Groupthink

 Here is a rescued baby beaver chewing on a stick. You're welcome.

Good morning, groupthink! I hope your weekends were fun & Monday isn't too tough on you. Maybe this will help. :) It's National Croissant Day! #NationalCroissantDay #CroissantDay #Croissant pic.twitter.com/SOLCDaBCTH — HeyWhatDay (@HeyWhatDay) January 30, 2023 Croissants are good motivation to leave, but I might have to wait until some fog clears. Later, we're expecting freezing rain. Fingers crossed that doesn't last long.  This energy might help your Monday, too. Quite the revenge! According to local legend, the mason of Freiburg’s cathedral was unhappy with his pay, and so he sculpted himself onto the building as this gargoyle, defecating in the direction of the city council. [📷: Márcio Cabral de Moura CC BY-NC-ND 2.0] pic.twitter.com/kKWXPeH07D — Quite Interesting (@qikipedia) January 29, 2023 Finally, in Eat The Rich news.  UPDATE: Union Pacific, one of the railroads that successfully fought off workers' demands for paid sick days, announced a reco...

  Good morning, everyone! So sorry for the late post. I slept in for once and now I'm running behind on my plans for the day. I'm going to keep this post short since I need to head out in a few minutes.  How is everyone doing? Any fun plans?  I hope y'all are doing well and taking some time for self care.

Good evening, all! It's the best part of the week, Saturday night. Finally! We're spending a rainy night cuddled up with Poker Face, frozen pizza & salad. Tomorrow, we're having a few friends over for football & The Menu inspired burgers. They were too delicious looking to ignore, but no s'mores, don't worry. 😂 This is cute. He texts them all on Thursdays to get their topics.  my dad goes to a bar with his friends every friday and he makes a list of discussion topics pt 5 pic.twitter.com/voUXba8bo6 — kenzi (@kenzianidiot) January 27, 2023 Here's a serious blast of nostalgia. Stereos in the 1980s were so valuable we put them behind GLASS. pic.twitter.com/hBuhKPbBPX — Eric Alper 🎧 (@ThatEricAlper) January 27, 2023 My brother had one & pretty sure I ruined every single cd he bought trying to figure out why they wouldn't work on my record player. Whoops. 😂  That's it from me. How's your Saturday night?

  Hey, lovies. This week, this country, this culture... it's so much. We are supposed to get snow allllllll day long. I'm looking forward to turning off, tucking up in bed with a Buster and a book, and cuddling with Homey tonight. I hope you're taking care of your minds and hearts this weekend. 💜

Hello from the Gulf Coast of Alabama y'all.   We did a resort in Lauderdale by the Sea and then an RV resort in the Keys. I quite liked the Keys as did Finn.   He's a big star wherever he goes and it seems to be going to his head. When nobody made a big deal of him in one restaurant, he did not quite know what to do. It's pretty cool. And those Key West chickens are a trip- Finn and I enjoyed some down time in the park- And here's his lordship enjoying a rice cake at the hotel Wednesday night- It's been mostly good with a few hiccups. I got some pretty bad bug bites. My foot swelled up so much that I couldn't get it into my shoes. I got some cheap slippers at Walmart. Running around central Florida in slippers is a bridge I never thought I'd cross but there you go.   The pup got sick only once but it was a doozy. Thank goodness this camper has a hose & a water tank!  Anyway, we'll spend a couple of days here then it's off to NOLA. A...

 Good morning! Friday has pounced & some cute animals go well with our airing of grievances. :) Plus, maybe they can distract you for a minute. My big one is for law enforcement in this country. A rising tide lifts all boats, white people. My heart is with Memphis today. Abolish armed traffic stops.  Hippos aren't exactly cuddly, but the ear waggles are hilarious.  What are your plans for the weekend? We're staying in & tackling some jobs around the house, but are looking forward to some football with friends on Sunday. And Pal was a sweetie & brought home Chinese takeout for dinner so we have tons of hot & sour soup & leftovers. Btw, I baked the cream cheese banana bread last night & it's fantastic! Highly recommend. :) That's it from me. Tell us your fuck its right after this baby turtle eating a strawberry. 

