Why was B.C. firefighter denied entry into the United States?

Jamie Flynn

Here's another appalling story about the immigration practices of Trump's America.  Jamie Flynn, is a British citizen and a Canadian permanent resident living in Squamish, British Columbia (halfway between Vancouver and Whistler).  He is a firefighter and a Search and Rescue volunteer.  A few day ago, Mr. Flynn was denied entry to the United States from Vancouver International Airport. 

 On Thursday, June 26th, Jamie Flynn posted the following on social media about what happened to him.  

Today I was meant to fly to Birmingham, Alabama to represent @vancouver firefighters / @vanfirerescue and compete in Jiu Jitsu at the World Police & Fire Games (@bhm2025). -- an international event uniting frontline responders through sport.

Instead I was denied entry to the USA.  No reason given.  No appeal.  No answers.  

I'm a British citizen living in Canada.  

I've fought for the United States, wearing their uniform on Special Forces operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I'm a Canadian firefighter, a Search & Rescue volunteer, and I have no criminal record.  

I've trained for months.  I've done everything right.  And still, I'm grounded -- sidelined not by injury or lack of effort, but by bureaucracy and silence.

No one at the US border, the US consulate, or the ESTA program can explain why.  This feels like a clerical error -- but it's cost me thousands of dollars & for what?

I'm gutted.  I'm angry.  And I want answers. 

If you believe this is wrong -- share this post . . . 

"We were good enough to fight their wars - - but not good enough to cross their borders."

I am sharing this story as Jamie Flynn requested.  I certainly believe what happened to him is very wrong, and I am disgusted by how Mr. Flynn was treated by US immigration.  This upstanding citizen, a firefighter who has fought in Iraq and Afghanistan wearing the uniform of the United States, was denied entry to Trump's America.  Why was such a man treated like a criminal?

- Joanne

Trump and Iran

 
The United States is now at war with Iran.

A single person - Donald J. Trump - has released the dogs of war on one of the most dangerous countries in the world, and done it without the consent of Congress, our allies, or even a clear explanation to the American people.

Anyone who has doubted Trump's intention to replace American democracy with a dictatorship should now be fully disabused.

- Robert Reich, AlterNet, June 22, 2025

The last person in the world I want to write about, or even think about, is Donald Trump,  Unfortunately, he is wreaking havoc on the United States and the rest of the world.  He has threatened the sovereignty of my country - Canada. He is a scourge to humanity.  He is in our face every single day.  The man is totally unhinged and he is in control of the most powerful country in the world.  It is indeed a tragedy that this convicted felon was returned to the Oval Office.

I am writing this because I cannot stand idly by.  I must make my voice heard peacefully, as should all people who support democracy and the rule of law.  No one knows how this chaos will end, but it has to play itself out.

Trump took an oath of office and swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States.  He has violated his oath of office and should be impeached for a third time.  Republicans, who respect the rule of law, should be calling him out.  Instead, Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator Ted Cruise are standing behind this despot. They stand behind him as he makes the world a more dangerous place by bombing Iran, demonizing hard-working immigrants and cutting foreign aid.  His cruelty is unparalleled for an American president.  His behaviour is that of a petulant child.

Mary Trump, the president's psychologist niece, and one of his fiercest detractors. has suggested that her uncle ordered a missile attack on Iran in part because his "fragile ego" was still hurting from being called TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) by critics.  She said that he felt so humiliated that he launched a military operation that could entangle the United States into a Middle East.  He wanted to appear tough and decisive.

In her The Good in Us newsletter, Mary Trump wrote the following:

It is long past time that we stop imputing some deeper or reasonable motives to Donald Trump. Despite being depraved and cruel, much like his cohort Benjamin Netanyahu, he is driven by the most primitive impulses that center almost solely around protecting his fragile ego from humiliation (about which he has a pathological terror) and himself from the reality that he is a complete fraud.

If Mary is right, then Americans and the rest of humanity are subject to the whims of a leader who shows all the signs of malignant narcissism.  His behaviour is becoming more and more erratic and unpredictable.  He should be nowhere near the nuclear button because he is a sick man.  He probably has some form of dementia, which is only going to get worse as it progresses.  Section 4 of the 25th amendment may have to be invoked.  It reads as follows:

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Sooner or later (I hope sooner), Republicans and Fox News are going to have to admit that the emperor wears no clothes.  They are going to have to admit that Trump is unable to "discharge the powers and duties of his office."

- Joanne

Suggestion for Summer Reading

It's Summer Reading Time

Today marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.  It's the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.  It's also the perfect time to relax with a cold drink and  a good book.  If you are looking for some summer reading during those lazy, hazy days, may I humbly suggest my two novels -  Children of Dieppe and The Missing Reporter.  They are novels of mystery and intrigue.  For further information, click on the link below to reach my author's page. 

Joanne Madden – Author

NOTE:  I am a self-publishing Canadian author.  At the moment, I am working on my third novel, The World Reporter, a sequel to my second novel, The Missing Reporter.  I am grateful for your interest and support.  Thank you very much.  I wish you all a happy, healthy and safe summer.  I know it's not the beginning of summer in places such as Australia and New Zealand,, but you cam enjoy reading during any season of the year.

Sincerely,

Joanne

Putin has something on Trump. But what?

