Festivus, and other great Christmas moments

"Stop crying and fight your father"

Twas the night before a Covid Christmas!

 As seen on Facebook:

A Covid Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, but Covid was here,

So we all had to stay extra cautious this year.

Our masks were all hung by the chimney with care

In case Santa forgot his and needed a spare.

With Covid, we couldn't leave cookies or cake

So we left Santa hand sanitizer to take.

The children were sleeping, the brave little tots

The ones over 5 had just had their first shots,

And mom in her kerchief and me in my cap

Had just settled in for a long winter's nap.

But we tossed and we turned all night in our beds

As visions of variants danced in our heads.

Gamma and Delta and now Omicron

These Covid mutations that go on and on

I thought to myself, "If this doesn't get better,

I'll soon be familiar with every Greek letter".

Then just as I started to drift off and doze

A clatter of noise from the front lawn arose.

I leapt from my bed and ran straight down the stair

I opened the door, and an old gent stood there.

His N 95 made him look pretty weird

But I knew who he was by his red suit and beard.

I kept six feet away but blurted out quick

" What are you doing here, jolly Saint Nick?"

Then I said, "Where's your presents, your reindeer and sleigh ?

Don't you know that tomorrow will be Christmas Day? ".

And Santa stood there looking sad in the snow

As he started to tell me a long tale of woe.

He said he'd been stuck at the North Pole alone

All his white collar elves had been working from home,

Those left in the toyshop had little to do.

With supply chain disruptions, they could make nothing new.

And as for the reindeer, they'd all gone away.

None of them left to pull on his sleigh.

He said Dasher and Dancer were in quarantine,

Prancer and Vixen refused the vaccine,

Comet and Cupid were in ICU,

o were Donner and Blitzen, they may not pull through.

And Rudolph's career can't be resurrected.

With his shiny red nose, they all think he's infected.

Even with his old sleigh, Santa couldn't go far.

Every border to cross needs a new PCR.

Santa sighed as he told me how nice it would be

Children could once again sit on his knee.

He couldn't care less if they're naughty or nice

But they'd have to show proof that they'd had their shot twice.

But then the old twinkle returned to his eyes.

And he said that he'd brought me a Christmas surprise.

When I unwrapped the box and opened it wide,

Starlight and rainbows streamed out from inside.

Some letters whirled round and flew up to the sky

And they spelled out a word that was 40 feet high.

There first was an H, then an O, then a P,

Then I saw it spelled HOPE when it added the E.

"Christmas magic" said Santa as he smiled through his beard.

Then suddenly all of the reindeer appeared.

jumped into his sleigh and he waved me good-bye,

Then he soared o'er the rooftops and into the sky.

I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight

"Get your vaccines my friends, Merry Christmas, good-night".

Then I went back to bed and a sweet Christmas dream

Of a world when we'd finished with Covid 19.

Today's news: random funny stuff

COVID has convinced us of this truth:

I’m wearing this when I teach evolutionary medicine next week. pic.twitter.com/E2wCQyTs1u

— Daniel Bolnick (@DanielBolnick) November 22, 2021

😂 True! 🇨🇦❄️🇨🇦❄️🇨🇦❄️🇨🇦 https://t.co/xgdoYTtc2n

— Jacinthe Payant - Jane Goodall = Hero (@JacinthePayant) December 5, 2021

Here's how old I am: I was walking at a good pace toward a door today and I knew that door would slide open automatically as I approached and suddenly the "Get Smart" opening theme began to play in my head.

— John Wing (@JohnWing5) December 1, 2021

And here it is:

 

FLASHBACK: In December 1975, NBC Television aired this episode of Saturday Night Live. pic.twitter.com/qZxOsyO75K

— New Granada (@NewGranada1979) November 29, 2021

Live footage of the Revise and Resubmit process at an economics journal pic.twitter.com/9snLxE27pk

— Khoa Vu (@KhoaVuUmn) November 28, 2021

🤣 This is fun to watch.
Have a smile! https://t.co/2Lo6TcOEyS

— 👽 McSpocky™ 🗣🇺🇸🌊💉 #BuildBackBetter (@mcspocky) November 26, 2021

thinking of Him as black friday draws near🥴 pic.twitter.com/fSm4alVG6W

— The Soviet Onion™ (they/them) (@ASovietOnion) November 23, 2021

Today's News: peek-a-boo!

