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Saturday Night Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 07:57:06 PM EST
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No fun here tonight, I'm doing billing and reading discovery, trying to decide between ordering in pizza or Thai food or grilling a hot dog.

Here's an open thread for you, all topics welcome.

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    Saturday Night Open Thread | 54 comments (54 topical)

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    tomato (5.00 / 2) (#1)
    by jharp on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 08:25:07 PM EST
    I just had a home grown tomato.

    Cut in half, and broiled with bread crumbs, olive oil, and feta cheese on top.

    Wow.

    Jharp, is this (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by Zorba on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 08:58:16 PM EST
    the first time this year that you have had a home grown tomato?  I hope not, but if so, come on over to my place- we have had tomatoes from our garden for awhile now.  Fresh eaten out of hand, in salads, broiled, with fresh basil and fresh mozzarella cheese and extra-virgin olive oil (and just a drizzle of good balsamico), and any number of other ways.     ;-)

    Parent
    You have ripe tomatoes? (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by caseyOR on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 09:50:37 PM EST
    I am so envious. We are having ridiculous summer weather, which includes record-breaking cold and rain in May and June, and July and August temps that vary, in the same week, from the 60s to the 90s.

    So, while I do have tomatoes on the vine, none, as in not a one, are ripe. We need a totally awesome Sept., but I am not hopeful. Nighttime temps are only in the 50s. In some outlying parts of the metro area nighttime lows have hit 40 degrees.

    On the plus side, I have a ton of green beans.

    Parent

    I've been getting a steady stream (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by nycstray on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 11:52:08 PM EST
    of grape, current, etc tomatoes. I've had a couple of paste tomatoes (literally a couple, lol!~) and one Black Prince. Supposed to warm up next week and it's generally warmer here in Sept/Oct. Sure hope so as I have a ton of green tomatoes . . . also got a lot of green beans. And peas . . .  was able to harvest my shallots this week and have a steady amount of kale, chard . . . apple tree is busting with ripening apples. Need to deal with that tomorrow. Oh and my tomatillos are just busting with fruit and blooms. Can't wait until they start ripening. Such a pretty plant :)  My neighbor's blackberries that are growing over my fence have made the garden seem more productive than it's been, lol!~ I wish I had planted more carrots successively. They be just lil' sprouts right now . . .

    Parent
    Sympathies (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by gyrfalcon on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 09:37:02 AM EST
    How frustrating!  Last summer, we got very few tomatoes here because of the weather-induced plethora of fungal diseases-- Early Blight, Late Blight, Septoria Leaf Spot, blah, blah, blah.  And the few tomatoes we did manage to get were waterlogged and insipid.

    This year we've had a dry, hot summer, and the tomatoes are beyond fabulous.  I took the risk of deliberately underwatering mine in order to concentrate and intensify the flavor, and boy did it work.  I managed somehow to tread the line and get it just right, with only a little bit of blossom end rot here and there as a result.

    Parent

    In Seattle they sometimes (none / 0) (#15)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 11:53:56 AM EST
    have "green tomato summers."

    And "pickle relish" winters..

    But the zucchini is always there.

    Parent

    Zucchini (none / 0) (#17)
    by gyrfalcon on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 11:58:28 AM EST
    (which I like very much), like cockroaches, dandelions and etc., will always be with us.  Even after the world as we know it comes to an end, there will be zucchini plants churning out squash into eternity...

    Oddly to me, although last summer was brutal on the tomatoes, everything else flourished, including stuff like raspberries that are supposed to need lots of sun and warm temperatures.  And I have much, much worse powdery mildew on winter squash and melons this year, despite the heat and the dryness.  Gah.

    It takes nerves of iron to be a farmer, I think.

    Parent

    To get rid of the mildew (none / 0) (#18)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 12:27:38 PM EST
    mix a very mild solution of dish washing liquid soap and spray using a hose attached sprayer.

    Rinse thoroughly.

    Parent

    It doesn't really (none / 0) (#40)
    by gyrfalcon on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 03:58:58 PM EST
    unfortunately, especially in bad cases like I've got.  It inhibits it somewhat, but doesn't cure it.

    Parent
    Try (none / 0) (#50)
    by jeffinalabama on Mon Aug 23, 2010 at 08:18:18 AM EST
    some of these brand names-- zineb, a zinc based anti fungal, maneb, same I think... I use these on tomatoes in the Deep South because, hey, there's not a tomato extant that won't get a fungal disease here. However, these are cross labeled for virtually any different fruit. ALso, these are considered "soft" fungicides by the researchers.

    Bordeaux Mix link is another oldie that you can even make yourself for fungus.

    The problem is, there's no silver bullet... you'll have to spray every oh, 10-21 days, depending on the leaf and fruit maturity.

