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?
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NOTE: The comments page will 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 (right before “Leave A Reply”) and use the Pages Tool to view previous pages, shown here with 3 pages of comments available and Page 2 circled.
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Good morning, meeses! Wednesday …
It is 36 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 64. Mostly cloudy this morning becoming mostly sunny later in the day. We are hoping to avoid turning on the furnace but I am not sure – the sun will not be available to warm things up as it usually does this time of year and it is 65 in the apartment.
The liberal beat the MAGAt in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race but it is likely to be a shortlived victory. It appears as though the special election in Senate Seat 8 will have a Republican winner, giving them a super-majority – the ability to override Governor Evers’ vetos and, more importantly, the right to impeach and remove people elected by the majority of the people in the state. The MAGAt elected in the lily-white northern exburbs of Milwaukee made it a campaign promise that he would work to impeach and remove the new Supreme Court Justice if Janet Protasiewicz won. I guess Evers could appoint a new one and then make the Assembly and Senate impeach and remove over and over again for the next 3 years (no, they will not be punished in 2024 – the partisan gerrymander is permanent). I hope the Wisconsin Supreme Court can lift the 1849 abortion ban before the legislature can remove enough justices to return it to Republican control. I am glad I am not there to suffer under minority control in a state where Democrats win statewide elections and then have them rendered moot.
I am going to read a few stories about the tRump indictment to see what legal experts think the chances of conviction are. I don’t understand why so many are missing the point that these are the only charges that can’t be tossed by the Trump-Sanders Supreme Court because they are the only charges that precede tRump’s time in office and the only charges that are unprotected by any overarching power of the presidency. Jack Smith’s pending charges can be blocked by Merrick Garland deciding that it is too close to an election and can be set aside if TFG gets re-elected, making his cult even more dangerous as they try to put him back in power. The Georgia charges are in a state where Republicans control all the levers of power and have little chance of sticking all the way through the appeals process. So this is it, the only chance to bring justice to bear on tRump’s literal life of crime. Good luck, Alvin Bragg.
I have a dental procedure this afternoon so I need to get a lot done this morning. I am pretty sure I won’t want to do anything when I get back.
See all y’all later!
Good luck with the procedure, Jan!
Edit: The legislature can’t override vetoes because the supermajority is only in the Senate. However, to impeach only needs a simple majority in the Assembly with removal done by the Senate – they will have the power to do that. I hope cooler heads prevail.
Good Wednesday morning, Moosekind! Clear and sunny right now in Ashburn, with a current temp. of 60 F. We’ll reach a high of 85 F. today and then start going downwards when the cold front moves in tomorrow. We’re still 4 inches under normal rainfall for the year.
My voice is a teeny bit better, but still not up to par. Have resumed swearing but as yet am unable to sing. That bums me out.
Have an unpleasant doctor appointment this morning, but luckily the doctor is a laugh riot, so it shouldn’t be too bad. A little painful, but not too bad.
Then I have a perfectly bloody meeting at 1:30. Wish I didn’t. I’ll be expected to speak and that’s still difficult for me. At least I don’t cough during the night now.
Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.
I am glad to hear that your voice is some better. I could go days without speaking and no one would notice (most of my communications are written) but you have a lot of things going on that require a voice. Don’t overdo it!
{{{Diana}}} I’m glad your voice is getting better. Don’t try to do too mch too soon and strain it again. Good luck on your procedure. Healing Energy & moar {{{HUGS}}}
It’s still 68 in the house and the furnace hasn’t been on in 2 days but that little taste of summer is over. Outside it’s 54 heading for 61 and still overcast from the rain earlier. It’s supposed to clear off. I hope so. We only generated 9.3 KWHs yesterday. The m-t-d at 58 is still on track for 400 – but not by enough to cover another day like yesterday.
Basket forwarded info from Fineena that she’s having a medical procedure this morning. Right about now in fact. Prayers or whatever would be good. The high winds in NM are pushing Aji’s pain levels off the charts – not to mention worrying because wildfire season has already started. Dangerous new normal. Amelia/earicicle has got a social worker coming today to help with paperwork (and I think dental tomorrow). Jill’s hoping to get some benefits back now Ronald’s dead and the govt isn’t splitting them.
I had 2 days of warm hands but it’s chilly again. Oh well. Summer will be here soon. Meanwhile, there’s work to do at twitter – or should I say barker? – as long as it’s more or less working. And even a little at Spoutible. Holding the Good Thoughts for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}
I just read that New Mexico is banning prescribed burns to avoid the man-made wildfires that created such havoc last year. I did not read the details but I hope they have some other method planned to clear out the underbrush.
Probably not. The Forest Service never did the prescribed burns properly – got to prove that Native traditions don’t work, you know – and my bet is they’ll now insist they have to let lumber companies clearcut the forests instead. Which of course will lead to more wildfires since lumber companies don’t remove the brush. sigh.
