Week-long Welcomings from Moosylvania: June 9th through June 15th

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 (usually Saturday night with a Sunday date). 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?

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.

 

Page One of Comments is HERE!
 
Page Two of Comments is HERE!
 

 

27 Comments

  1. Good morning, meeses! Friday Finally …

    It is 57 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 75. Partly cloudy skies and a chance for rain later today.

    The “fallout” from the vulgar talking yam declaring that election laws do not apply to him was predictable; Republicans said “this is fine” and the impatient-left screamed “impeachment now!” Hello? Saying you are going to commit a crime does not make impeachment more ripe – you can’t prosecute someone who simply says he intends to break the law. We have the evidence we need to begin an impeachment inquiry and Trump’s current behaviour will help with public approval we need for the next steps but it is not a crime in itself. Just like people who insist on putting “caged babies” and “killing civilians in Yemen” in the basket of impeachable crimes – those are terrible things that this administration is doing but those actions are, sadly, not impeachable – they are the result of people not voting in 2016 and putting Republicans in power. Impeaching Trump – and even removing him – would not change those policies: they are Republican policies.

    Gosh, a Republican Secretary of State saying he has “evidence” that shows we need to invade a country in the Middle East? Well, we must immediately believe him, why would he lie?!?!! We are such a stupid country – in 2016 we did not remember how 3rd parties ratfked the 2000 election and in 2019 we seem to have forgotten how Bush and Powell lied us into a war of choice in 2002.

    See all y’all later!

  2. Good Friday morning, Moosekind! It was gorgeous a little while ago, blue skies, sunshine, and an annoying breeze, but now it’s clouded over again. The current temperature in Ashburn is 59 F., going up to 74 F.

    Finally unearthed an orange sweater to wear to the demonstration against the NRA this morning. It’s been explained to me why orange is an important color with regard to gun violence but I keep forgetting the explanation. It’s going to be chilly, I can tell.

    After the demonstration I plan to have lunch and a nap, as I had the misfortune to awaken at 5 a.m.

    Meese, I am having problems. I hate to hurt people’s feelings. Does anyone have techniques for dealing with the following? 1. My dear friend who lives 30 miles away and whom I visit once a month, has a filthy toilet in her guest bathroom, which she never uses. I’ve discreetly slipped a tablet into the tank when I’ve visited, but that’s not the same as a good scrub with a cleaning agent. She’s too frail to do it herself, but on the other hand she has plenty of money to hire a maid. She just doesn’t want to spend it. It’s not expensive, it’s $37 an hour and all she’d have to do is call General Services. I’m getting to where I don’t want to visit her.

    I’m beta-reading the manuscript of a blogger that I admire greatly. To anyone who’s interested in Minoan civilization and religion, it’s quite fascinating. Rituals are described at length. Problem is, it’s more like a PBS documentary than a novel. A novel has narrative sweep, with the protagonist arrayed against forces or a situation that threatens to go the opposite way of what she wants. No writer wants to hear that: once she’s finished writing a novel, the last thing she wants is to have to revise it. I just don’t know what to say, other than beginning with the good parts (good writing, inventive reimagining of rituals as they may have happened 4,500 years ago).

    All suggestions gratefully received. As I said, I hate to hurt people’s feelings.

    Time for breakfast. Hubby heard on the radio yesterday that blueberries help prevent arthritis in the elderly, so breakfast this morning will be granola with blueberries.

    Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.

    • {{{Diana}}} – I hate hurting people’s feelings, too. Your friend is the hard one though. Maybe start with “have you been in your guest bathroom today?” and see where it goes from there. As far as the novelist is concerned, well, that’s why folks have beta readers. I remember in one of those MGM nostalgia movies Frank Sinatra describing the plot of a musical as “Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy sings song and gets girl.” – tell the novelist that and say something along the lines of “I love the setting but when does the ‘boy meets girl’ part start?” Even if the response is “this isn’t a romance” it gives you an entry point for needing a plot and not just a setting.

      I eat a fair amount of blueberries over the year so maybe that’s why my arthritis is so mild. It doesn’t help the Raynaud’s though. sigh. moar {{{HUGS}}}

      • Thanks, bfitz! I think you’ve offered a good entree to problem No. 1. As for problem No. 2, the protagonist is a priestess and there are Rules about the sex life. Still, I’ll see what I can do. It’s slow going because the pace is so plodding.

        • Romance doesn’t have to be sex – although in modern society most folks don’t seem to know the difference. However adventure also works – an earthquake or flock of tornadoes can liven things up really quickly. Although a major flood you know is coming can bring in the “stronger together” community working to get up sandbags to slow it down while everybody evacuates – which leads to the communal life while evacuated followed by going home, seeing what’s left, cleaning up, and starting over. A priestess guiding the community to work together on that kind of thing…

    • Blueberries are also brain food – something to do with anti-oxidants I think. It keeps us from forgetting where we left our keys!

