Today has been a long day. I was tired so slept in longer than normal. I had physiotherapy for 2 hours and then I had to drive through rush hour traffic to get to a meeting of the Family Council of the care centre where my mother resides. Since I was chairing the meeting, I could not duck out in favour of sleep. I didn't get home until almost 10 pm and had to have some supper and feed the babes. Today's 'My Universe' is so me! As a result, this is today's only article.
Puzzle — Today’s took me 2:58 (average 4:50). To do it, click here. How did you do? For those that don't know, we always do the 48 piece classic.
Short Takes
Huffington Post — There's no way a candidate can beat Stephen Harper in his own riding — or can he?
NDP candidate Matt Masters Burgener poses that question in what's already being called the "smartest ad" of this election campaign.
As some may know, Canada is in the midst of a federal election. Election Day is Monday 19/10/2015, and 4 days of early voting ended last night. There were more than 3.6 million early voters, of which I was one. That is a 71% increase over early voting in the 2011 election. For many Canadians, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has to go to the political unemployment line along with his "Harlots" (caucus), which may account for the high voter turnout in the advanced polls. The video above is one of the ads that his constituency New Democratic Party (NDP) rival has produced. Watch the video very carefully, all the way through. It is very clever. A link to another ad is in the Huffington Post article.
Huffington Post — Despite global wealth decreasing by $12.4 trillion over the past year, mainly due to currency fluctuations, the global distribution of wealth has become even more unequal.
Today the top one per cent "account for half of all assets in the world," according to Credit Suisse's 2015 Global Wealth Report.
Check out the rest of the data at Huffington Post. The rich get richer, and the poor . . . well they get poorer and seem to sink into insignificance as far as the wealthy are concerned. There will be a revolution . . .
Think Progress — From the heavily-edited videos that made Planned Parenthood staff look like insensitive fetal tissue profiteers to presidential candidate Carly Fiorina’s erroneous ad campaign, the past months have unveiled the general misinformation and coercion behind many anti-abortion groups. Now, one state has taken the leap to combat these types of harmful anti-abortion propaganda at the source: inside anti-abortion organizations disguised as health clinics. But not without a fight.
On Friday, California became the first state to pass a law regulating the nearly 170 anti-abortion clinics in the state. Barely 48 hours later, two clinics had already sued California Attorney General Kamala Harris, deeming the new law unconstitutional.
California leads the way in providing protections to women from the predatory practices of the Crisis Pregnancy Centres. It seems these centres feel it is their first amendment right to free speech that is being denied. They think they should have the right to lie, misinform and deceive women. California, thanks for doing right! If this one small step is bugging the right, look out when it comes to bigger issues. Read the rest of the article at Think Progress.
Alternet — Giant Wall Street banks continue to threaten the wellbeing of millions of Americans, but what to do?
Bernie Sanders says break them up and resurrect the Glass-Steagall Act that once separated investment from commercial banking.
Hillary Clinton says charge them a bit more and oversee them more carefully.
Most Republicans say don’t worry.
In my opinion, Bernie is right . . . Glass-Steagall must be reintroduced for the protection of consumers. The big banks are addicted to making big money by risking large sums. But did consumers sign on to have their savings used in such away? Did those consumers who are highly risk adverse have any say? Under Hillary's plan, yes the banks would pay higher fees, but those fees would be a business expense and therefore deductible from income before taxes. And the risky behaviour is still present. Have a look at the entire article at Alternet.
My Universe — h/t Christeen A (Care2) — This is so me today! . . . or perhaps Exhaustipated!
17 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 14/10/2015”
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Bernie is right about reintroducing the Glass-Steagall Act to protect banking consumers.
Petitions for the Glass-Steagall Act –
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/reinstate-the-glass-steagall-5
http://my.elizabethwarren.com/page/s/glass-steagall
More PETITIONS at: http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=Petition+for+Glass-Steagall+Act&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
Yup and making them smaller, too, is needed like Warren says and Bernie alluded to…
Thanks, Jim, I signed the Move On petition.
4:38 Flowers weep? Who knew? Oh, they must have been watching the GOP debates.
HuffPo I – I see you feel the need to advise US voters to watch carefully and all the way through (no, I am not feeling talked-down-to — you are right.) However, there is no one on the Canadian telly to say that – and they are calling it the smartest ad of the campaign. I deduce that Canadian voters have a longer attention span than US voters. Good luck to Matt.
HuffPo II – How anyone paying attention could fail to know this already is betond me. However, as long as I am making deductions, I deduce that one strategy of the wealthy is to keep the rest of us struggling so hard just to survive that we won't have time or energy to pay attention. Perhaps they think that will aert the revolution. Well, it may postpone it.
Think Progress – Good for California. And good luck to California.