I am becoming more and more convinced that Vladimir Putin has something really big on Donald Trump.  It may not be just one thing.  It may be a compilation of compromising material and huge debts, political personal and financial.  It appears that Trump owes Putin, bigtime. and that Putin is taking every advantage of his leverage over Trump.

Before his departure from the recent G-7 summit in Alberta, Canada, Trump whined and complained that Putin should have been there.  He declared that kicking the Russian dictator out of the group was a "very big mistake" which helped pave the way for the war in Ukraine (Russia was part of the group of eight (G-8) until it annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014).

Trump blamed former U.S. President  Barack Obama and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for Russia's expulsion from the group.  As usual, Trump had it wrong.  Trudeau didn't become Canada's PM until 2015.  It was Trudeau's predecessor, Conservative PM Stephen Harper, who helped expel Putin.  Kicking Russia out for its annexation of Crimea was a move that was popular among American conservatives back then.

Trump was also dead wrong in his assertion that the expulsion of Russia from the G-8 led to Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.  Putin invaded Ukraine because he wanted Russian control of Ukraine.  It was an unprovoked attack on a sovereign nation, and Putin is a war criminal.  So, why does Trump persist in defending this ruthless Russian leader?

It's no surprise that Trump avoided tougher sanctions on Russia at the G-7 summit.  In a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump declared that "Europeans should do it first."  He said he wanted to continue with stalled peace negotiations before hitting Russia with sanctions.  When reporters questioned him as to whether he was on board with Europe on new sanctions against Russia, he replied, "well Europe is saying that, but they haven't done it yet."

Trump went on to say. "When I sanction a country, that costs the U.S. a  lot of money - a tremendous amount of money. It's not just, let's sign a document.  You're talking about billions and billions of dollars.  Sanctions are not that easy.  It's just not a one-way street."  Maybe so, but why would the high cost of imposing sanctions have stopped Trump if he really wanted to do so?  

According to ABC reporter Rachel Scott,. Trump said he would be "open to" Putin to mediating the  current Mideast conflict between Israel and Iran.  He claimed that Putin could play a stabilizing role in the region.  Yeah, right!  Mercifully. French President Emmanuel Macron firmly dismissed Trump's proposal.  He stated that Moscow does not have the credibility for such a role.

In February of 2022, when Joe Biden was president, Donald Trump called Putin "smart" while the Russian despot pressed on with his large scale invasion of Ukraine.  "The problem isn't Putin is smart - which of course his is smart - it's that our leaders are dumb," Trump said.  He claimed that NATO nations "are not so smart, they are looking the opposite of smart."  He then blamed the Biden administration for the invasion, which Putin falsely claimed was justified because Ukraine was run by "drug-addicted, neo-Nazi" leaders."

When Trump is angry or upset with someone or something, he does not hesitate to condemn that person on social media.  The worst he has ever said about Putin's Russia is that he is "disappointed."  He's been much harsher with former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.  However, despite Trump's favourable attitude toward Putin, their bromance appears to be one-sided.  Trump presents himself as an alpha male, and he is an authoritarian.  There is little doubt that Putin has the strongman qualities that Trump greatly admires, but there must be something much more than that for Trump to go out of his way to mollify him.

Putin does not seem to share the same admiration for Trump.  He just uses Trump for his own purposes.  Trump's support for the murderous Russian falls right into Putin's hands.  Trump is Putin's useful idiot.  Furthermore, Putin probably holds the key to an embarrassing or horrific secret in Trump's past, a secret that Trump can't risk having revealed. 

Alexander Vindman, a retired US Army lieutenant colonel who testified against Trump at his 2019 impeachment trial, had this to say during an interview with Morning Joe on MSNBC on February 28, 2025, as he accused Trump of betraying Ukraine to serve the interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin.  

"I am not big into conspiracies because I see government as a leaky sieve - things just don't stay secret. But now I 'm starting to wonder," asked Vindman, "what does Putin have on Trump that he's willing to bend over so hard, to bend over backwards to really support Putin's agenda?  It doesn't make a huge amount of sense.  He's not getting anything for it right now.  He's giving away the farm."

Donald Trump likes to think he's perfected the art of the deal.  He wants to be known as a great deal maker.  Here's what Vindman had to say about Trump's dealing with Putin.  "I'm not sure what kind of deal he's making, where he's giving everything his opponent wants, nothing in return, maybe the promise, the dangle of something in the future."

Trump has made no demands on Putin and he refuses to hold Putin responsible for the 2022 invasion. He claims that Putin only talks to him.  Right!  Nobody else matters!

Perhaps we will never know the exact details of what Putin has on Donald Trump.  It may be related to the Steele Dossier, the controversial political opposition research report on Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.  The report was compiled by counterintelligence specialist Christopher Steele.  It contains allegations of wrongdoing, conspiracy and co-operation between Trump's election campaign and the Russian government.  In 2017, the file was published as an incomplete 35-page compilation of memos. To be fair, none of the allegations have been verified.  Steele considered them to be "raw intelligence - not established facts, but a starting point for further investigation."

There is also the possibility Trump's defence of Putin may be related to Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein. There was a time when Trump and Epstein were quite chummy.  Billionaire Elon Musk recently posted that Trump's name is in the still-sealed "Epstein Files," the U.S. government documents about the disgraced wealthy financier and convicted sex offender.  Epstein died in prison in 2019 of what the authorities called an apparent suicide.  Musk claimed that the "Epstein Files" haven't been released because Trump is in them.  