    Parent

    THere's the problem (none / 0) (#53)
    by gyrfalcon on Mon Aug 23, 2010 at 10:59:21 AM EST
    constant spraying is just not something I'm going to even contemplate doing for anything other than my beloved tomatoes, especially not actual chemical fungicides.  I reluctantly got some copper spray this year in case the weather looked like it would be a repeat of last year's, but after reading the cautions on the label and confirming with my organic grower friend, I'm not sure I'd be willing to use it even for the tomatoes.

    Life is too short and I've got wayyyy too much to do to maintain the property and tend the veg garden as it is.

    I know, I know.  I'm wishing for a "quick fix," and there't ain't none.

    I am puzzled, though, why it's such a problem this year and wasn't in last year's miserable wet and cloudy weather.

    Parent

    Different varieties, perhaps? (none / 0) (#54)
    by jeffinalabama on Mon Aug 23, 2010 at 11:58:34 AM EST
    Also, fungal diseases mutate (or evolve), which leads to continually fighting them. The metallics, such as Bordeaux mix and the others I mentioned have been around for, oh 50 years for the two I mentioned, and more than 100 years at least for bordeaux mix.

    the key is to use correctly... and zineb and maneb work fine on tomatoes. I've used those two for some time when needed. I don't use a spray regimen when it isn't, but some years it's an every-10-day chore until about now.

    Parent

    Food of the gods (none / 0) (#12)
    by gyrfalcon on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 09:33:57 AM EST
    there's absolutely nothing like it, bar none, nothing, nada, zippo, the most glorious thing you can eat, in my opinion.

    Parent
    Re the pressing question (5.00 / 2) (#9)
    by Cream City on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 11:54:45 PM EST
    of the evening:

    Thai.

    No question.

    Hot Dog....NO! (none / 0) (#21)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 12:34:37 PM EST
    I haven't eaten a hot dog since I was about 12.  I wouldn't allow my children to eat them either, but as a rule on your bday you can have whatever you want for dinner.  Just to be evil the sixteen year old daughter demanded hot dogs for bday dinner and ate three of them while I stared at the wall.  She brings vienna sausages over for Naomi to eat when I'm babysitting, but I give them to the dogs....don't tell though.  She doesn't have internet yet :)

    Parent
    I used to throw uncooked hotdogs on (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by oculus on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 12:39:43 PM EST
    the high chair tray.  And bologna.  I have alot of explaining to do.

    Parent
    This seems to mostly only be (none / 0) (#24)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 12:47:50 PM EST
    my hang up.  Lots of babies eating lots of bologna.  I'm grateful though that I live in a country free enough for me to have my hang up :)

    I will be able to look my grandbabies in the eye when they can understand and tell them that NaNa never gave them anything to eat that she couldn't clearly identify as being from what and where :)  The person that didn't do that was your mother!  Ah....sweet revenge for the sixteenth bday hate crime committed upon my personage in my own home :)

    Parent

    I hate hotdogs. (5.00 / 1) (#39)
    by caseyOR on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 03:32:57 PM EST
    Have always hated them. According to my mother I refused to eat them from the get-go, even as a toddler. And don't get me started on the god-awful smell of hotdogs boiling in a pan on the stove. Yuck!

    Parent
    Let me know how this works out down (none / 0) (#25)
    by oculus on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 12:55:39 PM EST
    the line.  Will you be writing to the advice columnist about grandchildren who never acknowledge your gifts?  

    Parent
    Zoey is so much like me (none / 0) (#30)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 01:22:26 PM EST
    It is sort of frightening.  And everything she does that drives her mom crazy her mom also says are the same things about me that drive her crazy.  I think with Zoey the challenge for me will be to not feed that inner beast that wants to make her mom miserable :)  Naomi is so sweet, I don't think we have had a baby this sweet in the family since my little sister.  She is so snuggly and loving, I have little experience with such babies in my family :)  I have no idea how she will be toward the old people when grown.

    Parent
    Caught the last part (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by brodie on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 12:31:03 PM EST
    of a lively exchange on Fareed Zakaria's GPS today with Peter Beinart pummeling the lame arguments of a conservative WSJ guy Bret Stephens who was against the Muslim Center being built near GZ.  Beinart was in top form, passionate and persuasive, that we shouldn't be holding just this one religion to some ideological or sensitivity test which we wouldn't tolerate if it were applied to non-Muslim mainstream religions.

    Beinart hasn't always been my favorite slightly-left-of-center blogger, and his recent book -- Icarus -- I found to be mostly interesting and useful but at times flawed and outdated in its research and thinking.  But he has acknowledged his faulty logic in 2002 on the Iraq War, and on the latest Islamophobia he's been one of the consistently good and principled commentators.

    I had exactly the same reaction (none / 0) (#41)
    by gyrfalcon on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 04:01:35 PM EST
    to the GPS discussion.  I wasn't expecting much from Beinart and normally don't think much of him, but he was really splendid on this issue this AM.

