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 to view previous pages, shown here with 3 pages of comments available and Page 2 circled.
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Good morning. The Barbie movie was great yesterday. They talk repeatedly about how our world is a patriarchy (hoping some of the younger viewers are looking up that word) and America Ferrara has an amazing speech about how impossible it is to be a woman. When she goes back to Barbieland, it shows how patriarchy is bad for men, too. And great music, I brought up Closer To Fine on Spotify and belted it out on the way home. Anyway, today: wfh and exercise indoors this afternoon.
It’s 82 heading for 98 and overcast. sigh. If I’m going to need to run the A/C, and of course I am, I really need more sunshine. At least as much as we got Monday & Tuesday. Yesterday we generated right at 18 KWHs and the m-t-d at 402 gained another smidge. Which it will probably lose today. We’ve 6 production days left in July and 500 is still very possible. IF we get the sunshine.
I’d hoped I’d be getting back from Tractor Supply about now instead of still waiting for my son to take me there. Back when we had COVID hours and the store opened at 7 on Wednesdays we could have. But the store opens at 8 and that doesn’t give Lang time to do the run AND get back to take his son and his housemate to their respective jobs on time. So we will do the Tractor Supply run after he takes them to work. It may take a while anyway. The cats have decided they don’t like Taste of the Wild any longer so I’ll have to spend some time reading catfood ingredients to see what I’m willing to feed them that hopefully they are willing to eat. Cats.
Welp, Indigenous peoples all over the world have been warning us for generations. Climate scientists have been warning us for at least 40 years that I know of. Sucks to be us. Climate collapse is here. Sicily is literally on fire. So is Rhodes. Waters off FL are in the hot tub range & all the coral reefs in the area are dead. The Gulf Stream will collapse possibly even in 2025. I don’t know when the impacts of real food scarcity (rather than opportunistic capitalists jacking prices as they’re doing now/have been doing since COVID) will hit here. Being the colonizers/capitalists/white supremacists that we are, we’ll make sure we’re the last nation standing. But we’re talking years and not decades now. It IS years though and not eating today or not helping others to eat today isn’t going to make it not happen. Not helping folks today would just bring the misery and death sooner.
Off to twitter and Spoutible to do my best. Holding the Good Thoughts for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}
Good Wednesday morning, Moosekind! As soon as I’m washed and brushed, I must run to the barbershop. I also have to scout out a site for an outdoor Lammas ritual next week. Of course, my friend and I will be bitten to death by insects, but what the hey: it’s all in service of the Goddess.
We have rehearsal tonight of the play I wrote from 8 to 9. Did I tell you that one of the members of the Drama Club wants me ask the nice woman who conducts on-air interviews of residents on the in-house channel for an interview on Friday the 4th? They want me to talk about the proposed literary journal, the drama club, and various other things.
My bedridden aunt in Corpus Christi refuses to even get out of bed into a wheelchair. She is starting to see dead people: she insists that her daughter and sister (both deceased) are in bed with her, leaving her with no room at all to move. She won’t drink water, only Coca Cola. To me this all sounds ominous. I talked to my cousin in Corpus Christi yesterday and she told me all this. Poor J. has had knee replacement surgery herself, so hasn’t been able to visit lately. However, she plans to go see our aunt today. Apparently, Auntie is still cracking up the nurses with jokes!
Oh, I forgot to mention it’s 80 F. in Ashboring, sunny, with imaginary thunderstorms predicted for tomorrow. We’re still 8 inches under normal rainfall for the year.
Wishing a good day for all at the Pond.
Good morning, meeses! Wednesday …
It is 90 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 108. Mainly sunny skies are in the forecast. We had some rain last night and some lightning in the distance – slight chance of more rain tonight.
I started this comment about 2 hours ago and got distracted by some banking I needed to do and then took my walk. I will put a few articles into Pocket and come back after breakfast.
See all y’all later!
RIP
I hope she is at peace. She was so brave, and amazingly talented.
Good morning. Got my mile done, in the office for a short day, got an eye doctor appointment. I actually like that he’s way the heck far north, because there’s no way I can come back after an appointment. Anyway, 4 hours of work. Can’t watch the Tour de France Femmes because they don’t start till after work starts. Sad about Sinead O’Connor.
Wow, this:
Thursday Meese. 68 going up to 88 and raining here in Kingston (again)
Puerto Rico
It wasn’t always like this. In 1940, agriculture was the cornerstone of Puerto Rico’s economy, employing nearly 45 percent of the work force. But by 2019, it represented less than 1 percent of the commonwealth’s G.D.P. and employed less than 2 percent. Natural disasters, economic crises and mismanagement have contributed to the island’s transformation from agricultural powerhouse to one that relies on imports. But it has been U.S. policies like the 1920 Jones Act and Operation Bootstrap that have strangled local agriculture.
