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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Good morning, Motley Meese! The week begins …
It is 66 degrees in Madison WI, on its way up to 75. Strong storms are in the forecast for later today.
Have a great day, all y’alls!!
Good morning, Moosekind! At 10 a.m. this Sunday it’s mostly cloudy in Northern Virginia, current temp. 74 F., heading for a high of 85 F.
Haven’t looked at the news yet. I’m sure it’s the same as yesterday and the day before. In our little corner of Moosylvania, it’s been one social event after another. Last night we had dinner with a friend, who made fresh pea soup with mint, chicken-and-leek pie, and a cold summer pudding with cream for afters. Goodness, we were stuffed!
Today we’re going out to tea in Virginia with Miss Pink Cheeks and her cousin and his parents. Dearly’s birthday is next week, so we’re planning a barbecue for the family.
The garden is dying from lack of rain. In a few minutes I’m going out to water it. I do hope the thunderstorms predicted for tomorrow will materialize!
Wishing a good day to all at the Pond and Beyond!
The news is the same as yesterday … and last week!!
The right-wing pundits continue to say that the latest outrage by The Donald will finally be the one that makes the Republican Base turn against him. But there is no evidence that anything Trump says is somehow “beyond the pale” for a base ginned up on misogyny and racism and fear of The Other for the past 6 years.
The Republican Party wanted people to vote for them despite their having no ideas and no interest in governing. So they created a brand that appealed to the stoopidest of the stoopid. Now they are franticly wavely “No, not THAT stoopid!!! Look at this nice Mr. Bush … or Mr. Rubio!!!” Too late. Bed made.
Good morning, 62 and partly cloudy in Bellingham. RonK is safely home but unfortunately my sister had was in a car accident yesterday. She’s ok but her car is totaled. Our Seattle daughter rescued her, her bike, and her belongings from the tow truck company and Ron will drive to Edmunds today to bring her here. Sorting out the car issues is going to be interesting.
So Maggie and I were in the garden yesterday, and with my cell phone close by we clipped, pruned and weeded while coordinating family life. It was good to be outdoors regardless.
Yikes! I am glad she is okay … cars can be replaced although it certainly makes life more complicated.
Thank Goddess she’s all right, princesspat! Please keep us posted on how everything’s going.
Afternoon – 92 with a heat index of 107 at 1509 CDT in Fay., AR. A/C kicked on at 0500 this morning waking me up. It was already too hot to open my kitchen window and exhaust out the heat from my weekly baking. Having orange muffin bread this week – it came out quite nicely. Then I used the electric grill to cook 5-weeks worth breakfast sausages (most of which went into the freezer) and this week’s entree of chicken tenders. I’m still debating whether I want the heat/steam right now of making a green bean and purple potato salad (beans and potatoes from the Farmers Market) to eat cold the rest of the week, or the steam/heat every night this week of having them hot. My kitties don’t like this weather. I let them out in the yard while I watered, hung out clothes, and later brought in clothes. They fussed to be let out, then fussed to be let in. Cloud especially keeps going to each of the windows I leave open in nice weather and fussing at me because they’re closed. sigh. At least it’s August in NW AR – this will be over in a couple of weeks. I could still be living in Houston where it won’t be over til Halloween. Maybe.
Since the news is usually bad, I let somebody else filter it for me. Usually Jan. :) And “hold the good thought” – a lot. Hope everybody is as safe and sound as can be in Moosylvania – and elsewhere. {{{HUGS}}}
Sorry it’s so hot where you are, bfitz! I remember how hot it was in Little Rock the last two weeks of August and the first two of September. But that was in the old days, when the weather was more or less normal.
Hope you’ll get some relief soon.
Good morning, meese! Monday …
It is 69 degrees in Madison, on its way up to 83. Partly cloudy skies are in the forecast.
HAHAHAHA!!tm bubbanomics The oh-so-smart and oh-so-serious pundits declaring that FINALLY Trump has gone too far … were wrong again. He criticized the propaganda arm of the Republican Party, Fox News, and it turns out that is not a third rail. The Frankenstein they created with Abby Normal’s brain cannot be destroyed. Sucks to be you, GOP!