    Parent
    There will also be a turtle (5.00 / 1) (#26)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 01:00:02 PM EST
    freeing ceremony later on today at my house.  Four years ago my daughter's boyfriend bought her a gift of a baby red slider turtle.  It was about the size of a quarter, and I guess was illegal to sell back then but someone did.  As usual, sixteen year olds don't feed other living things that are not them.  Eventually Turdey is forgotten and abadonded by all but me.  Turtles are not clean and they grow a lot.  I have dedicated a lot of time to trying to find "Turdey" larger and larger homes but Turdey is easily seven to eight inches now and I'm done, I never wanted my own turtle, never asked for one and I'm tired of cleaning and cleaning and poor Turdey in my opinion has a pretty sucky life compared to other turtles around here.  I checked to make certain of his natural environment, and I'm living in it.  So I finally was able to get the family that does not feed or clean Turdey to agree today to allow Turdey to live in Turdeyville.  Everyone seemingly loved Turdey though until it was time to feed Turdey or clean Turdey, this was a hard won fight.

    is it legal/ethical to release (5.00 / 1) (#27)
    by nycstray on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 01:07:29 PM EST
    sliders where you live?

    Parent
    OMG. Free the woman of this burden! (none / 0) (#28)
    by oculus on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 01:15:12 PM EST


    Parent
    It is the second most common turtle (none / 0) (#33)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 01:30:50 PM EST
    in the region.

    Parent
    It's native there? (none / 0) (#35)
    by nycstray on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 01:43:24 PM EST
    iirc, it there was a problem with people releasing them. Also, releasing captive/pets to the wild is generally not a good idea as they don't have the skills to compete in nature. they also might not be acclimated to the climate/weather

    have you tried rehoming/turtle rescue?

    Parent

    They are native here (5.00 / 1) (#37)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 01:56:30 PM EST
    We did talk about rehoming Turdey.  You have to remember that we breed dogs though, and like every breeder I know I have had to deal with the fact that not all dog owners turn out being how they go into it wanting to be.  We have had some dogs returned to us, and that is fine.  They seldom end up staying with us long before leaving for new owners.  The economy is really tough though right now and it is part of our contract though with buyers that if they cannot keep the dog or desire to not keep the dog we must be offered the dog back first.  We had one returned this year because he is simply getting huge, and they took one look at that and realized they will be feeding that for years and years and they returned him.  A larger turtle is a large responsibility between food and cleaning and vitamins, and if he isn't properly cared for he can't even bark or run away.  So upon family vote we decided the lake out back would be better and out there Turdey will always have what Turdey needs, he doesn't need a lamp anymore either that can burn out...he has his sun and it never lets him down. He will also join the foodchain though too.  Turdey is fairly large though and is actually large enough to join the gene pool as well.  In the wild it usually takes the turtles five years to get breeding size.  It took Turdey four (he does scrape against the aquarium glass when he thinks he needs something to eat), but it is size that dictates adulthood for breeding and not age.

    Parent
    FREE TURDEY!!! (5.00 / 2) (#38)
    by desertswine on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 03:10:45 PM EST


    Parent
    If this were a movie (5.00 / 2) (#43)
    by ruffian on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 06:53:40 PM EST
    Next year he would bring a line of little Turdeys to you for a visit. You and Turdey would share a knowing look before he led his progeny back to the lake.

    Parent
    And then MT could write a best-selling (5.00 / 2) (#46)
    by oculus on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 08:15:04 PM EST
    children's picture book.  Make Way for Turtles.

    Parent
    What music have you chosen for this (none / 0) (#29)
    by oculus on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 01:17:59 PM EST
    ceremony?

    Parent
    Something Southern? (5.00 / 1) (#31)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 01:27:39 PM EST
    If I leave here tomorrow
    Would you still remember me?
    For I must be travelling on, now,
    'Cause there's too many places I've got to see.
    But, if I stayed here with you, girl,
    Things just couldn't be the same.
    'Cause I'm as free as a bird now,
    And this bird you can not change.
    Lord knows, I can't change.

    Bye, bye, its been a sweet love.
    Though this feeling I can't change.
    But please don't take it badly,
    'Cause Lord knows I'm to blame.
    But, if I stayed here with you girl,
    Things just couldn't be the same.
    Cause I'm as free as a bird now,
    And this bird you'll never change.
    And this bird you can not change.
    Lord knows, I can't change.
    Lord help me, I can't change.