The parrot is making fun of him! 🤣🤣pic.twitter.com/98HUbWrkdP

— Figen (@TheFigen) November 19, 2021

They used to laugh and call him names.

Not anymore. pic.twitter.com/sYEGmlGKqb

— Cory Papineau (@Iam_Canadian) November 15, 2021

This one was fascinating. Click through and get the whole story:

Saw some really neat behaviors a few years ago. A mountain chickadee taking advantage of an American red squirrel's efforts (a thread).

I spotted a mountain chickadee searching bark and flaking it off from the tree, with a lot of effort. pic.twitter.com/hiSQflk4ZI

— Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD 𓄿𓃥 (@drcampbellsmith) November 11, 2021

I love this:

A few more rhyming farewells:

3. Tack och hej, leverpastej (Swedish) = thank you and goodbye, liver paté
2. Hasta luego, cara huevo (Spanish) = see you later, egg face
1. Hade på badet, din gamle sjokolade (Norwegian) = goodbye on the toilet, you old chocolate

— Adam Sharp (@AdamCSharp) November 16, 2021

I'm surprised how many Canadians don't know who the head of state is.

Quick outline of Canada's government:

- The Queen (most powerful/Head of State)

- Galen Weston

- The Triads/Hells Angels/Mafia Alliance

- The Telecom Monopolies

- Abandoned oil wells

- The Prime Minister

— Stephen Punwasi 🌋 🚀 (@StephenPunwasi) November 17, 2021

‘It’s a familiar old photograph, but it can still move Justin Trudeau to tears.

The famous shot — Pierre Trudeau toting his young son like a football while an RCMP officer snaps a crisp salute at the prime minister was too much…’https://t.co/7sBav8Cpcv

🥲😢😭 pic.twitter.com/MGfcdPzy9N

— Scum Chu (@AlbertaOtoole) November 21, 2021

Earworm alert!

I screenshot and texted this to my husband and got a line back. pic.twitter.com/dvxjb3arqO

— Spooky Mantilla 👻 (@PunkyMantilla) November 2, 2021

We don't deserve dogs 😍 pic.twitter.com/crgYMcz8M8

— The Feel Good Page ❤️ (@natureheel) November 5, 2021

This is the greatest thing ever. pic.twitter.com/aFWa46xeuh

— jamie (@gnuman1979) January 26, 2021

Today's news: when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging!

John Cleese seems to have morphed into the angry establishment figure of ridicule he played in sketches.

— Chris Kehoe (@MrKehoe79) November 13, 2021

John Cleese, Morrissey and JK Rowling walk into a bar.

And the bartender says "the home for aging disappointments is across the street innit" https://t.co/Oqsr7xb2FE

— raf (@rafaelshimunov) November 14, 2021

We saw Cleese in person one summer about 10 years ago, when they held a Just For Laughs festival in Toronto. 

 It did not go well. 

 But we can still love Fawlty, and the Dead Parrot sketch.  

 And Eric Clapton was also trending today.

Yep ... Understandable. Clapton cares nothing about others around him. https://t.co/WHQCeJGCxa

— 🖕🏻Aunt Crabby Calls Bullshit 🖕🏻 (@DearAuntCrabby) November 13, 2021

The next time Twitter decides to celebrate “A-Holes of Twitter Day” could someone please make sure I get the memo? My goodness - it’s vile and obnoxious out here today.

— ᒪᗩᑎᑕᗴ 🏳️‍🌈 (@LanceUSA70) November 14, 2021

At least The Riders won tonight!

