Today was a miserably wet day out and of course I had 3 waterphobic cats to get to the vet's for their annual exam. They love their vet very much and were purring and rubbing up against him. Winnie, my ginger, took the lid from the treats jar and almost got his head stuck in the jar. The good news: they are all very healthy! 
The bad news: they have all put on weight. 
Primo, my tuxedo is now 15.05 kg (33.11 lbs), Winnie is 13.1 kg (28.82 lbs), and little Annie is 11.45 kg (25.19 lbs) . . . that is 39.6 kg (87 lbs) in my bed each night! Is it any wonder that I was almost dumped on the floor a few nights back?! They were already on reduced rations so we will see what happens with reducing them a bit more. Apparently they are middle aged now . . . the boys turn 8 in mid April . . . so part of the problem is likely a slowing down of their metabolism. My vet says they have fattened up with love (no, I don't over feed them). Tomorrow is physio again so, as my stepfather would say, I'll be peddling my ass for another 40 minutes.
Short Takes
Alternet — Every candidate in the GOP presidential race is running on the same economic platform: slash taxes, slash spending, slash regulation. It’s the Republicans’ special formula, guaranteed to spark prosperity and opulence for all. …
Deregulate the private sector, shrink taxes for everybody, but especially corporations and the rich. America has been here before. These ideas are not new. Throughout the 1920s, they were policy.
An excellent article that puts historical context around current Republican economic platforms. Republicans just love their St Ronnie! Interesting how Republicans don't want to acknowledge the cause and effect of the 1929 stock market crash and the depression. It is laws like the original Glass Steagall that made a big difference.
CBC — The federal government discriminates against First Nation children on reserves by failing to provide the same level of child welfare services that exist elsewhere, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has ruled.
Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations and Family Caring Society, along with the Assembly of First Nations, filed a complaint against Ottawa with the Canadian Human Rights Commission in February 2007. …
Before final arguments were heard in October 2014, during which the tribunal heard from 25 witnesses, the federal government had racked up $5.3 million in legal fees.
A great ruling! In February 2007, Stephen Harper was Canada's Prime Minister. He ws not one to act on or coöperate in any way for the benefit of First Nations. But to be fair, previous governments, both Conservative and Liberal, did not handle First Nations issues well at all. It is past time that changed. I watched a brief statement by Charlie Angus, MP Timmins-James Bay, earlier as he recounted how there were some 89 Aboriginal kids on suicide watch a few years ago and the federal Conservative government in concert with the Ontario provincial government fired all the social workers leaving the kids and their families in dire straits. And of course trust the fiscally conservative Stephen Harper, like US Republicans, to spend money legal issues that should never have been done. Imagine the good that $5.3 million could have done for First Nations kids.
Huffington Post — The Canadian government has fired off a pre-emptive strike before American lawmakers hold a hearing in which the northern neighbour's Syria refugee policy will be on the hot seat.
It sent a note to members of a powerful U.S. Senate committee that has scheduled a meeting next week titled, "Canada's Fast-Track Refugee Plan: Unanswered Questions and Implications for U.S. National Security."
The U.S. Senate homeland-security hearing is, for the Trudeau government, an unwanted flip-side to the praise it received from progressives and foreign media outlets last month when the prime minister personally greeted refugees at the airport.
This will be far less laudatory, judging from the list of witnesses invited to testify before the committee next Wednesday: most have already publicly challenged Canada's plan to quickly accept 25,000 refugees.
Here comes the American paranoia over Muslims from the Republican dominated Congress and it is directed at Canada. The Canadian Ambassador to the US declined to testify "…citing a long-standing practice of avoiding appearances in that partisan domestic political chamber." Partisan is an understatement!
My Universe —
11 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 26/01/2016”
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I'm afraid you're not going to be a favorite to your furbabes for a while, Lynn: they all put on weight on an already reduced regime, so that regime must become even more austere and they're not going to like that! At least you know that they're not getting any extras on the side because they're housebound.
Alternet: I think the average right-wing/conservative voter all over the world thinks that these cuts, this austerity, isn't going to affect them personally, but only those, right-wingers have been pushed into believing, that deserve to get less and that is the leaching, lazy poor and the overpaid, money spending librul government. If per chance they do notice they are getting less and less, they have let themselves be indoctrinated to attribute this to not enough cuts to those same poor and government instead of the real beneficiaries, the 1%. Worldwide the 1% now owns the same amount of money as the rest, i.e. 99%, of the world own together and still conservatives won't believe that they are being duped out of their money. Well, I suppose they are right if they belong to the 10%.
