Update on Friday morning:
I got a report from ghostcat this morning – she has received $3,006, so we met our goal and have her Airbnb covered for 2 months while she plots out a plan for more permanent digs, and puts that all in motion.
Balloon Juice peeps are the best. Thanks, everyone!
Multiple people in the morning thread suggested that I re-post the information about ghostcat.
On Tuesday I wrote this:
Calling all BJ peeps who are organized and methodical, good at problem-solving and have familiarity with New Mexico and particularly the Las Cruces area.
We have a BJ peep whose new apartment fell through because it failed to pass some sort of inspection.– she was supposed to move in this weekend and is in kind of a panic. She has 4 cats as her family, and she is worried that she will have to give them up if she can’t come up with a solution.
In ghostcat’s own words:
I’m also autistic and my brain has limited executive functions for planning complicated things like moving long distance, and I find it hard to talk to people on the phone. There are too many moving pieces for me to handle right now. I’m having endless panic attacks over this and finding it difficult to cope.
There were lots of excellent, helpful responses in that thread, and I want to thank everyone who made suggestions or supplied information – that was all very helpful to ghostcat!
There were also a ton of people who offered to chip in some funds if that would help the situation.
And now we have a plan! $3,000 from Balloon Juice will turn our plan into a reality. BJ peeps sent her $1,800 today, and $1,200 more is needed to finalize her housing.
So here’s a more detailed update:
More than funds, what ghostcat really needed initially was some help thinking things through because she was so overwhelmed, help with making a plan while her brain was overwhelmed with anxiety, help with identifying options, and maybe even knowing she wasn’t alone in the boat. And you guys did that; all that’s left is the boost for covering the Airbnb, and the job that is supposed to resume on Sept 5.
Asking for funds wasn’t my first intention with the post, but now that we have a plan, funds will be most useful in implementing it.
Taking our sage advice :-) ghostcat is going to stay put in Las Cruces for while she figures out the next steps. We have secured a 2-month stay at an Airbnb that was considerably less expensive than even the Extended Stay hotel, where it was going to cost more to have the kitties there than the cost of the room itself!
Best of all, ghostcat gets to keep her 4 kitties with her, which was a major goal.
ghostcat has arranged for a Pod to store her furniture and for a person to get her stuff packed up (physical injury makes that tricky right now) and she is in the process of arranging for someone to haul away the junk she wants to leave behind.
If all goes as planned, her job will start again on Sept 5, at which point the proof of employment – requited by nearly all renters – shouldn’t be an issue, and she will have 5 weeks left at the Airbnb to figure out where she is going to go next and secure housing there.
Tomorrow morning, she moves out of her apartment and into the Airbnb.
I would guess that ghostcat’s anxiety level has moved from 15 (on a scale of 10) to about 9, which is a great improvement, but still a very tough place to be.
Details for ghostcat contributions thru Zelle or PayPal.
Use only the email address to make a donation – do not enter ghostcat for the name or you will be donating to some unknown person planet earth who is probably wondering why she is suddenly getting money from total strangers!
Open thread.
Update at 10 pm.
I just got a phone call from ghostcat – she has received $2,500 today, with $700 of that coming in after I put up this post. Jackals are good people!
Dangerman
As I posted this morning, well done, Jackals.
I see Trump proposed moving the Fed Trial to April, 2026. Seems rather unreasonable.
NJ Henderson
Hope ghostcat is down to a 1 soon!
Another Scott
Thanks for putting this up again. Donated.
Good luck ghostcat!
Cheers,
Scott.
MomSense
Ok I’ll go now and donate. Thanks for posting this!
dnfree
Also donated.
DarbysMom
Donated
WaterGirl
Thanks, you guys!
This is gonna be a real life-saver for ghostcat.
MomSense
Done!
Steeplejack
I kicked in a little more. I hope we can get her over the hump! 🤞
Omnes Omnibus
Is there a non-Zelle/non-PayPal way to donate?
Ken
This is your helpful reminder that when you say “the fed trial”, you have to say which one.
Odie Hugh Manatee
I just tried sending via Paypal and it choked on me. I’ll try it again in a bit and post back when successful (or…)!!
Ahllll beee baaack…
Jeffro
@Dangerman: it’s going to end up on SNL this weekend, I bet
“Your honor, defense counsel proposes moving the trial to August, 3045”
(they can take it from there) =)
Also, donated: best wishes, ghostcat!
Albatrossity
Done. And coincidentally, I just passed through Las Cruces on my way back from Arizona a couple of days ago. It was hot…
ToesInTheSand
Donated.
Jeffro
also, what in the actual IS this?
Awkward Americans See Themselves In Ron DeSantis
FOUL! Completely unfair to normal awkward Americans! DeSantis is in a league of his own.
Next up:
complete liars see themselves in Vivek Ramaswamy
America’s dementia patients see themselves in trump
hateful insurrectionists see themselves in Ted Cr…wait, never mind, no one could possibly see themselves in him
DO BETTER, Post!
mrmoshpotato
@Jeffro: Writers’ strike is ongoing I believe.
piratedan
@Ken: i think we’re going to have to come up with a semi-helpful shorthand
the documents trial – the classified documents handling fiasco
the pornstar trial – using campaign cash to pay off Stormy
the rape trial – the E. Jean Carroll case
the treason trial – the events from J6
the tax fraud trial – events pertaining to the Trump Org misdeeds
the Georgia Trial – events revolving around the Georgia crimes
Naturally, the jackaltariat can likely find better names, but just figured we needed a starting point
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: Any ideas for what that might be?
You could always send me a check and I could pass the amount on with Zelle.
chrisanthemama
I threw some love in the PayPal cup, and thanks for giving me the chance to help.
