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 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 39 degrees in Madison WI with an expected daytime high of 46. Rain and thunderstorms are in the forecast.
Have a great day, all y’alls!!
Sunday morning
In case you missed the White House Correspondent’s Dinner – the Daily Show’s Hasan Minhaj really stuck it to Trump – Trump admin and the press
Vanity Fair has the full transcript
There was also Samantha Bee’s alternate: Samantha Bee’s Not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner: All the Best Jokes The whole thing is on youtube
That’s the one I watched. I have hated the WHCD ever since they thought it funny to show George W. Bush looking for WMD under his desk. His actions killed hundreds of thousands of people and he and his administration were flat out war criminals.
That cold open was hilarious, btw, but very bloggery inside baseball. Unless you spend time on Twitter or the blogs, you would have no idea what that was about.
Good point – just had my husband watch it and I had to do a running translation
p.s. I had to move your comments that were in last week’s Welcomings. So if you saw them disappear and reappear, it was the magic of WordPress admin.
Thank you :)
Had to search for a sec – then realized it would be a new thread.
Good morning, Meese, and a merry Beltane to all! It was another of those ghastly nights—both of us woke up at 3:30 this morning, were unable to go back to sleep, so had a cup of tea at 5 a.m. It’s a humid 72 F. right now, going up to 84 F. We may have thundershowers later.
Have posted a Beltane story in the Fiction category in the “Just Grazin'” section, if anyone feels like reading.
Will spend the morning vainly trying to stay awake for the Formula I race. Early this afternoon I’m taking several Brownies to the Hair Cuttery for a fun session of shampoo and blow-drying.
Wishing a good day to all!
We had thunderstorms last night, pretty loud. No damage in my area though there was a tornado with lots of damage & flooding up near Dallas — and an air ambulance crashed, very sad. It is significantly cooler — going to have to wear long sleeves to church. Today: grocery shopping & thawing out oatmeal to have next week. Playing dreamy, drifty Rise Up in my head.
Oh — nice news story about the Ride.
and in case you missed it – here’s my diary with pictures from yesterday
https://www.motleymoose.com/2017/04/29/6398/all-the-stolen-voices-will-someday-be-returned-hill-country-ride-for-aids/
Good morning, 47 and partly sunny in Bellingham. I had gardening plans yesterday, but thanks to the chilly weather I worked in my sewing room instead. I’m finally getting my fabric stash organized so I can see things with a fresh perspective, which means the donate bags are filling up and creative new ideas are developing. Its nice to feel less overwhelmed and open to new possibilities.
When I was working in that space I would turn on the music (CBC classical), turn off the news, and focus on what I was making. I don’t have to be so disciplined now, but I’m going to try to let the creative process take me away from so much tRump worry as often as I can.
Best wishes to all for a restful and peaceful Sunday.
Morning Meeses – mid 50s at dawn and for the day. Rain seems to be done (for the time being) and I actually saw a patch of blue a few minutes ago. Gone now. I have a leak in my roof. Actually 2. The one over the front porch I’ve known about for years and nobody seems to be able to find where it’s coming from as the roof, shingles, flashing, etc all seem fine. The other is over the den. Or at least the water damage on the ceiling tiles is in the den. One tile stained from Wednesday’s rain, two tiles stained from yesterday’s rains. I’m going to see if my handyman guy can find and fix before I call the insurance company. I’m sure they’re swamped – yes, I said that :) – due to all the flooding. Only 5 houses on my block didn’t get water inside. (Maybe it’s because I’m from Houston, but the first question I asked when looking at this house almost 19 years ago was “is it on the flood plain?” – I don’t care how good a deal, flood plain is deal-breaker for me.) We were marooned a couple of times over the course of the day – both ends of the street flooded – but I’m OK except for the roof and my friend across the way is fine, too.
Weather and climate pretty much had my attention yesterday. My community needs stuff over at DK of course – nothing I can actually check has moved since Friday and then not much. I wouldn’t have watched the White House thingy even if I’d known about it. Don’t really want to give pvl45 that much attention – even if it’s negative. At the moment I depend on the Courts to block his evil and usually unconstitutional EOs and work on Congress and the departments directly to keep anything he might sign from getting to him. As far as I’m concerned we don’t have a president right now and are busily proving to a new generation why we need one.
Tried mocha muffins for this week but the cocoa is overwhelming the coffee so they’re (quite good) cocoa muffins this week. Got a fire going because it’s too damp to hang the clothes outside – but the house is really too warm for one right now. 50s outside, 80 in the den – I’m in my “under the bus” T-shirt. LOL. Gotta get to the Sunday Villages (WYgalinCali did a wonderful job of finding French election and some Brexit stuff for the “shell” I set up over at DK) and Denise’s FP. Bright the day and wind to thy wings, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
This: “don’t really want to give pvl45 that much attention – even if it’s negative.”