The Jones Act, a protectionist law that governs coastal trade, requires that maritime transport of cargo between points in the mainland and territories like Puerto Rico be carried by vessels that are U.S.-owned, crewed, registered and built. American freight rates are often higher than those charged by foreign carriers for shipments of similar products and distances. According to a 2012 report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, shipping a container from the East Coast to Puerto Rico costs an estimated $3,063. The same shipment to Kingston, Jamaica, costs only $1,607.
“The Jones Act is still a straitjacket on Puerto Rico because it subsidizes the marine shipping companies of the United States,” said Fernando Lloveras San Miguel, president of Para La Naturaleza, a nonprofit that works on reforestation.
Puerto Rico’s dependence on imports is a boon for shipping companies whose vessels, in a brutal irony, carry names of local symbols like Taíno, after the Indigenous people of the Caribbean, or Coquí, for the island frog with a singsong croak. The enforced use of indirect importation for things like fertilizer and farming equipment in turn drives up local farmers’ costs.
CM posted
Good morning, meeses! Thursday …
It is 81 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 104. Mostly sunny skies with a slight chance of rain this afternoon. Yesterday evening we had a fierce monsoon storm arrive over the mountains. Because the sunset was happening around the same time, the clouds massed over the mountains looked like bruises, purple and black. It gave us a lot of rain and there was even a tornado warning for the open desert regions northwest of the Tucson metro area. The temperature here dropped 20 degrees in 15 minutes!
Scanning the news was quick and easy – nothing new, lots of stupid. Mitch McChinless had a moment when he stared into the future and saw his eternal “reward” for the death and mayhem he unleashed on our planet and he froze and had to be led away to a place where they showed him photos of happy billionaires. He recovered enough to return to the podium.
I was hoping the Hunter Biden news would disappear with the plea deal hearing. Sadly, no. There is no question that Hunter Biden traded on his name and was a terrible human being. It is interesting that the redemption card, played by Republicans who have been (and still are!) terrible is considered “just fine” but is somehow not available to Democrats.
I need to take my walk before it gets too hot and then muster the energy to finish the “getting close to the end of the month” accounting work that should have gone out last week. I need to figure out how to re-energize after breakfast when all I really want to do is nap.
See all y’all later!
Good Thursday morning, Meese! It’s another nugly moaning in Ashboring. I have a case of “gyppy tummy” and I don’t like it at all. Been drinking Pepto-Bismol and popping Immodium—not at the same time, of course.
Jan said:
This is hilarious, love it! I can’t make heads or tails of the Hunter Biden affair, or why they want to impeach Joe Biden and on what grounds. Rethugs are (1) mentally ill, and (2) unable to govern, because (3) they’re all STUPID.
My Lenovo seems to be constantly asleep. This morning it wouldn’t even give me a sign-on thingy. It is hooked up to the same router or hub or whateverthehell it is, as the Mac, which I am using now. One thing I like about my 13-year-old Mac is that it does not arbitrarily show me stupid pictures in which I have zero interest. If I wanted beautiful scenes, I would find them myself.
Currently it’s 81 F. outside with more imaginary storms predicted for the afternoon. Younger Son is working here for a couple of hours after delivering Nora to volleyball practice. He and DIL are thinking of moving to an enormous house. Those two would rather move than eat!
Last night’s rehearsal was interesting. We were on stage, practicing with the spotlights. The women players were MUCH better than the men, who didn’t pick up on cues, didn’t speak up, and didn’t even get the damn words right. Even though we’re supposedly still reading from scripts, they couldn’t get the words right. Why is it that there are many more male parts than parts for women? It’s women who are interested in acting.
My next play has THREE women and only one male, who comes in right at the end and delivers a facer. But I can’t work on it yet.
That’s enough from gripey me. Wishing a good day to all at the Pond!
{{{Diana}}} The Rs aren’t stupid, they’re evil. They’re fishing for anything they can start an investigation around and then we’ll get Bill Clinton/Whitewater/Starr Report redux – keep going until they invent something or set up a trap (that Bill unfortunately willingly walked into).
Hope you feel better soon. Healing Energy & moar {{{HUGS}}}
Thank you, sweetie!
It’s 82 heading for 97 heat index over 100 and trying to become sunny. Yesterday we generated 17.2 KWHs and the m-t-d at 419.5 can still make it to 500 in the 5 generating days left in July.
Of course I didn’t open up again today. Went out for milk as soon as I fed the cats this morning. It wasn’t quite like a sauna but it was close. The relative humidity, being relative, will drop as the temps go up. Thankfully. The 10-day shows a few days when I might be able to open up for a few hours in the early morning. Maybe. I hope so.