Good morning. Cold (by Texas standards) and rainy. Got my walk done, and stretched most of my running segments to 40-45 seconds. There’s a matching donation thing for the AIDS Ride at noon today. I have a diary posting at the orange place at 11:45 – enough time before for people to spread the word; not much before we close for lunch so most of my “tending” will be on my own time.
Thursday Meese. 48 going up to 75 (wow) with rain here in Kingston today. Happy Passover. For Passover, in Caribbean Matters today, I am looking at the history of Caribbean Jewish communities.
Puerto Rico
It is really irritating to hear people on the left talk about making Puerto Rico a state thinking that it would be a blue state. It would be one of the reddest red states and corrupt to boot. If we want to make a state out of the Caribbean territories, they should make the U.S. Virgin Islands a state – that would be blue.
Yup. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to say that at DKos.
Posted
I didn’t know it had one!
Good morning, meeses! Thursday …
It is 41 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 77. Partly cloudy skies are in the forecast. Right now the just-finished-being-full moon is surrounded by a light haze in the WSW sky. Last night, she was spectacular – rising over the Santa Catalina Mountains. It reminded me of the time, years ago, when I told a christianist relative that Easter’s date is based on the cycles of the earth and the moon – that it is always the Sunday after the first full moon following the Equinox. I thought his head would explode! Poor guy.
There are a few news articles that I put up in tabs to read later. The Wisconsin Senate leader says that they have no immediate plans to impeach anyone and that it would have to be for something “really bad” – like not doing what Republicans want? A political scientist at UW-Madison said that impeachment and removal has not happened often (the last time was 1853) but that the current political climate where every political weapon is used to its maximum advantage means it is clearly on the table. A political party that stripped workers rights as soon as they had the governorship, redistricted to create a permanent Republican majority in the legislature, and then stripped gubernatorial rights during the lame duck session when they lost the governorship has no scruples and certainly no interest in democracy and the will of the people. They are desperate to hold onto power and will do anything to thwart the majority of voters who reject them. The best news from the Wisconsin elections, assuming they can seat the new Justice in August, is that the entire country is on notice – don’t mess with the wimmens, we are ticked off about abortion rights and we vote.
I made a fairly comprehensive list of pending projects yesterday which is a relief because I was worried important things had been getting missed. My dental procedure was simple and painless and is another thing checked off my personal to-do list. Today I plan to rearrange some boxes in my office closet to make room for the contents of a box that has been sitting on the floor in a corner for nearly a year. It is time.
See all y’all later!
Good Thursday morning, Meese! ‘Tis cloudy in Ashburn, 69 F., going up to 83 F. It is supposed to rain horribly, with thunderstorms this afternoon or evening. Uh, huh. Like the 9 p.m. thunderstorms yesterday—not?
Jan, I appreciate your description of the Moon. The April Moon is called “The Pink Moon” because of the pink flowers that are so much in evidence. I saw Her Tuesday night, looking rather misty and surrounded by clouds, but did not see Her last night. Our newspaper lists the full moon as being tonight. Whatever!
The WaPo also grudgingly admitted that abortion is a losing issue for the Rethugs. Well, sure, honey. And not just abortion, access to Plan B, access to contraception, even. As Jan says, women are PISSED OFF and likely to remain that way until all access is restored.
My doctor visit yesterday was surprisingly short. She said that if I’m not having symptoms she wasn’t going to fix what wasn’t broken, and to go on home and enjoy life. “You know where to find me,” she added, “in case you start showing symptoms again.” She is so jolly and funny! She also was outraged that I’m voiceless after three weeks and urged me to see an ENT. That’s one of the things I have to do this morning—use my froggy voice to call an ENT and see which day in August I can get an appointment. Probably by that time I won’t need one.
BTW, my article on disability has caused a certain amount of controversy amongst the denizens of the Home for the Aged. Apparently, some of them expect to read nothing but sweetness and light in the quarterly. Well, I’m ill-bred enough to think everyone should know what people in wheelchairs and EMVs go through every day, even in a place like this. Now I’m going to research an article on vegetarianism and inflame the populace even more! Heh. Je suis une rabble-rouser!
That’s enough from me this morning, gotta split. Wishing a nice day to all at the Pond.
We never made it to 60 yesterday so we’re trying again today. We’re also trying to be sunny and at least are relatively close to it. No need for inside lights anyway. Yesterday it did clear off and we generated 14.68 KWHs. That brought the m-t-d to 72.9 and still on track for 400.
I haven’t heard from Fineena so I’m assuming she’s still in the hospital after yesterday’s surgery. Prayers up, please. As far as I know everybody else is trucking along – not great but nothing new and pretty much holding steady. Since we’re back to chilly weather we’re also back to my hands being cold and achy. Sigh. And our promised 80s for next week have gone away and the current forecast is for low 70s. More seasonal anyway. We really shouldn’t have mid 80s in April. Especially not early April.
Cold hands means slower on the keyboard and it’s already after 9 so I’d best get over to twitter, Spoutible, & DK. Holding the Good Thoughts for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}
Good morning, 46 and raining outside my window today. I had two teeth pulled on Tuesday and I’ve been lost in throbbing pain, which I did not expect, so my coping skills have not been great. I feel slightly better this morning so I hope I’m on the mend.
