Week-long Welcomings from Moosylvania: Sept. 20th through Sept. 26th

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?

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.

61 Comments

  1. Hi Folks – have a message for Denise first off – I have been asked by the Pootie people at GOS to send her sympathy for losing her elder kitteh, many thanks for getting kittens from the Shelter, especially black kittens, and would she please, please, please post pictures of the kittens in the Pootie diary.

    It’s 66 heading for 85 in Fay., AR and can’t decide whether or not it’s going to be clear or cloudy – keeps going back and forth. Since there’s no rain in sight, I vote for clear. :) Glad Walker’s out – hope he gets out of politics altogether but whoever steps into his “shoes” will be as bad or worse – being groomed and funded from the same sources. sigh. Hillary has survived the first round of attacks and her poll numbers are holding steady. Comeback Granny isn’t as alliterative as Comeback Kid (as they called Bill back in 1992), but it’s as descriptive. Haven’t seen the news yet – walked in the door to things needing to be done immediately and have just gotten a breather to read emails and check in. Hope everyone’s day goes well. Happy Mabon since it will happen before I check in tomorrow :) Blessed Be – {{{HUGS}}}

  2. Morning all – well, it’s still barely morning here in the East. Personal news – my dental surgery went fine yesterday, very little pain during the procedure (just putting in the anaesthetic, really, which he did a couple of times to make sure all was numb), and practically none since (I took the 800mg of Ibuprofen he prescribed when I got home and before bed and it was fine, no pain or swelling at all). I just can’t eat anything that needs to be chewed for a long time, as this is the temporary crown (and it’s right in front too, annoying) – but I’m relieved this first stage is over.

    Political – on the drug price issue, that guy is a poster child for why capitalism needs, at the least, STRONG financial regulations to function in any manner that even minimally serves society. He, of course, is a “venture” capitalist, that is to say, thief under color of law, but the baseline pharmaceutical companies are not much better, in my view. One of the worst things I had to do at the large law firm I went to, for a couple of years, after I left the Hill, was work on testimony for a small drug company that made the drug initially used for treading the type of pneumonia that was killing AIDs patients (this was the late 1980’s), when a Senate committe was investigating their price gouging. Trying to justify that was one of the type of things that drove me out of practicing law into teaching eventually. I’m very glad both Hillary and Bernie are on top of this issue – it’s one of the ways Democrats can differentiate themselves from the Republicans in a big way that people can understand and relate to.

    I’m glad Walker has droppped out, but I doubt we’ll be rid of him permanently either nationally or in Wisconsin – these guys have a way of coming back, like the proverbial bad penny.

    Cloudy and warm here – we’ll be back into the high 80’s and low 90’s this week, which is usual these years, it won’t start to cool off to the high 70’s till mid October. Sigh. I miss the fall up north – next year, finances and health willing, I want to at least take a trip north or northwest to experience a real fall again.

    Everyone stay well today –

    • Glad your dental thing was OK. Agree whole-heartedly on the Big Pharma (and especially vulture capital) companies – and the appropriate response coming from our team. Good idea to do a Fall Leaf tour next year, finances permitting. Since you’re on the Atlantic coast you might be able to get a train package to take you up to ME and back – comfortably!

    • The “tooth” will feel very weird for quite a while. The hard part is over, though!

      The sociopathic hedge fund guy (is that redundant?) has backtracked after the bad press. But the blemish on his soul remains.

      Walker is done. Apparently he not only racked up $700,000 in debt over his 70 day campaign … pumped up by delusions of adequacy … but he angered his national donors, the guys who wrecked our state by pumping their money into the recall election and Walker’s re-election. He never even called them, even the ones who were working frantically to find a way to sustain a $1 million a month campaign that got too big too fast. Billionaires scorned have long memories.

      So the man whose campaign schtick included buying his shirts at Kohl’s “just like everyman” spent other people’s money like a drunken sailor.

    • Glad you are over the worst parts.

      The drug price gouging is terrible and I remember applauding when other countries. like Brazil and Nicaragua decided to release generic AIDS drugs to their citizens free – or for a dollar a pill.

  3. Good morning and Happy Autumn, meeses!! Wednesday …

    It is 58 degrees in Madison, on its way up to 81 degrees. Partly cloudy skies are in the forecast. Fall in the morning, summer in the afternoon?

