A true hodge of HodgePodges
HodgePodge by Charlie Hodge
Welcome to yet another hodgepodge of HodgePodge columns. It seems appropriate to start the new year with a true HodgePodge since that is how the last year seemed to end. Like many of you I’m thrilled to see 2024 disappear. In the big picture it was not a good year.
The last month to six weeks of 2024 seemed inundated with negative news, deaths, fires, health issues, families struggling, businesses closing… Even the hockey season proved a bit of a downer with Team Canada failing at the juniors. Just to muddy the scene the mad man south of the border began 2025 with his brainstorm of taking over Canada one way or another. One target is first to grab Greenland.
A Reuters news story Jan. 13 sort of explain Don’s non-thinking thinking.
Republican allies for President Elect Trump in the U.S. House of Representatives, “are trying to build support for a bill authorizing talks for buying Greenland according to a bill circulated for co-sponsors on Monday.
“The bill is called ‘Make Greenland Great Again Act,’ the offices of Republican U.S. representatives Andy Ogles, who is leading the bill, and Diana Harshbarger said. The copy of the draft was reported earlier by Fox News Digital and had 10 co-sponsors as of Monday morning rump says he wants to make Greenland a part of the United States and does not rule out military or economic power to persuade Denmark to hand it over. Republicans won a narrow majority in the House and Senate in the Nov. 5 U.S. elections.
“The bill, if passed, will allow the president to enter into negotiations with Denmark on Jan. 20, when Trump takes office.
“Congress hereby authorizes the President, beginning at 12:01 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 20, 2025, to seek to enter into negotiations with the Kingdom of Denmark to secure the acquisition of Greenland by the United States,” the bill’s draft says.
“Not later than 5 calendar days after reaching an agreement with the Kingdom of Denmark relating to the acquisition of Greenland by the United States, the President shall transmit to the appropriate congressional committees the agreement, including all related materials and annexes,” it adds.
Denmark has had control of Greenland for centuries, previously as a colony and now as a semi-sovereign territory under the Danish realm. Greenland is subject to the Danish constitution, meaning any change to its legal status would require a constitutional amendment.
Hmm, new neighbours to the north aside from Alaska.
Regardless, it seems Trump has been making numerous threats and suggestions that he plans on making Canada a big part of his ‘make America great again’ movement. Problem is few in Canada are interested. Regardless of our own political problems – few Canadians are willing to roll over and join the U.S.
I have no doubt the next few months of 2025 will prove eye opening and perhaps slightly volatile.
Canada aside from having a great amount of worldly support not to mention a number of others negotiation components for Donald to think about such as water, power, oil, good neighbours.
I find it boggling that while Canada has sent numerous Canadians to California to help battle that out of control fire, Donald is making take-over threats.
Wow.
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Randy Zahara and friends have produced a fabulous new tune called Hope. They could use your help gaining the song more attention. Randy explains, “thank you for helping us get our song “Hope” into the East Coast Top 100 Songs of 2024! We ended the year as song number 34 which is pretty good considering that we only started promoting it in the last two months of last year.
“In the current 2025 weekly East Coast Top 30 countdown Hope is at number 13. We have been on the charts for nine weeks now, and if we can keep going for six more weeks we can make it into the hall of fame. So, please keep voting for “Hope”.
“Click on the link below, then scroll down to the artist “Shades and Degrees” and vote for Hope.
“As we get close to the Hall of Fame for Hope, we would like to get your opinions on the next song from our album that you think we should submit for the East Coast Top 30. You can listen to, and download (for free) our entire album at www.shadesanddegrees.com.”
