Squatch’s Open Thread 18/12/2015

Well it rained today but not as hard as it has been raining.  We are promised a snow/rain mix on Monday and very probable snow for Christmas day.  We'll see!  I was able to get to the doctor's today and thankfully I do not have pneumonia, but I do have a respiratory infection so it is anti biotics for 5 days.  

Puzzle — Today’s took me 2:57 (average 5:08). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes

Alternet — But as it turns out, the music-less music television station is working to educate their audience on the racist origins of some commonly used phrases.

It is interesting to note where expressions come from and how their meaning changes.  I remember a rhyme for childhood — Eenie, meenie, miney, mo — in which the second line was "catch a n…r by the toe".  I had no idea what a n…r was but when I found out, that rhyme was never spoken again.

Huffington Post — The United States holds a presidential election — and many of its citizens claim they will move to Canada if one of the contenders is elected.

This year, with the advent of people like Donald Trump and Ted Cruz on the right (and Democrats Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton on the left), these mutterings have become increasingly louder.

As one who travels frequently across the border, both for business and personal reasons, one can get the impression that entire Blue (Democratic) states will be depopulated the moment President Trump puts his hand on the inaugural bible. And a President Sanders, if you believe the cocktail-fueled rhetoric at certain conservative functions, would have a similar effect on Red (Republican) states.

When Democrats take the White House and the senate in 2016, red state populations best not think about coming north.  No Republicans or Teabaggers  allowed.  We like our democratic socialism, warts and all.  But seriously, any time I mention Trump in discussions, there are loud sighs! Dump Trump!!!

CBC — Canada's welcoming reception of the first planeloads of Syrian refugees has prompted an overwhelmingly positive response in the Arab media, with one Jordanian news site going so far as to call Prime Minister Justin Trudeau "Superman" for his acceptance of refugees.

Online interest in Canada has seen a huge upswing among Arabic speakers in recent weeks. The number of people searching for the word "Canada" in Arabic doubled in the past month, according to Google Trends. The primary source countries of the queries were Jordan and Lebanon, but internet users in Syria, Yemen, Sudan and Libya also generated some of the searches.  

CBC News found tens of thousands of Arabic searches within the past week (Dec.8-15) for "Canada + Syrian refugees."

With the current refugee crisis and Canada's actions so far under Justin Trudeau, I feel like my Canada is coming back to its values, the ones that made me proud to be a Canadian.  And it feels good.

Huffington Post — The CP Holiday Train is an annual tradition that sees the rail company decorate two trains in Christmas lights and send them on a journey through 150 communities in the U.S. and Canada.

The trains are fast approaching the end of their journeys, which will conclude in Port Coquitlam and Port Moody, B.C. on Dec. 19.

A sunset sky over the Elk River Valley as we steamed toward Fernie, BC.

The trains will finish their journeys in Port Moody about 5 blocks from my house.  There is always a celebration in the older part of town by the trackside.

My Universe — h/t Ted W and Laurie H, Care2