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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– Page One of Comments are HERE.
- Page Two of Comments are HERE.
53 at dawn heading for 75 and cloudy. No rain expected, just clouds, darn it. Got 17.5 KWHs yesterday, m-t-d is 186. Hope it clears off enough to at least get double-digits today. Rash is sort of clearing up on my face and the swelling is down enough I can wear my glasses for short periods of time. If I wear them too long at a stretch the rash starts itching again. sigh. i really have to find out what it is in my yard that does this to me – and if not get rid of it at least cut it back so it can’t brush my face again. The skin on my hands and arms is not as sensitive to it.
The Evil Ones are still plotting and trying to implement evil. We are still Resisting. basket very sweetly is sending me a copy of Hillary’s book – I should get it in a day or two. That election still hurts and I’m a little ambivalent (OK I’m a lot ambivalent) about reading the book and reliving that. But if she’s got the fortitude to write it, it’s pretty much my duty to read it. And her words, her cadence, hearing her voice if only in my head, will bring her closer – that may help. I hope.
Our navy is sending ships to the keys to help down there. Why the hell isn’t our navy doing the same for at least the U.S. territories in the Caribbean? And yeah, i know the answer to that question. The Evil Ones still doing evil. NGOs are great and do a good job – but they have never had the resources to deal with widespread and long-term disasters. The more widespread and long-term the disaster the less they have the resources for dealing with it. It has always needed governmental action to deal with really big stuff. The aftermath of Irma is just one more situation where innocent people are going to die because the election was stolen from Hillary. Goddess I wish I believed in Hell. OK, no I don’t – but I wish somehow the ones who caused all this pain and death could be swapped in these situations for the ones who will suffer/are suffering it.
Gotta get to work. I’ll check in the Villages first, but there’s some urgent stuff in my email box I’ve got to sort out and process. (Wish folks would check rules before trying to do stuff that’s against them and then asking me to find a workaround. sigh.) Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, Meese. The heavy gray clouds that “lour’d upon our house” at dawn have been replaced by pale blue sky and a milky skin of white clouds. Temp. in NoVa at 10:20 a.m. is 63 F., going up to 73 F. later. Louisiana Shrimp Creole for dinner, I think.
Late to check-in this morning because I had to walk the Japanese-American boys to school. Then I went grocery shopping. Have just half an hour to make beds and so forth before leaving for the gym.
P.S. I am terribly excited about reading HRC’s new book! Going to start it this very day.
Feeling terribly chuffed, as our British friends say, because last night I just sat down and banged out Chapter 13! I’ll start on Chapter 14 today. Not sure whether there’ll be a Chapter 15, but que sera sera. Tomorrow night when I see cfk at Bookflurries I’m going to announce that I’m seeking beta readers. So far the novella is 20,000 words. It probably won’t be much more than that. That would be 80 pages if it were hardcopy.
Wishing healing to all who are under the weather, including poor old Dearly Beloved, and better news than we’ve been having.
Good morning, 63 and partly sunny in Bellingham. I just listened to Pod Save America’s interview with HRC, and will buy her book later today. As John Lovett said, “Her guard is down” but more importantly she has some strong warnings and advice for future elections. So good to hear her voice!
My hydrangea bushes are in full bloom so in between naps I had some flower fun yesterday, and today I will cut a bucket full of long stems for my flower shop friends. The deer have been watching the plants and have started to eat the new blossoms so I may not have a second crop.
https://twitter.com/PodSaveAmerica/status/907574752549642240
I wasn’t going to buy the book because I am still not over the election results. But when I saw all the awfulness coming at her, I decided to “vote” with my book purchase. I am still not sure I will read it – the pain is too fresh – but at least she knows I am #StillWithHer.
I liked this:
I have taken that to mean a metaphorical girl in order to have it encompass many of the excellent women politicians who may run as soon as 2020.
Good morning, meese! Wednesday …
It is 54 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 77. Sunny skies are in the forecast. The temperatures got into the 80s yesterday and the air conditioning had to go on in the late afternoon. Off overnight, though.
