Open Thread on Saturday

by afew
Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 11:17:49 AM EST

Who knows what's what?


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...or how's how?
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 11:18:43 AM EST
In hollywierd movies we always simply said "how." We never knew why they had ndns saying that, but more important, they never answered the next question, "why."

still waiting.

Skennah Kowa

by Crazy Horse on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 05:25:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
OTOH 'How?' should replace the platitudinous 'How are you?' as a basic journalistic greeting - for Second Nationers.

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 05:35:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
What's wrong with "orite luv?"

Ad astra per aspera
by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 07:10:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"orite me ducks?"

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Mon Aug 30th, 2010 at 08:09:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Another beautiful, cool, dry day in the Ozarks. I'll be outside much of the day.

As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 11:32:34 AM EST
Dry and breezy here, clouds have rolled in but don't think it's gonna do much more than shower if anything.

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 02:21:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
For the second day inaro, rain until the Viertelfest began. (Das Viertelfest is the annual celebration of my neighborhood, where 45,000 of my closest friends gather on four live stages, two art stages, 20 unbooked in the corner stages, with enough western alcohol to keep the streets sanitized until the next fest.)

How weird that the rains stopped, and the sky became blue and clear, each time the music was turned on, and is still lasting.

I made it home safely, where i can enjoy my schizophrenia from the music of two of the stages leaking brilliantly into my Wohnung, where the windows are closed for the first time since May.

I am always surprised how many beautiful young women live in Bremen, surrounded by beautiful young men acting as if they don't have to understand these beauties. Perhaps i'm not surprised that they're always drunk, given the current prohibitions.

At least it's better than the million people in our harbor city Bremerhaven, where our leader is, surrounded by the best remaining sailing ships and clippers of our world, at Sail Bremerhaven. The offshore wind companies are having a field day (sea day?), inviting all who matter to partake in the party.

it's a good day to be in Nord Deutschland.

Skennah Kowa

by Crazy Horse on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 05:42:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Brown out at the Edinburgh Book Festival | Love and Garbage - some commonplace musings
This morning I attended the Edinburgh book festival with a gaggle of children to see the fabulous Steve Cole. Cole is a children's author with (at least) 4 series running at the moment: Slime Squad (genetically modified monsters who live on rubbish heaps); Astrosaurs (dinosaurs who fly spaceships); Astrosaurs Academy (the prequels to Astrosaurs); and Cows in Action (about time travelling cows fighting to save history from the Fed-up Bull Institute - check the acronyms).


never let desperation get in the way of judgement.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 11:45:29 AM EST
Not that any of you should feel threatened:
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR...
  • SAINT MARTIN AND SAINT BARTHELEMY
  • ANTIGUA...BARBUDA...MONTSERRAT...ST. KITTS...NEVIS...AND ANGUILLA
  • ST. MAARTEN...SABA...AND ST. EUSTATIUS
[...]
AT 1100 AM AST...1500 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM EARL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 51.8 WEST. EARL IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 18 MPH...30 KM/HR. A TURN TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST WITH A SLIGHT DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF EARL COULD APPROACH THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS ON SUNDAY NIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 60 MPH...95 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. ALTHOUGH NO CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS LIKELY TODAY....EARL COULD
STILL BECOME A HURRICANE ON SUNDAY.



"Beware of the man who does not talk, and the dog that does not bark." Cheyenne
by maracatu on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 11:55:50 AM EST
About to sit down for traditional crayfish dinner with some Finns who live most of the year in Geneva. Paper people.

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 12:12:13 PM EST
It's mid-morning!

Eating dinner awfully early, aren't cha?

:-)

If you never fail, you're not trying hard enough.

by ATinNM on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 12:25:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
We're late actually. Either my friends' kids have to go to bed now, or then stay up till after the dinner - either way it's going to be trouble.

