Friday Open Thread

by afew Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 11:22:56 AM EST

This is something like the 2,555th ET OT

Friday Open Thread | 54 comments (54 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

At a rough guess.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 11:23:17 AM EST

So, Happy Birthday, ET! Seven candles on the cake. I'll have a piece.

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 Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 11:28:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (4.00 / 2)

2,555/365.25=6.995208761, approximately.

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 Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 11:31:00 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

Are you including leap years?

by PerCLupi on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 01:59:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

The leap years are poorly approximated by the divisor of 365.25...

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 Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 07:35:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

Mine was a very rough guess.

Here is the First Open Thread. It was in fact on the 13th of June 2005.

It is Open Thread number 2283 on the Search list. So my rough guess was 217 OTs out.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 03:07:54 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

What happened to all those people ? Only two regulars remain

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 03:22:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

A lot of BooTribbers signed up in the early days but didn't stick around long.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 04:04:51 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 1)

Feeling guilty about having done very little of practical use in this electoral cycle, I set off this morning to deliver leaflets on my way to work. On a bicycle, in the rain. Against my better judgement (I generally take the train when it rains).

It's a new bike, and I haven't fitted any mudguards yet. Half of the distance is a gravelled bike trail along a former railway line, very pleasant when it's not wet... I arrived exceedingly wet and muddy, to the great amusement of colleagues.

I also volunteered to be an assesseur in a polling booth on Sunday, which ought to be pretty boring. It's going to rain anyway.

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

by eurogreen on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 11:33:45 AM EST

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

One advantage of living in a near-desert is that you can put 'designer' fenders on your bike. They don't have to do much (maybe when you ride through a small puddle they help a bit), so they don't have to be terrifically practical...but they can show off how green you are and how stylish...

http://ecom1.planetbike.com/7020.html

by asdf on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 12:26:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 1)

You can get much more than just wooden mudguards.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 03:26:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Niiiiice. (none / 0)

except the priiiiice.

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

by eurogreen on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 04:40:59 AM EST
[ Parent ]

One for the chipper (none / 0)

You're at the very pinnacle of chipperishness, it seems...

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 01:20:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

While eating lunch I decided life would barely be worth living if it were not for crisp pickles brined with garlic.

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

by ATinNM on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 01:31:34 PM EST

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

Claussens?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wp4O7v5320

by THE Twank (yatta blah blah @ blah.com) on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 03:28:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

Egyptian brand, actually.

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

by ATinNM on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 03:48:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

Each to their own. I don't really like vinegar so pickles rarely feature for me.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 03:29:45 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (4.00 / 2)

I like this video:

But diaries like this one over at Daily Kos about how European countries are magically free of police brutality are starting to piss me off. Maybe it's just a consequence of having seen to many clashes between Basque protesters and police while in Pamplona, but I don't share this illusion that Spanish police won't beat the fuck out of you if you give them what they think is a reason. I mean christ sakes Spain ran death squads into the 1980s.

Talking to American lefties about the police is increasingly reminding me of the (possibly apocryphal) story of Lech Walesa in Guatemala.

Walesa, tying to communicate the carnage the Polish government inflicted in Solidarity, tells a union audience in Guatemala that in the 1980s up to 250 trade unionists were killed by the communist government. He is greeted by silence. After his speech, one of his hosts explains to him that 250,000 people died in the civil war that rocked that country, including unionists.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 01:37:03 PM EST

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

DailyKos is useless. For a while, years ago, it had some value, but now it is nothing but a partisan mouthpiece. Example of the bad part of U.S. politics...

by asdf on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 01:56:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (4.00 / 4)

It isn't just Daily Kos. There's a whole section of the American Left more interested in playing martyr than doing something that actually makes a difference.

It's irritating. There's an active socialist party here in Ohio, and I've pointed out to people involved that if they were serious about making a difference they would run for local office, instead of making vanity runs for the US Senate. The most ironic part of this being that if they socialists ran candidates for city council in Cincinnati, they probably could pick up 2-3 seats, particularly with the history of third party voting for the Charter Party.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 02:04:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 1)

Isn't running for little seats and working up how Bernie Sanders started ?

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 03:33:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (4.00 / 2)

Yes, exactly.

There are three American cities that had strong Socialist parties: Milwaukee WI, Reading PA, and Bridgeport CT.