    Today, I will eschew the news in favor of a seasonal greeting on Mabon …

    The Autumnal Equinox coincides with the pagan holiday of Mabon. It is also called the Feast of the Ingathering and is a ritual of thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth and a recognition of the need to share them to secure the blessings of the Goddess during the winter months.[…]

    I use the autumn to rebalance myself: to remind myself of my connection to the earth and to reaffirm my belief in her cycles. Autumn means winter is not far off but after winter comes spring and then summer. We are never too far from that which we cannot see.

    A Blessed and Fruitful Mabon to my pagan and non-pagan friends alike.

    Lisa Thiel – Mabon (Autumnal Equinox)

    O now is the time of the Harvest,
    As we draw near to the years end
    Now is the time of Mabon
    Autumn is the time to descend
    Old Woman waits patiently for us
    At the threshold of the labyrinth within
    She offers her hand that we may understand
    The treasures that await at journey’s end
    O Great Mother has given of Her body,
    We give thanks for Her fruit and Her grain
    We then clear the fields so that next harvest’s yields
    Will be full and abundant again.
    Old Woman leads us through the darkness
    Our most ancient and trusted of friends
    She carries the light of spiritual insight
    And leads us to our wisdom once again
    And as we journey through the darkness
    And as we continue to descend
    We learn to let go of what obscures our soul
    And re-discover our true being in the end

    See all y’all later!

  4. Good morning Meese

    Heard Moose news on my local radio station – which covers Vermont as well as NY. Warnings are up for drivers to watch out for Moose who are doing a lot of road crossing this time of year.

    RIP Yogi Berra.

    • Moose on the Move!! Worthy of a warning, for sure. Speaking of which, the Moose archives will be delivered soon and we will be able to redirect the dot com to the dot net and close down the old site. Target date is October 15th. It won’t impact anything here because I won’t have time to do anything with the data for a while but we may find a few old moose finding us after the redirect.

      Yogi Berra added richness to our language with his malapropisms. Some of them actually had hidden wisdom. I was reading a few this morning and this one stuck out:

      “You can observe a lot by watching.”

      Indeed.

    • Dee, I think you will be pleased to see this story from NYC:

      Girls at a public school in Queens are now able to get free tampons and pads from a dispenser in a restroom, the first initiative of its kind in the city and the result of months of effort by advocates pushing to improve access to feminine hygiene products.

      The initiative is led by New York City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras, who is drafting legislation to distribute free products at all public schools, public buildings, homeless shelters and prisons.

      Ferreras said she wants to help remove the stigma surrounding menstruation, and help girls whose families struggle to afford expensive menstrual products. One box of pads from a drugstore can cost up to $20.

      Because the tampons and pads are available in a bathroom dispense, girls do not need to ask a nurse to get them, ask for money from their mothers, or bring their purses into the bathroom — a ritual signaling to their peers they’re on their period, which is often experienced as shameful, Ferraras said. She also hopes that offering free supplies will keep girls from skipping class when they get their periods. “We should be eliminating all worries and obstacles from young girls who are going to public school in New York City,” Ferraras added.

  5. Skipped walking this morning because the news said there was a security issue at the Capitol and roads were blocked off, avoid the area, etc. So I get here and of course everything is normal, I could have come earlier & walked. Sigh. Or could have had 30 more minutes “sleep”. I think I did actually sleep some last night – at least, I was asleep when the alarm went off. I let it go on for a couple minutes, so I have the guitar part of U2’s Bad as my earworm: https://youtu.be/HgBtoiNxPyE. It’s very pretty.

    This will make many hearts glad – one of my favorite authors, Pat Rothfuss, had gotten matching donations, up to $200,000 for donations to help the Syrian refugees: https://www.classy.org/events/worldbuilders-for-syrian-refugees/e58113.

  6. Happy Mabon, Meese! A beautiful day here in NoVa for the first day of autumn, 56 F. going for 78 F. Thanks for the Mabon music, Jan!

    Not much to say this morning. Pope here. Metro system mess as usual. Wondering where I can donate or sell my magickal books and tools—so far not having any luck. Pagan Pride Days have come and gone in my area.

    Good old Yogi Berra. He had good innings and we’ll always remember his enjoyable “misspeaks.” Wishing a good day to all!