Scott Walker dropped three points to 7%.
The poll showed that Carly Fiorina “won” the debate followed by Trump, Rubio, and Cruz. Walker clocked in at 3% … they are not that into you, Scotty!!
The Fiorina news is yoooge for the GOP. They have been desperate to find someone to appeal to Uterine-Americans and they think that a woman, no matter how ghastly and out of touch with real women’s lives she is, will fill the bill. Just like Ben Carson and his Obama=Nazi will bring in the black vote and Marco Rubio will appeal to Latinos despite the send-em-all-home rhetoric of the Republican Party. Go with that, GOP!
See all y’all later!
I hope they do pick Fail Fiorina to run in one of the slots.
Watching this train wreck is gonna make me buy popcorn shares.
It just gets sillier and sillier. I certainly don’t want Donald Trump for president and having him as one of the two people who Americans will pick from next year seems a bit risky (I lay awake nights worrying about an October surprise) but this is fun to watch right now.
This might be the election cycle where the reflexive R voters finally wake up and realize that their party was hijacked and is no longer serious about governing, or really, anything. I will not hold my breath but it would certainly be nice to not have to sweat out each election where 50%+1 wins.
Portlaw – when you see this – check your Kosmail.
I did and replied. I was so shocked by that vomit comment.; Just changed it to a hide. It’s a pile on but so what. What a piece of racism packed with lies and in my shock I rec’d it. Am so embarrassed. Thanks for telling me. Hope nobody else saw it.
It wasn’t a day for good discussion over there. Am glad to be here in the Pond.
This morning, I am struggling with understanding what is going on with the BLM movement. I am hearing that the BLM in Seattle is not part of the national movement and then, further, that there is no national movement, just a bunch of free-lancers kind of like the Occupy movement. Then I hear that they are all Hillary plants, or maybe the CIA and probably (that old canard) getting George Soros money (I am still waiting for my check). Was it rude to interrupt Bernie? Well, it depends on your point of view. How far does one go to make a point about injustice? I saw a video about the Woolworth lunch counter protest … those people were rude, weren’t they? Bernie is obviously not Jim Crow Southerners but in 2015, wherever there is a camera, there will be someone trying to get in front of it to tell their story. One Twitterer mentioned that when Bernie was protesting injustice in the 1960s, he would not have stopped when he thought it was rude. But how do you fix the optics of an old white guy turning his back on two young black women and walking away. It is probably not even about Bernie anymore, he is just a useful prop. Need help here!
The CT is fierce – and has many iterations. What makes it worse, black people totally not part of #Blacklivesmatter are being attacked on twitter simply because they are black – like Charles Blow.
Now BlackLivesMatter is being attacked for being “headed by lesbians”
This was at Ring of Fire
After getting a ton of pushback from people on Twitter – the piece – titled
Progressives: Don’t Waste Your Money on the Group #BlackLivesMatters. They Are Actually Hurting Minority Progress (cached version)
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:k-9BRwC-wqUJ:www.ringoffireradio.com/2015/08/progressives-dont-waste-your-money-on-blacklivesmatter/+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
seems to have changed this morning (with no mention of that)
The toxic racism I’m seeing from certain “progressive” elements is churning my stomach – but I’m not surprised – since many of these same people made vile racist attacks against POTUS.
Al Giordano had a piece – which I’m sure a lot of people will ignore
This Will Keep Happening Until Bernie Sanders Learns
I’m exhausted – had to deal with some woman putting up a diary as if it was a Black Kos diary…and putting out flames till I had no more donuts
OMG, Denise! Which diary was that?
I admit to looking but not participating much at GOS lately. I don’t feel welcome there.
It is now “changed” but the damage was done. Don’t worry about it :)
I saw that Ring of Fire piece before it was modified (lots of screenshots were Tweeted also so they can’t hide the early words). Someone on Twitter had asked Sam Seder if he was standing behind that (he is part of “Ring of Fire Staff”, the purported authors). He said he didn’t. I don’t like the anti-vaxxer Bobby Kennedy and I have never liked Mike Papantonio – I don’t trust guys who claim to be Democrats but call our party the “Democrat Party” – plus he is anti-Obama and leans “both parties do it”. He probably voted for Nader.
