Weekend Overtly Open Thread

by afew Sat Nov 17th, 2012 at 12:56:14 PM EST

WOOT!

Weekend Overtly Open Thread | 33 comments (33 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (none / 0)

I know, I know.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Nov 17th, 2012 at 12:56:58 PM EST

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (4.00 / 4)

Had a bit of a company party yesterday. 125 very thirsty souls. I don't know where we put them all, except there was a permanent megagaggle of smokers freezing in the garden - which made space. I have been smoke-free since Nov 1. Well nicotine-free, anyway.

At some point in the weekend recovery process I'll edit some video of the Singing D jamming a few numbers with the band.

I do hope the goth coder got back to Helsinki OK. I think his internal satnav was on the blink. Not everyone is familiar with the principle rule of Finnish adult parties: thou mayest drink until very happy, but not beyond. For example, a comedy writer and performer who ignored such conventions was found, so I heard later, at 3am asleep in the office toilet.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Nov 17th, 2012 at 01:30:51 PM EST

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (4.00 / 4)

You can always put a rocket stove outside for the smokers now that it's cold

Cover it with an oil drum with a low level smoke pipe and it becomes warm table to congregate around

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Nov 18th, 2012 at 06:54:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (4.00 / 2)

Brilliant. I'd rather make tortillas with it though.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sun Nov 18th, 2012 at 10:52:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (4.00 / 3)

Nate Silver: it's the numbers, stupid.

The poker player and baseball nerd turned political forecaster won fame after predicting the result of the US election with uncanny accuracy. And as his star rises so too does that of a whole new generation of 'quants' leading the digital revolution.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Nov 17th, 2012 at 03:04:41 PM EST

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (4.00 / 4)

On punditry:

"Numbers aren't perfect, but for me, it's numbers with all their imperfections versus bullshit."

Excellent.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.

by Drew J Jones (pedobear@pennstatefootball.com) on Sat Nov 17th, 2012 at 09:08:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (none / 0)

when your competititon is Dick Morris, you don't have to try too hard.

Tho' now anonymous are claiming they stopped a concerted GOP inspired vote fraud. No idea if it's true, but I'm pretty sure that ORCA wasn't it

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Nov 18th, 2012 at 06:57:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (none / 1)

Somethng atruck me. If it becomes standard that poll movements are interpreted by statisticians and not journalists and pundits, then it will be less important for politicians to talk up their chances as currently that bullshit is in great part aimed at the journalists.

A vote for PES is a vote for EPP! A vote for EPP is a vote for PES! Support the coalition, vote EPP-PES in 2009!

by A swedish kind of death on Sun Nov 18th, 2012 at 02:41:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (4.00 / 2)

It's not something you can regulate, but if the truth gap between statistical analysis and punditry can be established in Joe Public's mind - i.e. Joe's perceptions are altered - it would be useful.

"Fact-checking" has been a new sideshow in this latest US Presidential campaign and it has been creeping into other areas. We hope it grows in acceptance. It's obvious that the usual Politico/Media/Corporate Lobby exchange of ideological opinions is mostly unsupported gainsaying, with any cracks in their logic papered over by numbers plucked from 'reports'.

The source of reports can be almost any organization, however tangential, with a serious name. The key to opinionating is the "bite". The bite can come from any part of the audio-visual spectrum. Soundbites tend to dominate because they fit easily into ADD news presentations, and yield instant headlines. Picture bites require, for instance, vice-presidential candidates to wash already clean dishes in soup kitchens to show their compassion. A statbite is, e.g. "8.9% unemployment".

The promotion of fact-checking, in which rigorous independent statistical analysis plays a major part, is a vital part that I guess we all here at ET would encourage.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sun Nov 18th, 2012 at 04:31:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (none / 1)

I think there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth in media towers across the US; currently there isn't the infrastructure in place to support the regular propagation of truth telling

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Nov 18th, 2012 at 04:49:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (none / 1)

Current infrastructure will go on telling bedtime stories to infantilised citizens. They'll just have to appear to integrate a new element with some new experts.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Mon Nov 19th, 2012 at 01:43:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (none / 0)

`Anonymous' crashes hundreds of Israeli websites over Gaza air assault

"For far too long, Anonymous has stood by with the rest of the world and watched in despair the barbaric, brutal and despicable treatment of the Palestinian people in the so called `Occupied Territories' by the Israel Defence Force," Anonymous said in a statement.
"But when the government of Israel publicly threatened to sever all Internet and other telecommunications into and out of Gaza they crossed a line in the sand."
The group threatened Israel with the "unbridled wrath of Anonymous" if it went ahead with the Internet cable cut.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Nov 17th, 2012 at 03:17:11 PM EST

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (none / 0)

I think internet connectivity is the least of the Gazan's concerns right now

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Nov 18th, 2012 at 06:59:13 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (none / 0)

As in many mid-east countries, the ability to organize and inform online is crucially important.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sun Nov 18th, 2012 at 07:15:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (4.00 / 2)

Israel is well aware of this and has tried to fight the war on Twitter as well. It sounds as though they aren't doing a good job.

