By Lambert Strether of Corrente

Bird Song of the Day

Common Loon, Redstone Lake, Ontario, Canada. “A few calls and some splashes; quiet background of good quality alarm calls.”

Readers, I hadn’t planned on a Water Cooler today, but suddenly my timeline was overwhelmed by the phrase “unburdened by what has been.” Left, right, center, all sides “unburdened by what has been.”

Here is the origin, and I might as well deal with the matter now:

(I have made it my rule never to cite to DNC or RNC “research,” but I’m breaking it this one time. I assume they’re not faking it because they don’t have to.)

• But tonight I say, we must move forward, not backward; upward, not forward; and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom.

• I, as leader, will use power like a drum, and leadership like a violin. Take out any idea. Compare ideas, with the one idea left we are left you have no doubt and without a doubt we have enthusiasm!

Time to throw another shrimp on the barbie.

Contact information for plants: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. From Upstater:

Upstater writes: “It’s that time of year! These are Japanese irises, rhizomes from a neighbor long since passed, but alway a reminder of friendship.”

Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn’t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I’m on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:

Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:

If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!

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