Alternet – Glass-Steagall is my song and i am so glad Bernie is singing it. Of course, it is practically the defining characteristic of the "Warren Wing."
Universe – Bed sounds great. New day – not so much. I can't think that far ahead.
Yup Jim and making them smaller, too, is needed like Warren says and Bernie alluded to…
CA has a variety of lemon laws for consumers to ensure the information a seller or provider gives them is not untrue, especially not intentionally. Scams are not welcome here–that isn't free speech.
We'll see if the people of Canada vote to ensure their voice in changing income inequality and other issues of concern.
Cute kitties always welcome
For those that pray, please keep Pat B. and her neighbors in prayer as she is coping with a fire near her much like I have experienced in recent years.
HP: Excellent ad, it's a brilliant ad. Best to Matt. I hope he wins!
HP2: My dad would say the same thing at the dinner table, "The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer'. Unfortunately, this still applies to today.
AlterNet: I'm with Bernie!! Jim, thanks for the links, have signed.
My Universe: Aww….so sweet!
Get your rest. Thanks, Lynn
Thanks for doing all that work and posting this article in addition to a very busy and long day, Lynn. Have a catnap on me, you certainly deserve one.
Huffington Post: Positively brilliant ad. Let's hope Matt Masters Burgener and his NDP can turn the elections around like he does the ad. With a 71% rise in turnout of early votes who most likely want Harper looking for another job, the future looks already a little brighter for Canada, but we'll have to wait and see. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed, both for Canada and for America, because a landslide win for progressives might set things in motion there too.
Huffington Post: The 1% owns half of the world assents?!?! It's a miracle the pages of the Global Wealth Report didn't catch fire, its message is such hot stuff. Yes, it is time for revolution; not the type drenched in blood, because after the carnage everything usually turns back to how it was, but one led by sensible progressives, people who are not driven by greed and ego, people who do not turn into a dictator after they won a battle. Sadly they're in short supply and often older (Sanders and Corbyn). It's time to get some young ones ready.
Think Progress: Kudos to California legislators for having the guts to tackle these fake abortion clinics. I hope that they are steadfast in their desire to close down those that do not offer abortions at all but lies, misinformation, guilt and heartache instead. Next I hope they'll pas some laws that won't allow anyone offering a public service give false information or lie to people seeking help under the protection of the first amendment.
Alternet: Hillaries solution doesn't make much sense in view of Wall Streets wheeling and dealing since 2008. They'll just pass on whatever they're additionally charged with to the little man and not to the big investors and seven years of more careful oversight has resulted in zero change. The only way to go about it is to fundamentally change the way these big banks are structured and operate and that is what Bernie Sanders proposes. Bernie('s) is the way to go.
My Universe: As it is about 8 PM here, very dark, cold and rainy, I know exactly how you feel. My fur babes have finished their meal and are getting ready for a long kip. I think I'll go and join them on the couch.
Any news on TomCat, by the way?
some excellent analyses of the DEM debate:
http://www.thenation.com/article/the-real-debate-last-night-was-between-democratic-socialism-and-casino-capitalism/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign&utm_term=daily
http://www.thenation.com/article/bernie-changed-the-democratic-debate/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign&utm_term=daily
And:
Who Won the Democratic Debate? Progressives, Hands Down
http://www.thenation.com/article/who-won-the-democratic-debate-progressives-hands-down/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign&utm_term=daily
http://www.thenation.com/article/in-the-first-democratic-debate-clinton-shows-that-she-really-does-know-how-to-play-the-game/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign&utm_term=daily
In the First Democratic Debate, Clinton Shows That She Really Does Know How to Play the Game
And she typified all that is good, and bad, about Democratic liberalism.
sorry Lynn–didn't realize the article titles I copied would be links when I pasted second set of articles
Flower droop puzzle time; 5:37.
Wow Lynn I am happy you have some time for yourself!
Bernie is right but I missed the debate to watch the Cubs beat the Cardinals.
Love and prayers to Tom Cat.
Puzzle ~ 2:57 Just beat you by a dew drop, Lynn.
3:09 Like the flower, I drooped a bit.
I think the ad was brilliant!
Think Progress: I hope California's law stands and wish more states would follow their path.
Alternet: I agree with Reich and Bernie. Glass Steagal needs to be brought back, the banks are too large and too well connected to Congress.
My Universe: That is the way I felt yesterday. Mom had an appointment with her nephrologist, who always is running behind, but gives full attention to her patient when she gets them in her exam room. Mom was in one of her bad days and quarreled and browbeat the whole time. NOthing like sitting in a room full of strangers who are listening to what a lousy daughter you are.
Lynn, I hope you got some rest. I have sent you two personal messages, did you not receive them?