Musk has since deleted his explosive allegations from his X social media platform, but I can't help wondering if the Russians themselves have some damning evidence about Trump's relationship with Epstein.  This is pure speculation, of course.  How reliable is the word of Elon Musk in this instance?  Who knows for sure?.  I'm just considering all the angles and various reasons why Donald Trump is so beholden to Vladimir Putin.  

A Daily Beast reporter, Julia Davis, revealed part of a Tass Russian News Agency article that quotes Vladimir Putin's aide, Niikolay Patruchev, saying that "to achieve success in the (2016) election, Donald Trump relied on certain forces to which he has corresponding obligations.  A responsible person, he will be obliged to fulfill them."  What are these forces?  Was there a concerted online foreign disinformation campaign to assist Trump's 2016 election campaign?  According to Microsoft News, "American intelligence has already determined that Russia worked to help Trump's (2025) campaign, as it had in the past.  However, there has been do direct proof of collusion between Trump and Russia - not by the Trump-maligned Mueller Report, nor since."

In, the early 1990s, Donald Trump faced financial ruin.  He had amassed massive personal debt. Two of his businesses, the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City and the Plaza Hotel in New York had declared bankruptcy. In the fall of 1992, Trump made a deal with U.S. banks to work off almost a billion dollars of what he owned.  After that, no U.S. bank would lend him money. 

However, Trump eventually made a comeback,  According to Michael Hirsh, a columnist for Foreign Policy, "foreign money played a large role in reviving his fortunes.  In particular, investment by wealthy people from Russia and former Soviet republics." 

 Donald Trump's  longtime architect, Alan Lapidus, told Foreign Policy that based on what he knew from the internal workings of the Trump Organization, Trump "could not get anyone in the United States to lend him anything.  It was all coming out of Russia.  His involvement with Russia was deeper than he's acknowledged."

Glenda Blair, a Chicago-based investigative journalist, has studied Trump closely.  She is the author of a definitive biography of the Trump family entitled The Trumps: Three Generations of Builders and a President.  Blair has written that "Trump was on the Titanic heading down.  Everyone's drowning around him . . . Suddenly he gets saved.  It's almost like a spaceship landed right next to where he was in the water."

In 2021, The Guardian reported that documents it obtained from a top-level Kremlin meeting in 2016 appear to say that Russia had compromising information on Donald Trump.  The newspaper stated that it verified the documents and that they reveal a plan to help Trump win the 2016 election.  There have long been rumours that Russia had lurid information about Trump's behaviour on a business trip.

Evidence suggests that Donald Trump owes some kind of huge unpaid debt to Russia.  Unfortunately, Ukraine is paying the price for Trump's dealings with Russia and his return to the Oval Office.  Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin is the one who is benefiting from Trump's actions and his decisions.

SOURCES:  Foreign Policy, "How Russian Money Helped Save Trump's Business," by Michael Hirsh, December 21, 2018; Business Insider, "Leaked Kremlin documents support claim that Russia has compromising material on Trump, report says," by Tom Porter, July 15, 2021;  Wion, '"What does Putin have on him?' Key witness accuses Trump of betraying Zelensky as both leaders meet," by Prapti Upadhayay, February 28, 2025; The New Voice of Ukraine, "Trump dodges tougher Russian sanctions at G7 summit," June 17, 2025

- Joanne

José Bautista and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies

On Saturday, I spent a wonderful afternoon at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Mary's, Ontario.  This year one of the inductees was Joey Bats himself - José Bautista.  Above is a photo of José signing autographs at Saturday's festivities.  

Bautista, a right fielder and third baseman, spent 15 seasons in Major League Baseball, mostly with the Toronto Blue Jays.  He played for four different teams before the Pittsburgh Pirates traded him to the Blue Jays in August of 2008.  In 2010, he slugged 54 home runs, the most ever hit by a Blue Jay in one season.  Yet, what most fans will always remember is José's epic bat flip to emphasize his go-ahead, three-run homer in the decisive Game 5 of the 2015 American League Division Series between the Jays and the Texas Rangers. 

I was impressed by Bautista's speech in St. Mary's.  He did not recite a list of his accomplishments.  He focused on thanking those who had given him support as well as his Blue Jay teammates and other Dominican players.  He thanked his family, his wife and daughters, who were in attendance.  He also thanked his parents for emphasizing the importance of education.  José learned to speak English at a young age and he is very fluent in the language.

Bautista

If you are a Canadian baseball fam, it's worth the trip to St. Mary's on induction day or just to see the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.  The quaint, historic town is located about on the Thames River, 20 kilometres southwest of Stratford, Ontario and about 170 kilometres southwest of the Great Toronto Area.  St Mary's is nicknamed "Stonetown" because of its many homes, churches and commercial buildings that are constructed of local limestone.

This year's Hall of Fame festivities were hosted by Sportsnet's Hazel Mae. She introduced longtime Toronto Star baseball writer and sports columnist Dave Perkins. Dave accepted the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum's 2024 Jack Graney Award.  The Graney Award is given to "a member of the media who has made significant contributions to baseball in Canada through their life's work.

