"Obama tells men to drop ‘excuses’ and support Kamala Harris over Trump"/ "Michelle Obama Finally Takes the Mound Against Donald Trump"

Oct. 11, 2024 "Obama tells men to drop ‘excuses’ and support Kamala Harris over Trump": Today I found this article by Cecilia Nowell on The Guardian:

Barack Obama made his first appearance on the campaign trail for Kamala Harris on Thursday, speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania and at an event for Black voters, where he urged men in particular to support the vice-president.

In comments directed specifically to Black men in the swing state during an event at one of Harris’s campaign offices, Obama questioned their unwillingness to vote for her – a September NAACP poll showed that over one quarter of Black men under 50 say they will vote for Donald Trump.

“We have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all quarters of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running. Now, I also want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers,” Obama said.

“You’re coming up with all kinds of reasons and excuses. I’ve got a problem with that.

“Part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and reasons for that.”

He added: “When we get in trouble and the system isn’t working for us, they’re the ones out there marching and protesting.”

Later in the evening, at the Fitzgerald Field House in Pittsburgh, where thousands appeared to be in attendance, the Democratic party leader called on residents of the crucial swing state to vote for Harris – and down-ballot for other Democratic candidates like the Pennsylvania senator Bob Casey.

“We need a president who actually cares about solving problems and making your life better, and that’s what Kamala Harris will do,” Obama said. “And to help her do it, she will need a Senate full of serious public servants like Bob Casey.”

With 19 electoral college votes, Pennsylvania is essential for either candidate to win the election. Recent surveys released by Quinnipac University showed Harris leading in Pennsylvania, but polling between the vice-president and Donald Trump has been close.

The state may also determine control of the Senate: Casey, for example, is up for re-election and facing a well-funded Republican opponent.

Obama and Harris have long been supporters of each other’s campaigns, and at the Democratic national convention in August the former president and his wife sought to cast Harris as the heir to their movement. 

Harris was an early supporter of Obama’s long-shot bid against Hilary Clinton, starting in 2007 when she knocked on doors for him ahead of the Iowa caucuses. 

In 2010, when Harris ran for attorney general of California, Obama backed her campaign – calling her “a dear, dear friend of mine”.

In Pittsburgh on Thursday, Obama acknowledged American voters’ frustrations with inflation, the Covid recovery and other issues – while denouncing Trump and praising Harris’s platform.

“This election is going to be tight because there are a lot of Americans who are still struggling out there,” Obama said. “I get it why people are looking to shake things up. I mean, I am the hope-y, change-y guy. So I understand people feeling frustrated. We can do better. 

What I cannot understand is why anybody would think that Donald Trump will shake things up in a way that is good for you.

“The good news is, Kamala Harris – she doesn’t have concepts for a plan. She has an actual plan to make your life better.”

Harkening back to the message he shared with Black voters earlier in the day, Obama later added: 

“I’m sorry, gentlemen, I’ve noticed this, especially with some men who seem to think Trump’s behavior of bullying and putting people down is a sign of strength. 

And I am here to tell you: that is not what real strength is. It never has been.

“Real strength is about helping people need it and standing up for those who can’t always stand up for themselves, that is what we should want for our daughters and for our sons, and that is what I want to see a president of the United States of America.”

Before the former president took the stage, the Pennsylvania governor, Josh Shapiro, who was among those shortlisted to be Harris’s running mate, touted the Democratic party’s work in the state to expand universal free breakfast and gun violence prevention efforts, while criticizing Republican party leadership on the national level. He specifically encouraged attendees to vote to re-elect Casey.

Casey himself spoke, laying out the stakes for the upcoming election and denouncing his rival, David McCormick. McCormick, a businessman, ran the world’s largest hedge fund while it managed and advised funds holding hundreds of millions of dollars in Russian debt, documents obtained by the Guardian show.

“These out-of-state billionaires [are] spending more than $100m to defeat me in this race. Well, I got news for those billionaires. I’m going to beat David McCormick, and I’m going to beat those billionaires,” Casey said.

Obama’s appearance comes as Democratic surrogates are campaigning for Harris in swing states across the country. 

This week, the Harris campaign confirmed that the vice-presidential nominee, Tim Walz, will campaign in Wisconsin, the former president Bill Clinton will tour the southern states of Georgia and North Carolina, and the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders will host events in Michigan. Meanwhile, the former first lady Michelle Obama has relaunched Party at the Polls, a program of her non-partisan voting initiative When We All Vote.