Given how I feel we have cancelled plans for a family Easter lunch, and frankly it’s a relief. My sister is arriving Friday for a week’s visit and she knows it will be a quiet one but I hope she won’t be bored. If she is Elsa will entertain her! Best wishes to all.
Oh, princesspat, sorry you had to cancel your Easter lunch! Hope you’ll get to feeling better soon!
it’s up: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/4/6/2162354/–10-000-match-for-donations-for-the-Hill-Country-Ride-for-AIDS-starts-at-noon-central-time
Friday Meese. 46 going up to 52 here in Kingston
Love this graphic re the activities of the TN Klan in office expelling the two Justins
Puerto Rico
Kike Estrada is a cartoonist and graphic designer from Puerto Rico. He publishes in the Claridad Weekly of Puerto Rico and makes a daily graphic commentary on social networks.
He continues to call out corruption, all the way up to Governor “Pipo” Pierluisi
“He was born Puerto Rican in the city of New York, back in the year 58 of the last century. He always knew he wanted to be a graphic artist and cartoonist.
He grew up in Puerto Rico (too much, he now weighs 240 pounds). He studied at the Luchetti High School of Arts, in Santurce. Then at the School of Plastic Arts of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and later at the Massachusetts College of Arts, in the city of Boston. It didn’t end in any of them.
His works have been exhibited in various places on Planet Earth.
Right now he works in his studio on a mountain in the countryside of Puerto Rico. He publishes in the Claridad Weekly of Puerto Rico and makes a daily graphic commentary on social networks. He works in Graphic Design when he has no money.”
https://cartoonmovement.com/cartoonist/10765
Good Friday morning, Moosekind! It’s a nugly day in Ashburn, 53 F. and likely to get up to only 58 F. later. We have clouds, but no rain. Yesterday’s “scary weather” turned out to be three minutes of hard rain at 6 p.m. Duhh.
Still have no voice this morning, so am unable to torture my long-suffering husband with the “Hot Cross Buns” song. I sang this for years to anyone within earshot:
The last time she was here, Miss Pink Cheeks informed me with narrowed eyes that she hates hot cross buns. In other news, Younger Son sent us a video of 8-year-old Karl breaking a board with his bare fist and then another board with his bare foot, in Tae Kwon Do class.
Back to jeans today after three days of wearing pedal pushers. Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.
Good morning. I took today off, I needed a rest. Today’s an “optional” holiday, we can take it without using vacation time. Yesterday was good — raised $1,000 for the Ride. Today is cold & rainy again, but that’s fine because soon enough it’ll be 100 degrees and the drought level will be exceptional. Not gonna complain about 2 rainy days. I forgot about church last night, and Maunday Thursday is one of my favorites, I love the dark and the minor-chord music. I’ll try harder to remember tonight’s service.
Good morning, meeses! Friday …
It is 48 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 79. Sunny skies with some high clouds. They are saying high 80s over the weekend.
Republicans punishing political enemies, subverting democracy and disenfranchising thousands – this is NOT new, it is happening all over the country. Tennessee was simply out and loud about it. The outrage over their blatant act of fascism will quiet down just like the outrage over more kids killed in schools has already died down. We are a country filled with terrible people who wield power in awful ways to harm people and institutions. Thanks, berners.
I unloaded some boxes of papers that need to be dealt with and my office is a mess. So I need to get to it.
See all y’all later!
It’s 42 heading for 66 today. Supposedly. It didn’t make it quite to 60 the last 2 days. (10-day forecast has taken back the promised mid 80s for next week – which my hands were looking forward to – and says low 70s now.) Overcast but not seriously dark at least. The sun’s trying to break through. Yesterday we generated a hair over 13 KWHs. The m-t-d’s 86.3 which is still on track for 400.
Fineena called yesterday morning when she got up and checked her phone. (She keeps it in a drawer at night so the dogs can’t chew it up.) She doesn’t feel good but she doesn’t feel any worse than she should after the surgery. Intubation seems to be s.o.p. these days but at least the folks who did her knew what they were doing. Unlike the ones who did Diana. Amelia/earicicle has a (unrelated-to-intubation) cough and sore throat too – since she’s got grungy tummy as well, it’s probably reflux. Aji hasn’t complained of sore throat but her allergies are seriously kicking up so she’s probably got one, too. Yay Spring?
I don’t have anything different than usual. A bit of a cough from sinusitis. Cold, stiff, achy hands/joints from the cold. Irritations. Nothing serious. So. Off to twitter/yapper and Spoutible. Holding the Good Thoughts for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}
Good morning, 48 and raining outside my window today. Ready or not my sister arrives today for her annual visit. I wish we were all going to be together on Sunday as planned but she will still enjoy being with family, just in different ways. Best wishes to all.
MVP in TN
Puerto Rico
(see the whole thread)