People tried to discredit the feminist movement by making it sound like only “manly women” were feminists. It is not surprising that they would try to discredit the BLM movement the same way. Keep trying to find a subset of “hated Americans” until you find one everyone can agree on. :(
They are not my cuppa tea or coffee.
Yes – the lesbian menace meme is old – and ugly.
Grrrrr
I had liked a lot of what I’d seen from Ring of Fire, wasn’t a close follower. But now I’m un-following everywhere. That is ridiculous.
That RofF piece explains why the “Bernie Marched” stuff steps on my last nerve. Here is the last paragraph from that piece:
When they put that in the same article with the ugly attacks on women, women of color, and gay women, it discredits THEIR presentation of that “factoid”.
Bernie is ill-served by his supporters. As I said elsewhere: “I like your Bernie Sanders, I do not like your BernieBots. Your BernieBots are so unlike your Bernie.”
I haven’t really decided, I’m 75% for Hillary. Woman prez & one of her staffers, Karen Finney is a twitter friend. But most of the reason I won’t support Sanders is how obnoxious his supporters are. I don’t want to be associated with people like that.
Bernie can’t be blamed for his followers UNLESS he refuses to denounce them. I am not even sure he knows they are doing it.
I am for Hillary until I am convinced otherwise. I am not sure what would sway me, certainly not anything the Republicans are using. She would be our best chance to continue the Obama legacy and that is important to me.
He has staff – on twitter, fb, and other social media – there is no way they don’t know what is being said and done in his name – I gave it the benefit of the doubt early on – but won’t do that now.
Yup – that’s my thought. He has to know and he’s letting it go.
Good morning, Meese.
Just saw the news coming out of Ferguson. Very very depressing, very very shocking.
Back later.
Hope the news is good in your part of the Pond.
I saw that there were some people shot but have not read any of the stories yet. Who was doing the shooting?
a lot of what happened is still unclear – and I’m not going to believe the “official police version”.
Will wait till more is available from folks who were there
Good idea. So much early news is wrong on the details.
Good morning, Moosekind! It seems we’re waking up this morning to a whole raft of bad news. I was shocked by the news from Ferguson—it’s happening all over again?
It’s overcast this morning, thank Goddess, and 70 F., going up to 79 F. It rained during the night and thunderstorms are predicted for the afternoon. So glad to get the rain!
A too-active social life has kept me from doing certain chores that I need to complete. My niece’s birthday went right past me—bought a card but never sent it. When Babylicious is here, he absorbs every atom of energy in my brain. However, today I’ll have Miss Pink Cheeks here. Plan to refresh all the lavender sachets in the house with her help.
In the meantime, I’ll keep an eye on the news, although I may not have time to comment.
Hope it’s a good day for the Pond and for the world as well.
I suppose I’m going to have to change my password, because I cannot remember it & therefore can’t get in here on the weekends. Sigh. Had a good one. Saturday my half-marathon group started. I wasn’t going to join – afraid of the fund-raising commitment, but they talked me into it. On race day, we get carpooled to the race site, and we have an indoor space — with bathrooms. Now to figure out how to raise $750 for the Children’s Shelter without slighting the AIDS Walk. Sunday we did hill repeats. My heart rate monitor says that was 600 calories of work in 1.5 hours.
Monday. yay. Walked 1.25 miles. Hot even at 6:30am. Playing City of Blinding Lights in my head because it is such a soaring song & I need the energy.
83 at 0600 in Fay., AR – fortunately we’re supposed to get a drop in overnight lows starting Wednesday am – I won’t be walking in until we do. When it comes to the news, or GOS (not counting the pootie diaries), or berniebots, the more I see the more I like my cats. Blessings on those of your who wade through the sewage – hope you’re wearing hazmat gear – and reporting back to the rest of us. Hope everyone has a good, or at least a better, day around the Moose pond. {{{HUGS}}}
Not every Bernie supporter is obnoxious, by the way. You can be for someone without being nasty about their opponents. Some of the anti-HRC stuff is right off of Rush Limbaugh’s web site.