Halloween's Best

This the greatest Halloween decoration I’ve ever seen…. pic.twitter.com/V4G5kS5le0

— Jordan🥴 (@Idontknowyoucuh) October 15, 2021

Give them something good to eat: Animals at the Chester Zoo enjoy some Halloween treats. pic.twitter.com/NA9iTmuYpn

— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) October 28, 2021

💀 @Flash_Garrett arrived for today's Halloween game as the Grim Reaper with all QBs that he's sacked listed on his back 💪

(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/s96oBBDNOv

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 31, 2021

This #Halloween chip shot was pumpkin spiced. 🎃

(Via TikTok/golfergirlem) pic.twitter.com/IERaYO7ixF

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) October 31, 2021

Gurdeep is a true Canadian treasure:

Happy Halloween!
From the Yukon wilderness, I am forwarding Halloween joy, hope and positivity across Canada and beyond.
YouTube: https://t.co/7UZu7LDTpK pic.twitter.com/pGnBXP0qxK

— Gurdeep Pandher of the Yukon (@GurdeepPandher) October 31, 2021

The Pulp Librarian offers the top 20 halloween-inspired pulp magazine covers:

And at no 1: Seven Footprints To Satan, by Abraham Merritt. Fantastic Novels Magazine, January 1949. pic.twitter.com/1dUoL6LNUZ

— Pulp Librarian (@PulpLibrarian) October 31, 2021

A tiny landscape painting on a pumpkin seed 🎃 pic.twitter.com/AAAEuMYG49

— Katie 🌿 (@KatieBrooksArt) October 31, 2021

Best pumpkin carving I’ve seen this year.
SAOR ALBA.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 pic.twitter.com/4fUlGspvqt

— Lynn MacDonald-Matheson (@LynnMamaBear1) October 31, 2021

Every year, somebody takes it just a little too far:

So about that weird Gables police display https://t.co/UwqXrYlzLy

— Samantha J. Gross (@samanthajgross) October 31, 2021

And of course, the greatest music video ever made:

Horses, fish, elephants, dogs ...

Next time, dogs own people.

— God (@TheTweetOfGod) October 19, 2021

Some say vaccine mandates don't work.

But...Health workers who don't believe in science are leaving healthcare...And...Police officers who don't care about public safety are leaving policing.

Sounds like vaccine mandates work just fine. 👌🏾

— Naheed Dosani (@NaheedD) October 21, 2021

It's getting disrespectful how long it takes for me to scroll to my birth year

— Trey (@treydayway) October 16, 2021

😂 pic.twitter.com/BK0n9Gk64r

— 🇨🇦 Leslie-Anne 💉💉FULLY VAXXED 👍🏻👍🏻 🇨🇦 (@ProudGrannyCdn) October 17, 2021

My husband purchased a world map and then gave me a dart and said, “Throw this and wherever it lands—that’s where I’m taking you when this pandemic ends.”

Turns out, we’re spending two weeks behind the fridge.

— Kate Wright 🧡 (@KatezRight) October 4, 2021

“Why do dogs always race to the door when the doorbell rings? It’s almost never for them.” - Norm MacDonald.

— Cannabis Farmer: Jim Belushi (@JimBelushi) September 15, 2021

Little yellow fish gets so excited whenever he sees this diver — watch him surprise her with a gift 💛 pic.twitter.com/nEByULlfRL

— The Dodo (@dodo) October 24, 2021

Giant rescue horse finally gets to relax after working 20 years straight — and when the vet prescribes beer every day, he LOVES it 🍻 pic.twitter.com/U5D4Cm0cRd

— The Dodo (@dodo) October 24, 2021

this dog owner spent $400 to find out why his dog was limping only to learn he was copying him out of sympathy
(jukin media) pic.twitter.com/lmhmtZu908

— Humor And Animals (@humorandanimals) October 15, 2021

They did the mash. Thank you to giant pumpkin growers Larry Nelson and Jacob Baldridge for the gourd time! pic.twitter.com/cuNtwafIA0

— Oregoth Boo (@OregonZoo) October 14, 2021

Room Rater PSA from Canada and @brittlestar. Just remember: THERE’S MORE GOOD. 10/10pic.twitter.com/fIANU1A9kH

— Room Rater (@ratemyskyperoom) October 23, 2021

Today's News: truth

There is such truth here:

#INDIGENOUS #TAIRP pic.twitter.com/SQozalLllB

— Indigenous (@AmericanIndian8) October 10, 2021

And truth here too:

Not been guilted into going. This was the right step. The Chief of Tḱemlúps te Secwépemc said it right, actions speak Louder. And him coming on his son’s birthday is the Loudest Action. Grateful that Chief Rosanne Casimir lived streamed this closed event.

