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 …
Morning low of 66 in Madison WI, on its way up to 82. Chance for thunderstorms in the forecast.
Have a great day, all y’alls!!
Good morning Meese. Still in St. Louis. Getting ready to head to breakfast, and then to the Sunday Spiritual gathering.
Heading home tomorrow. Will got to some historic sites today.
Sounds like you will have an easy day of it. I hope your trip back is less “eventful” than the trip in.
I saw Bill in Portland Maine tweeting out a photo of the statue of the Scotts from the Dred Scott case. St. Louis has an interesting history relative to civil rights. I remember that Ta-Nehisi Coates’ longform article on racism and reparations talked quite a bit about how housing discrimination was born there.
Have you been to Ferguson yet? I saw photos from a peaceful protest (linked to from the Eclectablog account) to commemorate the Michael Brown shooting yesterday.
Excellent idea! Harnessing “Don’t boo – vote”:
Good morning, Meese! It’s a gorgeous morning here in NoVa, 66 F., going up to 91 F. Yesterday evening we had a rainstorm that blew out the electricity, so we ate our salad and melon by candlelight. After some difficulty, Dearly Beloved was able to get the generator going so we had lights and TV again. We needed that rain, our first decent rain in several weeks. Usually we have a drought in July and August.
Haven’t looked at the news yet, but Jan, what good news about the voter registration drive! And I hope Dee and bfitz are able to visit Ferguson today. Netroots sounds like such a good time.
Off now to cook breakfast for Dearly Beloved, who will enjoy a home-grown grilled tomato along with his egg, sausages, and toast. Back later!
I am going to try to focus on good news: stories about our party and our candidate, stories about the destruction of the Party of Reagan and Ryan (ha!). If only international events would cooperate so we don’t have to read about horrible attacks and coups … or shootings here. Apparently Ohio has an Open Carry law so people will be massing outside the Quicken Arena with guns slung over their shoulders – and Cleveland just swore in 400 new policemen to handle convention security. Yikes!
I still want to sit down and write about Hillary’s “House Divided” speech from last week but I have been busy with unexpected work related projects. I may have to settle for a writeup on her NAACP speech.
Hai Meese – Checking in from St. Louis. Since Denise is not leaving until tomorrow, I’m staying over as well so we can visit at least the Dred Scott memorial and hopefully get out to Ferguson after the Spiritual meeting and the farewell party. (From the description I hope most of the attendees will be flying home and not driving as the libations seem to be pretty much alcoholic. I’m hoping the mimosas haven’t been “premixed” so I can grab a glass of straight juice.)
NN has been a mixed bag. Totally worth it to meet Denise and the various Kossacks who actually know who I am. (Only met one who primarily identifies as being a Pootie Person – hayden – but that was a delight.) I always enjoy volunteering because I get to do something worthwhile in the presence of like-minded people (at least like-minded on that subject). I must admit as a training venue, it was lost on me. I didn’t attend any of the panels or training session except the DK one. And the NN staff, well, the “supervisory” level was great. The “managerial” level was less so. But should NN ever be within driving distance again, I’ll probably do my best to save up and go.
Haven’t checked the news yet and probably don’t want to but I’m at least going to check in over at GOS for a few until Denise is ready to go. Bright the day. {{{HUGS}}}
I met hayden at the Morning News show and I think she was in the PubQuiz group I was in! I never really knew her “online”, so that was a bonus. What I enjoyed most from my NN was meeting – in person – the people who I spent time with online. Especially Dee, everyone should meet Dee. ;)
Have a good time and drive carefully going home. Parts of Arkansas got flooded.
Meeting people was why I went – and I totally agree that everyone should meet Dee! :) I’ll check in before I leave in the morning. Not sure exactly when I’ll be heading out but the Front Desk strongly recommended I not do it between 6:30 and 8:30. Since it’s been almost 20 years since I drove in big-city traffic I am going to take that recommendation. LOL
Big city traffic is the pits. Even when you know the routes it is extremely stressful. I used to work in Chicago and got my fill of it. Milwaukee is not as bad but when I have to go there now, I plan for off-hours.
Safe travels!
Eating breakfast, watching Le Tour. Got beans simmering & 1st load of laundry on. Maybe today will be peaceful. As I watch the Tour, with the crowds literally in the faces of the riders, I’m amazed there hasn’t been….. I don’t like thinking about it, but I do wonder.
Today’s sermon in the Jesus Was A Feminist series is on the Canaanite woman — the “crumbs from the table” passage. Not listening to the U2 song with that title, because I don’t like it.
It always bugs me that people seem to get right in the faces of the Tour riders. So annoying and dangerous!
