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Saturday Afternoon Open Thread

Today is Saturday, just two more working days until Monday for me.

Open Thread.

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    It's finally raining! (5.00 / 3) (#5)
    by Anne on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 03:00:13 PM EST
    After days and days of 100+ degree days, and no rain, grass looking like shredded wheat, it is finally raining...the gentle, all-day kind...and I swear, if you listen closely, you can hear the trees and plants sighing in satisfaction and relief.

    Spent the mid-day picking hard crabs and eating steamed shrimp - plenty of sighs of satisfaction to be heard then, too!

    Have a banging headache, though - probably the barometric pressure having its way with me - so it might be a good time for a nice nap...

    Same here (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by gyrfalcon on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 06:39:10 PM EST
    Way up in VT.  We haven't hit 100, but my thermometer has been registering 97 by late afternoon the last few days.  And then last night, so quiet I almost didn't hear it, it started to rain-- and rain and rain and rain, the kind of steady, heavy, calm rain my mother called "farmer's rain."  A little over an inch by morning.

    Whew! Just in time.  Hauling soaker hoses around the garden in that heat is pure torture.

    Man, I envy you the crabs!

    Parent

    We've been pressure washing the house (none / 0) (#10)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 05:16:08 PM EST
    Like you have to every year in the South....bleh!  Trying to decide if I would trade my day for need of rain, hardshell crabs, and a banging headache.  It's a close one :)

    Parent
    Mix water and regular household (5.00 / 2) (#12)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 05:39:05 PM EST
    bleach 50-50 in an insecticide type hose sprayer and spray. (Don't put in a power washer because the bleach will zap the pump seals.) Wait about 10 minutes and then hit it with water only from the power washer. Works great and is much cheaper than the $12.00/gallon detergent stuff from Home Depot or Loews.

    Parent
    I second that (none / 0) (#25)
    by ruffian on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 08:54:58 PM EST
    In fact it is on my agenda for tomorrow morning.

    Clorox Cleanup in the spray bottle works great too. I got a big bottle at the local discount warehouse.

    Parent

    We use the outdoor bleach (none / 0) (#31)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 02:03:30 AM EST
    from Home Depot.  I don't know if it is stronger.  They try to make it sound like it is on the label but I've never actually tried to figure out if it is any different from laundry/household bleach.  We borrow a tank from a friend that heats the water up too.

    Parent
    I almost did it today too (none / 0) (#26)
    by ruffian on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 08:56:05 PM EST
    Chickened out when it got so dang hot. I'll do it tomorrow morning though...we;;, I guess we'll see about that.

    Parent
    Ha! Not happening.... (none / 0) (#34)
    by ruffian on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 07:35:57 AM EST
    I leave for my week in Venice this evening....might as well leave something to look forward to when I get home.

    Parent
    Have a great time. (none / 0) (#40)
    by KeysDan on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 09:04:42 AM EST
    The Pentagon, in an act of (5.00 / 3) (#6)
    by KeysDan on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 03:38:01 PM EST
    "military democracy" has sent out a survey to the troops to see what they think about a policy change.  The survey wants to gauge the feelings about repeal of DADT, so of course, we need to  ask about showers.  I do not know if the Reverend Rekers served as a consultant on the survey, but it it does have someone of his ilk's fingerprints on it.  The stem of the question sets up a what would you do if assigned to facilities  with an open bay shower that is also used by someone you believe to be gay.  The seven choices range from take no action to talk to a chaplain about how to handle the situation. First of all, if  I were a troop, my first concern with a military shower would be: was it built by Haliburton/KBR, for that would likely be more shocking than being naked in the presence of a showering gay, and second of all, I would avoid a priest, and third of all, with a $l trillion annual budget can't the Pentagon find some money for some privacy curtains for those of modest inclination.

    Yeah (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by squeaky on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 03:43:40 PM EST
    Someone was trying to derail repeal of DADT....  

