Motley Moose – Archive

Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

Week-long Welcomings from Moosylvania: Sunday, Sept. 28

Tags:

Welcome to The Moose Pond! The Welcomings diaries 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.

In lieu of daily check-ins, which have gone on hiatus, Welcomings diaries will be posted at the start of each week (every Sunday morning) and then, if necessary due to a large number of comments, again on Wednesday or Thursday to close out the week. To find the diaries, 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?

…


Categories: Uncategorized.

/ 136 Comments

136 comments

  2. DeniseVelez

    Reading this was very alarming

    Annette K over at orange had a link to it:

    Secret Service fumbled response after gunman hit White House residence in 2011

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/…

    How could the WH get shot up and they not tell the First Lady – since it was near Sasha and her grandmother?

  3. JanF

    In my post suggesting that the GOP should have no say in the matter of the new Attorney General, Portlaw asked why Republicans would balk at replacing him quickly?

    Her reply :

    one reason only … Obama.

    Whatever he needs, he cannot have. Whatever he supports, they’re against. Whatever he’s against, they support.

    The right has twisted themselves into pretzels trying to figure out how to hate Obama while still professing support for America. I think that they now find themselves in a knot that is too complicated to undo.

    Yesterday at the Value Voters Summit, Glenn Beck was booed for saying he supported gays more than Putin. A few days ago on Fox News, the news arm of the RNC, a pilot from one of our allies in the fight against violent extremists was insulted. So the party of Military Might and America First finds those principles easily discarded if the foreign conflicts are during President Obama’s term. In case you missed it, some veterans of our military wrote an open letter to the Fox News hosts:

    Dear Mr. Bolling and Mr. Gutfeld,

    We are veterans of the United States armed forces, and we are writing to inform you that your remarks about United Arab Emirates Air Force Major Mariam Al Mansouri were unwarranted, offensive, and fundamentally opposed to what the military taught us to stand for. […]

    … the skill of women as fighter pilots is well established. And before you jump to the standby excuse that you were “just making a joke” or “having a laugh,” let the men amongst our number preemptively respond: You are not funny. You are not clever. And you are not excused. Perhaps the phrase “boys will be boys”-inevitably uttered wherever misogyny is present-is relevant. Men would never insult and demean a fellow servicemember; boys think saying the word ‘boobs’ is funny.[…]

    The less obvious implication of your remarks, however, is that by offending an ally and cheapening her contribution, you are actively hurting the mission. We need to send a clear message that anyone, male or female, who will stand up to ISIS and get the job done is worthy of our respect and gratitude.

    If an employee of any other network besides the good-old-boys Fox News Channel had said this, they would have been fired. The bad news for the Republican Party is that as it has moved from a political party to a one-note-johnny, they have left behind some of the things that many of their base not only stand for but are passionate about. The Putin-embracing, disrespect-those-who-fight-ISIL Republican Party and their “Value” voters will soon discover that when their only currency is hatred of the black man in the White House they will find themselves penniless when their own base rejects them.  

  4. anotherdemocrat

    Eating breakfast, watching Up. Ferguson, ISIL, Republican governors cruising to re-election….. sigh. Kornacki needs to take a page from Lawrence O’Donnell & have a “good news” segment.

  5. Diana in NoVa

    We went out to breakfast on this beautiful morning: I had sweet potato pancakes with bacon and butter pecan coffee (peculiar but tasty), while Dearly Beloved had his usual hearty egg, bacon, and toast breakfast.

    Haven’t looked at the news yet–will do so in a minute. Hope I’m not going to get too depressed.

    On the bright side, Dearly wants to use his grill for corn and steak tonight, so I won’t have to do anything except think of dessert. More writing time!

    Also–and this is wonderful news–Daughter-from-Austin and her Significant Other will be in this area for Christmas! So very pleased, as Miss Pink Cheeks does not see her aunt very often, and I haven’t seen Daughter in person yet this year.