In addition to Bautista, other inductees included the following: Greg Hamilton from Peterborough, Ontario, who has served as Baseball Canada's Head Coach and Director of Men's National Teams since 1998, Erik Bedard, a Franco-Ontarian major league pitcher, who was the staff ace for the Baltimore Orioles, the late Amanda Asay, from Prince George British Columbia, who played on the Canada women's national baseball team from 2005 to 2021,  the late Arleene Johnson of Saskatchewan, an infielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1945 to 1948 and the late Gerry Snyder, who served on the Montreal City Council and was instrumental in bringing the Expos and Major League Baseball to Montreal.

Erik Bedard was unable to attend the ceremonies.  Gerry Snyder's son was there to represent his father, who passed away in 2007.  Arleene Johnson passed away in 2017 at the age of 93.  Her daughter made a speech about her contribution to Canadian woman's baseball.  Amanda Asay died in a skiing accident in 2022 at the age of 33.  Her father spoke on her behalf.  

Amanda Asay

José Bautista is from the Dominican Republic, but Canadian citizenship is not required to be inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame. This year's inductees have all made lasting contributions to baseball in this country.

END NOTES

* I said hello to former Blue Jays outfielder Lloyd Moseby who was in attendance.  Some Montreal Expos fans always attend the ceremonies wearing their Expos caps.

- Joanne

Language corner: My list of annoying words and phrases

Okay.  Here is my list of the words and expressions that I find the most annoying.  This is not just a highly subjective list.  People I have spoken to are also annoyed by some of the words are phrases that are on this list.  So, without further ado, here is my list.

- Joanne

MY LIST OF ANNOYING WORDS AND PHRASES

It is what it is.  That expression means absolutely nothing.

Spinster:  Why isn't there a similar word for an unmarried man or lifelong bachelor?  It's sexist.

Nag:  Another sexist word.  In the world of horse racing, the term "nag" is often used to describe female horses.  With human beings, it's almost always a woman who is described as a nag.  

My bad.  Why can't we just say, "I was wrong." or "I made a mistake?

I could care less.  It should be "I couldn't care less."

It goes without saying . . . Well then, why say it?

No offence, but . . . is usually followed by something offensive.

I'm just saying . . . I'm not sure what message that this expression is supposed to convey.  Is the speaker unsure about how his words will be received?  It sounds apologetic.

Basically is used far too often and unnecessarily. It has become a filler. It should be used to mean "fundamentally" or "in the most essential respects."

Like don't get me started on how like is used in like three or four times in like every sentence.

Literally when it is used to denote something in a figurative or exaggerated sense, not an actual sense.  For example, it's ridiculous to say "I literally died."

The honest truth: If a truth isn't honest, then what is it?  The expression is redundant.

Everything happens for a reason is often meant to provide comfort.  However, not everything happens for a reason.  Some things just happen.  Period.

Why concern about the environment has moved to the backburner

In the American election last November, and in our Canadian election in April, the environment was not a huge issue.  Why not?  Well, there are several reasons.  Let's start with the American election.  Donald Trump doesn't care about climate change.  He thinks it's a Chinese hoax.  He wants to revive the coal industry.  He thinks that wind turbines cause cancer.  He just wants to "drill, baby, drill!"  During the 2024 presidential election campaign, the environment was not a popular topic among American voters.  They were more understandably concerned about inflation and the cost of living.  The price of groceries and gas affected them directly.  Inflation seemed so much closer to home.  So, despite Trump's horrible business record (he has filed for bankruptcy protection six times), many Americans thought he would be better for the economy than his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris.  

Americans were concerned about kitchen table issues and immigration.  Trump managed to convince many of them that caravans of undocumented immigrants were about to pounce on their communities, causing crime and havoc.  He repeated this lie over and over, playing into people's fears and bigotry.  What they didn't understand is that climate change, immigration and the economy are inseparable.  Each of those issues affects the other. Pollution is the cause of numerous illnesses and deaths worldwide. Everyone pays with the loss of life and the cost of healthcare.

Many lives have also been lost by the hurricanes and flooding and wildfires caused by climate change.  These disasters not only cost precious live, but they cost millions in tax dollars.  There doesn't have to be a choice between having a good economy and combatting climate change.  A green economy creates green jobs.  Furthermore, many immigrants have been forced to leave their homes due to climate change.  They have no choice but to become refugees.

Since his return to the presidency, Trump has been erratic and unpredictable.  His campaign to impose tariffs and his overall handling of the economy have been disastrous.  Many Americans, with the exception of Trump's brain-washed die-hard MAGA loyalists, regret having voted for him.  Of course the oil companies want to preserve their wealth.  Oil is their cash cow.  They want Trump to promote fossil fuels.  

With regard to the environment, extreme right-wing conservatives are different from their more moderate counterparts.  Moderates believe that conservatives should conserve the environment.  Here in Canada, we call those moderate conservatives "Red Tories."  Regrettably, there aren't many Red Tories left  in this country anymore.  They are a dying breed, replaced by populists and more far f right U.S. Republican types.

The far right, however, mock efforts to fight climate change.  They don't want to cut down on plastic or make strong efforts to combat climate change.  Remember how Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, ranted during the election campaign that he wanted to get rid of single-use plastics bans and bring back plastic straws.  It's as if implementing any measures to deal with climate change is left-wing radicalism.  The Conservatives criticized the carbon tax so harshly and so relentlessly that Mark Carney's Liberals would likely have lost the election if he he hadn't abolished it. There were endless cries to "axe the tax."