And now I shall reveal a little secret: some of the crayfish came from China. Don't tell anyone.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 12:47:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
We were fortunate to have with us our Swedish MI guy who is an aquavit expert and who never offers a selection of less than 6. My favourite - the name of which I cannot recall because I have been drinking it - is salmiac-based.

I had 10 crayfish, if you're interested.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 02:40:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Whining or bragging.

:-)

What dipping sauces were available?

If you never fail, you're not trying hard enough.

by ATinNM on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 03:18:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Tsiisus! The schnapps is the dipping sauce.

</Swedish cultural lesson>

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 03:20:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Ah.

So you dipped the crayfish in the schnapps and drank the garlic/butter sauce?

And if you're in:

why are you giving Swedish Cultural Lessons?

(I'm so confused.)

:-9

If you never fail, you're not trying hard enough.

by ATinNM on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 03:29:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I spend most of my time with Finlandsvensk (sic).

BTW the aquavit in question was 'Gammal Norrlands'. Excellent! And it wasn't salmiac, it was anise and fennel - which shows how much I know.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 04:12:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Anise has a liquorice flavor, but lacks the 'saltiness' of salmiakki/salmiac (ammonium chloride) that the Finns are so fond of. Must admit I'm still working on developing my taste buds for that one. Pretty sure I wouldn't have a problem liking the Gammal Norrlands though.
by sgr2 on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 04:46:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The thing is, it's smooth. I hate those aquavits that burn.

Mind you, I've spent the last hour discussing Kosovo brown coal Alpha and Bravo plants with the MI guy - which somewhat mitigates the effects of the aquavit - in any direction.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 05:11:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I hate those aquavits that burn.

Bäska droppar, flavoured with wormwood... ;)

My favourite is Reimersholms Herrgårds aquavit, which tastes a bit of whiskey.

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.

by Starvid (arvid.hallen at gmail.com) on Sun Aug 29th, 2010 at 04:57:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Presumably one could do a kinda tequila thing and take the salt before the schnapps.

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 05:14:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I was hoping to get some insight on the future strategies of the Finnish paper industry, but no,  its already lapsed into ribald surrealism....

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 03:24:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Paper Strategy?  

I don't know.  Pulp some of those trees you've got hanging around?  

And, just for me, shout out to everyone ....

SKÅL!

If you never fail, you're not trying hard enough.

by ATinNM on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 03:39:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Done.

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 04:13:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Medical Use of Marijuana Costs Some a Paycheck - NYTimes.com
Residents in 14 states and Washington can now appeal to their doctors for prescriptions for medical marijuana to help them with their pain.


never let desperation get in the way of judgement.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 12:20:26 PM EST
When you're only halfway through putting a quote together

Medical Use of Marijuana Costs Some a Paycheck - NYTimes.com

Their employers, however, may not be so understanding.

In some cases, workers have been fired for failing drug tests despite having prescriptions saying, in effect, that what they are doing is legal according to the laws of their states.



never let desperation get in the way of judgement.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 12:22:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]
getting ready to camping tomorrow near the national park of abruzzo for a week, (bears, golden eagles!), doing a course in cob building, then visiting one of my oldest friends near Monte Nero.

will be offline, have fun, i look forward to catching up with y'all upon return.

Hopeful pessimist, hopeless optimist, it's a fine line

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 12:34:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Are those bears European Brown Bears? And have they become nuisances around trash cans and camper's food supplies, as in the US with Black Bears? In any case, take care.

As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 01:38:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
wow, I'm jealous about the cob building course. I'd love to do one but it's a lot of money to lay out when I'll have next to no chance of doing one in the near future.

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 02:17:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
well, i'll let you know how it goes. they aren't asking anything but donations of food...

it'll be good to get away from the daily responsibilities for a few days, and to get into a simpler lifestyle, sleeping 'rough' under the stars. the weather prediction is solid golden, as the whole last month has been, lovely late summer weather.

i think they're little eurobears, ARG. thanks for the warning though!