— 🇨🇦Paqtasit Apsalqigwat👸🏼🤘🏼☘️🐓🍷 (@paqtasit) October 19, 2021

Breaking: Trudeau visit to Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc Nation ‘bittersweet’ after not attending National Day for Truth and Reconciliation via @globeandmail https://t.co/F5YIQ5nfo6 #cdnpoli

— Kristy Kirkup (@kkirkup) October 18, 2021

“Instead of talking about truth and reconciliation, people talked about me, and that’s on me,” Trudeau said. https://t.co/rIqOs2bOcd#cdnpoli

— Kristy Kirkup (@kkirkup) October 18, 2021

And Halloween is coming up!

pic.twitter.com/EHRWNP7xAH

— Meanwhile in Canada (@MeanwhileinCana) October 19, 2021

Meanwhile, here in Saskatchewan, our COVID situation is so bad - I cannotimagine the chaos and death in Saskatchewan hospitals right now -- and our premier Scott Moe is leading us by naming some guy in North Battleford as the director of Covid response, and immitating a deer in the headlights:

BREAKING - Sask Premier Scott Moe reached out to AMERICAN states for ICU help

BEFORE asking Justin Trudeau for helphttps://t.co/XwfF5wnBf0 #cdnpoli #covid19

— G.T. Lem (@gtlem) October 19, 2021

I'd say "you've got to be fucking kidding me", but how shocking is anything these petty, corrupt bumblefucks do anymore? #skpoli

The *lethal* obstinacy in relation to working with the Federal government here is worthy of an actual trial here. https://t.co/sTZ2dTmtF0

— the 13 Ghosts of Carol Channing Tatum (@ThinWhiteDork) October 19, 2021

Or, hear me out, Take The Fucking Actions that doctors and scientists are telling you are necessary to PREVENT so many people from needing ICU care in the first place.
In other words, protect #skhealth instead of playing #skpoli on #covid19sk https://t.co/TVhCBPu0tw

— Dr. Atul Kapur (@Kapur_AK) October 19, 2021

Time for some funny stuff!

I loved these:

by @warandpeass pic.twitter.com/1tbcluicsM

— WholesomeMemes (@WholesomeMeme) October 10, 2021

The perfect couples costume doesn't exi- pic.twitter.com/mte2U6EmVv

— Momster (@my_name_here85) October 11, 2021

An ad by a bus company. Nice. 👇👇 pic.twitter.com/jkE3P6vlpE

— Sami (the man) 🇨🇦 🏇 (@msnaydani) October 7, 2021

"why are you crying?"

because bears sit and look at good views pic.twitter.com/cqaN0LJ4pF

— clair without the "e" (@nastywomanatlaw) October 8, 2021

The Japanese 🇯🇵 Puffer Fish is probably nature's greatest artist 🐟

To grab a female’s attention he creates something that defies belief 😲

pic.twitter.com/AiuQY9XzhN

— Erik Solheim (@ErikSolheim) October 9, 2021

All we need.. pic.twitter.com/0ut6Rnvlmj

— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden_) October 9, 2021

Reading about white collar crime in the new yorker and this detail is just perfect https://t.co/Ou7ZV9Gbgg pic.twitter.com/ZE3pbMpLOY

— erin griffith (@eringriffith) September 30, 2021

1 of the city high schools here was quite creative. They had plumbing issues, so once or twice every spring whe the weather got nice, in a scene right out of Fast Time At Ridgemont High they synchronized their watches & simultaneously flushed every toilet for an easy 2 day vacay.