    Parent

    Is That By The Turtles? (none / 0) (#32)
    by squeaky on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 01:29:02 PM EST


    Parent
    The Skynards (none / 0) (#34)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 01:31:40 PM EST


    Parent
    So I take it that you (5.00 / 1) (#36)
    by Zorba on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 01:45:26 PM EST
    won't be playing The Turtles' "Happy Together" for you and Turdey?    ;-)

    Parent
    Good for you. (none / 0) (#42)
    by gyrfalcon on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 04:04:06 PM EST


    Parent
    We went to see (none / 0) (#3)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 09:08:08 PM EST
    'Dinner for Schmucks' last Friday, not very good.  We went to see 'The Other Guys' on Saturday, not very good.  We just watched 'Street Thief' on Netflix, and that was fascinating.

    You liked Street Thief? (none / 0) (#8)
    by andgarden on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 11:53:07 PM EST
    I found it a little strange.

    Parent
    It is strange in a fascinating sort of way (none / 0) (#19)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 12:30:50 PM EST
    Hacking into drywall with a sawzall to avoid tripping the alarm systems on "established" entryways was pretty fascinating for me.  I'm guessing because I grew up around all these tools that he used and they were being used to build things.  It was an utterly different world to see them used to steal things :)  Well, only cash actually.  Kaspar doesn't mess with all that other crap :)

    Parent
    In a near-Heisenberg demonstration (none / 0) (#49)
    by andgarden on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 10:51:38 PM EST
    he knocks off a movie theater. . .

    Parent
    gryfalcon's mama's so ugly... (none / 0) (#5)
    by NealB on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 10:59:33 PM EST
    ...she makes blind children cry.

    why are you insulting gryfalcon? (none / 0) (#10)
    by Jeralyn on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 12:20:51 AM EST
    I'm about to delete your comment but in case I'm missing something, I thought I'd ask.

    Parent
    BTD's "Dozens" thread must be full. (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by oculus on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 12:40:09 AM EST


    Parent
    Heh (none / 0) (#14)
    by gyrfalcon on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 09:38:06 AM EST


    Parent
    it bothered to insult me (none / 0) (#48)
    by NealB on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 10:30:29 PM EST
    .

    Parent
    Bushehr Nuclear Reactor Now On Line (none / 0) (#6)
    by squeaky on Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 11:09:16 PM EST
    After a delay of more than five years, Iran has begun operating its Bushehr nuclear reactor, the heads of the Iranian and Russian atomic agencies announced on Saturday.

    The 1,000-megawatt facility is designed to generate electricity, and experts and military officials in Israel, the United States and Western Europe say the prospect the reactor will be used in Iran's military nuclear program is extremely small.

    Haaretz

    Whew, that was a close one!

    John Bolton, former US ambassador to the UN, has been lobbying for Israel to bomb the Bushehr reactor: Jerusalem Post from 8/17:

    "If Israel was right to destroy the Osiraq reactor, is it right to allow this one to continue? You can't have it both ways."

    [John] Bolton,  dismissed the idea that international inspectors would contain the threat from the Bushehr reactor, pointing to instances inspectors had been kicked out.

    He also said it was unlikely that Israel would attack Bushehr now and make another sortie against the enrichment facilities in later months because that would be a much more challenging task

    Jerusalem Post

    Ah yes (none / 0) (#16)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 11:55:03 AM EST
    Peace in our time.

    Parent
    Interesting op ed in LAT on social (none / 0) (#23)
    by oculus on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 12:40:48 PM EST
    security.  LAT

    I finally saw Winter's Bone this afternoon (none / 0) (#44)
    by ruffian on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 07:29:31 PM EST
    Excellent! they sure captured that bleak grey sky Midwestern atmosphere. I could almost smell the truck exhaust in the cold air.

    Can see why the young actress Jennifer Lawrence is getting such good reviews. And I didn't even recognize John Hawkes as Teardrop even after watching him on Deadwood (Sol) for the run of the show.

    OMG (none / 0) (#45)
    by squeaky on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 07:53:53 PM EST
    What a film....  ! Best I have seen in a while..

    Parent
    Me too (none / 0) (#51)
    by ruffian on Mon Aug 23, 2010 at 10:31:50 AM EST
    That scene in the boat. OMG is right. I don't think I've ever actually curled up in a movie theater seat since I was a kid, but I did then.

    I was so glad I caught it in the theater before it was gone. Been trying the last 2 weekends but things kept coming up. Not the type of movie to stay in Orlando multiplexes for a long time.

    Parent

    lol (none / 0) (#52)
    by squeaky on Mon Aug 23, 2010 at 10:50:09 AM EST
    I started crying in the first few minutes when I saw the dog tied up.. It seemed foreboding.. the color and music set the tone right away...

    Interesting that all the men were flat cardboard characters except teardrop... while the women were quite powerful.

     

    Parent

    Grill a hot dog (none / 0) (#47)
    by NealB on Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 10:24:08 PM EST
    Great for losing weight. You hardly want to eat more than one. And one tastes so good you feel like you've eaten two.

    Saturday Night Open Thread | 54 comments (54 topical)

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