Sunrise over Baker from Sky chair on Cypress

I was peaking at the sunrise from the web cam on the top of Sky Chair today and noticed from that vantage point the sun rose above mount Baker. The morning breaks the shadows flee...

How to stay positive in an insane world

One of my coworkers has become noticeably politically aware these last few years ever since Covid. He said when he was young he never cared about politics. In fact up until recently he was left leaning. Now he sees the left as completely insane.  

He asked me how do you guys sleep at night? He was referring to another coworker and I who are more politically aware than average. Some would say conspiracy theorists but now he admits most of it is true. He asked me how do you guys sleep at night? Doesn't knowing about all this corruption make you discouraged? He got double vaxxed and now regrets it. 

He says there's this new book out and I'm afraid to read it. Sometimes I just don't want to know. It makes it hard to sleep at night. I smiled. I sleep like a baby. I said there's a prophecy, like Nostradamus. It says that the Constitution will hang by a thread. He just shook his head and said that's now. 

Then I said there's another prophesy which says the Constitution will be saved by righteous men and women who love and cherish freedom. I believe the Constitution will be challenged but it will be preserved by concerned citizens who aren't blinded by the bullsh*t. There is a happy ending.

It's like the J6ers who committed suicide because they lost hope. If they could have just hung on until their pardon. They say the more difficult the struggle the more glorious the victory. I'm not concerned about that but I do recognize those who never fought for freedom shall never know the taste of it. 

All these things shall give thee experience and shall be for thy good. What doesn't kill you will make you stronger. TI understood that. So there's no need to dwell on our mistakes. They are life lessons that give us knowledge and experience. 

They say knowledge is power. I'm not sure that's true. They also say the glory of God is intelligence. I'm not sure that's true either. Solomon said wisdom is the principle thing and with all thy getting get understanding. There's a difference between knowledge and understanding. Understanding helps us put the knowledge into perspective.

I get just as discouraged as everyone else. Sometimes I just shut it all off because obsessing over it is toxic. Some things we can change, some things we can't. We can't do everything but it's important to do something. In the quiet time I like positive music. Nowadays that's hard to find. 

When I came back from Ireland my father dedicated the song Look to the Rainbow to me. It's from the musical Finian's rainbow. He said I had always followed my dreams. Follow the fellow who follows a dream. There's a line that says "Tis a rhyme for your lips And a song for your heart To sing whenever the world falls apart." Whenever I've struggled in life there's always been a song or hymn that touched me and inspired me.

When I blew the engine in my motorcycle I put my car on the road. I reached into the glove box and pulled out some old music CD's I had downloaded with various playlists over the years. Each song reminded me of a different time in my life. Each song spoke to me at that moment but the seasons have changed and I no longer feel that way so I no longer listen to those songs. Recently I found Yo Yo Ma.

He's a cellist like Hauser. Hauser is a Croation cellist who became a YouTube sensation with fellow Croatian cellist Luka Šulić. Together they were known as the Two Cellos. They did all kinds of cool stuff together even AD/DC. 

Then he started playing with a beautiful Italian female singer named Benedetta Caretta who went by My Senorita. They just showed from her lips down and kept her identity a secret at first. It was steamy, they made a great couple. I guess they're no longer together and are both doing their own thing.

So Yo Yo Ma is another cellist coming to Vancouver May 6th 2025. Tickets are on average $500. They range from $300 - $1,000. That's a bit out of my league but I like his music especially his collaboration with a pianist named Katheryn Scott. Right now, that speaks to me. 

For a while I followed Lindsey Stirling and Pentatonix. I went to a Lindsey Stirling concert in Vancouver several years ago. I asked a friend if they wanted to go and they said nope. That wasn't their thing. I really liked it. In April a couple of coworkers are going to see AC/DC. That's not my thing. I rather see Shen Yun. My son plays in sympathies. That is magnificent.

Rise above it all like the lotus rises above the muddy water and blooms in the sunshine. When we understand how the pendulum swings, there's no need to fear. The swing will peak and the tide will turn. The eb and flow of that swing comprises life's symphony of motion. If we avoid the extremes and find the pendulum's balance we will find peace and joy. Word.

That is equilibrium or enlightenment. Peace comes from understanding. Joy comes from hard work. No work, no joy.

Trump declassifies the JFK, RFK, and MLK Jr. files

President Trump just signed an executive order to declassify the JFK, RFK, and MLK Jr. files.