— Tom (@BigTontoLove) October 9, 2021

A bookshop door photographed in Canada 🦇 pic.twitter.com/MXxaCcAAji

— 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫s (@FabulousWeird) October 9, 2021

And this one was so sweet it broke twitter - it got 700K likes:

My Finances: pic.twitter.com/SasbwqAIRD

— Andrew Hilary but spooky 👻 (@AndrewHilaryUS) October 8, 2021

New currencies pic.twitter.com/62G017wpKb

— Ms Bay (@bahia_nacional) October 9, 2021

Watch this! https://t.co/ehAIlbbC9W

— unsquare925🕷️🦂🐊🐉🇪🇺 (@unsquare925) October 9, 2021

Why we need to hear The Story Of January 6

Here in a nutshell is The Story Of January 6 -- an impressive summary by Huff Post White House correspondent S.V. Date describing what happened in the Trump Insurrection:

This is what Americans need to be told about, every day, every speech, from Biden, Harris, Garland, Pelosi, Schumer, Psaki, AOC, Warren, and everyone else who wants Americans to understand and remember what happened. 

Yes, I know there are hundreds of charges underway around the country, and yes, I know there's a commission finally working on it. And yes, I know there are a few books coming out, and news stories written often about this or that picayune event or mystifying investigation. 

But Americans aren't going to put it all together by themselves. They need to hear The Story in every speech that is given by Democrats. 

Particularly now, as Trump starts up his rallies again, and gets coverage from media across the country as though he was just a normal person who is going to run for president in 2024. 

Instead, this is the kind of shit Americans are now hearing:

Trump urges lawmakers to focus on the 'REAL insurrection' that 'took place on November 3' 🚨https://t.co/dRxT5Si6zM

— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) October 7, 2021

I believe Americans have heard more in the last 9 months about the Biden dogs than they heard about the Trump insurrection. 

Now, I agree that Major and Champ were Very Good Dogs, and its sad that Champ has died and that Major isn't as well trained as he should be. 

But what Americans really need to hear about is how close they came to losing their republic.

Zoom meetings

So I just started a short-term job and one of the things I am going to be learning about is how to host Zoom meetings. Not, like this guy, I hope:

We are all in this video pic.twitter.com/ZebenP2Aid

— Washington Post TikTok Guy 🪑 (@davejorgenson) September 2, 2021

Today's News: Next year country

Well, the boys gave it a good try, but couldn't quite get into the post-season this year:

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was sitting in the dugout watching the BOS/WAS game. Sat for a few moments after the Devers HR, the walked up the tunnel. #bluejays

— Ben Wagner (@benwag247) October 3, 2021

I think I stopped breathing for a minute when I read this! This would be every Blue Jays fan’s dream off season signing! Imagine a rotation of Stroman, Ray, Ryu, Manoah with this offence 🤮 Legit title contenders! #WeAreBlueJays https://t.co/2hqXXf3dQe

— Jai Boyal (@Jaiboyal) October 4, 2021

Man, I feel for the @BlueJays right now. Praying the Nationals comeback in the 9th. Wanted to see that Canadian squad in the playoffs more than anything. Beyond bright future for them regardless! 🗣🇨🇦

— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) October 3, 2021

Too bad about the Blue Jays missing the MLB playoffs. I’m sure it was Trudeau’s fault. /s

— John Meadows (@JohnMeadows) October 4, 2021

Now that Trudeau has apologized to Chief Rosanne Casimir in Kamloops about not attending their ceremony on Sept 30, I think the Canadian media will stop talking about Tofino-gate or whatever we are calling it. Embarrassment is what I call it

In this life, there are those who love to obsess endlessly about “optics”, ie appearances.
And then there are those who love to make progress on substance, ie reality.
Each to their own.#IStandWithTrudeau #cdnpoli #cdnmedia @JustinTrudeau

— David Hamer (@DavidHamer_1951) October 3, 2021

Interesting how many #CPC supporters DEFENDED Former Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer REFUSING to go Pride

Yet are now acting like Flesh Eating Zombies about Trudeau and Tofino#cdnpoli

— G.T. Lem (@gtlem) October 2, 2021

Some of today's funnier stuff too:

it's the otters' island; as soon as they develop opposable thumbs we're done for https://t.co/3K8Vteammv

— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) September 30, 2021

How come I get ten thousand spam emails a day but when it’s time to prove *I’m* not a robot I have to solve an entire goddamned highlights magazine

— Daniel Kibblesmith (@kibblesmith) October 3, 2021

Watch until the end:

The end 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/uxsNHjMkE5

— CCTV_IDIOTS (@cctv_idiots) October 3, 2021

Today's news: So maybe next year our TRC Day will actually be about Truth & Reconciliation?

