“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
Pablo Picasso

Once again our world is in major flux and patience is required to let current active events move along their path a little farther before we can start to evaluate the influence on our daily daily lives and future possibilities.

First up on the menu is local news. The legalization of marijuana in the state has been compared to a Gold rush type opportunity. It has moved through many of the typical phases; prospector or early adapter, rush of new owner/operator businesses defining and growing business, supporting business develop around initial product or crop, investors start showing up, government presence grows, consolidation of initial businesses, further consolidation of supporting businesses due to economics of price collapse or cost of government regulations, and eventual control by big corporations.

Last year the price collapsed due to oversupply. This year the challenge is change in government requirements.

Is This a Fatal Fungus on Cannabis, or TO Cannabis?
Bend Source May 31, 2023

There's a new threat to Oregon's cannabis industry, which isn't exactly hurting for more of those. It's already creating a reduction in the number of flower options available, and some farms are considering stopping production completely.
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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention writes that, "Invasive aspergillosis is uncommon and occurs primarily in immunocompromised people." The number of healthy people contracting Aspergillus from smoking cannabis is unknown, which the CDC explains, "Because aspergillosis is not a reportable infection in the United States, the exact number of cases is difficult to determine. Milder, allergic forms of aspergillosis are more common than the invasive form of the infection."

How is testing for Aspergillus performed? What happens if you fail?

Samples submitted are tested "Pass/Fail" for any amount of Aspergillus, and not parts per million. Fail, and per the OHA, "the batch may either be remediated using a sterilization process or be used to make a cannabinoid concentrate or extract if the processing method effectively sterilizes the batch, such as a method using a hydrocarbon solvent or CO 2 extraction system." ...
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Currently there are 23 states doing testing, albeit with varying allowable amounts.

How are Oregon growers doing with these tests?

Not great. OLCC provided Willamette Week with results showing that 6% of the flower tested had failed, along with a stunning 22% of infused pre rolls.

How does the Oregon cannabis industry feel about this?

Also not great. In an industry already overtaxed, over regulated and underperforming financially with an ongoing oversupply issue, the cost of testing is another burden.

Is there a proposed time line of further separation of world market?

Sequoia split anticipates new China sanctions Asia Times June 9, 2023

Sequoia Capital, one of Silicon Valley’s oldest and most successful venture capital funds, is dividing itself into three independent regional businesses to simplify management and reduce political risk.

The company’s operations in the US and Europe will continue to use the name Sequoia Capital. Operations in India and Southeast Asia have been combined and rebranded as Peak XV Partners. Peak XV was the original designation given by British surveyors to Mount Everest. Operations in China will be called HongShan, which means Sequoia.

On June 6, Sequoia announced that “It has become increasingly complex to run a decentralized global investment business… This has made using centralized back-office functions more of a hindrance than an advantage… We will move to completely independent partnerships and become distinct firms with separate brands no later than March 31, 2024.”
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On May 25, Patrick McHenry, chairman of the US House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services, sent Secretary Yellen a highly critical letter requesting detailed evidence that Treasury would achieve its purported goals. In part, it reads:

Dear Secretary Yellen,
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The Administration further claims that U.S. investments in early-stage Chinese companies may require the declaration of a national emergency. However, U.S. venture capital deals in China have fallen by 87 percent since 2018.1 At their height, these investments were concentrated in later-stage companies. Moreover, U.S. venture capital firms typically acquire control, substantive decision-making rights, board seats, or material nonpublic technical information when they invest.
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Once back-office functions, infrastructure and profit-sharing have been completely separated, there will be three venture capital firms instead of one, two of them domiciled outside the US. An example has been set. Sequoia will probably not be the only investment firm to take this route around US sanctions.

The press release release by the United Kingdom prior to the visit of their Prime Minister to United States included a statement which has me puzzled. I thought US and UK were adversaries between the late 1700's and early 1900's. Or were we just a rambunctious colony that is now back on track?