As I write this, two Canadian provinces, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, have declared a state of emergency due to wildfire.  People are being evacuated from their homes.  Flin Flom, Manitoba, a city of 5,000 people, about 631 kilometres (391 miles) northwest of Winnipeg, is engulfed by wildfire smoke.

I must also mention that the Village of Blatten, in the Swiss Alps, was evacuated due to a glacier collapse.  Authorities ordered Blatten's 300 residents to leave.  More than 500 glaciers have already disappeared from Switzerland.

We ignore these warnings at our peril.  Climate change is not going to go away on its own.  It's understandable that people are upset about inflation, but environmental threats can't be ignored.

- Joanne

It's Time to Come Home, Stanley

 Dear Stanley,

Won't you please come home!  It's been almost 32 years, and we miss you dearly here in the True North Strong and Free.  You've been away for far too long.  You were last seen in Montreal in 1993.  We hear that you will decide whether to show up in Edmonton or Florida this year.  Please choose Edmonton.  You went to Florida last year.  Isn't it time for a change of scenery?  Remember, Stanley, you were born in Canada and named after our governor general.  You have a Canadian passport.  Besides, Edmonton is very nice in June.  It's a wonderful place for a parade.    

I know you've been to Edmonton five times - 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1990.  It's been a while, though.  The younger crowd doesn't remember much of the Gretzky and Messier years  There's a new guy in town who wants to hoist you.  He's a very fine lad from Richmond Hill, Ontario and his name is Connor McDavid.  

Florida is known for oranges and sunshine.  Football is the number one sport in the state.  It has three NFL teams.  Most of the  people there would rather see the Miami Dolphins or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Jacksonville Jaguars win a Super Bowl than the Florida Panthers win a Stanley Cup.  Edmontonians are far more excited about your possible homecoming. They will line the streets.  They will welcome you with open arms and much celebration.  You can be sure of that.  

Uncle Gary, from New York, will even be there.  He'll be on hand to present you to your elated fans.  Our prime minister will join the celebration with great enthusiasm.  He is a huge Oilers fan, and he was raised in Edmonton.  What a lovely scenario!

Remember, dear Stanley, the celebration won't just take place in Edmonton.  People all over Canada will welcome you home joyfully.  A nation cries out for your return.  The time is right.  It's a perfect storm.  So, please come home!

Sincerely,

Joanne and millions of Canadian hockey fans

EDITOR'S UPDATE: We will have to wait longer for Stanley to come home.  The Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in six games.

Mainstream media treat Trump differently than Biden

There is a double standard in the way mainstream media treat Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Just imagine what would happen if Biden or any other American politician had said or done some of things that Trump has said or done. It would have been completely unacceptable to corporate media.  That politician would definitely not be president of the United States right now  Yet, Trump's sick and outrageous comments are accepted by many. Don't take him seriously. It's just Trump being Trump. He's unpredictable. He boosts ratings for cable networks. Besides, some fear retribution from the mob boss.

Yes, Biden has cognitive issues due to aging.  However, during his presidency, the American economy was the envy of the world.  Biden has always respected the rule of law.  He is not an authoritarian.  He has never treated Canada, and America's European allies, the way Trump has been doing.  Biden would never would have imposed the destructive tariffs that Trump has imposed and destabilized the economies of the United States and much of the world. Kamala Harris wouldn't have either.,

I have posted the following article by Tony Pentimalli because it is well worth reading for those who want a clear picture of what is happening in the United States. It is also must reading for those who believe in democracy and are appalled by America's slide into authoritarianism. People of good will must speak the truth about the Trump regime.

- Joanne

The Misdirection: While They Watch Biden, Trump Unravels the Republic

By Tony Pentimalli

There is an art to distraction. The magician never hides the trick in his hand—he hides it in yours. And in today’s America, the illusion is almost perfect: while Donald Trump descends further into autocratic madness, the nation’s attention has been carefully directed toward the decline of a man no longer in office.

Jake Tapper’s newly released Original Sin, chronicling the final chapter of Joe Biden’s presidency, is a masterclass in that misdirection. With behind-the-scenes accounts of confusion, forgetfulness, and quiet panic among aides, it raises legitimate concerns about transparency—but also reveals a more troubling truth: we are fixating on the rearview mirror while barreling toward the cliff.

Biden, now facing a terminal cancer diagnosis, exited public life with dignity. He acknowledged the limits of age and responsibility, stepped aside, and gave the country a chance to choose its future. That is not failure. That is stewardship.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump—the man who now holds the presidency again—rages incoherently from podiums, forgets what century it is, threatens mass deportations, mocks the disabled, and promises dictatorship “on day one.” He recently described Biden’s diagnosis as “stage 9 cancer”—a non-existent condition—and claimed he met with people who have long since died. He called Milwaukee a “horrible city,” confused Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi, and warned the military about electric boats. These are not gaffes. They are warning sirens.

But you wouldn’t know it if you watched cable news.

Mainstream media, once thought to be the ballast against authoritarian drift, has largely accepted Trump’s incoherence as political theater. Networks air his rambling speeches without editorial framing. Headlines quote him verbatim, without context or correction. Influential voices like Tapper’s delve into Biden’s decline with Pulitzer ambition—while Trump’s delusions are broadcast like late-night punchlines.