Join your mostly white media in making #TruthandReconciliationDay all about a white man. Couldn't fail harder if we tried.

— #SHIFT (@TheGentYYC) October 1, 2021

Does anyone else find it rather odd that the Trudeau in Tofino story is now on its second day? Ridiculous. 

But the pearl-clutching sure did help Canadian media find an easy story hook for their TRC Day coverage  -- otherwise, hey, they might have had to talk to some Indigenous leaders and do some research and think about truth and reconciliation, and maybe, you know, even write news stories about all that uncomfortable stuff.  But then Trudeau flew to Tofino and the media butterflies fluttered - or should I say, flitted - right after him and this solved all their TRC Day news problems. 

Maybe by TRC Day 2022 we will actually focus on truth and reconciliation itself -- though I'm not holding my breath.  

Can the Globe & Mail, Global, CTV, Postmedia and the CBC at least donate all the revenue in sales they've generated from covering the Trudeau family Tofino trip to Indigenous community centers...

Not too many stories today about TRC Day and survivors..

All about Trudeau.🤔

— kris meloche (@krismeloche) October 1, 2021

I can appreciate you being pissed at JT.I also appreciate that some First Nations people aren't.I'm white, a settler...respectful to know it's not my call. But I have to call out the disgusting media for appropriating the TRC Day for a self-serving, cynical purpose. I have to.

— spicertoon63🇨🇦🎨 (@spicertoon63) October 2, 2021

I won't object to media outlets complaining American-style about PM Trudeau being away with his family on the Day for Truth and Reconciliation if they ever employed an Indigenous person in the newsroom before they were shamed into it. #cdnpoli

— Heather Mallick (@HeatherMallick) October 1, 2021

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced September 30 as a National Day for Truth & Reconciliation. It's now a federal paid holiday. The Premiers of BC, AB, SK, ON, QC, NB & NL all chose not to recognize it as a paid holiday. But guess who the MSM has chosen to harass & demonize?

— Janet Wagner (@janetwagner21) October 1, 2021

Here's what's wrong with Canadian media.

I don't care if he rolls up his sleeves, takes a day off, wears funny socks, his hair, his beard etc.

I care about his policies. https://t.co/HULxQM8d7i

— Christopher Byrne 🇨🇦 (@CBinVAN) September 30, 2021

@SportsCentre covers @eliankou & the National Day of Reconciliation while Canadian news chatters on about Trudeau in Tofino.
What is wrong with this picture?

— Cathie from Canada 🇨🇦 😷🏳️‍🌈 (@CathieCanada) October 1, 2021

There are many other important things that Canadians to talk about:

‘I think there is a growing body of reasonable people out there who are trying to figure out what to do… but… there is a group of very vocal, very influential people who hold significant positions of power who are working hard against reconciliation,' https://t.co/rCd91pIm6i

— APTN News (@APTNNews) September 30, 2021

Through the summer and fall I manually converted the Truth and Reconciliation's summary report for e-readers with full accessibility markup. It was really important for me to read the report and I think everyone occupying these lands should too. https://t.co/8p7T1Tn0QC

— Brendan B. (@distinctivename) September 30, 2021

'My hope is that it doesn’t end after today': Sixties Scoop survivor Marcel French says he hopes the sea of orange shirts and momentum from the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation continues. | @michellekarlenz https://t.co/BMCykRKCX2

— APTN News (@APTNNews) October 1, 2021

BOOM! pic.twitter.com/NYb3I9f5sj

— 🐕Sandy Girl🐕 (@SandyGirl4Him) September 30, 2021

An anti-masker in line behind me turned to a masked, elderly woman behind her and said, "why are you wearing a mask?" She replied, "so I won't catch whatever it is that makes you act like an idiot.”

