Poking the Bear!

I'm no politician but I've read about politics a lot. This new era of Trump imposing tariffs on different countries seems not easy to handle, particularly for a country like Canada which has its most of its trade with the US. The good thing is many of the merchandise do not fall under the list because of CUSMA but the ones which are affected, have little chance to survive and the government has plans to provide assistance. 

Trump does all this to help to improve his country which is, of course, not understood by the other simply because they suffer from it. Let's look at a short list of the decisions that Trump administration has made since he took the office:

1) Throwing many border-jumpers out and securing the borders.

2) Increasing the cost of H1-B visa so high that the companies can barely thinking of using a foreigner.

3) Imposing tariffs on many imported goods to induce domestic businesses to make them at home. Whether it will work or not, I can't be sure. many say it won't at least not in a short term as the infrastructure does not exist. 

4) Shutting down assembly plants in Ontario and perhaps in places in Mexico to transfer them to the States and increase employment rate. What would happened to the cost to the end-user? I don't know! Would the potential customers be willing to pay the difference?! 

5) Imposing fees to frequent travelers to the US, mostly the Snowbirds from Canada.

6) Shutting down many radio stations and websites including VOA and Radio Free Europe (I think that was the name!).

7) Stopping the US aid to many organizations around the world.

Every different nation has reacted to the tariffs differently. The Chinese have upper hand so they came back with their own tariffs and pushed the US to an agreement. Canada is not as strong. The only thing Canada has done is reducing the number of visitors which has significant affect on the south of the border businesses which enjoyed the Canadians visitors for decades and the By Canadian policy which has not been bad but not very effective. Every thing else has not been futile. PM Carney has had meetings with Trump but not much has come out of them. In one case Canada had to take back the imposed tariffs. 

The Ontario Premier, Ford, is the one who has been trying to land powerful punches on Trump but hasn't been much successful. His last attempt was cutting a part of Ronald Reagan speech regarding tariffs and sending it to the American networks by paying them! 

That pissed Trump a whole lot off! He immediately put a sort of pause on the negotiations! Ford suspended the ad(!) but why would you do that in the first place?! That's stupid! You're telling another country how to select their policies and then pocking bear! Do you not know that this guy is crazy?! You need to have a good plan before approaching him! The Chinese had a Bear Spray! What the hell did you use? Beside that is the responsibility of handling the bear is the PM's?! You just ruined everything that he had built, you moron! 

(Photo: The 40th President of the US is seen here shortly before being assassinated in 1980. He survived that) 

Flashback (38): The Young African Woman

There has been nothing but work recently and I barely even have time to exercise and it's not only because I'm usually tired or not strong enough, emotionally and have no determination and inspiration but also because I don't have good nigh sleep, most of the weeks! I think there's something wrong with the damn heating system and I don't dare calling a service guy because most of them are fraudulent! I will eventually have too, though! 

With that said, I thought I shall say one of the short stories about the time that I worked for Cargill Meat Solutions in High River, some 20 years ago! To this say I still don't know why I worked for that company and in that situation for such a long time! I know partially. The job was very hard physically and maybe it still is, although I think there must have been some technological advances but I got used to it and I was amongst a handful of the people who were able to do the job and there was lots of fun. We tortured people and we enjoyed it! It was basically me and a gigantic Nigerian fella (I was told that is where he was from) who were ruling there until one day it seemed that it was a wakeup call. I went to another company and they hired me! It was a much easier job but it didn't take long until I realized I got tricked and my mistakes were another reason and I got kicked out! The only good thing was that I was eligible for E. I. and I apply it but I will tell this story later. 

Cargill Meat Solutions, High River location worked two shifts with lots of refugees and permit worker from everywhere in the world. The majority of the nationalities were Filipinos, Vietnamese, Latinos, Indian Punjabis, Cambodians, some Canadians from the town or other corners of the country and Africans of different tribes. The reason why I was there was simply being stupid and misled but that will be told later, in a separate post, if there is a need.

There was a pretty young African woman with a beautiful smile whom I talked to once or twice and then she ripped her home address off her paystub and handed it to me! The next day or next week I went to see her. I remember her address was in 11th Avenue, SW and it was a dark night! There was no Google Maps or Smart Phones back then and I didn't find it and went back home! That was it! I never talked to her and nothing ever happened after that! Stories like that has happened many times in my life and that's simply because I never felt the need for having anyone in my life to be essential, neither physically, nor emotionally. Now that I have that feeling, it's too late and it seems I have to spend the remaining years of my life alone! 