  Good morning, groupthink! We're still in a great mood thanks to the good fortune from yesterday. :) Unfortunately, it's a disgusting day outside--wet, gray, & freezing. I woke up early enough to catch some snow falling & wish we had gotten more than a dusting. Today's plan is baking a loaf of cream cheese banana bread & not much else worth noting, lol. Cute! Squirrels are tree rats with better pr imo, but these are pretty. ;) The most beautiful squirrel pic.twitter.com/Egu60MxGYm — Slater Jonathan (@SlaterJonathan4) January 25,  This painting needs no explanation. Powerful image. pic.twitter.com/JEzLJ5RtAh — Lawrence Abbott (@lawrencerabbott) January 24, 2023 Tomorrow is going to be a tough day in TN, especially Memphis, when the video of Tyre Nichols murder by cops is released. Notably, most of the cops involved have already been fired. And they are Black. Weird how that works. ACAB. To end on a positive note, this entire show was stunning. Wow. Rahul Mi...

  Morno, GT! Tell us what's up with you today and: Newman or Redfor? WHY?  We're getting some schnerr right now but no delay or anything... maybe an early out? :D Otherwise, today is just work, nothing too fancy. We're doing veggie burgers for dinner, which I'm looking forward to. How about you?

  This is my neck of the woods; a bit south, but I pass this store fairly frequently. This neighbourhood is in flux, and a lot of the Indian families are moving out to the suburbs, to bigger houses, and the stores are following, so "Little India" is getting smaller and smaller. This is one of the last remaining big stores. https://www.blogto.com/fashion_style/2023/01/chandan-fashion-toronto/

  Good morning, everyone! I'm very sorry it's a Monday & hope it's an easy beginning to the week for you. I feel a bit like a zombie after not sleeping well, but lots of coffee is helping. Soon, I'll be awake enough to start my boring day of laundry & paperwork. Then, after lunch, Ruby & I are meeting a friend for a hike in between rainy days. Here's a fascinating long read from Vanity Fair about the mafia in Montreal.  https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2023/01/the-montreal-mafia-murders Sounds like a job for Inspector Armand Gamache. Goodness. On a lighter Canadian note, check out this video. I love it! Your "super cool" moment of the day! A lucky driver in the Northwest Territories spotted a family of wolves and managed to catch the beautiful sight on video 😍 https://t.co/u9oNSaImcJ — Wolf Conservation Center (@nywolforg) January 23, 2023  How's Monday going?

  Good morning, GT. (TW: Mass Shooting) It's Sunday and while I would usually start this post off with "Happy Sunday", today doesn't feel so happy. It's been a rough week and we woke up to the news of another mass shooting. This one occurring just a short 10 minute drive from home. It's sad, scary, and frustrating.  With the shittiness of this week I'm going to take it easy and be kind to myself. Today is going to be a self-care day. I'm going to take myself to the movies, grab something delicious to eat, and come home and have a mini spa day. Hair mask, face mask, and do my nails. Finish a book and cuddle with Cosmo. A day of comfort. It's very much needed.  How are all of you doing today? I hope y'all are taking some time for self-care and are being kind to yourself. 

  Happy Saturday night, groupthink! We're planning on cozy food & football to help offset the cold & rain. I hope you're having a nice weekend. Have a chuckle with me over these dummies. 🤦‍♀️ Pink Floyd updated their profile picture to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Dark Side of the Moon, and the replies  are… something. pic.twitter.com/e4zNZ2KGOS — Travis Akers (@travisakers) January 20, 2023 Here's a beautiful abandoned building where I would love a chance to reclaim the glass. Old abandoned winter garden 🪴 pic.twitter.com/re1xAlXcbQ — DesertedPIaces (@DesertedPIaces_) January 21, 2023 What's happening with you tonight? 