    Whatever happened to the idea that the military chain of command dictated following orders unflinchingly.

    Did they put out a questionnaire asking if soldiers would have a problem sexually abusing Iraqi POWs?

    Threatening to rape muslim men, by men and women?

    Wonder what that questionnaire looked like?

    Parent

    TPM has it (none / 0) (#20)
    by waldenpond on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 06:57:19 PM EST
    Here ya go.....

    Survey

    Parent

    Geez (5.00 / 2) (#23)
    by squeaky on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 07:57:13 PM EST
    Why did you join the military:

    Because it seemed the only place in the world where I could shower every day with lots of men who are not gay.

    If you needed to talk to someone because you thought your bunkmate was not gay who would it be:

    The Chaplain of course. They are usually very sensitive about these sorts of things, mine, back home certainly was. I still don't understand why they put him in jail.

    What would you do if you found out that your girlfriend was not gay:

    Oh, that is easy I would tell here that it is ok because I am not gay either.

    What would you do if you found out that someone who was not gay had just used the toilet you were about to use:

    I would sign up for two more years of service.

    If you found out that the CIC and his wife were not gay would that news affect differently if you were in a submarine, the shower, in the mess hall or having a private talk with your chaplin?

     

    Parent

    What if President Harry Truman (5.00 / 1) (#21)
    by Peter G on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 07:04:34 PM EST
    had run a similar "opinion survey" before ending racial segregation in the military?  Wonder what the results would have been. Or if they had done this before opening up most MOS's to women? ("What would you do if you found you had to take orders from a superior officer who was female?"  Ask to see a chaplain?)

    Parent
    Just awful (none / 0) (#19)
    by gyrfalcon on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 06:42:16 PM EST
    I was horrified by that survey and the way it's worded.  It's flat-out deliberately designed to not just discover but create terror of what Phil Donahue scornfully used to refer to as "pee-pee peeking."

    I can only cross my fingers and hope that today's young troops are smarter than their idiot homophobic superiors.

    Parent

    It's a mixed bag out there (none / 0) (#28)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 01:11:25 AM EST
    Some care, some don't, some care about some things, some don't.  Many of us know gay people in the military.  We do.  That part sucks, because they can never openly admit it to you or you are supposed to report it.  So I suppose I should say that we know some soldiers that we suspect :)  One of them very high up on the food chain, tried to be traditionally married...didn't work, that seldom does.  But two kids out of it too that I'm certain that they do not regret.  The other militaries around the world though that don't ban gays also provide a lot of privacy tending to your personal grooming.  They build very nice facilities to do all that naked stuff privately in.  We will have to provide those things for our troops too in doing this, and that will be a large additional cost.  I can't imagine anyone is going to be happy about the military costing them more money at this juncture.

    Parent
    Aloha All (none / 0) (#30)
    by AlohaMade on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 02:00:28 AM EST
    Just seems sad that in this day and time, there are still rules about gay's in the military, I mean who really cares. They are not all out there trying to get laid, they just want the same opportunity's as the rest of us. If I was in a war and about to die, I really would'nt bother me if the comrade who saved my life was gay. As far as peeking in the shower, strait people look too. There are many other problems in this world, that worrying about gay's in the military. Shame on the government!
    Mahalo Nui Loa!
    all posts are IMO/IOW  

    Parent
    As long as NOBODY is gay (none / 0) (#48)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 06:15:10 PM EST
    everyone can assume nobody is drooling over them. It isn't as if there isn't anything to this.  It is only that we are behind in the facility challenges.  When it is assumed that everyone is straight, men and women DO NOT shower together.  In truth we are all individuals, and it would be nice to be treated less like cattle I think.

    I think that question about socializing is a very valid one.  Of course some people will say that they wouldn't socialize with gays period, but our family has never been cut from that cloth and we aren't alone.  Then the truth of the situation is that gays in the military can only socialize under very controlled circumstances at this time and this is not only stress for them but also stress for any of us who have friendships with them.  You have to be careful to not let anyone "suspect" or someone could start gunning for you or your gay friends.  Being able to be openly gay would make socializing one hell of a lot easier for a lot of us who have friends who are gay.

