Week-long Welcomings from Moosylvania: July 9th through July 15th

July 8, 2017 JanF Community 101

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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– Page 1 of Comments can be found here.

  • Page 2 of Comments can be found here.

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46 Comments

  1. Good “morning”, Motley Meese! The week begins …

    Morning low of 61 degrees in Madison WI with an expected daytime high of 82. Chance of thunderstorms.

    Have a great day, all y’alls!!

    • Thirty Klansmen, hundreds of counter protesters. NPR:

      Law enforcement made 23 arrests, according to a statement from the mayor, who added that “2 people were treated for heat injuries and one for an alcohol-related issue.”

      Some people wondered how many of the police were KKK members themselves. I suspect a fair number of them.

      • LEO is frequently also KKK/neo-nazi – 25% of the time on average (a totally unscientific estimate from when my ex was a cop and his best friend was liaison with the FBI). On average means in some places they are 97% of the force and the other 3% better keep their mouths shut if they don’t want the next “officer down” to be them (totally unscientific estimate from when I lived outside a small town in TX as a kid).

    • He is such an embarrassment. Understaffed, underbrained administration doesn’t care about any norms, any protocols. Their only job is to plump up his ego. I was reading that world leaders understand that they are dealing with an ignorant man and are letting it pass. The Republican Party base wants someone who treats the world badly and stops surrendering white male power just to be nice so there will be no pushback from Congressional Republicans.

      The world gave us a mulligan with George W. Bush because the presidency of Barack Obama made Bush seem like an outlier. Now they know that we suck and will just ignore us. The G-20 conference ended with a resolution on climate change signed by 19 of the world leaders. Apparently we are not even going to try to pretend to be a world leader any longer.

      • The R base has a definition of American Exceptionalism that means we can beat up the rest of the world with one hand tied behind our backs. And they don’t realize (or understand what that means if they do) that the only area in which that is correct is nuclear weapons. We could easily blow up every civilization on earth – and muck the hell out of the ecosystem. Which would eventually recover. Without us.

    • Here is the transcript from Buzzfeed:

      What we already knew is that the President of the United States has a particular skill set, that he’s identified an illness in Western democracies, but he has no cure for it and seems intent on exploiting it – and we’ve also learned that he has no desire and no capacity to lead the world.

      The G20 became the G19 as it ended. On the Paris climate accords, the US was left isolated and friendless. But given that was always going to happen, a deft president would have found an issue which he could rally most of the leaders. And he had the perfect one – North Korea’s missile tests. So where was the G20 statement condemning North Korea which would have put pressure on China and Russia? Other leaders expected it. They were prepared to back it, but it never came.

      There’s a tendency among some hopeful souls to confuse the speeches written for Trump with the thoughts of the man himself – he did make some interesting, scripted observations in Poland about defending the values of the West. And he’s in a unique position. He’s the one man who has something to do something about it. But it’s the unscripted Trump that’s real: a man who barks out vile in a 140 characters, who wastes his precious days as president at war with the West institutions like the judiciary, independent agencies and the free press. He was an uneasy, lonely, awkward figure at this gathering and you got the strong sense some of the leaders are trying to find the best way to work around him.

      Donald Trump’s a man that craves power because it burnishes his celebrity. To be constantly talking and talked about is all that really matters and there is no value placed on the meaning of words, so what’s said one day can be discarded the next.

      So what did we learn? We learn that Donald Trump has pressed fast forward on the decline of the United States as a global leader. He managed to isolate his nation, to confuse and alienate his allies and to diminish America – he will cede that power to China and Russia. Two authoritarian states that will forge a very different set of rules for the 21st century. Some will cheer the decline of America. But I think we’ll miss it when it’s gone. And that’s the biggest threat to the values of the West which he claims to hold so dear.

  6. Slept in, watching Le Tour and local news. Today: laundry, making tea, grocery shopping. Maybe I’ll make it to the gym. Brain not engaged yet.

  7. 67 (and 98% humidity) at dawn but I opened up anyway while I did my baking and stuff. I’ve closed up again but the A/C hasn’t kicked on yet – probably won’t for a couple of hours now that the house is closed up. Waiting for the washer to finish so I can hang the clothes out. The yard guy (who was supposed to mow last Thursday) is busily mowing the backyard right now so if the washer finishes before he does, I will wait til he’s gone and I don’t get dust and grass blown on my clean clothes.