This is a decision that the vast majority of Americans have wanted for decades. 👏👏pic.twitter.com/d57Add1iQJ

— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) January 23, 2025

Seemingly Trump signed an executive order to declassify the JFK, RFK, and MLK Jr. files. That is a good thing. So what we are seeing is a whole lot of extremism. Peace in the Ukraine and in Gaza are wonderful things as is the declassification of these files. Then he turn around and sh*ts on Canada and the rest of the world. So we see extreme good and extreme bad.

Trump's persistent comments about forcing Canada to become a US State is mentally deranged. He's talking like a hostile take over in a corporate merger. If you become a state you'll pay less tax but if you don't we'll starve you with tariffs. 

The guy is a raging lunatic. Even his address to the WEF threatening to tariff the world demanding everyone respects him. That's not the way to earn respect budy. It's actually really Dr Phil as in there's a serious small man syndrome at play here. 

As for declassifying the JFK files, do you really think anything is going to come from this? The CIA learned their lesson from Operation Northwoods. Never again will they allow those kind of documents to be declassified. 

It's like CSIS erasing the Air India tapes. CSIS had a handler that planned the Air India bombing and provided the explosives. They had wire taps documenting everything. Instead of obeying the court order they deleted everything. 

Remember 9/11? Remember WTC 7? The office building that collapsed into it's own blueprint at free fall speed after they pulled the building despite the fact that no planes hit it. It was an office building that contained SEC documents on Wall Street corruption as well as CIA secret documents. 

Where are the JFK files? Oops they were all destroyed in 9/11. Not. Either way they will only release what they want us to see. More spin and more bullsh*t. This executive order is simply a publicity stunt. Trump is doing some really good things but he is also doing some really crazy things. He has lost his mind. 

The far left and the far right are the same. Real Conservatives are Centralists. Conservative means non extremist. Neo Cons are far right. They are globalists like the far left. Conservatives support small business not corporate monopolies. 

Fascism wants more government and less freedom. That's the opposite of what real conservatives want. Fascism and Communism are very similar. They're both dictatorships. 

Amazon closes Quebec after workers Unionize

The Financial Post is reporting that "Amazon.com Inc. announced on Wednesday that it will close all its Quebec warehouses and lay off about 1,700 full-time employees — a move the union representing workers at the e-commerce behemoth’s only unionized Canadian facility called a “slap in the face for all workers in Quebec.” No kidding.

“Following a recent review of our Quebec operations, we’ve seen that returning to a third-party delivery model supported by local small businesses, similar to what we had until 2020, will allow us to provide the same great service and even more savings to our customers over the long run,” Amazon spokesperson Barbara Agrait said in a statement via email."

As soon as the employees joined a Union the company fired them and contracted out that work. That was dirty and is a common event when workers Unionize. 

Normally that would be illegal. If you fire them for forming a Union you can't restart operations with nonunion. They're getting around that law by contracting it out. We've heard stories of how when a McDonalds Unionizes they close down that franchise.

Jimmy Pattison did the same thing with Save On Foods. He shut down several Save on Foods locations and opened up PriceMart in their place. That broke the contract and employees faced lower wages and less benefits. The one in Fleetwood didn't do so well so they went back to Save on Foods. 

Breach Media is reporting that "Amazon has a message for its army of precarious workers worldwide: dare to unionize and you will be punished. After failing to thwart a historic unionization drive in Quebec, Amazon is now shuttering all its operations in the province, laying off nearly 2,000 workers."

"The move is a brazen attempt to punish workers in the province who achieved what many thought impossible. In May 2024, about 300 workers at the Laval warehouse successfully unionized—a historic first in Canada—despite facing two years of anti-union tactics, intimidation, and surveillance. What’s more, they were set to become the first Amazon workers anywhere in the world to secure a collective agreement."

CBC is reporting that Amazon claimed it wasn't because the employees joined a Union but CBC also posted a timeline of events proving that it was. That is Corporate greed. 

Costco's unionized workers vote to authorize nationwide strike

Meanwhile back on the ranch, 85% of American Costco employees who joined Teamsters voted to go on strike if a contract can't be reached by January 31st 2025. This would be the first time in recorded history Costco had a strike. 

The founders of Costco, Jim Sinegal and Jeff Brotman, were pioneers in the industry who built a very successful and profitable business model based on ethics. They believed in obeying the law, treating your employees well, rewarding members and shareholders. Costco was one of the best nonunion jobs out there. 

Unfortunately, Jeff Brotman passed away and Jim Sinegal is no longer CEO.The regional office in Western Canada has thrown many of those founding principles out the window.

Notwithstanding that fact, I rather transfer than join a Union. For me joining a Union is like having two employers who are as*holes. One is bad enough. Unions always end up protecting the employees that shouldn't be protected. 