The structure of American politics is such that if you want to make a difference you have to work your way up. Name recognition for the candidate is 9/10ths the fight. Prior local office experience provides a support base.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 04:10:22 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

Running and losing. Sanders is quite the political power in Vermont now, but was a perennial candidate for a long time. And Vermont was one of the two states not to vote for Roosevelt in 1936 - did not vote for a democratic president until 1992. And Sanders is an immigrant to Vermont from Brooklyn.

Makes his current status as popular Senator only more impressive.

by IM on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 05:17:35 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

I thought dKos sucked from the very beginning ... that's why I emigrated to ET ,,, on Jerome's recommendation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wp4O7v5320

by THE Twank (yatta blah blah @ blah.com) on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 03:31:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (4.00 / 4)

You'd have been banned anyway....

by gk (g k quattro due due sette "at" gmail.com) on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 03:30:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

What ... my deodorant ... or lack thereof?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wp4O7v5320

by THE Twank (yatta blah blah @ blah.com) on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 07:22:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (4.00 / 3)

It has always been a partisan mouthpiece, never pretended otherwise. So long as you keep that in mind, it's okay as a source of info.

tbh, I used ot have a whole load of US sites I would visit, but they just went dark or I lost interest. But dKos remains on my daily diet cos otherwise i'd have to rely on the guardian and the BBC and that would be worse than remaining uninformed.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 03:38:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

Ha ha, that's funny, because I rely on the Guardian...

See if you can get the Democracy Report (Amy Goodman) on your Internet radio... They're out there stirring things up pretty well...

by asdf on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 09:22:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

she has a podcast. thom hartman's is also worth following, as is his show on RT.

It's a fine line between homage, parody, and consumer opportunism. Jess Walter

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 10:58:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Death of a banker (4.00 / 2)

Fabian Scheidler has just written the libretto for an opera (music by Andreas Kersting) with the title "Der Tod eines Bankers - Eine Leistungsstörung". It take place in Greece, and the premiere will be in April in Görlitz. That's pretty much all I know right now.

by gk (g k quattro due due sette "at" gmail.com) on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 02:03:54 PM EST

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

I really enjoyed reading this:

PressEurop: Et voilà les Etats-Unis d'Europe !

Si l'Allemagne doit payer pour la crise de la zone euro, ce sera sans doute au prix de la création d'une union politique et budgétaire. Les projets sont d'ores et déjà à l'étude à l'approche d'un sommet européen qui s'annonce crucial, les 28 et 29 juin prochains.
[...]
Angela Merkel a donné l'impression de mettre au pied du mur non seulement François Hollande, mais la France entière. En annonçant qu'il n'y aurait aucune censure au sujet de la liste des changements qui attendent la zone euro, elle faisait allusion à des mesures fédéralistes draconiennes prévoyant des pertes progressives de souveraineté nationale sur les politiques budgétaires, fiscales, sociales, les retraites et le marché du travail, dans le but de donner naissance à une nouvelle union politique européenne d'ici cinq à dix ans.

Please use Google Translator if you can't read french.

Vencit omnia veritas.

by Luis de Sousa (luis[dot]a[dot]de[dot]sousa[at]gmail[dot]com) on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 02:26:17 PM EST

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 1)

Original article in the Guardian:

Eurozone crisis: United States of Europe may be the only way to save euro | Business | The Guardian

Merkel appeared to be calling not only Hollande's but France's bluff. By announcing there could be no censorship of the eurozone to-do list, she meant tabling radical, federalist steps involving gradual loss of national sovereignty over budgetary, fiscal, social, pensions, and labour market policies with the aim of forging a new European political union over five to 10 years.

I'm all in favour of federalism. NOT if it means a forced march under German hegemony to neoliberal "reforms" that will create increased inequality between and within countries, contrary to the principles Germany has already signed up to in European treaties.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 02:56:19 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

At this point the Euro may not be worth saving.

If you are not convinced, try it on someone who has not been entirely debauched by economics. — Piero Sraffa

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 03:02:59 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (4.00 / 6)

Well yes. These principles are so loose that you can interpret them any way you want.

More to the point, is it really federalism we are talking about here? Federalism can't mean taking away powers over budget and legislation from the state parliaments and not giving them to the equivalent institutions on the european level, EP and council either.

No, these proposals look like instituting the worst of german habits - enshrining neoliberalism, giving power to the courts - and french ones - weakening the genuine institutions of the EU in favor of inter-governmental cooperation.

by IM on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 05:11:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

The German government has always been ready to let someone else pick the name for its policies. Be it "Growth enhancing measures" or "Federalism" the contents still haven't changed.

