Open Thread – Iditarod XXXVIII is Over!
The final musher has reached Nome, drawing to an end Iditarod XXXVIII. It really was a great race.
And as a tribute to the mushers and dogs who gave it their all, and as a salute to the final musher, rookie Celeste Davis, I have turned of the Mudflats “red lantern” and returned us to our usual color scheme. “Lime” is back. And just for today, we’ll all join in the victory party with our avatars of celebration. Gone are the geometric patterns of your Mudflats avatars, and in their place are some amusing little party monsters. They’ll go back to normal tomorrow.
I’ll soon post another installment from our Iditarod commenter “LoveMyDogs” who has been keeping us all entertained and inspired by her guest blogging series on dog mushing.
So, if you’ve got no idea what I meant by “red lantern” – stay tuned. – she’ll explain everything.
Thanks to Mudflatter Alex for the great picture (above) from Nome! The funny part is that Alex was drawn to this dog handler Emelie, a dog handler for musher Colleen Robertia, just as I was. I took her picture giving and getting dog love at the race’s start, and Alex found her in Nome doing the same thing. Her obvious love for the dogs makes her a great photographic subject.
AND the dogs belong to musher Colleen Robertia, who also owns the dogs and kennel being “dogsat” by our Voices from the Flate contributor LoveMyDogs! One thing you an say for this state – it’s a small town!
What a great picture, Alex! That makes a lovely memory to carry with me until next year.
Colder here this morning, which is not a big surprise. It is going to be a very busy day around this house, and I am considering hiding in a closet with a book and thermos of coffee instead of doing my share of work.
I am watching, waiting, hoping for a good outcome on the vote today. I have no idea what is going to happen.
Hey! I like that little goggle thing. Thanks!
Congratulations to all . Love the picture.
waving wildly to mudpuppy alex…
be seeing you back here in socal soon!
House Democrat official: ‘We’ve got the votes’ on health care
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/21/health.care.main/index.html?hpt=T1
good luck today to all my US friends
Thank you, twain. I am a mess. I have worked on this for so long with so many people. Now, our Rep is being a poop. Holding out for assurances from FEMA about a new floodplain designation. I don’t like FEMA much as it is, but this is too important.
The critters are back! Would be fun some future year if our icons all turned into sled dogs for the day. Meanwhile, thanks for all the Iditarod stories, start to finish, and congrats to all the racers (two footed and four footed).
I told my avatar this morning that he would never pull a sled in the iditarod and never pull a wagon in the Spanish mountains but that I loved him anyway. He settled for a belly rub.
But he wouldn’t mind some avatar goggie friends next year when the iditarod comes around. But I don’t think goggies are a default option on wordpress. It would be fun, though.
Found this little gem on Huffpo -
If you do a Yahoo search for Michele Bachmann, the first link, which brings you to her official website, comes up with this headline:
“Michele Bachmann – Amaricas Congress Woman”
Now I’ve got two problems with this.
1. If her official website link misspells the country’s name and the word ‘Congresswoman”, and neglects to use an apostrophe in ‘Amaricas’, she’s a bigger idiot than I thought. I’m sure she didn’t type it herself, but she is ultimately responsible for hiring the people who create these materials that represent her. “AmAricas”?????????????? Really??????
2. She is ONLY the congresswoman for the small group of people with questionable intelligence from Minnesota who elected her. She should NOT presume to think she represents me in any way, shape or form.
And THIS is who they want to pair up with Princess Quittypants to run for POTUS??? Sheesh!
i love my critter. it looks just like me.
Please call Dem. Stupak’s office, ask him to vote YES on Health Care Reform, his office is counting yes or no requests. We know the Repubs are calling.
1-202-225-4735 ….. hang up and call back if you get a recording, I did and got through to a person.
Pass this around!
Also, too…..protestors are disrupting, GOP are egging them on and arrests are being made. Recordings are being made also.
I’m listening to the debate on C-span. Hopefully this will be a momentous day.