Although Teamsters would be by far my preferred choice, (Teamsters' Horsemen rock) the Teamsters in the US have had a past history of shady pension practices. I'm at the age where I can't afford to have anyone steal my pension. 

Every time a contract expires Costco releases a new Employee Agreement. This is what we're willing to give you. They're always fair and match the market. At first I thought it was kind of funny but now I think it's great. If you don't like it, work somewhere else. It's always fair. 

One time a Costco in Metro Vancouver joined a Union and the company gave everyone else a raise so they decertified the union. One could argue if they hadn't joined a Union the rest of us wouldn't have gotten that same raise. 

Many years ago I worked for a large construction company. They were nonunion but a Union shop was right down the street. As a result the company paid us a fair wage so we would go down the street. That's kind of Costco's mentality.

Amazon has a very different business model than Costco. Costco pays their employees a lot better than Amazon. Amazon is nonunion, Costco is not. Amazon will spend money  on Union breaking activities. Costco will not. Costco doesn't waste time or money on things like that. They are far more professional. 

At first I had heard that it was just one Unionized Cosco location that voted to go on strike and I said they better be careful because Costco could just shut that location down. Then a 25 year employee responded Costco wouldn't do that. They don't want to come across as Anti Union. 

Canada Post is like Amazon. they are ruthless and waste millions on anti union activities. Costco is too busy making a profit to water their time and money on that. 

So I see this Teamsters strike vote as a win win situation. They'll get a good contract and Costco will match us just to keep things running smoothly. Right now I have no need to join a Union. What am I unhappy with? Nothing. Do I want more money? No. Do I want more holidays? no. Do I want better benefits? No. I'm happy with what I have. I don't want to screw that up.

Costco co-founder Jeff Brotman put people and principles above profit - So did Jim Sinegal

Woman shot in Ontario home invasion

York Region is reporting that " A woman and her two dogs were shot when at least three armed suspects broke into a Nobleton home early Tuesday morning and attempted to light the house on fire, say York police." 

"A 47-year-old woman was found by officers with non-life-threatening injuries after she was shot by intruders who broke into a home in the area of Highway 27 and King Vaughan Road, police say. Officers responded just before 4 a.m. on Jan. 21 to reports of a shooting. The woman was shot during a confrontation with at least three suspects." 

"Police say the gunmen also shot both of the victim’s dogs, killing one. The York force also said the suspects poured an accelerant inside the home and tried to ignite it before fleeing in a dark-coloured sedan." That is f*cked up.

Elon Musk's Hitler Salute

OK I finally saw the salute in context and it wasn't what people claim it was. I know it looked a little weird but look what he's doing in context. He's a nerd trying to be gangster. 

He put's his hand over his heart and then raisins his arm. It's too awkward to be a Nazi salute. He's overcome with emotion and says I just want to thank you for making it happen. (Trump's election.) He puts his hand over his heart then shoots it out to the crowd with that Napoleon Dynamite look on his face. Then he covers his heart again and says my heart goes out to you. 

Remember how guys used tap their heart twice then point to someone. I think that's what he's trying to do. It looked really bad but when you put it in context I do think that was his intent.

In a previous post I mentioned how he was jumping around like Napoleon Dynamite in his Vote for Pedro dance. It was all a little bit awkward. However, I cannot dispute the fact that Elon musk transformed Twitter and was instrumental in bringing free speech back to the planet. Do you remember how pathetic Twitter's censorship and fake fact checkers were before Elon Musk? It was as bad as Facebook and Google. He changed all that and the other outlets have been forced to follow suit.

Mark Zuckerberg went on Joe Rogan complaining about how Joe Biden forced him to censor Facebook and Joe Rogan said so we're supposed to believe you're a good guy now? If Elon Musk hadn't restored free speech to Twitter, Mark Zuckerberg wouldn't be sucking up now. Credit where credit is due. 

At the end of Martin Luther Kings' epic I have a Dream speech he concluded with the verse "Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty we are free at last." While he said that he raised his hand in what some could claim looked like a Hitler salute.

It was not. He was raising his hand to bless the people. Dr King was not a Fascist. Some people called him a Communist for opposing the Vietnam war. That accusation is equally absurd. He was a Baptist minister. The goal of Communism is to establish a Marxist Leninist Atheist sate. 

Martin Luther King was an amazing man.

Seriously https://t.co/ea2ZRrt9BH

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 24, 2025

Davos 2025 updates: Trump addresses WEF

CNBC is reporting that "President Donald Trump addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, virtually on Thursday, his first major appearance at an international event since he returned to the White House earlier this week." WTF?