  3. On the local news this morning, the weather guy said “This is the last cool morning…” and the anchor said “until October”. It’s about right, mid-June, we probably won’t have cool weather again. I’m glad I have the gym membership, at least for the summer. When Texas TV stations are telling you to take heat precautions, it’s really hot. So the 20 people for the debate are set, interesting that Tulsi made it but the Montana governor didn’t. Today’s song: Discotheque. It seems to be a fluffy, dare I say bubblegum, song. But it’s actually really deep.

    It’s not a trick, you can’t learn it
    It’s the way that you don’t pay that’s okay
    ‘Cause you can’t earn it – love
    You know you’re chewing bubble gum
    You know what that is
    But you still want some
    You just can’t get enough of that lovey-dovey stuff

    • I picked the wrong song for today – I forgot it’s the Cheeto’s birthday!
      I’ve come to wish you an unhappy birthday
      I’ve come to wish you an unhappy birthday
      ‘Cause you’re evil
      And you lie
      And if you should die
      I may feel slightly sad
      But I won’t cry

      Unhappy Birthday

  4. It’s in the low 60s supposedly heading for 80 and misting with some rumbly thunder in the background. Figures. Yesterday was coolish (never did reach 75) but sunny. We got 24.6 KWHs and the m-t-d is 236 – but the system is barely on at the moment so I don’t know how much we’ll add to it today. Cross fingers for the sun coming out by noon.

    I’ve got some dear friends, folks I admire and respect and whose lead I usually follow in the “impeach now” camp. I try not to get into it with them. They’re very upset about the literal torture and genocide going on right now, especially with the asylum-seeking families reaching our southern border, and are reacting to that. Flailing around for something anything to do to stop the evil. And they aren’t going to hear me if I say impeaching twitler won’t do it. It’s not even a start. It might be worthwhile if we could remove him from office. Maybe. Because Cromwell II would continue the policies – just more quietly and civilly. They’re R policies. There’s a reason the R party put twitler in the WH – & it took not just an effen lot of cheating to do that, it took a propaganda machine they still have. They are getting exactly what they wanted out of this administration. If twitler dropped dead today nothing would change with ICE or DHS. Families would still be broken up and caged – unsheltered dog kennels, freezers, and concentration camps under the control of the military (Fort Sill for example). The latter we have no access to via lawyers or human rights organization inspectors. The ONLY way we can stop this – and it will take time, as sick as that makes me – and it does – is vote the Rs out of power, secure our election system, and break up that propaganda machine. And we’ll have maybe 18 months to get it all done in or we’ll lose again on the next election cycle and they’ll start from where they left off. As they’ve done since Reagan. Yes of course we need to keep investigating. What they finally nailed Al Capone on was income tax evasion. Twitler has personally done enough wrong that we need to follow that up. But stopping the real evils. The concentration camps, the deliberate denial of services (like power, shelter, food, & healthcare in Puerto Rico), instigation to violence by white terrorists against Muslims and all the other KKK/Nazi targets – that takes getting the Rs out of power. The whole party. And keeping them out long enough to repair the damage and set us on a humane/humanitarian path.

    Meanwhile I pray & try to help the individuals I know who need it – and send a little bit to Raices for the border situation on top of my other regular little bits to NGOs working to make things better. & stay more or less nauseous because that torture, those concentration camps, those families, are always in the back of my mind. Light the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}} & Healing Energy.

  5. Good morning, Meesefolk; 46 when I got up with a high of 73 today. For the second day in a row, I’m wearing a sweater at work. Not to protect me from overly-efficient air conditioning, which isn’t even on, but just to stay warm. At least it’s bright and sunny today, but the weekend is supposed to be wet and wetter. The direct impact of the forecast is my friend who wanted to attend the Detroit impeachment protest texted me this morning and cancelled. It saved me a conversation as to why I had decided against going, despite her pleading, but I suppose it will be a conversation merely postponed.

    I’ve been hugely conflicted about the impeachment now protest and “movement”, but for me, it comes down to a few key thoughts. As far as the weekend protests go, I have come to believe that these short-notice, pop-up protests pushed by Move On do more to keep Move On in the spotlight than they do to effect change. The reason the Women’s March was so effective was because there was enough advance notice to allow momentum to build and thus numbers to build. The local marches gained notice precisely because the main march was massive.

    Secondly, I’m not convinced there is an impeachment “movement” except in the rarified atmosphere of twitter and DK and the like. Most of my more apolitical friends aren’t paying that much attention, and I’m not convinced summer impeachment hearings would capture their attention. And that’s even assuming there would be non-stop coverage of hearings beyond C-Span. I’m skeptical that would happen, because there are so many other shiny baubles for CNN and MSNBC to grab onto (like breaking news about Elizabeth’s dog or Kamala’s eating habits).

