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Week-long Welcomings from Moosylvania: Feb. 22nd through Feb. 28th

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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.

/ 175 Comments

175 comments

  1. JanF

    It is 11 degrees in Madison WI, dropping to a daytime high of 7. Partly cloudy skies are in the forecast.

    Have a great day, all y’alls!!

  2. DeniseVelez

    yay!

    Never thought I’d cheer for those numbers.

    The snow yesterday helped raise the temps.

    Spent the day dealing with disaster – the furnace next door in my guest house went down – again – and stayed down – had to wait all day for emergency repair crew to come – it is now fixed (needed new blower motor ) sigh …more than six bills.

    The repair guy apologized for taking so long ..he was dealing with many calls to deal with burst pipes ..so I should be very grateful that was not the case here.

    Good morning…now to read the news..

  3. Diana in NoVa

    Good morning, Meese! Balmy 7 F. Madison–eek! And Denise’s disaster in the guest house–sorry it was so expensive to repair. What rotten luck.

    Here it’s 33 F., going up to 43 F. under a grey sky. This is Sunday, so we haven’t been able to get a weather forecast.

    Really, I can’t wait for Frightful February to finish and that’s not so very far away. Of course, what we’ve had here is nothing at all compared to Boston.

    As nothing but mainstream religion is on TV at this hour, we turned to “Russia Today” and received more comprehensive news coverage of world events than we ever have with the giggly, addlepated Good Morning America crew. RT showed an Oxford student who hopes to be selected for a one-way trip to Mars in 2024. Imagine that! I could never do it.

    Jan, I regret to say the Washington Post pundies are falling in love with Scotty boy. Ugh, the idea of that guy being in the White House… And you know, we the people can cause a Twitterstorm, flood Facebook, and hold up signs at rallies reciting his many failures and crimes, and they’ll ignore us–just as they ignored the antiwar march in 2002. I still haven’t got over that. Social media wasn’t as big in those days if it existed at all, but if it had, the WaPo would have had hell to pay.

    How very agreeable that the Internet has upended news through the lens of the oligarchy. We now report our own news. To me, “power to the people” has come not through pitchforks and torches but the Internet–at least as far as information is concerned.

    Hope everyone will be safe and warm today! Back later to see what everyone is doing.

  4. Portlaw

    to forty two. All my summer clothes are packed away!

    Am about to check the news. Hope it will be a good day for all.  

  5. anotherdemocrat

    Slept really well for once. Even though it is warm in my place, I can tell the front came through. It’s in the 50s outside & we have a winter weather advisory for tonight & tomorrow. If we get literally any ice at all, we freak out. The city may shut down. No, I’m not kidding. There is no snow plow within (I think) 100 miles. They do put sand, or something similar on the overpasses, but it is still too dangerous to drive on them.

    Anyway, I’m eating breakfast & watching Up. At least today it isn’t a relentless assault of horrifying news. Today: church, groceries, cooking. For breakfast next week I’m making quinoa with kiwi fruit, cherries & mango. I think hummus for lunch & Amy’s dinners for dinner.

  6. princesspat

    One thing lead to another in my sewing room yesterday so now I’ve got stacks of “look what I found” fabric to sort. Ron is lifting the stacks (while trying his best to edit his comments) and I’m organizing by color and type of fabric. It feels good to know what I have, to be planning what to next, and best of all seeing the DONATE bags fill up!  

  7. bfitzinAR

    the rain Friday night/Saturday morning cleared my solar panels so I got over 7 KWHs yesterday (116 for the month so far, just topping November’s 114) but so overcast today back to 1.5, doubt I’ll make it to 2 KWHs today.  Unfortunately rest of the week/month looks pretty much the same – nothing in the hard freeze category, but mostly below freezing, damp, chilly, and cloudy.  March’s lion is waiting in the wings.

