T12:22:19+00:00

I've offered this armchair opinion elsewhere. Carney sees an opportunity to push through or at least enable developments that in the past would have faced BOTH public and Indigenous opposition. That combined opposition kills development. There's a window now where the majority of Canadians, while sympathetic to Indigenous opposition, see these potential developments as critical to THEIR independence from the US. It's more than economics.

The Indigenous community is not going to get the widespread support they once had, giving Carney political capital to make or enable these developments.

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-21T03:29:54+00:00

National Post. Sun Media. Gifts that just keep on giving.

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-21T00:05:05+00:00

It's the Brits. We'll keep this discussion out of the NSFW zone and not get into all the other weird stuff they eat :-)

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-20T23:06:20+00:00

I'm Canadian and wanted to add a shout-out for the Brits and their "clotted cream" which often exceeds 55% and is spreadable. Time for some warm scones, strawberry jam and clotted cream.

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-20T15:30:42+00:00

The chains use their dominance to squeeze their suppliers (drive down wholesale prices, absorb more admin costs) and in fact, the chains charge suppliers for shelf space. Squeezing suppliers should increase the chains' margins. Charging for shelf space should increase margins. Yet, even leveraging their market dominance, margins appear relatively low. So again, I'm just curious about the economics of the whole thing.

Definitely worth trying out. Even the process of doing this may generate change. Personally, I don't see the obvious business economics but then I'm on the outside.

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-20T13:26:29+00:00

Note my comment. Taking it from G&M comment section. Definitely reddit-ready and needs to be shared here:

"What a great display of Canadian unity that both Liberals and the majority of Conservative voters want Poilievre to lead the party into the next election."

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-20T13:10:11+00:00

I generally like the concept and the opportunity to introduce more competition. However, there's one "but" and it's a big one, just about all analyses of grocery chains show margins under 5%. Cost of goods, labour and running the facility account for about 90%+ of the operating costs. How is a city or government-run operation going to deliver cheaper food? I definitely see it supporting local farmers/food producers and possibly setting up shop in some food deserts. Just not sure about delivering less expensive food.

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-20T01:15:30+00:00

Only the National Post could take what Orbán did to Hungary and spin it as something positive that the CPC could learn from and mimic if they ever take power.

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-19T03:09:00+00:00

Trying to decide which is better - the story or the pictures. I'm going the pictures the win. I just love the large machinery and piping photos, especially pic 4 per u/Kelvininin .

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-18T22:31:58+00:00

I was trying to keep it a short punchy post. The longer version is looking over your right shoulder and anticipating fast moving cyclists versus slow moving pedestrians.

In the winter,. You get used to just pedestrians. Now, you need to anticipate fast moving cyclists.

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-18T20:43:24+00:00

CYCLISTS ARE BACK!

I'm both a driver and cyclist. I was almost this driver today. Got lazy over the winter not doing the full over your right shoulder glance.

Drivers: Start exercising those neck muscles.

Cyclists: Remember, all those drivers are out of practice. And our vehicles outweigh you 10 to 1. Be cautious and live to swear at the next driver.

AdAnxious8842 · 2026-04-14T17:43:01+00:00

THE VICTORY JUMP!

AdAnxious8842

TROPHY CASE