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 (usually Saturday night with a Sunday date). 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?
…
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.
…
– Page One of Comments is HERE!
– Page Two of Comments is HERE!
It’s 66 and raining in Fay., AR. Has been since about 3 am. It’s heavy at the moment – seems to go through cycles of light and heavy but it’s stays water coming from the sky. I just got Black Forest muffins/bread/cake out of the oven. The house smells wonderful. I hope it lightens up some by after lunch. There’s a blood drive at the hospital I want to get to. Meanwhile all the cats are asleep except Murf who’s on my lap watching the rain through the open carport door. It’s so much better than holing up in a small plastic-wrapped cardboard box sitting on a couple of logs to keep it above the water he had to walk through to get to the food. (I’m not sure but I think he likes rainy days in his new circumstances.)
The silliest-ass excuse I’ve heard for impeachment – and again by people I know, like, follow, trust, and usually take my cue from – is that we have to impeach him because we can’t vote him out, he’s gonna steal the election again. He didn’t steal it in the first place. There is nothing about impeaching and not convicting much less removing from office that would stop him from stealing an election if he had. And there is less than nothing about impeachment to keep the people who actually did steal the election from doing it again. If the issue is election security then work on election security. Although the fed has guidelines and sometimes kicks in some money, elections are state-controlled. The states make the rules. The counties may or may not, depending on the state, buy the equipment & how good that equipment is depends a whole lot on the County Election Commission and how much money that county has. Seriously, the one place where “think global, act local” really works is election security. Make sure your County Election Commission knows you want secure machines/processes. Do effen fundraisers if necessary to help pay for it. Impeaching ain’t gonna do nuthin but give the propaganda machine what they need to cover stealing another election.
Meanwhile there are a lot of friends of mine in a whole lot of health &/or financial difficulties right now. And I can’t help them. Not really. A tank of gas, a bag of groceries…nothing to get them out of the situation. sigh. And we just got a flash flood warning so I’m not sure I’ll be donating blood today after all. We shall see what we shall see. Now to cut up the muffin/bread/cake and get some coffee. The read DoReMI’s post and do my twitter rounds. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUG}}}
The streetlights are on and my PV system isn’t. I guess I’ll have to give this blood drive a miss. I hope there’ll be another one soon relatively close.
Good morning, 59 and partly sunny in Bellingham. We enjoyed seeing the Downton Abbey movie last night. The story is simple, but the setting, costumes, and attention to detail is complex and so interesting to me. Thinking about the visuals this morning is a lovely antidote for my tRump angst.
Downton Abbey’s Historical Advisor Alastair Bruce Says He Was “Ruthless” on Set
Best wishes to all.
Good morning, meeses! Wednesday …
It is 66 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 73. Mostly cloudy this morning but more sun peeking through this afternoon. I think the rain is done – it mainly went north of us.
The current count as of this morning’s headlines is 200 in favor of beginning an impeachment inquiry. Of those 200, probably 120 are ready to impeach now without gathering any evidence which is a really really bad look – stop it! I am glad to see us moving forward, it was time to draw the line on what behaviour is acceptable and, more importantly, to show that we are not going to lay down and let another election get ratfked. Public opinion was not in favor of impeaching over the Russian intervention but it is in favor of impeaching over the Ukrainian extortion attempt. I have a bunch of tabs open to read more but what I see looks good. Donald J. Trump is pretending he doesn’t care but he is lying – the injury to his fragile ego is burning him up. It will be an interesting week – today the House votes to demand the whistleblower complaint, yesterday the Seante voted unanimously(!) to demand the complaint and tomorrow the House has a hearing with the Acting DNI.
I will say this, children of powerful political figures need to check their egos and look closely at why they are being asked to sit on a board or work as a consultant or why their company got a big contract out of the blue. Hunter Biden, based on his history, would not have been put on a Ukrainian oil company’s board if his name was Hunter Smith and his father was not vice president. This is old time politics writ large and it is what we should all hate about old time politics. The election of Barack Obama – a man unconnected to the corridors of power with no baggage and no quid pro quos to pay – should have ushered in the new politics, the politics where who you are is more important than who you know or who you are related to. That’s what I want.