Von überall könnte das Volk, Urbrut alles Undemokratischen, Zelle des Terrors, über die gewählten Hüter von Wachstum und Wohlstand® kommen. - flatter

by generic on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 06:01:08 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (4.00 / 4)

The eternal german, what?

Come on. You just have to open a history book and see that the german political consent on europe has been pro integration and for a strengthening of common institutions like the commission, the court and the EP for a long time. Of course until recently - until then years ago or so - the Benelux states and Italy were as ardent federalists.

So now, being pro a United States of Europe or a federal european state is a traditional position on european politics in Germany.

The question is if Merkels proposals can be said to be federalism in the traditional sense or if she is just using the old banner for something quite different.

by IM on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 06:13:22 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Apologies (none / 1)

I meant this German government.

Von überall könnte das Volk, Urbrut alles Undemokratischen, Zelle des Terrors, über die gewählten Hüter von Wachstum und Wohlstand® kommen. - flatter

by generic on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 07:37:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Whoops (none / 0)

So, (assistant German trainer) Hansi Flick, how will you defend against Ronaldo's free kicks?

"Put on our steel helmets and make ourselves big."

double whoops.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 02:30:03 PM EST

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

The late game Euro cup matches are at noon local time - I foresee low productivity at work next week.

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 03:04:48 PM EST

well supporters over there (4.00 / 4)

are having fun.

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

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 05:36:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

Watching "The Rise of the Third Reich" on the History Channel, to be followed by "The Fall of the Third Reich". Feel like I'm living through similar times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wp4O7v5320

by THE Twank (yatta blah blah @ blah.com) on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 03:34:44 PM EST

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

I see a lot of Newt Gingrich in Hitler.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wp4O7v5320

by THE Twank (yatta blah blah @ blah.com) on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 03:41:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

Insufficiently charismatic. A Bob Roberts like figure is more likely

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 03:54:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

I see why the Repubs want to get back into the White House. They see a golden opportunity to do a Third Reich thingie in the US. All the pieces are in place, if only their Hitler could get in office.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wp4O7v5320

by THE Twank (yatta blah blah @ blah.com) on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 04:20:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Eggplants (4.00 / 4)

Said I'd take a couple, ended up with a case of 16. The food bank gets given weird stuff, and if it's not something ordinary, then no one will take it. We're on the list of people who will take any vegetable that gets left after the hordes go through. Last week we ended up with about 12 pounds of asparagus. I just don't understand people who won't look up a recipe and try something new! Anyway, it's baba ganoush for the masses!

by ElaineinNM on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 04:49:05 PM EST

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

Situation: I have two NecroSloth Windows 7 (ick) computers.

Computer A is sending an image to its monitor.
Computer B is running Skype.

I want to be able to send a working image from Computer A to Computer B and then down the Skype pipeline using only the video connections, without hooking Computer A to the internet.

Anybody know how to do this?

To forestall SOME people (you know who you are) ...

I'm sure Apple has "an app for that" but since I don't have Apple machines that isn't very useful.

Is it?

:-)

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

by ATinNM on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 06:44:57 PM EST

Re: Friday Open Thread (4.00 / 6)

Point a webcam at computer A.

You're welcome.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 07:17:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

That's the fall-back position.

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

by ATinNM on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 08:58:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

BTW, how are you liking Swipe now that you've been using it for awhile?

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

by ATinNM on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 08:58:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (4.00 / 7)

LOL

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

by ATinNM on Fri Jun 8th, 2012 at 09:01:46 PM EST

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

That is hysterical !! Brilliant

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 03:51:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

Appropriate refrain:

If you are not convinced, try it on someone who has not been entirely debauched by economics. — Piero Sraffa

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 03:58:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 1)

You could also buy a bus ticket and get the hell out of Boise.

I hate Nickelback as much as the next guy, but taking advice on taste from the people with the blue football field? I don't think so.

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

by Drew J Jones (pedobear@pennstatefootball.com) on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 07:46:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Friday Open Thread (none / 0)

♪ New ♫♪ Mexico ♫ is ♪ burning ♫ down ♪

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

by ATinNM on Sat Jun 9th, 2012 at 11:01:21 AM EST

Friday Open Thread | 54 comments (54 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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