    One commenter here shared a stroy about being straight but having his military career demolished over a situation where he would not be an enabling factor in prosecuting a gay soldier who served under him.  Military officers are expected to always be truthful though in all matters, anything less can get them demoted or their careers flagged and sent no where after that (depending on the circumstances).

    Parent

    This is how they will put off doing it (none / 0) (#29)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 01:57:39 AM EST
    They never intended to do this NOW or there would never have been a "study" before implementation.  They have already been looking at what it will take to do.  I have exchanged emails a time or two with a spouse of a soldier who has been working on this for quite some time, long before the recent push or the recent LBGT protests and heckling.

    They don't want to do it during two wars.  They want to do it afterwards.  So, if we make this a "lifestyle" issue instead of a human rights civil rights issue we can be assured of a lot of negative responses.  A need to do this slowly.

    And some people don't want to do this, and they never will.  

    If some protesters kept showing up at Arlington with signs saying that God was killing soldiers because America was a bunch of N-word lovers there would be a rumble.  Things would escalate quickly.  There isn't the same response though when a bunch shows up and claims that God is killing our soldiers because America is a bunch of fag lovers.  There is a numbness, the families trying bury loved ones are pitied for having to put up with the crazies.  But the outrage against that specific bigotry is still missing.

    Parent

    Another summer day... (5.00 / 1) (#33)
    by kdog on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 06:59:34 AM EST
    another cool band to be found...The Felice Bros. were at the Great South Bay Music Festival with enough energy to get us off oil.  The fair hippie maidens were looking good too!

    Check 'em out...Frankies' Gun Greatest Show on Earth

    Tempted to go back for Day 3 of the fest, but Jimmy Cliff is doing his thing today.  Advantage, Cliff.

    Sh*t...Rome can burn with this kinda live soundtrack.  

     

    Getting ready for my week in Venice (5.00 / 2) (#36)
    by ruffian on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 07:44:13 AM EST
    The one in Italy, that is!  Leaving this evening, which left me the whole weekend to get my act together.

    My brother is flying Portland to Chicago, then he and my niece are flying Chicago to Munich to Venice, I fly Orlando to Frankfurt to Venice, and theoretically they should be there an hour before me. The three of us are loopy enough without jet lag. This should be an adventure.

    Tomorrow evening I hope to be enjoying a gelato beside the Grand Canal!

    Have a blast ruffian... (none / 0) (#37)
    by kdog on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 07:48:52 AM EST
    eat, drink, and be merry for all of us heading back to our cubes tomorrow!

    Parent
    Thank you! I will! (none / 0) (#38)
    by ruffian on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 08:49:15 AM EST
    Ahhhhh, it will be quite a change from my own normally bleak cubicle existence.

    Parent
    They say a vacation... (none / 0) (#41)
    by kdog on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 09:44:10 AM EST
    recharges your batteries...but I don't know, I was ready for another within two days of being the monkey back on the grinder.

    Parent
    Yeah, I think it charges your batteries (none / 0) (#46)
    by ruffian on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 12:59:54 PM EST
    for more vacation.

    Parent
    Excellent! (none / 0) (#39)
    by andgarden on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 08:51:05 AM EST
    If you can stand it, don't wear sneakers. Also, avoid hanging a camera around your neck. ;-)

    Parent
    meh (none / 0) (#43)
    by Dadler on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 10:00:32 AM EST
    as if no one in europe wears addidas or nikes. yeah, yeah, yeah, i know, don't look like a tourist.  still, i'm reminded of my friends who were mugged in Argentina, got no help from locals who looked on as they were accosted, and so my friends simply beat the living phuck outta the thieves right there and held them until police came. Cheers.

