Week-long Welcomings from Moosylvania: November 1st

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 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, shown here with 3 pages of comments available.

COUNTING DOWN …

26 Comments

  1. It’s 57 heading for 72 and sunny. We got 8.5 KWHs yesterday (m-t-d 17.5 and on track) but I keep leaving things on. Pisses me off at myself that I’m wasting the little we generate this time of year. Hoping for another 8+ today.

    This is the ending of D-day. Omaha beach. We either break through the nazi fortifications and get off the beaches or we’ll get pushed back into the sea. Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg tweeted a reminder to do our spiritual practices today. Not that some of us needed a reminder but it never hurts to add that extra bit. Meditation, music, and candle are going in this household. We have to break through, get off the beaches, before we can win the war – if we can win the war. Step by step.

    Meanwhile the folks in trouble are too close to the edge for the election to do more than give them some hope for the future. Helpers in the now are who it takes to get them to that future time/place away from the edge. So we do our duty, as the Ancestors did – in the national arena and the local one to right the ship and change its heading to a safe port. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}

  2. Ran into the office this morning, now I’m back with more applications to work on, and there’s always e-mail and voice mails. The Science Channel got me all excited with episodes of their astronomy shows early this morning, then switched to something else. So I’m listening to music now. Have a great Election Day everyone!

  3. Good morning, 49 and raining. I clicked in the news earlier but I’m to nervous to read much so I’m listening to The Transatlantic Sessions, over 3 hours of lovely soul soothing music.

    My thoughts and best wishes to all on this election day.

  4. Morning, meeses. Wednesday …

    It is 46 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 70. Sunny skies are in the forecast.

    I went to bed with the disappointment about Florida hanging over me (we should NEVER depend on Florida and really WTH is wrong with Miami – don’t they care that their city will be underwater in 10 years??!!?) and woke up seeing that our path to victory is narrow (“If Biden wins Wisconsin, Nevada and either Michigan or Georgia, he wins the election, regardless of Pennsylvania or North Carolina“) and that should we win, our chances of passing any legislation that will help the American people is likely zero to none as the Senate will at best be a 50-50 split. Goddess help us if the election comes down to Pennsylvania where the Supreme Court has already signaled that if their political party needs those electoral votes to stay in power, the ballots coming in over the next several days will be tossed out. Michigan and Wisconsin are still counting (Milwaukee and Green Bay are still out – Milwaukee is blue but Green Bay is red).

    I am going to put my head down and get some work done; at least for the time being, nothing has changed and nothing would have changed in any event for the next 77 days. If things don’t work out as they should, there will be plenty of time to mourn for our children and their futures. For now we have hope.

    See all y’all later.

      • Biden is now ahead in Wisconsin by about 10,000 votes as the City of Milwaukee absentee ballots have been counted and added to the total. The City of Green Bay is still counting – they ran out of ink or some such thing.
      • Green Bay and Kenosha have added to his totals. Biden is now up by 20,000 votes, similar to the vote difference that Tony Evers got in 2018 to win the governorship. You can’t gerrymander statewide races.

      I just saw that Michigan mail votes are starting to push Biden over the top in that state. Fingers crossed that we do NOT need Pennsylvania. We are almost there.

      • Pennsylvania

  5. Hello, Meese. I’m not going to say “good morning” because I can’t see much good about it. This is not what I was expecting.

    What IS it the barbarians like about the scurrilous scumbag? The pussy-grabbing? Putting babies in cages? Mocking the handicapped? Calling our military “losers and suckers”? His low intelligence, complete lack of sympathy, and ignorance, not only of world affairs but his own country’s history and government? (Remember American troops defending National Airport in the late 1790s?)

    Even if our man wins, we can’t pack the court. At best, we can only hope some Rethug senators are arrested, or retire suddenly, or pop off so we can possibly replace them with Dems.

    I foresee a gloomy future.

