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Blogging from the end of democracy...

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Written by: Rod Boyle

Category: Blog

Published: 19 March 2025

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So I've been a little too preoccupied with the news, and, as I will argue, the very real threat on our Sovereignty and Democracy (or what passes for it), and not enough time has been spent ignoring the news or getting stuff done.

The stuff that needs to get done: Well, there's the deep clean of the apartment, a mess since I was 5 weeks down with pneumonia. It was a mess before, but it didn't clean itself. Pull out the bed, the dust-bunnies grown into buffalo, dust off the crystals, rocks, wipe everything down, it was bad. 

Then there was the shower drain, not draining. Standing water every shower. So I get in there with a hook and fish out clots of matted hair, filth, like dead rats, haul it out, fish again, haul again. Eventually it seems clean, pour boiling water down it, fine. 

But where does all this hair come from? I have no guests, my hair, on my head, certainly isn't this long, on my chest, well, coiled up springs of grey like shock absorbers, maybe, but the culprit, I suspect, is my ass. If I stood on my head I'd be Rapunzel. I have to start shaving, but there's no incentive in that direction...

After a few days the standing water comes back, and as I can't seem to fish out any more hair I resort to Drano. Which, after 2, 3 treatments, works fine. Mission accomplished. 

Left: Well, lots, time to clean the rest of the bathroom (again!), the tub - polish off the soapy scum, I replace the toilet brush (a year and a half hasn't left the old one looking pretty), behind the fridge, stove, inside the fridge, stove, ...

Boring day to day chores, but I'm getting it done early so there's no panic when it's time for the general inspection. It's amazing how much dirt can build up over the winter, but I'm starting to get into the spring clean...

***

Books, my desk, piled high, impossible to get any work done, difficult to part with, especially as so many were ordered online, and what with shipping and my obtuse tastes and everything else I'll be lucky to see pennies on the dollar. But - time to swing the axe, I need a place to write, work, think, and this isn't it. I need shelving, but rarely do I see anything I could live with, and this small apartment - a godsend in a way (come time to clean), and as well in that it's time to make the tough choices and live lean...

***

Thrifting, I volunteer to pay gas to a friend with promises of untold riches to be discovered, am off to the Rossland thrift shop, a few shirts, a jacket, the wardrobe was in need of refreshing. And on Saturday an "afternoon tea" at the *** church, in line with the blue haired ladies, jewelry, books for sale, there are no books I want to read, but I find an old Wittenaur "Pegasus" - Kitsch, but a good brand, but overall not worth the price of admission. Not the Omega black-dialed moonphase "Cosmograph" I'd been visualizing, or the handful of other watches I'm missing...

And my belly's arguing and the crones are all catching up and there's not a chance that I'll get into the washroom, a cold day and I'd thought to wear my red one-piece long-johns, they're a bit tight, and when finally I find a washroom I discover that the bum-flap is riding somewhere up around the middle of my back, impossible, have to strip completely down at a time when the urgency couldn't be more dire...

***

The culprit, of course, the one that escaped with more velocity than a Space-X rocket trying to leave earth (but with far more success), was the subway coupons that came in the mail and made me think that somehow all those fresh vegetables, lettuce, tomato, jalapenos, olives, onions, etc, were healthy. In real life, probably, but something about the dim lighting and suspect quality of Subway, about the taste of it all, well, probably not. And then on Friday, in the afternoon, I'd taken a chance on a cafe next to the bookstore, Austrian food (nope, but it's what they advertised), always busy, tried out their spatzle...well, I'm sure it tasted about the same going out as it did going in. I knew it even as I ate it that this was a bad idea, that I need to be a little less lazy and cook for myself more...

***

Work, it's picking up. There's a lot of Americans in town, taking advantage of our dollar, (or on reconnaissance), brave (or stupid) given the political climate they're extra polite, tip well, they know where this is going. I'll come back to that. 

***

Talking to the daughter, catching up. She's asked me for book and film recommendations, the dutiful daughter, and so I'd recommended "Stalker" and "Pale Fire". Surprisingly she's taken in both. My last book recommendation had been "The Razor's Edge" by Somerset Maugham - (she pronounced "Somerset Mum"), she claimed to enjoy, so I'm trying gradually to raise the bar. And she's talking about it with some knowledge, and ... it comes out, she doesn't confess, but I guess,she's been Chat GPT(ing) my recommendations and I'd be furious only we're laughing too hard, it's funny, that she wants the knowledge or the credit for the knowledge without doing the work, and the work, it's not at all unpleasant, it's enjoyable, a real pleasure, but clearly not her thing. 

I send her a link: https://futurism.com/neoscope/human-intelligence-declining-trends and note the correlation between reading chapter books and attention span/general intelligence. She's not impressed.

***

Rumours about the last restaurant, the 'ole "Cock 'n' Suck", that it's sold, that it's not sold, all from a hundred people better informed than me. Last word that it didn't, deal fell through, and so it goes.

***

Eyes out for Jeeps/4WD/Toyota Land **** on Facebook, a dull material existence but I need a jeep, the pedestrian bit’s gone on too long, some look reasonable.