    Parent
    I gotta roll... (none / 0) (#44)
    by kdog on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 10:23:17 AM EST
    with some of your friends one day man..they sound like Stepping Razors.  "Dangerous...dangerous"

    I think its not so much avoid looking like a tourist as to avoid looking like you got any money...at least thats what I try to do, foreign or domestic.  

    Parent

    LOL (none / 0) (#47)
    by NYShooter on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 02:54:18 PM EST
    ",....avoid looking like you got any money...."

    How hard could it be; in your case it ain't acting?....lol

    I'm sorry, DogMan...just couldn't help myself. I owe you one.

    Parent

    Don't be sorry... (none / 0) (#50)
    by kdog on Mon Jul 12, 2010 at 08:59:11 AM EST
    I walked right into that one!

    Parent
    If only I could believe it was my shoes (none / 0) (#45)
    by ruffian on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 12:58:34 PM EST
    that marked me as a tourist! Before going to London and Paris last year I read that it was pretty much only the American tourists that wear shorts around town, so I do avoid that. It did seem to generally hold true.

    Shoes are an issue though. People told me to wear 'sensible shoes' for getting my luggage on and off the water taxi that goes from the airport to the hotel. That seems like good advice since I've had 3 different people tell me that is a tricky maneuver.  So I'll wear sneakers on the plane  - besides, they take up way too much room in the luggage, so wearing them helps.   But I packed tried and true walking sandals for most of the rest of the time.

    I think the usual advice about being aware of your surroundings is the best. And don't keep valuables in your pockets. I've got a pouch I wear slung under my blouse. I can get to it when I need it, but it is hidden the rest of the time.

    I try not to worry about it too much, but precautions are good!

    Parent

    So far this fine summer day (none / 0) (#1)
    by BarnBabe on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 02:09:29 PM EST
    I have been to a Antique tractor meet with a free hot dog and beautiful Belgium horses pulling the kids hay ride. Then there was Sams and a cool cola slurpie. My once a week treat. And in 2 hours I go to the Fireman's annual BBQ & Parade. It has gotten bigger than when I use to be here in the summers long ago. Then you had 5 trucks that would drive around the block a few times. Now, they come from all the other small towns in NE PA. They always send their best trucks and with kids and a band and tractors, it ends up being fun cheering on each town's participating fire trucks. Sounds so hicky I know, but I have been to the Rose Bowl Parade and the Orange Bowl Parade and Macy's Parade and the Mummer's Parade, etc. And, it is just as much fun at this small town BBQ with open pit cooking and yes, a beer tent. Most of all, you run into a lot of people you know and there is good fun cheer all around.  It is a nice day. So on to the BBQ. And Sunday, antique car show.  

    My daughter... (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by desertswine on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 05:39:56 PM EST
    was married on the Fourth near Wabasha, Minn. What a beautiful piece of America... farms...  green...  the River. I hadn't been to Minnesota before and I really missed out.

    Parent
    Congratulations (none / 0) (#14)
    by squeaky on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 05:45:32 PM EST
    Sounds beautiful...

    Parent
    Thanks squeaky... (none / 0) (#15)
    by desertswine on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 06:12:52 PM EST
    It really was.

    Parent
    And (5.00 / 1) (#16)
    by squeaky on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 06:18:52 PM EST
    The fireworks must have been awesome, and I do not mean the weak and relatively pallid copies shot typically into the dark night sky, but the passion that they meagerly aim to express.

    Parent
    Oh, it is so lovely there (none / 0) (#17)
    by Cream City on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 06:22:03 PM EST
    Did you get across "the river" -- the Big One, the Big Muddy -- on the Wisconsin side to Lake Pepin?  and the Great River Road? although the Minnesota road down the mighty Mississippi is mighty lovely, too.  I bet that you went to the Wabasha outlook, as did we when there a couple of years ago.  