He craves the attention and his damaged mind turns it all into plaudits. You say “he sucks!”, he hears “The Great and Glorious Trump”. People don’t show up for his inauguration, he sees yoooge adoring crowds. He goes to a campaign rally with empty seats and sees the “biggest crowd ever in this stadium”. We should learn that he is the ultimate I-am-rubber-and-you-are-glue simply because there is no room in his brain for the failures that he is amassing, for the anger and disgust coming at him. He is on the world’s largest stage and he thinks that the rotten tomatoes being thrown at him are roses.
Time to change the channel.
Good morning, meese! Monday …
It is 41 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 52. Light rain is in the forecast for the entire day.
Happy Beltane! I will have to go find my Beltane post and plug it into the wheel of this year.
I spent the weekend being a lump and now I have some queued up projects that require my attention. See all y’all later!
This post is doggone cute, if I must say so myself!
Floppy ears—my favorite!
It’s Mayday – and I’ll be heading to school – students are staging a walkout at 12:15 and holding a demo on campus – in support of adjuncts and workers and immigrants and anti-Trump. O’ll be walking out with them – and am one of the speakers.
Rock on, Sis! Good luck!
Hope it makes the administrators think twice about letting the adjuncts go.
We already have our certified registered letters of termination.
We have no clue how many of us will be rehired over the summer.
I’m just glad students are pissed.
I saw in the headlines that today’s nationwide demonstrations are in support of immigrants. The horror stories from the ICE roundups are hard to read – so much heartache.
Good morning, Meese, and happy May day! The overcast gray skies and stiff breeze of dawn have given way to sunny skies and a toned-down breeze. We may have thunderstorms later, or we may not. May is one of my favorite months of the year, especially as Toddler-licious will be three on May 30th.
Badly want some time to write, although today and tomorrow will be heavy on child care.
Will this be the day I pull weeds and plant something? Perhaps! I might get away with planting corn and tomatoes. Can’t really think we’ll have a frost as April was the warmest ever in our area.
Wishing a good day to all!
Enjoy planning your planting Sis!
2nd 3 day weekend in a row, I could get totally spoiled. Watching the news covering the weekend storms. Small town east of Dallas was just devastated. Really sad.
Today I need to do all my usual weekend stuff: laundry, food prep, trash & recycling. But still a relaxing day.
sickening, terrifying interview from the Orange Shitgibbon (seriously, I think he has brain damage)
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/331349-trump-why-was-there-the-civil-war#.WQc7YTkWkQE.twitter
He is a stupid man whose entire life has been spent in the service of his own ego.
Good morning, 47 and partly sunny in Bellingham today. Despite my best efforts the deer found and ate the huchera and rose bush I thought I was growing in a safe place. And tRump is still posing for photos in the Oval Office, grrrrr!!!
The rose bush is in memory of Ron’s mom so I’m going to find a larger pot and move it to the front porch. So far the damn deer are’t climbing those steps but the pots on the back steps are not safe.
Time for coffee, cheers to all for a nice day!
37 at dawn heading for mid 60s – cloudy, chilly, and misty but supposed to clear off later today. I started April so well with over 20 KWHs on the 1st and ended very poorly with less than 3 on the 30th – 375 was the total for the month, a full 100 kWHs less than April 2016. May is starting poorly – even if it does clear off later I doubt I’ll get 20 and may be lucky to get 10 – but we’ll hope it ends better. I do my Beltane celebrating, such as it is, around the 4th as being closer to the actual midpoint between Equinox and Solstice. This year is definitely a good one for not doing outside celebrating of any kind on the 1st. :)
The Evil Ones are busily trying to push evil through. So what else is new? We only need one more “NO!” than they have yeses to save lives. So nope, nope, nopety, nope – ACA stands, rsdontcare fails – Americans live longer and healthier lives. Win. Deep breath, libation of choice, trade grins with your team. Then head to the next thing we need to stop the Evil Ones from doing.