    Today is my younger son’s 41st birthday.  I talked to him for a bit – he and his wife actually celebrated last night – caught the train (the only “commuter” train) to the downtown area had dinner at a Brazilian steakhouse and then drinks at one of the music venues he loves so much.  His 2-1/2 y.o. and almost 6 y.o were yelling in the background – I reminded him what goes around comes around and he laughed.  As well he should, he was really bad about disrupting my phone calls when he was that age.  🙂

    Another “hope everybody’s safe and comfortable” day/week.  {{{HUGS}}}

  8. rb137

    I thought I’d check in and say hello. Nothing too exciting going on in my neck of the woods, though. Balmy weather, though, unlike other parts of the country. Some of my annuals actually survived the winter (I hope we don’t get a cold snap — my yard looks like mid-April or so.)

    I hope everyone is well (I haven’t read the check-in thread yet.) A great week to all.

  9. Portlaw

    WASHINGTON – Wielding the weapon of his pen, President Obama this week is expected to formally reject a Republican attempt to force construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. But in stopping the transit of petroleum from the forests of Alberta to the Gulf Coast, Mr. Obama will be opening the veto era of his presidency.

    The expected Keystone veto, the third and most significant of Mr. Obama’s six years in office, would likely be followed by presidential vetoes of bills that would make changes in the Affordable Care Act, impose new sanctions on Iran and roll back child nutrition standards, among others.

    For Mr. Obama, his Cross Townsend black roller-ball pen will become an extension of his second-term strategy to act alone in the face of Republican opposition and safeguard his legislative record.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02…

  10. Portlaw

    Why are they always peeping into bedrooms? I find it creepy  Isn’t there a word for people like that?

    he highlighted his early support for a “personhood amendment,” which defines life as beginning at conception and would effectively prohibit all abortions and some methods of birth control.

    Mr. Walker has quickly vaulted into the top tier of likely Republican candidates in the presidential race, surging on the reputation he earned by taking on labor unions and surviving a bitter recall election in a swing state.

    But the governor is also making an aggressive effort to win the hearts of the party’s Christian conservatives. In doing so, he is stressing a much harder line on social issues than he did just a few months ago, when he faced a robust challenge from a well-funded Democratic woman in his run for re-election as governor.

    The shift in emphasis and tone is noticeable not only on abortion, but also on same-sex marriage, another issue of intense interest to social conservatives.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02…

  11. Portlaw


    (Reuters) – More than 1000 Muslims formed a human shield around Oslo’s synagogue on Saturday, offering symbolic protection for the city’s Jewish community and condemning an attack on a synagogue in neighboring Denmark last weekend.

    Chanting “No to anti-Semitism, no to Islamophobia,” Norway’s Muslims formed what they called a ring of peace a week after Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein, a Danish-born son of Palestinian immigrants, killed two people at a synagogue and an event promoting free speech in Copenhagen last weekend.

    “Humanity is one and we are here to demonstrate that,” Zeeshan Abdullah, one of the protest’s organizers told a crowd of Muslim immigrants and ethnic Norwegians who filled the small street around Oslo’s only functioning synagogue.

    “There are many more peace mongers than warmongers,” Abdullah said as organizers and Jewish community leaders stood side by side. “There’s still hope for humanity, for peace and love, across religious differences and backgrounds.”

    bold mine

    http://www.reuters.com/article…

  12. JanF

    It is -8 degrees in Madison on its way down to -12 at daybreak. The winds have not picked up yet; when they do they are expected to plunge the wind chills into the negative 20s  – just in time to freeze the children waiting for buses! Our daytime high will be 12 under sunny skies.

    A study released by a scholar in England, shows that humans have been compassionate since early in our evolution:

    Early humans carried pebbles shaped like babies’ faces and appeared to care for disabled children in a sign they developed kindness and compassion millions of years before intelligence, researchers have claimed.

    Evidence has been found that humans living more than 3million years ago may have looked after and even helped each other to survive before they learned to speak, and these emotions may have actually helped intelligence and reasoning evolve.

    [Penny Spikins, a human origins researcher from York University] suggests that the combination of evidence of care and compassion, as well as creativity in making tools, is evidence of feelings millions of years ago. She said that while competition and fighting did happen it would have been a ‘risky’ business in the struggle to survive.