Trump continues to be a dick and says we don't need Canada. I guess he doesn't need us to buy American cars and trucks. He's raging on Europe too and is forcing everyone to join BRICS. 

Tells the WEF he wants to make Canada a State. He's stomping his feet and crying like a child throwing a temper tantrum demanding everyone invests in America or he will tariff the world. The guy has lost his f*cking mind. Donald Trump is indeed the Monkey King. Just a chump with a crown. 

Woman shot in the back after being lured out of her home by fake construction worker

WATCH: Yesterday, a Markham woman was lured out of her home by a man posing as a worker, wearing a reflective vest, mask and a hard hat. After speaking with him briefly, the woman turned to head back inside when she was suddenly shot from behind.https://t.co/xcc8UmWfiv #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/C8eg4XyXeO

— CCFR/CCDAF (@CCFR_CCDAF) January 22, 2025

 6AK_TV reposted this and I'm like WTF? Shooting a woman in the back? That's as cheap as yo u can get. Did you see the way he handled the firearm? Every see Potsie on Happy Days. This guy is him. He's such a Potsie. Yet this is seriously F*cked up. 

Joe Biden and Donald Trump: A Tale of Two Monkeys

I didn't watch Trump's inauguration because I'm sick of all the extreme drama. Not only did Biden pardon his son Hunter, but in the last hour of his presidency he pardoned Facui and his family along with a list of others. Hunter I get but Fauci and his family, that's shady. Was he laundering money through them? 

Both presidents were frantically issuing pardons and writing executive orders like fireworks on the Fourth of July. It's an example of polarized extremism and abuse of power. 

On day one of Biden's presidency he has a stack of executive orders to sign and I can tell you right now, he signed them but he didn't write them. So in our tale of two monkeys Joe Biden is a flying monkey from the Wizard of Oz. He's a puppet for the wicked witch who is Hillary Clinton and the New World Order. 

Donald Trump on the other hand instantly pardons the J6ers. That was completely within reason because the way they were imprisoned without a fair trial was insane. January 6th was a complete set up. We saw the videos of police waving people past barricades. We saw the videos of them letting protesters into the Capital building and we saw the surveillance video of police escorting the CIA's QAnon Sharmon throughout the building. The whole thing was a set up and the way the politicized Department of Justice over reacted and the way the fake news misrepresented it was George Orwell.

So Donald Trump pardoning the J6ers wasn't an example of extremism locking them up at all let alone without a fair trial in a timely matter was outrageous. That was not the land of the free home of the brave. Locking them up was treason.

Canada had a similar government over reach with the trial of Chris Barber, Tamara Lich and Pat King. Pat King's sentence is insane. Literally. As was Chris Barber and Tamara Lich's trial. That never should of happened and the fact that it did is a stain on all of us. Guantanamo Bay shouldn't exist. All the CIA black prison sites shouldn't exist. The fact that they do shows the world something is wrong in the United States of America.

I am a big fan of the US Constitution. Civil liberty needs to be protected by law.  Guantanamo Bay, the CIA black prison sites and how the J6ers were mistreated are all violations of the US Constitution. The CIA justified Guantanamo Bay because it wasn't on American soil. They said since it's not on American soil, the Constitution doesn't apply. That was an abomination. 

Then they put black prison sites on American soil and said, they're not American citizens, the Constitution doesn't apply. That was an abomination. Then they said J6ers were terrorists, the Constitution doesn't apply. That was an abomination. As Gina Carano pointed out some J6ers committed suicide because they saw no hope in the Republic they believed in. 

So Donald Trump pardoning the J6ers was a good thing as was pulling out of the WHO and the Paris Climate Accord. Reducing pollution is good but pollution is not a valid excuse to throw away civil liberty and embrace Communism. That is the objective of fake environmentalism.

Trump getting America off Saudi oil is a good thing. Developing oil and reducing the cost of energy is critical to preserve liberty and prosperity. Natural gas is clean burning. We need to develop and utilize that resource. 

However, Trump is not perfect. We need to recognize that. He did did a lot of good things when he was in office but he did make some mistakes. Denying that is dangerous for everyone. 

I supported Trump over Hillary and I supported Trump over Biden and Kamala but Trump has already been swept away in his pride wanting to start a trade war with the rest of the world. Canada was America's friend and ally. Mocking Justin Trudeau is fair game but mocking Canada is not. 

Trump's Tariffs are shooting himself in the foot. Tariffs are taxes. You raise taxes you raise the price of goods for consumers. Being an arrogant bully to Canada loses a good friend. 