  6. Crap. Not even Wendy Davis managed a win here in Texas. When the guy who lost to my evil congresscritter last time got re-nominated, I knew we were going to lose, but I had hope for a couple of the other races. But there were some bright patches, weirdly enough. Got rid of the last Republican in a county office, 2 very big transportation bond packages passed really big, and the scary rwnj sheriff in the county north of us lost — also fairly big. Looking for the tiniest of bright spots.

  7. Morning, Meesefolk; 43 now and going into the 60s later. Yesterday I told myself I’d take advantage of the warmer weather and work outside, but yesterday I was assuming I would have more than 3 hours of fitful sleep under my belt. I guess I’ll see how I feel after a cup (or two or three) of coffee.

    I am nervously confident that MI will move itself back into the Biden column and stay there. Joe DiSano and Susan Demas, who are two MI voices I rely upon when it comes to MI politics, are saying it will happen, so that’s calming me. I would love to get GA, but I read last night that the bulk of the counting won’t start until 10 this morning (Eastern) although apparently a skeleton crew opted stayed on last night in one of the key counties. So today, and several more days to come, will be a waiting game.

    I think my biggest takeaway from what’s unfolding is that Obama was right in 2004 when he said there we’re not red states and blue states; instead we’ve clearly and loudly declared that we’re White Americans and All the Rest. I don’t think this is a newsflash or even new, but a part of me wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe, the unhinged behavior of Trump would awaken some people. I think it did, but it wasn’t limited to the people who were horrified by Trumpism; people who embrace it were also awakened. This is a White People problem to solve, but I don’t have the slightest idea how to go about doing so. Getting Fox off the air, or at least restrained, would be helpful, but I’m too much of a pragmatist to believe that’s ever going to happen.

    Anyway, I hope everyone gets through this day with nerves somewhat intact. We have a lot of work to do, so I hope everyone can find a way to have a good day.

    • This really is sad, DoReMI:

      We’ve clearly and loudly declared that we’re White Americans and All the Rest.

      I saw a tweet this morning that I quote tweeted:

      Biden’s campaign had weaknesses that we can match to the results (Hispanic outreach being one). But by and large he ran a good, disciplined campaign that prosecuted the case against Trump well! People were just comfortable voting for a complete monster. What do you do vs that?
      https://twitter.com/abradacabla/statuses/1323940908069494789

      People were comfortable voting for a monster. We won’t fix that until a lot of those people die and the young people who voted 60% to 40% against the Republican destroyers of our planet outnumber those that remain.

  8. Wednesday Meese.
    I’ll just post on PR today.

  9. It’s 60 going to mid 70s and while sunny at the moment the clouds are moving in. I’d really rather have it the other way around with clouds in the morning and sun in the afternoon. But that’s one more thing I have no control over and have to just live with. We generated just over 8 KWHs yesterday and the m-t-d at 25 is still on track. Probably won’t be by in the morning but we can hope.

    Hope is pretty much what we’re hanging onto now. My bloody-red state is still dripping blood. We hung onto a couple of state and local races – my state legislative rep, the mayor and my council rep, a judgeship I was worried about – but for the rest, all Rs. The little enclave of blue I live in isn’t big enough to swing the county, much less the state. But Biden at the top and even a 50-50 Senate with Kamala deciding can get some stuff done – and save a bunch of lives. Not what we planned but hell we haven’t been able to do what we planned since about 1965. Everything else has been push a few feet forward and try to not get pushed back. So. Hope.

    This country is what DoReMI said – Deplorable White America damned determined to keep it that way and everybody else trying to survive. And I haven’t a clue what I, a white person living in a bloody red state & county, can do about it. The relatives, former friends & neighbors I can’t/couldn’t convince I no longer talk to. I guess keep praying. And keep helping where I find places to help. I guess that’s all any of us can do. And if it’s not, well, I hope the what else finds me because I certainly haven’t found it. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}

  10. Good morning, 63 and raining in Bellingham. All the people and issues I wanted to win in Wa state did win, but in Whatcom County about 40% of the vote is R, and that’s a hard reality. When we moved here in 1970 the town/college divide was deep and we were viewed as “hippy professors.” Fifty years later a lot has changed, but I’m not celebrating this morning.

