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?
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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 (right before “Leave A Reply”) and use the Pages Tool, shown here with 3 pages of comments available.
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Good morning, meeses! Wednesday …
It is -9 in Madison with an expected daytime high of +9. Sunny skies are in the forecast.
I was done with my morning projects early and decided to watch the impeachment trial yesterday. I don’t regret it, the presentation by the House managers was brilliant and moving. Of course it will fall on deaf ears as most of the Republicans in the Senate have already decided that they would rather risk the destruction of our democracy than upset the man whose supporters they need in order to win elections. I did not watch the tRump lawyers – because life is too short – but I did follow the “analysis” on Twitter. Apparently Donald John Trump was very upset with their “defense” of him! Someone on Twitter pointed out that if this is an example of the type of legal help he can look forward to in his post-presidency, he is going to have a miserable life. We can only hope. If his party’s electeds won’t punish him perhaps the courts will. Jay Bookman, former writer for the Atlanta Journal Constitution and a longtime follow for me, pointed out to one naysayer that the presentation is not for the Senate Republicans but for the American people who will weigh in on trumpism in 2022 and 2024. Currently, 57% believe tRump should be convicted and barred from seeking federal office. If at the end of the trial, that number is over 67%, that means that there is hope that our country survives. The legal pundits are suggesting that there is more evidence coming and maybe a smoking gun regarding tRump’s call to incitement and his dereliction of duty in letting the rioting continue unchecked. I am not holding my breath that it will sway any Republicans but it will make it easier for us to run against those Republicans in 2022.
The news about herd immunity is not good. Re-infections are up, due in part to the new variant. So the group of people who caught the virus and recovered may not be part of the immune herd – everyone will need to get vaccinated. Experts are now saying that “maybe” Thanksgiving rather than early fall. I was pleased to see that Wisconsin finally had something to brag about – we were leading the nation in % of vaccinated people! Governor Tony Evers deserves a medal for persevering through the roadblocks put up by the Republican legislature and his wise use of the federal COVID funds that he had control of. I got my first shot of Pfizer last week – I got an email from my HMO and fortunately I was where I could log in and sign up for a shot the next day. A few more weeks and I will be safe from the virus – now I just have to worry about my daughter and hope that her youth and good health will keep her from getting sick until the vaccines are widely available.
See all y’all later!
Wednesday Meese. 12 degrees here in Kingston NY
The Lookaways
Deplorable.
Puerto Rico
Home from a dash into the office. The cold weather is starting, we’ve reached the high for the day at 40something. It’s not supposed to freeze tonight but I may cover the plants anyway. We may get ice & snow this weekend.
{{{anotherdemocrat}}} – as another online friend has taken to closing her emails “stay in, stay warm, stay safe” – Healing Energy & moar {{{HUGS}}}
It’s 28 heading for 30 and the ground is crunchy. I don’t know if the ice droplets fell from the sky or the dew froze in place. And cloudy. Of course. While there are some partly sunny days in the forecast there are no plain ol’ sunny days for the next 10. The cloudiness is seriously getting to me. sigh. Yesterday was better than the day before. We got 2.7 KWHs and the m-t-d is starting today at 51.6 – to be generating what I use it should be 54 (60 by the end of the day).
I didn’t watch yesterday but I did catch a few things on twitter. Pretty much as expected. At least it puts everything on record. What twitler and his cult did, of course. How the Rs vote is important. As is having it on record. Their votes to acquit will keep their R voters. We may, maybe, perhaps be able to peel off enough of the Independents who like R values but not insurrection. We shall see.
There’s a little cat I can’t let in but have been feeding and I am so worried about it with the really bad weather coming. I’ve called the rescues and nobody can help. There’s one that only takes emails, not calls, and I’ve left an email but haven’t heard back. As far as people are concerned it’s a sweet little cat who likes to be petted. And wants in. But at least 3 if not all 5 of my indoor cats would attack it the instant it cleared the door. And my front porch, while enclosed, isn’t any warmer than outside. I don’t know what to do – besides putting out food, petting it, and pouring boiling water into the water dish to keep it liquid. And pray. A local and animal version of what’s going on in the world. So many need help – shelter as well as food – and I can’t do much but boost their links and occasionally drop $10 on a few. And pray.