    Hope everyone in Mooseland will have a wonderful day! Dearly heard on his car radio that this coming winter will be a hard one and next summer will be very hot and dry. Going to have to rig up a watering system for the veggies and fruit next year, I can see. July and August are rainless here, now. We used to get lots of lovely thunderstorms in the summer, but no more.

  6. JanF

    The unintended consequences of what they call Scalia Law (a play on Sharia Law) and the Town of Greece v Galloway ruling which said that prayers to open governmental meetings are just fine.

    A young man in Escambia County in Florida opened a county commissioners meeting with an invocation where he chants and calls the elements:

    The man, Agnostic Pagan Pantheist, David Suhor, was trying to make this point:

    “I think they should not be offering a prayer or sponsoring a prayer of any particular religion,” He explained. “Instead I think they should have an more exclusive moment of silence which allows anyone to pray according to their own conscience.”

    What is so difficult about that?

     

  7. princesspat

    I woke up to the smell of fresh coffee this morning….and a puppy keeping me company. One more day with our daughter and her family and then home tomorrow.

    We’ve been watching The Harry Potter movies with our grand girl so I’m going to borrow the books and read them this winter.

  8. JanF

    It is 59 degrees in Madison on its way up to 77. Partly cloudy skies. A cool front is moving through tonight to make it more fall like.

    4 typos in that sentence! (Hope I fixed them all). Off to get coffee …

  10. DeniseVelez

    (and kudos to his wife Jill – community college advocate)

    US grants aid job training at community colleges

    WASHINGTON – More than $450 million in grants will be distributed around the country in the final round of a four-year, nearly $2 billion job-training program centered on community colleges, Vice President Joe Biden announced Sunday.

    http://www.bostonglobe.com/bus…

  11. Diana in NoVa

    It’s overcast this morning. Feeling happy because the series on Orange I’ve been honcho-ing is going to be reconceived with a new, very good editor. Looking forward to seeing what she does with it.

    Don’t bother to look at the news: it stinks. From the complicity of the trad. media in ignoring the Climate Change March and Moral Mondays to the drunken, incompetent sots in the Secret Service, to the torrential rains in the midsection of the country this past weekend, the news is uniformly bad.

    Can you believe it’s the end of September already? Where did this year go? I’ve got to eat something and then pick up the kids, both of them. Today is a teacher work day, so Miss Pink Cheeks won’t be attending school. Luckily, Darling Niece is bringing over Great-Nephew, so Pink Cheeks will have someone to play with.

    Back later to check the check-in!

  12. DeniseVelez

    California enacts ban on Confederate flag

    http://america.aljazeera.com/a…

    New law prohibits government agencies from selling or displaying the controversial flag unless for educational purposes

    California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation on Thursday prohibiting state agencies from selling or displaying items bearing the Confederate flag.

    State Assemblyman Isadore Hall, D-Compton, introduced the bill, AB 2444, after his mother saw replica Confederate money sold at the Capitol gift shop in Sacramento. The money featured a picture of the flag.

    Hall, who is black, said the state should not promote a symbol of racism that is meant to intimidate. Many African-Americans see the flag as a symbol of racism, as it was raised by Confederate states that supported slavery during the American Civil War.

    The bill passed the California State Assembly on Aug. 21 by a vote of 66-1. Hall said the bipartisan victory symbolized that lawmakers were “standing together united to fend off the ugly hatred of racism that’s been portrayed and demonstrated through the emblem of the Confederacy.”

    Wingnuts/neo-confederates are freaking out in the r-wing blogosphere – not understanding that this law only affects government sales and not individuals rights to run around with those flags.

    Meanwhile the flag issue continues – most interesting to me is at Bryn Mawr in PA:

    2 Students at Bryn Mawr College Put Up a Confederate Flag

    The campus at Bryn Mawr College isn’t exactly the type of place you’d expect to see students hanging the Confederate flag. But the women’s college has recently been embroiled in controversy after two students hung the stars and bars flag at a campus dorm, Radnor Hall, then taped out their own Mason-Dixon line in the hallway.

    The flag was originally in a community area of the dorm, but then was moved to the students’ room, where it could be seen from outside.

    Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/news/…

  13. anotherdemocrat

    though chances of rain toward the end of the week, just in time for the Austin City Limits Fest.

    Another lousy night’s sleep. I woke up 4 or 5 times. Then – I had me alarm set for PM instead of AM, so thank Great FSM I woke up at 5:24 just on my own. Drinking tea, eating breakfast.

    Can anyone tell me why my earworm keeps going back to the song I skip over? I don’t dislike it, but it’s too mellow, especially for a morning like this. I really need Miracle of Joey Ramone or California playing in my head. Not the sweet, melancholy song.

  15. bfitzinAR

    Bikes, Blues and Barbecue is finally over for another year.  Most of the bikers and all of out of town vendors left yesterday.  Got a bunch of fiddly stuff to do today, but at least I’ve got some clear space to do it in.  Got QC tonight, but just County Services so shouldn’t be late or contentious.  I’ll worry about tomorrow’s meeting tomorrow.  At least only 2 this week.  Hope everybody’s having a lovely week.  At least the weather is nice here.  {{{HUGS}}}

  16. Diana in NoVa

    the fact that we have four distinct seasons, each of them lovely in its own way. Springs and autumns here are glorious; summers are usually bearable if one can turn on the a.c. from time to time; and winters are starkly beautiful, with clear winter nights, magnificent sunsets, and those wonderful grey-blue twilights.

    I could rant on for hours about seasons and weather but will spare you and look at Jan’s front-page diary instead. 😉

  18. JanF

    It is 45 degrees in Madison with an expected high of 60. The front moved through around 4pm yesterday and the temperature dropped about 20 degrees. Brrrrr when you aren’t ready for it.

    I went to revisit my Elections Matter post to add an update about why there are only 10 judges on the 7th Circuit and I discovered that the segue paragraph of the original diary did not make the “move” from my own blog< where I compose posts, to the Moose. :::sigh::: It was the section on why lifetime appointments are important. Anyway, for those who read it and were kind enough to not point out that I did not make my case very well, thank you. You are invited to re-read it with all the words and to also read the UPDATE about what happened to the 11th judge. When I saw it last night, I said bad words!!!

    Given that SCOTUS has rejected a stay in the Ohio case, it is unlikely that an appeal in the Wisconsin case would fare any better. The Roberts Court will be remembered as one of the most anti-voter courts in history. Nice legacy you got there, Chief Justice John Roberts.

    Last day of September and I have been a slackard for about 5 days now and I need to get something done.

    See all y’all later!!

  19. Diana in NoVa

    Wish we could get some rain. Yesterday was the best Monday I’ve had since I began looking after Mr. Baby. Delightful Niece visited with Miss Pink Cheeks’ cousin, and Mr. Baby took two long naps–not by himself, alas.

    Very pained to learn that Jim Webb is “thinking of running for POTUS.” In his dreams! The only thing I liked about his six years in the Senate was that he told off Boosh at a public gathering once and increased benefits for the military.

    Webb is a DINO, whose “hero” is Ronnie Ray-Gun, one of the two presidents that sent this country down the road to perdition. If the next presidential contest is going to consist of nothing but old white guys, I’d rather vote for Bernie Sanders than a Rethug-lite guy like Webb.

    Hope everyone in Mooseville will have a good day!

  20. anotherdemocrat

    These are the weeks we pay for with that loooooong, hot summer. 90 degree hi, 70 in the morning, and it’ll only get better – weekend lows are going to maybe even be in the 50s, brrrr!

    Well, to call it a lousy night’s sleep would imply that I slept. I sure I must have, because I can’t account for absolutely every second of last night, but….. I finally gave up the pretense around 10 till 5. What’s funny is I still didn’t get here early enough to walk before work, it’s going to have to be after. I dumped 5 extra teaspoons of tea into my already strong tea. I hope it’s enough.

    Have to be here today because the kick off for the charity campaign is today. The thing they used to call the “United Way” but now has lots of charity federations. Anyway, I’ve gotta be at the kickoff.