That’s how I differentiate between Bernie supporters and berniebots – the Bernie supporters are not obnoxious and firmly state they will support in November whoever wins the primaries. Berniebots are very obnoxious, very Limbaugh-anti-HRC, and very “if Bernie doesn’t win I’m taking my ball and going home” – on GOS I don’t read Bernie diaries at all and don’t read passed the tip jar on Hillary diaries because the bots are so very obnoxious.
Jan, all the anti-Hillary comments are the reason I don’t feel comfortable at GOS nowadays. Thank goodness for the Moose Pond!
A rousing “R-amen” on that!
It’s not just the GOS, there is a lot of HRC bashing all over the Internets. I am probably going to start writing posts about some of Hillary’s policy positions. A lot of folks think she reinvented herself for this election and nothing could be further from the truth. Some of her positions are different because times have changed and she can afford to be more liberal sounding. Some are evolutions based on changes over 8 years. For example, ,in 2007, she was pro-coal. In 2015, as a nation we are post-coal and so is she. Today she is proposing a $350 billion college tuition plan.
Now, nap time for me!
I wish you would – I certainly can’t get that at GOS. Hillary’s always been more liberal than most people give her credit for but she’s also matured and become more liberal over the years. In 2007 it still looked like renewables/sustainables would not be capable of powering our nation, both because they were coming online so slowly and because of the perceived issue of dependability. Now renewables are the fastest growing sector and “king” coal is dying of its own toxic waste. That’s a growth issue for her. Voting rights, women’s rights, kid’s rights, education at all levels – she’s always been in the right place on those. But finding her specific policies isn’t going to be easy just because some people don’t want you to know them. And that’s the sad truth.
Funny how you call the evolution on coal as a “growth issue” for HRC. The headline of that Reuters piece I linked was this “Clinton strays from her roots as coal miner’s great granddaughter“. Think about that for a minute: her great grandfather worked in the Welsh coal mines. Nearly 150 years later, why are we still using the energy of the past? Our technology has evolved to where we have options and science is pointing out the terrible consequences of using CO2 emitting fuels to power electricity for the needs of 7 billion people (5.5 billion more than in 1870). It would be more surprising if she hadn’t evolved. Her response to the coal states who are upset that they are losing a vocal supporter was good:
She has yet to release her own plan for addressing climate change but she has wholeheartedly backed President Obama’s initiatives so it is unlikely to stray much from that.
Hillary combines idealism with pragmatism – yes, we could have gotten off coal a long time ago. We could have gotten off all fossils at least 30 years ago. But we didn’t. And we can’t cold-turkey stop because right now all of our food AND water are moved by machines powered by fossil fuels. The growth part is she’s now seen not just that we can but how we can transition off/replace fossil fuels- not in some unicorn land future – but right now. The other piece of that pragmatism is that she is not going to come out and disagree with President Obama’s initiatives on anything – the most she’s going to do is say, as she has about the TPP, that if it’s still an issue when she gets there she’ll read it and see. And her own plan for addressing climate change includes every home in America powered by renewables by 2027, among other things – starting with solar roofs and American jobs.
Good morning, meese! Tuesday …
It is 61 degrees in Madison, on its way up to 81. Partly sunny skies are in the forecast.
My internal clock got reset somehow during my vacation (possibly because I did not have early morning tasks and could just sleep in) and I was waking up with my alarm feeling quite unrested. So this morning I set my alarm ahead an hour to see if that would help. I feel more rested but now more harried as the time I used to spend puttering around on the Internets before I needed to begin work is shortened. It may take a few days to adjust so I will continue my experiment.
St. Louis apparently has dug in its heels and decided that no protests will be allowed in their city. Hundreds of peaceful protesters were jailed for “defiance”. A Missouri police union celebrated Darren Wilson Day. No, I am not making this up, they celebrate the day that one of their members murdered an unarmed black man and stood over his body for 4 hours trying to figure out what lies he could tell that would get him off. Turns out he didn’t need any lies because the corrupt institutions of St. Louis County protect murderous cops. If I sound angry, it is because I am. I read that and then I read about white progressives complaining that protests are “messy” and “look bad” if they don’t follow some sort of rules of decorum. Demands for social justice are messy and always will be. The powers that be do not want to give up that power and jail time and the scorn of some anal white progressives is not going to deter them.