My husband used to say that the Tour de France was so strenuous he lost five pounds just watching it! :) But he loses weight at the bat of an eyelash anyway. (Sniff.)
here’s the lyrics:
http://www.u2.com/discography/lyrics/lyric/song/29/
I do like this:
You speak of signs and wonders
But I need something other
I would believe if I was able
But I’m waiting on the crumbs from your table
Where you live should not decide
Whether you live or whether you die
Three to a bed
Sister Ann, she said
Dignity passes by
Good morning, 63 and partly sunny in Bellingham. For a small dog Maggie certainly know how to claim her space…..all the pillows belong to her! We sorted it out several times during the night so we’re both sleepy this morning.
I’ll be spending some time in the garden today, just not doing anything very strenuous like pruning or planting. I also have fabric to make several scarves for my daughters Etsy shop so between watering plants, reading my book outdoors, sewing, and the ever present laundry I should have a pleasant day.
Hope everyone’s Sunday is enjoyable as well!
I am glad you at least get outside today! We are going from stormy to hot and steamy so I will be staying in catching up on deferred work projects. I love weekends for quiet time … I wish “they” would give me one more day!
Afternoon all – hot and muggy here. We’ve at least gotten some thunderstorms this week so it’s not as dry as it was – I think it’s supposed to get a bit cooler, low instead of high 90’s, by the end of the week.
I’m not watching cable news this week at all, for fear of catching something from accidental views of the Repug convention. Twitter keeps me abreast of things, and usually faster than the news anyway. Hillary’s campaign is being so smart, capitalizing on Dem disgust (well, really ,all right thinking people’s disgust) with Trump-Pence to launch voter registration drives all over – that’s how we will win, turnout and smart campaigning.
OK, I am spending the day in my game, selling off stuff in preparation for some big changes coming to the game on Tuesday. Hope our NN’ers get to see everything they wanted before heading home – great diary today Dee! Have a great day everyone!
Good morning, meese! Monday …
It is 64 degrees in Madison, on its way up to 82. Sunny skies are in the forecast.
Another day, another act of violence. I wanted to laugh out loud at the Cleveland police union asking for a suspension of Ohio’s Open Carry law for GOP convention week. What? You are just now noticing that civilians carrying military assault weapons openly could be dangerous? What idiots! When a bunch of people are running around with guns and rifles it is impossible to tell who is a “good guy with a gun” and who is a “bad guy with a gun”. Police unions do a terrible disservice to their rank and file in so many ways but one of the biggest is buying into the NRA fallacies and right-wing rhetoric. Democrats aren’t coming for your guns … but we sure as hell are coming for your assault weapons. Those weapons are only used to kill other humans.
The president looked tired in his remarks yesterday. Good luck with asking people to tamp down the heated rhetoric; they will accelerate it because chaos is what they thrive on. The worse shape our country and our world appear to be in, the better for them to make their case that we need a strongman who suspends all the rules … including the constitution.
Geordie, I am with you on wanting to avoid news of the Republican convention. I am trying to figure out how to organize my Twitter so I can avoid convention news but it is a challenge because I follow a lot of local news and Paul Ryan and Reincid Proboscis are both from Wisconsin and they are all carrying the convention like it is “local boys done good”. Gak!
I am going to try to find out when Hillary Clinton will be speaking at the NAACP convention. I found a livestream link but no schedule yet that includes her speaking time. The NAACP convention web site is one of the worst I have ever seen: make it stop moving!!!
See all y’all later!
Good morning, Moosekind, happy Moon Day! Today happens to be my dog’s birthday. I’ll weakly buy him some Frostee Paws and dole them out on feast days, of which today is one.
It’s 73 F. so far in NoVa, going up to 91 F. I think I’ll risk making Summer Spaghetti for dinner. It’s a room-temperature dish, which will involve zucchini, tomatoes, and basil from our garden. I’m not supposed to have carbs after 5 p.m., but I’ll do some strenuous exercise to compensate.
As you can plainly see, I have absolutely nothing intelligent to say this morning. What is there to say about all the murders, except to echo Jan’s remarks—“Hey, police, have you just figured out that an armed civilian population is dangerous?”
Think I’ll go have some oatmeal with blackberries and coffee. Wishing a good day to all at the Pond and Beyond!
Have you tried your summer spaghetti recipe using spaghetti squash instead of pasta? That would take care of the carb issue. (And once you get your weight where you want it, actually carbs in the evening can help you sleep – presupposing you have a problem with that. Just not within a couple of hours of bedtime whenever your bedtime happens to be.) Hope you’re getting some protein in there. :)
That’s a great idea re the spaghetti squash, bfitz, and if I were cooking only for myself, I’d try it. (I’m already making “rice” with a food processor and a cauliflower.)