    I wonder if Republican brains took a different evolutionary path, one that discarded the concept of “we are all in this together” and headed down the “enslave or kill your enemies” path. It is really a no brainer (even a caveman knows!!) that by working together we can do more than when we work at odds with each other.

    Busy day, busy week … see all y’alls later!!

  13. DeniseVelez

    Sigh – light snow predicted, 23 now but temps dropping

    Have school later…time for more coffee and some news reading  

  14. Diana in NoVa

    way down through the day and evening. Bring on warm winds and showers!

    We forgot to prune the apple trees. Wonder whether it’s too late.

    Good morning from someone who did not watch the Oscars. Instead, I worked on the March short-short story for the Fiction Cafe, then watched “Downton.” Have a horrid feeling that’s the last one of the season.

    The news–schools are two hours late this morning, which will bump out my coffee date and my lunch date. Baby will be in day care today, so Dearly will pick him up at 4:30 while I leave here at 3 to pick up Miss Pink Cheeks from school.

    So now the terrorists are threatening shopping malls? Sigh. What does all this violence accomplish? It gives them a kill-thrill, but how does it advance them politically? Or is the kill-thrill enough? My father, a veteran journalist, always said the next world war would be between Islam and the West–not a nice thought. The whole point of these radicals is to send the world back into the 7th century and reduce women to chattel in places where we currently live as human beings with 3/4 of the rights of men.

    Hope everyone will have a good day and stay warm!

  15. anotherdemocrat

    ohmygoshitscold — 30s & dropping. I was wearing sandals Saturday, didn’t need a coat yesterday & now it’s in the 30s. Brrrrr.

    I didn’t watch the Oscars, not even the red carpet. I haven’t seen any of the movies, neither Selma nor the movie made my Richard Linklater were going to win, so I watched the opening by Neil Patrick Harris then flipped to the Walking Dead rerun & then the new episode.

    The breakfast I made – quinoa with kiwi, mango & cherries – is really good. My co-op has new savory flavored yogurt, so I put in some beet yogurt, and the overall dish is not too sweet. Yay.

    I played California on repeat in the car on the way to work to get the song from the Subaru commercial out of my head. I hate when I don’t get to the remote in time to mute commercials.

  17. bfitzinAR

    Soloing as the secretary has a dental appt.  Just been reminded why I stay on DK – fundraiser for swampyankee who has had a few health emergencies and got behind on rent and utilities.  Hope everybody is safe and comfortable – maybe even warm 🙂 – this last Monday in February.  {{{HUGS}}}

  19. princesspat

    Between birthday lunches and dinners and being restless in my sewing room I’ve been more active than I should have been. So like it or not today will be a quiet day.  

  20. JanF

    It is 11 degrees in Madison (feels like -5 if you are outdoors … I am not) on its way up to 34. Morning snow in the forecast but I don’t see it on the radar.

    This morning I was struck by how little responsibility people take for their actions, or non-actions, when it comes to voting. Polls show that the president’s 2016 budget, particularly the tax changes, are very popular. The president’s executive order on DACA and DAPA is very popular. Raising the minimum wage is popular. Yet millions of Americans voted to give him a Congress whose stated goal is to thwart that agenda. In Wisconsin, about 170,000 union households voted for Scott Walker and soon the right-to-work law that has been his stated goal since he was a backbencher in the state legislature will be in place and their unions will have no funds to advocate for them: for higher wages, better benefits, safe working conditions, and unjust terminations. Those chortling with glee 4 years ago when those “lazy gubmit workers” got their comeuppance are strangely silent now. Sorry, there is no one left to sing for you; the 2011 protesters threw their hearts and souls into fighting the injustice that they knew would be visited on you eventually and you turned away from them and embraced the guy who promised to destroy your livelihood but let you feed your irrational hatred of President Obama. I hope it keeps you warm at night.

    This guy knew back in 2011:

    Mahlon Mitchell, president of the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin, [pledged] solidarity with his fellow state workers, even though firefighters and police were spared from Gov. Scott Walker’s attempt to bust state unions’ bargaining power. Among Mitchell’s pledges: The state’s safety workers would agree to forgo some of their privileges and benefits to preserve collective bargaining for all the state’s union workers. “We have a unique job,” he said, “but so does the snow-plow driver, so does the janitor, so does a nurse, so does a teacher at UW college. […]

    “Collective bargaining is not about union rights; it’s about rights of workers”

    See all y’all later!!

