Week-long Welcomings from Moosylvania: Sept. 11th through Sept. 17th

September 10, 2016 JanF Community 104

Welcome to The Moose Pond! The Welcomings posts give the Moose, old and new, a place to visit and share words about the weather, life, the world at large and the small parts of Moosylvania that we each inhabit.

Welcomings will be posted at the start of each week (every Sunday morning). To find the posts, just bookmark this link and Voila! (which is Moose for “I found everyone!!”).

The format is simple: each day, the first moose to arrive on-line will post a comment welcoming the new day and complaining (or bragging!) about their weather. Or mentioning an interesting or thought provoking news item. Or simply checking in.

So … what’s going on in your part of Moosylvania?

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NOTE: The comments page will now split off after 20 or so left margin comments with the most recent comments on the current page. To see the older comments, scroll to the bottom of the page and use the link.

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47 Comments

  1. Good “morning”, Motley Meese! The week begins …

    Morning low of 54 in Madison WI, on its way up to 73. Sunny skies are in the forecast.

    Have a great day, all y’alls!!

  2. Good morning Meese.

    Today is a day that I usually fill with meditation. Since 9/11 fell on a Sunday this year – I will spend the morning talking about it, and also the Oklahoma City bombing – looking at how 2 trees have helped with healing.

    • I was thinking about the use of the 9/11 attack as a cudgel by the right wing, an excuse to go to war, to curtail our civil liberties, to attack a religion – and I was wondering when it will be possible to heal, to have it only evoke sadness at the loss of life, not anger at how it is being used. The other attack on our soil, Pearl Harbor, led to the internment of Japanese Americans and anger and bitterness from that probably exists to this day for those who were alive at the time. Maybe time will help heal but it has to be quiet time, not while it is still so noisy, with so much anger and fear and xenophobia. As the president said yesterday:

      Terrorists will never be able to defeat the United States. Their only hope is to terrorize us into changing who we are or our way of life. That’s why we Americans will never give in to fear. And it’s why this weekend we remember the true spirit of 9/11. We’re still the America of heroes who ran into harm’s way; of ordinary folks who took down the hijackers; of families who turned their pain into hope. We are still the America that looks out for one another, bound by our shared belief that I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper.

      The face of 9/11 to me will always be George W. Bush and Dick “Dick” Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld and Karl Rove. Until that changes, 9/11 for me will dredge up more anger than sadness. Maybe a few more election cycles (the death of the Republican Party would help healing quite a bit!) and the 9/11 anger can be replaced by a sadness similar to the sadness I felt when I stood on the Arizona memorial in Pearl Harbor.

      • I think my feelings are very mixed – terrible sadness – since I worked there – and the entire event was traumatizing. Anger – because of the hate that came right after – directed at family and friends who “looked” or were Muslim.

        I was also disgusted with people like Rudy Giuliani (who I despised already).

    • Thank you for that story. Trees as a symbol of survival resonates with me.

      Learn from the message of the ‘Survivor Trees’

      An American Elm Tree in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City, it survived the bomb’s blast and witnessed one of the worst terrorist attacks on American soil. Today, we call it the Survivor Tree.

      What a fitting tree as a survivor tree – any elm tree is a survivor and I am glad it was spared!

      From your keyboard:

      Over the years, I’ve talked with spouses, children, parents, and friends in New York who lost someone as a result of that day. They represent the mosaic of race, class, ethnicity, and religion that is the New York metropolitan area. Not one of them has blamed an entire religion. Not one of them has expressed a desire to deport immigrants, or close our borders. I’m sure there are people who feel that way. I just haven’t met them.

      Me … I just want to plant trees, and sow seeds of sanity. The answer to hatred is love, fertilized by education and empathy.

      We have a choice: Be like those survivor trees and spread our branches to shelter all comers … or wither away and die, poisoned by vitriol.

      Thankfully, most of us are choosing to nurture the survivor trees – whether they be at the scene of terrorist attacks or, metaphorically, in our communities left devastated by Republican economic policies and the overt racism and bigotry of their followers.

      #ExpectUs to spread our branches to shelter everyone.

  3. Up early to head out to the brain cancer walk. I’ll be back later.

    Diana – will you please tell the folks in the fitness diary at GOS that I’m doing a walk with my friend & I’ll report in later? Thanks!

  4. Good morning, Meese! Blue skies with fluffy white clouds on this sad anniversary morning in NoVa. It’s 78 F. now, on its way up to 83 F. Still no rain, what a pain.

    Not much to say except the heat has been so enervating that I’ve done very little about getting ready to fly! Arggh.

    Will get ready to go to the gym. Must-keep-fit because Tuesday and Wednesday will be long days of travel and sitting. Fortunately, England is much more walkable than my native land, rain or no rain.