Fineena called last night, mostly needing someone to talk to. She’d had a very frustrating day making phone calls to the pod company, the junk removal company, the utility companies, and the like – much time on hold, many nice people, no definite answers. She did get one bit of good news – the electric company person looked up the history of the place she’s moving to and the average bill is something like a third of what she’s paying where she is. Then her toxic sister called and did her toxic thing. Fineena says she went for years not answering her sister’s calls and she’s about to start not answering again. And she’s facing Harriet going to her new home early next week and can’t stop crying. She knows it’s for the best – for everybody. She knows she’s never been able to give Harriet as much exercise as she needs. She knows Harriet will be safe and loved with another dog person. But Harriet is her baby. Change is hard. But she’s trucking along. As is everybody else as far as I know.
Of to xitter and Spoutible to start my boosting day. Holding the Good Thoughts for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}
Good morning, 65 and partly sunny outside my window today. I developed an eye infection yesterday but fortunately I had the med drops on hand so it’s better today. Still swollen and burning, but improving. I didn’t get much done yesterday, but oh well.
RonK is hobbling around, and really missing hiking, taking photos, and writing about his adventures. He is waiting for a hip surgery date, and I hope it comes soon. I’ve made my peace with my physical activity being more limited than I would like but he has not. We can both stay very busy with our garden but he really misses being on the trails. Best wishes to all.
{{{princesspat}}} Healing Energy to your household. moar {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning. Got my 30 minutes done. Hip did not want to run. Must work on my diary for next Saturday’s music post — not tomorrow. I’m doing “yes there are liberal Country musicians”. I don’t listen to country music, but it needs doing. I googled, and I have some articles to read. I’ve got a good list of names — and a tweet where someone recorded Willie Nelson being……well, Willie about the Aldean thing.
I don’t like country music either, but I did like most of Kenny Rogers’ songs, because they told a story. I do like Dolly Parton’s “Here you come again” since I was once in that exact situation, and a couple of others.
I haven’t heard this latest Trumpanzee song and do not intend to.
Country music, in its pure genre, often has lyrics that resonate with a lot of people’s life stories. Like everything else, it has gotten politicized and turned into a way to hate other people. Sad, really.
I don’t listen to it but the songs that crossed over to the radio stations I used to listen to when I drove around a lot often resonated.
Don’t forget there were/are Black country music singers like Ray Charles :)
Saturday Meese. 71 here in Kingston and raining – going up to 86
Puerto Rico
This Cartoon re Former Puerto Rican boxer Felix Verdejo, who was found guilty Friday on two charges related to the murder of his 27-year-old girlfriend Keishla Rodriguez who was pregnant with his child. The case has been highlighted by activists on the island protesting violence against women.
A F-you to Felix
Friday Meese. Hot and muggy here – no rain here today – more to come tomorrow.
Puerto Rico
It’s 80 heading for 96/heat index 103, and overcast at the moment but the sky is starting to show blue patches in places. Yesterday we generated 18.6 KWHs and the m-t-d at 438 means 500 is very much possible in these last 4 production days of July.
There’s a fundraiser in the works for Fineena. I gave my advice based on what I could remember from back in the day but I don’t know how much of it is still valid. DK has changed the rules a lot since then. And is a much more toxic place. But a few fundraisers do get boosted and goals do get met. Just enough to remind us of what we once were – and so desperate people keep trying. We shall see what we shall see.
Everybody seems to be trucking along. Mostly on short sleep it seems. Including me. But we’re here. Off to xitter and Spoutible to start my boosting day. Holding the Good Thoughts. {{{Meeses}}}
Good Friday morning, Moosekind! It’s 79 F. and sunny this morning with 90% humidity. It’ll go up to 97 F. today. Last night the imaginary thunderstorms stopped being imaginary at 6:30 p.m., after a two-hour dress rehearsal of ugliness and threats. The wind knocked over most of my plants on the screened porch, and some of them are dead, alas.
OMG, one of the actors in my play has decided he can’t do two plays, he’d already agreed to be in another one, so now we’re looking for a male actor. If we can’t find one, Daniel the bus driver will have to change to Daniela, and I just finished changing her back to Daniel, which he originally was! All these sex changes are driving me berserk!
I need more coffee. Today is 17 weeks since I lost my voice. Most of it is back, but I still can’t sing.
I can’t bear to have the TV on. Nothing but vile murders and the Orangeman. I need to run to Trader Joe’s after my shower, and then buckle down to laundry and writing.
Wishing a good day to all at the Pond!
Good morning, meeses! Friday …
It is 88 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 104. Mainly sunny skies with a chance for rain after noon. This morning at about 4:30am we had about a 3 minute rain that cooled things down a degree. In theory, the heat dome will move off of us overnight and we will have an active monsoon rainy spell to cool things down for a few days. When I peek ahead to next week, though, I am not happy to see temperatures back to 108 again late in the week. There is plenty of time for that forecast to change – fingers crossed!