Gotta get back to work. Dealing with end of month leave reports, working on end of academic year HR changes and summer teaching/research payrolls as well as re more “normal’ procurement and travel stuff. Need to drop by the Moose Village and then get on it. (Need more coffee.) Bright the day and wind to thy wings, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Crappy, crappy, crappy day. My friend with cancer suddenly lost her ability to walk, she’s going to the oncologist this afternoon, but that has to be a bad sign. And there’s been a stabbing on campus — early report says 1 dead, 3 on the way to the hospital. Local 24 hour news has not interrupted regular programming.
and I refreshed FB & found out a long time friend passed away this morning, so seriously crappy day
I don’t know if this’ll show, but here’s the FB post about her remarkable life:
the whole thing isn’t there so:
Our beloved Pat Crow passed away this morning. Born Patricia Faye Rush, on February 11, 1943, Pat was the eldest sibling to Henry Rush & Barbara Rush. And most importantly, she had three wonderful children Marc, Jeff & Elizabeth Childers. Plus immediate family members Alexis Royal, Mason Rush Royal, Andrew Brooks, Lila, Asher, Bryan Sales, Ryan Valadez-Sales, Jenny Kent, Rose, Ian, Emily Rush-Allen, Isaiah Gilchrist, Quincy Allen, Joe Leach, Becca Leach, Leah Dooley, Keivan Brent Imani, Anesha Alfarache. Pat’s life was rich with the love from and for many. Pat not only had a profound impact on her family, but also made an indelible mark on Austin and Travis County as an activist and democratic operative.
The party always got started once Pat Crow walked into the room. She was funny, crazy, quirky, brilliant, interesting, opinionated, a champion for people & causes, a voracious reader, a lover of films, and interested (and had expertise) on an amazing array of subjects – including politics, art, film, literature, geography, history, national & global issues, etc.
Working alongside David Butts for over 25 years, Pat became one of (if not the most) Winningest Campaign Mangers in Austin & Travis County. From 1982-2008 Pat won 27 out of 31 political campaigns, including important ballot initiatives: the Save Our Springs Ordinance in 1992; creation of the Healthcare District in 2004 and the Smoking Ban in 2005.
In 2008, Pat suffered a major stroke, but in true Pat Crow fashion she battled back against impossible odds and continued to serve as an inspiration in our community. In 2009, Pat was selected by the Austin Chronicle as the “Best Comeback”. Our family (and Pat), credited Austin Speech Labs extraordinary program for Pat’s remarkable “comeback”. Please consider making a donation in Pat’s name to http://austinspeechlabs.org/.
A celebration of Pat’s life will be announced in the near future.
Born into a military family, Pat, the oldest of three children, was known as Pasty growing up. As a “military brat”, Pat traveled the world as a child. And she had an uncanny propensity for bearing witness to history. Here’s a sampling.
• Lived in post-war Japan during the onset of the Korean War and experienced air raids.
• Heard Tito speak in Italy and experienced racism first hand.
• At age 13, was stricken with Bulbar Polio and lived in a Polio hospital – resulting in her unique raspy voice.
• Attended Southwest Texas University the first year they integrated.
• Stood on the parade route in Dallas and watched John F. Kennedy’s motorcade pass by, moments before his assassination.
• In 1966, Pat and her new baby stepped off of a bus into the Hough race riots in Cleveland, Ohio.
• Graduated from Killeen High School in 1961 and from the University of Texas with a Finance Degree (3.9 GPA) and winner of the Wallstreet Journal Award.
• Was transformed after reading Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, and became a champion for women’s right.
• Attended the founding meeting of the Texas Women’s Political Caucus and helped start the Austin Women’s Political Caucus chapter – and served as President.
• In 1982, she successfully managed her first campaign. The back story: Pat’s next door neighbor was killed by her stalker – after a Justice of the Peace had delayed giving her friend a twice-requested peace bond. As a result, Pat ran a woman candidate’s campaign against the JP that wouldn’t issue the peace bond – and won! It was the first step in a new era for both herself and the Austin political structure.
• After the successful JP race, Pat left her Jr. Financial Analyst position at IBM to focus on politics and women’s policy issues.
• Working alongside David Butts for over 25 years, Pat became one of (if not the most) Winningest Campaign Mangers in Austin & Travis County. From 1982-2008 Pat won 27 out of 31 political campaigns, including important ballot initiatives: the Save Our Springs Ordinance in 1992; creation of the Healthcare District in 2004 and the Smoking Ban in 2005.