Old Volvos, Nostalgia, one of my favourite cars, for a mere…2, 3, $4,000, and while I have fond memories of their reliability and their aesthetic unfortunately they won’t take me up the mountain. 

I click on too many in the $5,000 to $8,000 dollar range that tell you they’re “fixer uppers” - bring your own tow-truck. Preposterous.

So now I’m committed to the “Death on the Instalment Plan” bit, $500 a month payments are about what I’d pay in repairs on any of my other wrecks, and for once, these past few years, I’d like to be driving something I actually like. That will come down the mountain with me after the big trip up. That alone would be worth the expense. Now to get financing.

***

Then there was the discovery that there's 2 rival poetry slams in town, 2 venues, 2 different hosts, not affiliated, which delights me, why not? Tomorrow I'll see how the other slam compares...

***

The news from Alberta, arguing with a friend that they're all idiots, pointing out that Danielle Smith won the majority by a landslide, she demands proof, easily provided. I'm amazed at how many other parties there are, it's not just the NDP vs the UCP, why there's quite a few "independent" parties that failed to win a single seat and hence are never heard of. I've an idea to set up a few political parties of my own, split up the vote, “Hey there, I’m Cleetus from the Christian Conservative Coalition Party (CCCP for short)” or “Dumbford from the Alberta First Party”, travel the province in a 'Uncle Jed' style jalopy with photos of fetuses on top, an old-school rattlesnake handling evangelical preacher on back, loudspeakers, maybe a chaste group of Christian cheerleaders, "Alberta First" could fly a US flag with the 51st star a Maple Leaf, they'd pretend to hate each other and perhaps take back enough of the vote from the treacherous Danielle Smith and UCP...

Alberta, Alberta, Alberta. 

***

Now to the news and the source of much fruitless anxiety:

The Tanker Crash off the UK, Russian ship carrying Sodium Cyanide into a US owned Tanker, probably to help with the Measles Outbreak. Accident or ???

German Spy agency says with 80-90% confidence that Covid leaked from Wuhan Lab as result of Gain of Function tests. Note the source here is Reuters, a reputable news agency. 

Measles outbreaks in the US, Ontario, Edmonton...and then the Tyee reports: https://thetyee.ca/News/2025/03/14/BC-Measles-Vaccination-Rate/

How are people so stupid? Well, see earlier link on the decline of intelligence. Society is grooming idiots, it's by design. Smart people don't vote for Danielle Smith, Pierre Poilievre, or Donald Trump. Smart people know the limits of their intelligence, do their research, and trust established medical science. 

This, of course, around the same time that Musk/Trump (MUMPS for short) cuts funding to USAID, and consider the good work they do and clear understanding of foreign threats - no, not Muslims or Mexicans, but Ebola and a myriad of other extraordinarily communicable diseases that without monitoring or containment will without a doubt make their way to the US to be dealt with by the extraordinarily capable Doctor and Scientist Robert Kennedy. Maybe Ivermectin or Vitamin A?

Zelensky’s appearance on “The (Mc)Donald” Show”, in which The Donald and his Henchman Vance attempted to humiliate him. No link provided, it's too dark, it's easier watching videos of Darwin Award Winners.

The ceasefire in Gaza, another 7,8,9, 300 people plus killed since it began. Perhaps I'm not understanding the word "Ceasefire"? It doesn't seem particularly sporting to be murdering innocent women and children under the auspices of "Truce" but - here we are. And of course, there's Trump's brilliant assistance to Israel in this genocide, the "President of Peace" sending forces and strikes to Yemen to assist. Gaza is excellent real estate, and you could build a fine resort there. 

There's the attempts by the highly esteemed Lauren Boebert to have Fentanyl declared a Weapon of Mass Destruction. Given Trump's other remarks this would provide a convenient pretext for war with Mexico or the Invasion of Canada. 

Then there are the Airplane Crashes, Teslas for sale on the White House Lawn, the uprising and protests in Serbia, in Hungary, (barely reported), the Mass Illegal Deportations of Americans, the threatens of annexation, more tariffs, the gutting of American infrastructure, the seizing and deportation of Canadians, the interrogation of innocent "Vacationers", the ostentatious gilding of the Oval Office, The severe weather and storms with videos to accompany, the news cycle so rapid-fire fast, distraction, diversion, and wherever you're looking isn't where it's happening. 

I haven’t doom-scrolled like this since the Pandemic,

On the CBC - Mark Carny - so boring, unassuming, his acceptance speech, calming, almost - almost - reassuring; the right person at the right time and so far he seems to be doing everything right. 

Then there's the inanity of other news, celebrity crushes, dream houses, sports, horoscopes, it’s all fluff, there is no “OTHER NEWS”, I want to scream, this is the news, pay attention, your life, your children’s, parents, siblings neighbours, friends, freedom, liberty, and maybe even their lives depend upon this. 

...

So that's where I am at the moment. Now to go scrub the bathroom tub, floor, maybe the fridge and make some dinner before embarking upon other projects.