I have been able to accomplish quite a bit today so I am a happy camper. Tomorrow will be a day to visit with my mother. I bought her some adaptive clothing so we may have a "fashion show" to try them on for fit and hopefully to see my mother smile.
Puzzle — Today’s took me 3:15 (average 5:20). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes
Vancouver Sun — But he believes that building cities is about more than just constructing houses and towers and roads to connect them. It’s also about creating social infrastructure and inclusive societies.
So, Gillespie’s Westbank Properties is handing over 12 fully furnished and fully stocked apartments downtown to the Immigrant Services Society of B.C. for a minimum of four months. Those multi-bedroom units will be used as transitional accommodation until more permanent housing can be found for some of the 3,000 Syrian refugees expected to arrive in Vancouver within the next several months.
Click through for the rest. This attitude is certainly in contrast to that of US state governors, many of whom have said flat out "no refugees", and to the US House which voted "no" to refugees. But many US Christians are seriously stepping forward in support of the Syrian refugees. Vancouver developer Daljit Thind, himself an immigrant, has housing available. Vancouver's Temple Sholom has raised money to sponsor a family and is working with Mosaic immigrant services.
Washington Post — h/t JLA — Completing a long-shot bid that ran counter to the conservative tide sweeping the Southern states, Democratic state Rep. John Bel Edwards was elected governor of Louisiana on Saturday, defeating his Republican rival, U.S. Sen. David Vitter.
Edwards was the top vote-getter in the state’s open primary last month and then built a lead over Vitter that he never surrendered.
With 1,800 out of 3,945 precincts reporting, Edwards led Vitter 55 percent to 45 percent, prompting the Edwards campaign to declare victory late Saturday evening.
Click through for the rest of the story. Although this article states "1,800 out of 3,945 precincts reporting", the Huffington Post's story says "Edwards won 56 percent of the vote, with 99 percent of precincts reporting.". And from Mother Jones,
Edwards has pledged to sign an executive order authorizing the expansion of the program on his first day in office. That's a really big deal. Such a move would provide coverage to about 225,000 residents in one of the poorest states in the nation.
It certainly looks like things are looking up for Louisiana. About time!
Think Progress — When a parking lot attendant dared to recycle trash he picked up outside an upstate New York Walmart, the store fired him. Now generous strangers are trying to help cushion his sudden fall.
Thomas Smith, 52, had been earning $9 an hour at an upstate New York Walmart for less than three months when his manager terminated him over the cans. Smith was in charge of rounding up shopping carts from the lot outside the store, and started collecting trash from the lot while making his rounds. After storing up cans for a couple months, he recycled them in the store’s machines in early November. He got $5.10 for them.
Click through for the rest of the story. I think the following line from the story sums up the situation: "That thief was white. Smith collected trash while black."
My Universe —
8 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 22/11/2015”
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Vancouver Sun: Kudos to Mr. Thind !! Gosh, if others here in the USA would adopt this level of rationality, compassion for others as it would help the refugees. After all, we too, are a land of immigrants.
WP: Howdy, Neighbor!! Kudos to the Honorable John B. Edwards!
TP: Wow, this really is alful. Mr. Smith is owned an apology. Really, Walmart?? For picking up cans? Yea, this is how they treat formerly incarcerated folks, while being black and recycling. How sad. Hope he wins his lawsuit too!!
My Universe: Adorable! Some cats are more tolerant than others when it comes to puppies/dogs.
Hope your 'fashion show' goes well. It's nice that you can see/feel your mom's smile too. Allergies in full on mode here, I'm going to go take a nap. Hope you have a great day, Thanks, Lynn for post.
7:01 Why do they say light pink when it's obviously dark pink? Oh – wait. Never mind.
VSun – The sad thing is, US RWNJs will not see we (they) are being put to shame, they will just think Canada has lost its collective mind. Aaarrrgh! The other think I note is the phrase "within the next several months." Even before the House voted to make the vetting process tighter, our process was so cumbersome that "within the next several years" would be more appropriate.
HuffPo – A glimmer of light indeed. For anyone who was not following this and wonders what it takes for a Republican to lose in Louisiana, David Vitter is the the guy who likes to visit prostitutes, pretend to be a baby, and wear diapers to act the part. I'm not sure that would have been enough, but the RNC yamked all his financial support about a couple of months ago (that figure is from memory so it may be off). Also, Edwards has receive endorsements from prominent Louisiana Republicans who have never done such a thing before. With all that, I was still fairly sure Vitter would win. A time to be glad to be wrong!
Think Progress – Yes. I was going to direct Megaera to that WalMart. But I'm sure she can find it without my help.
Universe – A broad spectrum of reactions, though several are simple: "Go away, kid, you're bothering me."
Thanks for the Louisiana Hat tip Joanne miscredited to me (I provided a link for VA elections that showed hope on the more local level).
I hope your "fashionshow" will turn out to be a success and your mother will reward you with her smile, Lynn.
Vancouver Sun: Kudos this unique pair of men: Ian Gillespie and Daljit Thind, Social Democrats AND real estate devolopers AND compasionate human beings. Kudos too to the Jewish community of the Temple Sholom who see past the religious differences and sponsor Syrian refugees as does the Anglican Archdiocese. They're not afraid that problems may arize because "We are blaming a refugee crisis for terrorism, when really we should be blaming terrorism for a refugee crisis."
Thank you for your sanity and compassion, Vancouver.
WaPo/HuPo/MoJo: What good news! (thanks for posting, Judi) The people, especially the poor, of red Louisianna have come to their senses and have voted for someone who has their back. For now, Gov. John Bel Edwards will have to (over)rule the Republicans by executive order and give 250,000 of the poor healthcare, but if Republicans would tinker with his order, they're sure to lose more seats in the Congress of Louisiana next election. It's not all good news though, Edwards may be a Democrat, but with his ant-abortion and pro-guns views he's more of a Dino.
Think Progress: This man was down and out on his luck and the store used his collecting garbage as an excuse to fire him. Can't give black parolee the benefit of the doubt, or even listen to his explanation. He earned himself $5.10 extra over the course of a couple of months and that is money billion dollar company Walmart can't miss. Now Thomas Smith will probably return to prison, mangled between a bigoted, heartless store manager and the parole system. Thanks a lot Walmart.
My Universe: So cute, the reactions to meeting the pup(s) as diverse as as cats are.
4:45
Kudos to BC!
More kudos to LA and Edwards!!
Typical for Wal-Fart!!!
The tux in the beginning had it right. CAT is where it's AT!!
3:15 ~ I saw the light!
3:39 My lights went out.
With harper out of the way (who knows what xenophobia he might have spewed?), Canada shows ho to behuan on the North American continent!!
I wish to refer you, as I expect most/all readers of Squatch'swork also read TC's, my comment on his piece today, whic references a rather marvelous book about the issue of Islamism, distinguishingit from Islam, which is simply a religion. It is Jihadist Islamism that has scared the refugees from their homes.
Super kudos to John Bel Edwards!
Some of those kittens were not kittens, but kittens and puppies are some of the most wonderul people!
If only human people could play together nicely, period!
May scatologically related things fall into the mouth of the clown who fired Smith! If he was derelict in spending work time collecting cans, he could have simply been counseled about this, maybe written up, but fired?