    Wishing all a meditative day—one of the worst days in our history. Rest in peace, innocent victims.

  5. Good morning, 56 and cloudy outside my window today. Ron is taking his new camera to a Whatcom Land Trust event today so I suspect he will soon have a new photo diary underway. I’m going to enjoy a quiet day with my book and some time in the garden.

  6. In the low 60s this morning, clear and sunny, heading for the mid-70s. I’ve done my usual cooking and cleaning. Staying busy helps not think of things you’d rather not think of – but sooner or later you have to take a break.

    The act of terroistic murder performed by 19 members of a religious cult with high-jacked airliners was horrifying to watch. I will never know how bad it felt being there. What I remember even more though is the sick feeling in my stomach as I watched W’s speech afterwards. The minute he said “act of war” and “Pearl Harbor” I knew we were going to invade somebody. I didn’t know who and I didn’t know when and I didn’t know how many, but I knew we were going to do it. I knew we were going to shit on the good will of the nations of the world and spit on the offers of policing help to catch the criminals – and go to war. That the casualties – dead, dying, injured, made ill by the fallout – were going to be dishonored and used as an excuse to go to war. We did. It still makes me sick.

    I’m heading over to GOS to read Denise’s diary. I may or may not stay as I’ve already gotten into some edging-towards-heated discussions with people I care about regarding this. Bin Ladin’s patsies committed a crime. The worst crime of our times, but still a crime. We committed acts of war. And 10s to 100s of times more people have died because we did. Going after Bin Ladin was right. It’s what we should have done in the first place.

    {{{HUGS}}}

  7. The walk was fun. Took a good half hour less than last year. She barely used her cane. Finished in time for me to go to church. Now I’m cooking. I might squeeze in a nap.

  8. Good morning, meese! Monday …

    It is 61 degrees in Madison on its way up to 77. Sunny skies are in the forecast.

    I managed to avoid the 9/11 retrospectives except for a brief moment of panic when I could not find my remote control and the TV channel I was watching started showing George W. Bush at the Dallas Cowboys game!! Why he would show his face for any commemoration of an attack that his hubris set the stage for is beyond me.

    I was glad to see that Hillary’s campaign team cut back her travel schedule to give her time at home to rest up. I now know why there are so many undecided berners – they are hoping she gets indicted or too sick to run and their god can be installed as the nominee (that isn’t how it works, thank goodness). I understand why Republicans are gleeful about her being under the weather but the berner reaction simply reinforces how awful they are. And no, press, you don’t get notified of every hangnail or cold or flu – or walking pneumonia. It is none of your business. When she is president and an illness keeps her away from official duties, that is different. But as a candidate, she is still a private citizen and can share or not share as she chooses. Live with it.

    I have had a cyber candle burning for Hillary Clinton’s continued good health since April. I infused it with added good intentions this morning.

    The Russian-brokered cease fire in Syria is due to go into force today at sunset Syria time. The main goal is to open up a U.N. aid corridor to Aleppo to get help to the people there. I hope it holds and that it gives those poor people a respite.

    Diana, if I miss you later today, PLEASE have a wonderful trip! I am looking forward to hearing about your travel as a much needed break from all the yammering.

    See all y’all later!

  9. Good morning Meese – it’s nippy here in the Catskills at 50 degrees – will be going up to a non-humid 77 – great fall weather.

    Sent out greetings to Muslim friends of Eid Mubarak.

    Was really disturbed to see that the mosque that the guy who perpetrated the Orlando shootings, Omar Mateen attended – was burned
    Fire at Islamic Center of Fort Pierce ruled as arson

    It made me think about the loving forgiveness from those harmed by Dylan Roof. Roof attended a Lutheran Church regularly., and of the decades long burning of black churches in the US.

    Hate is toxic. We really have to step up the battle against it from extremists of all stripes.

      • It seems to me that patriarchal religion foments hatred. I suppose that derives from the “God as authoritarian father” concept.

        It’s one of the reasons that I can never again embrace that religion and why I admire the Minoan culture. The more I find out about it, the more I admire it. They just wanted to thank Goddess for the blessings of weather, crops, and life, and got on with enjoying themselves.

          • An unfortunately large number of men have only ever been able to justify their claim of superiority by beating up and/or killing those who actually are superior – and then legislating their right to do so.

      • Read, rec’d and commented – and was immediately pulled into a meeting which I’ve just gotten out of.

