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Saturday Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 02:18:55 PM EST
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Beautiful day here. Which means an open thread for you, all topics welcome.

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    Saturday Open Thread | 27 comments (27 topical)

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    Diana Nyad (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by CoralGables on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 08:04:31 PM EST
    is trying to swim from Cuba to Florida again. I think this is her third try. It's about 103 miles and 60 hours in the water. Just the thought of undertaking such a task makes me want to take a nap.

    the pastimes of the idle rich. (none / 0) (#9)
    by observed on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 08:12:42 PM EST
    not for me.

    Parent
    Not quite sure (5.00 / 2) (#17)
    by CoralGables on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 11:33:12 PM EST
    where you see idle or rich in long distance swimming.

    Parent
    Here's a picture (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by CoralGables on Sun Aug 19, 2012 at 02:58:07 PM EST
    of the idle rich doing the backstroke to avoid jellyfish while most of us slept.

    must be shopping in Beverly Hills

    She's now been in the water for 24 hours. No word of any curious sharks yet but the jellies will come to the surface again after the sun sets.

    Parent

    Why no shark cage? Does a cage somehow (none / 0) (#27)
    by caseyOR on Sun Aug 19, 2012 at 07:35:26 PM EST
    impede her stroke or something?

    Weren't jelly fish attacks the reason Diana had to quit this swim the last time she tried? How many stings can the human boy take and keep going? And why doesn't all that black grease deter them?

    I hope she makes it this time. She turns 63 this week. How many more of these swims can she have in her?

    Go, Diana!

    Parent

    Go, Diana. I hope she makes it (none / 0) (#19)
    by caseyOR on Sun Aug 19, 2012 at 12:30:10 AM EST
    this try. I so admire her determination and strength. My greatest accomplishment in open water swimming was traversing the moderately-sized lake at camp when I was 16. Nyad is doing this at 62.

    This is her third try, CG. If you can, please keep us posted on the latest regarding this swim. We probably won't here about it out here unless and until she makes it.

    Parent

    Her morning quote (none / 0) (#24)
    by CoralGables on Sun Aug 19, 2012 at 11:02:51 AM EST
    "Today is more like swimming. I don't know what you would call last night...probably surviving."

    Was stung 4 times last night. Spent a little over three hours doing the backstroke to keep the jelly fish away from her face. About 23 miles in after 20 hours which is off the needed pace (you can only go so long without sleep) but has a more favorable current now and the jellies have taken a break.

    Parent

    Gorgeous night here in northern (5.00 / 3) (#11)
    by Anne on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 09:42:05 PM EST
    Maryland...all the better because my daughter and son-in-law had a housewarming party and it was just delightful late afternoon/early evening weather - almost could have used a sweater.

    I have this theory that Mother Nature throws some cool evenings/early mornings into the mix right about now to remind all the children that their summers are coming to an end, and school is just around the corner.  School here starts a week from Monday; the bittersweet element there is that the less-congested commuting traffic will also be coming to an end...oh, well.  The cycle of life, lol.

    Feeling kind of sentimental and happy tonight; does my heart good to see my daugters so happy - one in a new house with her husband and a baby due in December, and the other settling in two weeks on her and her fiance's house, with a wedding next May. Both with wonderful men, solid work ethic, good hearts, clearly in love and loving my girls.

    There's a lot of sad, depressing, frustrating, terrible stuff going on out there in the world, and I am grateful beyond words that within the little circle that is my family, all's right and well and happy.  I can only hope it continues.

    Hope all is right in everyone else's world tonight and for a lifetime of tomorrows.

    We went to see (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 11:26:14 PM EST
    The Odd Life of Timothy Green tonight.  We were all sniffly.  So lucky to have Joshua and his sister and her husband and children too.  Life is very full, my husband retiring out and not doing a last assignment would be super sweet addition.  It is a possibility because of his RA medication and TB becoming a problem in some places.  If it is decided that he is retiring out I will not be sad.

    Parent
    That sounds lovely. (none / 0) (#22)
    by lilburro on Sun Aug 19, 2012 at 02:13:41 AM EST
    I grew up about 2 hours north of where it sounds like you live.  Hills, trees, etc.  I've been sweating it out in Austin this summer, at least without the humidity of the NE.  Tonight thunderstorms chased away the heat and left us with a cool evening.  A wonderful preview of what I hope will come sooner rather than later.  My permanent guest of a little brother is snoozing soundly on the futon.  Life is good for our younger generation, at least here, too.  Good wishes to all.

    Parent
    A beautiful New Mexican night... (5.00 / 2) (#15)
    by desertswine on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 11:26:55 PM EST
    One of the best things about living here is the beautiful summer evenings.