What’s unfolding is not a scandal of health. It is a scandal of priorities. The media has become the willing accomplice in laundering Trump’s unraveling into normalcy. By obsessing over Biden’s cognitive descent, they normalize Trump’s descent—from incoherence into autocracy—as if it's part of the show.

This asymmetry reached a new low with the publication of Original Sin. For right-wing commentators, the book is gospel. For centrist media, it’s confirmation bias. For Trump’s camp, it’s the perfect distraction from a presidency sinking deeper into delusion and authoritarianism.

They cling to the illusion that covering Biden's decline is safer than confronting Trump’s radical ascent. But cowardice masquerading as impartiality is how democracies slide into silence.

This is not just about mental sharpness—it is about what each man has done with the power he held. Biden, by all accounts, spent his final year working through limitations, passing bipartisan legislation, managing international crises, and defending democratic norms. Trump, by contrast, has used his second term to erode civil liberties, deploy federal power against dissent, and rule by grievance and paranoia.

His administration is not a sideshow—it is a slow-motion constitutional collapse. Under Trump’s orders, ICE has resumed warrantless raids. DOJ prosecutors have been stripped of oversight when investigating lawmakers. The Insurrection Act is being openly reinterpreted for domestic use. And through it all, the media’s spotlight remains trained on the man who left the stage.

There is cruelty in this deflection. Biden, a man confronting death with grace, has become the straw man for every anti-elderly talking point, every grievance, every fear. And yet, it is Trump who insults Gold Star families, mocks cancer-stricken opponents, and brags that “only he” can save America from itself.

What Original Sin exposes is not just the aging of a president, but the original sin of a political media more interested in the appearance of neutrality than the defense of truth. To treat Biden’s decline as disqualifying, while Trump’s authoritarianism is shrugged off as a personality quirk, is not journalism—it is complicity.

This is the con: we are being told to fear the man who stepped down—so we ignore the one who is burning the house.

So let us be clear. One man stumbled on words. The other has weaponized them into policy. One met the end of his presidency with humility. The other met his second with vengeance.

The true crisis isn’t a man confronting his limits—it’s the one exploiting ours. Trump is the danger in plain sight. And the press, eyes wide open, is choosing to look away.

*Tony Pentimalli is a political analyst and commentator fighting for democracy, economic justice, and social equity.                                                                                

Why the Leafs lost

 

On Sunday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs lost the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs to the Florida Panthers. They didn't just lose.  They lost ignominiously.  They played without heart.  What kind of team comes out flat for a decisive seventh game playoff in their home arena?  Thousands of fans were cheering for them.  They should have been pumped.  They were not.

The Maple Leafs, as presently constituted, are not built to prevail in the post-season.  They do very well in the regular season, but they can't seem to get past the second round of the playoffs.  They lack something.  Depth?  A winning spirit?  They certainly lack the ability to rise to the occasion.  

As members of the team pack their bags and head to golf courses, it's time for a post-mortem.  The Leafs' defeat may finally signal the end of the Core Four, and it's about time!  The Leafs were never going to win the Stanley Cup with so much of their cap devoted to four players.  As for team president Brendan Shanahan, his future with the Leaf organization is very much in doubt.  The "Shanaplan" is effectively dead.  It has failed to bring home Lord Stanley's Jug, a feat that has not been accomplished by Toronto's NHL team since 1967.  

Mitch Marner is expected to be the first member of the Core Four to leave the team.  It's doubtful that the Leafs will pay him the kind of money he'll be asking for.  Number 16 (my favourite number) was booed off the ice on Sunday night.  He has likely played his final game in a Leaf uniform and will seek free agency.  However, I don't think Marner deserved so much of the blame for the team's poor performance.  Where was Captain Auston Matthews?  He seemed to be missing in action.  I am not questioning Matthew's talent as a goal scorer.  He's a great player.  He scored 69 goals last season.  Unfortunately, he has never been a prolific scorer in the playoffs.  He has never dominated when it's all on the line.  He's no Sidney Crosby or Mario Lemieux or Wayne Gretzky or Connor McDavid.

On August 23, 2023, Auston Matthews signed a four year, $53,000,000 contract with a cap hit of $13,250,000 per season.  His contract expires at the end of the 2027-28 season, when he will be 30 years old.  So, he's going to be around for a while.

Matthews' performance this season has not been as strong as it was last season because he has been plagued by an injury.  I doubt he is 100 per cent.  However, it is not Matthews' injury that really concerns me.  It's his lack of leadership skills.  He doesn't seem able to rally his team.  I don't understand why he has replaced John Tavaras as team captain.  Tavaras is much more mature and far more experienced,  He demonstrated his maturity by not whining and complaining when the "C" was taken away from him.  He just continued to help the team.  He scored 34 goals as a 34-year-old this season.

Mitch Marner

Auston Matthews

William Nylander will also be around for a while, too.  In January of 2024, Nylander signed an eight year, $92,000,000 contract with a cap hit of $11,500,000 per season.  His contract expires at the end of the 2031-32 season when he will be 36 years old.  