  Happy Sat., GT--I hope you're all stay warm and cozy. The only thing I have planned this weekend is a massage. I am so grateful to Honey from a two weeks ago for scheduling it because my shoulders have been hanging out in the vicinity of my ear lobes for a few days now.  Anyway, how about you? I hope you're all doing something nice for yourselves this weekend.      💚💚💚

  Goooood chilly morning all! Oh Friday, you are so appreciated.  How are you guys doing?  Well unbeknownst to me, 2023 had some good karma in it's back pocket. After two years of terrrrrrible dates (Scuba man?), last weekend I went on three dates all with men who were gentlemen and not creepers!   I had a date Friday with a lovely man I met on Bumble. (which made me want to throw my phone into a lake last two years on that app) He loves the ocean as much as I do and spearhunts, and was amazed to meet a woman who freedives/scubas down here he said. We went to lunch and consideration is huge for me and after I sat down at the restaurant, let him know I parked in a side building parking bc the restaurant parking was full. He said, "Oh let me get your keys and I'll move your car into the restaurant parking so you don't get towed just in case." So he moved it and brought my sweater back I forgot bc he saw I was cold. (Also fuck public parking fees!) Headed to the be...

Good morning and Happy Thursday! I'm still in Florida and have no complaints. There's so much to do that's dog friendly. IDK how Finn is going to react to being left behind once we get back home lol. Every time I get a peek at the news I'm throwing up in my mouth a little bit. McCarthy as speaker, debt ceiling, Santos (really dude?)... A pox on all of them for real. Good, bad or in between, what's going on in your world?

We're home on thunderstorm watch today & ordered in groceries so we can both stay in & relax. How about you? The floor is yours! 

  It's a long week for me; working Saturday, but only 14 more weeks to go! And 7 Saturdays. It's starting to sink in that this will be the last Jan. 17 that I'll go to work, the last winter that I'll have to worry about getting to work in an ice storm, etc.

  Good morning, everyone! And Happy MLK Day to you. I hope your weekend was a nice one, or still is, if you have today off work. We slept late today which is weird for us, but I'll happily take it.  Here's something cute. :) Anyway, Matt Berry narrating nature documentaries is everything you imagine it would be and more pic.twitter.com/YSLU0tpz3k — Bat 🦇 Merry (@thatsnicethat) January 10, 2023 The floor is yours. How's Monday going? 

  Good morning, GT! It's a cold and gloomy Sunday morning and I'm loving it. We ended up having a steady rain pretty much all day yesterday and it was wonderful. I love the rain. I love it even more when it rains during a weekend and I can actually sit and enjoy it. I find it soothing.  Anyway, how is everyone doing today? Any fun plans for the day? I'll be spending the morning and early afternoon with my mom and grandma. Taking flowers to the cemetery, grabbing lunch and maybe a quick Target run after. The rest of the day will be spent watching tv, reading and putting up curtains.  How about y'all? 

 Good evening, groupthink! It was a cold morning to be outside working & I'm grateful for the inside and lazy part of Saturday. We're drinking lambrusco, making a ton of popcorn, & watching See How They Run along with some football. Cozy! I might make hot chocolate, too. This little creature is perfect.  Native to the coast of South Africa, Black Rain Frogs are known for their perpetual grimace. pic.twitter.com/mbNVovxKWH — Fascinating (@fasc1nate) January 13, 2023 And so is this one. Ruby is a Corgi/pit mix & I whole heartedly endorse adopting any combo you find. I can't. 😊😂 Bear cub? Nope, it's a German Shepherd/Akita/Corgi mix pic.twitter.com/pkehczDd0h — Fascinating (@fasc1nate) January 13, 2023 That's it from me. I hope your day has been pleasant! What's happening tonight?