There is so little we can do, and it is so important that we do it.
Steeplejack
@Omnes Omnibus:
Send an email to WaterGirl (who I believe is off blog for the night). Zelle and PayPal were chosen because of the extreme time crunch. But I assume other donations would be gratefully accepted
ETA: D’oh! WaterGirl is still here.
WaterGirl
@piratedan:
documents
porn star
rape
treason
tax fraud
GA
Some enterprising person ought to be able to do something with all those words and letters.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: Steep said it better than I did.
Omnes Omnibus
No idea. That’s why I was asking.
raven
PayPal wants a name
eta
I used the email addy and ghostcast and it seemed to work
WaterGirl
@Steeplejack: I just did my time on the treadmill, winding down with a quick check on the internet.
And I haven’t played today’s Waffle yet!
WaterGirl
@raven: I think when it asked for a name earlier, it was because there was a typo in the email address.
Did you type it in or copy it?
I wonder if the underscore is throwing people off?
If you try again and it doesn’t work, send me an email and I will send you her name.
raven
@WaterGirl: I just copied it
Steeplejack
@raven:
You need the “as_” in front of the part you wrote (which I assume WaterGirl deleted).
WaterGirl
@raven: @Steeplejack:
It’s a hard email address!
It took me awhile to find the underscore on my phone.
Captain C
@piratedan:
This is like when he managed to bankrupt 3 casinos and run an entire football league into the ground in a ten year (or less) span, but much more criming in much less time. I have to say, when TFG fails (as he often does), he fails quite spectacularly.
Also, this is a good set of reference names.
CTlurker
I donated tonight
Villago Delenda Est
Totally OT (best of luck to ghostcat and her kitties, of course!): TFG’s hack mouthpieces say they can’t possibly be ready for trial in for the third set of indictments (Jan 6th) until April of 2026, citing the unprecedented persecution of their client by his political rival and the weaponized with entire armor divisions DoJ.
To say he and his hacks can FOAD is to not adequately express my feelings here. We could just skip the trial and go straight to prison time, of course.
mrmoshpotato
@Villago Delenda Est:
One way trip to the surface of the Sun.
WaterGirl
@Villago Delenda Est: This was such a stupid, stupid move on the part of Trump and his attorneys!
It’s such an outlandish idea that it seems to me that the judge is free to totally disregard it and give the the serious people the date they asked for.
Captain C
@WaterGirl:
I wonder if this is the kind of thing his lawyers give him in order to get him to stop doing or asking for something more harmful to his defense.
WaterGirl
@Captain C: Speaking of which, I thought this was interesting.
I wonder if they all got in the same room with him and said they would quit? That’s the way they got Trump to back down when he wanted to put the total hack in as AG.
Lyrebird
Said I would, and now I’ve done it!
Wish it could be more, but glad to send at least something.
And yeah moving is awful even without all the other challenges.
WaterGirl
@WaterGirl: The hack that he wanted to put in after his previous hack Billy F. Barr had resigned.
WaterGirl
Thanks to everyone who is donating.
Lyrebird
@Odie Hugh Manatee: fingers crossed!
FWIW paypal behaved itself for me. I copy-pasted the email address just in case. Who knows.
Lyrebird
@Jeffro: I am NOT CLICKING on that!
this very awkward American sees someone who would endanger the health and safety of kids in Ron DeSantis.
BethanyAnne
G’luck, Ghost and kitties. Donated.
WaterGirl
Update: I just got a phone call from ghostcat – she has received $2,500 today, with $700 of that coming in after I put up this post.
Jackals are good people. Almost there!
kalakal
donated
Steeplejack
@WaterGirl:
Good news!
Odie Hugh Manatee
I sent a donation via Paypal but it said that [email protected] needed a Paypal account to get the money, which makes no sense. Did I fudge it up or what? It sent a link for the money to that address.
Either way, there’s fifty bucks out there somewhere…lol
WaterGirl
@Odie Hugh Manatee: That is not her email address. :-)
you have to include the 2 letters at the beginning, and the underscore.
Yeah, you kinda goofed that one up. :-( You could write to that address again and say it was a mistake.
Kristine
Donated!
Odie Hugh Manatee
@WaterGirl:
I copy/pasta’d but must have missed that. Oh well, will do and try it again…lol!
Shit happens…
Odie Hugh Manatee
Got it reversed and resent! Done!!
Captain C
@WaterGirl:
Given that if he holds that presser there seems no way to mount an effective defense for him I wouldn’t be surprised if something like this transpired.
Wolvesvalley
Just sent a bit to ghostcat. So happy she’s found a place to stay (with the kitties!).
thruppence
Just donated (I think)
ghost cat
Yesterday was an awful day. My primary response to major stress isn’t to fight or flee. I freeze & collapse, which is counterproductive in my current situation. But you guys are a definite bright spot. I can’t thank all of you enough for your generosity and good wishes–I’m overwhelmed in a good way! Today & Saturday aren’t going to be much better. But after that, things will improve because I have a quiet place to land at an airbnb. Thank you to the person who suggested airbnbs. I would never have thought to look at them, and I found one that was the least expensive option overall. Best of all, the owner doesn’t care how many cats I have and doesn’t charge extra!
Thank you for giving me some breathing room to curl up with my kitties and recover from this truly awful week before I start looking for more permanent digs.
MomSense
@ghost cat:
We are all rooting for you and the kitties! Thank you for reaching out and asking for help.
WaterGirl
@Odie Hugh Manatee: Thanks for hanging in there until you got it done!
MazeDancer
@ghost cat: Sending you much Light & Peace. Moving is hard no matter what. Just get through these two rattling days and then relax. And just rest and regroup.
Best of luck to you!