    So today’s goal is just to remain upright. Until I can’t. And get in a 30 minute walk.

  21. Portlaw

    security at the White House.

    Now that the Air France strike is settled (hurray) am making up lists of things to do before Monday. Then I have to do them. But first coffee and the news.

    Hope it’s a good day for the Earth.

  22. bfitzinAR

    I was wrong about QC last night – not contentious, but ran until almost 8 (questions about an upcoming conditional use permit appeal at the 1st meeting and blathering about the number of people who get to take County vehicles home and how much it costs the County – mostly a shot at the IT dept for having 3 on-call people with County vehicles but pretending it’s not by looking at all the depts).  Tonight will be worse of course – late AND contentious.  Presupposing all the “fors” show up, we’ll finalize the Drug Court Judge’s staff attorney in the 1st meeting then argue for hours about salaries – high enough, low enough, how to bring the lower end up without causing mid-range problems, and of course the “we can’t afford any increases they’re lucky to have a job” guy – at the 2nd.  And the Rs saying at one and the same time that times are bad and going to get worse so we should cut more stuff now AND assessments always go up so we don’t need to replace the half mil decrease we passed over my strong objections 3 years ago.  (I’m hoping that after 11/4 we can talk sense about revenue and at least goose the millage by .2 if not the .5 we shouldn’t have lowered it 3 years ago.  We shall see.)

    Anyway, it’s a pretty day and won’t be uncomfortably warm when I walk to the Courthouse this afternoon.  {{{HUGS}}}  

  23. princesspat

    We had an uneventful but rainy drive home yesterday. Our house seems very quiet this morning with no puppy or little girl to snuggle with!

    I’m so glad we were able to be with Sophia at her new school. Her eyes were glued to the door and the look on her face when when saw us come in will stay with us. Her first grade was at a small Montessori school so this one is both bigger and has a different curriculum to learn. She’s got some catching up to do with math especially. Her classroom is small (14 students) and her teacher very experienced (40 yrs) so she’ll have the support she needs…..just hope she will meet the challenge!

    I took three Halloween books I knew would appeal to her but were also simple enough for her to read with me. We spent a lot of time reading together. Her reading comprehension surpasses her own skills so picture books are frustrating, but the books combine crafts and poetry so they are intriguing.

  24. anotherdemocrat

    At the charity thing, I was chatting with the agency director. He said it’s nice I do this every year, I said “this thing, blah blah AIDS Walks, blah, blah, 4th place, blah, blah” And he looked interested, so I told him about the Walk, asked for a donation, and he & his wife might even walk.

    I asked the head of my agency for a donation for the Walk.

  25. JanF

    It is 48 degrees here in Madison with an expected high of 70, mostly sunny. Perfect weather!!

    Trying to get caught up on my news reading. I see there is a Tuesday’s Chile that I had to rec/tip without reading last night and will go read it now.

    Some real positive things coming from Wisconsin and lots of energy and excitement from the First Lady’s visit. There was some question about whether a rich white lady from Madison, even a strong progressive like Mary Burke, would be able to excite the voters in the City of Milwaukee. In 2012, the city had a 74% voter turnout – while the rest of the state was about 60%. Since it is overwhelmingly Democratic, like most urban areas, that translates into Democratic votes. It will be a big boost of energy having Michelle Obama hugging Mary Burke and saying over and over again: “I love Mary!!”. 🙂 I am so glad she was willing to come here and help us.

    Back later!!

  26. DeniseVelez

    Happy Oct 1st.

    News reading – for anyone who lives in mosquito country in Florida, or planning to travel to the Caribbean – be alert

    Mosquito Virus That Walloped Caribbean Spreads in U.S.  

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/…


    A mosquito-borne virus that can cause debilitating joint pain lasting for years has spread to the continental U.S. after infecting hundreds of thousands of people in the Caribbean and Central America.

    The virus is called Chikungunya, an African name meaning “to become contorted.” While the illness, first identified in Tanzania in 1952, has long bedeviled Africa and Asia, the only recorded cases in the U.S. before July involved patients who contracted the virus abroad.