There is a humanitarian crisis in the U.S. Virgin Islands and because our government is run by ignoramuses, no one there even knows that it is PART OF AMERICA! Not surprising that folks who won election by spreading the myth that Hawaii is a foreign country are too stupid to run our government. This is the problem with having U.S. Territories who have no representation in our government – Guam can get nuked, Puerto Rico can go bankrupt, and St. John’s can starve to death and there is no one to speak for them. Embarrassing idea in a democracy. :(
The ACA repeal has reared its ugly head again, this time as Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson. I hope we get 24 hours notice to call our Senators before the vote. Rand Paul said he won’t vote for it but we know how reliable Rand Paul is. The “Graham” part of the bill guarantees that they will have John McCain’s vote this time around. :(
Neil Gorsucks cast the deciding vote to begin a new era of voter disenfranchisement in the United States. Texas will not have to redraw their districts because America is post-racial and only court orders coming from Federalist Society vetted judges will be upheld. Fk you, berners who stayed home. Good job trading the franchise for your pretty “Our Revolution” signs. Please look up “democracy” in the dictionary – it requires people being able to vote. And if you think that “winning the white vote” is all you need to do to “win elections” you are as stupid as your leader is craven.
See all y’all later!
Our colonies are chock full of people of color – hence – they are ignored.
Good Wednesday Meese. 51 going up to 81 here in the Catskills of NY
No matter what the stupid pun-idjits write – here’s truth
I loved that video! Hillary haters can jump in the lake – people are not going to hide their allegiance any longer.
This is really pissing me off – more rabid ideas on voter suppression
I was following some of that in real-time and have a few articles up discussing what went on at the meeting.
That is what people need to focus on – reinvigorating the franchise. The people jonesing for Single Payer Healthcare while our democracy is being burned to the ground are ticking me off. First, win back state legislatures and turn the tide, then win back Congress, then win the presidency, then rebuilt voting safeguards and THEN talk about your boutique bills.
I hate my body for waking me up at 4:22. Maybe this is why old people eat dinner so early? There’s stuff going on…..I remember watching Rachel last night & going “wow”; but I honestly can’t think. Playing some U2 in my head
I remember now, it was this
Russia Used Facebook Events to Organize Anti-Immigrant Rallies on U.S. Soil
Good morning, Moosekind. It’s cloudy here in NoVa and it’s been raining. By afternoon it’s supposed to be fair again, with a high of 79 F. Currently it’s 63 F. and the rain seems to have stopped. This is so unlike our normal September weather (it’s the coolest in 30 years) that I’m quietly rejoicing. The a.c. may have to go back on, though.
Have begun reading HRC’s book but I have to keep stopping because I keep choking up. Also, it’s hard to read when one’s eyes are blurred by tears.
It still hurts terribly. What an amazing woman she is, and how cruelly she is treated. You know what it reminds me of? Years ago there was a very strange film, “Orlando,” starring Tilda Swenson. In it Swenson’s character fell into a long, long sleep and when she woke up she was a woman instead of the man she had been during Good Queen Bess’s reign. When she went out in society, wearing women’s clothes, she was subjected to the vilest kind of vituperation by the men of her class.
It’s heart-breaking about the awful situation in the Caribbean. I hope Stevie Wonder’s concert donations last night will help. It’s great that so much money was collected but I always wonder exactly how and when it will be disbursed and who will receive it.
Busy morning ahead as Darling Niece is coming for coffee for the first time in two weeks. Must run to the post office and later look over Chapter 14, which I banged out last night. The writing is going very quickly because I’ve been over it so many times in my mind.
Wishing a good day to all at the Pond and beyond.
53 just before dawn, more or less sunny and heading for 83 today. House isn’t quite cool enough to turn on the furnace (which I set at 62) nor to have a fire in the evening which would be really nice as it’s very hard for me to get to sleep when my feet are cold. Got a little over 10 KWHs yesterday and m-t-d is 196 – still doing well for September. We’re being cooler than “normal” but we’re at least getting the normal amount of sunshine thus far this year (unlike most other months – I’m doubting I’m going to make 4 MWHs for the year, but at least I’m already over 3).