    What I do want to see (perfect world hope, so I’m not holding my breath) is more education, news, publicity, and protests re the concentration camps at the border. The way to get to impeachment is with an informed electorate, and even if concentration camps aren’t strictly impeachable offenses (and I’m not 100% sure that’s true), an informed electorate–one that has been made fully aware of the horror we are perpetrating–is not going to parse the reasoning behind articles of impeachment. An informed electorate will just want the horror to stop. And yes, I do believe that the majority of the electorate would want the concentration camps to be stopped; it might be a bare majority, and the reasons may not be universal, but I think the numbers are there. So when the [now various] women’s march folks and Move On and Indivisible want to join with RAICES and other immigration groups for a “Yes, They’re Concentration Camps” March on Washington, I’m all in. Until then, I’m going to be selective in my impeachment comments and reading (I’ve already muted a few folks who are turning into non-stop, fire-breathing Impeachment Yesterday!!! commenters) and focus on investigate/legislate/litigate and acting as a signal booster for all things about the border camps.

    Good day to and for all!

    • I think you are right in this assessment: “even if concentration camps aren’t strictly impeachable offenses (and I’m not 100% sure that’s true).” My thought is that concentration camps per se may not be but the illegal application of funds to build them, the hiding of the truth of what is going on at the border, and the brutal treatment of migrants, may be. There is so much lying it is difficult to know!

      Regardless, Individual 1 needs to go to prison. He won’t be frogmarched out of the Oval Office but the case should be made where it will get maximum exposure – in the House of Representatives. Doing it during the summer is a waste of airwaves, start it up after Labor Day.

  6. Good morning meese, it’s 59 with a high of 89. I didn’t sleep too well last night and literally just woke up. The temptation to go back to sleep is strong…

  7. Here are the debate lineups, saved here so I can find them later:

    Night One: June 26

    Cory Booker, senator from New Jersey

    Julián Castro, former housing secretary

    Bill de Blasio, mayor of New York

    John Delaney, former representative from Maryland

    Tulsi Gabbard, representative from Hawaii

    Jay Inslee, governor of Washington

    Amy Klobuchar, senator from Minnesota

    Beto O’Rourke, former representative from Texas

    Tim Ryan, representative from Ohio

    Elizabeth Warren, senator from Massachusetts

    Night Two: June 27

    Michael Bennet, senator from Colorado

    Joseph R. Biden Jr., former vice president

    Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Ind.

    Kirsten Gillibrand, senator from New York

    Kamala Harris, senator from California

    John Hickenlooper, former governor of Colorado

    Bernie Sanders, senator from Vermont

    Eric Swalwell, representative from California

    Marianne Williamson, self-help author

    Andrew Yang, former tech executive

  8. Good morning, meeses! Saturday …

    It is 63 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 72. The forecast calls for a rainy day.

    The DC Circuit upheld the right of a migrant teenager to obtain an abortion stating unequivocally “The Supreme Court has determined and then redetermined that the Constitution offers basic protection to a woman’s right to choose.” That is what Susan Collins endangered with her Kavanaugh vote. I saw that yesterday she got a top-level challenger for 2020, the Speaker of the Maine House and a strong abortion rights proponent. The debates should be epic.

    I looked at the semi-random drawing for the debates and it will be an interesting mix of personalities. I am hoping it works to weed out the unserious because it really would be better to have all the top tier candidates on one stage. But Kamala Harris could not have drawn a better panel – facing off against old white men and Mayo Pete, she will be in stark contrast in a debate where 95% of your time will be spent simply being present on stage waiting your turn to speak. I am hoping Creepy Uncle Joe goes right at Angry Bernie – it will be an epic battle of finger jabbing old men making America go WTH and looking for an alternative.

    Migrant children are still dying, a completely unfit man sits in the Oval Office literally robbing the treasury, and there are 585 days left to the Trump presidency. It is going to be difficult to stay positive – I wish we had someone to rally around to buoy our spirits but that person will not emerge for another year.

    See all y’all later!

    • I agree with you about the debate line-up. I think Kamala will do very well. Though pundits are all saying Warren is now a shoe-in to win her night, I don’t think that is so.

      We shall see.

      • The lighter lineup on the first night might give Julián Castro a chance to break through. People are still trying to sort through the ideologies (to the extent that they can get past the personalities) and some of Elizabeth Warren’s plans are too far left for many Democrats, including me. Secretary Castro is a strong advocate for civil rights and will be more of an Obama Democrat. No shoe-ins on night one!

  9. Saturday Meese.
    56 going up to 82 here in New York State.

    This is very disturbing

    Puerto Rico

    • “Disaster capitalism” is a phrase that seems to apply to what’s happened in Puerto Rico. How I wish we’d get a national Democratic government to sweep all the corrupt Rethug crap out of the island!

