Week-long Welcomings from Moosylvania: Oct. 30th through Nov. 5th

October 30, 2016 JanF Community 111

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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39 Comments

  2. Slept really exceptionally poorly last night, even for me. The 3-ish wake up was because my phone had come unplugged & stopped playing the rain sounds I use overnight. Sigh.

    If you have an android phone, you can do all kinds of neat Harry Potter stuff with it. And today’s Google doodle honors Walter Cronkite, it’s adorable. The Newsweek article about the Russians & Trump, it’s so depressing. People have known about the connection for a while & still he has 40% support. Because e-mailghazi. Ugh. Turning up the U2 in my head louder to drown out the stupid.

  3. Good morning, Meese! It’s a fair day in NoVa, with current temp. at 52 F., going up to 62 F. today.

    What a busy day this will be! Waiting for Dearly Beloved to wake up so I can cook his Sunday breakfast. Yes, I know it’s Friday, but Sat-Sun-Mon I’ll only have time to eat some porridge before heading out to HQ to get my canvassing sheets. (All this walking is very good for the figure.)

    After breakfast I have to do two things: make pumpkin muffins for the troops and FINALLY put those badges and things on Miss Pink Cheeks’ Brownie vest. I’ve put it off for months because I’m so afraid of doing it all incorrectly. Even downloaded a color pic of what a Brownie vest looks like, but (1) it’s tiny and difficult to read, and (2) it’s not necessarily like our troop’s vest. Oh, well.

    Today is Early Release, so I’m picking up Miss PC at 1:30. We’ll deliver the goodies to Hillary HQ, get our hair done, perhaps read some more Harry Potter, and eat dinner before heading out for our Brownie field trip to the animal shelter.

    At least I don’t have to take care of Younger Son’s dog today, as DIL will be working at home.

    Wish I hadn’t looked at the newspaper. The WaPo is saying that Virginia is back in play and that the Congressional race in the 10th district is tilting toward the antichoice, anti-equal-pay-for-women Comstock. What IS it with people in my precinct about voting for antichoice Rethugs? Years ago they voted in the nation’s first African-American governor and also voted in Charles Robb as Senator because both he and Doug Wilder were prochoice. I suppose people just take it all for granted, but it’s a right that’s being chipped away on its way to being overturned. Blast them all.

  4. Here is a snippet from President Obama’s speech yesterday that needs to be seen by everyone. Our democracy will not survive a Trump presidency and those who vote for him – while knowing that – will have a permanent blemish on their souls.

  5. 54 at daybreak heading for mid-70s and sunny which I need both for mood and electricity. Quick checkin as folks keep interrupting me. Oh well, I AM at work. :)

    So glad when the election’s over and we can get to work. The chunk of time between the election quarter moon and the full moon will be finalizing plans based on how the down-ballot stuff went. By the calendar new year, our team will be at the various starting lines impatiently waiting for the gun.

    Another interruption. Gotta get to work. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}

  6. Morning all! Today looks to be our last day of mid-80’s high temps, altho we’re not cooling off a lot, just into the 70’s. Still, night time temps going down into the 50’s will really help overall comfort.

    I just finished watching the 3 MSNBC shows I frequently tape at night – Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell, and all three were worth watching last night. I’m particularly troubled by the FBI-Breibart-Russia-hedge fund billionaire financing all of it story that Rachel cogently laid out last night. I now can’t remember the name of the billionaire but it’s clearly one man (and his family I think) financing the takeover of a national political party by the far right, using the candidacy of a gullible dupe who’s clearly not equipped to run anything, and now capitalizing on a possibly large group of FBI agents who are virulently anti-Hillary to threaten our democracy. I really don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that, and I am worried as hell that Hillary is going to have ongoing problems with the FBI after she’s elected (and I have no doubt she’ll be elected, I’m not worried about that.) I worry for her safety as well – I think her Secret Service detail seems solid and professional, but who knows how far Clinton Derangement Syndrome extends into all Federal law enforcement.

    I wish I thought the excellent Newsweek reporting from Kurt Eichenwald on the actual, close connections between the Russian government and the Trump campaign would make a difference to voters, but so far those issues seem to go right over most people’s heads. If it doesn’t involve sex, the public doesn’t seem to pay attention. The fact that the Russians thought Trump might be kicked off the ticket after the Khan family incident just makes me sad that the Russians so overestimated our national political integrity.