— Clay Nobles (@claypaulnobles) September 28, 2021

This is a thing about which we can all be proud. https://t.co/pUdJUjoHJP

— Scribulatora (@Scribulatora) September 30, 2021

Go Jays! Here's the Blue Jays logo done by an Indigenous artist Kory Parkin who has other wonderful artworks as well.

Found it!!! Artist Kory Parkin pic.twitter.com/Y8xoCTAfP5

— spicertoon63🇨🇦🎨 (@spicertoon63) September 30, 2021

Today's news: Truth and Reconciliation

 

Excerpt from the poem Forgiving Our Fathers,from one of the best movies ever made, Smoke Signals.

Residential School Survivor offers advice on how to honour National Day for Truth and Reconciliation https://t.co/tdtjpVZxu2

— The Globe and Mail (@globeandmail) September 26, 2021

Tomorrow, if you're Canadian and NOT Indigenous, instead of tweeting, maybe just retweet posts from Indigenous people without any comment, to amplify their voices.

Let Indigenous people share their frustrations, pain, and anger without trying to argue with them.

— Suresh Singaratnam🎼🎺 (@sureshtrumpet) September 29, 2021

Orange Shirt Day is tomorrow. It was founded in 2013 by Phyllis Jack Webstad. In 1973 she had a new item of clothing, an orange shirt, taken from her on her first day at a residential school. She was 6 years old. #OrangeShirtDay #AbLeg pic.twitter.com/W8ZLqCgQXV

— Richard Feehan (@FeehanRichard) September 29, 2021

Phyllis Webstad was 6 years old when her clothing was violently stripped away at SJM. Many of my family and community members went to, died or survived that genocide institution. I am here bc of survivors endurance of colonial persecution. Take heed. This is not a selfie moment.

— Kim Senklip Harvey (@KimSenklip) September 29, 2021

The last #residentialschool closed in the nineties. The youngest residential school survivors are only in their thirties. Canada's genocide of Indigenous children isn't ancient history. #TruthAndReconciliation #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/YFky7QJeRp

— Christian Big Eagle (@CreeWarrior2010) September 29, 2021

For 6,259 children And counting, that never made it home stolen by Residential Schools, I drum in a forbidden hallowed place to show the world that even individually - we can help in reconciliation.
THIS was deemed taboo and evil, little did we know how evil these places were. pic.twitter.com/lNTOUav18D

— angusandersen900 (@AndersenAngus) September 30, 2021

WE, will Never let them Forget! WE, Demand Accountability n Justice for Our children. Mitakuye O'yasin! ❤️🤍🖤💛 #EveryChildMatters#LandBack pic.twitter.com/AENfj4XTu8

— Ember Spotted Elk (@SpottedElk3) September 30, 2021

"It's a moment to reflect on the harms inflicted by colonialism and residential schools that were for a very long time out of sight and out of mind," said Stephanie Scott, executive director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. https://t.co/PlEKsOUdRG

— CBC Indigenous (@CBCIndigenous) September 30, 2021

This is our first Truth and Reconciliation day. I will be listening, reading and hopefully learning. There are a couple of local events I will be attending with my mom - two old broads trying to learn new things.

— Scribulatora (@Scribulatora) September 30, 2021

non-Indigenous ppl who are getting a paid day off tomorrow: maybe consider donating the money you make to an Indigenous org or fundraiser

— Cara McKenna (@CaraMcK) September 30, 2021

Today, the Federal Court of Canada upheld the #CHRT 2019 ruling ordering compensation for #FirstNations children and families.