GOP lawmakers waving “Don’t Tread on Me” flag off balcony to the anti HCR teabagger crowd.
http://twitpic.com/1a29w7
Can anyone identify who those lawmakers are? AKM
dogsrock wrote this excellent comments in the ADN about there supposedly not being any deaths this year:
“How many were culled by musher’s in the dog lots this year preparing for the race? Mushers shoot or bludgeon hundreds of pups every year that they bred but do not show champion potential. Many fans are so smitten with the image of the Alaskan musher that they refuse to believe these same people spend part of their year clubbing unwanted dogs to save money. You need only look at the Oct 6 1991 issue of the ADN to see mushers discussing whether or not bludgeoning dogs to death with an axe handle is considered humane. After all, it’s cheaper than a bullet. These same mushers who pay thousands of dollars per year in entry fees, state in the article that it is too expensive to run a “free-dog” ad in the local newspaper. I do not trust any of these people to report dead dogs in the race, how many of you are aware of the death in the jr iditarod this year?”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/21/health-care-debate-live-u_n_507426.html#s75019
“A protester sitting in the House gallery just disrupted the early business going on in the chamber by screaming out: “The people have said no!” and “You took an oath.” Leadership tried to gavel the members back into session and ordered the Sargent in Arms to remove the unruly man. Before he was escorted out, however, he did receive a fair amount of applause from the Republican side of the aisle.
Outside, meanwhile, bullhorns and chants are seeping into the press room and even the chamber. Chants of “Naaaannnccy” and “vote them out” are constant, as are the usual “kill the bill” refrains. At one point, three lawmakers, presumably Republicans, went outside the Capitol building — on a second floor balcony — to greet the protestors. And they each held up one side reading: “Kill” “The” “Bill”
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) emerged from the House floor irate to denounce Republicans for cheering on the protester, saying that dozens were encouraging lawbreaking and making the situation dangerous for the unarmed ushers who have to wrestle out protesters in a tight space. He yelled at Roy Blunt on the House floor, telling him to get his colleagues in order. “That’s why you get this kind of virulence and hatred,” he said.”
I was trying to watch C-Span as well.
The RepuG–Nuts apparently elected him as leader for the day. He goes out there and rambles, it’s illegal,.. takeover of healthcare, totalitarian takeover, 1/6 of our economy, No longer a Republic, ( republic is BIG for today), even through in a reference to Frankenstein to create a visual image with his rhetoric.
He’s using the ” Sarah Rule “. Grab big words of phrases randomly and throw them together and keep repeating them whether they make sense or not.
Marsha Blackburn was especially hateful and vitriolic with her speech on the floor. She was definitely channeling Sarah.
Ooops…. about that C-span coverage. I forgot to name Who was speaking on the Floor as the GOP Leader. That would be Rep. Ryan.
When it came to speeches on the Floor, Patrick Kennedy spoke for about 2 minutes speaking in favor. He was very good.
Shelia Jackson ( D-Texas ) made some very good remarks as well.
She is also a member of the Cong. Black Caucus . Early this morning she said she voting FOR it. And then even made a remark saying she was ‘ ashamed’ of being from Texas or something to that effect. Or ashamed of her fellow Texas Legislateurs. I don’t have the exact quote. It was a direct SLAM directed at her fellow Texans who are voting against it.
Look for it showing up on TPM or Media Matters somewhere.
I am amazed at the lies and the obfuscations of the GOP. Well, I’m not really.
Louise Slaughter rocks!!
Anon in Palmer: I appreciate your opinions and I know that your words are true–in some cases, but not in all. People who do this type of thing should be called out on it. You obviously have strong feelings about this and I know that I will not change your mind. You are entitiled to that. BUT–not every musher out there holds these beliefs or practices this type of animal cruelty. Please do not lump everyone who runs dogs into this group. One has to be willing to call bulls**t on their own group and clean up their own kennel (so to speak). What you say needs to be said until the kennel is clean. But, again, please do not lump everyone into the same group and label everyone by the same name. We shouldn’t do it in politics (as in everyone Outside thinking that Palin represents us as a state) nor in other things in life.
the topic headline I would like to see is:
“sarah palin drops out of sight…was driven off of fox news by her inexperience in journalism and relentless need to be influential …finally the embarrassment over her ineptitude yields”
the GOP would only be at their happiest with the reinstatement of the Mason-Dixon line…they want THAT country back!! It’s unfortunate that those frenzied constituents are supporting a backwards society of racism and cowboy mentality…a world where they no longer reap what they sow b/c they have gotten too lazy to participate, and one that would remove their government provided income. They haven’t a clue what their asking for!…they just want to win.