Pat Crow Campaigns
• 1982 Debra Ravel, Justice of the Peace (elected)
• 1983 Sally Shipman, Austin City Council (elected)
• 1984 Lena Guerrero, Texas House District 51 (elected)
• 1985 Sally Shipman, Austin City Council (re-elected)
• 1987 Move It! (campaign to move the airport, passed)
• 1988 Jeanne Meurer, District Judge (elected)
• 1990 Bruce Elfant, District Clerk (defeated)
• 1991 Juan Ochoa, Texas House District 51 Special Election (defeated)
• 1992 Glen Maxey, Texas House District 51 (elected)
• 1992 Stacy Suits, Sheriff (defeated)
• 1992 SOS Ordinance campaign (passed)
• 1993 Brigid Shea, Austin City Council (elected)
• 1994 Suzanne Covington, District Judge (elected)
• 1996 Glen Maxey, Texas House District 51 (re-elected)
• 1997 Gus Garcia, Austin City Council (re-elected)
• 1997 Willie Lewis, Austin City Council runoff (elected)
• 1998 Lora Livingston, District Judge (elected)
• 1998 Wil Flowers, District Judge (elected)
• 2000 Scott Jenkins, District Judge (elected)
• 2000 Gisela Triana, County Court at Law Judge (elected)
• 2000 Will Wynn, Austin City Council (elected)
• 2002 Elisabeth Earle, County Court at Law Judge (elected)
• 2002 Jackie Goodman and Daryl Slusher, re-election Petition Drive for Austin City Council (both re-elected)
• 2002 James Sylvester, Texas House District 50 (defeated)
• 2003 Will Wynn, Austin Mayor (elected)
• 2004 Gisela Triana, District Judge (elected)
• 2004 Ballot to create the Travis County Healthcare District (passed)
• 2005 Smoking Ban election (passed)
• 2006 Eric Shepperd, County Court at Law Judge (elected)
• 2008 Rhonda Hurley, District Judge (elected)
• 2008 Scott Ozmun, District Judge (elected)
{{{anotherdemocrat}}} – Healing Energy to your friends, your friends’ families – and you. Holding the Good Thought regarding the violence on campus.
Good morning, meese! Tuesday …
It is 39 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 50. Lingering showers this morning then cloudy with sunny breaks in the afternoon. It looks like we will see the 60s again tomorrow.
Congress agreed on their omnibus appropriations bill and it appears to be a Democratic Party win – Planned Parenthood saved, no border wall, more money for NIH. The only question is if, after a day of headlines saying “Trump loses bigly!”, the Peevish One will veto it.
Paul Ryan is determined to go down with the flaming shipwreck of his ACA repeal. It appears that we have 22 Republican NOs and 7 undecided (we need 23 this go-around now that the new representative from Kansas was sworn in). I was up this morning, sleepless, and caught a story about Jimmy Kimmel speaking about his newborn son: “If your baby is going to die and it doesn’t have to, it shouldn’t matter how much money you make.” Between that and Rep. Mo Brooks stating that “people who get sick deserve to die – if you live a good life you don’t get sick”, that bill might finally get sunk. Plus, the report that the MacArthur amendment would allow employers with multiple offices to purchase insurance in the state that offers the least protections should rile up everyone; repealing ACA will hurt everyone, not just those who buy insurance on the exchanges.
See all y’all later!
Good Tuesday folks
Enjoyed yesterday on campus – especially student support for adjuncts – and for workers immigrants
Even doggies were part of the action
Back at work. Ugh. Though if I was at home, I’d just think about the crappy state of the world. I don’t know if my friend got word about why she can’t walk. The person killed yesterday was 19. Technically an adult, but really a baby. Two people woke up yesterday, one ended some stranger’s life and the other won’t ever go home. And my friend Pat is gone. Here’s a story Glen Maxey posted about her:
Trying very hard not to hate this planet. Playing U2 in my head to cheer myself up. No idea why this particular one, but it’s loud & raucous, sounds like they recorded it at a party.
Good morning, 50 and sunny in Bellingham. After so many cloudy days the blue sky seems very bright. And I feel like I should be doing something more than wishing for another cup of coffee and being to lazy to go get one!
We went 50 to almost 80 – no fire tonight – and mostly sunny. Solar panels are offline – apparently some water got into the cabling causing an “arc fault error” – the installer will be out in the morning to get me going again. Sigh. Not what you’d call a great start for the month. Anyway, not being able to comment this morning was just a lousy start to a lousy day for the most part. It’s much better now. :) Hope everyone had a good day. {{{HUGS}}}
Morning, meeses! Wednesday …
It is 36 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 59. Sunny most of the day with a few clouds coming in later this afternoon. Looks like we might have some time to dry off over the next few days – it felt like it would never stop raining.
It took forever but I finally found the Hillary Clinton interview at the Women for Women International Luncheon. I am putting it here to view later:
I looked on the CNN site and got sick from the headlines and the constant images of the vulgar talking yam. I usually take my VTY in small doses and on sites that treat my PTSD more gently.
I have an early morning project to do so I can’t stay.
See all y’alls later!