Trump is mocking Spain for wanting to join BRICS. Mocking people is not a wise way to retain their friendship. Canada could join BRICS. Canada can trade with other countries. America isn't the only country on the planet and this defiant arrogance makes Trump the Monkey King.

In Chinese folklore the Monkey King was a good guy. That's not the context I'm using when I refer to Trumpo as the Monkey King. He could have been that guy but he let his pride and arrogance consume him. Now he's just a monkey with a crown and four years from now that crown will be gone and the boisterous parade will come to an end.

People are also going off about Elon Musk's Nazi salute. I didn't see that but I did see a clip of him at the inauguration jumping around like Napoleon Dynamite's Vote For Pedro dance. 

I thought whoa. All that money and the guy is jumping around like a complete nerd.  Elon Musk did some amazing things bringing free speech back to Twitter but he is not perfect. No one is. Everyone needs to be accountable and all these executive order fireworks is concerning. How about due process? You submit a bill, debate it and vote on it. Power tends to corrupt but absolute power corrupts absolutely. 

Monkey's struggle with pride too. Ever hear the story of the monkey trap? Someone put a banana in a glass jar. The opening of the jar was just big enough for the monkey to get his hand through. But it wasn't big enough for him to get his hand out if he was holding onto the banana. The monkey was trapped because he wouldn't let go of the banana. 

That's Donald Trump the Monkey King. He did a lot of good but his pride got the best of him and he has lost my respect. 

Trump pardons Ross Ulbricht, founder of Silk Road dark web. There is no justification for that. Trump is starting to listen to his CIA advisors again. What about his red and white hitman. 

Trump’s Call For Building ‘Freedom Cities’ Plays Right Into Globalists’ Plan for Fourth Industrial Revolution

Fatal shootings in Dawson Creek

Energetic City is reporting that "The RCMP’s North District Major Crime Unit has taken over an investigation into shootings in Dawson Creek that left one person dead and another injured."

"According to a press release from the Dawson Creek RCMP detachment, police received reports of shots fired on 102nd Avenue on Sunday, January 19th, shortly after 11:00 p.m."

"When officers arrived at the scene, one adult man was reportedly found deceased. While investigating the scene, the detachment received a second report of shots fired at a nearby hotel. Officers were sent to the hotel, where they found one person with non-life-threatening injuries who was taken to the hospital for treatment."

"These two incidents came days after another shooting on Friday. Two suspects in that shooting investigation have been arrested and charged."

"Residents are being told to expect an increased police presence in the community after what the detachment is calling a “higher than usual level of violence” that officers believe is connected to an ongoing gang conflict."

CJDC is reporting that "CJDC TV News have learned that there has been an arrest in the shooting at a hotel in Dawson Creek on Sunday night.

Sources say that Nolan Schmidt was arrested by police in connection with the shooting at the Mile Zero Hotel that sent one man to hospital with non-life threatening injuries."

"Sources also tell CJDC TV News, that Schmidt is a suspect in the investigation looking into murder of Johnny (Joel) Freeman that same night. 

Sources say Freeman was confronted in an apartment in the 1000 block of 102nd Avenue before he was killed."

CBC is reporting that "

The B.C. RCMP is once again sending more officers to Dawson Creek, in the province's northeast, following a new spate of violence in the community of roughly 12,400 people. In the past week there have been at least two high-profile shootings, including a drive-by in a residential neighbourhood and another in a business area that left one dead and another injured."

CDJC TV is also reporting that "

Sources tell CJDC TV News that the body of Johnny Joe Freeman was found in an apartment in the 1000 block of 102nd Avenue. 

Sources also tell CJDC TV News, Freeman who went by the name Joel, went to the apartment Sunday night to retrieve a family member’s stolen cellphone. It is believed he was shot and killed after confronting an individual. 

Freeman had ties to an organized crime group in Dawson Creek." I wonder which one. The skid's in big trouble. 

The Prince George Citizen is reporting that "RCMP are seeking the public’s help in locating a suspect following a drive-by shooting in Dawson Creek early Friday, Jan. 17. Police were called to a home on the 1100 block of 119th Avenue at about 1 a.m. to investigate a report of multiple shots fired at the building."

"A vehicle was seen speeding away. Police pursued it, but shots were fired at officers from the fleeing vehicle, which was later found abandoned. Police used a canine unit to find two suspects, who were arrested and held in custody.There were no injuries.A third suspect managed to escape in a dark-coloured mid-2000s GMC or Chevy pickup truck, police said. The vehicle sustained significant front-end damage after hitting a police car during the getaway."

"The suspect is described as a male approximately 5’8” tall with a thin build, brown hair and eyes and a tattoo along the right side of his neck. He also has tunnel piercings in his ears."