    Actually, I drove my spouse -- who has a linear sort of mind -- a bit bonkers with my driving back and forth across the river from beautiful outlook view to beautiful outlook view.  (Nothing beats the Pike's Peak view, btw, if ever you get back this way.)  And farther down the river, the sacred Native lands of the Trempeleau mound and the incredible national monument park with more than 200 mounds were just wonderful to see.

    And oh my, the shopping along the way, on both sides!  Were you a bit north of the Amish towns in Minnesota, or do they not go up that far?  Or were you too busy with wonderful wedding events to get out and about?  If so, do come back! and do the Great River Road and more, much more, along the ancient natural highway of the First People all the way to the Gulf for thousands of years.  

    But Mark Twain, who knew the river so well, said that all of the attention to the lower Mississippi was misplaced, as the upper part is the loveliest.  And now you know why.

    Parent

    We did indeed... (none / 0) (#24)
    by desertswine on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 08:47:54 PM EST
    visit the Wabasha outlook (how can you not?)and we crossed the River into Wisc just to say we did. But we didn't get much farther than that due to all the wedding activities. I sincerely hope to go back to see all the things we missed.

    Mark Twain was right.

    Parent

    Ah, good. See you on the river road! (5.00 / 1) (#27)
    by Cream City on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 12:50:12 AM EST
    As my next trek to the river will be heading south a bit, south of Galena (if you have not been there, it is a must, too) to St. Louis again -- but then across the river to the Illinois coast and the site of Cahokia.  A major metropolis of as many as 40,000 more than 1,000 years ago, much larger and more sophisticated than London, Paris, Rome, etc., at the time.  An extraordinary civilization centered around a sacred mound covering more acreage than even the Great Pyramid of Egypt.

    It absolutely fascinates me, having read everything about it that I can find.  So much has been lost (under big-box store parking lots, for example!) but what has been recovered of Cahokia -- and what is still being found, as the digs continue -- is a must-see for me.

    And then, up and down that stretch of the river on the Illinois coast, I want to see the early French towns from the Nouvelle France era . . . and then back west across the river to the first Euro site west of the Mississippi, the lovely Ste. Genevieve.  And then to Kaskaskia, early trade center of the French era but the "lost capitol" of Illinois since the mighty river moved its banks again and literally drowned the town -- so part of the Illinois town now is west of the river and can only be reached from the Missouri side.

    And much, much more.  Fascinating river, fascinating cultures for eons.  And you ought to see it when it floods!  We did.  Awesome.  So I figure that I better get there before the mighty Mississippi moves its banks again.

    Parent

    I've never been there (my bad) (5.00 / 1) (#42)
    by Maryb2004 on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 09:52:19 AM EST
    but I hear that the Cahokia Interpretive Center is fascinating.  I read somewhere that, while it obviously covers a narrower topic than the National Museum of the American Indian, it is just as well done.

    In the town of Cahokia (which is a few miles away from the mounds) there is a poteaux-sur-solle constructed house built in the 1740's that eventually became the courthouse when the Americans took over.  But again (my bad) I've never gotten there.

    But I've been to Ste. Genevieve and it is the place to see French colonial construction. Scattered amongst the small town Americana :)

    It's a very pretty drive down from Cahokia to Fort de Chartres.  I've been to Fort de Chartres a number of times but the most interesting was during a Rendezvous when the re-enactors showed up.  Otherwise it's fairly deserted, which can be a good thing too.  It sits in the middle of nowhere now, the village of Nouvelle Chartres is long gone.  Ste. Philippe is gone.  Praire du Rocher is still there with a very old cemetery.  But it's a very very small village.  Kaskaskia Island is fascinating geographically but there isn't a lot left in terms of structures. It does make you appreciate the power of the river.

    There is a ferry that runs between IL and  Ste. Genevieve but I think it only runs seasonally and in the winter you have to go down to the bridge at Chester IL to cross over.