However, my husband has stated he would not accept spaghetti squash as a substitute for the real thing, so there we are. Everything I cook is tempered by the factor of whether he’ll eat it or not. I do know that after 50+ years in the kitchen I’m NOT cooking two separate meals. It’s all I can do to get one on the table.
In the end I used DeBoles spaghetti-style pasta made of jerusalem artichoke flour. Looks and tastes like the real thing.
I’m taking a couple of days off this week, have vacation time that will roll into sick leave if I don’t use it. It’s not like I’ll lose the time, but it’s as good an excuse as any. Still did all the regular cooking yesterday, it’s easier to just stick to the routine. Also, will be good to rest. And exercise.
Can we please have peace? (and ha! I just gave myself a George Harrison earworm)
Found it!! Hillary Clinton is scheduled to speak today at 11:30am Eastern at the NAACP convention. When I get a video embed, I will post it.
Wonderful! If I weren’t going to be on the road (leaving in 20 minutes), I’d be at work – either way I depend on you to get me the video clips of her speeches. (The HNV people frequently link to CNN or MNBC and for some reason about half-way through those go into not-stop buffering for me and I never see the end of the speech. Yours are always good.)
Thank you! I always try to find the best quality embeds – and legal ones. Some of them are just guys putting their phones up and videotaping an event which is not sanctioned; they often disappear later.
I have no idea what the temps are around here – just hot and muggy. Well, very warm and muggy. I just know the A/C – which I adjusted to 75 when I got here – kicked on more or less regularly all through the night and is on as I type. Denise had to leave for the airport before I managed to get downstairs but she’s already sent me a kosmail – Chris Reeves left his earphones in my rental car. It was short so she’s working off her phone still. I’m checking in here and over at GOS and then will pack up. Not leaving for another 2-1/2 hours so I can miss the rush hour traffic.
hayden gave me a really great compliment when we met Friday at the DK panel. She said my obvious caring for people was what holds the Peeps together. Well, the Peeps are a large and diverse group and I’m not actually writing diaries at all yet much less on a regular basis (which I may or may not ever do) – but if I am supplying some of that love/welcoming/comforting/support that makes the Peeps such a strong community, well, I am honored and very content.
The best part of the trip was the time just hanging out with Denise. I’ve been in awe of her knowledge and experience for years – and still am of course. That woman was/is a walking participant in much of the history she talks about. Her stories are fascinating (scary at times, hysterical at others). She’s also a really wonderful person to talk to/with and just hang out with. If you haven’t met Dee in person, do not miss any opportunity to do so.
As to the news, it’s bad. It always is. To some extent it always will be – our media was “brought up” on the Yellow Sheet Journalism concept of “if it bleeds, it leads” and only the generation who knew (and whose outlet owners knew) Edward R. Murrow ever managed to do real news. The 24/7 cycle is part of it. The 5 corporations that own the media are a much greater part of it. But for us, the progressives, the caring people who are pained rather than excited by it, the “total media” aspect is probably the worst as far as our feelings. The bad stuff was always happening but we mostly didn’t know about it. Now we do. And being progressives, we have a strong drive to do something to make it better. But there’s so much of it, it’s overwhelming. Having a “safe space” to rail at it – and then think about what can be done, then look around to see what part we can play in getting it done, well these are very important. And if finding out which elected offices can make progress then finding and supporting candidates who are willing to use that elected office to do so – if that’s all we can do, then as long as we are doing it, that’s our part of Stronger Together. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Well said, bfitz!
Your wisdom and experience are valued even by those of us who don’t frequent the pootie diaries. :)
Yes, I wish I could meet Dee. If she ever comes to the NoVa area…that would be so cool!
If that is so, again I am honored.
NN 2017 is going to be in Atlanta. That’s not exactly close, but it’s sure closer :)
Morning all. Woke up late, have a lot to do today but need to get some coffee (w/lots of milk now) down to wake me up properly.
I still don’t understand why police departments are not leading the charge against automatic weapons, armor piercing bullets and open carry laws – they are endangered as much or more than anyone, yet their voices are muted. That shooting in BR last night was just another brick in the wall, I guess – I’m now starting to be amazed that gun manufacturers have such a stranglehold in the face of the escalation of violence that we’ve seen with automatics over the last several years. It’s disheartening, but until we just replace Congress, nothing will be done.
The Republican Convention will be an amazing car wreck, I think, but I’m not watching it – I’ll keep up via Twitter, like I did this weekend with that 60 Minutes interview with Trump and Pence, who managed to get very few words in apparently. And that gaudy palace, I mean penthouse, where Trump lives and they did the interview – oh man, can you imagine what he’d do to the White House? Small potatoes on the list of concerns, I know, but still, ugh.
