Late Weekend Open Thread

by ceebs Sat Sep 8th, 2012 at 03:12:38 PM EST

Is everyone out catching the last of the sun before Autumn arrives?

Late Weekend Open Thread | 49 comments (49 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 0)

I know I was

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

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sat Sep 8th, 2012 at 03:12:53 PM EST

Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (4.00 / 5)

How to 3D Print Your Own Plastic Records for a Fisher Price Record Player

British maker Fred Murphy has posted instructions on how to 3D Print your own plastic record (complete with the music of your choosing) for a vintage Fisher Price record player. He created prototype records of the Star Wars theme and "Stairway to Heaven" on a CNC machine--you can hear them play in the videos below.

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

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sat Sep 8th, 2012 at 03:23:29 PM EST

Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 1)

That was one of my favourite toys.

Ad astra per aspera

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Sat Sep 8th, 2012 at 05:29:08 PM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 1)

Some evening sun porn here.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Sep 8th, 2012 at 04:00:37 PM EST

Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (4.00 / 3)

Catching the sun on a Mediterranean beach somewhere near Montpellier. Nice and warm.

Europeans think a hundred miles is a long way. Americans think a hundred years is a long time.

by Bernard on Sat Sep 8th, 2012 at 04:25:20 PM EST

Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (4.00 / 4)

These southerners. And we have to endure the rain. It really isn't fair.

by Katrin on Sat Sep 8th, 2012 at 05:48:13 PM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 1)

Look on the bright side. Tornados in NYC...

by asdf on Sat Sep 8th, 2012 at 07:29:00 PM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 1)

Move to Bremen, we had plenty of afternoon sun. (after a grey morn and midday.)

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

by Crazy Horse on Sat Sep 8th, 2012 at 07:29:15 PM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 1)

We're on sun, 33° in the afternoons.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 03:09:59 AM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 1)

And we have a sunny Sunday morning now, so I guess my protest helped. :)

by Katrin on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 04:17:43 AM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 0)

It has been a last hurrah of summer for us here. Temps in the last few days have been in the high 20s.

All change tomorrow apparently.

But it was chappel beer fest this week, which always seems to mark the end of summer.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 10:45:32 AM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 1)

Got our first taste of autumn yesterday. Lows in the high-50s/low-60s, highs in the low-80s. We usually don't get that until October. Glorious.

Looking forward to full-blown autumn, as our neighborhood actually has trees that should give some nice coloring.

Early summer was pretty brutal here, but the rest has been normal-to-cool.

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

by Drew J Jones (pedobear@pennstatefootball.com) on Mon Sep 10th, 2012 at 07:38:47 AM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 0)

Drizzling here, but still in the high teens centigrade-wise.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Mon Sep 10th, 2012 at 10:54:21 AM EST
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Was lazin' at the Saturday Market, (4.00 / 8)

talking to friends, listening to another friend singing cafe standards with an accordion accompaniment.

Taking in about half a liter every other day of second-crop strawberries; going for a liter of raspberries now. Freezer has enough fruit for another year, except for apples. Just starting now on the windfalls. Mirta makes applesauce, and we freeze that, too. Sauce tomatoes are coming soon.

Catching breath before the real campaign season starts.

paul spencer

by paul spencer (spencerinthegorge AT yahoo DOT com) on Sat Sep 8th, 2012 at 05:36:22 PM EST

Re: Was lazin' at the Saturday Market, (none / 1)

Our fruit crop this year has been virtually non-existent.

One plum from two trees. I think we have about 10 apples spread across 4 trees and no sign of any pears at all.

Hedgerow fruit crops have been low, but the blackberries don't really get going for another couple of weeks.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 10:48:05 AM EST
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Re: Was lazin' at the Saturday Market, (none / 1)

Here it was vegetables that didn't want to grow, but at least the fruit do. We have started picking apples, and today I tried the first grape. They don't need much longer.

by Katrin on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 12:55:45 PM EST
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Re: Was lazin' at the Saturday Market, (none / 1)

We have been overburdened with apples and various berries this year. The apples turned red for the first time and were tasty straight off the tree. Everyone I know has a full freezer.

A specific combination of frequency and timing of plentiful rainfall with inadequate sunshine seems to have been the cause. Stranger still - considering the dampness - the mosquitoes have mostly kept to themselves. I never use any repellents, and usually, after a couple of very minor skin reactions at the beginning of the summer, they are merely annoying if they're around my face.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Mon Sep 10th, 2012 at 11:05:40 AM EST
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Re: Was lazin' at the Saturday Market, (none / 0)

A farm near us has an agricultural show on this weekend. I was going to go and then discovered that the entrance prices were extortionate (£12 or about 15 euros).