(Photo: There are many small two or three-story rental buildings in 11th Ave., SW, in the western part of Downtown Calgary. This, by the way, was not and is not the building that the pretty African woman used to live!)

Food Porn!

I went to work for a few hours yesterday. I had nothing to do at home or anywhere else so I thought I could get a few tasks done. It was not very productive but I will get paid for it. Only for, maybe, one and a half hours! Then I my way back I thought I shall stop at a few supermarkets to see what I can for the supper and after.

I first stopped at the Community Natural Foods in Downtown. With the prices so high, I only ended up buying a small jar of Cashews and a few Golden Delicious Apples! Then I went to Midtown Market which, in fact, is a Calgary Co-op location in city center. The place was almost packed but I only enjoyed watching the food! A pack of a few skinless Chicken Breasts for $22! I don't have to name any other merchandise and their prices! That says it all! I think that supermarket is for the people who live in city center and the nearby nearby neighbourhoods with good incomes. We used to do shopping there when I was married but not frequently although the prices were much lower and my salary was higher! Now I only enjoy watching them and the people who buy them! 

My last stop was Lina's on Center Street. I used to go there for Eggs, sometimes Milk and other food items and mostly Olives. This time I only bought some of the last one and I felt that the guys were using a sort of trick to show the container weighs more but couldn't prove it. That was it. No Chicken, no other good Meats of any kind, no good fruit and certainly no fancy items such as Cake, Ice cream or condiment that you would like to have to boost your daily food! 

My daily meals these days, most of the time, comprises of Yogurt and that's only if I can buy discounted ones, Eggs, Bread, Legumes, Salad, Nuts and that's about it! There're many item on the majority of the people's daily meal which I barely eat them these days and that's reality. Items of Red Meat and good Sea Food has been almost completely cut out! I honestly don't know how some people can enjoy those but good for them if they can. With the job market in shit, I think I'm stuck with what I have for a while until next year and I might even cancel a few vacations. 

(Photo: Transportation has always been a major factor in food prices. Now with the price of gasoline and crude the lowest of many months or perhaps even many years, price of food is so high that it's unbearable! $1.67 for a pound of Apples could only be seen in picture like this! Though the supermarkets never bring the prices down!)

Sanctions and Boycotts don't Work

The recent tensions between the US and Canada has led to many decisions both by the authorities and public, including for example boycotting the American products. The harshest of all have been the premier of Ontario, Doug Ford although he seems to backed of from some of his initials positions but people still keep holding their positions. Not all of them, perhaps. I was sitting next to a couple from British Columbia on my way to Harry Reid who said they were going there for gambling as they usually do. Many spots of the US are feeling the absence of Canadian tourists though and many American imports are replaced by the Canadian and other nations' versions. Citrus, vegetables, fruits are the last ones. I have seen oranges from Australia and some other fruits from South Africa but the question is are these boycotts effective? 

These only pains people and has no affect on the administration. I like travelling and seeing new places and I'd like to go where I feel safe. The US is the closest for me and I have a long list of places which I still haven't seen, I of course, avoid some urban notorious places but I will go to parks, towns and museums I like. I don't believe boycotting changes anything. It only hurts American people and the idea behind that which expect these people to pressure their government to change the way they treat Canada will, unfortunately work. Let's look at some of the most infamous sanctions in the world which has intended to pressure the governments to change their policies but in fact hurt the people and made room for other businesses to benefit from the opportunity, sometimes:

1) Cuba: An island in the Caribbean which basically has nothing but a couple of towns, a mine or two and some agriculture. You add to that some tourism although I can't think of anyone in the right mind going to an island which basically offers nothing but a smelly beach and some cheap food! This country has been under the US sanctions and been on its knees for decades. Poverty is the word. I haven't been there and will never set foot an island like that, even if it's another Australia but the decades of sanctions have done nothing to the government! They still insist on their policies and their beliefs. It's the people who have been suffering. 

The US embassy in Tehran, the capital of Iran, a few days before being stormed by the so-called students. The banners in Persian read slogans such as Death to America, the world predator! Some consider this as the starting point of the long hostility between the two governments. Most of the people who participated in the raid are now living outside the country or have a secure position in the government!

2) Iran: The conflict between Iran and the US and some other Western countries started in the 80's when some stupid, so-called students stormed the US Embassy in Tehran and held some of the people there for 444 days. The US imposed sanctions which stay even today and although there have been easements, now they have choked the economy really bad. The exchange rate is ridiculously low and people struggle for their daily needs such as food, fuel, electricity, clean and safe drinking water and heat in winter months. Has this resulted in any changes to the government's way of looking at things? Absolutely not. It might have had some affects on the support of the proxy groups, particularly Asaad was toppled and ran to Russia but the Islamic Republic  government still follows his domestic and foreign policies. 