  Happy Sat., GT--welcome to the weekend! I'm going to catch up on the work that meetings kept me from doing this week, then I'm watching the niblings for a little bit. They should be napping the whole time I'm there but I hope at least one of the wakes up for a lil bit. What's the point of babysitting if I don't get to hang out with the babies?  After work and babysitting, I'm gonna make some soups, and then I hope to sleep for, like, 42 hours. 😁 Also! I heard from Phoebe last night; sounds like she might have internet access tonight 🤞🤞. The trip is going well, and they're nearing their destination. Sounds like it'll be good for Finn to get out of the camper and run! (And also, good for Phoebe for Finn to get out of the camper and run, lol?) Anyway, how about you? What are y'all up to this weekend?

  Hey ya'll! It is finally Friday. Uhhh so do you guys experience any co-workers at work who cannot wait to get into work mode again the SECOND Monday hits? Like can you just RELAX a little? Holy crap. Client on my team is still actively working to 'improve her methods' of working by - as mentioned before - adding on from our 1-2x weekly now DAILY meetings AND sending her afternoon reports - totally unnecessary for myself and others on my team. And fully only her doing it to help her organize her own side of the street. Yesterday she also pushed our meeting longer to lead us on a guided meditation - because we have absolutely no work to do so why not? So it was her pretty much talking like the voices do on the meditation apps telling us to count our blessings.  Toooootal 100% just wasting our productivity time. I'm on the project with her luckily just until May and I will be telling my boss not to re-new me if she asks as we're allowed. JFC yeah no lady. Not after e...

  Good morning, groupthink! It's another stormy one here. I wish I hadn't been trapped for a couple of days so I could stay home & enjoy it. Sleeping didn't go well again & I'm exhausted. 🥱 I couldn't think of an intro. 🤦‍♀️ My mom’s 60-something friend was set up with a 67-year-old guy who is “not looking for anything serious” in case you think that ever ends — Sara K. Runnels (@omgskr) January 8, 2023 Isn't this greenhouse cool? An old Green House 🏡 pic.twitter.com/YSZOZmWlty — DesertedPIaces (@DesertedPIaces_) January 12, 2023 It got me thinking about former & future homes. And a question: out of the places you've lived so far, what's your favorite? Mine is our little cabin in the woods at our old summer camp job. Wood burning stove, spring water, way too many spiders, & I loved it. A simpler time that was often a pain in the ass, but living on 200 acres of land with a lake, horses, & a huge garden was amazing. Runner up to...

  Good morning, GT! Today is Wednesday which means we are halfway to the weekend! Yippie!  It'll be a work from home day for me which I'm happy about since I didn't get enough sleep last night. Boo to restless nights.  On a positive note, I'm having my patio door and a few windows replaced and the work is supposed to start today. The rain put a bit of a delay in things, but hopefully they can't get it all done before this weekend. I want to be able to enjoy my weekend and not be stuck at home while work gets done. Anyway, enough about me.  How are y'all doing? What's going on in your neck of the woods? 

  Middle schoolers, for those who've had them, those who will have them and those who have taught, or will teach them;

Good morning! How is it Monday already? We need a little more weekend to ease back in after the holidays. Rude, lol. My day is loaded with boring administrative & cleaning tasks. Yay! But it's sunny today & that definitely helps. We watched The Menu on HBO last night & highly recommend it. Then, we read this first thing. Hmm. Related? 😂 Noma, often called the world's best restaurant, will close at the end of 2024, the Copenhagen chef René Redzepi told The New York Times. He said fine dining at the highest level has hit a breaking point. https://t.co/W0dU9vgsCh pic.twitter.com/h64qusVfYF — The New York Times (@nytimes) January 9, 2023  Feeling this bit today, lol. What’s the difference between ignorance and apathy? I don’t know and I don’t care. — PUNS (@ThePunnyWorld) January 9, 2023 Finally, something adorable. Cute, but Australia still has too many venomous and/or bitey things for me, lol. A potoroo and her baby snacking on strawberries at Cleland Wildlife Pa...