So. I need to bake today but haven’t started yet. I did get 6 hours of sleep last night – 11 pm to 2 am and then 5 am to 8 am – but I’m groggy and moving very slowly today. Once I get it mixed and in the oven that should help. Nothing like the smell of breads of any kind in the oven for raising spirits. (Cocoa peanut butter is the plan.) Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 28 and cloudy now with light snow later today. We’re grilling steaks tonight at our son’s house….a safe way to go “out” to dinner in these covid times. This is the first freezing temps we’ve had this winter and my garden looks like winter.
Today is another housekeeping day for me, but I’ll have some help so I may find some sewing time as well. I have some spring green fleece to make a few more blankets for our outdoor gathering spot, but given how cold it is and the forecast of more snow on Saturday we may have to change plans. Oh well, the blankets will be needed and ready for another outdoor time together.
Best wishes to all.
I love Stacey Plaskett
They should give her and the delegates from the other U.S. territories and DC, votes as well as seats.
Good morning, meeses! Thursday …
It is -8 in Madison with an expected daytime high of 7. Mostly sunny this morning and then clouding up with flurries this afternoon into the evening. It does not look like we will get above 32 degrees until the 22nd! Sadly, that means that the ice that is on the sidewalks, streets and parking lots is more or less permanent for the next 10 days.
I watched most of yesterday’s trial. It was a good plan to end with the orange menace doing nothing to stop the attack and recount how he was reveling in the violence. I hope that the Senators went home with that mental image and that it made some of them unable to sleep. Ha! I forgot – Republicans have no human feelings and certainly none that would keep them awake at night. Anyway, the tweets suggested that Republicans expect the defense team to counter the violent images with video of last summer’s BLM demonstrations, especially the ones in Portland where anarchists took over parts of the city. Why they think that has anything to do with Donald John Trump sending a mob to the Capitol and then standing silent while they terrorized Congress and destroyed the building is perplexing. Why they think that the “stellar” defense team tRump assembled has the chops to be able to mount any rational defense is even more perplexing. I suspect that they really don’t care – they just need to have something to point at that they can then use to justify letting tRump off the hook. Bastids!
The House managers never expected to be able to sway 17 cult members. They will have a majority to convict and it will be more bipartisan than the last trial and they will have made the case to the American people. In the end we will have every Senator on record that the behaviour of their leader is fine with them. That will have to do.
See all y’all later!
Thursday Meese. 24 here in Kingston NY and it’s snowing again. Going up to 32.
Puerto Rico & USVI
Good Thursday morning, Meese. ‘Tis an ugly day here. Something just began falling from the sky. It’s leaving whitish patches of glaze on the grass. It did that during the night too. Thank Goddess I don’t have to drive anywhere! There are compensations in being old!
The alleged “three to six inches of snow” never materialized, naturally. All these weather people are either drunk or stoned. I hope it’s the latter. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, it’s 33 F. and ugly-raining.
Yesterday first thing in the morning I was set upon by the vampire in the medical center. She took three vials of precious bodily fluid. I was tired the rest of the day, although I did manage to drag myself to Trader Joe’s. Bought fresh flowers for me, wine for hubby, and tiny Rockit apples for us both.
We’ve been trying to eat the food provided by Dining Services but it’s so loaded with fat, salt, and sugar that tonight I’m going to make Kashmiri curry at home. We can have salad with it and for afters, fresh mango slices.
Today will be entirely devoted to doing the income tax after my shower. I’d like a refund since the stimulus check apparently isn’t going to materialize. Yesterday I received a request for a donation from the Houston Food Bank. Lawks, I can’t support the entire state of Texas! When I receive the refund I will donate to the San Antonio Food Bank and the Texas Diaper Bank, but I have the food bank in my area to consider as well. Moreover, Feeding America helps people all over the country so I’d like to donate to them.
Now that production of both the ebook and the paperback are underway, it seems I have to develop a marketing plan. Dear Goddess, I dislike that! I’d rather be working on my Roman novel.