  7. For those who want to watch Pope Francis’ visit to the White House without the TV talking heads, here is the White House feed. The president will speak at 9am Eastern.

    The people you see in the audience are the 15,000 invited guests, some of who are not acceptable to the Republicans. For that, Mike Huckabee Tweeted an “apology” to the pope that he was sorry that the president disrespected him. Here is a photo that shows that the pope did not feel disrespected when he arrived yesterday:

  8. 64 heading for 85 in Fay., AR – still can’t make up its mind about cloudy or clear – on this lovely Mabon morning. Hope whatever you’re harvesting, it’s a good one – giving you a secure feeling about making it comfortably through the winter. Mabon and good harvests are good things to think of instead of the news of the world. {{{HUGS}}}

  9. Happy Mabon to all! Thanks for the link to the feed, I’m watching it now, but a bit late – the Pope looks quite comfortable chatting with the President, he apparently hides his feelings of disrespect well! /snark. It looks like a beautiful day in DC – the fall was always my favorite time there – I used to live near Rock Creek Park and walked my dog there often, so beautiful it was in September and October.

    So sad to lose Yogi Berra, but he lived a very long and fruitful life.

    That is a great story about providing free menstrual needs to school girls – that Councilwoman looks like someone to watch, maybe? I’m just so sad that apparently not much has changed in the more than 50 years since I began my “monthlies” if girls feel so ashamed they stay home from school during their periods.

    Have a great day everyone!

    • I had never thought about the cost of proper feminine hygiene products … they just showed up in my house while I was growing up. But if one is living in poverty, can you afford $20 a month for what must seem like a luxury? Dee had a post not too long ago about the issue (but because WordPress searches are so awful I can’t find it!). It is nice to see someone addressing an issue that is probably not on most people’s radar. Women’s issues are low on most people’s lists and I am sure that menstruation as a subcategory is even lower.

      Yes, Mike Huckabee was just one of many who decided that President Obama is treating the pontiff poorly. Here is another photo of how awful Francis feels about being in his presence:

  10. More on Yogi Berra – this is stuff I never knew about him (from USA Today, I hope it’s all true). I’m no Yankees fan, but he was a great human being as well as a great catcher and manager.

    “The man had a career .285 batting average with 358 homers and 1,430 RBI. No catcher has ever driven in more runs in history. He was teammates with Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, and for seven consecutive years, still led the Yankees in RBI. He never struck out more than 38 times an entire season. These days, guys strike out that often in a month.”

    “And Yogi is the same man who was nominated to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. The petition had nothing to do with his playing skills, but Yogi, the man. He volunteered for the Navy and served in World War II, earning a Purple Heart. He befriended African-American players and Latino players when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947. He was an ambassador for Athlete Ally, which promotes LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) rights in sports. He also created a scholarship at Columbia University. The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center serves 20,000 students with its character education programs.”

    • I read that this morning also (in this Al Jazeera article) and it was all new to me! Probably because his career was in its heydey before I was born and I just saw him as the guy who made people laugh with his words.

      He had a remarkable career and one that extended beyond the ball diamond into making people’s lives better. A great legacy.

    • I have read a lot about him defending black players – there were some who didn’t when baseball was integrated – Berra was a real champ!

  11. Good morning, 44 and partly cloudy in Bellingham this morning. RonK is taking his camera to Mt Baker today so a fall photo post may result. I’m going to the pool soon and then hope to enjoy the changing season in the garden.

    Xi Jinping’s visit to Seattle is interesting to read about but not so good for those trying to drive to work. My daughter was seeking alternate routes yesterday but those were all slow because the freeway was closed.

    In Seattle, Chinese leader vows to join U.S. to fight cybercrime

    Chinese hackers have been accused by the U.S. government of breaking into corporate and government systems and stealing information to benefit Chinese companies, or for intelligence gathering.

    Xi, however, said his government “will not, in whatever form, engage in commercial theft nor encourage or support such efforts by anyone.” Cybertheft and hacking, he said, were criminal acts and should be punished as such.

    http://www.seattletimes.com/business/economy/in-seattle-chinese-leader-vows-to-join-us-to-fight-cybercrime/

    Deals done, others undone, as Chinese contingent visits Seattle

    But the pacts unveiled Monday were mostly agreements to agree, and they were overshadowed by news of deals undone.