    I currently have a student diagnosed with Chikungunya.

    She contracted it in the Dominican Republic.  

  27. Diana in NoVa

    A true “misty, moisty morning,” as the nursery rhyme says. Last night when I realized it was raining I almost cried with joy. We need it so badly.

    Hope I can come back later to read the front-page Moose. Perhaps Mr. Baby will let me do that after he has his bottle. He’s generally in a fairly good mood afterwards.

    So the female head of the Secret Service may be fired? Have you noticed how women seem to be put in charge of organizations so they can take the fall when the merde hits the fan? What’shername at GM, and Jill Abramson (is that right?) at the NY Times spring to mind. “Blame the woman” is such a convenient way of glossing over long periods of bad management by men.

    Must grab some toast and get dressed. Yesterday when I went over to Younger Son’s house Miss Pink Cheeks was still in bed at 8 a.m. and we’re supposed to walk to school at 8:15! Needless to say, it was not the best of mornings.

  28. anotherdemocrat

    Warm & muggy. My hair was still damp when I left the house &  driving with the windows down didn’t get it dry. My 25 minute walk just mad things worse. Yes, I buried the lede – got in my walk this morning. Re-dampened my hair, because – muggy. But I got in my morning walk.

    Had another lousy night’s sleep. Was awake at 4 but I refused to get out of bed. Back on Benadryl because Zyrtec wasn’t doing the job on the ragweed & fall elm. And no, that doesn’t help with sleep, it doesn’t hurt either. I might try to walk this evening, just so I can maybe sleep tonight.

    I am sooooooooo tired of the hair-on-fire idiocy about Ebola in Dallas. And it’s only been since yesterday afternoon. A couple of my co-workers (the O’Reilly fan & the drama queen) were just being stupid yesterday. Maybe I’ll get lucky & all my new people to set up will be home on the 1st call & I can get done early & leave sick. Because 2 nights of little to no sleep counts in my book.

  29. bfitzinAR

    Last night was pretty much as bad as I thought it would be and as long (I got home after 8) but we got the Drug Court Judge’s staff attorney (and salary) passed for the  rest of 2014, effective 7/1/2014.  Next week or the week after we’ve review the Drug Court Judge’s budget for 2015 at which point we’ll probably fight this fight again.  The LieberDem hates the Drug Court Judge and doesn’t give one single god damn about whether or not the program is worth supporting (which it is) since her enemy runs it.  sigh.  But last night was it for the week.

    Even with all the cloudy weather we had in September my monthly electricity generation was 250.044 KWH which should be ahead of my usage considering I’ve had the A/C off at least half the month.  I’ll see when I get my SWEPCO bill.  I’m hoping the winter months don’t fall too far below that as 250 is pretty much my average monthly usage in any but a “heatwave” year.  We shall see what we shall see – and hope to heaven all the insulation and other “upgrades” will bring that average down some.

    Anyway, the rest of the week should be relatively calm.  No more QC meetings and the Chair is out of town today and tomorrow.  {{{HUGS}}}

  30. princesspat

    I signed the contract for the new rock garden yesterday so my 20+ yr garden plan will soon be completed. I simplified my ideas, they modified their creative vision, and we agreed to use found and recycled materials so they can be fairly paid for their work. The total price closer to what I had in mind and it even includes a basalt bird bath so RonK is happy too.

    They will start in November which means we’ll be ready for plants next spring and I’ll have a creative winter looking for and thinking about what to plant. I’m excited!

  31. JanF

    🙂

    Actually, it is only a disagreement in Ezra’s mind because Sam has pointed out time and time again that the models each person uses are different. Ezra takes polls and adds some crystal ball gazing, which he calls “fundamentals”. Sam uses polls only. So Sam’s estimates are more volatile.