  21. DeniseVelez

    Shudder.

    Am sitting here typing, wearing my winter coat and a hat.

    Jan…I posted a Tuesday contribution, though this is not my week to write for BKos – while editing I see you put up a new post, so do with it what you will.

    Meanwhile Oscars continue to spark controversies..about Latinos, about black hair, about women’s equality, and about a Fox news person using the word “jigaboo” talking about Lady Gaga’s performance.

    Fingers too cold to get the links.

    Will bbl after I go upstairs to warm up.

  22. DeniseVelez

    UT/TT Poll: In Texas, Walker Ties Cruz; Clinton Soaring

    Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has erased U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s strong lead among Texas Republicans in the volatile and still-developing race for the party’s 2016 presidential nomination, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.

    Cruz’s 25 percentage-point lead over Walker in October has vanished: The Texan won the support of 20 percent of the state’s registered voters to Walker’s 19 percent – a statistical tie. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and author Ben Carson were tied at 9 percent, and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry was next at 8 percent.

    “Scott Walker is clearly breathing some of the oxygen on the right. The big takeaway here is that Ted Cruz is still a giant among Texas Republicans – but he is not invulnerable,” said Jim Henson, co-director of the poll and head of the Texas Politics Project at UT-Austin. “Conservatives are willing to look at another candidate who fits that profile.”

    I know…I know…we have a long way to go but I am fascinated by polls anyway and am headed to Texas

    The Democratic race still belongs to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Texas; she had the support of 62 percent of the state’s registered Democratic voters, according to the survey. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren was second, at 12 percent, followed by Vice President Joe Biden at 6 percent and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders at 5 percent. Jim Webb and Martin O’Malley each attracted 1 percent of the voters, and 14 percent said they haven’t thought enough about the race to register an opinion.

  23. Diana in NoVa

    today. Rinse, repeat: February, would you please leave?

    Want to come back if baby takes a nap and read the interesting diaries on today’s front page.

    Only news here is personal: Babylicious can pull himself to a standing position now! Yay! He had a successful day in day care yesterday while Grandma broke out and had coffee with her niece and a three-hour lunch with her Circle sisters.

    Daisy meeting tonight, after which Miss Pink Cheeks will come home with me. Yesterday when I picked her up from kindergarten, her  teacher said, “You are so blessed. You are so blessed to have Nora.” “I know,” I said with a smirk. “I’m glad you know,” she said. “I’m blessed to have her in my class.”

    Well, well. This is encouraging.

    Hope everyone in Moosylvania will stay warm–jeez, Denise, we need to get you some typing gloves–and have a good day!

  24. anotherdemocrat

    Home due to 2 hour delay. The ice isn’t as bad as they feared, because the precipitation is mostly mist. And it’ll get up to the 40s. Looks like Saturday’s high will be mid-50s & Sunday for kite fest – 70.

    Interrupted sleep, but I stayed in bed till 6:30, wasn’t going to waste the chance to “sleep in”, even if I wasn’t really asleep. Eating breakfast, watching the news. Earworm: Hozier, Jackie & Wilson: http://youtu.be/cSWqxbswQAY

  26. Portlaw

    about manatees rescued from a pipe! Sorry I can’t show the picture but

    Rescue workers and animal experts lifted 19 manatees from the Satellite Beach storm drain system in an operation that lasted from Monday afternoon into early Tuesday.

    The workers used earth-moving equipment — and a gentle touch.

    All the rescued manatees were released back into the wild….

    Workers hoisted a smaller calf into the back of a truck. A large backhoe was used to lift the mammals. Emergency lights from fire trucks provided light for rescue workers.