    A deal to sell Russell Investments to China’s Citic Securities is on the ropes because of that nation’s rocky economy and a campaign by regulators against the company, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday. Separately, REC Silicon warned that failure to reach a deal in a long-running U.S.-China trade dispute over solar panels will bring the layoff of 400 employees and closure of its Moses Lake plant.

    More solid deal news may emerge when Xi visits Boeing and Microsoft on Wednesday. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg advised a conference of engineers Tuesday to “stand by” for announcements.

    http://www.seattletimes.com/business/international-trade/deals-done-others-undone-as-chinese-contingent-visits-seattle/

    • Someone suggested that the pope and the Chinese president should meet while they are on the same continent. Now that would be interesting.

      I hope the Chinese are sincere about cybercrime. Until all countries agree that it is wrong and there is no place for Internet criminals to hide, it really is a free-for-all.

  12. Good morning, meese! Thursday …

    It is 57 degrees in Madison, on its way up to 78. Cloudy skies are in the forecast.

    I started this at 4:30 and got distracted by some things in the news. I am having a difficult time with the Republicans’ latest attempts to turn women into mere incubators who have no control over their own bodies and have no right to plan something as important as how many children they want to have and when. It is now tied up in electoral politics as we find out that Vice President Biden thinks that way but reluctantly will vote to preserve the right. I am sure that many women are sad to think that the Vice President believes that they are murderers. :(

    The pope will speak to Congress today, some of them, anyway. Many of the christianists believe that the pope is only allowed to talk when he is against women and gays and not when he is for eradicating poverty and ending man-made global warming. I am not embracing Francis, the man or his church, but I welcome any words from any source that encourage others to join with the rest of us who believe that climate change is a serious concern that needs our attention.

    See all y’all later!

    • Looking forward to what he has to say

      I am not sure I will catch the whole thing live – am headed to the airport this afternoon – on my way to Asheville to the DKos regional meetup – where I will be introducing Rev. Barber on Friday (yay!) and on Saturday I get to interview one of my favorite civil rights activist vets – Al McSurely

      Al McSurely has dedicated half a century to fighting for civil rights and a more just society. After joining the civil rights movement in 1961, working with N.Va. CORE and SNCC in D.C., Al and Margaret Herring were recruited to move to E. Kentucky to help carry out the Black Power strategy of winning poor and working white people to the anti-racism, anti-war, and anti-poverty Movement of SNCC. In 1967, Al and Margaret were arrested for sedition in Pike County, Kentucky for trying to repair the breaches of racism. In 1968, they narrowly escaped death when assassins threw 8 sticks of dynamite at their mountain cabin’s bedroom window, and in 1969, they were arrested again for Contempt of Congress after they refused to turn over the names of hundreds of southern Movement organizers.

      To stay out of jail, Al apprenticed himself to his attorneys, Morton Stavis, William Kunstler and Arthur Kinoy, some of the most creative and brilliant civil rights lawyers in history. After 17 years of working without a license alongside Kinoy, Kunstler and Stavis and their new Center for Constitutional Rights, Al and Margaret won a jury award in McSurely v. [Sen. John] McClellan in 1984. With his share of settlement proceeds at the age of 48, Al entered law school at N.C. Central. He passed the bar on the first day of Spring in 1988. Over the past 23 years he has helped hundreds of workers challenge and win their employment discrimination cases. In addition to his private civil rights practice, Al has served as the Chair of the N.C. NAACP’s Legal Redress Committee and currently serves as Communications Chair of the State Conference as well as the Legal Redress Chair of the Chapel Hill-Carborro NAACP.

      A lot of people are totally unaware of the work of white activist anti-racist southerners, like Al, who is a key member of the NAACP in NC.

      • Wow, that sounds like a great way to spend the weekend!!

        I will probably put my headphones on and listen while I try to get some work done. I read earlier in the week that both parties are asking their members to refrain from leaping up and cheering at the various parts of the pope’s speech, suggesting it lacks dignity and would be confrontational. What? Like a Republican Congressman calling out “You lie!” to the president during a State of the Union address? That would never happen. I have been reading some articles about what people can expect to hear from this pope and it cuts along partisan lines. I hope that people who aren’t as hyperpartisan as those in Congress listen with an open mind to the call for social justice. We shall see.

