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Sunday Night Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Sun May 20, 2012 at 08:22:54 PM EST
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In case anyone here wants to talk about something besides George Zimmerman, here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

< George Zimmerman : State of the Evidence | John Edwards Jury to Resume Deliberations >

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    Sunday Night Open Thread | 22 comments (22 topical)

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    Robin Gibb has passed away. RIP (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by Angel on Sun May 20, 2012 at 08:56:56 PM EST


    This makes me sad (5.00 / 0) (#6)
    by sj on Mon May 21, 2012 at 12:21:55 AM EST
    The disco era has been hit hard.  Not that their music was limited to that.  I always liked Robin's voice the best, but together they were magic.

    I've lost one brother and had a hard time coming back from that.  Barry has lost three and was close to all of them.  I can't imagine it.  And their poor mother, my gosh.  I just can't imagine the depth of her pain.  To outlive three of her children.

    Peace to them all.

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    Yes (none / 0) (#3)
    by rickroberts on Sun May 20, 2012 at 09:04:31 PM EST
    62 years old, and Donna Summer was 63. These always come in threes. Who is next?

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    I've always hated that saying... (none / 0) (#5)
    by sj on Sun May 20, 2012 at 11:54:04 PM EST


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    Already happened (none / 0) (#15)
    by DFLer on Mon May 21, 2012 at 09:59:13 AM EST
    Duck Dunn

    Levon Helm

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    I can't say that I was ever ... (none / 0) (#21)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon May 21, 2012 at 04:26:10 PM EST
    ... a fan of the Bee Gees, because I wasn't. I'm still a confirmed rock'n'roller, and to be honest, I despised disco with a passion when it was in its its mercifully short-lived heyday.

    But that was then, this is now, and given the retrospect that only the passage of time can provide, there's no certainly arguing with the Bee Gees' success and cultural impact. Their best-selling Saturday Night Fever soundtrack stands as one of the most influential pop music albums of all time, defining its era much as The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's album did for the '60s generation only a decade earlier.

    My sincere condolences to Robin Gibbs' family and friends for their loss. He had a heroic battle with cancer, and he's at peace now.

    Aloha.

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    In their first incarnation (none / 0) (#22)
    by jondee on Mon May 21, 2012 at 05:00:26 PM EST
    they had a few hits with a sort of British folk rock sound..

    Massachusetts.."I've just gotta get a message to her..Oh-I Oh-I.."

    Without all that nose candy and amyl nitrite, I don't think disco would've been less than a brief blip on the cultural radar..

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    I hope that everyone who could... (5.00 / 0) (#4)
    by desertswine on Sun May 20, 2012 at 09:46:06 PM EST
    witnessed the "ring of fire" eclipse tonite. We were lucky enough to score a couple of pair of magic glasses for eye protection and had a great time. It was a fabulous sight.

    Save your glasses if you have them for the transit of Venus on June the 5th.

    Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday. (5.00 / 6) (#12)
    by jeffinalabama on Mon May 21, 2012 at 08:33:02 AM EST
    My big plans? Go to the public library and check out some books on my son's summer reading list. He does get it: I had suggested (forced) him to check out Pippi Longstocking a few weeks ago, and he said it was boring, didn't finish it. I told him this morning to read it today, and he could check it off before summer vacation starts and not have to worry about it.

    He's already gone through the Wimpy Kid and Captain underpants series, started on Big Nate, and we're reading Dr. Doolittle, Tall Tales from the USA (Paul Bunyan, John Henry, etc...) and Brer Rabbit (The expurgated version, suitable for children) and a story about Baba Yaga...

    So I'll grab Pippi and some of the science books on the list. He loves science... at his book fair I purchased him "Gross Science," and he can't wait to begin experiments!

    I"m trading out with some neighbors... I go under the knife again July 5, so I'll be starting Jeffinalabama school this thursday for 3-4 children his age... maths, leaf collections, reading, phonics practice, and some spelling. Also map making.

    When I'm laid up, the parents will handle the wild child for some hours every day. Also he'll be in summer school with at least one of them.

    I think I need to look up more on public schools and ADHD children-- the ones, like me, who used to be called 'problem children!'

    But I reminded the school he's now covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act... which made the smiles from the admin seem forced.

    Oh well, not a diary/essay today, just random thoughts.

    Freedom, peace, and love to you dedicated TL people, and the lurkers, also.

    Good luck to you Jeff (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by sj on Mon May 21, 2012 at 09:33:18 AM EST
    It sounds like you  are making the very best of a bad situation.  I have to admit that I'm with your son when it comes to Pippi Longstocking.  I have never, ever understood the appeal.  I hated them as a child and was bored by them as I grew older.  I've always thought I was missing something obvious, but the truth is, not every book is for everybody.  The good news is, any book has a finite number of pages and reading it doesn't take that long :)

    Parent
    Hey, Jeff, sounds like you've got (5.00 / 3) (#16)
    by caseyOR on Mon May 21, 2012 at 11:21:09 AM EST
    your hands full.

    About the reading- my grandmother was a second grade teacher and a reading specialist. She believed that what a child reads is less important than that a child reads. I remember her telling my mother to let my sisters and me read whatever we wanted, even the demon comic books, just get us reading.