Oh, so now, days later, Senator Tim Scott finally weighs in on Floriduh NOW saying that there was no “silver lining” to slavery. What a freaking coward. He is the perfect face for Republican racism – he denies he is part of a racist party and willingly allows himself to be used as a prop. When you stand with racists, you are racist. When you are one of the minorities targeted by the racists and still stand with them, you are a worthless human being.
I got my walk in before it hit 90 but it was close. I got caught up in fixing some messes at a client’s site and my plan to get out at 6am did not work. Now I am behind on all the other things I need to do this morning. One of these days I am going to get caught up. I have a plan for taking some time off from help desk and getting the swamp drained. I am still looking at a stack of boxes that contain things that need to be sorted, scanned and shredded/stored. I vowed to not have unopened boxes of random things in my new office – clearing junk for the last move was exhausting, I was scanning/shredding up to the week before when the moving van was scheduled to arrive.
See all y’all later!
Good Saturday morning, Meese! Vot iss thees, am I the first up? It’s 80 F. already in Ashboring and the sun’s trying to come out. We had a humdinger of a non-imaginary thunderstorm last night, not as windy as Thursday night’s storm, but heavy on lightning, thunder, and slashing rain. Today is meant to be the same.
Yesterday when I went out the air felt like a hot, heavy, strangly blanket. You know those lead blankets or whatever they are, that people sometimes use to make their children feel safe in bed? I had one but found it oppressive, so I gave it away.
Woke up this morning feeling distinctly unwell. I’m going back to bed in a little while. I sent my karate teacher, who is a heavenly man, a note of apology and a Brenda Lee video of “I’m sorry. So sorry.” I just can’t do karate. I tried, but it’s just not my thing and my body is protesting. I was awakened from my nap yesterday by more pain in my right foot, which was the jolly old arthritis. Had to get up and take a Tylenol.
So much to do today and so not feeling like it! I’ve nearly finished the second play. The characters just will not leave me alone. They insist on shouting and disagreeing with each other. However, in the end, it will all be satisfactory.
Sigh. So longing for my bed. Wishing a good day to all the Pond!
Dee’s Saturday check-in got attached to a Friday comment, I think because she was replying to anotherdemocrat. You were not first but definitely first-ish. :)
Sry bout that!
Good morning. Already got my groceries, leaving soon for the post-AIDS Ride celebration. This is where they give all the beneficiaries the checks. It’s at a park, so I will get my walk in there. And that’s my Saturday. Oh — the music diary at the orange place tonight. Don’t know who’s hosting but 6pm central. And I’m reading up on liberal Country musicians for my diary next week.
Hello, Dolly!
It’s 82 heading for 97/heat index 103 and trying to be sunny at the moment. Yesterday we managed just over 17 KWHs and the m-t-d at 455 is on track for 500 – IF these last three production days get enough sunshine.
I went to the Farmers Market this morning to sign a petition (to get LEARN on the ballot so we can try again to stop the Huckster’s Daughter & the Rs from giving public school money to private mostly Xtian schools) and while I was there hunting for the petition people/setup I looked to see who of “my” old venders are still there. Several. Older. Mostly grayer. But there. I got some sungold tomatoes, a cantaloupe (fruit for the next week), and a bar of that lovely local lavender soap that doesn’t give me a rash. Altogether $15 which isn’t bad for a trip to the Market. When I was going regularly I never managed under $20. LOL. So the cantaloupe is now cut up and in the fridge and I’ve made another batch of chocolate pudding for dessert.
I think everybody is OK and trucking along as usual. I hope so. Anyway, off to do my boosting chores. Holding the Good Thoughts for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}
Good for you, bfitz, doing so well at the market! Is the lavender soap made with goat’s milk, perhaps, and that’s why it doesn’t give you a rash?
{{{Diana}}} I’m not sure what it does or doesn’t have in it other than lavender. Not goat’s milk although I’ve used goat’s milk soap (my Austin DIL made some one year for Xmas presents) and it works for me too. But I’ve used this guy’s handmade soap for years and was so glad to see him still at the Market so I could get some again.
Good morning, meeses! Saturday …
It is 97 degrees in Tucson with an expected daytime high of 100. Mostly sunny skies with a chance for afternoon monsoonal rain. We had a lot of storms rumbling around us last night – and some ginormous rainbows over the mountains! – but I don’t think we got any moisture.
It is already 10am and I spent all morning on non-productive tasks rather than from my to-do list. I did, however, put together a fairly good list of things that I need to focus on tomorrow. Next week is a very busy week and I need to get organized for it.
See all y’all later!