European Tribune - Community, Politics & Progress.

I worry that I´ll never reach Firefox and TribExt level here because I can´t even find my right time zone.

It´s 18:5X in Madrid/Paris now, so what time zone should I choose to reflect that?

Our knowledge has surpassed our wisdom. --Charu Saxena.

by metavision on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 12:59:02 PM EST

If you mean in your user settings, it should be CET. That's what I set it at. But the server seems to miscalculate, and gives GMT for CET. It's 19:50 at the moment, for example, but ET tells me it's 18.50.

Not a very good reply, I'm afraid...

When locusts move on, they leave nothing behind

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 01:50:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Worse, if I choose GMT, it tells me it's 17.5x.

In other words, it looks as if the server is an hour out, or it's due to something else...

When locusts move on, they leave nothing behind

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 01:55:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

The server has been one hour our for me for a while.

We have met the enemy, and he is us — Pogo

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 02:13:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

http://real.jour.missouri.edu/content/global/gj030608.mp3

To get the right time for here (and Madrid), I have to set it to Eastern Europe, USSR (sic) Zone I.

When locusts move on, they leave nothing behind

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 01:58:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]

mini odds and ends (4.00 / 7)

1. The Peters: A Lavelle-Baker Smackdown.

Yes, this is my idea of a good time! Good job, PL!

2. Maslenitsa!

It's PANCAKE week in Russia. Woo Hoo! Click that <- link to read all about it.

Kyle breaks down the Pancake/Crepe/European Pancake/Blini Issue.

As you can see, there are some blogs where these matters can be discussed without blood being shed profusely. Civilized Russians. ;)

Also, In Lakhta-village near St. Petersburg, a Russian, 33, set a new record for pancakes. He ate 73 pancakes in 60 minutes and this achievement will be added to the Guinness Book of World Records

And a recipe for you!

Here's a Russian recipe for traditional Russian pancakes:
Мука 2,5 стакана [flour 2,5 cups]
Яйца 4-5 штука [eggs 4-5]
Сахар 100 г. [sugar 100 gr.]
Масло 200 г. [butter 200 gr.]
Молоко 3-4 стакана [Milk 3-4 cups]
Немножко соли [a little bit of salt]
Для обыкновенных, тонких блинчиков тесто готовят из муки, молока, яиц и соли.
Для начала нужно отделить желтки от белков. Затем растереть желтки с сахаром, понемногу вливая в полученную смесь молоко. Следом добавляют соль и растопленное, разогретое сливочное масло. Осторожно всыпают муку и размешивают до получения однородной массы (главное, чтобы не было комочков!). В последнюю очередь добавляют пену взбитых белков. Блинчики выпекаются на смазанных маслом раскаленных сковородках.

Translation of last part: mix it all up and fry it in a pan. I bet.

3. It's true - my vocab sucks. But I've recently been reminded of best way to brush up on your Russian language skills: find a charming Siberian boy who won't speak English (or whatever your native language is.) If you are lucky like me, you may be able to find such a fellow in Paris, or on facebook. No, you don't get a picture.

Instead I'll give you this one, of a different guy, which I find charming too.

Awww.

4. Headline: Will the Economist dumb down for America?

Laugh? Cry? What should I do? What did you do just now when you read that? You're not even here anymore, are you? You've just gone to throw yourself in front of a train. I'm talking to myself, aren't I?