    A suggestion for the lad's reading list. He's about 8 or 9, right? If so, he is at the perfect age to start reading the many books written by Beverly Cleary. There are the Ramona books and the Beezus books and the Henry books and so many more.

    Cleary grew up in Portland, and Portland locations appear in her books, and she is a local treasure. She was also a great writer of children's books.

    Take care. We're here if you need us.

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    Beverly Cleary (5.00 / 2) (#18)
    by Mr Tuxedo on Mon May 21, 2012 at 11:51:12 AM EST
    I teach K-6, and these books are a great recommendation. Don't forget Otis Spofford.

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    Otis Spofford is now (none / 0) (#20)
    by jeffinalabama on Mon May 21, 2012 at 12:16:11 PM EST
    on the list!


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    Ha! (none / 0) (#1)
    by rickroberts on Sun May 20, 2012 at 08:55:05 PM EST
    Jeralyn, you are kind to give us the forum. I am consumed with the Zimmerman case, I'm afraid. Political season is heating up though.

    Imagine this scenario: immunity hearing frees Zimmerman before November. Violence erupts. The Supremes screw the healthcare act and uphold Arizona's immigration law. Hillary replaces Biden. Romney chooses a woman and/or a latino/latina.

    Wild, wild ride. Woo!

    concealed weapon permit (none / 0) (#7)
    by pngai on Mon May 21, 2012 at 02:37:46 AM EST
    Jeralyn, I would like to hear your opinion on the moral and legal aspects of a person holding a concealed weapon permit participating in a Neighborhood Watch group. Specifically should such a person go armed or unarmed on a patrol?
    First of all, you need to take care with (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by Anne on Mon May 21, 2012 at 06:26:29 AM EST
    use of the label "Neighborhood Watch;" written this way - capital "N", capital "W" - it leads people to think the community in question was a participant in "the" neighborhood watch program - and whatever it is that the Twin Lakes community had, it was not part of that NW program.

    Second, I don't believe there is any watch program worth its salt that recommends or condones armed patrols, whether or not those involved are licensed to carry.  What we don't know - because no one has stepped forward to fill in the information gap - is whether the Twin Lakes program had any rules, and if one of them was "leave your weapon at home."

    Third, Zimmerman has said from the beginning that he was not on patrol that night, just out running errands; that may be, but given the enthusiasm with which it is reported that Zimmerman approached his patrol duties, it's hard to imagine that he wasn't always on alert.  

    Finally, I don't believe there is any legal restriction on carrying a weapon while participating in community watch activities; whether it's smart to do so is a whole other question.

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    A request (5.00 / 4) (#13)
    by sj on Mon May 21, 2012 at 09:22:03 AM EST
    There are lots of Zimmerman threads.  I would ask you to be thoughtful of those of us who want to stay out of it and try not to bring the case into other open threads.  It ends up taking over on those as well and makes TL much less enjoyable for the rest of us.

    Thank you.

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    Interesting quote in NYT article (none / 0) (#9)
    by TeresaInPa on Mon May 21, 2012 at 08:01:36 AM EST
    Jennifer Palmieri, a close friend of Mrs. Edwards and a former press secretary to her husband who is now in the White House communications office, recalled walking into the Iowa hotel room where Mrs. Edwards was screaming at him and the Barons. While Mr. Edwards stood by silently, the Barons explained they were simply trying to keep Ms. Hunter placated so she would not go public.

    notice that they did not say they were not trying to keep Elizabeth from finding out.  They were admitting to Elizabeth herself that the purpose of their donations at that point were to keep the affair from the public.  Why would they want to spend that kind of money to keep the public in the dark?  It wasn't to make sure Edwards could keep teaching Sunday school classes.
    Seems to me that all of the character killing testimony the judge has allowed has been for the purpose of keeping Edwards from doing the thing he does best, snowing a jury.
    Also, no matter what the FEC says, it is the jury which gets to determine what is and is not, in this case, campaign contributions.  The FEC was conned.  It has a set of guidelines that were insufficient for this circumstance.
    Hey, maybe this will go the the Supreme Court and Edwards will have an impact on that court, just not in the way he intended.

    I don't think you've got that right. (5.00 / 1) (#17)
    by caseyOR on Mon May 21, 2012 at 11:48:36 AM EST
    If i understand what you've written, you are saying that the jury gets to decide what the law is. Well, know they don't.

    Juries don't make laws. Juries determine whether someone has broken a law. And the big problem with this case is that the jury has no business deciding what is or is not  a campaign contribution. That task has been given, by law, to the FEC.

    I get that you have a big hate on for Edwards, but geez, isn't the rule of law more important than your appetite for revenge?

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    Actually (none / 0) (#19)
    by jbindc on Mon May 21, 2012 at 12:02:06 PM EST
    The FEC has jurisdiction over civil enforcement over federal campaign laws. Criminal violations may be referred by the FEC to the DoJ.

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    oops.... (none / 0) (#10)
    by TeresaInPa on Mon May 21, 2012 at 08:03:55 AM EST
    here is the link:

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    aaarrgg (none / 0) (#11)
    by TeresaInPa on Mon May 21, 2012 at 08:05:36 AM EST
    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/21/us/edwards-trial-shows-affairs-strains-on-campaign.html?pagewanted =2&src=recg

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    Sunday Night Open Thread | 22 comments (22 topical)

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