    On the up side, though, Larry Sabato seems firm that Hillary’s got at least 293 EV’s locked up and may get more, and a Republican analyst Mark Murphy thinks the analysts may be missing the size of the Republican crossover to vote for Hillary. He doesn’t think it will be as large as the 28% that survey found earlier this week in Florida, but it may be in the teens, which is a death knell for Trump’s candidacy. Fingers crossed!

    Ok, off to get some stuff done – everyone have a great day!

    • The sad thing, Geordie, is that the concern that a lot of Democrats had with a Hillary Clinton presidency, that her tenure would be marred by right-wing attacks and wall-to-wall investigations, looks to be a certainty. Of course, it is not her fault – that would be the worst sort of blame-the-victimism. Our best hope to avoid this would have been a landslide and taking back the House. Now that the Comey letter has energized Republicans to vote downticket even if they won’t vote for Trump, that dream is dashed. I am not one who thinks that people will be disgusted by the Republican gridlock and call their congressmen who will reverse course and suddenly give a rats ass about a functioning government – that is bernista unicornism. Instead, we will have to get our president elected, give her a Senate so she can staff the executive branch, and make changes on the margins until the demographic tide washes out the gerrymandering.

      The first test, which Republicans will fail, is keeping the government open after the Continuing Resolution expires on December 9th. Paul Ryan is no John Boehner and will be unwilling to give up his Speakership to keep the government open. Anyone willing to sell his soul to Trump in order to retain power is without a moral compass and will not care about the damage done in a shutdown.

  7. Good morning, 54 and cloudy in Bellingham. So my sister is now on her way to Oregon via Amtrak…..it was a good visit but I am enjoying a moment in an empty quiet house. It’s been a busy month of family visits, dinners, and yes, some drama :)

    So now to keep calm re the election. We’ve voted, Ron’s doorbelled, Patty Murray will go back to the Senate from Wa State, so there’s not much more we can do. Matt Yeagalis, at Vox……

    The real Clinton email scandal is that a bullshit story has dominated the campaign

    ……….. Clinton broke no laws according to the FBI itself. Her setup gave her no power to evade federal transparency laws beyond what anyone who has a personal email account of any kind has. Her stated explanation for her conduct is entirely believable, fits the facts perfectly, and is entirely plausible to anyone who doesn’t simply start with the assumption that she’s guilty of something.

  8. Good Saturday morning Meese

    Up early as usual – – went to bed early so didn’t see the big Clinton concert rally – watching now. Knew
    Beyoncé was going to be the surprise guest – and smiled to see her perform Formation – with her dancers – all in pantsuits
    Then she gave a speech:

    • Thanks for that video! I went to bed early but caught Hillary’s speech in Detroit earlier in the evening. She was in a comfortable venue and shared her sense of humor – which I look forward to seeing more of when she is president. I cannot comprehend the pressure she must feel to win, not just to save us from the vulgar talking yam, but to break a barrier that has stood for so long.

      I was sorry to see that the video cut out the Rev. Wendell Anthony’s introduction because she was obviously pumped by it.

  9. You all know I’ve been talking about the Latino vote – for a long time. Grinning this morning to see it in action in Nevada and Florida

    Latino Early vote


    We are the wall

    Ralston Nev

    Ralston Harry Reid

    Nevada – Culinary workers

  11. Good morning, meese! Saturday …

    It is 46 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 63. Sunny skies are in the forecast.

    What a way to wake up! Thank you, Dee, for those Tweets. We can do this, can’t we? I am going to bury all my worry and angst and focus on the win.

    Today, Hillary and Tim are in Florida, Joe is in Pennsylvania and there are three more concerts including one with Stevie Wonder in Philadelphia.

    Tomorrow, Hillary is in Ohio and New Hampshire, Tim comes back to Wisconsin, the president goes to Florida and Joe goes back to Pennsylvania. On election eve, the president goes to New Hampshire and then the Clintons and Obamas end up in Philadelphia for the big Get Out The Vote rally.

    Fired up … ready to win!

    See all y’all later!