I got worried and went looking for princesspat. She was busy from the aftermath of her sister’s accident but she is fine. Whew!
See all y’alls later.
Good morning, Meese. It’s a rainy day here.
Pleased to hear that princesspat is fine. Hope that is true of everyone.
Am about to read about Ferguson but with a very heavy heart.
I saw some of the images from a confrontation between protesters blocking I-70, a major interstate route through Missouri, and it was disturbing. The protesters were white, probably recognizing that their black comrades would be shot and killed rather than just body slammed and arrested. When I compare those white allies to the peevish putzheads in Seattle who yelled “tase them!” when black protesters would not relinquish the podium to Bernie Sanders, I am heartened to see that there are still some white people who get it. But it is depressing to think that people of color protesting is still a capital crime in America.
Sigh. One would think this country might have progressed, but evidently not.
Good morning, Meese! It’s 72 F. on a cloudy morning here, going up to 84 F. later. It rained during the night, I was pleased to see. Thunderstorms are expected this afternoon.
Saw a bit of the unrest in Ferguson on TV this morning. I’ve always harbored suspicions about the state of Missouri, which I suspect of being far more racist than most people realize. But then, I suppose that’s true of every state. Probably won’t have time to read past the headlines today as I’ll have Babylicious and Pink Cheeks here, and every day this week except Friday.
Finally managed to get some writing done last night—my journal was long overdue for an entry, so I wrote five pages. In the intervals of tending children I have three stories to think about: Part III of “Getting Unhexed,” “Tea and Strumpets,” and now “Rescue Mission.” Can’t wait to actually start writing!
Glad to know princesspat is fine. Wishing a good day to all at the Pond and to the world at large!
Walked 1.3 miles. It is vile-ly hot out. Air temp is 71 but it feels way hotter than that. The weather guy was excited this morning at a 20% chance of rain.
I’m staying away from depressing news, I’m so tired from not sleeping I just can’t spend the energy. At some point, either the exercise or the not sleeping will have to lead to one night’s sleep, right?
Just listened to a very interesting interview with one of the young women, Marissa Janae Johnson, from #blacklivesmatter who was on the stage in Seattle – about whom CT abounds.
Interviewed by Elon James White and Imani ABL
She’s clearly not a Hillary plant, or a Republican, or part of COINtelpro, or any of the other things being thrown at her.
She is young 24, committed to what she sees as her struggle. Like many young activists she isn’t particularly engaged in electoral politics – I remember being like that.
The other crap thrown at her – re Sarah Palin was really interesting. She gave some of her background – she was raised by parents – dad is black, mom is white…who are teapartiers
She’s also a devout Christian (which was thrown at her by detractors) but after listening she seems no different than Rev. Barber and others who embrace evangelical Liberation theology.
It is also clear that she is a #BLM activist.
People can continue to debate the tactic – however it is clear she is not a nefarious plant.
Spent about an hour flagging horrid comments under the youtube, many from people who identify themselves as Bernie supporters, I hope they aren’t. Ugh.
Stuff like this:
and lots of “she should have been tased” comments,
Sigh.
oops – didn’t realize this would embed – though it was just a link
(The link uses the default which is 560 wide. I fixed it.)
I had just come across that video about 10 minutes ago and have it up in a tab for when I have time to watch it. I am looking forward to it.
I bet you never once heard “you are discrediting the movement by your tactics!” during your early Young Lords days ;) People don’t get it … this is not a time for politeness. “Please, police, stop shooting my brothers and sisters. I will sit quietly over here for another 150 years waiting to be treated decently.”
Here is a link to an editorial by one of the people who set up the Social Security rally that was interrupted. She was sad that the people there were not able to hear Bernie speak but she has great empathy for the protesters:
thanks Jan for the fix
I read Pramila Jayapal’s piece – very thoughtful,
I had seen Pramila Jayapal’s comments over the weekend. Very thoughtful. Was impressed.