PM: The UK and US must build an alliance that protects our economies
United Kingdom government website June 6, 2023.

The Prime Minister said:

The UK and US have always worked in lockstep to protect our people and uphold our way of life. As the challenges and threats we face change, we need to build an alliance that also protects our economies.

Wikipedia
United Kingdom

The Treaty of Union between the Kingdom of England (which also included Wales) and the Kingdom of Scotland in 1707 resulted in their unification to become the Kingdom of Great Britain. Its union in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Most of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which formally adopted its name in 1927.
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During the Second World War, the UK was one of the Big Three powers (along with the U.S. and the Soviet Union) who met to plan the post-war world; it was an original signatory to the Declaration by United Nations. After the war, the UK became one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and worked closely with the United States to establish the IMF, World Bank and NATO.

Special Relationship

Although the "Special Relationship" between the UK and the US was perhaps most memorably emphasized by Churchill, its existence and even the term itself had been recognized since the 19th century, not least by rival powers.[8]

The American and British governments were enemies when foreign relations between them first began, after the American colonies declared their independence from British rule, which triggered the American Revolutionary War. Relations often continued to be strained until the mid-19th century, erupting into open conflict during the War of 1812 and again verging on war when Britain almost supported the rebel Confederate States during the beginning of the American Civil War.[citation needed] British leaders were constantly annoyed from the 1830s to the 1860s by what they saw as American pandering to the mob, as in the Aroostook War in 1838–1839 and the Oregon boundary dispute in 1844–1846. However, British middle-class public opinion sensed a common "special relationship" between the two peoples based on their shared language, migrations, evangelical Protestantism, classical liberalism and extensive private trade. That constituency rejected war, which forced Britain to appease America. During the Trent Affair of late 1861, London drew the line, and Washington retreated.[9]

Troops from both nations had begun fighting side by side, sometimes spontaneously in skirmishes overseas by 1859, and both liberal democracies shared a common bond of sacrifice during the First World War (though the US was never formally a member of the Allies but entered the war in 1917 as a self-styled "Associated Power"). British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald's visit to the US in 1930 confirmed his own belief in the "special relationship" and so he looked to the Washington Naval Treaty, rather than a revival of the Anglo-Japanese alliance, as the guarantee of peace in the Far East.[10]
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Churchill's mother was a US citizen, and he keenly felt the links between the two English-speaking peoples. He first used the term "special relationship" on 16 February 1944, when he said it was his "deepest conviction that unless Britain and the United States are joined in a special relationship... another destructive war will come to pass".[19] He used it again in 1945 to describe not the Anglo–American relationship alone but Britain's relationship with both the Americans and the Canadians.

Legal system is used to control the actions of of the lower classes. The control mechanisms are currently being applied to those who held the highest political positions in some G-7 countries. The outrage is palatable.

Boris Johnson

“I am now being forced out of Parliament by a tiny handful of people with no evidence to back up their assertions – and without the approval even of Conservative Party members, let alone the wider electorate,” Johnson said on Friday in a statement. “I believe that a dangerous and unsettling precedent is being set.” He added that his removal is the “necessary first step” for lawmakers who want to overturn the result of the 2016 Brexit referendum.
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“They know perfectly well that when I spoke in the Commons, I was saying what I believed sincerely to be true and what I had been briefed to say, like any other minister,” Johnson said. “They know that I corrected the record as soon as possible, and they know that I and every other senior official and minister – including the current prime minister and then-occupant of the same building, Rishi Sunak – believed that we were working lawfully together.”

Donald Trump
"This Is Crazy!": Trump Rages After Indictment Unsealed ZeroHedge June 8, 2023

he 49-page indictment against former President Trump was unsealed Friday, and contains 38 counts covering seven criminal charges, including willful retention of national defense information, corruptly concealing documents, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and making false statements.

Joe Biden
Biden accused of pocketing a $5 million bribe while vice president The Washington Times June 9, 2023

A paid informant told the FBI that an executive from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma has documents proving he bribed President Biden with $5 million while he was vice president.