At the same time, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, JD Vance, held a town hall Thursday evening in Greensboro, North Carolina, shortly after Trump spoke in Detroit.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/10/obama-kamala-harris-pennsylvania-trump

Oct. 18, 2024 "Michelle Obama Finally Takes the Mound Against Donald Trump": Today I found this article by Mary Ann Ackers on the Daily Beast and Yahoo:

The World Series of politics is heading into its final, tie-breaking game. And the Democrats are bringing in their superstar closer.

Their bullpen’s ultimate ace, Michelle Obama, is finally set to take the mound, answering the prayers of anxious fans in this history-making slugfest who have been clamoring for a reliever who can throw some strikes.

The former first lady is making her debut relief appearance with Vice President Kamala Harris next Saturday, Oct. 26, in Michigan on the first day of early voting in the crucial battleground state, according to a senior Harris campaign official.

Together, she and Harris will urge Michigan voters to hurry and cast their ballots—as soon as that very day—in a final bid to conquer Donald Trump, whose attacks on Democrats have become increasingly more personal, and vulgar.

Former President Barack Obama will appear together with Harris at a rally in Georgia next Thursday, Oct. 24, the senior official says.

The Harris campaign says both Obamas will be headlining major get-out-the-vote rallies in battleground states in the closing stretch until Nov. 5. Details, dates and venues, however, are vague—and not unintentionally.

While Michelle Obama has been working behind the scenes to drive voter turnout in swing states, she has shied away from a campaign trail fraught with the threat of political violence after two assassination attempts against Trump. It is Trump, ironically, who the former first lady blames for threatening her family‘s security after he whipped up a right-wing frenzy with false claims about Barack Obama’s birth certificate.

“Donald Trump, with his loud and reckless innuendos, was putting my family’s safety at risk,” she wrote in her 2018 memoir Becoming. “And for this I’d never forgive him.”

The Obamas are crucial brand-name allies for the Harris campaign as polls show Trump has picked off a sliver of Black voters, mainly men, who would normally be solidly on base with Democrats. Harris has gone all out in the past week to woo them—and other key demographics—as the summertime thrill of Kamalamania has waned to autumn election anxiety.

Where she may have lost ground with some Black voters, Harris has made gains with so-called Republican “normies,” including former Trump administration officials and GOP lawmakers, who view the former president as a threat to U.S. national security.

Obama, the former president, made his first rally appearance last week in Pittsburgh—the one where he took flak for lecturing Black men to vote for Harris—and will do more in the coming days in Tucson, Las Vegas, Detroit and Madison, according to the senior Harris campaign aide. (The Harris team says Obama inspired supporters at the Pittsburgh event to sign up for 981 volunteer shifts.)

Michelle Obama is heeding her own advice that she gave to a supercharged crowd at the Democratic National Convention in August. And her windup comes as the race to the White House between Harris and Trump has tightened to a paper-thin margin in which a few fast balls across the plate could be a game changer.

“If we see a bad poll—and we will—we’ve got to put down that phone and do something,” she told Democrats gathered in Chicago. “If we start feeling tired, if we start feeling that dread creeping back in, we gotta pick ourselves up, throw water on our face, and what? Do something.”

https://ca.yahoo.com/news/michelle-obama-finally-takes-mound-090006025.html

Oct. 20, 2024 Post Secret:

On one side is a woman with a gold crown and the word Sevilla: 

"I wish bad stuff for people that hurt my feelings decades ago.  

I do not forgive."

On the other side: 

P.S.  Dear US

Please don't vote Trump!

Nobody here likes him!

XOXO

Europe."

These are the other 2 blog posts:

"Working from home is more productive than going to the office, U.K. data shows"/ "Workers in London don't hate the office, but they won't give up working from home either"

https://badcb.blogspot.com/2024/10/working-from-home-is-more-productive.html

"Home sick: How hybrid workplaces and employees can navigate flu season"/ "More Canadian bosses starting to admit work from home is here to stay"

https://badcb.blogspot.com/2024/10/home-sick-how-hybrid-workplaces-and.html

My week:

Sat. Oct. 19, 2024 Food Hero: I saw this ad for this app in front of Safeway:

"FoodHero is an app that brings merchants and consumers together to sell surplus food that would otherwise end up in landfill."

https://www.foodhero.com/en/impact

Sun. Oct. 20, 2024 Hickory Farms has been a proud supporter of Breakfast Club of Canada: Today I found this on Hickory Farms website:

Our Partnership

Without a healthy breakfast, students do not have the energy to learn. This year especially, they need our support to make sure they reach their full potential. Join Hickory Farms and Breakfast Club of Canada to make sure every child has access to a nutritious breakfast.