    Dozens of onlookers cheered as the massive animal was lifted clear with an earth-moving machine.

    http://www.cbsnews.com/news/wo…

  27. bfitzinAR

    We got snow yesterday evening – starting about the time we left work – so I’ve got a couple of inches on my solar panels again.  Today’s high plus the sunshine we’re expecting later should take care of that.  I’ve got to figure out some safe way of getting the snow off those panels though – next winter we may have more snow than this year.  Late start means even with the overcast there’s more ambient light than yesterday morning which just makes me (and everybody else around here) more cheerful.  So.  The mantra is still “safe and warm” for everyone.  {{{HUGS}}}

  28. princesspat

    I’ve reached the restless stage of recovery…..I’m bored and the blues are creeping in. So about 3 more weeks of restricted activity. Seems like forever, even though I know it’s not. Hopefully I can concentrate well enough to read and remember today, but if not Spider Solitaire and Mahjong will keep me occupied.

  29. Portlaw

    WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama formally vetoed legislation authorizing the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline on Tuesday, the latest development in what has become an ongoing standoff between him and congressional Republicans over approval of the controversial pipeline.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…

  30. JanF

    It is 8 degrees in Madison on its way up to 16. Cloudy skies with evening snow showers in the forecast.

    The news is all over the place: a Republican Nevada assemblywoman declared that cancer is just a fungus and can be washed out with backing soda, Senate Democrats extend an olive branch to the Israeli Prime Minister, giving him a chance to diss them, and SHOCK, he does! In two stories that are related, 57% of Republicans want Christianity made the national religion and Scott Walker, their standard bearer, is leading in the latest PPP Republican presidential primary poll. THAT is what we will be running against in 2016. And that should scare any Democrat into pledging right now to wholeheartedly support whoever our nominee is. These guys play for keeps.

    See all y’alls later!!

  31. Diana in NoVa

    with a little snow predicted for tomorrow. Miss Pink Cheeks is here with us, so I’ve got to go downstairs and make baby pancakes, blackberries, and hot chocolate for her breakfast.

    Jan, didn’t care for the news, especially this:

    …a Republican Nevada assemblywoman declared that cancer is just a fungus and can be washed out with baking soda.

    Huh? The water around New York City has apparently risen by 4 inches in recent years. Edgar Cayce, the “Sleeping Prophet,” predicted that NYC would be underwater one day. Imagine swimming to breakfast at TIffany’s!

    Glad I won’t be around. Will be back later to see what’s happenin’, but in the meantime, everyone stay warm and full of coffee (or, in another’s case, tea)!

  32. anotherdemocrat

    Still cold – and there are reports of sleet & snow flurries.  The snow part is exciting. The cold & gloom – yes, it’s only been a few days, but it has everyone grumpy. We have sun probably 300-ish days a year. We can’t handle these Seattle-ish conditions.

    Had badly interrupted sleep. Glad I’m leaving early today already — I scheduled a massage because my shoulder is tight & crunchy. But I was awakened by my phone turning itself off. I have an app that plays rain sounds all night & is an alarm in the morning. It hooks up to a gadget that elevates it so I can hear the sound & charges it. I check to be sure it is plugged in & charging, but it doesn’t always actually do so. Lucky I also have my iPod playing rain sounds & set as a back up alarm. But the phone turning itself off wakes me. Sigh. I also had a weird not-quite-nightmare that there were people in my house. They had broken in through the back porch (which isn’t actually possible) & were just hanging out & partying. They weren’t doing anything to me, just disturbing my sleep & the were in my house.  And I couldn’t get them to leave. Ugh. And there were the usual bladder related wake ups.

    Had Snow Patrol on in the car. Not because of the weather, just because. Playing In The End in my head. Like the lyrics: in the end, in the end, there’s nothing more to life than love, is there? and also this: we are lost till we learn how to ask, so please, please, just ask

    Dumped extra tea in the tea this morning. Hope it’s enough.

  33. Portlaw

    steaming with fury.

    Jan reported on the most gross parts of it. Just incredible. And why on earth did those two senators ask for a meeting with Bibi? Sometimes I wonder if we have any Democrats in Congress. Is Obama the only real Democrat we have??  OK, there is Jack Reed.  Understand Susan Rice was very critical of Bibi’s visit.  I do not want war. I do not want war. I do not  ….  And then cancer is a fungus cured by baking soda???????