On July 1, 2018, John Tavares signed a seven year, $77,000,000 contract with a cap hit of $11,000,000 per season.  His contract with the Leafs expires at the end of this season.  He will turn 35 in September.  After the Game 7 loss to Florida, Tavares said that he wants to remain in Toronto.  That's not surprising because he's married with a family, and he wouldn't want to uproot them.

When asked about his future, Mitch Marner replied, "Pretty devastated.  I don't have any thoughts right now . . . I've always enjoyed this team.  I haven't thought about anything [with my future].  Just trying to put my best foot forward and come here and try to win hockey games and help try to win that ultimate goal."

Ah, yes.  Mitch knows that ultimate goal is not a great regular season.  The ultimate goal that Marner alluded to is the Stanley Cup.  It has eluded the Toronto Maple Leafs for 58 long years.  Now that they are officially eliminated from this year's competition, I'll be cheering for the Edmonton Oilers.  A Canadian-based team has not won the Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993, almost 32 years ago.  It's about time we brought Stanley home to a city and a country where hockey really matters.

- Joanne

EDITOR'S UPDATE: On May 22, 2025, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that Brendan Shanahan's contract would not be renewed.

Vocabulary Quiz:- Names of Colours

 

Number 16 Vocabulary Quiz #9

Can you identify ten words that are names of colours.  Test your knowledge.  Ready! Set! Go!

1. Vermillion

A.  A bright yellow

B.   A brilliant red colour

C.   A white vanilla colour

D.   A peach colour

E.   A rusty orange colour

2.  Ochre

A.  Light purple

B.  Very dark blue

C.  Yellow to deep orange or brown

D.  Light pink

E.  None of the above

3.  Titian

A.  Lemon shade

B.  Bright silver

C.  Brownish-orange

D.  Golden 

E.  Lime coloured

4.  Indigo

A.  Dark green with yellow tinges

B.  Pale blue with yellow tinges

C.  Orange-blue colour

D.  Greenish-blue colour

E.  Deep blue colour

5.  Fuchsia

A.  Pinkish red

B.  Light grey

C.  Bright orange

D.   Dark purple

E.   Light purple

6.  Periwinkle

A.  Dark orange

B.  Light orange

C.  Greenish-blue

D.  Dark purplish-blue

E.  Light purplish-blue

7.  Bisque

A.  A shade of dark orange

B.  Shade of pale orange

C.  Cream colour

D.  Light red

E.  Shade of light yellow

8.  Khaki

A.  Light shade of green

B.  Dark shade of green with a  slight yellowish tinge

C.  Dark shade of green with a heavy yellowish tinge

D.  Light shade of tan with a slight yellowish tinge

E.   Light shade of tan with a heavy yellowish tinge

9.   Xanadu

A.  Greenish-grey hue

B.  Brownish-grey colour

C.  Purple-blue hue

D.   Purple-grey hue

E.    Greyish-black colour

10.  Magenta

A.  Light red

B.  Light orange

C.  Bright orange

D. Purplish red

E.  Light yellow and soft purple

ANSWERS

1.  B

Vermilion is a brilliant red colour.  Example: "I saw vermilion streaks of sunlight in the sky.

2.  C

Ochre is yellow to deep orange or brown,  It is a natural earth pigment..

3.  C 

Titian is a brownish-orange colour.  The term originates from an an Italian artist named Titian who would paint women with a tint of red hair.

4. E

Indigo is a deep blue colour.

5.  A

Fuchsia is a pinkish red colour.

6.  E

Periwinkle is a light purplish-blue.

7.  B.

Bisque is a shade of pale orange.  Think of the creamy soup from which it takes its name.

8.  D

Khaki is a light shade of tan with a slight yellowish tinge.  It is used by armies for uniforms and equipment, especially in desert regions, where it provides camouflage.

9.  A

Xanadu is a greenish-grey hue,

10.  D

Magenta is a vibrant purplish-red colour.

- Joanne

Democracy is alive and well in Canada

Canada has just held a federal election. The campaign ran for just 36 days.  The result: Democracy is alive and well in this country.  Why do I say that?  Not because Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives failed to form the government.  I have made no secret of the fact that I am not enamoured of Poilievre's policies and I certainly wish the Conservatives had a leader who was more of a centrist.

To his credit, however, Poilievre delivered a dignified concession speech, as did Jagmeet Singh of the NDP and Mark Carney of the Liberals.  All three delivered speeches that were gracious, especially Singh, whose party had a difficult night.  He resigned because he lost his own seat in British Columbia and the NDP was reduced to 7 seats, losing official party status.  Many NDP supporters voted strategically in order to prevent the Conservatives from forming the government.

Poil

Singh

Poilievre, for his part, did not attack the other leaders. He did not refuse to concede.  He did not blame anyone or anything for the fact that his party did not win the election.  He merely said that the Conservatives fell just short of finishing the job.  Meanwhile, Carney spoke of humility and admitted that he had made mistakes.  He said he intended to serve as prime minister of all Canadians.  Can you imagine Trump or JD Vance saying something like that?  Never in a million years.  There was no talk by any of the leaders of the election being stolen or rigged.  How refreshing!  How civilized!  How democratic!

Carney

The road ahead will not be easy.  Canadians face challenges that they have never faced before.  Since Donald Trump is abandoning U.S .leadership in the world, Canada must form new trade alliances.  Canada and Europe must fill the leadership void.  Our great nation must provide some stability in a world of Trumpian chaos.

