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An object lesson for pro athletes: no matter how talented you think you are, you still have to prove yourself every game. With all the politicization and interference in the games and drug testing, its hard to believe any of this stuff and even harder to care.

America's popularity among democracies has been low and sinking for a couple of decades now as evidenced by the reduced number of people from those countries wanting to visit or move there.

It is very easy now to be come despondent and cynical about the social culture of Canada right now, but these idiots comprise probably less than a tenth of one percent. However they are very vocal and the media and some politicians and popular figures have given them a profile completely out of proportion to their numbers and purported popularity. The politicians have been divided and hesitant in their responses as have been the police, and that has compounded the problem. The net message the protesters have taken out of this is that whenever they do not get what they want, even if illegal and outrageous, they can repeat these behaviours and escalate if they choose to with little or no consequence. Bullies rarely respond to negotiation- they see that as an admission of weakness and renew their demands.

Firearms seized from peaceful, misunderstood demonstrators at Coutts, Alberta. The Ottawa police chief has said that he has no doubts that some of the protestors there are armed.

And still won nothing.

Alec Baldwin Sued By Family Of 'Rust' Cinematographer Killed On Set LOS ANGELES (AP) — The family of a cinematographer shot and killed on the set of the film “Rust” is suing Alec Baldwin and the movie’s producers for wrongful death, their attorneys said Tuesday. Lawyers for the family of Halyna Hutchins announced the lawsuit filed in New Mexico in the name of Hutchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins, and their son, Andros, at a Los Angeles news conference. At least three other lawsuits have been filed over the shooting, but this is the first directly tied to one of the two people shot. The “reckless conduct and cost-cutting measures” of Baldwin and the film’s producers “led to the death of Halyna Hutchins,” attorney Brian Pannish said.

Russian Skater Kamila Valieva In Olympics Doping Scandal Blames Grandfather's Medication BEIJING (AP) — Worn out after a grueling doping hearing, Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva said she was happy nonetheless after being allowed to skate Tuesday in the women’s short program at the Beijing Olympics. The 15-year-old Valieva is the overwhelming favorite for the gold medal alongside Russian teammates Alexandra Trusova and Anna Shcherbakova, who are aiming for the first sweep by any nation of the women’s Olympic podium. Valieva was cleared to skate even though she failed a drug test taken Dec. 25, the result only emerging last week, after her two brilliant performances in the team competition helped win gold for the Russian team. The Court of Arbitration for Sport gave her a favorable decision Monday in part because she is a minor, known as a “protected person,” and is subject to different rules from an adult athlete. Lawyers for Valieva also “brought some doubts about her guilt,” veteran IOC member Denis Oswald said Tuesday, with their possible explanation of accidental rather than deliberate doping with the heart medication trimetazidine. “Her argument was this contamination which happened with a product her grandfather was taking,” Oswald, a Swiss lawyer who prosecuted previous Russian doping cases, told reporters. Russian Skater Kamila Valieva In Olympics Doping Scandal Blames Grandfather's Medication | HuffPost null (What- Russians doping? Has to be an innocent mistake)

For some, leadership is finding a parade and getting in front of it. Can't have your cake and eat it too, Petey.

I would think that Mazars will be falling all over themselves to provide the IRS will everything they could possibly want. Anything to avoid being implicated.

America contiues to revert to the Dark Ages. I assume that burning at the stake would be the next logical step.

That is not too far a stretch in tort law. If you provide say, a baseball bat to someone apt to do damage with that bat, you do bear culpability. In the US, which is not a perfect precedent, Remington firearms was forced to pay out $75 million to the victims and families of the Sandy Hook slaughter.

CBC is reporting that 1200 Manitobans have donated to the protesters. It seems to me that if you fund a movement, you should also be financially liable for any damages the protesters do.

I fear this will end the criminal prosecution against Randy Andy. It still amazes and saddens me about how, in the US, money salves all wounds and how few go to prison. A commentary on American society, i guess.

Part of the bizarreness about the whole Coutts/Emerson situations is that if the 16 armed and armoured felons were in any other circumstances other than representing the nutbar fringe of the right-wing base of the two governments, not only would the premiers be screaming for federal government help, they would be also demanding that the police go in with guns blazing. The current responses are cowardly and hypocritical. I have been in protests at the Lege in the 70's against Candian involvement in Viet Nam and other issues, and there were lots of police around but they were given no reason to come at us, apart from some (in retrospect) fairly mild insults at them. The lack of condemnation from our premier made the protesters feel like they were and are being given tacit support. And with good reason.

Doubtless he jumped before he was pushed by the mayor. Sloly has not handled the situation well.

Ridiculous Lauren Boebert Claims Freedom Convoy is “Representative of a People’s Yearning for Freedom” Representative Lauren Boebert (R-Col.) once again defended the Freedom Convoy, the ongoing protest led by Canadian truckers who’ve pushed back against COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The convoy has continued to garner headlines amid concerns that organizers and groups have been involved with white nationalist contingents, QAnon, and other far-right groups. Boebert made the bold claim that the Freedom Convoy “is representative of a people’s yearning for freedom – something so many thought may have been all but lost to decadence.” “I’m glad to see the will to fight for liberty is still alive and well!” she said sarcastically. Ridiculous Lauren Boebert Claims Freedom Convoy is "Representative of a People's Yearning for Freedom" (politicususa.com) (This from someone who fears the "gazpacho police")

The obvious machinations going on have really turned me off. Its probably always been there, but never so in-your-face.

Another armed protester arrested at Coutts today and another firearm seized,

Truckers Resurrect Bananas Theory About Trudeau’s Real Dad Americans have not cornered the market on bananas conspiracy theories. The Canadian truckers who blocked a bridge to the U.S. over vaccine mandates have seized one that was debunked ages ago about Justin Trudeau. “There was a release of some of their online chat rooms and… they think that Fidel Castro is actually the biological father of Justin Trudeau, our prime minister,” Canadian author and frequent New Abnormal guest Jeet Heer tells co-host Molly Jong-Fast. Molly, naturally, is flabbergasted. “I thought this was pretty stupid, but I had no idea,” she says of the so-called “Freedom Convoy." Truckers Resurrect Bananas Theory About Trudeau’s Real Dad (thedailybeast.com)

That, and other turkeys of that mindset are claiming that these are "agents provocateurs". sent personally by Trudeau.

And free, albeit questionable, publicity.

The arrests at Coutts is up to 12 now. Among the firearms recovered were multiple sets of body armour, high-capacity ammuntion maagazines and even a machete. Nothing to see here. Move along now. The following is a series of quotes from the premiers of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta as well as CPC members of parliament about the weapons and combat materiel:

Any port in a storm.

This afternoon, three armed individuals were arrested at Emerson. But its all peaceful protests.