    Our “girls” in Congress are doing a danged-good job of standing up for us. I’m glad they’re taking point. For one thing that means the Rs will underestimate our team because they don’t think women or people of color are competent and a bunch of our team are both. For the most part our team is a team and we’re going to, if not get more stuff done, at least block more evil things the Rs are trying to force through just because we do work together. No comment on the extremely noisy, push-their-way-in-front-of-the-camera Extreme Left and their messiah-of-the-moment. If our team is doing what I hope/think our team is doing the loud-mouthed little pissants are giving us cover to circumvent voter suppression and organize at the precinct level. Meanwhile, on the “loving-kindness” front, I’ve got only 2 on my urgent list (Pootie Peep Mufftootuff and old-timer kitsap river – but so far river hasn’t given us a place to send the money so I’m kind of stymied on her) but still have 10 others on my “very important” list. Inch by inch, row by row…

    I put up a Sunday hangout at DK because Michael is watching cricket this weekend and I’d probably better go check on it while I wait for the mowing/laundry to finish. Need to check yesterday’s Fighting Back too – I got tied up and didn’t managed to get back here for that. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}

  8. Good morning, 64 and sunny in Bellingham. I was lead astray in the garden yesterday and loved every minute of it. My plan to create a new upper garden after the neighbors removed the old maple tree is evolving nicely. The plants and pots are creating a sense of seclusion and entrance and are screening the alley and parking from view. It’s a gardening challenge and I was worried I didn’t know enough so it’s very satisfying to see some of my ideas are working. And when they don’t I can try something else!

    RonK and our son came home from their boat cruise sunburned and tired, to find me muddy and tired, so we all ate an easy supper and went to bed early.

  9. Good afternoon! Doing laundry and assorted housework today, need to work on some meal prep for the week too. I’d rather be napping though. :-)

    • This Trump-Russia story may be the one that finally gives us a clear path forward. The Republican Congress is never going to impeach the shitgibbon but when Junior and Kushner are indicted – and he pardons them and himself – a deal will be cut for him to resign and go collect his royalties off the President Trump branded properties and bling. A President Pence is no great prize but it will mean getting the nazis and the Trump Crime Family out of the White House. Plus we know how to deal with Pence’s brand of politics – he backed down in Indiana when faced with the backlash over his religious freedom act. But we don’t know what to do with a mentally ill man who flouts every norm in pursuit of ego-gratification.

      We live in interesting times.

    • The #DearKeith hashtag was lit! Keith Ellison was bernsplaining how women were not an integral part of the resistance and blocking long-time Democratic women as “inconvenient” to his narrative. I have no idea why the DNC decided to elevate such a strong promoter of a man who is not even a Democrat and a movement that thinks that the only identity that counts is young white males.

      I am coming to the conclusion that the path forward will not be blazed by the DNC. There are a number of other organizations working to find good candidates to run in local and state elections including a PAC that Hillary set up and the group that Jason Kander is part of. The DNC having Democratic-Party-hating Bernie Sanders as part of a “unity tour” – and kicking women and women of color to the curb – pretty much tells you everything you need to know about their smarts.

  12. Monday morning Meese.
    Have to spend part of the day doing prep for my annual priesthood celebration tomorrow. It is a birthday and we offer fruit and foods to our orishas.
    Will spend much of the day tomorrow in quiet meditation.
    Have a good day folks.

    • That sounds like a good way to spend the day. I think we all need to find more quiet time. I have it on my to-do list! :)

      I went looking for some Santeria greetings and can’t find any specific to your priesthood celebration. So I will go with a sturdy wiccan wish: have a blessed day!

  13. Good morning, meeses! Monday …

    It is 66 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 79. Chance of storms all day. Last night a line of storms came through a little after 1am and banged and rattled for at least 45 minutes. :(

    I was monitoring Twitter yesterday and enjoyed the withering comments about the shitgibbon’s “idea” to have a partnership with Russia over cybersecurity. I particularly enjoyed the mocking of Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio for their hypocrisy. My favorite:

    President Obama will be at a fundraiser for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) on Thursday in Washington D.C.:

    [DNC chair Tom] Perez said in an interview Sunday that while some Democrats have urged Obama recently, “You’ve got to get out front on issue X or issue Y,” the former president wants instead to “build the bench” for the party. Democrats suffered a greater loss of power during Obama’s tenure than under any other two-term president since World War II.

    “Because tomorrow’s president is today’s state senator. And he knows that very personally,” said Perez, referring to Obama’s experience as a state senator in Illinois. “When you lose 900 state legislative seats, those are people who could have been the next governors and senators and Cabinet positions, and that is something that he’s very committed to.”

    The rootiest of the grassroots is working for fair elections and expanding the franchise especially in view of the work that Republican governors and state legislators – and now the White House and “Justice” Department – are doing to suppress the vote. It is good to see that our most successful politician in a generation is rolling up his sleeves to help out.

    Busy day here. See all y’all later!