  Hey, folks, I was thinking, it's been a minute since we've done one of these and, with the start of the new year, it occurred to me that we might have recommendations for folks who are pursuing new goals, or just recommendations based on stuff we enjoyed last year. I have a few: 1) I really like these stickers to keep track of my hydration in my BuJo; they're cute and colorful and really do keep me on track with my water 2) The book, Wintering , by Katherine May really helped me reframe winter and lessen the intensity of my SAD 3) Something I'm trying this year is putting events in my calendar a few weeks before the event itself, so I can plan ahead, whether that's getting gifts in order, thinking about menus, or just mentally preparing myself for work socializing or whatever 4) Facetory's Moon Velvet mask is EVERYTHING for making my dry skin feel human again. I get it at Target. :) How about you? What helped make last year better for you? And/or is there a r...

  Good morning, GT! Happy Sunday! It's the first weekend of the new year and like all weekends it has gone by way too quickly. It doesn't help that the house painters had to work through the weekend since we have more rain coming. With them here I couldn't do much or go anywhere.  I need another day or two to just relax without any holiday plans, socializing, or construction workers interrupting my day. Some real alone time with just me and Cosmo. Hmm. That sounds nice. Maybe we'll take a drive down to San Diego next weekend. I haven't done that in awhile.  Anyway, enough of my complaining and rambling. How are y'all doing?  How has the weekend been treating you? Any fun plans for the day?

Happy Saturday night, groupthink! Was anyone else woken up by the full moon last night? I'm glad it's cloudy here so it doesn't happen again. Pretty, but not great for sleeping, lol. It's been a quiet day & I plan to pour a drink & finish HBO's Perry Mason before the new season is released. It's very noir & decent, imo. Plus, Matthew Rys doesn't hurt. :) Does anyone remember Afroman of "Because I Got High" fame? Here's a link to what happened when his home was raided last August.  https://www.vice.com/en/article/7k83gq/afroman-raided-by-cops-interview#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16731167606946&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vice.com%2Fen%2Farticle%2F7k83gq%2Fafroman-raided-by-cops-interview   And here's the video for one of his songs to raise awareness about it. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt. Catchy for a song about getting raided for nothing except being a Black man who enjoys canna...

  Good morning, GT, and happy Sat. I have, like, 4 things planned this weekend: 1) bring brekkie to my hyster sister (bestie who had a hysterectomy); 2) put away all holiday decorations; 3) yoga; 4) try to SLEEEEEEEP--sleep early, sleep late, take naps, whatever I can do to reduce the sleep deficit I have built up over the last few weeks.  How about you ? P.S. I got to visit the niblings Th. night and Baby A looked worn down but was so excited we were there, she perked right up. She had labwork yesterday that came back looking good! The next appt. is next week with a cardiologist at the U. Things are looking up for that little darlin'. Thank you all for the well wishes and positive vibes! 💜💜💜

  We've got a whole new year to fill with Fur Faces, so head over to Backtalk to share your own and say hi! https://backtalkvillage.blogspot.com/2023/01/fur-face-friday.html

  Hey ya'll! Happy first week! How has it gone so far? I hope it's all been super low-stress, super smooth, and zero drama or ridiculous cold.  The only shitshows have happened at my work. We have this type-A client who's one of those that everyone can't stand. Announces yesterday in a meeting she's trying to 'train herself to be more of a Driver, so forgive if she comes of more of a bitch, she's implementing morning AND afternoon progress reports, as well as logging it in a totally unnecessary Excel sheet which just acts to waste our time.' So basically filling up our production time with things to help her stay on track with her stuff. We can literally send her one report once a week, but 3 times daily is overly excessive and my coworker and I are happily letting our boss know she's flying off the rails with her ridiculousness bc it's a waste of our time.  Anyhow, how was your week? Weekend fun plans?