Read the bulletin for more information: https://t.co/q6Nv8NxeiP#EveryChildMatters

— AFN (@AFN_Updates) September 30, 2021

This is such good news, these two additional categories are huge. So many of my former foster siblings who are non-status would be eligible for Jordan’s Principle! https://t.co/4j1f1QdNcm

— Ashley Dawn (@AshleyDawnBach) September 29, 2021

As Canada marks the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Thursday, some businesses are finding ways to embrace reconciliation. https://t.co/DtMuKv2yuW

— CBC Indigenous (@CBCIndigenous) September 30, 2021

“In April, Listuguj signed a five-year rights reconciliation agreement with Canada's Minister of Fisheries Bernadette Jordan and in August, the two sides came to terms on a licensed fall commercial lobster fishery.” https://t.co/a570lvht22

— Russ Diabo (@RussDiabo) September 30, 2021

Tonight, on the eve of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, Winnipeg Jets players will wear special helmet decals displaying the Indigenized Jets logo designed by Indigenous artist Leticia Spence from Pimicikamak First Nation. pic.twitter.com/7b91PplaJT

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) September 30, 2021

"If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went."

~Cherokee pic.twitter.com/dlMulVTJpK

— 🪶Native Red Cloud🪶Mahpiya Luta 🪶5thGen🦬FM3⚡️🦉 (@Native3rd) September 30, 2021

An important thread:

Many non-Indigenous people will be acknowledging Orange Shirt Day for the first time this year.

So I wanted to share a few important points / thoughts:

— S.A. Lawrence-Welch | ᐅᒐᓂᓴ (@LawrenceWelchNW) September 29, 2021

Today's news: Soothing the savage b(r)east

What is it with these guys? 

Today we learned that White House staff were soothing Trump's rages by playing show tunes he liked:

Trump’s handlers designated a White House official known as the “Music Man” to play him his favorite show tunes, including “Memory” from “Cats,” to pull him from the brink of rage, Grisham writes in her new memoir. @katierogers has the details. https://t.co/PQbuFMnFyB

— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) September 28, 2021

Between this and the Proud Boys being named after a song from Aladdin, musical theater is having a moment.

— Schooley (@Rschooley) September 28, 2021

This reminds me of one of the funniest revelations about Canada's own famously thin-skinned prime minister Stephen Harper -- this happened during the Prorogue crisis in 2008. 

During the past week, while the nation wondered if the government would fall, junior Conservative staffers were ordered to be outside 24 Sussex Dr. by 6:15 in the morning. Their job was to stand there in the dark with the temperature well below zero and wait for the PM to appear. Their instructions were to applaud, wave and sing O Canada loudly as the motorcade pulled out of the gates and drove Stephen Harper to work. 

 Mr. Harper, by all accounts, actually believed that the young people were there of their own accord and represented a groundswell of love and support for his actions. Staffers in the Prime Minister's Office know that he is easier to handle when being applauded and not questioned. This way, nobody has to suffer at the hands of the inconsolable bear. 

Its these guys, who boast about how tough they are, who are actually way too easy to manipulate once their staff figure out how to do it. 

The leaders with a little more humility are the ones more likely to recognize when they are being played, or pandered to.

And in other news, of course Covid continues to ravage Saskatchewan and Alberta.

People in Alberta and Saskatchewan are dying from COVID-19 at about quadruple the rate as people in the rest of Canada.

(Data source: https://t.co/YE16bv8AtH) pic.twitter.com/U7GRmbFkkT

— Robson Fletcher (@CBCFletch) September 27, 2021

Because people not being able to go to the hospital or having necessary surgeries cancelled because ICUs have collapsed doesn’t punish also the vaccinated? FFS. https://t.co/FeawkdL8FN

— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 27, 2021

And Saskatchewan's health minister seems to have disappeared:

Mr. Merriman will work from early in the morning until late in the evening," the spokesperson said. "He will make many calls and have many meetings." https://t.co/dNDB88hTM5

— Cal Deobald (@calmudge0n) September 29, 2021

But finally, here's some happy news:

During the darkest days of the pandemic @GurdeepPandher cheered us up with his inspiring positivity, and helped us to keep going. So he richly deserves that YouTube tribute, and the grateful thanks of all of us. Way to go Gurdeep!! https://t.co/HRvnGorwQT

— 🇨🇦 Simon 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🌈🏂 (@montrealsimon) September 27, 2021