5. Wait, why do you need me to do this when you have this?

~~~~

Ok, everyone, have a lovely weekend & International Women's Day, which we will be celebrating in the US by having an entire hour of our lives taken away, poof!, just like that. Nothing really says appreciation like "don't expect any parades and just do everything you'd do normally on a saturday like errands and such, but this time in 23 hours." I'm not bitter that I live in a country that doesn't have holidays for women and pancakes, really, I'm not. Hillary should put these in her platform. Would win outright...

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

by poemless on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 02:13:58 PM EST

Re: Friday Open Thread (4.00 / 3)

This is awesome.

The greatest accidental monument to the housing bubble I could've imagined: A 150-story, 1200-unit building of condos priced from $750k to $40m. It's even shaped like a giant screw!

Now if we could just put that statue of Saddam from Baghdad on top of it, it'd be perfect.

Where's your motherf*%&ing flag pin?

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 02:43:28 PM EST

I posted that some time ago. Since then I've become slightly less terrified about it, as a zillion new gigantic skyscrapers are going up every day, including a new Trump Tower. Hopefully this monstrosity will get lost in the mix...

Still.

A Screw.

Well, this is the city the decided to build a UFO atop a neoclassical landmark, destroying its landmark status:

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

by poemless on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 02:51:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I think we should turn it into Section 8 housing once it fails. Throw a good scare into all the rich Yuppies downtown.

Where's your motherf*%&ing flag pin?

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 02:56:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]

OMG, they wouldn't even let Daley put a childrens' museum downtown because they didn't want bus loads of poor (read: black) kids in their backyard (read: the park which technically belongs to all Chicagoans).

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

by poemless on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:10:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Wouldn't let him? He's Daley. I thought he was supposed to be the all-powerful dictator of Chicago. Plus, it's going to be empty, so they'll have to do something with it. Ram it down their throats!

Where's your motherf*%&ing flag pin?

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:12:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

1. Well, so far they haven't. We may wake up one day to find large X's in the park where he plans to break ground for it.

Like he did when he wanted to turn the airport into a park but they would not let him. Airport employees arrived one day to find the runways looking like this:

Now a park.

2. Soldier Field is not empty. Which is shocking considering how bad the Bears have been doing.

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

by poemless on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:18:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]

So, you can see how Putin & Co. don't shock me with their authoritarian antics...

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

by poemless on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:20:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

An admirable trait in you, imho n/t (none / 0)

"C'est un scandale !"

by redstar on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:44:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: An admirable trait in you, imho n/t (4.00 / 3)

Oh dear. I've actually gone up about 1.5 on the Authoritarian/Libertarian axis of the Political Compass. I'm beginning to believe my own propaganda. It must be of some consolation that I've also become a smidgen more economically liberal. omg. More authoritarian and more economically liberal? Maybe I really am a Communist...

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

by poemless on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 04:23:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

You mean you're moving left on that scale? (none / 1)

(Sorry, I have a broken economic vocabulary clock ... for me, moving right is becoming more liberal).

BTW, where were you to begin with? I was getting sort of lonely all alone in the upper left quadrant, be nice to have some company...

"C'est un scandale !"

by redstar on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 04:40:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: You mean you're moving left on that scale? (4.00 / 2)

Oh, I'm still firmly in the lower left quadrant, just a bit higher up and a bit more to the left.

At this rate I'll be a Stalinist when I'm 50.

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

by poemless on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 04:45:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: You mean you're moving left on that scale? (none / 0)

Ah, it must be age. I must have about a decade on you.

I think working in finance also makes one quite cynical.

"C'est un scandale !"

by redstar on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 04:54:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: You mean you're moving left on that scale? (none / 1)

FWIW, I'm 33.

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

by poemless on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 04:56:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: You mean you're moving left on that scale? (none / 1)

Ah. Not a decade then.

Must be too much work on schemes to help rich people avoid taxes and make more money which has jaded me.

"C'est un scandale !"

by redstar on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 05:02:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I think Rudy! weirds me out a lot more than Daley or even Putin ever could, as far as authoritarianism goes.

Where's your motherf*%&ing flag pin?