  14. Woke up early but didn’t walk, my hip is still sore. I do think it’s odd that it’s just the one — I don’t do anything with it that the other doesn’t….. Gym bag is here, will at least do the elliptical machine after work. Trump is tweeting out more nonsense, sigh. Turning up the music in my head.

  15. Good morning, Meese, it’s another beautiful day in my NoVa neighborhood. Going to be a hottie today: current temp. is 65 F., going up to 98 F. Need to get out and do some weeding and watering. On the agenda is driving Miss Pink Cheeks to Art Camp in Reston and Mr. Preschooler to Frying Pan Farm to see piggies and horsies.

    Will check in tonight to see what everyone’s been doing. Have a good day, all!

    • Interesting! I follow almost all of them. :)

      They really hate Neera – she was one of Hillary’s staunchest supporters and doesn’t give an inch. Almost 2/3rds of them are women and minority men. Coincidence?

    • I see Kos is keeping some good company. :) Extreme Left = Extreme Right – just as evil, just as noisy. sigh.

  17. 67 at dawn – got a bare glimpse of the full “Warrior” moon before she dropped below the trees when I opened up the house this morning. Got just over 22.5 KWHs yesterday which is good as the A/C kicked on at 12:45 pm. Current m-t-d is 159. Got a bill from the PV guy – apparently a squirrel had chewed through an “optimizer” – took the team over 3 hours to find and fix it (find was the hard part – they had to pull 7 panels before they did). The optimizer was still under warranty – but the cabling and labor are not – so just under $200. It could have been worse – mostly means I don’t have the wherewithal to help the person on my urgent list who is only a Peep and so doesn’t have the kinds of help coming in that more well known folks do. sigh.

    The one thing the Extremists never understand is that the means are important – and cannot be justified by the ends. (They also don’t understand that the ends that – they think – are best for them aren’t necessarily the ends that are the best for others. Or that those others are well within their rights as good people to not want to support the Extremists’ ends when that is the case.) So we keep working at grassroots/precinct levels while they scream and holler all over the internet about the top positions (that may but probably don’t have the power to actually do what they want anyway) – and we will get the job done. In fact our best bet right now is to let the Extreme Left give us cover so the Extreme Right (i.e. R party) doesn’t notice what we’re doing. Meanwhile – I have folks who need groceries to try and get help for so that’s what i will do.

    One piece of good news. The “AR gave Kobach voter info” is fake news according to the AR Elections office. AR is giving public information only – no drivers license, no Social Security number (not even the “last 4”), no military service, no felony convictions, not how you voted – just the same stuff that’s publicly available to anybody. So that’s a relief. But I’m glad I called anyway.

    Gotta get back to work. Monday morning emails take some getting through and I’m not through them yet, just took a short break to check in. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}

    • Serious relief on kitsap river – whatever Aji was trying to do behind the scenes worked! The taxes are covered and the house is safe. (Medical/dental is another issue – but that has a longer window.) So YAY! Shoulders out of ears and maybe we can get groceries and depression meds for Mufftootuff next!

    • I might have some extra from the last paycheck; it depends how much I spend at the grocery store tonight. Kosmail me with the name of the person for whom you have particular concerns?

      • {{{DoReMI}}} – I understand – I’m waiting on a last bill to come in before I know what I can send her, which will be less than I originally planned due to that PV repair bill. It’s Mufftootuff – she’s the only “urgent” on my list at the moment but she is on it – with her part of it is the money and part of it is the Depression so the fact that anybody sends her anything is almost as important as the money itself. She hasn’t been able to see her counselor since she lost her job in March. And thank you.

        • Thanks, bfitz. I’ll be sure to buy only the essentials tonight, so I have something to spare.

          • Thank you again – the curse of Depression! She thinks she’s “not worthy” – and when she doesn’t get any donations she thinks that proves it. Sigh, But I’m just trying to get her through until her Social Security comes in starting 3rd week of August – hopefully she can get back to her counselor then. moar {{{HUGS}}}

    • This is good to hear: ” ‘AR gave Kobach voter info’ is fake news according to the AR Elections office”

      Wisconsin has a basic voter list with names and addresses that is for sale and the Board of Elections told Kobach that he can pay for it just like anyone else – $13,500, I think. There is no ability under the statute to waive the fee; maybe a Koch will buy it for him.

      • Good on WI! – Although AR also has the information for sale our R SoS just gave it them so we lost a revenue stream but it was still just the public information.

  18. Good afternoon, 64 cloudy and breezy in Bellingham. I was late for the pool today, and then returned home late for the plumber so now the water is turned off and I’m waiting for a shower. Monday morning challenges!

