by Sean Orr | Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside is open for business. 6 or 7 years ago I would have been really angry with the way this article was written, but I refuse to label the today’s influx of small businesses on the DTES as straight-forward gentrification. I only take issue with the title of the article, which perpetuates the myth of Gastown/DTES being – until now – just an urban wasteland. The phrase “open for business” suggests a sort of free-for-all, and that just hasn’t been the case.

Renovations to begin at 13 rundown hotels. “What they really need is to be restored back to a state of mental health that will allow them to be self-sufficient.” I know there is often a link between the two but the Courier should be careful not to paint poverty as a symptom of mental health. It’s a consequence of our economic system. A lot of people down here are simply poor because of their physical condition; loggers, veterans, longshoremen — many of them can’t work because they are physically worn out or injured beyond repair.

Yaletown nimbys are the nimbiest: Residents fear return of temporary low-barrier shelters. “The surrounding streets will be impacted with the mess and biological hazards of these street activities”. Wow! Street level poverty as a biological hazard? Send them to District 9!

Hockey Helps the Homeless. Is it weird that I sort of see Dave Babych as my father? I just want him to put me on his shoulders and I could use his moustache as a steering wheel. (this is something I would actually do when I was a kid to my dad. Back when we lived here.

Arithmeticked: Ottawa spends millions on ads promoting resource development added to Oil Sands Emissions Higher Than Previously Estimated equals when are we going to officially rename our country PetroCanada?

Image: The difference between NAFTA and FIPA. Also, does anyone remember TILMA? What a SNAFU. Just FML.

Hey look! The CBC does some really important ground breaking muckraking: Hidden camera shows underage teens served alcohol. Holy shit! Who even cares? If they can vote, operate a motor vehicle, and work in the slave-wage economy, then by God they can have a little drink to unwind themselves.

Vancouver stores fight back against Black Friday sales. “Some consider Black Friday…as the point in the year when U.S. businesses begin to profit, putting them ‘in the black’, others believe the term was coined in Philadelphia…to describe the throngs of shoppers and vehicles that filled the streets the day after Thanksgiving”. Yeah, so The Courier decided to confuse the issue further by featuring a black man on the cover.

A better kind of fighting back: Buy Nothing Day: “Today, humanity faces a stark choice: save the planet and ditch capitalism, or save capitalism and ditch the planet.” Or save both. Or just worry about humanity because the planet will be fine. But yeah.

Megga Man: Translink fare hike needs to be assessed against backdrop of “service optimization”. Also against the back-drop of neo-conservatism.

Bonus: Luke Ramsey: November Buzzer illustrator interview. I love that he threw in a woman wearing a hijab.