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:48:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]

That's pretty bizarre.

Sure, Soldier Field isn't empty. People watch football even when the team sucks. But this isn't Soldier Field. Are these really going to sell well?

Where's your motherf*%&ing flag pin?

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:40:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Oh, you mean The Screw. Yes, they are in the process of tearing down all of the projects, so those people will need somewhere to go, so yes, we could put them up in this monstrosity.

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

by poemless on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:44:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Yeah, wouldn't do well to put them in Soldier Field given the weather there. ;)

Where's your motherf*%&ing flag pin?

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:47:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I'll give them $100k for a 1br.

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 02:52:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

If by "1br" you mean "broom closet in the basement," they may accept your offer.

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

by poemless on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 02:55:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Indeed. If they want an empty building, hey, that's their choice as capitalists.

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 02:57:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

They seem determined to produce that outcome here in DC. There's one big condo building down the road from me that had been selling one-beds for $300k (outside the Beltway in a working-class/young-professional neighborhood). Now they're down to $250k and still sitting empty. Similar story all over town, even farther in, in the more desirable neighborhoods.

Where's your motherf*%&ing flag pin?

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:01:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Looks like a giant vibrator to me. (4.00 / 2)

Also works as an analogy, though in a slightly different way.

"C'est un scandale !"

by redstar on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:06:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Looks like a giant vibrator to me. (4.00 / 2)

Good enough, so long as the Saddam statue goes on top instead of the antenna. It would, especially empty, be the perfect Bush Library.

Where's your motherf*%&ing flag pin?

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:08:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Saddam? Man, given how they've stacked the (none / 1)

SC(R)OTUS, I'd think maybe John Robert's ass would be better to have on top, with Sam Alito straddling the thing.

"C'est un scandale !"

by redstar on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:11:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Saddam? Man, given how they've stacked the (none / 1)

Nah. They're not wingnutty enough to be given that kind of privilege. Scalia tops everybody there.

Where's your motherf*%&ing flag pin?

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:13:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Heh. But if they did that, they'd need it in the (none / 1)

form of a fist.

Somehow I think that's more his style...

"C'est un scandale !"

by redstar on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:20:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Been to an international property show and you certainly can hear the under current of reality blowing through.

USA property sellers are only getting the naive coming onto their stands. Good luck.

British property is getting a little interest but if you say "thanks but no thanks there's no profit there" they reply "a lot of people have been saying that". Same with western europe generally, the french stand is empty and I've never seen that before. Spain is only on the margins, that money has flown away from their shit legislation.

A couple of german stands which I've not seen before. I am still interested in Berlin but it's a sleeper, not for the short term.

Eastern Europe is getting a good sell, more interest than I've seen before. Romania is very attractive and getting a good sell; but the same old crap Bansko ski resorts in Bulgaria are going nowhere for anyone that's done their homework. Sofia is looking good tho'.

Northern Cyprus appears for the first time !! : Not bad, just a month after the election and a pretty professional presentation. A lot of southern cyprus that relly just looks mined out.

Quite a bit of egypt, but to my eyes it's the wrong product at the wrong time.

Dubai seems risky and isn't getting much interest. Seen one stand for India which looks interesting, but the legislative climate may not be right.

Haven't seen anything in any other asian areas yet (only got half way round, I'll do the rest tomorrow)

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:28:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I believe this is being done by an Irish developer.

Where's your motherf*%&ing flag pin?

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:41:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]

A giant screw?

Weird. I had something else in mind.

Facts, selfish little bastards. They don't even care about your feelings.

by Francois in Paris on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 05:47:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (4.00 / 4)

since the petition drive seems to have stalled somewhat, I was wondering if I could hand out handbills in some city or other to spread the word and get people to sign up.

If so, what text on the handbill do you think would be advisable to use?

As you can tell, I am very determined TO STOP BLAIR and am willing to spend time, effort & money to do so.

by zoe on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:27:12 PM EST

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/mar/07/tonyblair.usa

Tony Blair is to take up a senior academic post in the autumn at one of America's most prestigious universities teaching politics and religion.