    Reading around the news is upsetting today so I’m going to retreat to listening to music and reading about the new season of Game of Thrones. Music is calming and in GOT political mayhem is fantasy. tRumpian reality be damned!

    Hope everyone has an ok day.

    • I’ve never watched Game of Thrones. It is difficult enough to look at the real life political intrigue and chaos – I don’t need someone to imagine something even more awful! But then I don’t watch TV anyway except for Weather Nation and live sporting events – maybe HGTV once in a while. As I get older, I have no patience for someone else’s visual pacing.

  19. Good Tuesday morning, Meese. Masses of clouds are covering the blue but they’ll probably clear off and give us another scorcher. Current temp. in NoVa is 70 F., going up to 90 F.

    The Trump Jr. thing grows larger and larger. The veep is snuggling up to big-money donors, hoping to be the next prez when Humpty-Trumpty goes down. Goddess forbid!

    Never got the weeding and watering done yesterday, really need to do it today. It’s Lammas tide, so we have visiting deer. Three young bucks came yesterday to eat our windfall apples.

    Elder Son, half of whose house is torn up owing to a new kitchen, deck, and powder room being added, is coming to dinner with DIL and Mr. Toddler tonight. Miss Pink Cheeks informed me yesterday that she has “abandoned” the study of Japanese. She’s actually going to a different school in the fall because she’ll be in the advanced program. That school teaches Spanish instead of Japanese, so we’ll see what happens.

    Going to be another busy, hot day while Across the River Potomac, the White House will fall further into disarray. Wishing a good day to all at the Pond!

    • I am trying to find a silver lining in the President Pence cloud and while he is personally a vile man and is wrong on every policy position he has ever taken, there are some things that would make it an upgrade.

      First, he will not keep Bannon and Miller as advisors so the most blatant nazis will no longer be working in the White House – Kushner and Ivanka will be out, also, and I can’t imagine him giving a job to “Mother”. Second, he has an understanding of some of the traditions of government – he will not embarrass us by belting out the Star Spangled Banner at a solemn military occasion or push aside a head of state to get to the front of a photo opportunity. He will possibly understand that a hollowed out State Department is not in our country’s best interests. He is unlikely to have a litmus test of “wasn’t mean to Trump during the campaign” for staffing the empty seats that need to be filled across government. Third, he does not have business conflicts that are turning us into a banana republic. In other words, he is a typically awful Republican – not a dangerously unhinged lunatic looting our government for personal gain.

      The thing people need to understand is that there is no facility to undo the election and a Republican Congress controls who the president and vice president will be. We will have a Republican administration for at least 3 and a half more years. If we can keep the pressure on via the courts and take back the House, we only need to hold our breaths until January 2019. If we can take back the Senate, we can block the judicial nominees – I would hope that Chuck Schumer would find a “Russian Rule” that says that Supreme Court nominations are not valid when an administration is installed by a hostile foreign power. :)

  20. Good morning, meese! Tuesday …

    It is 68 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 81. Mostly sunny skies are in the forecast with a heat index in the upper 90s. We slept with the air conditioning on last night because the outside air is not very pleasant.

    I watched the Don Junior saga unfolding on Twitter last night. It is hard to believe that there was not something illegal in that interaction, certainly it was slimey and underhanded – but that is default Trump, so not new. The fallout might be that it accelerates the mental deterioration of the shitgibbon and forces the Republican Party’s hand. Congressional Republicans are getting closer to passing a Russian sanctions bill that will set up a veto showdown with the White House. Every day the optics get worse and eventually his presidency will be so crippled that the Unified Republican Government will grind to a halt. I hope the Senate can find a way to slow-walk the judicial appointments that are going to tilt our courts rightward for a generation. The Republicans are not even pretending to be interested in judges who exercise judicial restraint – slash and burn right-wingers are at the top of the list. Yesterday it was announced that the awful Janice Rogers Brown, from the DC Circuit, will retire. It is difficult to imagine someone worse than her taking her place but I am sure there is someone waiting in the wings.

    Crunch time for the Senate ACA repeal. The new bill will be introduced on Thursday, CBO score by Monday, procedural vote next Tuesday, final vote on Thursday. It appears that they are coalescing (clotting?) around the Cruz “Freedom From Healthcare” bill because it brings the hard-right back on board and is mean enough to pass the House as is, making it easier for the reconciliation process. The bill will include gifts to Capito, Portman, and Murkowski, letting Heller and Collins take the two “free passes”. Estimates are that the number of people kicked off health insurance will go down from 22 million to about 15 million and that movement will be spun as Republicans showing “heart”. Sigh. It is do or (literally!) die time everyone.

    See all y’all later!

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