*$5 from the purchase of every Holiday Sweets & Snacks Gift Basket is donated to BCC. Shop now, and donate an additional $2 or more at checkout!

Our Commitment

Hickory Farms has been a proud supporter of Breakfast Club of Canada since 2017. In this time, we have contributed to over 500,000 breakfasts, helping over 600 kids every school day. 

https://www.hickoryfarms.ca/pages/breakfast-club-of-canada

Thurs. Oct. 24, 2024 Edmonton Donations: My friend/ old co-worker Krista posted this on Facebook:

Edmonton Donations Program helps fund the work of MOMS Canada, a non-profit organization supporting single mothers and their children. 

Schedule a Free home pick-up Online today or Find a Donation bin near you! Your generous donations make a big difference in the lives of single moms and their children locally… 

https://edmontondonations.ca/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGHk5NleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHYSsaxG_bNFPzbKUXuwR7tb3Lt0LkwzsO1FPpMEXTzjYK-VBmMt89zgmug_aem_R9TXUFTv-2Qrwe0TgSy2KA

Tues. Oct. 22, 2024 I'm grateful for Google Maps: I went on the computer this morning and my Google map wasn't working.

I went on:

different browsers 

different computer

turned it off and then on

I asked my little brother P

It turns out the #1B bus wasn't really running today at 8am.

Also: if the time is after 8am right now, you have to change the date to the next day so it will show you when the buses are coming.

I use Google Maps nearly everyday when I look for a job to see where the place is, or when I'm taking the bus somewhere.

Cut down on TV: I was watching 1 hr of TV a day when the fall TV season arrived.  I won't watch TV for a day or two. 

Wed. Oct. 23, 2024 Haircut: I got a haircut in Chinatown.  This costs $25.  I usually get a haircut in Oct., because it's getting cold and I don't go out during the winter.

"Home sick: How hybrid workplaces and employees can navigate flu season"/ "More Canadian bosses starting to admit work from home is here to stay"

Sept. 8, 2023 "Home sick: How hybrid workplaces and employees can navigate flu season": Today I found this article by Sammy Hudes on BNN Bloomberg:

While many workplaces have shifted to hybrid setups coming out of the pandemic, employment experts say workers should be cautious about using that added flexibility to work from home when feeling sick.

It's a situation that some observers of remote work trends predict could become more prevalent as companies increasingly make their hybrid arrangements permanent.

"There is a bit of a return to ... people's comfort level with doing things while not feeling 100 per cent, but that's not everybody by any means," said John Trougakos, a University of Toronto professor of organizational behaviour and human resources management.

With a current uptick in COVID-19 cases in Canada linked to two new variants, along with the usual cold and flu season, employment lawyer Brittany Taylor said it's crucial that both employers and employees take the time now to consider how to handle sick days.

"I'm expecting as we get into the fall these issues are going to be more at the forefront," said Taylor, a partner at Rudner Law.

The growing popularity of hybrid work arrangements has been documented throughout the past year. 

As of May, 41 per cent of Canadian workers that were considered remote had hybrid schedules, 

splitting time between on-site and at-home, up from one-quarter a year earlier, according to a report released last month by Indeed Canada.

Recruiting company Robert Half found hybrid working arrangements were 

favoured by 54 per cent of hiring managers, 

compared with 49 per cent of professionals surveyed 

— suggesting a growing alignment that could mean a mix of in-office and work-from-home could be here to stay.

Stephen Harrington, national lead for workforce strategy at Deloitte Canada, said while plenty of Canadian organizations have plans for how people can work flexibly, he has not seen many prescribe rules around sick days.

"This is very early days for organizations figuring out exactly how this is going to work for themselves and their workforce," said Harrington.

People who work from home even part of the time are far more likely to consider working while sick than those who work from an office, he said. 

But that poses risks both for the worker, who could exacerbate their illness by not getting proper rest, said Harrington. 

It's also a risk for the employer, as evidence shows people are not as effective and are more prone to error when working while ill. 

"I think there may be organizations that are underestimating 

the social 

and cultural pressures 

when you're working 

and there are deadlines 

or you feel an obligation," 

said Harrington.

Employees in hybrid work situations should proactively seek clarity from their superiors on what level of accommodation they should expect when it comes to illnesses and the remote aspects of their work, Taylor said, especially when it's inconvenient or unsafe to come into the office.

That means checking whether they're allowed to work from home while sick on a day of the week designated for in-office work, and if so, whether that would mean they have to come in another day instead.

"Is it going to be a one-for-one scenario like that or is it a lot more flexible?" she said.