And it's too hot, so I'm here catching up with the world

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 10:55:46 AM EST
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Re: Was lazin' at the Saturday Market, (none / 0)

Well, it's entrance free at this one where I just spent another hot afternoon.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 12:23:05 PM EST
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Re: Was lazin' at the Saturday Market, (none / 0)

Hope your ears recover

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 12:39:51 PM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (4.00 / 4)

According to the Twittermachine PPP is saying their polls are showing the 2012 voter demographic is going to match 2008.

If that hold the Dems will hold the Senate and have a solid shot at regaining the House.

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

by ATinNM on Sat Sep 8th, 2012 at 09:09:48 PM EST

Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 0)

good to hear, although it will be interesting to hear what excuses the dems will use for their inaction if they have good majorities

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 10:49:33 AM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 0)

Is this the number who will vote, or merely the number who will try to vote. In other words, do any of the polls ask whether they have the approved type of ID?

by gk (g k quattro due due sette "at" gmail.com) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 12:06:16 PM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 0)

Can't answer that one.

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

by ATinNM on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 12:38:19 PM EST
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A 32 year veteran of the NSA speaks out. (4.00 / 6)

"If you live in the United States you need to see this."

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 02:15:28 AM EST

Re: A 32 year veteran of the NSA speaks out. (none / 1)

I have no idea about authenticity.

But there's interesting reading on LulzSec:

Guardian: Anonymous: behind the masks of the cyber insurgents

What I find so interesting about Davis is how completely he seems to have been let down by the education system. It entirely failed to uncover or nurture his talents. "I literally have not a single qualification to my name," he tells me at one point, and looks rather sheepish. Davis rose to prominence in Anonymous and then LulzSec not because he was some expert hacker - he wasn't; his technical skills were limited - but because he is a naturally gifted writer and communicator. Among other things, he controlled the LulzSec Twitter account, from which issued forth a stream of jokey pronouncements, the last of which had the feeling of prophecy to it: "You cannot arrest an idea," he said. Which may be true, but almost exactly a month later a team of police officers burst into his living room, and then flew him by specially chartered plane to London, a place he'd never been to before. "It was like going to the future or something," he says.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 03:48:07 AM EST
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Re: A 32 year veteran of the NSA speaks out. (none / 0)

Until the day that the food/water runs out or "they" show up at my doorstep with the "Fargo" woodchipper and tell me to step in, I don't give a rat's ass.

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

by THE Twank (yatta blah blah @ blah.com) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 09:24:18 AM EST
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Parc Astérix (4.00 / 4)

I took the son and 3 friends to the Parc Astérix for his birthday - with the sun, it was a rather crowded day but it's a nice amusement parc, much nicer than Disneyland. The new ride, Osiris, is truly impressive and fun, might even be worth the 2-hour wait to get in (we could cut the line with the son's disability card).

What's strangest is that it's a totally different population from Disneyland - no foreigners, much more working class and local (Northern suburbs of Paris)

Wind power

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 05:00:56 AM EST

Re: Parc Astérix (4.00 / 4)

I've never understood people flying from faraway places to Paris, in order to visit --- Disneyland.

Europeans think a hundred miles is a long way. Americans think a hundred years is a long time.

by Bernard on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 06:52:02 AM EST
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Re: Parc Astérix (none / 0)

They actually fly... to Disneyland.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 08:30:01 AM EST
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Re: Parc Astérix (none / 0)

and then they eat at McDonald's.

'tis strange I should be old and neither wise nor valiant. From "The Maid's Tragedy" by Beaumont & Fletcher

by Wife of Bath (kareninaustin at g mail dot com) on Mon Sep 10th, 2012 at 11:41:03 PM EST
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Re: Parc Astérix (none / 1)

I told my kids when they were in grade school that I was never going to take them to Disneyland. They grumbled as all their friends made the pilgrimage--multiple times.

When they were in high school, the band decided to compete in a competition to be held at Disney World (the Florida version of Disneyland). Seeing that this was their opportunity, finally, to get down there, both kids applied enough energy to audition up to first chair in their respective sections, thus guaranteeing participation in the trip.

by asdf on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 10:44:43 AM EST
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symbolic of our times? (none / 1)

Tory MP Sir Tony Baldry crashes Mercedes into Poundland | Metro.co.uk

He apparently lost control of the car after opening the door to pick up a dropped parking ticket.