    Actually the most scenic drive along the river is on the Illinois side from the confluence of the Illinois River down to Alton. Unlike most of the River Road, a lot of it runs right along the river.  There is a lovely state park at the Illinois confluence called Pere Marquette which has a lodge and cabins.  As you drive down to Alton you can look across and see Portage des Sioux on the Missouri side.  

    The Indians and the French would put in there and portage over to the Missouri at St. Charles rather than go down to the Missouri confluence which is hard to navigate.  Then they could either go up the Missouri or portage across to Ste Ferdinand (Florissant) and on to St. Louis if they didn't want to have to shoot the rapids at Chain of Rocks.

    St. Charles has a Frenchtown area that is very nice although there isn't a lot of the French left there.  But the first Missouri state capital was there and you can tour it.  Florissant has a historic old town area.  The old French part of St. Louis was destroyed long ago by riverfront warehouses and now lies under the Gateway Arch which has a nice museum.

    There is a (very small - only a rock) memorial at Portage des Sioux commemorating the treaties that were signed there after the War of 1812.  A sad day for the tribes who signed.

    Have a good trip!

    Parent

    I'm saving this info; thanks (5.00 / 1) (#49)
    by Cream City on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 11:45:24 PM EST
    as all these place names have been part of my research for years now, so I need to see them.  It all sounds just so lovely. . . . So in return for all your work here, a rendezvous reenactment story for you that still cracks me up:

    My spouse is from one of the oldest fort towns of Nouvelle France, too: Vincennes, Indiana.  He often heads back to see family at the annual rendezvous reenactment that celebrates its French past and significant role in the Revolutionary War (when the French and Metis, who shared the Americans' hatred for the Brits who took the fort in the French and Indian War just a couple of decades before, then gladly handed over the fort to George Rogers Clark -- which led to winning for the U.S. the North-West Territory).

    So out from the fort come the reenactors in French garb, soldiers behind a boy piping a marching tune on a flute.  Very authentic -- except for the tune he played: Les Miserables.

    My spouse was so glad that I was not with him that time to go bonkers again about the lack of historical research by amateur history buffs!  

    Parent

    Small town parades & barbecues (none / 0) (#3)
    by christinep on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 02:22:48 PM EST
    Sounds wonderful! I still read the Shamokin (PA) News to renew the same feelings.

    Parent
    heh (none / 0) (#2)
    by andgarden on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 02:12:24 PM EST
    I have to say, BTD: I'm glad at least someone in the law business is keeping busy!

    Isn't that a recession proof business? (none / 0) (#8)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 05:13:29 PM EST
    Isn't the Mob, bars and liquor stores, and good legal representation recession proof?  There are about a thousand A-holes I'd like to sue right now :)

    Parent
    Nope (none / 0) (#9)
    by andgarden on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 05:15:08 PM EST
    Turns out it isn't.

    Parent
    I forgot to put the military in the (none / 0) (#11)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 05:17:56 PM EST
    recession proof column.  Recession proof in America, 10 years after an attack :)

    Parent
    TRO on Monday (none / 0) (#35)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 07:42:29 AM EST
    In a post-trial opinion in Boston federal court, (none / 0) (#4)
    by Peter G on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 02:25:42 PM EST
    U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner (an old friend of Jeralyn's, I believe) has slashed by 90% the punitive damages awarded by a jury last July against a Boston Univ. graduate student, to be paid to the recording industry, for copyright violations involved in not-for-profit file-sharing.  The defendant now must pay "only" $67,500.  

    Ha! (none / 0) (#32)
    by kdog on Sun Jul 11, 2010 at 06:31:40 AM EST
    Only 67k?  Where is the justice?  How will record company executives stay in hookers and blow?

    Parent
    Bomb in a box (none / 0) (#22)
    by waldenpond on Sat Jul 10, 2010 at 07:12:14 PM EST
    A Texas woman was injured when a box bomb blew up on her.  The news station states that the house belongs to an oil exec.

    Memeorandum Houston (KTRK)