Hopeful pessimist, hopeless optimist, it's a fine line

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 08:08:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Workers of the World Unite with the GOP!!!

Typical quote:

To my hardworking, patriotic brothers and sisters in the labor movement: you don't have to put up with the scare tactics and the big government agenda of the union bosses.

Welcome to Bizarro World.

If you never fail, you're not trying hard enough.

by ATinNM on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 12:57:16 PM EST
I don't view this as a surprise, they'll lie about anything and everything, especially as to whether they give a shit if grandma lives or dies.

So sure they're gonna dress themselves up as a blue collar care organisation.

I'm just concerned whether anybody outside of the Teabaggers buys into this bs.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 01:02:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
It's a forthright, not too subtle, attempt to divide the union movement.  Under George Meany (circa 1970) the AFL-CIO was BFF with Republicans.  Richard L. Trumka, the current president, has been singing a vastly different tune.

If you never fail, you're not trying hard enough.
by ATinNM on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 01:10:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]
If people voted for their own self-interest, Republicans would get about 3% of the vote, Democrats would get about 30%, and "other" would pick up the rest.
Disclaimer: I'm just pulling those numbers out of the air, but it's hard for me to imagine anyone who actually works for a living having a good reason to vote Republican.  It's hard for anyone who would like something resembling civilization to exist in 50 years to justify such a self-destructive act.

¤¤¤ It is good to live in a time of great depravity, for one may earn a reputation for virtue at little cost. ~ Montaigne ¤¤¤
by Andhakari (andhakari at yahoo dot com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 01:44:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"To my hardworking friends in the union movement: Forget for the moment that we wanted GM and Chrysler to collapse and put you out of a job...."

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.
by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 03:23:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The cops are up to their usual tricks

Guardian - 'Phantom' oil slick was a smear against Climate Camp

Unfortunately, coverage of the day was dominated by a hallmark Climate Camp smear story splashed across the media. According to a police press release  put out at noon: "a substance similar to diesel or vegetable oil" spilled onto two major roads in Edinburgh." We understand that some journalists had been told about it by the police earlier.

Worryingly, almost every media organisation, from the Scotsman to the Financial Times, re-reported this despite no evidence of any kind having been presented to link this oil spill - if it happened - to the camp: no pictures of the spill; no traffic reports showing disruption; no bystanders or drivers complaining; no banner; no word from any climate activist on any website saying they did it. It appears to have been a phantom oil spill.



keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 01:00:37 PM EST
So why don't the reporters involved name and shame the police officers involved in these smears?

never let desperation get in the way of judgement.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 01:30:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Cos they don't want to upset a useful source of "good" stories

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 02:16:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC News - Government confirms plan to scrap NHS Direct helpline

The government has confirmed it is planning to scrap the NHS Direct telephone service in England and replace it with a cheaper option.

A new 1-1-1 helpline is already being piloted in north-east England.

It was previously reported that the new service may replace NHS Direct, but now the Department of Health has confirmed it will definitely do so.

The move comes as the government curtails public spending, even though it has promised to protect the NHS.

The change will not affect existing NHS helpline services in Scotland and Wales.



never let desperation get in the way of judgement.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 01:32:37 PM EST
It's difficult cos I don't think it was a service that was well defined.

I used it once and found it useful. But many have suggested (ie plural of anecdote) that their recommendations boiled down to;-
a)go to emergency
b) see your doctor

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 02:19:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I've been helped by them before and it can be reassuring to have someone who knows the right things tell you that although you are horribly ill, you aren't in a state where you need to panic.  Equally when you can't get in to see a GP or you have one that doesn't want to listen to anything you say, you can get useful information from NHS Direct.

Personally I don't know if that is a good enough use of money in itself.  Is NHS Direct linked to out of hours GP/Dental services?

Ad astra per aspera

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 02:27:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]
They keep scrapping services and proposing that functions be privatised or a cheaper option found... why don't they attempt to reform underperforming services coherently, rather than throw everything out to the rats?