- Joanne

Canada's crucial election

Today Canadians face the most consequential election in our nation's history.  In this election, we will choose which direction this country is headed.  The biggest issue is confronting Donald Trump.  The unstable U.S. leader wants to break us.  He challenges our sovereignty.  He repeatedly says that he wants us to be the 51st state.  He wants our natural resources.  He is not joking.  He means what he says.

Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada is not the answer.  He could never really stand up to Trump, because the two are cut from the same cloth.  If Poilievre were a beer, he'd be "Trump Lite." He has only distanced himself from Trump because of Trump's tariff threats.  However, Poilievre is far more right wing than Joe Clark and Robert Stanfield.  He and Stephen Harper have made sure that there is no "progressive" remaining in the name of the party.  The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada has truly become The Conservative Party of Canada.

Poilievre has spent a lot of time and money telling Canadians that Canada is broken.  Isn't that reminiscent of the way Trump's claim that only he could fix America?  Poilievre will do noting to combat climate change.  In fact, he talked about getting rid of paper straws  and bringing back plastic straws.  Doesn't that echo Trump's attitude toward the environment?

Poilievre wants to cut government spending drastically.  He wants to cut taxes.  He will cut much-needed social programs to pay for his tax cuts.

Poilievre claims that he will be tough on crime.  At the same time he sparks fears.  Yes, the public must be protected, but the answer is not so one-sided.  It's not either/or.  We must also deal with the social problems that contribute to crime.  Dealing with root causes won't put an end to crime, but it will help.  Spending money on building more jails, as has been done in the U.S., will not solve things either.

Poilievre

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s lack of explicit condemnation of far-right individuals and groups is a silence that speaks volumes about his willingness to court voters with more extremist views, according to those who study extremist movements.

And as incidents continue to mount in which Poilievre is photographed rubbing shoulders with people openly supporting far-right causes, questions will continue to mount about how open the Conservative leader is to more polarizing ideologies, they say.

Teresa Wright

iPolitics

April 29, 2024

Here is a headline from CBC news - January 9. 2025

Elon Musk praises Poilievre, mocks Trudeau as he steps into Canadian politics

"Poilievre is simply dialed into the truth behind the anti-human globalist agenda,” 

- Far-right U.S. conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.  

Jones is best known for losing a $1 billion defamation lawsuit brought by the families of the Sandy Hook school shooting.  He has also described Poilievre as "the real deal." 

Dennis Prager, a conservative commentator, notorious for once lamenting that "the Left has made it impossible to say the N-word, praised Poilievre in an episode of Dennis Prager Podcasts.  

“He’s a good-looking guy, I hope he becomes Emperor of Canada."

- Dennis Prager praising Pierre Poilivre.

Note;  I encourage everyone to vote and to embrace democracy.  I have already voted in advance polling.  

- Joanne

Reflections on Easter Sunday 2025

 "Easter is the demonstration of God that life is essentially spiritual and timeless."

- Charles M. Crowe

From 1001 Ideas That Changed the Way We Think (2013)

"The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances."

- Robert Flatt

From What is God Waiting For?: Understanding Divine Delays in Your Life (2006)

Today is Easter Sunday.  It is also the last day of the Jewish Passover.  For Christians and Jews, it is a time to celebrate hope and freedom, no matter the dire circumstances in the world.  Allow me to be frank.  I am a baby boomer and I have never experienced such trying times before in my life.  I was born well after the darkest days of World War II, when France fell to the Nazis and London was bombed during the Blitz.  Now in the 21st century,, there seems to be a resurgence of fascism and the extreme right around the world.  How could so many have forgotten the evils of Hitler and Mussolini and Imperial Japan?

It is 2025 and the United States is smack in the middle of the fight against fascism and authoritarianism posed by Donald Trump and his supporters, many of whom claim to be Christians.  However, Trump's policies are the very antithesis of Christ's teachings.  His immigration and refugee policies are cruel and vindictive, not to mention his contempt for the rule of law, his misogyny, his racism and his spreading of hatred.  His policies flout Christian tenets as set out in parables such as The Good Samaritan.  They do not advocate for the poor and disadvantaged.  Trump's false god is money.  

Pope Francis has strongly condemned the Trump administration's mass deportations policies.  Vice President JD Vance, supports Trump's immigration policies, as does Mike Johnson, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.  Vance is a convert to Catholicism, and Johnson is an evangelical Christian and a Christian nationalist.  How can they square their support of Trump's policies with the teachings of Christ.  The so-called Christianity of the far right gives Christianity a bad name.  Christianity teaches social justice.  Trumpism is definitely not social justice.  Christ spread a gospel of love.  Donald Trump preaches hatred and discord.

Meanwhile, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has declared an Easter truce in the Ukraine.  Both sides have blamed the other for breaking the truce.  However, it should be pointed out that a truce would not have been needed in the first place if Putin, a war criminal, hadn't invaded Ukraine in February of 2022.

Love will triumph!

Happy Easter!

Now let the heavens be joyful,

Let the earth her song begin;

Let the round world keep triumph,

And all that is therein;

Invisible and visible,

Their notes let all things blend,

For Christ the Lord is risen

Our joy that hath no end

- Saint John of Damascenus

From The Congregational Hymn Book: Psalms and Hymns for Divine Worship (1881)

- Joanne