    Today’s snapshot does not change his Nov. 4th forecast, just reduces the probability a bit:


       Senate current conditions, October 01, 2014 10:00 AM:

       Dem+Ind: 49

       GOP: 51

       Meta-margin: R +0.7%

       Election Day Probability of 50 or more Democratic+Independent seats: 64%

  32. JanF

    It is 61 degrees in Madison on its way up to 71. Storms in the forecast but I don’t see them on the radar.

    Republican rebranding has taken a really creepy turn. The “Republicans are people” meme sounded to me like whining about reverse discrimination “Why don’t people LIKE us???!??”. Republicans are welcome to the benefits of Good Government, and many collect food stamps and go to school on federal grants. We just wish they would not call the People Who Are Not Them “moochers” and “takers”. Now, apparently, the “Republicans” in the ads are not real Republicans (or we don’t know) because they are STOCK PHOTOS. Sheesh, you guys. Can’t you find any real people to admit on camera that they vote for the party that crushes civil liberties and cackles with glee when another person sinks into despair because their unemployment runs out?  But the creepiest ad is the new Rick Scott ad where a woman trying on a wedding dress … gak. I can’t even finish. Add that to the disgusting ad that shows a woman wanting to “break up with President Obama” (who is not on the ballot!). I am pretty sure that the Republicans don’t understand what causes women to vote for Democrats. No, they aren’t looking for a boyfriend or a spouse, they just want economic justice, the right to control their own bodies, and maybe safe places to go to school. Do you have anything for them??

    I hope that the changes in the Secret Service don’t make a bad situation worse. All this time I thought that the president was being kept safe because he was surrounded by highly trained professionals; now I find out that it was probably just dumb luck that there has not been a successful attack on him or his family. 🙁

    See all y’all later!

  33. Diana in NoVa

    More fog on tap until it disperses some time later today.

    The news is awful–Ebola, enterovirus. Being a grandmother I feel paranoid about the latter.

    Seems to me that the head of the Secret Service took the fall for decades of bad management, a hierarchical environment that forbids “rocking the boat,” and so on. Agree that the whole lot should be fired. President Obama has suffered three times as many death threats as previous presidents because he’s African-American.

    Saw on my FB feed that the minimum wage in Denmark is $20 an hour. Child care is free and uni is free. Wonder what would happen if we all stampeded over there? Would the country sink?

    Hope everyone in Moosylvania has a good day! Will try to check back later if I get a break.

  34. JanF

    Michael Dunn found guilt of the murder of Jordan Davis

    Prosecutors say Michael Dunn shot with intent to kill when he fired 10 times into an SUV carrying 17-year-old Jordan Davis and three of his friends in November 2012.

    Dunn testified that he thought his life was in danger.

    Dunn was convicted previously of three counts of attempted second-degree murder in February and already faces at least 60 years in prison.

  35. anotherdemocrat

    70-something, feels like 80-something (at 7 freaking am) and the high will be 90-something & feel like 101. but there’s a cold front coming, they swear.

    Yet another lousy night’s sleep. But at least I did sleep some, because I was in the middle of a dream when the alarm went off. I know I said I might leave work early yesterday, but I really mean it today. I have what might be described as a mild migraine – movement makes me have to close my eyes. So I definitely have to leave before rush hour this evening. But there’s a report that the national library was supposed to have done for us to do something with last week & we’re still waiting & today it might actually show & if it does, it’s my turn to do our stuff. And tomorrow we’ll be too busy.

    Earworm – Invisible. 1st one that’s not from the new album since it came out.

  36. bfitzinAR

    Got a call from my younger son last night – they’re coming up here next week.  They’ve rented a “vacation cottage” in a small town about 15 miles outside Fayetteville and will get in late-ish next Thursday night.  I’ll be in QC but they’ll probably get in early enough to have dinner with the rest of the family – whether they do or not will depend on how the boys are doing.  That’s a long trip for anybody but especially a 5 y.o. and a 2 y.o.  (And a man with relatively recent back surgery – 8 months since the actual surgery but still healing and doing physical therapy.)  I’ll be taking Friday 10/10 off to spend the day with them and of course the whole family will be together Saturday 10/11.  They’ll be heading out for Austin early Sunday so a short trip but Jensen has to get back to school and Drew had to take most of his paid leave when he had his surgery.  Gives me something nice to look forward to next week (although got to get through the 3 QC meetings first).  {{{HUGS}}}

  37. DeniseVelez

    Hubby came home from work yesterday sick as a dog and stayed home today – so I’m doing nursing and haven’t been at the puter much.