    • I was elated – when I sat down at puter waiting for dogs to come in, and saw all the tweets – I’ve been saying this all along -that Trump was gonna wake a sleeping giant – and he has.

      Now – Hillary is going to have to deliver some form of immigration reform — asap.

  13. up for ungodly hour workout & I’m not going back to bed this week, I’ll be back after my walk — 4 miles is gonna hurt

  14. Good news on voting rights – Kansas judge places permanent injunction on Kris Kobach’s two-tier voting system:

    A state court in Topeka Friday placed a permanent injunction on a work-around Kobach tried to implement after federal courts deemed the requirement a violation of the National Voter Registration Act. Blocked was his system in which Kansas voters who registered to vote using the federal methods that did not require a documentary proof-of-citizenship would only be able to vote in federal elections, and not in state and local races.

    State Judge Larry D. Hendricks on Friday said that the “two-tiered system” that Kobach created with a temporary regulation was a violation of his authority under state law, and that a permanent injunction was required to protect voters.

    • This ad is full of win. Positive with beautiful images of our coalition and our candidate!!

  16. Morning all! Sunny and beautiful here although still not particularly cool.

    Dee, thanks so much for posting those tweets with the wonderful pictures of Latinos getting out the vote big time in Nevada – I was moved to tears looking at them last night! That, combined with Steve Schale’s analysis from Florida and news from Arizona, made me feel so good, not just about the election, but about the country! Also, great stuff from Beyonce and Jay-Z in Cleveland with Hillary – I’ve already voted so my main response to watching that will probably be to buy Beyonce’s Lemonade!

    I continue to be amazed at the way revelations about Trump just seem to make no impact – Melania Trump clearly was, in Trump’s words, an “illegal” 20 years ago. There’s a lot of evidence that Trump had a rather public affair with a Playboy model a few years after his marriage to Melania – but it all just disappears, while the media concentrates on Hillary’s e-mails. I do think this whole FBI-Breitbart-Russia cabal will stay in view, and Dems in Congress must make sure it does. I am still worried about what this FBI cell will be up to after Hillary is elected – something must be done about that right after the election.

    Ok, our last Saturday before the election – it will be over soon! And I’m confident we’ll all be practicing saying ‘Madame President’ Wednesday morning! Everyone have a great day!

    • Trump voters don’t give a damn. He said it himself – he could shoot someone on 5th Ave.

      The good news – there are more of us than them.

    • I forgot to give my Saturday opera preview – so excited for the broadcast today of Tosca by Puccini, a Vienna State Opera performance with my favorite current tenor Jonas Kaufman (a dramatic tenor in the vein of Placido Domingo, my all time favorite singer) and favorite baritone Bryn Terfel as the villain Scarpia, plus the great Angela Gheorghiu as the title heroine Floria Tosca. Can’t wait!

  17. Yeah, that 4 miles did hurt. I really have to get in my weekday workouts. 4.3 miles 1.5 hour, no running bursts.

  18. Good morning, 55 and raining in Bellingham. We made a last minute decision to go to see Butch Hancock at The Frog last night, and then came home to see the Nevada voters in action! Between the music and the inspiration I stayed awake late but feel relieved and rested this morning.

    More good news from Robbie Mook……

    A Shudder Goes Down Republican Spines As Early Voting Reveals A New Clinton Coalition

    Mook also told reporters on the call something that should worry Republicans to death. Hillary Clinton has built a new political coalition.

    The first part of the Clinton coalition is made up of Latino voters. The Latino vote has increased 120%-130%. The second part of Clinton coalition is Asian-American voters who have seen a 90% increase in early voting turnout. The third part of the new Clinton coalition is suburban women. Millennials are supporting Clinton after eight years of backing President Obama. The final piece of the Clinton coalition is African-Americans. African-American early voting turnout is 22% higher than in 2012.

    Hillary Clinton is building on the Obama coalition as Latino, Asian-American, and suburban women voters are becoming a bigger part of the Democratic coalition. While Donald Trump has shrunken the Republican Party down to its white, male, older conservative base, Hillary Clinton is turning the Democratic Party into the diverse face of America’s future.

    • She is building a coalition but clearly it is built on the Obama coalition. That’s the way it should work.

      I am so excited to see how she governs!

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