The Squeaky Wheel
When my phone throws a fit and won't sync to the Mazda, I end up listening to broadcast radio. I'm still a CFNY guy. The morning show yesterday featured a UK man. who is brilliant (as they would say). He had a pothole in front of his house. An enormous truck rattling gouge in the earth's crust. A giant bicycle pit created to inflict hip injuries on any blue hairs who get too close. He makes multiple pleas via phone calls, emails, even a trip to the local council (read City Hall). Crickets. Eight months this goes on! Finally, he takes matters into his own hands. In the wee hours of the morning, he gets an old mannikin out of his basement and implements his evil plan. At first light, the phone rings all over England. Police. Fire. Ambulance. The mayor's office. City Hall. Radio stations. The BBC. Magically, a backhoe, work crew, asphalt and a little roller appear in front of his house. Elves with traffic cones and orange vests. This guy is a problem solver.
Pick Yer Poison
I believe our leaders made a mistake with their tariff response. Canadians were already pushing back pretty hard on the purchase of U.S. products. It is also brutally difficult to react to the musings of a madman. Tariffs are complex and expensive to implement across multiple industries. With Pepto Abysmal, one week, the tariffs are on. Next week, tariffs are on hold. The next week, 25 % on this, 10% on that. You noticed he put a smaller tariff on energy? I would never let the Trump Administration be able to pick and choose where he plans on ignoring our negotiated trade deal. Let's play one of my favourite games, shall we? I call it "Prime Minister for a Day." Canada produces 90% of the world's potash. The U.S. buys nearly all of it. Twenty-two million tones annually! The price varies wildly between $400 and $1200 per ton since COVID. They need it for fertilizer and animal feed. They NEED it. The cost of our potash shows up in the price of every piece of fruit, every vegetable, every pork chop, every chicken wing, and steak sold in America. It is a standalone industry. It is easy to manage as a single source export. Also importantly, it would be relatively easy for us (the taxpayers) to compensate our potash producers if the application of a tariff hurts them. It probably wouldn't. Potash enjoys global sales and there are other markets for our potash. Who else supplies globally? Yes. The other 10% of global potash production comes from the Soviet Union. We can charge $2000 per ton. $3000 per ton. Whatever it takes to get us back to even.
Huge Savings This Week
I have avoided anything which will generate profits for U.S. companies. Anything grown in the U.S. or any product which comes from a U.S. manufacturing facility. I have added a BOYCOTT list at the top to serve as a reminder when you are walking the aisles. Tariffs will price them out of the market anyway, but I would prefer the stuff rots on the shelves in the meantime. I also showed in purple, where you might need to gross up your purchase slightly to hit a continuity offer for points. Pretty great flyer, pretty substantial offers, and finally, we have an overall continuity offer. Lately, I have been suggesting that you tap the brakes? This week, load up. Thars points in them there hills:
Consider these things once home. Split the ribs up according to your family size. We like six per package for the freezer. Two for her, four for me? Same goes for the chicken wings and chicken breasts. If you grabbed a bag of red onions last week and still have some, give this a shot ...
Donna John
... and finally
The next time you are watching the start of a hockey game and they are singing … the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air … let's all remember, those were our rockets. Those were our bombs.
Mitch & Maddie