I look forward to hearing Hillary speak at the NAACP – thanks for finding links for us, Jan. bfitz, you DO provide a loving space at DKos, and it is much appreciated, as are your thoughtful words on the media, well said. Have a safe drive home! I hope Dee’s luggage arrives home at the same time she does also!
Have a great day everyone!
Good morning, 62 and partly sunny in Bellingham. I enjoyed my careful time in the garden yesterday, and with Maggie in charge of rest breaks I didn’t do too much! I’ll go to the pool soon and do the scarf sewing I didn’t do yesterday. Maggie’s family comes home today….I’ll miss the little muppet :)
I avoided the news yesterday, but thought of our current politics when reading this line from my current Erickson book, Toll The Hounds.
Here is an embed of the First Plenary Session this morning. There are multiple speakers and 300+ minutes but you can fast forward through it. Hillary is near the end.
Thanks for this Jan! Will watch after I take a nap!
Hillary starts at about 234 minutes in but people who watched the whole program said that the speaker before her was quite good.
It was a solid speech. It makes it obvious ( to me ) why people of color preferred Hillary over Sanders: the problems of institutionalized racism can’t be fixed simply by jailing banksters or getting money out of politics.
And yay yay YAY for focusing on the vote. Democrats outnumber Republicans but we need to get registered and get out and vote. And inspire the new voters to vote in every election not just the “exciting” ones. The 2010 election where we lost the House and the 2014 election where we lost the Senate destroyed any chance we had to get our legislative agenda implemented. Let’s give Hillary a Congress, if not in 2016 then in 2018.
Am home safe and sound – big hug to bfitz for her – being her :)
We had a blast.
I am now going to go pass out!
{{{HUGS}}} back – same reason :)
Hai Meese – I got to Fayetteville almost 2 hours ago but had to do a little grocery shopping (so I’ll have something to eat the rest of the week LOL) and take the rental car back. Sitting down to rotisserie chicken and steamed (frozen, not Farmers’ Market) green beans – got the bones and what was in the freezer simmering for a small batch of stock as I only have 2 servings of soup for lunch so will make stock tonight, soup tomorrow after work, and I’ll be covered for at least another week.
I thank everyone for their kind words. More so because that’s what I was hoping I was doing but wasn’t sure I was managing it. You’ve just told me I am making a difference. Thank you.
Now to try and get myself back into my “normal” routine. :)
Good morning Meese. Trying to wake up – am exhausted.
Catching up on the RNC trainwreck.
Anti-Semitic spewing, Colorado walkout, Melania Trump plagiarizing …
As usual twitter was my first stop.
FYI – Melania Trump didn’t just steal from Michelle Obama – she also “borrowed” from black educator Marva Collins.
Ha!! She should have continued to read the quote!!! ;)
Yup!
Someone noted on Twitter that it is too bad that with all the other awful things that happened last night, the focus will be on this plagiarism. It should be on the awful “Make America ‘Murican Again” racist xenophobic hate filled speeches that preceded that one.
Agreed, but this focus on his wife’s plagiarism and the ensuing ridicule (see FP of NYDaily News this morning) will drive Trump insane, produce more mistakes, so there’s that.
Yes, I am interested in seeing the Thin Skinned One’s reaction to this.
Twitter is having a lot of fun!
Good morning, meese! Tuesday …
It is 63 degrees in Madison on its way up to 86 – and a heat index of 99. Sunny skies are in the forecast. We will be having dangerously high heat indices for the next 5 days; I feel sorry for people who don’t have air conditioning.
I followed the RNC convention for a while on Twitter and then gave up because Tweets were coming in too quick and bouncing too much on my smartphone (my sitting-on-the-couch-feet-up device). I understand it was a bit chaotic: Colorado’s delegation walked out, Trump interrupted Benghazi Mom’s Angry Trey Gowdy Fueled Rant in order to appear on Fox News to diss Kasich, WI Rep. Sean Duffy’s wife was booed when she mentioned her Mexican immigrant grandparents, Rudy Giuliani shared his thoughts on 9/11, and Melania Trump’s speechwriters lifted some paragraphs from Michelle Obama’s speech in 2008. I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I doubt that those passages resonated much with the crowd anyway. I am sure they spent the whole time thinking about Donald Trump’s tiny … hands.
The Obama administration asked the Supreme Court to rehear the DAPA/DACA case rather than wait for the current case to wind its way through the courts:
I am not sure when we will have 9 on the court again (likely not until October 2017) so this is probably just dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s so that the case stays alive.
See all y’all later!