Yale confirmed yesterday he is to join the schools of management and divinity, at the campus in New Haven, Connecticut.

He will combine his work at Yale with his duties as a special envoy to the Quartet, an international body committed to peace in the Middle East.

He is to spend part of each month in London and part in New Haven.

by zoe on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:42:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Tony wil combine his works with as many other prestigious gigs that pour big wads of tax-exempt cash into his ever expanding back-pocket.

A day here, an hour there; my, it's a busy life being an international jet-setting pious seeker of mammon.

I guess poodlehood feels a lot better from the back of a yatch.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:58:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Yale seems to be popular with the war criminal crowd. George W Bush is a graduate of Yale.

by zoe on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 04:00:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Aznar also was rewarded for his services with a gig at Georgetown.

We have met the enemy, and he is us — Pogo

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 04:26:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Does that mean we contributed to stop Blair already?

We have met the enemy, and he is us — Pogo

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 04:26:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I won't trust him to be stopped until I see him buried.

by zoe on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 04:37:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

BBC NEWS | UK | Blair to teach in the US on faith

The story I saw said it was a one-term gig, so it may be one of those academic goodies about which much fuss is made that quietly fades into oblivion.

Reuters, via TPM: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/03/former_british_leader_tony_bla.php

by Mnemosyne on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 07:11:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (4.00 / 5)

Tony Blair is to teach students at Yale University in the US when he leads a seminar on faith and globalisation.
The former prime minister has been appointed as a fellow at Yale and will begin teaching next year.

Perhaps we can start hunting signatures amongst Yale students.

Life should consist in at least fifty percent pure waste of time, and the rest doing what you please.

by ceebs (bunchofwankers (at) gmail (dot) com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 03:32:33 PM EST

This diary has a kitten rolling a joint and passing it over. It's the cutest image I've seen in ages. Go check it out

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 04:20:16 PM EST

isn't it making the tower from further up this page?

Life should consist in at least fifty percent pure waste of time, and the rest doing what you please.

by ceebs (bunchofwankers (at) gmail (dot) com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 04:24:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Now you mention it.....

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 04:26:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Absolutely spliffing...

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 04:30:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

For all your EU Blogging (none / 1)

Nosemonkey has put an EU blog directory up. Check it out.

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 05:09:33 PM EST

Re: For all your EU Blogging (4.00 / 2)

Big Boys, eh?

European Tribune
- A European off-shoot of big liberal US blogs The Daily Kos and The Booman Tribune, the real benefit is in the community - as shown via the "Diaries", miniature blogs by the site's regular users that contain numerous gems. Sadly, though, the Diary section doesn't have its own RSS feed.

Sad, indeed...

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

by poemless on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 05:12:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: For all your EU Blogging (4.00 / 2)

I don't know much about RSS feed but ...

Doesn't the Ralston/Purina company make a RSS-Chow©? I know they have Dog-Chow, Cat-Chow, Rabbit-Chow, Cow-Chow, and Horse-Chow for feeding dogs, cats, rabbits, cows, and horses, respectively. Maybe if we fed it more, or better, the RSS would go and encompass the Diaries.

Or is are the diaries like a plant, requiring constant application of manure (a.k.a., Bull Shit), upon which the RSS feed feeds?

It's all too complex. For me.

Och nu den svenska kocken bakar en Alaskan älg jägare. Bonk! Bonk! Bonk!

by ATinNM on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 05:31:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Big boys, big girls... (none / 0)

I would do anything for an odds & ends feed...

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 09:19:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: For all your EU Blogging (none / 0)

Congratulations, nanne!

Our knowledge has surpassed our wisdom. --Charu Saxena.

by metavision on Sat Mar 8th, 2008 at 06:41:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (4.00 / 3)

Time to get out your dancing shoes?

Margret thatcher taken to hospital for "Precautionary tests".

Life should consist in at least fifty percent pure waste of time, and the rest doing what you please.

by ceebs (bunchofwankers (at) gmail (dot) com) on Fri Mar 7th, 2008 at 06:27:48 PM EST

Oh, she's stable. No singing 'ding dong...' yet.

Ad astra per aspera

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Sat Mar 8th, 2008 at 03:07:35 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (4.00 / 7)

Here's what it looks like in Colorado right now... Pike's Peak is the white one on the left. These are the "death trains" carrying Wyoming coal to various power plants...

by asdf on Sat Mar 8th, 2008 at 12:23:23 AM EST

Glad to see you still have snow!

Our knowledge has surpassed our wisdom. --Charu Saxena.

by metavision on Sat Mar 8th, 2008 at 06:40:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]