      Alabama as a state seems bound and determined to revert to the 7th century. If I were a woman of childbearing age I’d get out of there so fast the place would become a country of old men. It’s unspeakable! But there you go—patriarchal religion’s view of women is that we are nothing but ambulatory seedbeds waiting to be fertilized by whatever random male feels like doing it.

      Down with patriarchy, say I.

  10. Good Saturn’s Day morning, Meese, after another jolly night from Hades. Woke up at 3, could not go back to sleep, up at 4, back to bed at 6:30, still couldn’t sleep, so got up again. Ugh. Not only does the lack of sleep make me ache all over, it makes me feel disinclined to exercise. First-world problem, I know.

    It’s a mixed sort of day here in Ashburn, partly cloudy, with a current temp. of 51 F., going up to 83 F. later. Thank Goddess the wind isn’t blowing—yesterday it blew so hard while we were holding up posters in front of the NRA I felt grateful I wasn’t holding an umbrella! If I had been, the wind would have sent me sailing over the rooftops. As it was, it blew so hard that the hard edges of the posters kept knocking into people’s shoulders. Anyway, there were a LOT of people there, including Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran and Attorney General Mark Herring. A TV cameraman from NBC was there too. We missed the news yesterday because we went to dinner at the restaurant down the hall, so I didn’t see if the demonstration was covered.

    Miss Pink Cheeks wants a sleepover at Granny’s messy house, so she’s coming at 1 p.m. Grandpa and the dog will go to the fishing tournament at Fisherman’s Pond, just down the driveway, not that they’re planning to fish. There will be hot dogs and whatnot. I’m going to the Progressives’ monthly luncheon today. I wish someone here would have a watch party for the debates! M’daughter in Austin is planning one and has even set up a venue for it. Told her I’d be there in spirit with a large bag of invisible white cheddar popcorn.

    Wishing a good day to all at the Pond—may your Saturday be enjoyable!

  11. The Moose is VERY skittish today! Having a lot of trouble posting and when I went to log out so I could log back in (because it wasn’t letting me post comments), I received the grim message about the site being temporarily disabled. I’m having to fill out my name, email, and website address to post anything at all.

    • My fierces aren’t sticking, which is normal, but this is weird: it changed the font on my last refresh.

  12. Had to leave work early again yesterday. This laryngitis thing is getting old. I took a short nap — under an hour — and woke up feeling worse/tireder than before. Still, no fever or anything. Anyway, I’m up, watching the MSNBC morning show, they’re talking about the debates. No idea what I’m going to do today.

  13. Rained starting about 5 am – since the curtains weren’t blowing inward I didn’t get up to close windows. Only one room had enough water inside I had to mop up a little. heh. Off and on rain/sunshine today. I hope the rain goes off and the sunshine comes on by noon. It’s in the upper 60s heading for low to mid 80s today which makes it a day I’d like to have the windows open. Yesterday we got 15 KWHs which brought the m-t-d to 251 – on track but…there’s a lot of rain/cloudiness in the next week’s forecast. sigh.

    I visited the Farmers Market and got nectarines and green beans. Fresh green beans are wonderful. And make lovely green bean salad for when it’s too hot to cook. Not sure I’m going to do that just yet – these are the 1st of the year and just plain steamed is great. Grocery shopping followed and now other than food prep I’m done for the day. LOL. Cats have finally settled down to their morning naps – well, quiet time for Charlie and Freddie as they’re on chairs by the French window watching birds at the feeder.

    As to the evil, the pure evil, being done in our names – the concentration camps, the torture, the deaths – the honest hard truth is we cannot stop this until we have enough Dems in office – both houses of Congress at the very least – to do so. It’s not a twitler plan, it’s an R plan. If twitler dropped dead today the torture, the deaths, would continue. The concentration camps would still be set up – and filled. It’s the Genocidal Old Party being genocidal. We have to keep it on the radar until then – by investigations, social media, whatever it takes. Donate if we’re able to groups like Raices. Volunteer where possible. (Goddess I hope somebody’s got a covert diversion & rescue plan in the works.) But mostly we have to work every election at every level to get enough Dems in office. And pray. a lot.

    Coffee and the internets are next on my agenda. Light the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}

  14. Good morning, 58 and cloudy in Bellingham. We were at Ryan’s graduation yesterday and it was wonderful to be with him but it was a long day. The ceremony was at a stadium with concrete benches facing the setting sun so it was hot and I longed for a backrest. However, I was inspired by the student speakers…….11 valedictorians from diverse ethnic backgrounds. It was not tRump America!

    After the ceremony Ryan and his family hosted an overnight party for his friends so we drove home knowing he was safe and happy. Makes feeling slow and sleepy this morning totally well earned :)

    Best wishes to all.

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