"Ultimately, unless (an employee's) employment agreement gives them the right to work from home at their discretion, the employer is entitled to set the rules of the workplace, including when remote work is going to be permitted. So understanding those rules as an employee is key,"

Trougakos said businesses would be wise to adopt hybrid work models that are less "rigid" about which days staff are required to come in.

"If it's not a well-thought-out model and it's just put in a cookie cutter kind of way together, saying, 'Well, you have to be there X number of days with no flexibility,' then they'll run into some pushback from employees," he said.

"There will be some issue when people are inevitably going to get the next wave of COVID, flu, whatever other illnesses are going to be popping up."

Sunira Chaudhri, founder and partner at Workly Law, noted that although workplaces have made efforts to offer accommodations in recent years, the balance of power has started to shift back to the employer. That has even played out with some employers using software to monitor their employees' productivity when working remotely.

"I think flexibility comes with costs," Chaudhri said.

"Employers have trended away from being as forgiving or tolerant of greater vacation and sick day policies with remote workers."

Chaudhri said it's important for employers to set clear boundaries on whether they will even allow their staff to work while sick. She urged employees to adhere to those boundaries when they are outlined.

Offering to work from home when sick can blur the lines, said Chaudhri. 

"No employee should work while sick. 

A sick day should be a sick day and confirming that and being very clear … actually increases morale. 

It increases communication and reduces friction and potential liability."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 8, 2023.

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/home-sick-how-hybrid-workplaces-and-employees-can-navigate-flu-season-1.1968838

Oct. 11, 2023 "More Canadian bosses starting to admit work from home is here to stay": Today I found this article by Victoria Wells on the Financial Post:

Many chief executives in Canada would like to see employees back in the office five days a week, but appear to be realizing that those days might be over for good.

Article content

Only 55 per cent of Canadian business leaders think staffers will return to the office full time within the next three years, according to the latest CEO Outlook report from KPMG LLP.

That’s a big drop from last year, when 75 per cent of CEOs expected employees to be back at their desks. 

Executives globally are more optimistic about a full return, with 64 per cent still expecting one.

Yet, Canadian CEOs remain eager to get people back, and to do so, 77 per cent say they’ll hand out 

pay raises, 

promotions and plum assignments 

to employees who make an effort to show up at their desks more often. 

But even that percentage is muted when compared to CEOs around the world, of which 88 per cent say they would offer such incentives to ensure more in-office days.

The research lines up with other studies that have shown Canadians spend more of their workweeks at home than employees in other countries. 

On average, Canadian staffers work from home 1.7 days a week, 

while workers in the United Kingdom do so 1.5 days 

and those in the United States stay home 1.4 days a week, 

according to recent research by a German think tank.

A slower return-to-office isn’t the only workplace issue Canadian executives are grappling with these days. Labour shortages, especially among skilled workers, continue to weigh heavily on leaders. 

Recession fears had many CEOs signing off on layoffs last year, but now 88 per cent say they’re expecting to hire more people over the next three years. 

But finding those staffers is proving to be a challenge, and more than three-quarters of executives say a lack of qualified labour poses a threat to business.

Increased immigration hasn’t been the solution many have hoped for, either. 

More than eight in 10 leaders of small and mid-size businesses say they still can’t find the skilled workers they need, the KPMG survey said. 

Meanwhile, 72 per cent are focusing their recruiting efforts outside the country in an effort to fill open positions.

Economic factors appear to be working against their efforts, however. 

Almost three-quarters of CEOs say the 

high cost of living in Canada, 

exacerbated by a housing crunch, 

is making it harder for them to woo and keep talent, including foreign workers.

Leaders are eyeing the impacts of high interest rates and living costs in their growth outlooks, and 75 per cent believe financial pressures will eat into their company’s prosperity in the coming years. 

They’re also watching geopolitical developments with concern, KPMG said. But it’s technology that is proving most worrisome to CEOs, and even causing them to lose sleep, KPMG said.

They fear technological advancements will transform their industry and market before they can adapt.

Still, executives remain largely optimistic about the economy and their companies’ growth prospects, and 80 per cent say they feel good about growing their business over the next three years, while 89 per cent remain confident in the economy.

“CEOs are tackling demanding, evolving and complex challenges, 

yet remain resilient and confident in their outlook,” Elio Luongo, chief executive and senior partner at KPMG in Canada, said in a release. 

“They are 

reassessing their strategic priorities 

and redoubling their efforts on talent management 

and technology, 

while weighing the macroeconomic 

and geopolitical impacts 

on their organizations and people.”

https://financialpost.com/news/canadian-bosses-admit-work-from-home-stay