I just saw at see of pee that Sarah will be in DC with Beck for his rally on Aug 28–the date of Dr King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. She makes me sick.
..I would like to thank John McCain for helping to raise this pimple of racism and incivility from the within the American Pysche… without your and Sarah’s efforts, John, this ugliness within the American people might have died a whimpering and silent death, fading away into obscurity. But your need to succeed at any cost in trying to win the POTUS job, caused you to give the stamp of approval for the voicing of outright hatred and racisim, that lies screamed the loudest were better than the quiet spoken truth, and that fear was the best emotion to appeal to people with, rather than reason and logic.
Your Party has firmly embraced these tactics, and rather than work for the good of the American people, are pursuing the trappings of power instead.
May you reflect long and hard during your remaining years on these elements that you have unleashed on a country that you were raised and swore to protect from enemies, both foreign and domestic, for you have failed utterly to do so. You have purposely stirred blind and hurtful passions that will, unless abated, cause much harm to this country.
Well said benlomond2.
Bart Stupak had a press conference.
He will be voting .. Yes. He said he reached an agreement with the WH.
I second that!
Apologies if a repost. I’ve not been keeping up as well as I’d like.
Frank Bailey book about Palin may be back in play :
http://www.adn.com/2010/03/20/1192642/alaska-ear.html
>>http://www.adn.com/2010/03/20/1192642/alaska-ear.html<<<
Thank you, benlomond2. Well said!
Now that health care reform is going to pass, it will be interesting to watch what the GOP does about the wacky fringe groups, eh? will they distance themselves from Beck, Palin and the tea baggers in order to look like adults with brains?
http://www.frumforum.com/st-glenn-becks-religious-followers
St. Glenn Beck’s Religious Followers
“This event is tribute to the astounding influence of Glenn Beck’s program upon the conservative world. Some conservatives criticize Beck for suggesting that Republicans are no better then Democrats. But the problem runs deeper: Here is a man who packages and disseminates a world view about governance that is totally out of step with reality and history. This world view is being propagated and utilized by religiously inspired populists who pretend that they are imparting ‘knowledge’ to one another when they are really just regurgitating the same lines that they saw from the chalkboard that day.
This worldview lends itself to paranoia. It lends itself to viewing the passage of a healthcare bill not as the unwanted result of a legislative process run by wrong-headed people, but as a sin sent to America by a God who is displeased that we don’t teach abstinence in the schools.”
Irishgirl @19 -
Louise Slaughter rocks!!
~~~~~~
Yes she does!
Unfortunately, I’m in the district next door (Republican Chris Lee – sigh) but lots of us in western NY like to claim her as our own, even if it’s not technically true!
She’s smart and feisty. Gotta love her!
Hey, if those idiots don’t want health care, then they should be stripped of theirs, that they get free, for being representatives. Let them do what so many other people are doing; shop around for the lowest deductible, lowest co-pay available, and then get rejected because they have a pre-existing condition.
I’m so sick and tired of the Retaliban, that I just can’t even imagine any sort of civil discourse with “one of them”, no matter what their views. I want to just shake them and say, “Do you even KNOW what you’re saying?”
*thunk*
“Louise Slaughter Rocks” t-shirts?? I’ll wear one !
It’s funny – Just as I was reading your post leenie, suddenly – there was Louise on WIVB news, showing just how feisty she is .
And, according to that same news report, the vote may not be underway until after 10pm. ( last I heard it was 8ish)
For those of you familiar with the commercial trailer for “Clash of the Titans” , I’ve been amusing myself with the idea that the vote tonight should begin with Liam Neeson’s big booming Scottish brogue announcing , ” RELEASE — THE — K R A K EN !!!” — just to mess with the heads of the GOPers. ha!!!