3) Russia: Sanction on Russia were started after the country's forces started their Special Operation on Ukraine back in Feb. 2022. Many western companies pulled out of the country. To name McDonald's, Ford and Visa. What has happened. Has Russia stopped its so-called operation?! No! It actually intensified it! Are the Russian people dying to have McDonald's every day?! No! It has been replaced by a Russian company and everything is fine. The Russian automobile industry now is a good target for the Korean and Chinese auto makers! The American car companies are at loss like anywhere else in the world now.

Let's look at everything realistically and rationally, rather than emotionally! 

(Photo: A fruit and vegetable section in a typical Western style supermarket. Most of the items in this section comes from the US and Mexico. Replacing some with what is grown in south America, South Africa and Australia is nothing but stupidity. I personally, would never pay for a piece of fruit which has travelled half the world. I try to enjoy the most local and nearby produce)

Tokyo Story

Tokyo Story, unlike many might think, is not about the capital of Japan and although it could be a great movie, it is not because it would not be finished within 136 minutes that the movie is rolling. After all why would someone make a movie about a great city with millions? You need to go and see it for yourself, just like I did back in 2024 and most likely going again in 2027 if not earlier. I, myself, a big fan of the Japanese culture and movies, first thought this was another Akira Kurosawa's movies but soon I realized I was wrong. Despite being one of the greatest in movie history, Kurosawa is not the only one who has made phenomenal films. Tokyo Story is directed by Yasujiro Ozu, who was unknown to me before this great movie. The movie has a slow pace and might seem boring at the beginning and the middle but then take you with it and you want to see what happens at the end. It might be hard to find and there's no doubt that you need subtitles for that or it would be meaningless. 

A view of part of Tokyo city center from the Imperial Palace. I took it during a tour last year.

I'm not going to spoil the movie by telling anything about the story but this is a post-war area movie and I will patiently watch it again, when I'm looking for a relaxed time to enjoy a good meaningful story.

(Photo: A great scene from a great movie. This scene actually tells a lot but you need to see the film to understand what I mean by that)

The Removal of an A**hole!

There is this organization which overviews our performance at work. There are, in fact, a few. We have to deal with this specific one more frequently. At times, three or four times a week. One of their representatives was axed off a few months ago. I have a post about his. I was told that he simply was let go because he was sloppy! The question is why did this happen after so many years?! He told me once that he had been working for the organization for over, I don't know, perhaps, 20 years! 
Then they send this jerk! He was worse but it takes time to know someone. Right? I knew what kind of personality he had, the first time I had to accompany him: Belligerent, hostile, over-authoritative, rude, disrespectful, even shallow. He asked me a few questions and had some unreasonable requests. I was able to get the answer by going and find it in the related standard. He was just testing me and I kept nodding every time he said something strange! He told me to go read this or that! My answer, most of the time was the same: I will. This led to have a smooth relationship. However, my interactions with him was quite limited. When it came to interacting with the other people in the group, particularly ladies, things became different for him as not everyone takes the bullshit the way I do! The thing is I have my capacity too but being new at this work, less than six months now, and having a great relationship with every single person I had to deal with, I simply didn't want to ruin my reputation. So I came along and we found a position that we, both, I believe, were comfortable with: He kept being an aggressive and bossy a**hole and I kept being a complaint employee! The reaction of the others were different and I heard different complaints from one person and then another one. I think that was the climax! Then the last day we went to complete something together he said some people had complained about him! Not being surprised at all and being very joyful inside of me, I pretended that I was taken aback and I asked him who it had been and why! He didn't say much and just extended his arm and we shock hands. He added: You're a good man! 
That was it. When we went back to the office my manager didn't even let me to attend him! He took care of him and then the guy left after a few minutes! Two things which were surprising to me are, first why did this escalate so fast to the point that he had to be removed? And secondly why did the observing organization accepted this without any investigation and so fast?! The stranger and funnier thing is the e-mail that came after the guy had already left! It was asked to report any sort of unprofessional interaction with him! People are sentenced and then tried in some jurisdictions, apparently! I truly was joyful that I didn't have to deal with him but I still think the proper procedure of investigation should have been followed. 

(Photo: While this is not a very clear picture but it shows what happened to the fella. I don't think he will be fired from the organization but most likely will have a note in his file)