  10. Woke up early, ugh. Eating oatmeal & drinking tea. Brought my gym bag & it’ll be nice after work for a walk (high today only 94). Brain playing the song that’s been on repeat in my car, because I always do when the playlist gets to it: California (favorite — no, that’s the wrong word, lyric that grabs me:
    “I’ve seen for myself
    There’s no end to grief
    That’s how I know

    That’s how I know
    And why I need to know that there is no end to love
    All I know and all I need to know is there is no end to love)

  12. Good morning, Moosekind! It’s 62 F. this sunny Moon Day, going up to 82 F. Rather nice, actually, or would be if everything weren’t so dry, dead, and brown.

    Still lethargically getting ready to fly tomorrow. We have to be at the airport at 3 p.m. as it’s an international flight. It’s unlikely that we’ll get really good seats, but getting on at all will be the important thing.

    The MSM are in a flap as usual, and as usual they’re piling on her, not him. He can sit on his tax returns, he can issue ridiculous “medical” statements, but he always gets a pass. I’m only surprised that our candidate didn’t get ill sooner, considering her grueling schedule and the thousands of hands she’s shaken. I hope she recovers swiftly.

    Back later but right now it’s time for breakfast! Hope everyone will have a good day.

  13. Good morning, 50 and partly cloudy in Bellingham. It’s a pool morning for me, then I’ll try again to complete one of the many tasks on my list. It’s good to have choices!

    I had a nice day yesterday with some time on the internets, puttering around in my garden, talking with my family, and reading my book. As I’ve mentioned, the Malazan series is an interesting reading experience. On one level the story is a complex action filled fantasy, but the deeper themes of compassion and cultural assimilation are even more interesting to me. When I finish a chapter I read the discussion at the Tor Books site and sometimes the author enters in with his thoughts. Needless to say these words resonate with me…..

    Steven Erickson……”In any case, the point remains: we have to strive to make things better, and the core belief fueling our efforts has to be found in the conviction that we can do better.”

    My best wishes to all today, and especially to HRC.

  14. 57 just before dawn, heading for 85, and another clear day. Unfortunately the sun has moved to an angle that is putting shade on the solar panels until after 10 – I need to get some of those trees pruned back, but unless I take them entirely down, which I’m not going to do, this will be a seasonal issue. Got just over 16 KWHs yesterday and should get about the same today. We’ve had just enough rain this year that the trees that “new normally” have dropped their leaves due to heat stress are still leafed out.

    The “Oh Noes!” contingent is out in full force on Hillary’s health. As with many other things, I blow it off from the Rs but am really pissed when it comes from our team. No comment on the AFBs who aren’t really for Bernie, they’re really just Hillary Haters using Bernie as an excuse. I also have had a “virtual candle” going for Hillary since she decided to take another shot at this. Actually, I’ve had one going for her longer than that, but this one is “purposed” to her getting the job – and getting the job done.

    I tried to mostly keep quiet yesterday since it was a day of remembrance and mourning for so many people here and on GOS – but my main response to 9/11 is still the sick feeling about W using the victims to get his war so he could be a War President even better than his daddy – and a white-hot angry sense of betrayal the the ANG wasn’t there. When I was a kid the various branches of the military sponsored radio shows – usually popular music – as part of recruiting efforts and I remember the ANG slogan which gave me much comfort during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was, “You can sleep sound. Your Air National Guard is awake.” I’m not going into any CTs here, but they promised me as a little kid that they would be there to defend against any and all air attacks – and they weren’t.

    Gots lots of stuff to do today so I’d best get to it. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}

  16. Morning all – hot and muggy here this morning, I’m so envious of Dee’s wonderful cool fall mornings now! I may get some in 6 weeks or so.

    I am glad Hillary’s taking a couple of days to rest and recover from pneumonia – the press coverage of this whole thing is completely disgusting. It’s remarkable to me that she was able to get through any of the 9/11 ceremony given the heat and her illness, but, as many folks on Twitter are pointing out, that’s what women usually do, work thru illness because they have no choice.

    I can’t wait for this election campaign to be over.

    Have a great day everyone – Diana, have a wonderful trip to England!!! London is one of my favorite cities!

    • Geordie, an acquaintance of hers said that she does not like to drink water, which probably led to her dehydration. I understand completely where she is coming from! I limit what I drink in the car on long trips because I don’t want to have to stop every hour.

      So if she drinks water, she gets made fun of for needing a bathroom break during the debate … if she doesn’t drink water, she gets light-headed. She can’t win these arguments, can she?

  18. Good morning, meese! Tuesday …

    It is 66 degrees and raining in Madison. The expected high is 73 with mostly cloudy skies. Chance of more rain later today.