One of the greatest communication weaknesses of the pro-Israel camp consists of having failed to understand how horizontal social media work. Bragging about the "elimination" of an enemy might not be the best choice of PR to begin with, but it does bring an instantaneous backlash in an environment such as Twitter, where users all around the world are quick to fire back, pointing at you as a warmonger.
On Twitter a reply can have the same weight of the original tweet -- which, among other things, means that numbers matter. Yet the pro-Israel camp, traditionally relying on a relatively small number of very active netizens, seems still used to a blog-like style of communication, where comments are nothing more than background noise. On the other hand the pro-Palestinian camp, galvanized by the social media activism surrounding the Arab revolutions, seems much more at ease with a horizontal style of communication - not to mention the fact that it can count on a much larger base.
What struck me the most, however, is how the IDF appears to have underestimated the current self-consciousness of social media companies. Only a few months after the "Innocence of Muslim" affair (when a 14-minute-long, ludicrously low quality video claiming to be the trailer of a movie was posted on YouTube by an obscure user, causing world wide unrest), the last thing Twitter and YouTube want is to be dragged into a war.

by gk (g k quattro due due sette "at" gmail.com) on Mon Nov 19th, 2012 at 02:15:35 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (none / 0)

I wonder what will happen to these fun and games comments when Israel finally crosses the line and lights up a real war in the Mideast.

I suppose it depend on the prevailing winds at the time. Desperate little paranoid countries with piles of nukes and ever-increasing population fear. EVEN IF only three civilized people and 50 savages have been killed, ideology grows stronger and stronger.

WW4. I see no stories about Palestine.

Align culture with our nature.

by ormondotvos (ormond no spam lmi net no spam) on Mon Nov 19th, 2012 at 01:03:35 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (none / 0)

given that Iran still exists, I think ~~Israel~~ Netenyahu and Likud have accepted that they can only start a full ME war when a republican gets into the WH; which, happily, may not be for quite some while

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Mon Nov 19th, 2012 at 02:45:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

I suppose it would be unsporting (none / 0)

to mention the rugby, in presence of our host.
<rimshot>

Oh well. Before posting this, I observed a minute's silence, in honour of the Welsh team that was so great last year and now seems dead and buried... No dishonour in being beaten by a great Argentinian side last week, but Samoa...

An excellent match shaping up this evening, France coming back to 17-13 over Argentina after trailing for most of the first half.

To my surprise, I am pleased that Australia beat England this afternoon. Normally I am pleased when anyone beats the Aussies (and specially pleased when, like last week, it's the French), but it seems the English are the exception to this rule.

_{It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue
- Queen Elizabeth II}

by eurogreen on Sat Nov 17th, 2012 at 03:25:22 PM EST

Re: I suppose it would be unsporting (none / 0)

France up 24-13 at half-time. Fantastic game, nonstop running play -- only one set scrum!

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Nov 17th, 2012 at 03:48:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I suppose it would be unsporting (none / 0)

39-22 for France at full time.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Nov 17th, 2012 at 04:54:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I suppose it would be unsporting (none / 0)

The Welsh happen to have a huge number of Injuries at the moment amongst their front line team, and are showing that they aren't quite as equipped with depth as they thought.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sun Nov 18th, 2012 at 09:38:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I suppose it would be unsporting (none / 0)

Not dead, only sleeping.

Wales will come back!

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Mon Nov 19th, 2012 at 01:38:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]

The Migeru Shimbun is out! (none / 1)

November 17 edition.

I distribute. You re-distribute. He gives your hard-earned money to lazy scroungers. -- JakeS

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Nov 17th, 2012 at 03:59:53 PM EST

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (none / 0)

Mail on sunday - PM's new fixer in racist rant at Muslims: Foul-mouthed abuse by campaign chief revealed as he lands top Tory post

Lynton Crosby used the phrase 'f**** Muslims' in diatribe while working for London Mayor Boris Johnson
Crosby has been chosen to head the Election campaign of David Cameron
Accused of telling Johnson party should forget wooing ethnic minority vote in London Mayoral Election
Johnson urges PM not to reverse his decision calling Crosby 'soul of kindness and sweetness'
Allegations come days after Tory chiefs secret £200,000 deal to give Crosby charge of Election campaign

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Nov 18th, 2012 at 07:10:54 AM EST

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (none / 0)

Posting from my new Nokia 920. Yes, dual-core processors are important.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.

by Drew J Jones (pedobear@pennstatefootball.com) on Sun Nov 18th, 2012 at 03:34:00 PM EST

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (none / 1)

Ever since I learnt about confirmation bias I've started seeing it everywhere

by ATinNM on Sun Nov 18th, 2012 at 04:06:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (none / 1)

Indeed. Having a last name that couldn't be more Welsh without removing the vowels, that was hugely important. :P

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.

by Drew J Jones (pedobear@pennstatefootball.com) on Sun Nov 18th, 2012 at 04:30:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (none / 1)

...And I always thought Drew J Jones was a nom de prune.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sun Nov 18th, 2012 at 04:39:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Weekend Overtly Open Thread (none / 1)

Enough of your sarcasm....

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sun Nov 18th, 2012 at 04:35:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Slipping "the surly bonds of Earth" (4.00 / 4)

The flight back from Barcelona

How quickly we take things for granted - it was EASYjet - but it would amaze our ancestors that we fly like gods - but complain about queues:

"Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds ..."

John Gillespie Magee Junior, fighter pilot in WWII

"Died aged 19 on December 11, 1941 when his Spitfire collided with an Oxford Trainer from RAF Cranwell over the village of Roxholm between RAF Cranwell and RAF Digby in Lincolnshire."

Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner - that I moved to Nice.

by Ted Welch (tedwelch-at-mac-dot-com) on Sun Nov 18th, 2012 at 03:45:02 PM EST

Instead of Eiffel towers (4.00 / 4)

I will now bore you to death with pictures of Normandy beaches, where I spent another week-end under the same weather as usual - neither warm not cold, neither wet not sunny, but all of that...