Well I am back after resting almost 18 hours, 10 of those hours sleeping. I felt fairly good this morning when I awoke for physio. Since then, I have felt terrific. Somehow the snow missed us except in the mountains behind me. I would say the sight was stunning, but the clouds and mist hid the view. For those that don't know, TomCat was having a new desk delivered and installed. Something happened during the installation and he lost his internet. Hopefully, he won't be offline for long.
Short Takes
CBC — The Bakours' three-bedroom house, rented for them by the Metropolitan United Church, is a drastic change from the tent they called home in a crowded refugee camp since fleeing Syria four years ago.
Wahida and Hussein Bakour fled Syria with their children after the brutal civil war began four years ago. Mohamad, 7, Malak, 6, Rahaf, 3, and twin boys Ali and Fawaz, 10, are in a home in Toronto thanks to a Toronto church congregation's help. (Nicole Ireland/CBC)
"Muddy, dirt, like the life was not pleasant at all," Wahida Bakour said.
"There were rats all over the place when we were sleeping … like all around us," said her 10-year-old son, Ali.
Then there was the never-ending hunger.
"My father used to go to the trash and pick … like bread and feed those kids," Wahida Bakour said.
As I come across these stories of the lives the Syrian refugees have left as told in their own words, I will share them. Our news is so sanitised but the ordeal, nay the hell these people have lived through is very real.
Think Progress — As storms once again battered the state of Alabama over Christmas, Republican Gov. Robert Bentley moved to divert funding from the 2010 BP oil spill recovery effort to finance the renovation of a second Governor’s mansion on the Gulf Coast.
Yet that beachside mansion, which Alabama governors beginning with famed segregationist George Wallace have enjoyed, was not damaged by the BP oil spill. It was damaged more than two decades earlier by Hurricane Danny, and has sat empty ever since.
Ah! . . . fiscal conservatism Republican style. The funds may not be classified as taxpayer dollars, but they certainly belong to some of the taxpayers. "Bentley argues that the mansion repairs are a priority for economic development…" and I say "in a pig's eye!"
ABC — Meadowlark Lemon, the "clown prince" of basketball's barnstorming Harlem Globetrotters, whose blend of hook shots and humor brought joy to millions of fans around the world, has died. He was 83.
"My destiny was to make people happy," Lemon said as he was inducted into the basketball hall as a contributor to the game in 2003.
I don't remember when I first heard about the Harlem Globetrotters, but I loved every moment that I was able to see them play on television. I remember Meadowlark Lemon and others . . . laughing uproariously at their antics. And who could forget their signature music "Sweet Georgia Brown"? Thanks for the memories Meadowlark.
My Universe —
So, for how long did that butterfly live after
landing on Chester's nose?
5 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 28/12/2015”
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Thanks for letting everyone know what's going on with TC's silence just now!
TC: No Internet Service… Oh, the Horror!
CBC: Hope they, the Bakours, enjoy their new home and country.
Think: Republican Gov. Robert Bentley should be held accountable for diverting funds. He needs to be booted out of office for so many things he has done against the tax-payers in Alabama.
ABC: I remember watching the Harlem Globetrotters as a kid on TV. Meadowlark Lemon was fun to watch using his skills as a basketball player and as a showman. Glad he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Lemon was certainly a superior ballplayer. Let's not forget that he had the support of his team players. Thanks for the videos and memories.
Universe: They are "communicating". lol.
Since I am behind on my mail, I all ready saw that TC was back on line. He must have been very frustrated.
CBC: I shared this story on Facebook, perhaps some of my "friends" who agree with Trump will see this family as real people who deserve help.
Think Progress: This is so typical of Republican governors. We will be seeing the same kind of waste from our new governor, I am sure.
ABC: I got to see the Globe trotters twice in person and those were two of the most enjoyable experiences I have had. So sad to hear of Meadowlark Lemon's passing.
My Universe: That butterfly would not have lasted five seconds on Oreo's nose, he thinks he is a mighty hunter, no bug lives long in this house.
What adorable children. So glad they areno longer in those conditions. (Mom and Dad aren't bad either,I just fell for the kids.)
Why do I suspect that Republicn elected officials do things like this under orders from the 1%, essentially for the electeds to take the fall for being corrupt (which also discourages people from voting) so the 1% can in its own mind look good?
Meadowlark Lemon is a sad loss. You don't have to know anything about sports to know about him and have a smile brought to your face by hearing his name. And now, I guess, a tear.
You're getting quite good at sleeping, Lynn. You must have had lessons from your fur-babies, who can sleep up to 18 hours a day in winter. As we get older a good sleep is a true blessing, so enjoy it while you can; you're obviously reaping its benefits.
CBC: Why anyone would think that Syrian refugees would risk their lives fleeing their country and endure such hardship while living in camps or trying to get across the borders without any certainty they will ever reach a country that accepts them, just because they a lazy loafers who want to come and live on welfare, is beyond me.
Think Progress: It's all sooo Republican an tiresome. I'm just surprised that it took them so long to get their claws in funding from the 2010 BP oil spill, which should have been entirely dedicated to better causes to start with.
My Universe: beautiful picture, but it does make me wonder if it was Photoshoped.