    The “deplorables” thing is getting pretty funny. The yam’s supporters are embracing it which makes me wonder if they understand what the word means! When a Chicago sports guy called Wisconsinites “cheeseheads”, we embraced it and some clever guy created foam cheese wedges for people to wear at Packers games. Now that is funny! I am pretty sure that not every name that Chicago Bears fans have called us would have been embraced, though. Embracing being deplorable is quite odd – and it already has a “uniform”, a white hood. People watching this spectacle and deciding who to vote for are probably not going to be impressed that Mike Pence won’t call David Duke deplorable and that people at Trump rallies are punching people and bragging that they are deplorable. But go with that, Trump campaign.

    The NCAA pulled their 2016-2017 championship games out of North Carolina because the state refused to repeal HB2. Good for them. Discrimination should have consequences. States that want to go back to the Jim Crow days need to be put on notice that businesses and institutions will not want to associate with them. Indiana found out and repealed their anti-LGBT law, Arkansas backed away from theirs – North Carolina Republicans doubled down expecting to be rewarded at the polls. I hope they are not.

    The Syrian cease-fire appears to be holding. I hope they can get some relief to the people of Aleppo.

    See all y’all later!

      • Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote about it: How Breitbart Conquered the Media

        Political reporters were taken aback by Hillary Clinton’s charge that half of Trump’s supporters are prejudiced. Few bothered to investigate the claim itself.

        Our “news” media is disgusting. They are currently less popular than hemorrhoids, slightly more popular than the bubonic plague. I expect that rating to go down. It is distressing, really, because the press holding candidates and parties feet to the fire is how we can effect change. Photos of John Lewis getting his head bashed in “woke” LBJ. Who fills that role in click-driven American journalism?

        • The TV was on – to MSNBC when I went to bed last night – doing reruns of the days talk – and I was too sleepy to get up and look for the clicker.

          The entire program was reporters sitting around whining about how dare they lose sight of Hillary for a few hours – she MUST tell them where she is at all times ….they went on and on and on – and I couldn’t believe my ears.

          They acted as if she had committed high treason .

          I just hope that most tv viewers were watching sports or something.

  19. President Obama will be in Philadelphia today campaigning for Hillary:

    President Obama speaks to supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at Eakins Oval in Philadelphia.

    Airing LIVE Tuesday, Sep 13 12:45pm CDT on C-SPAN.org

      • It says TBD.

        Fri, Sept 16, 2016 – Time TBD
        Join First Lady Michelle Obama in Northern Virginia

        Tbd, Virginia – Official event

        Join Michelle Obama in Northern Virginia on Friday, September 16th to hear from the First Lady about the importance of registering to vote before the October 17th deadline and electing Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine in November.

        Ha! I am not sure I would RSVP to an event that I didn’t know the time or the location but I suppose to see Michelle Obama, most people will drop everything and just go! ;)

        • I wish I could see one – or both of them live before they leave to WH – living where I live in NY it ain’t gonna happen :(

  20. It’s 54 degrees here on this Tuesday in the Catskills, going up to 82

    School day for me. I’m tired already – had to get hubby up at 2:30AM so he could make the 4 AM bus into NYC for an early morning meeting at his job – he is not a happy camper today.

    Have been following this story – about a young Stanford student – who has been under attack for a photo of her the school posted


    She was targeted as a black Muslim woman in a football ad. Here’s how she responded.

    The Stanford football game advertisement was typical for what’s often issued by colleges around game day: a group of students, smiling and cheering in the stands and displaying school colors. One of the fans pictured, a black Muslim student at the center of the frame, was dressed in a hijab. That’s what got the attention of some online commenters last week.

    “That Hijab Or whatever is being shoved right done [sic] my throat!” one user wrote on Facebook.

    “What a ridiculous advertisement. You had to throw a Muslim in there, didn’t you,” another commented, adding, “Disgusting. Not one white person in that ad. Screw Stanford.”

    One Facebook user left a comment saying, “Hey Stanford take the Muslim bull—- elsewhere, we don’t wanna see it…” to which another replied, “Take the Islamophobia elsewhere, we really don’t wanna hear it.”

    Thanks Jan for the NCAA pullout news – husband was talking about it – the state is getting wacked in the pocketbook for its wacky and harmful bigotry – good!

    • I look forward to Gov. McCrory being defeated in November and a big turnout giving the state to Hillary and the Senate seat to Deborah Ross. Discrimination should have electoral as well as economic consequences.

      Mike Pence is the poster child for discrimination laws. I hope that more time is spent softening up support for him. A lot of folks who are hoping that Trump drops out and more mainstream Pence is the candidate need to get their wake up call. His refusal to call David Duke “deplorable” means that he does not want to upset the carefully balanced apple-cart of bigotry that the Republican Party has built:

      @TheDailyEdge
      September 12, 2016: The day Mike Pence officially took down the GOP’s big tent and cut it up into white sheets

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