See all y’all later!
Wednesday Meese
52 going up to a sunny 77 here in the Catskills
Impeachment
Kamala Harris and Cory Booker on The Last Word
Puerto Rico
#OTD
Oh, I do wish I could somehow see and read the entirety of the article about the Little Rock Nine! I took the essay I wrote years ago, “Living Through the Little Rock School Integration Crisis of 1957,” and cut it down to fit the editorial requirements of Around the Ponds. It’ll run in the forthcoming issue, which is being printed right now.
I have an abiding interest in anything to do with the Nine, and Daisy Bates (whom history has chosen to ignore), considering I lived three blocks from where it was happening.
Thanks for reminding us, Sis!
Another 80 degree morning. We didn’t hit 100 yesterday (only 99) but we will today & every day for the next week. It’s supposed to be in the 80s. Sigh. Happy that Speaker Pelosi finally came around. We have to get all the information out in front of the public, so the less brain-washed people might wake up. Today is U2’s band birthday, I don’t have “a” favorite song, but here’s Love Is Bigger from the Apollo show.
Write a world where we can belong
to each other and sing it like no other
The low was 66 in Fay., AR – which it pretty much was most of yesterday – but the sun is shining and it’s already 74 heading for mid 80s today. I may actually get a walk in. heh. It rained most of yesterday but the sun did come out long enough to generate 1.9 KWHs. Our m-t-d is 293.5 so it the sun stays out we should get over 300 today. Then see how far we can get above that the final 5 production days of September. Big if of course. The forecast is for rain moving back in this afternoon. sigh.
Welp, the fascisti finally found the right bait. We’re gonna impeach the rabid squirrel, the evil Oberfuhrer. It’s not gonna get one child out of a cage on the border. Or repair one roof in Puerto Rico. It’s not going to block one corporatist-rollback of safety or environmental rules. Save one BIPOC from death by cop. Save one school from being shot up with an assault weapon. It’s not going to change one god-damned thing for the better. I’m just hoping we don’t get Lidice as a result. I guess it gives us bragging rights. “We showed him” we’ll say as we move back into the 1880s, as the death toll mounts, as the world’s oven heats that water we frogs are sitting in. Well, I guess “we showed him” can be our epitaph. It’s not good for much else.
I’m gonna read stuff and maybe go for my walk if the sun stays out. Then bury my head in some fantasy somewhere in another time-space continuum. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good Woden’s Day morning, Moosekind!
My word, what a mornin’. My word, what a mornin’…
Drive-by until I have some time after lunch. An hour ago it was a blissful 55 F. in Ashburn under clear skies, now it’s 66 F. Got to get my walk in, visit the Health Fair going on in the building next to mine, and then help create packets for the Big Canvass on Saturday morning along with the other Progressives.
Woot! Woot! Woot!
Will be back later to read all the comments—au revoir!
Good morning, Meesefolk; 59 this morning and headed to 77. It looks like there won’t be any rain until Saturday, which would normally disrupt my plans, but starting 1 October, every day is Saturday (until I find another job) so I won’t stress over it.
I think the impeachment proceedings were necessary at this point, because critical mass was reached and waiting longer risked becoming the party that was “no different than the Republicans.” That’s a ridiculous premise, of course, but the American electorate (WW, I’m looking at you) has proved itself to be nothing if not ridiculous. The next round of online angst will be due to the recess; apparently a fair number of people think that just because the House is in recess, nothing at all happens. I’m sure House staffers would be surprised by that bit of news, particularly the staff of and House General Counsel, Doug Letter. https://www.rollcall.com/news/congress/unassuming-house-counsel-key-player-trump-congress-fights
Good day to and for all!
Good morning, 56 and mostly cloudy in Bellingham. Thanks to a middle of the night worry session I’m slow and sleepy today. We’ve been watching Ken Burns Country Music documentary and it’s a memory trip for us. Last night’s episode was full of music we love but was unsettling for me to watch as well. Lots of memories, lots of history, and it all mixed together with tRump/impeachment angst last night.
Best wishes to all.