    Hope everyone in Mooseland is well – I’m off to make more chicken soup.

  38. princesspat

    Thanks to the cooler night time temps the leaves on my old maple trees are finally starting to turn color. The furnace is turning on now too so I guess I had best close a few more windows. I’ll miss the bay breeze and fresh air.

    My best wishes to all!

     

  39. Adept2u

    It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood and the weather in S. Cal. is what it is sunny and dry.

    Been awhile since I’ve poked my head into the heard and so long since i’ve done blog like comments its hard to recognize I don’t have to limit myself to 140 characters to express myself.

    photo 10450731_10204373392480762_81661117741430167_n_zpseeb094c7.jpg

    I continue to be truly blessed and we’ve had another Grandboy since I’ve last checked in.

    photo 10339958_10152535546618113_6971187456109931159_n_zps11a6e8a3.jpg

    There are a thousand think pieces in those Black children’s  eyes, I’m having too much fun looking into them to write them.  

  40. Diana in NoVa

    Precious grandchildren…how we love them! You are truly blessed.

    Wish I knew how to post photos in comments. I’ve got little ones too.

  41. JanF

    It is 54 degrees in Madison and raining. We will pretty much stay at that temperature throughout the day but the rain will end soon.

    This has been a busy news week, with ups and downs and wins and losses. It is difficult to keep up with and to try to stay grounded as some of the news is upsetting.

    The 5th Circuit last night ruled that the state of Texas’ onerous law restricting access to abortion can go into effect. Yesterday, there were 20 clinics in Texas allowed to perform abortions, today there are 7. I would like to think “well, THIS should get out the vote” but after an evening watching a sporting event that was rife with ads that lied about my candidate for governor, I am not sure how people get reliable information to decide how to vote. I can see them throwing up their arms and saying “a pox on both your houses!” (which, by the way, I hope someone can convince Latino voters how counterproductive it would be to sit out this election simply to send a message to Democrats  — please, send a letter instead!!).

    I need to go find some happy news. My newsfeed suggests that Paul Ryan was distressed to be linked to his hero Ayn Rand. Lie down with mangy dogs, Rep. Ryan, wake up with fleas. Oh, and you getting your GOP peeps to vote to throw granny off the cliff? It made them not very popular with people who are actual grannies.

    See all y’all later!!

  42. DeniseVelez

    Off to school today.  The topic in women’s studies in immigration, xenophobia, and nativism.

    Found a video which is essentially a Fox News roundup of r-wing thought on immigration.

    Conservative Xenophobic Nativism, Disinformation and White Fear in America

    A steady diet of the stuff spewed by Fox is rotting the brains of their viewers.

     

  43. Portlaw

    is not good. In fact, it’s very depressing. Not sure if the headlines, as framed, are making matters worse.

    Hope your corner of the world is going smoothly.

  44. Diana in NoVa

    later today. We’re expecting rain tonight and a temperature plunge that has me thinking of Vegetarian Chili for Saturday evening dinner and beef stew on Sunday.

    Have to get dressed and dash out of here. Have just been writing birthday greetings to a friend in Lafayette, CA, where they’re having a heat wave.

    The news broadcasts constantly show the protests in Hong Kong. Funny how they show that and ignore the 300,000-strong Climate Change March in New York City, isn’t it?

    Portlaw, when do you depart for that belle France?

  45. anotherdemocrat

    Didn’t walk before work. Meant to, just didn’t leave the house in time. But I’ll be walking over to the Capitol at lunch (not that that’s very far). There’s a “spontaneous” rally protesting the court decision about HB2.