Here’s the trailer if you’re interested. It’s rather fun to watch while imagining it happening within the debate.
http://www.hollywood.com/news/Release_the_Kraken_New_Clash_of_the_Titans_Trailer_Arrives/6350809
The Retaliban are all constipated. There is a healthcare solution: Pull your heads out of your a$$es and you’ll feel a whole lot better and maybe we can all move on.
I’m betting we get the bill that was decided upon at the time of the election, after all this show of politics kept us occupied for the past year and a half. Those in power have not lost any of that power, but rather have increased their wealth and control over us. The rich get richer, the rest suffer and enable them to keep it that way.
“Is anybody watching these guys?”
Very interesting day historically in the U.S. This bill separates the sheep from the goats, so to speak. It brings the dross to the surface by way of protesters who spit and slur. Really awful and sad to see that happening yesterday.
Was so impressed with President Obama’s address yesterday, proving he is a person who would rather do the “right” thing than do what’s politically popular.
The little icon thingies are cute……whatever they’re called, they’ve changed from snowflake or quilt patterns to little funny guys.
ahhhhhhh!!! The first of 3 major votes has passed, with a few to spare.. one down , Two to go !! I may just have to pick up a bottle of Silver Oak to celebrate with if the bill signing is tomorrow !!!
1. The pair of house finches and the dark-eyed junco that haven’t been seen since around Thanksgiving showed up in my backyard today.
2. I moved the birdfeeder forward a few inches yesterday to make it easier to reach. I discovered today that I had inadvertently made it inaccessible to the ill-mannered chipmunk who likes to sit on the edge, eat the sunflower seeds and put the empty shells back INTO the feeder, bullying off all the birds while he does so.
3. Last word from Washington DC has the ‘Yes’ votes for the health case reform bill up to at least 217…one more than they need. The bill will pass.
It’s been a good day!
@R’ipley in CT says: Hey, if those idiots don’t want health care, then they should be stripped of theirs, that they get free, for being representatives. Let them do what so many other people are doing; shop around for the lowest deductible, lowest co-pay available, and then get rejected because they have a pre-existing condition.
———– I agree with you a million times over! …but “they” know this won’t happen and there goes the leverage against them, so they continue to spew whatever lie they want, to get a reaction and persuade their ranks. that’s why instead of buying insurance coverage across state lines like they propose, I want to vote across state lines! …then they would think twice. b/c no matter how you look at it, whether they represent our district or not, what they do or don’t do still affects all of us. …wonder what their followers would think if we could rip healthcare away from them as well. if they’re so anti-government, then they should suffer with those consequences. do they even realize that the very lying congressmen & women (bachmann) they voted in, do work for the government and take salary from all of us…all of us, even me. so I’m forced to pay people in other states that I want to fire!
Gotta see my avatar…
Isn’t it great to see so many women in Congress that are for health care reform? Maybe this is the straw that will turn the tide away from the Elite Old White Male to be elected for Congress and other official posts!
OOOHHH!!! I LIKE HER! Looks just what Wurzelhexli looks like!
Came to see my avatar!
Nice! (Irishgirl’s looks like a bedbug
0
HEALTH CARE REFORM, NOW! RRRAAAAARRR!!!!!
heh heh…..wanted my li’l avatar to roar.
AKM…please don’t change our avatars back to the boring geometrics…I, for one, love the new, interesting little creatures.
^Scariest mon(a)ster on the ‘flats!
This happened another time a long time ago and I don’t remember the circumstances but AKM switched out avatars from the quilt to somemthing else. So I have nothing to say or add but want to see how it comes out.
(Health Care Reform coming our way tonight. It’s going to be a crazy, tumultous week of bat-s**t rhetoric and challenges to parlimentory procedure. Bottom line is we won and they lost tonight.)
Hat tip to Nancy Pelosi. Job Well Done.
The Repugs ate some really sick puppies who are not there for the people! They are disrespectful and rude. They lie and incite fear and violence. I hope it all comes back to bite them in their lying divisive butts!!
now I know why the teabaggers are so encouraged to be a**ho*es…boener is an obstinate bully and has no decorum or respect for the sanctity of our GOVERNMENT.