Haven’t watched the trial at all. First of all, yesterday I felt depleted, as indeed I was, and secondly I had other things to do. I’m sure I’ll see enough snippets to know what’s going on. I realize he’s not testicle-fying in person, but they use video clips. I can’t stand to look at his orange face or hear his voice.
Wishing a good day to all at the Pond and a bad day to all the Rethug Senators who played tic-tac-toe on their smartphones while the videos were showing yesterday. May the crusty curse of Oliver Cromwell fall upon their poxy penises (penii?), and may their insides roil with bad humours of the body.
This is a problem for me as well: “I can’t stand to look at his orange face or hear his voice.”
I managed to spend the past 4 years avoiding all of his speeches and was only subject to the occasional photo of him in my newspaper or on a web article and any video of him I would immediately mute and/or change the channel. I will need a cleansing after this replaying of his crimes is completed.
Another gray and chilly day. Not cold by northern standards but 19 going to 33 is cold enough. Except this the highest we’re getting until next Friday. We might get some sunshine today. I hope. We only generated 1.3 KWHs yesterday (m-t-d is 52.9) and looks to be the same today unless that promised “clearing” this afternoon actually happens. If the ice on the back of my car (didn’t pull all the way in the carport last time it was out) melts, I’ll do that grocery store run. I’m out of eggs. If not, then not. I have food for me and cats. I’ll just bake something that doesn’t use eggs next week.
As to the impeachment trial, I am hoping we get a conviction. Even if it’s 51-50, it’s still a conviction. That’s on the record. No, it doesn’t remove the perquisites of office from him, doesn’t keep him from running again. But it’s on the record – a record that can be used in evidence in other courts. I’m not watching it. I haven’t deliberately looked at the Evil Ones at all for 20 years. I’m not changing that personal policy.
The little cat I’m feeding and have been so worried about apparently has some kind of warm shelter. When I petted the fur this morning as I put out food, that fur was too warm for the cat to have been outside long. So while I’m not gonna stop worrying until I know somebody’s taking responsibility for it, I’ll worry less. Nothing without some kind of shelter is going to live through this week’s round of close to zero early morning temps. So. That this one has some kind of shelter is a bit of good news. & as with Aji’s story of the dog they found Tuesday having a loving family who came and got her yesterday, bits of good news give us heart. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
I never thought of this, that as long as we have a simple majority we can claim that the Senate voted in a bipartisan fashion to convict him. Clinton was acquitted by a vote of 55 to 45 on the perjury charge and the vote was tied 50-50 for obstruction of justice. If the vote is 51 to 49 to convict, we can (and will!) claim victory. Romney will vote to convict and this time it will put us over the top.
Good morning, 20, a cold wind, and light snow in Bellingham. We enjoyed grilling steaks and watching it snow last night, but our weekend plans are in weather flux. It’s cozy indoors, but really cold outside.
Best wishes to all.
Good morning, meeses! Friday …
It is 0 degrees – none, zilch, nada! – in Madison with an expected daytime high of 5 with below 0 windchills. We got a few inches of snow overnight and it will be snowing off and on all day.
I watched the impeachment trial yesterday and it was not as good as Wednesday’s lineup; some House managers just don’t have the same OOOMPH that others do. The closing, though, with Castro, Neguse, and Raskin was excellent. That presentation should be replayed for anyone who does not “get” what it means to let Donald John Trump have any role in the future of our country, either as a candidate or a political leader. As long as he could run in 2024, his militias will keep growing and become more dangerous. We were lucky this time, the next time it could be the end of our democracy. I will not watch any of the defense presentation because they apparently have a plan to pick up the unconstitutionality issue again even though it was disallowed as an argument; since there is no judge to bang a gavel and say that they are out of order, they can do anything they want. They also plan to suggest that BLM demonstrations last summer that turned violent are EXACTLY LIKE a president calling his private militias to the Washington DC to overturn an election he lost by storming the Capitol and, if possible, kill the Vice President and Speaker of the House. Republican Senators are simply looking for cover and the defense team will provide it to them using the tried and true Scary Black People meme that animates them. I will be glad when the trial is over so that tRump is not on my TV screen any longer and we can go back to the “pinch me, is it real!” daily joy coming out of the Biden-Harris Administration.