Didn’t sleep well anyway but that was my mind squirrel-caging. We outnumber the Evil Ones – we always have and always will. That is where my hope is focused. We outnumber them, we can push them out of power and clean up the mess before moving forward. What I try not to focus on but Hillary reminded us very firmly in the Vox interview (and jan mentions frequently) is that the Evil Ones are using their current time in power to disenfranchise us. Well, we’ve been there before and got where we are now so we can do it again – but if we have to do it again we may be talking a century rather than less than a decade to get back into power and frankly we don’t have that much time. Between international tensions that could lead to nuclear war and the worsening effects of global warming – it may already be too late, but a century from now it will damn-sure be too late. So. I’ve spent the night when I should have been sleeping chewing on that. Now i will pull my focus back to what i can do right now, which is work on my community needs list, what i can do in the near future, which is work with the Washington County Dem party on organizing and GOTV, and let the rest go. If it happens there will be something “right now” I can do and I will do it. If it doesn’t happen there will still be something “right now” I can do and I will do that.
Need to visit the Villages then get to work. Soloing again – secretary at a training this morning – and my eyes are still bothering me allow not nearly as much as they were. I need coffee but somebody did something overnight that blew the circuit to the kitchenette and facilities management hasn’t been here to fix it yet. sigh. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 58 and partly sunny in Bellingham. Another quiet day for me, but I’m reading HRC’s new book so I’m in good company.
Hope it’s a good day for all.
Good morning, Meese. It’s still dark outside at 5:45 a.m.—woke up an hour ago and could not go back to sleep. I think it’s been raining but it’s too dark to see. Current temp. in NoVa is 66 F., going up to 76 F. It’s so humid we had to turn the a.c. back on for the first time in three weeks.
Reading HRC’s book very slowly, have to pace myself. Last night I wrote most of Chapter 15, will finish it tonight. If anyone wants to be a beta reader for a 24,000-word novella, please let me know.
The news is always so bad…sigh. Just saw that eight old people in a nursing home in Florida died because of lack of air conditioning. That is so sad.
Wishing all a good day.
I ordered my copy of “What Happened” from Amazon but used the “No Rush 6-Day Shipping” to get a coupon because I knew I would not read it right away. From the sounds of it, I may not get it for a while! Apparently every book store and book seller is sold out. That is okay – after seeing some of the snippets, I am not sure I will be able to read it. Probably because of so much Election 2016 news, I woke up this morning reliving the horror I felt on 11/9/2016 and it was not pleasant. I have not found any silver lining in the cloud hanging over America. It appears more and more likely that the Republican Party will not be punished for what they have done – their destruction of our system of fair and honest elections continues unchecked and because our courts are being filled with unqualified hacks who have been incubated in the fever chambers of the Federalist Society, no one can stop them.
I understand about the reliving the horror – I did that yesterday – but I’m coming around to the idea of reading it. if she can write it, it’s kind of my duty to read it. But more, she is telling us how they stole the election and that can help us prevent it from happening again. And we’re talking Hillary here. She’s never stayed “throwed” – while you know she’ll include the warnings, she’ll include the hope and at least one path out of this mess. Healing Energy.
Amazon shows it “Out of Stock” but that it will be available again on September 17th. So I will probably get it next week as promised.
Got mine for my kindle – which is where I do most book reading anyway
Good morning, meesers! Thursday …
It is 55 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 81. Sunny skies are in the forecast. We are going to have a heat wave for the next few days, highs in the mid to upper 80s. A front will move in on Sunday putting us back into the 70s again.
It sounds as though there may be a “deal” on DREAMers although it confuses me how they think that tRump or the Democrats have the power to bring legislation to the floor for a vote. It is not as though the shitgibbon has endeared himself to Ryan or McConnell. But I don’t care if the Democrats deal with the devil to save those young people – they have to do something and a legislative fix is the only permanent way to insure their safety.
Well, get read for more Gorsucks. The Democratic Party just followed the Pied Piper of Unicornism into the ocean and gave Republicans ad fodder to take down our vulnerable Senators and prop up their own. Medicare for All? Scare the olds. Plan without a cost? Allows any cost to be “assigned” to the legislation. Kick 50% of Americans off employer health insurance? Even Democrats won’t vote for that. This is the largest unforced error in the history of politics and I am so discouraged to see it lauded. This is what happens when you let a man who has no interest in preserving a party that is 1/2 of the 2 party system given free rein. The goal of Universal Coverage is admirable and should be in our party platform but Medicare for All is suicidal. Right now, Graham-Cassidy-HELLer-Johnson is poised to pass the Senate and our Senators are spending their time digging a grave for the ACA instead of working to keep it alive.
See all y’all later!