Ad astra per aspera
by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 02:20:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
cos conservatives don't want govt to work, they want to show that it can't work. So they make a mess of everything and then say "see, it's crap, we ought to privatise and make it run better/more efficiently/cheaper"

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 02:24:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Yep.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.
by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 03:27:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Odd thing happened to me last night at a beer festival I attended.

A chap, looking not unlike Daniel Hannan but probably not, asked me if I wanted to discuss Fascist politics. It was a novel conversation opener and I'm afraid I simply demurred, saying "I don't think so".

I'd seen him earlier and noted his badge of crossed Union Jack and Cross of St George (flags of UK & England) which made me wonder. But in hindsight I think I should have been amazed that the right wing are so confident to be chatting people up in pubs.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 01:56:41 PM EST
I'm surprised he wasn't busy Oop North

never let desperation get in the way of judgement.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 02:47:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
He's probably as contemptuous of northerners as he is of muslims

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 02:57:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
That's...not good.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.
by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 03:28:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]
This is common. There is an arrogance amongst the right that is quite breathtaking. It is perfectly acceptable for them to make up "facts" and then confront somebody with them, but if you respond with actual facts, then you are an anti-social boor and off their list of friends. Happens all the time.

Frequently it takes the form of an irrelevant parenthetical comment. "My wife? Oh, I met her back in the late 1970s when Carter, the worst president ever, was in office. We dated for a while and then decided to move in together..."

Or "How dare you point out that snopes.com says that my example of the school answering machine message that shows how teachers really think was actually part of a political smear campaign? I'm not going to be your Facebook friend any more."

by asdf on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 09:29:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Noam Chomsky to become new X-Factor judge | NewsBiscuit

Professor of linguistics and political campaigner Noam Chomsky has been confirmed as the new judge on TV talent show The X Factor. `Cheryl Cole was still recovering from malaria and we needed someone who could fill the intellectual void,' said programme creator Simon Cowell, `Professor Chomsky is perfect and the audience just loves him.'

In his first outing as judge, Chomsky quickly made his mark. `Your act is part of a propaganda state promoting a culture-ideology of comforting illusion', he told one hopeful young girl, before adding, `I'm saying yes.'



never let desperation get in the way of judgement.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 03:29:35 PM EST
Not satisfied with attacking the acts, Professor Chomsky then turned his critique on The X Factor audience. `You are all complicit in a hegemonic construct designed primarily to keep you from questioning what is really going on in the world,' he told them, `You must learn to think critically and reject the pernicious cult of celebrity.' It was at this point that the audience went wild, whooping, cheering and chanting his name. `We love you Chomsky!' they screamed as the 81 year-old professor sat at the table with his head in his hands.

LOL


If you never fail, you're not trying hard enough.

by ATinNM on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 03:41:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Wonder what the crowd reaction would have been if I was in Chomsky's shoes:

"You're all a bunch of braindead cattle waiting to be butchered, and you deserve your fate."

I love the smell of roast chicken in the morning!

by THE Twank (yatta blah blah @ blah.com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 07:00:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
There is little chance one could mistake you for Chomsky...

"Ce qui vient au monde pour ne rien troubler ne mérite ni égards ni patience." René Char
by Melanchthon on Sun Aug 29th, 2010 at 09:07:41 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I don't think that was my point. I just wondered what the crowd reaction would be to some, in-your-face here's the bad news, you idiot motherfuckers, message.

I love the smell of roast chicken in the morning!
by THE Twank (yatta blah blah @ blah.com) on Sun Aug 29th, 2010 at 09:28:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I thought that was what Simon Cowell did

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Aug 29th, 2010 at 09:46:45 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Never saw the show so can't comment.

I love the smell of roast chicken in the morning!
by THE Twank (yatta blah blah @ blah.com) on Sun Aug 29th, 2010 at 09:56:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Teh Onion does it better...
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Aug 28th, 2010 at 03:47:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]


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