As for this
Hah! You can’t imagine what I heard during the anti Vietnam War protests!!!!
Exactly!! And I bet that Bernie Sanders was right in the middle of those too. I saw a TwitterSoliloquy a few days ago by @scATX that echoed that same thought.
Definitely with the twitter person – and yes, I remember being called a few things during the Vietnam protests. (A few fun memories though – at one march the TV cameras got there just as my sister and I were carrying the banner – dang thing was heavy and a group of us were taking turns – so we were on all 3 channels. Various R relatives called Momma at work to say, “Do you know what your daughters are doing?” to which Momma replied, “Well, I had to work.” ::chuckle::) If protests aren’t drawing that kind of attention, you’re doing it wrong. But it’s more than a little disheartening to see folks who purport to be on “our” team doing it.
Just to make sure….
I am a Bernie supporter as are all my relatives, friends and colleagues, female and male, young, old and in between. That is not the language we have ever used in any context or even thought of using and obviously find totally unacceptable. All candidates have a mix of supporters, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
I saw the video at the Orange and found Marissa Janae Johnson very appealing. She also struck me as young and reminded me of my youthful passions.;)
heh – reminded me of me too :)
Oh. My. Goddess. And these are supposed to be progressives? Feel like retching now.
Those comments were from people on YouTube … not progressives (we hope!).
Any post by a person of color or a defender of #BlackLivesMatter are like crack for haters, I see them all over people’s Twitter mentions, too. This image from Twitter says it all. Someone said “This is what your mentions look like when you use the hashtag #RIPMichaelBrown”:
Your “mentions” are Tweets that use your Twitter name, for example someone might Tweet to me “@JanF_Blogs You are a $##%!”. The egg avatar is the default and since many of the haters create throwaway accounts that are used for harassment (and very often blocked or banned) they rarely bother to set up an avatar. The photo you might recognize as the iconic photo of the attack by white patrons at the Woolworth lunch counter when black people wanted to eat there.
Comments are uglier than ugly.
YouTube comments are the worst by far. I never look at them except by accident.
So are Huff Po comments.
It is what happens when there is no moderation on a site, in either meaning of the word. The commenters are often immoderate and “free discourse” includes any ugly thing that can be pounded out on a keyboard.
I am glad that we have the Moose Pond.
where there is self moderation, the best kind.
72 at 0600 and still only 75 – opened the windows this morning and the kitties were delighted. Tomorrow is supposed to be even cooler – I may be able to cool down the house enough to leave the porch window open for them during the day.
Portlaw is a shining example of what I mean when I say Bernie supporters are good, berniebots are not. She’s a Bernie supporter. The vile people with their racist comments and CTs about the BLM folks are berniebots. I knew something had gone down in Seattle by the number of virulent diaries at GOS. I deliberately stayed out of them. I’m a Hillary supporter – make no bones about it. But I like Bernie. I like most of his policies. I just want him to stay where he is. We need him in the Senate. Hillary as president won’t be able to do anything except damage control without him, Elizabeth Warren, and more Democrats in the Senate. Neither will/would Bernie and he can’t be in two places at the same time.
Glad PrincessPat’s OK – hope everyone else is too (or getting better – sending healing energy to anotherdemocrat). Hope I can check back later. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 63 and partly sunny in Belliingham today. Yesterday was a long day of phone calls but we made progress with the insurance company (in New Mexico), the Municipal Court (in Snohomish County), and the towing company (in Everett). Car accidents are always a disruption, even more so when they happen away from home. I’m just relieved she wasn’t hurt.
So today we’ll start the process of replacing her car so she can continue with her vacation as planned. And if we can’t, she’ll make a new plan! I felt like I was in a Richard Scary book yesterday…..Trains, Planes, and Automobiles!
Sorry I worried everyone…..it was just a busy distracting day.
I hope today is calmer, for you and for her. :)
Glad to hear that everything is OK and hope today is even better for all in your family.