This thread from Kristin Rawls:
I want to save this here so I can find it later:
If we learn just one thing from this, we need to learn that you have to approach every election as though your vote is the deciding vote. Don’t trust polls, don’t depend on other people to pick up the slack – your vote is your voice, don’t silence yourself.
Walking pretty much normally now. Brought the cane for crossing the street, because I’m not getting over that any time soon. Rachel was amazing last night, with all the receipts on the Michael Flynn corruption — father & son both. Though I just have to ask — 16 nuclear plants in Saudi Arabia???? Who could possibly think that’s a good idea? Crazy. Playing You’re the Best Thing on my head — I like this remix best.
moar Healing Energy.
Thursday – Just coming up for air – finished my writing for Sunday – now can go grab something to eat and more coffee
56 this morning heading for the mid 80s – gotta “heat wave coming (highs upper 80s, lows mid 60s) for the next week. then dwindling back down, by which time it will actually be normal for the time of year. Got 16.6 KWHs yesterday, m-t-d is 213 – if this keeps up it will be a good month (for electricity generation in September anyway). Still have some crusty red patches on my face but they don’t itch and i can wear my glasses all day so i’m just about over whatever the heck I got. The yard guy came by yesterday to ask about mowing (why I don’t know as we haven’t had rain in over a month and that combined with overnight lows in the 50s means the grass isn’t growing) and I told him to cut every branch on every tree except the sweet cherry low enough to brush against him instead. Since he’s taller than I am, if they’re too high to brush against him they certainly won’t brush against me. We’ll see if that makes a difference.
I am sooooo glad our experienced pros are in Congressional leadership right now. If there is any chance at all of protecting the Dreamers – or anybody else – it lies with the ability of our pros to out-fox the fox and do end runs around the weasels and stoats. And as painful as i expect it to be to read, blessings on Hillary for writing What Happened – she’s putting tools into the hands of those who come after her.
Blessings upon the folks who donated to my most urgent ones on the community needs list yesterday. Seriously focusing on opening the Channel of Good for everyone. Jobs, just part-time jobs, will get 3 of the ‘repeaters’ completely off the list and a more stable job will remove a 4th. And then there the single issue folks who’ve been on for months because we can’t seem to raise what they need to get off. And more sales will get a couple off and keep a number more off. Their Good is out there – need to open the Channel to get it to them.
Gotta get back to work. new provost will be visiting our department today and meeting the faculty so the secretary is busily setting all that up (what? you mean meeting set up isn’t done by magic? a real person, usually a woman, has to do that work? surely you jest!) and I’m soloing again until he’s gone. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 60 sunny and windy in Bellingham. The breeze has an autumn feel and I can see leaves on my old maple trees starting to turn color. Another quiet day for me, but fortunately my BCH leg is responding to rest and elevation so I just have to keep doing it.
Hope it’s a good day for all.
Good morning, meese! Friday …
It is 64 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 84. Sunny skies are in the forecast.
ACA repeal is back and will be scored at the end of next week and voted on the week of September 25th. Whoever is in charge of strategy for Senate Democrats needs to be fired. The optics of a $32 trillion dollar health care plan – that replaces 50% of Americans’ current health insurance with “something else” – being rolled out in advance of that vote is terrible. That so many of our Senators touched the third rail of “hands off my employer-paid health care” is tone deaf. Next week the Senate will have an easy time finding 50 votes to protect America from creeping (and creepy!) Sandersism. Great job, doodieheads!
I will be only lightly online for a few days. See all y’all later!
Friday Morning Meese
65 here in Saugerties NY going up to 81
I’m continuing to pay as much attention as I can to Irma and the Caribbean
NY Gov Cuomo leaves today to go to St. Thomas – he was one of the first to send National Guard to VI
The Gov of Virgin Islands – Kenneth Mapp is from Brooklyn NY – a former NYPD officer.
I see Trump is headed to PR/VI as well – let’s see if it translates into $$$
This is so sad
Are they going to be able to go back? Or it this basically it for Barbuda?
Many will go back. When that is is up in the air
I wonder if I would? It’s almost like nature itself rejected human presence there. But then, my family is rootless. Individuals may or may not stay in one place for any length of time, but we haven’t had more than 2 generations of adults any single town for over a century – and usually not that.
NPR has some photos and narrative on the devastation: The Virgin Islands, After Irma: ‘It Was Like Stepping Onto Another Planet’