Did Bill Clinton and George Bush
They may still avoid legal action.

Col. Tony Shaffer: Russia HITS Ukraine With DESTRUCTIVE FORCE (start at 17:33 of 34:29 min) April 12, 2023

Discussion of 9/11 defense of Guatanamo prisoners found evidence of possible US envolvemtnt.

The newest battlefield on the Russia/Western world conflict.

Pepe Escobar Moscow speech at founding of International Russophile Movement, Mar 14, 2023 (10:50 min)

Russia-Bashing Blowback: The Birth of the International Russophile Movement (MIR) Unz Review June 3, 2023

It is my pleasure to present the first comprehensive, detailed report in English, written by an insider, about the International Russophile Movement, launched last month in Moscow.

This project, supported by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aims to counterpunch the relentless waves of Russophobia and cancel culture unleashed by the usual suspects since the start of the Special Military Operation (SMO) in Ukraine in February 2022.

As readers will be able to verify, this is a multipolar information project that can become an inspiration for the Global South. The idea is to counteract arrogance and intolerance with an affirmative stance that is deeply rooted in culture, civilizational values and the vision of a more equitable system of international relations.

It’s time to change the narrative. Enjoy the ride (P.E.)
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The main thing I want to get across in this interview are these 3 simple ideas, which embody the idea of Russophilia’ emphasized Malinov, ‘Traditional Values – Strong National States – A Multipolar World.’ He elaborates, ‘being a Russophile means being a patriot of your own country, because Russia stands for multipolarity.’ Malinov explained that these simple ideas work with all world religions and political systems, and that after much thought, he distilled the principles of his organization to these three points, precisely because they can be embraced around the world.

Listening to Malinov and his public statements, it becomes clear that he is sincerely, Christian, and that his lapel pin is not for show. His conversation is peppered with references to his faith. ‘It’s a spiritual battle’, he declares, saying that he will run MIR on the principles of ‘humility, honesty, and transparency’.
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(Nikolai) Malinov’s university degree is in history, and his discussion of the roots of Russian-Bulgarian friendship reveals a sophisticated understanding of European history, political philosophy, and Christian Orthodox theology. Indeed, Malinov comes across as a man immersed in journalism, media, and ideas.

He dwells on the idea that Russia is the ideal vessel to bring about peace and understanding around the world because it is part of both East and West. He argues that countries like Russia and Bulgaria have had to learn to get along with sometimes hostile neighbors over centuries, and that the Eastern European, Christian Orthodox mentality is more ‘delicate and nuanced’, more focused on cooperation and consensus than the more categorical and divisive West.

The Western pushback has started.

Why do disgraced Americans like Scott Ritter spout pro-Putin propaganda in Russia? Euro News May 25, 2023

What is a tankie?

The term “tankie” is familiar to anyone with some knowledge of the politics of the former Soviet Union. It emerged during the Soviet invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovakia in the mid-20th century as a reference to those who downplayed the fact that Kremlin tanks were used to suppress protests and opposition in cities like Prague and Budapest.

It is common internet slang nowadays, especially among those seeking to weed out apologists for the Putin regime. You can find tankies of all kinds - from anonymous Twitter trolls waxing poetic about NATO's expansion into Eastern Europe, to renowned journalists and academics.

One of the more distinguished among them is American journalist Seymour Hersh, once a renowned and revered writer, and known for his trailblazing reporting on US crimes such as the My Lai massacre and the torture of Iraqi civilians in Abu Ghraib.

Stephan Gardner interviews Ray MacGovern
Ex CIA: White House PANICS Over Explosive New Leak (27:04) June 8, 2023

Ukraine Russia War Changing Global Order? Alastair Crooke fmr Brit ambassador (25:35 min) June 6, 2023

The other livestream videos this week by Judge Napolitano channel ongoing discussions regarding current Ukraine/Russia conflict. the interviews are generally posted on Monday through Thursday if would like to view them in a more timely manner.

What is on your mind today?