    A tad toasty here. No A/C. Awwk. (none / 0) (#1)
    by oculus on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 02:39:14 PM EST


    I seem to be missing all the heat (none / 0) (#2)
    by nycstray on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 03:32:06 PM EST
    lately. We had a couple days in the upper 80's but now were just flirting with high 70s. Was at Mom's the other day, 104 in the shade! NOT my cuppa tea :P

    Should I send some bay breezes your way?

    Parent

    ugh . . "we're" sheesh. (none / 0) (#3)
    by nycstray on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 03:32:50 PM EST


    Parent
    That would be very nice. Fortunately, (none / 0) (#6)
    by oculus on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 06:06:39 PM EST
    I am spending most of my time in LJ in A/C listening to chamber music.  

    Parent
    Oh, dear, oc (none / 0) (#4)
    by Zorba on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 04:39:39 PM EST
    It's (finally) beautiful here.  Windows are open.  I'm making two pans of pastitsio (Greek version, sort of, of lasagna, or mac and cheese with meat, either one), the oven is on, and I still don't have to turn on the A/C.

    Parent
    Where you are (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 05:13:14 PM EST
    sounds so lovely Zorba. Actually it's heated up here the last few days but so far August has not been as deadly as it has in past years. This year June and July were worse than August.

    Parent
    It's hotter'n Hades (none / 0) (#16)
    by fishcamp on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 11:30:49 PM EST
    down here but we have fresh Grouper, Snapper, Mahi Mahi, Kingfish, Wahoo, Redfish, Cobia, Tuna, Mackerel, Permit, Bonefish, Sea Trout, and of course lots of sharks.  There are also Marlin, Swordfish, and Sailfish if you're really good, lucky, and careful.  And yes, of course, we have occasional square grouper out there along with the Cubans that float in daily.  

    Parent
    Oppo research (none / 0) (#7)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 07:03:54 PM EST
    on Romney dumped online. "Supposedly" from the McCain campaign.

    link

    He gets points for humor here (none / 0) (#10)
    by CoralGables on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 08:35:22 PM EST
    "just like hell, Arizona would be paradise with more water and good people"

    Parent
    It is from the McCain campaign. (none / 0) (#13)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 10:14:33 PM EST
    It was posted on another site a few months ago. This is actually a better and more accepssible format, since it's converted to PDF.

    Parent
    How do you (none / 0) (#23)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Aug 19, 2012 at 05:52:59 AM EST
    know? Did McCain admit that it's his oppo research?

    Parent
    It's 80 and cloudy in Hilo, HI. (none / 0) (#12)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 10:11:19 PM EST
    We've had a mellow day. I got word this morning that my first boss, a state senator in the Hawaii legislature, passed away this morning.

    I can't say that it was unexpected. Age finally caught up with her, and her quality of life deteriorated markedly over the last few months as she was dealing with Alzheimer's and had to give up her independence. She caught pneumonia two weeks ago, and I guess she decided it was time for her to depart the stage. Younger Daughter and I visited her last Monday, and we could see that she was ready to go.

    I'll miss her, but can't at all begrudge her departure. She was 88 years old, and a woman of true substance. Hers was a full life of accomplishment that should be celebrated, not mourned. We should all be so lucky.

    Aloha.

    A Hawaiian (none / 0) (#18)
    by CoralGables on Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 11:36:34 PM EST
    is hanging out in the Florida Straits tonight. Angel Yanagihara, a research professor and Jellyfish expert at the Department of Tropical Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa is part of the research crew on the Diana Nyad Havana to the Florida Keys swim.

    Parent
    Good to know she has (none / 0) (#20)
    by fishcamp on Sun Aug 19, 2012 at 12:47:51 AM EST
    a jellyfish expert with her as I saw hundreds of them out there today.  These are the purple tinged ones with the long trailing strands of stingers.  They look like little air filled sails.  It's very calm tonight so hopefully her people will be able to see  and steer her around them.  Their sting can be very painful.  Diane will be swimming North within the Gulf Stream that moves like a river at about four knots and carries the evil jellyfish with it.  I just looked at the National Data Buoy Center and the Gulf Stream is about twenty miles offshore of Key West now.  It shifts and can be as close to shore as five miles or way out about forty miles.  I filmed her years ago when I worked for ABC Sports and she was swimming across the Columbia River mouth which is five miles wide  but cold and very tricky.  She made it look easy.

    Parent
    Were those (none / 0) (#26)
    by CoralGables on Sun Aug 19, 2012 at 03:00:07 PM EST
    jellies or man of war you spotted yesterday? (not that it makes a hell of a lot of difference if you swim into one or the other)

    Parent
    This was the cool part of the evening: (none / 0) (#21)
    by oculus on Sun Aug 19, 2012 at 01:24:11 AM EST
    Pablo Ziegler

    Saturday Open Thread | 27 comments (27 topical)

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