CBC: After seven years and throwing away $5.3 million the Canadian government is ruled to discriminate First Nations children by providing less child welfare services., something that was known to the Harper government. That amount of money could have done those kids a world of good in those past years. Now Trudeau's government can pick up the pieces and try to reintroduce all those services First Nations children have been cut off from and reimburse them for services they lost out on. Of course Trudeau will then be blamed for spending too much money by the opposition.
HuPo: So America is putting Canada on trial now for the POSSIBILITY of some of the 25,000 Syrian refugees being a terrorist even after long and thorough scrutiny and then not wanting to stay and create havoc in Canada, but try – and succeed – crossing the border to the US which is scrutinized very hard and endanger the lives of all Americans. Sounds like such a plausible scenario, doesn't it? I bet this note "Canada's Fast-Track Refugee Plan: Unanswered Questions and Implications for U.S. National Security." they sent to the committee is only 2 pages long, mainly by headers and signatures. The Canadian Ambassador is absolutely right in calling this charade "partisan domestic political [ ]" and refuses to be part of another Republican scam to put the fear of Muslims into their base. Kudos to him.
My Universe: What a lovely mix of wisdom and cuteness.
Yeah, I got the cold shoulder treatment for a couple of days but all is good now . . . lots of purring and snuggles!
Yikes – 87 pounds for three cats!
Time to remove that pizza place from your speed-dial. They've obviously learned how to order-in when you're out. (But I wonder how they're getting rid of the boxes.)
Funny man! They do like a bite of pizza when I get it which isn't often, but it isn't on speed dial! 87 pounds is just more to love!
Your cats have mine beat! I have had neutered males in the 22-26# range only because early neutering allows them to grow bigger as opposed to fatter – I thought they were big cats (and so did my vet). I never had a female anywhere close to 20#. Canada is a big country but I didn't realize everything was bigger there. I hope that's the only way in which you resemble Texas LOL.
AlterNet – I have been hearing this crap for so long, and it hasn't been working for so long, that it seems unbelieveable that I am still hearing it. That there are still people who think it works. I'd scream, but alas, that doesn't work either.
CBC – Good for Canada. The US isn't doing any better. I just took a survey this morning for the Smothsonian's National Museum of the American Indian – it's fairly obvious they are looking for support for being activists – which is fine with me. It's at https://support.si.edu/site/SPageServer;jsessionid=00000000.app30101a if anyone wants to get onto their list.
HuffPo – Oh, good grief. Time for a rousing chorus of "Blame Canada." I recently read that since 9/11 over 800,000 people have come to the US as refugees, and in that time NOT ONE TERRORIST has gotten through the screening. Stand strong, Canada. Those in the US who have brains and hearts support you.
Universe – Aaaaaw.
My first reaction to the Senate committee was "up yours". Not only did no terrorist enter the US as refugees, but the 9/11 bombers did not come through Canada like Republicans like to say.
That's sounds like a fdun trip. TC, your other tux, outweighs ll three put together, although you've jad ne in reduced rations for ages. I never get to eat a puzzle dawg anymore.
Throughought the 1920s and under Reagan, Bush, and Bush.
It's the same with out Native Americans, but worse.
It's too latge to build a wall. Cruz is already here.
10 even!
Dawg will just give you indigestion!
And thank the gods that Cruz is there! Harper is another Albertan and we are stuck with him, but at least he is not the PM any more!
I feel your pain. I have mine staggered now so I only take two at a time. I am shocked that someone else has fat cats, although mine still don't weigh quite as much as yours. Oreo and Gracie are both 25 pounds. Oreo fights the vet so it takes three people to give him his immunizations.
Alternet: This is an enlightening article for all to read. Reagonomics did not help us in any way. The Republicans are determined to turn this country into an oligarchy, and we are nearly there.
CBC: Glad for this ruling. Sad that Canada treats the First Nation as badly as the U.S. does.
My Universe: Loved both of these, but the kitten melted my heart.
Huffington Post: Yes, politics are definitely involved with this since the current crop of repub. candidates are using Muslims as their fear tactic. It seems to be working, too, sadly.
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I pity you the fuss with Oreo. My 3 are long in the body as well as tall, but they love their vet, and he them. Primo even had to have his butt shaved because he can't clean it adequately. There was no fuss, just purring.
As to the First Nations, under Trudeau, we are attempting to change things in consultation with First Nations leaders. Has the US started that process?
Thanks everyone!