Speaking of which, Joe Biden’s vaccine task force got us 200 million more doses and accelerated the delivery to be completed by the end of July, a month early. The light will be visible at the end of the tunnel soon.
See all y’all later!
Wow, our weather is crazy. We had cold rain all day yesterday, it froze last night, there are power outages everywhere & no one here knows how to drive on ice — they try to drive like normal and have accidents. My agency is closed for people working on site this is the one drawback for working from home). It’s not going to get out of the 30s today & there’ll be freezing rain overnight. And this is actually the good weather Sunday-Monday is going to be nuts. Today’s plan: work till 3:30. Look for places in my apartment to bring some of my plants in.
It’s 18 and overcast. The forecast says 28 and sun this afternoon – but it said 33 and sun for yesterday afternoon and we topped out at 21 with snow. Which is still covering my solar panels. And unless we actually do get some strong afternoon sunshine for at least a couple of hours, it’s gonna stay covering my solar panels until next Friday (presupposing we get the forecasted 40 then). We managed to generate one (1) kilowatt hour and the m-t-d is 54 – at this rate we won’t make 100 for February. sigh.
The Rs will continue with “the law, the constitution, says what we say it says” – which boils down to “everything we do is legal, everything the Dems do isn’t” – until they are forcibly stopped. The structure is still in place to do that. But it is so seeded with Deplorables I don’t know if we’ll manage. That doesn’t mean we won’t try, of course. We are trying. I wish, I’ve always wished, we’d focus more on the Rs in general and not on just twitler. Yes, he’s evil and he’s doing/done horrible – and illegal – things. But focusing on him means the rest of the Rs can say “not me” – even though they voted for him, voted for all the Rs in both houses of Congress, in the guv’s mansions, statehouses, right down to county commissioners and school boards, who approve of what he does and are doing it themselves, just a bit more circumspectly. He’s their icon/idol – and poster boy. He’s a speaker – like a stereo speaker – for evil. He didn’t invent it. And getting rid of him alone isn’t going to stop it. Yes, he’s rotten to the core. So is every other “apple” in that barrel. Those who weren’t removed themselves from the barrel years ago. So. We hope for at least 51 votes. It says the evidence is valid – and can be used in other courts of law. It says he’s guilty – just not being punished because too many of his supporters are on the jury.
Meanwhile, it’s a chilly day and one not like to lift the Depression any time soon but there’s work to be done – from making sure there’s birdseed and catfood outside to boosting stuff on twitter – so I will do it. We will keep on keepin’ on – it’s the only way to get to “better”. And maybe, someday, to “good”. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
I’m sorry you’re depressed, bfitz. So am I. I might feel rather less depressed if I find we are going to get a tax refund. Do you habitually get one? I know we’re supposed to arrange matters so we don’t get one, but my efforts to do that are defeated by the gummint, which changes the laws every year, and by my hubby, who thinks making an interest-free loan to the gummit all year and then getting a refund is heaven in a box.
{{{Diana}}} I’ll be better when the sun comes back. My levels of Depression vary with the amount of sunshine we get. I hope you feel better soon. Depression sux. Crossing my fingers you get a refund. Yes, I typically get one. I know it’s an interest-free loan to the govt but I really don’t mind that. Especially when we have a govt trying to do what it’s supposed to do for “the general welfare” as I think/hope we have now. The other issue is I usually don’t have the cash to have to pay my taxes in a lump if I haven’t withheld enough over the year. The smaller pieces coming out monthly or more often, even if too much, are much easier to deal with. So I regard it kind of like a Christmas Savings account – the interest is diddly to non-existent but the lump sum when I take it out again is considerable and can be used for “big ticket” items that would otherwise have to be done via much-higher interest-drawing credit. moar {{{HUGS}}}
Friday Meese. 14 degrees here in Kingston going up to 24. The cold killed something in my car – just had it towed to the dealership. Sigh.