  13. Happy Thor’s Day, Moosekind! It’s a silvery morning in NoVa, 55 F. now, going up to a high of 80 F. Dearly Beloved and I woke up MUCH too early—that’s the hell of being old. However, we do get to take naps after lunch, which is great.

    The news? Three hundred stampeded to death in Mecca. Pope will address Congress. Rethugs still threatening to shut down Congress. If they do it I will invoke the gypsy curse.

    Yesterday we put a reservation down on a new apartment at the retirement community. It’s not the one we really wanted, but it’s still very nice and far more affordable. No patio, but a sizable screened porch, which means we won’t be bitten to death by insects. The downsizing guru will visit this morning. We need help! I’m frantically Freecycling books but goodness, when I give away three, others ominously appear in their place.

    Wishing a good day to all at the Pond and Beyond!

    • just finished reading about the disaster in Mecca. Terrible.

      On the subject of being bitten by insects – I have been elated by the effectiveness of using a ” hand held zapper” which looks like a badminton racket and is powered by batteries. They are really cheap and work!

      We now have three – one for the porch, one for the bedroom and one in my office.

      Citronella candles – though nice are a waste of money – they don’t work. I hate having to use a variety of sprays on my body.

      We have a mosquito problem as well as a horse fly problem here in the country.

    • What is the gypsy curse? I hope it involves a great deal of discomfort and personal humiliation. I was reading that some freshmen Republican congressmen wrote a letter begging the leadership to not shut down the government. I think that there may very well be some jobs on the line if the Republicans shut down the government again. Last time it cost $24 billion with a b and this is close enough to the presidential election, which brings out more voters, that it might not be forgotten as quickly as last time. I also read that the USDA has no cash reserves like they did last time and food stamps will be cut off within days of the shutdown. That will be seen as plus by the soulless Republicans until they realize that the biggest beneficiaries of SNAP are rural white people … their base!

      Did you see that Ted Freaking Cruz wants to hold up the emergency Continuing Resolution by adding an amendment to roll back the Iranian nuclear deal? JHC! Nothing is safe from right-wing extortion.

      • Jan, the gypsy curse is, “May the crusty curse of Oliver Cromwell fall upon your poxy penis.”

        A most fitting punishment for the anti-woman, anti-poor Rethugs.

    • Congratulations Diana…..making plans for your move should be easier now that you have a destination to plan for. A screened porch sounds most inviting!

      • Thanks, princesspat! I hope the house sells so this can all come to pass. Downsizing and moving to a smaller place will greatly simplify matters for our heirs in the event of our demise.

  14. Good morning Meese

    Was glad to see Sister Simone Campbell of Nuns on the Bus at the papal event at the WH

    Mother Jones reported

    Sister Simone was decked out in Nuns on the Bus swag, but was otherwise as well behaved as, well, a nun. In an interview with Mother Jones on the South Lawn, she said she found the whole brouhaha about her invitation rather ridiculous. The pope, she said, “didn’t seem too upset” that she was in the audience. And the idea that the presence of Bishop Robinson would be disrespectful to the pope seemed shocking to her. “Talk about a pastoral man!” she exclaimed. The conservative uproar, Campbell said, reflects “people’s fear of the other.” She said the criticism of the White House invite list was simply divisive.

    “Why are we so afraid of each other?” she asked. “‘Fear not!’ Jesus said. That’s my motto.” Besides, she observed, “This pope is all about bridging.”

    • does the retirement community have a library? if you give them there, you could visit them…. (I talk to a lot of people who live in various retirement facilities, most of them have libraries)

      • Yes, another, it does have a library but apparently they’re very picky about what they accept as donations. Bummer. That lets out all my Witchcraft books and Pagan fic. I’ve found someone to take my gay sci-fi novels, but he lives in Pennsylvania, so I’ll have to ship them.

    • Great story about Sister Simone! The pope would do well to heal the rifts with the activist nuns because they do the work that he purports to support much more than the American Catholic Bishops do.

      I did not realize that she was one of those who the conservatives were claiming that an invitation showed disrespect (Bishop Robinson, I knew about). The pope reminded everyone yesterday that the types of nuns he likes are the ones like the Little Sisters of the Poor who are trying to take contraceptives away from their employees … he visited with them yesterday after his mass canonizing the religious colonialist from California. Some breaks with the past will probably never occur.