    There are ice floes on the East River. Haven’t checked out the Hudson yet but it must be worse where Denise is.

    Will look later for some good news.

  34. bfitzinAR

    Last Wednesday in February, Hurrah!  Not that the first week of March is going to be any different, but still.

    As best I can figure out, most Rs are insane.  They believe what they want to believe (never mind the “don’t confuse me with facts” you can’t confuse them with facts because they refuse to accept facts) and throw temper tantrums when faced with the consequences.  The rest are sociopaths.  When I stop to think about it, which I mostly try not to do, the downward spiral this country entered when RR’s handlers got him elected is more than depressing.  That idiot with the baking soda cancer cure might even allow herself to die early over it if she really believes it and it’s not just another excuse to diss healthcare insurance – but they always take people with them, even when they kill themselves and are very good at killing others but taking care of themselves.

  35. princesspat

    The gardening guys are coming this morning to move some plants, do some pruning, clean up the winter debris, and get the beds ready for spring. I can’t do anything yet, but I can bundle up and be outdoors…..making plans 🙂

    To bad the baking soda cancer cure won’t work…sure would be an easier recovery!

  36. DeniseVelez

    and we are up to a balmy 30, but temps will slide back down – and looks like snow for Sunday – just when I’m returning from Texas.

    Sorry didn’t pop in earlier, but went back to bed – my bones ache…had a late night at Democratic Party meeting – we passed a resolution against the Pilgrim Pipeline!

    http://stoppilgrimpipeline.com/

  37. JanF

    It is 7 degrees in Madison on its way up to 10.

    In Wisconsin, the damage one can do from voting for purity over one’s economic best interests came home to roost. The right to work law was passed out of the Senate and will go to the rubberstamp assembly then end up on Gov. Walker’s desk in the next few days. One of the people testifying against the RTW law was a union man who will now face the reality of being an at-will employee, subject to random firings, pay cuts, and bad working conditions. His reason for voting to re-elect Gov. Walker in 2014? “I’m pro-gun and pro-life”. So he willingly took a pay cut and risked his livelihood to save his guns from exactly no one who wanted to take them away and to protest a federal law that guarantees the right to an abortion. Divided and conquered. Mission accomplished, Gov. Walker.    

    President Obama spoke at a town hall last night and reminded people of a few things related to voting:

    Nerdy Wonka @NerdyWonka

    POTUS on voting: “2/3rds of the people who had the right to vote because of the work of previous generations, stayed home!”

    #ObamaTownHall

    The White House @WhiteHouse

    “If here in the United States of America, we voted at 60%, 70%, it would transform our politics.” -President Obama #ObamaTownHall

    It would indeed.

    I see that the boys running Congress have still not figured out how to fund the DHS. Sigh.

    See all y’alls later!

  38. DeniseVelez

    and will get worse tomorrow morning, just as I’m leaving here at 4AM to go to the airport. 🙁

    Not sure I’ll be able to comment till I get back – I don’t find the smart phone easy to use for comments, though I can “fierce”

    Was elated to see this:

    Obama Immigration Remarks Draw 6.8M on Spanish-Language TV

    http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser…

    Pres. Obama’s immigration remarks drew 6.85 million viewers on two Spanish-language U.S. TV networks last night, according to Nielsen overnight time-period data.

    With 5.055 million viewers, Univision saw a +49% increase in viewership from Wednesday’s 8pm half hour, while NBCU-owned Telemundo’s 1.8 million viewers was a jump of +38% from the night earlier.

    With a 2.1 rating and a 9 share in the A18-34 demo, Unvision was second only to CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory” in the half hour. It was fourth in total viewers, behind CBS, ABC and NBC.

    The broadcast networks chose not to carry network-wide special reports at 8pmET, but that didn’t stop many local stations in big markets from producing their own specials. That alone will dent the national ratings, especially for NBC and ABC. (Final numbers will be released Tuesday.) FOX, too, will see an effect as many stations in big markets carried a Shepard Smith-anchored report.

    Since those people who watch Spanish-tv are virtually ignored by the major media it’s good to see some hard data.