    Very few thoughts in my head today. The weather is supposed to be good — it certainly didn’t feel as muggy as yesterday. Earworm is Zoo Station, which is really weird because I haven’t heard that song in years.

  46. bfitzinAR

    Acupuncture treatment yesterday moved a bucket of mucus out of my head and down my throat (tummy wasn’t pleased but sinuses were) – not clear by any means but much easier to breathe.  Many things in my life right now have a 12/31/2014 deadline on them due to my decreased revenue stream as I leave QC.  This experiment in Oriental medicine is just one more of them.  But I think 3 months is a good test period.  We shall see what we shall see if it appears to be working but needs to go longer.

    It’s a pretty day and seems to be going into a pretty weekend.  Hope everyone enjoys both.  {{{HUGS}}}

  47. princesspat

    I’m finally able to go back to the pool, but after missing most of Sept thanks to the slow to heal stitches in my back I’m woefully out of condition. I was careful on Wednesday (or so I thought) but I’ll be even more so today.

  48. JanF

    It is 37 degrees in Madison with an expected high of 46 degrees. A wintry mix will be arriving in about an hour bringing rain/ice/snow. Tonight there is a frost advisory so no more procrastinating on getting the hoses and rain barrels in.

    Today’s news is better than it has been lately. If Democrats want to run on the economic recovery, pointing to the unemployment rate, the lowest since the Bush crashed the economy, would be a good start. If they want to run on the Affordable Care Act, one year past the rollout of Healthcare.gov more people are insured than ever and most of them are saving money. The president chided Fox News for being reality challenged (something that is actually backed up by statistics) and gave a barnburner of a speech at Northwestern where he called out Paul “2+2=3” Ryan. Fox was not amused and Ryan missed it. I will post the good news in the President’s Weekly Address later.

    But the really amazing news is that the Civil War did not happen!! The United States ended slavery “voluntarily”!! Or at least that is what one Colorado Education Board member would like to teach kids in Colorado. 🙁

    See all y’all later. I will be driving in a wintry mix soon, with standing in the cold, rain and snow for an hour to look forward to later this morning. Then home to sit in front of my fireplace.

  49. Diana in NoVa

    Yup, a cold front is due to arrive very soon. We had gentle rain overnight, for which I am very grateful. Rain is such a rare event these days–at least, in my neighborhood–that I feel like dancing a little jig when it happens.

    Gad, Jan, a wintry mix already? You’ll be glad to sit by the fire!

    Portlaw, you can’t go wrong with one good basic skirt and one good pair of slacks–then a few daytime tops and a dressy top with scarf for dining out. People will notice your top half but rarely your skirt or slacks. We travel only with carry-on (because we fly Space Available), even for two weeks in Australia. I generally wear my jacket on the flight, putting it in the overhead bin. A jacket takes up too much room in a carry-on.

    There was a time when I bought used paperbacks to read on the plane and then leave in hotel rooms, but with the iPad, all my books are in one place. That’s nice.

    For me, HOUSEWORK today! The place is a wreck. We have planned to watch the Japanese Grand Prix tomorrow but the typhoon threatening Japan may put a stop to that.

    It would be nice if I could finish writing my story today. It’s already about 5,000 words so I’m wondering whether to post it in two parts. Do people get bored if it’s TLTR (too long to read)?  If my fellow Meese have opinions on the matter, would appreciate hearing them.

    Hope everyone will have a good day and stay warm!

  50. princesspat

    My SIL is very creative and has chosen Halloween as his holiday focus…he transforms their home and they host a big party. I have been slowly adding to the decor with table linens and yesterday found some fabric I can’t wait to make into something…feels good to have a creative spark!

    So I’ll be in my sewing room today, trying to be classic vs crafty…..it’s a fine line, especially when Halloween is involved:)

  51. anotherdemocrat

    Did 2 miles this morning, stretches, pushups, situps, bridges, etc. It was really cold (yes, I know 57 isn’t “cold”, but considering I haven’t felt temps like that since March) Came home took a long nap. Got groceries, now I’m clearing the dvr. Saturday.

Comments are closed.