  Good morning, GT! Happy Thursday! I had to double check that it was actually Thursday because my mind keeps thinking it's only Tuesday. The week has flown by and I'm looking forward to the first weekend of 2023. This morning I woke up to the glorious sound of rain. Not just drizzle, but full on rain. It's wonderful and we really need it. It rained most of the day yesterday and with it raining most of today I hope it makes a dent in our drought conditions. How is the weather in y'alls next of the woods?  On another note, today will be a mostly chill day. I don't have any meetings scheduled and my paperwork is pretty much all caught up on. I may venture out into the rain to make a Costco run but we'll see.  Anyway, how are y'all doing today? 

  Happy Wed., GT! How are you today?  Winter break is winding down here but I am determined to enjoy the last few days. Today, I'm going to make TJ's gingerbread coffee (has anyone tried that? 🤞🤞 that it's good), listen to some podcasts, and tackle Mt. Clothesmore. I'm also hoping for a nap with a rotten kitten and a good book. And I might even bake some cookies.  Tonight, I'm making BudgetBytes's Mango Coconut Tofu Bowls for dinner, which is always a nice, bright dinner in the dark of winter. And I think we'll finally be taking down the ol' Christmas tree.  How about you? What are you up to today?

  From Raw Story, about cats as pets in the Medieval period; https://www.rawstory.com/cats-in-the-middle-ages-what-medieval-manuscripts-teach-us-about-our-ancestors-pets/

  Good morning, y'all! I hope the day is going well for everyone back at it. We're on our last day of the break & time is all weird, lol. But we're going to savor this stormy day with leftovers, cookies, & binge watching before we return to being responsible.  Speaking of staying in, Happy Introvert Day. :) It's World Introvert Day! #WorldIntrovertDay #IntrovertDay #Paws pic.twitter.com/J6EymhhveC — HeyWhatDay (@HeyWhatDay) January 2, 2023 Anita Pointer of the Pointer Sisters passed away last week. Did you know one of the best bits on Sesame Street is theirs? Still singing this 40 years later. :) They didn’t have to go this hard pic.twitter.com/HJgJu1rn9M — South Centraleño (@IkeMoses) December 10, 2022 It's even cooler than I remembered.   Finally, here's a clever frog. I like how Koi are the golden retrievers of the fish world. 😂 A frog takes a wild ride. pic.twitter.com/Vbkjnbf3mP — Fascinating (@fasc1nate) December 30, 2022 That's all from ...

  Happy New Year, Readers! It's the first LSLT of 2023! As we begin a new year, it's nice to take a moment to reflect on what we read in the previous year, as well as our plans, hopes, goals as readers for this year. So, what was the best thing you read in 2022? What was the worst? What did you discover in your literary life in 2022? If you set any, did you attain your reading goals?  If you have any, what are your reading goals for 2023? And, are there any books, or bookish events, you're looking forward to this year? And, as always, don't forget to tell us: 1) What book did you most recently finish? 2) What book are you currently reading? 3) What's next on your "to be read" list? 4) Are you looking for any book recommendations? Do you have any recs for the rest of the readers here?

  Good morning, GT, and Happy New Year! How is everyone feeling today? Did y'all make it to midnight or did you knock out early?  I actually stayed up until midnight which I didn't think was going to happen. It was nice to see the fireworks but I'm tired. Stupid internal clock waking me up at 6am. No bueno. I feel like I could use another few hours of sleep. Maybe I'll try to nap later today.  Anyway, a new year always brings on some personal reflections for me and while I won't be making any new year's resolutions, I'm going to try to go into the new year with a mindset that's focused on personal growth. I've realized in the last few weeks that I have some stuff that's holding me back and that's no longer working for me. There's some internal stuff I need to work on and I think I've put it off long enough. For the last 6 years I've been so school/career focused but now that I've reached my BIG career goals it's become cle...