  39. Diana in NoVa

    Supposedly it will stop by 11 a.m. and then we’ll get some peeks of sunshine. The schools are closed, naturellement.

    Hurray for President Obama! Hoping very much that somehow the immigrants’ bill will pass. My husband is an immigrant, as is my daughter-in-law. Both are now naturalized.

    This is supposed to be a writing day for me, as Baby will be cared for either by his parents or the day care provider. The new woodstove will arrive this afternoon between 1 and 3 p.m., or so they say, and my 84-year-old Dearly Beloved is going to install it himself. I’m so excited I’m going to make that kick-ass lentil soup for dinner.

    Not much other news, except that today I hope to get a lot of writing done. Have written the short blog and the short-short story for March for the Web site. Thought of a new short-short story title last night: “Tea and Strumpets.” Wonder what that’s going to be about!

    Jan, sympathy about RTW in Wisconsin. How utterly 18th century. Denise, sympathy with that wretched 4 a.m. flight. Hope it’s warm in Austin when you arrive. Rats! I would so love to be in Austin this weekend!

  41. anotherdemocrat

    another not so great night’s sleep, but at least my phone didn’t turn itself off

    Cold again – and tomorrow will be colder, and rainy. Sorry to the people coming from out of town to the meet up. It’ll be warmer than where you are, but not our normal bright sunshine & 70.

    I was listening to happy, poppy songs by Snow Patrol in the car — skipped over the slow ones, because I’m trying to wake up. So what is playing in my head right now? Slow, drifty Rise Up by U2.

  42. bfitzinAR

    Guess it has to for March to come in like one.  Just slipped into the 20s heading for 30 today (yesterday’ high was 50) – maybe not a cold as points north and east, but the difference makes it feel worse (so does the north wind, wind chill is 11).  Yesterday produced the highest for the month and since October at 8.7 KWHs – monthly total so far is 137 KWHs, beating out January’s 131.  Next target – October’s 171. 🙂

    I haven’t looked at any news today so I don’t know what to be upset about yet.  I’ve got some papers to process and coffee to drink before I deal with that.  Hope everyone stays safe and comfortable – and having fun doesn’t hurt although I’ll take contented with my lot in life if that’s what’s offered 🙂   {{{HUGS}}}

  43. princesspat

    The two garden guys worked fast for four hours yesterday, filled their truck with leaves, branches and clippings, transplanted a big shrub, emptied the pots that are too heavy for me to lift, and cleaned the parking area so we can bring in new gravel. Our garden looks so clean and tidy!

    And RonK was worried they wouldn’t have enough to do. I’m adjusting to the reality of hiring assistance when we need to, but he still feels we should be able to manage on our own. However, after we wrote his very own to do list he’s ready for them to return 🙂

  45. Diana in NoVa

    comfortable. Thinking of you mightily and hoping for warmth and relaxation for you both.

    Happy travels and good times from those of us back at the Moose Pond!

  46. Diana in NoVa

    ground. The good part is that the roads seem to be clear.

    Back to business as usual this morning–about to leave to take Miss Pink Cheeks to school and bring Babylicious home with me.

    A brief glance at the news reveals that Scotty (“Koch Dealer”) Walker has stated that, if elected POTUS, he could deal with ISIL because in the recent past he “took on 100,000 protestors” at the Wisconsin State Capitol. What an impressive background in international security–why, that’s like being able to see Russia from your house!

    Someone made a film called “Idiotocracy.” That’s what we appear to be living in now.

    Wishing hot coffee, good tea, and a nice day to all Moosekind!

    P.S. What wouldn’t I give to be in Austin this weekend! Not only is it one of my 10 favorite cities in the world and the home of my daughter and other family members, but also our own Denise, MB, anotherdemocrat, TexMex, and many others are gathering there. What bliss it would be to meet them all in person.

  47. anotherdemocrat

    Cold (mid-30s). Rainy today & tomorrow. Sorry to the out of town people. But anyone staying for the kite fest on Sunday – 70 & just showers.