Puerto Rico /USVI
Holding the Good Thought whatever’s wrong with your car is simple – and (relatively) inexpensive to fix. Stay warm. {{{HUGS}}}
I was delighted when one of the House managers mentioned “throwing paper towels to hurricane victims in Puerto Rico” as an example of tRump’s sociopathy. I can’t remember who it was, maybe Raskin.
Make VI a state too!
Hi, Sis, that’s just what you needed to make a winter day perfect, right? Hope there’s nothhing seriously wrong with the car.
Good Friday morning, Moosekind, and Happy Chinese New Year! It’s another ugly gray day here, with cloudy skies and 29 F. in Ashburn. The high today will be 30 F., big deal.
What to complain about first? Let’s see, I’ve done the blood draw, mumble, mumble, mumble. Oh, I know! I want to gritch about the fiendishness of income tax software. I’ve practically ripped out my gray corkscrew curls moaning and fretting about Form 1099-B. If I had known that selling shares in a tax-free bond fund was going to cause this much trouble I would never had done it.
Just had a meeting with Housekeeping, who announced they are taking orders for Spring Cleaning. After surveying our Goddess-forsaken domicile, she said she’d go away and reckon up the price. It will be done in three phases. 1. Someone’s going to come over and help us clear the surfaces the night before phases 2 and 3; 2. They’ll do the kitchen and bathrooms; 3.They’ll do the carpets.
We’ll have to find somewhere to go with the dog while this is going on. They’ll never get anything done with Monty prancing around barking for treats, business meetings, meals, and tummy love, any more than we ever get anything done.
I am deeply depressed that Orange Face will very likely be acquitted. See? He can cause the deaths of millions and get away with it! Why doesn’t Goddess strike him down? This is one of the reasons I’m an atheist, the others being Ghengis Khan, those creeps who burnt the Library in Alexandria in 300 A.D., Hitler, Pol Pot, and Idi Amin.
Well, back to wrestling with the devil, who has appeared in the form of TurboTax. Wishing General Tso’s chicken, bok choy, and jasmine rice to all at the Pond!
Good morning, 22 and cloudy in Bellingham. When the north wind blows down from the Fraser River Valley in Canada we really feel it. But the house is warm so I can stay cozy today. My family still wants to be in the garden with cake, hot drinks, blankets and fires tomorrow so I’ll set it up and go back inside when I get too cold.
Watching the impeachment hearings is a sad and sobering experience. Living through it will take some time for these women to recover…..
‘I’m running for my life. I cannot talk to you right now’: 23 women in Congress recall the Capitol riot
Best wishes to all.
Princesspat, I love your descriptions of your outdoor parties! Thanks for sharing.
Found on the Internets.
Good morning, meeses! Saturday …
It is -4 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of -3. Light snow and flurries tapering off by afternoon and then clear skies. Tomorrow we will not get above 0!
I did not watch the “defense” of Donald John Trump’s actions leading up and during the Capitol insurrection but I watched MSNBC for the post-trial commentary. As expected, the attorneys for tRump did not provide any real defense – they were as nasty and disgusting as their client. But they did not have to provide a defense because the Republican Party has no interest in accountability, no interest in taking steps to preserve our democracy, no interest in anything other than the next election. Our House managers did a great job and today they will have their closing statement to add to the record that will be there for all to see. The vote is expected around noon and I hope that at least 7 Republican Senators vote with all 50 Democrats so that the vote reflects the American people’s feelings on conviction (57% feel tRump should be convicted). I was reading an article that suggested that tRump is going to issue an epic unhinged rant against the Republicans who “turned on him” and everyone he despises. I hope it makes every Republican elected cringe and starts a mass exodus from the party. They will of course have no answer to his tirade if they acquit – they will be forever linked in history to everything he says and does for the rest of his life. It will suck to be them.
Today I will work on quiet time projects. When putting the Welcomings draft in place, I was reminded that February is a short month and that tomorrow we will already be halfway done! I should concentrate on accounting tasks, some of which have hard deadlines in March.
See all y’all later!