Dolly Parton on ‘I Will Always Love You’ is the great tearjerking high point of ‘Country Music’
Good morning, meeses! Thursday …
It is 57 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 68. Sunny skies are in the forecast.
I woke up at 2am unable to get back to sleep and finally got up and started my day at about 2:45am. I need to start taking early afternoon naps again so that I can stay up past 8:30pm! My body really only needs about 6 hours of sleep and will resist laying in bed past that time.
I was glad to see that House Democrats are going to focus on the Ukrainian extortion as the basis for impeachment. Clearly, there are dozens of things that make this president* unfit for office but if we are going to avoid the “you are just unhappy about losing in 2016” claims, the impeachment has to be about using the power of the presidency to attack 2020 rivals. That is not 2016, that is 2020 – that is not “ancient history” (from 3 years ago!!) that is right now, this past summer. And no, I don’t think Trump will be removed from office until January 20, 2021 when the Democratic president is sworn in but I think it is important to say, loudly, “you can’t do this” to the lawlessness of the Trump administration. Impeachment will put a marker down and maybe it will stop some White House staffers and administration political appointees from breaking the law – they can be prosecuted and as they start seeing people lawyer up maybe they will realize that the ship is sinking and won’t want to be the rat caught going down with the ship. I was laughing at the headlines this morning – clearly right-wing media has gotten the memo that they are to pin the blame on everything Ukraine on Giuliani, it is almost comical how their talking points appear to be cut and pasted! And regarding Ukraine, I am sure that Tony Schwartz, the Trump biographer who knows that Trump obsesses over every slight, will tell you it is no surprise that this is not just about Biden – they are finding out that Trump blames Ukraine for the Mueller report and the Manafort conviction and wants them to discredit both. He. Can’t. Let. Go.
See all y’all later!
Jan, you’ve laid it out very well. Agree bigly.
Thursday Meese – 57 going up to a rainy 75 here in the Catskills.
A reminder.
Good Thor’s Day, Moosekind! I wish we could hear Thor’s hammer and get some of the accompanying rain! It’s 58 F. right now in Ashburn and will keep climbing up to 90 F. And it’s going to be hot and rainless all next week as well! Bummer. It’s partly cloudy, on track for yet another beautiful, if bone-dry day.
Went for my walk yesterday, visited the Health Fair and got lots of swag, then went to help the Progressives put walk packets together. My table was the fastest as I obnoxiously told the others the best way to produce the packets. Altogether the two tables put together 2800 walk packets! Just shows that the Olds can perform well when we put our minds to it.
Wish I could hear something about the canvass on Saturday. No one has called me yet.
In the afternoon we ran errands, during which we procured tickets for “Downton Abbey” tomorrow. I’m so longing to see it.
This morning I’ve got desk duty and a walk lined up, and Nanny-Granny duty this afternoon. Of course I’ll keep an eye on the news.
Wishing a good day to all at the Pond, and unredacted testimony from the DNI Director beyond!
I woke up at 4:30, so I got up, left the house by 5:30 & got in a walk before work. Just 20 minutes, and not super hard — since it’s been a few weeks & it’s freaking 80 degrees at freaking 5:30 am. Ugh. Had fun last night talking to fellow U2 fans about their birthday & our memories. The whistleblower complaint seems to have unnerved a lot of people. Playing City of Blinding Lights because it’s gorgeous & soaring & I need the energy. (it’s weird, it’s been 6 or 7 years since my last tri, but I can feel myself at one when I hear this song)
Kamala 2020 up – from Onomastic
Overnight in Fay., AR was in the low 60s. It’s 64 now and heading for upper 70s. It started raining around 2 am but’s more or less stopped and is “just” cloudy right now. I hope it clears off but I doubt it or the expected high would be higher. We did generate 11.3 KWHs yesterday and the m-t-d is 304.8 so we’re above 300 now. We shall see how much further we get. It would be nice to get 350 but I’m not betting money on it. I think the black kitties are all getting antsy as the days get shorter and cool off. They’re remembering last year when they were dumped. Murf is spending more time on my lap and so is Rennie. (Not at the same time, of course.) Freddie isn’t going that far but he is coming up for skritches and flopping down behind my chair to nap periodically. Perhaps once it gets chilly enough for fires – presupposing I can get the firewood which is rather hung up at the moment – that will remind them of being brought in rather than being thrown out and they’ll relax again.