    Last night, a show I watched used Hozier’s Angel of Small Death. It fit the scene but I like Jackie & Wilson better. Sleepy. Must eat so I can have tea.

  48. Portlaw

    everywhere.  It’s 18 degrees in this part of our world. Hope it’s a good day for all wherever you are!  Will check back later. Am off to look at the news but doubt anything will touch the doosie (sp?)  that Diana found on Walker’s foreign policy credentials!

  49. bfitzinAR

    heading up to a whole 25 they say.  If the wind will die down I may take a walk to the bank – it’s payday.  Electricity production reached 144 KWHs as of yesterday evening.  Beating out in 26 days January’s 31-day total of 131.  Yes, Spring is here and Summer is coming.  If we get the full sunny day today, we may break 9 KWHs for the day.  Not holding my breath, but it would be nice.

    Sunshine always makes me feel better, even when the temps are in the single digits.  Hope everybody has whatever they need to feel better.  {{{HUGS}}}

  50. princesspat

    The changes are subtle, but feels like an early spring rain and the fog is lighter than winter fog. I’m sleepier than usual this morning because I stayed up late reading David Axelrod’s memoir, Believer. We’ve all watched while he and his his colleagues have made history happen. It’s  fascinating (and exhausting) to read about it.

    I didn’t realize he had worked on the Edwards campaign and for Hillary Clinton before helping Obama win election. The main players in our political process know each other well.

    Safe travels Jan and Dee!

  52. JanF

    It is 72 degrees at the southernmost point in the United States, on its way up to 79. Partly cloudy skies in the forecast.

    I see that the House could not even pass its own 3-week DHS funding bill. Good for House Democrats not giving a fig leaf to Boehner. They wanted Congress, they can learn the responsibilities that come with governing. Sadly, I have no illusions that the American people much care that the Republican Party are incompetent fools and should not be left in charge of anything, much less the safety and well-being of 300,000,000+ people.

    I am on slower-speed hotel wifi so my comments will be brief. I found out that today starts Spring Break 2015 and there is heightened security at all the resorts to keep college kids from wandering around using the pool, eating our complimentary food and beverages and partying til all hours. We had to sign an agreement not to be rude and will wear a wristband. Yikes! I am glad they are doing this, I hate having my sleep disturbed by 2am parties in the hotel corridors.

    See all y’alls later!

  53. Diana in NoVa

    Must hie myself to Apple to weep all over their immaculate, Ikea-looking counters about why Apple has screwed up my ID so badly. Feel like writing a diary called “My Own Personal Mac-Down,” but probably won’t. It would be one long whine.

    After that, must go with Dearly to pick out new flooring for the upstairs of our house. We had carpet installed five years ago but with babies and dogs, you can imagine what it looks like now. Not to mention drips from the Early Morning Tea being carried upstairs.

    Dearly installed the handsome new woodstove yesterday. It’s lovely to be able to see the flames through the glass front door, which we couldn’t with the Jotul. Our family room looks really different.

    Hoping to write some more on the massive blog today and tomorrow. Have a good Saturday, all!

  54. anotherdemocrat

    Eating breakfast, watching Up. Getting ready to go to the meet up. It is colder than I thought it would be — seems to have frozen overnight, I didn’t cover my plants, hope they’re ok. For people staying till the kite fest tomorrow, the weather is supposed to be warmer.

    Need tea. Must eat first. Earworm: Disaster Button by Snow Patrol, which I was listening to in the car yesterday. Happy, poppy. “Hit that button there, the one that just says “wrong”. We’ll lose our minds to all our favorite songs.”

  55. princesspat

    The wind blew away the fog last night so I could see the moon shining on the water…..a nice reward for being awake!

    I’m planning a trip to the garden shop today, as it’s time to see primroses blooming in the pots by the back entrance. I still get muscle spasms around the surgery area so I have to be careful re lifting, but I can point and give direction 🙂

  56. anotherdemocrat

    it’s kinda blurry — I have other pics on my phone, but there’s an inset pic of me, I don’t know why & I can’t make it go away

    photo 73693885-6ae4-4d24-9960-6317dec231f8_zpscokdkqpi.jpg

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