    Take care, and as always I appreciate the feelings of support as we gather around the moose pond.

  11. Good morning, meeses! Thursday …

    It is 52 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 68. Sunny skies are in the forecast.

    Joe Biden’s speech yesterday afternoon was pitch perfect. And presidential. I am ready for this guy – and the good people he brings to government (and back to government as many will be Obama alumni) – to take over. This morning, I was reading a Charles Blow editorial about the choice that almost half of America made to extend what he called “this horror show” and one of the points he made was about the “immigrant families he destroyed.” When tRump leaves, he will take with him Stephen Miller, author of his immigration policy, and Joe Biden will re-up the DACA protections and the DAPA protections. Thank the goddess.

    I am going to carefully curate my news reading so that I don’t get sucked into – and amplify – the outrage and fear. Once Pennsylvania is called (or Nevada finally finishes counting) it will be 270 and done. One estimate is that Pennsylvania, even without the Bart Keggernaugh “disputed” ballots, will go to Biden by over 200,000 votes. If that happens, even the trumped up SCOTUS majority will be hard pressed to throw the election to their boss.

    I am also going to avoid those who say we will not gain a Senate majority. It is beyond disappointing that Susan Collins won re-election and the Biden+Collins voters in Maine are going to have to explain why they voted for Joe Biden and then tied his hands so that he could not advance any part of his agenda. We need to flip three to get to 50 where Kamala can break the ties and there are still races in North Carolina, Alaska and Georgia (2) to decide. We have one January 5th runoff in Georgia and it is possible that when the votes are released (this morning?) we will have a second runoff: between Perdue and Ossoff (Perdue needs over 50% and was at 50.3% when I went to bed). Fifty+Kamala is not ideal but killing the filibuster was not going to happen anyway as long as people like Feinstein, Coons, and Leahy are in the Senate. They will always believe that somewhere there is a “good” Republican or two who will vote country over party. They are fools and idiots.

    I finished my work early yesterday so that I could watch the totals coming in. I have to decide if I will do actual work this morning or just organize some notes and update my to-do lists. I will look at the “hot list” and decide if I can take another day off.

    See all y’all later!

  12. Good Thursday morning Meese. 43 here in Kingston NY going up to a mostly sunny 65.
    Loved hearing Dr. Bland

    Detroit “We have gone from picking cotton to picking presidents.” – Rev. Dr. Steve Bland Jr.

  13. Recount WI

  14. Puerto Rico

  15. Friday eve. If the election won’t end at least this week will. Today’s agenda: just work. I’ll probably go into the office tomorrow. I’ve got enough new people to make it worthwhile, but I just don’t feel like going anywhere today. I really should get back to my walking program.

  16. It’s 54 heading for 75 and the sun’s out. We got just under 8 KWHs yesterday and the 33.4 KWHs m-t-d is still on track. Looks like we’re gonna get the Executive branch back for at least 4 years. Still hoping on the Senate.

    I’ve got stock up shopping to do this morning and will be heading out once I’ve finished breakfast. Which I’m eating as I check in. That’ll be several hundred dollars on next month’s credit card statement. I’m still not used to using credit cards for monthly shopping instead of cash for weekly shopping. sigh. But this is life. And quite probably our new normal. And I can breathe again for the next 4 years anyway. My Social Security – which means my ability to live comfortably and help other folks a little – is safe for now.

    Anyway, I need to do my internet stuff then get out the door for Aldi’s “senior shopping” time. Then it’s Tractor Supply for cat & bird stuff. (Gonna have to leave most of it in the car for my son to unload next time he’s here. Today is not a “schlep 40-lb bags of litter, birdseed, etc” day.) Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}

  17. Good morning, 53 and cloudy in Bellingham. Slow to wake up today and my mind seems to be on vacation so I’ll just wish every one well and doze.

  18. Friday Meese. Here in Kingston NY – 48 going up to 70! Yay

    Puerto Rico

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