  15. Skipped walking this morning because I wanted to see if I could sleep.

    Very few thoughts in my head. Sad for the people killed in the stampede in Mecca — these seem to happen every year, though, you’d think the city/religious leaders in charge could have thought of a solution over the last 100 years or so. Still not thinking about the Afghanistan story. Just sick.

    Turning up the volume on my earworm of Disappear and since finding the video, I have that playing in my head as well. Great Goddess, he was a good looking man. She done good making him.

  16. Kitty update. Litter edition ;)

    With 3 new cats added onto our elder one – four cats puts a strain on the litter-box (and my budget)

    It was suggested that I switch to “Feline Pine” pellets…they last longer. In the process of ordering Feline Pine (which is about 30- 40 bucks for a 40lb bag (delivered) I happened to read some customer comments and found out that the pellets used for horse stalls are the same thing – except the price for 40 lbs is $5.99!

    I headed off to my local feed supply tractor place and got 80 lbs. The cats are using it with no problem (some cats are very finicky about litter)

    Happy cats and happy cat mommy.

  17. Good morning, 60 and partly cloudy in Bellingham. I’m really noticing the change in daylight this fall…..seems very dark this morning.

    It’s another day of home maintenance for me, Yesterday our son found and fixed the plugged pipe that had stopped the water from working in the garage and today an insulation contractor is coming to look at the attic access. We need to remove and replace the very dirty and old insulation and then replace the last of the knob and tube wiring. The only way into the attic is a through a small opening in the upstairs hallway so I’m dreading the mess but it needs to be done.

    • The first time I heard about knob and tube wiring was while watching an episode of HGTV’s Love It Or List It. They were ripping apart someone’s house and when they discovered it, they were required to replace it all. It is extremely dangerous and I am glad to hear that you are getting rid of it!

    • Good morning, 60 and partly cloudy in Bellingham. I’m really noticing the change in daylight this fall…..seems very dark this morning.

      I’m noticing it too, princesspat! I have to grope for my hearing aids in the dark now. Soon I’ll have to start using my tiny flashlight. Sniff.

  18. Morning all, late start for me today, good to read everyone else’s news. Denise, have a safe journey and a wonderful time in NC! Also very clever work on the cat litter situation! I too wish the authorities in Mecca could figure out how to stop these tragic stampedes, so terrible!

    Good luck with the downsizing, Diana, and glad you found an apartment at the community that seems nice – I will probably be looking around for something like that in a few years, but until my big dog dies (he’s 7 1/2 or 8 years old now, rescure Rottie-retriever mix, best dog ever), I’m not going anywhere. And I love my house, so as long as I can maintain it, it’s my retreat and place of safety.

    Jan, did Biden say something in particular about reproductive rights recently? I didn’t find anything in the news. As I said yesterday, I like the man, but I hope he doesn’t run.

    Have a wonderful day everyone – it’s going to be a warm one here as always, in the 80’s.

    • Good morning, Geordie!

      Here is the article with Joe Biden’s feelings on abortion. I appreciate that he has always voted against the forced-birth movement despite his personal feelings but the way he speaks about abortion makes me uncomfortable. I am adamantly pro-woman and reproductive rights are not just a philosophical discussion but a matter of life or death. It may sound sexist but men don’t get it and will never get it.

      • I completely agree, Jan. I respect Biden, but I would much prefer Hillary or Bernie in the White House on the issue of women’s rights, and I trust Hillary on that pretty much completely. One of the things that most appalls me about politics today is the way we are re-fighting battles I thought were settled when I was in college 45 years ago!

        • One of the things that most appalls me about politics today is the way we are re-fighting battles I thought were settled when I was in college 45 years ago!

          Oh, my Goddess, YES, Geordie! Back in the 80s I wanted to work on the plight of the homeless but found myself defending clinics after the Webster decision.

        • The abortion wars are heating up precisely because we never completely won this battle 45 years ago. Roe v Wade was a landmark decision but it has been attacked by the states and by Congress and has few defenders left on the Supreme Court.

          The religious right lost in their culture war on same-sex marriage and now the only thing left for right-wing politicos to fundraise on is abortion. And the religious right will insist on purity: no abortions, no contraception, no exceptions for the life of the mother … no quarter. To fight against that we will need a strong anti-forced-birth voice, not someone who is conflicted about it.

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