His Nibs
SWMBO needs cream, so off I go on my morning 2000 steps to Zehr’s. Midway down the sidewalk, a small red object rested. Looks like a mini battery clip? Ten feet away, I see another one? I roll it over with my boot, but it’s not hollow? It is solid, ¾” long. “Keep going Mitch,” I tell myself. Another ten feet, two more. Then another one. What is going on? Now, like a “monkey with a gun”, I pick one up. Is it a Nib? You know those red licorice candies? Under what circumstances would 50 Nibs get scattered down 200 feet of sidewalk? Now, I gotta know. No smell. I take a tentative bite. Yup. It was a Nib. Pretty fresh too! I could have eaten about fifty more in my travels, but they are not good for me. On my way back forty minutes later, they were all gone? Did I imagine them? Did another senior who likes licorice come by? My guess is some Bijon is going to have a lot of explaining to do when his distracted owner sees his next turd.
Hobson's Choice
When I heard Carney was going to drop the carbon tax component at the pumps on April 2nd, it was pretty easy to predict an election call. A famous US politician used the term Hobson's choice last week when supporting a Republican budget plan. I always thought that meant picking the lesser of two evils, but it put me down the rabbit hole. Thomas Hobson (1544-1631), rose from humble beginnings to own a livery stable in Cambridge, England.
He kept horses to move mail between Cambridge and London and decided he could let them out for pleasure riding when not otherwise in use. He had a nearby stable (get it?) of customers with all the students and professors from their famous university just outside of town. That income resulted in an inn, then a pub, and as his wealth grew, his involvement in several city improvement projects. He became one of the first official postmasters in the U.K. and used his success in later life to fund numerous philanthropic projects. So, how did he become famous? When he started to rent out horses, he recognized that his best ones were in the most demand and that they were also the most overworked. He therefore initiated a strict rotation system, only allowing customers to choose the next horse in line. That was your choice. Hobson's Choice. Take the horse nearest the stable door ... or walk away. Literally. No less a personage than the most famous poet in the world lived in Cambridge at this time, and John Milton immortalized his name for this rule. So Hobson's Choice became an "all or nothing" scenario. Take it or leave it. Pretty cool eh?
It's Working
The premier of Alberta appeared on Breitbart News last month. She suggested Trump hold off on tariffs to help conservatives win the election. Holy Foreign Interference Batman!! Why not just ask Musk to put 100 million into CPC campaign ads? Then Trump said the quiet part out loud. After stating that "we are much more aligned (about Poilievre) and seeing his numbers slump, he is now saying he hopes Carney wins. We will see if Canadians are smarter than the stupidest man in America?
I Spent A Lot Of Money This Week
My sister wondered aloud if I had won the lottery? No. I am melting my RRSPs to improve my tax exposure when I take CPP & OAS. Every year, I divert some of that to home improvement items that I will never afford again in this life. 2022, solar panels. 2023, eaves troughs. 2024 electrical upgrades. This years' list is coming together and I will share some details next week. Last week, I bought those amazing strawberries for $1.99 SWMBO said they were fantastic, then laughed at me when she read the fine print. They were made in Merica. I literally traded a four-dollar container of baby spinach for a seven-dollar container of spinach about one minute before picking up those strawberries!! Flyer was nothing special. It's slathered with Canadian flags, then full of U.S. products. I wrote them they said they were offering Canadian shoppers "choices" There is a $250 continuity offer and the normal paltry offers on canned goods and cottage cheese. I would have a hard time getting to the $250 mark this week, but I don't have a house filled with ravenous teenagers. If you can get to the big number, shop at Zehr's. Otherwise, you might try Food Basics this week. Lots of great deals in their flyer under that Crazy Eights' banner. Here's your list ...
WIGGE is Joppie sauce? It's in the flyer. It's on sale. Google is telling me it is a dutch condiment used for dipping or used as a spread. It usually contains mayo, onions and curry. WCPGW. I am getting some.
WIGGE = what in God's good earth. WCPGW = what could possibly go wrong?
The kids can't have all the fun. Onion rings in the flyer? Joppie on sale? I am seeing an alignment of the planets.
... and finally
The election choice made down south last fall shocked the world. Our turn. I will only say this: I do not intend on taking a chance this time by voting for the third or fourth party candidate. Splitting the progressive vote can literally cost us our country. We do not face Hobson's choice. One candidate has never worked a day in his life. He wants to move Canada towards the U.S. model. He talks like Trump. He sows dissent. His promises are amazing ... and vacuous. The other candidate has unprecedented educational chops and has spent a lifetime working in the highest echelons of the private sector, rubbing shoulders with world leaders. This is easy.
Mitch & Maddie