So many people even just in my personal circle in so much need. So little I can do about it. After managing to stave it off for over 6 months, earicicle/@AmeliaEarhart1 was evicted yesterday. Her local friends rallied when it finally dawned on them it was really happening and they got her moved into an extended-stay motel (that allows cats) where she feels safe and are working on the next step. There will probably be a series of temporary “next steps” until a new permanent place is found. She says it took 18 months last time she was between apartments. And even if I was still at DK, fundraisers are problematic. If she has too much money in her bank account the state will cut off all her aid. And they check randomly but at least weekly. Prayers & invocations definitely needed. Also for Aji & Wings, of course, they’re canceling Aji’s tests again and also workers on the house (need to finalize plumbing repairs & weather treating all the outside wood before freezing temps) because the sales just aren’t there. Also Wings’s nephew Ona who got bit by a West-Nile-Virus-carrying mosquito about 6 weeks back and now is on a respirator and needs to be transported to the treatment center in Denver – there isn’t one in the entire state of NM – but his insurance won’t cover transport out of state. There is a fundraiser GFM for him which Aji, Avilyn, MVgal, & I push out several times a day on twitter. The goal is $50K (probably not enough) of which $20K is the estimate to transport him. Currently it’s just under $12K and I hope that both more funds come in quickly and his family & medical team manage to get him to the treatment center soon wherever the fundraising total gets stuck. Again, prayers and invocations.
Not sure I’m gonna get my walk in today. Getting soaked isn’t in my game plan so I’m not going further from the house than the mailbox until it clears up. But coffee is good – or at least should help with the headache – so I’ll get some of that and read what I can stand to read on the internets today. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, Meesefolk; 61 this morning and 72 later with lots of sun. These are the best kind of days; I hope there are some of them next week when I’m not working. Unfortunately, my Magic 8-Ball is saying “outlook not so good,” because my weather widget is showing days of rain, starting on Saturday.
I sent out two more resumes yesterday, but my total for the week is only four so not particularly good. (It looks like this ongoing commentary is going to be my non-solar equivalent to bfitz’s KWH update!) On the other hand, I’m hoping I get to the interview with one of the jobs purely out of curiosity. The job is with a firm of patent attorneys, and I’d love the opportunity to ask an actual patent attorney “why patent attorney?” It’s genuinely one of those random questions I’ve wondered before, but with no patent attorneys in my life, it’s been left unasked. And if I get fortunate enough to get to the interview process, I figure it will work as a question I can ask when the inevitable, “Do you have any questions?” question occurs, and with luck, my curiosity is assuaged.
I keep checking twitter for the update on the House testimony. The Acting DNI is not the one I really want to hear from (that would be the ICIG), but it looks like his partisan stonewalling and the five-minute-per format is making the hearing a bust anyway. I hope at some point the committees decide to use the lawyer-asking-questions format, but with the collection of egos involved (yes, I’m even including Adam Schiff in that), I rather doubt that’s going to be a regular feature. And I think it’s the only way to garner strong support from the public; right now, I think the support for impeachment is driven by emotion, and we need fact-based support if we’re to win over any waver-ers. It’s not as if support for impeachment is likely to drive the Senate to convict, but for 2020, we need to be able to sell ourselves as something other than purely revenge-seeking.
Good day to and for all!
Here’s hoping the regular update on resumes will end soon in a job you enjoy and feel is worthwhile. As well as remunerative enough to meet the bills of course. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 56 and mostly cloudy in Bellingham. I’m trying to adsorb the DNI/Intel Comttee hearing but my foggy brain can’t cut through all the babble, so I’m going to have to wait for an informed analysis.
Yesterday was a busy housekeeping day, but the newly cleaned rugs are back in place, the bedding is all clean again, the fall spider vacuuming is done and I’m weary! Thankfully Sue (my 2 x’s a month housekeeper) was here to help. I need to tend to my desk today so I’d best get busy. My best wishes to all.