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 Sep 9th, 2012 at 07:40:48 AM EST

Re: symbolic of our times? (none / 1)

German luxury cars do that kind of thing. Such crap, don't buy them.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 08:29:19 AM EST
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Re: symbolic of our times? (4.00 / 3)

well, poundland is where scroungers are sent to work for free by the welfare office, so he was just trying to reduce the unemployment figures

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 10:52:47 AM EST
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Independent central banks do what they want (4.00 / 3)

The CSU's most famous europhobe Gauweiler is hyperventilating about the ECB's independence. He wants the German Constitutional Court to abolish it.

Verhandlung am Bundesverfassungsgericht - Neuer Eilantrag soll Karlsruher ESM-Entscheidung aufhalten - Politik - sueddeutsche.de		hearing at the Federal Constitutional Court - New emergency petition to stop Karlsruher ESM decision - Politics - sueddeutsche.de
Der Eilantrag verlangt, die Ratifizierung des ESM-Vertrages so lange zu untersagen, bis die Europäische Zentralbank ihren Beschluss revidiert hat. Wenn über diesen Antrag bis kommenden Mittwoch nicht entschieden werden könne, solle das für diesen Tag angekündigte Karlsruher Urteil verschoben und eine neue mündliche Verhandlung anberaumt werden.		The urgent application demands to prohibit the ratification of the ESM treaty until the European Central Bank has revised its decision . If that request could not be decided on until next Wednesday , the Karlsruhe ruling planned for that day should be postponed and a new hearing be held.

Well. In Bavaria beer counts as basic foodstuff. Perhaps he had too much breakfast?

by Katrin on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 08:00:59 AM EST

Why Romney keeps his money in Switzerland (4.00 / 3)

TPM:

Fear of Obama taking G-d off coins emerges as new reason Romney is hiding his money in Switzerland and the Caymans.

by gk (g k quattro due due sette "at" gmail.com) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 09:14:35 AM EST

Re: Why Romney keeps his money in Switzerland (none / 0)

Just saw the old Twilight Zone classic "To Serve Man" ... hope it comes true really soon. Man is just toooo silly.

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

by THE Twank (yatta blah blah @ blah.com) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 09:27:19 AM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (4.00 / 3)

Just when I think the Romney campaign can't get any worse ... it does. Over the weekend he vowed to keep "In God We Trust" on US coins, keep the "good parts" of ObamaCare, and went on the (supposedly) policy oriented TV show Meet the Press with his wife.

blink

Swear to Goddess, the GOP is bringing their C Team to this election.

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

by ATinNM on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 12:44:13 PM EST

Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 0)

Given Citizens United, it's a good job.

Romney and his superPACs still have a couple of hundred million minimum to spend in the next 8 weeks

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 12:48:42 PM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 1)

GOP spent tens - hundreds? - of millions over the summer trying to define Obama. It didn't work. Spending more money flogging the same themes is more likely to piss people off than persuade.

Rove, et. al., have lost this round.

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

by ATinNM on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 12:53:53 PM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 0)

Yea, although I'm less inclined to believe that Rove etc are just gonna give up trying. He may be evil, but he's smart and clever and must have a couple of angles to push.

I just think the repugs have run headlong into demographics and they've been left with the wrong candidate pushing the wrong policies at the wrong shrinking section of the electorate

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 01:06:41 PM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 0)

No amount of cleverness and intelligence can overcome the fact the GOP base are ignorant, bigoted, yokels and they are a dying (literally) demographic.

Rove has to make a living, so he's not going to stop. He may still have influence on the 2014 mid-terms and 2016 presidential elections. After that it's hard to see anything but a slow decline into irrelevance.

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

by ATinNM on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 01:15:27 PM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 0)

which suggests that the kochs will probably switch their money away from the repugs and start buying influence with the lieberman wing of the dems

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 01:26:50 PM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 0)

The Lieberman wing of the Democratic party is isolated to a few square miles in the southwestern corner of Connecticut. Basically they are the NYC branch of the Republican party.

by asdf on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 01:43:11 PM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 1)

Does that mean we can have a true progressive in the White House?

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 02:12:14 PM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 0)

You bin smokin' the rug again?

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 02:54:32 PM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 0)

Thought not. :)

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Sun Sep 9th, 2012 at 03:10:26 PM EST
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Re: Late Weekend Open Thread (none / 0)

ThatBritGuy: