Centerfield

Is that site supposed to be the par excellence example of bad web design? That made me laugh.

Blinky flashing things on the Front Page make Baby Cthulu cry and wave her little tentacles in anger.

Oh yeah. Though I did enjoy the Scientology comic strip.

Open thready question: went to the store last night and needed to get some bug spray. Noticed that most of the standard issue bug sprays include DEET, the active ingredient in mosquito-bug repellent at concentrations of 25 and 30%. There's some at 15%, and then the smelly ones that cost way more for way less repellent include concentrations at something like 6 or 7% if I recall correctly.

Now my recollection is that back in the day, regular OFF was 3% and Deep Woods OFF was 6% unless you got the little oily pump spray, which was higher I think. DWO off was always plenty effective for me, the only drawbacks were the smell, the oiliness, and the noticably crawly sensation it gave my skin.

So, what's the deal with 25 or 30%? Is this necessary? Or is it overkill? I know that I've always interpreted the crawly sensation DEET gives my skin as natures way of saying "this stuff isn't so good for your skin, so use it judiciously and wash yourself off as soon as you go inside." I'm no nancy-pants alarmists on such stuff, obsessing over chemistry and unnatural products and such, but DEET gives me a message, man.

"nancy-pants"? There's an expression I haven't heard in a while!

It's a good question, Brian. Since I live next door to a pond, I always have 2 or 3 bottles of repellent on my deck table. I'll check them out when I get home and report back.

DEET concentration mostly effects the longevity of protection, not the effectiveness. "Kid's" insect repellants contain lower concentrations because of potential effects of intense use on neural development.

The longevity effect of higher DEET concentrations pretty much levels out at 50% concentrations. Over that it's a waste o' chemicals. 10-25% is sufficient for most purposes. Military-grade repellant is 33% in a long-lasting lotion base. The only time I use the really strong stuff is the start of dove season, when the ticks and chiggers are still in full bloom, and then I use it on my jean cuffs and socks and shoe tops. Warning: strong concentrations of DEET can damage leather and some synthetic fabrics. Natural fabrics and nylon are immune, but with direct application of high concentrations you can actually put holes in polyester socks with repeated use, or damage the leather uppers on field boots.

Not to change the subject, but it sure is interesting watching the House and Senate today. Being a pro-war Dem never felt so bizarre. No complaints, it's just bizarre.

What's going on with the House and Senate, Rafique? I don't have C-Span at work.

Don't sweat it, Rafique, you can't change the subject in an open thread because all subjects are open. :-)

Pat,

Well the House is still debating Iraq (the pullout resolution), and in the Senate, Ben Nelson offered an amendment about a supposed amnesty plan for Iraqi troops. Then Mitch McConnell put forth Kerry's "end-of-year withdrawal" amendment, but Kerry never really offered the amendment, and the amendment was tabled 93-6.

Saw that. Joining Kerry in the "cut and run" vote were Feingold, Boxer, Kennedy, Byrd, and Harkin.

Democrats accused Republicans of political gamesmanship and sought to curtail floor debate on the proposal.

You don't say. It was even uglier in the House.

Democrats decried the debate as a sham, saying Republicans promised an open discussion but, instead, stacked the deck in their favor by limiting debate to 10 hours and barring any amendments. They also complained that Republicans refused to allow them to present an alternative resolution - though Democrats weren't able to agree on just what to offer.

No foolin'. Where's a good Captain Renault quote when you need one? Yep, elections are coming up and the summer flesh-pressin' and baby-kissin' are about to commence. Time to stack up the soundbites and do some serious demogoguin'.

Finally read the Coulter thread a couple of days ago. The title was pretty unpromomising....

Well, now I want to defend Franken. I've only heard him three times, but the Profesora and I like his stuff. No, it's not good as SNL in the Good Old Days, but it's not bad. His jokes are dark, but mostly not bitter, and never in hatred; facts do put in an appearance. The first time I heard him, he was interviewing a professor about some interesting work he'd done on high-quality preschooling. The questions focused on getting the facts rather than on partisanship, and the conversation was excellent. I thought, I could listen to Rush for a million years and never hear anything like this. The Profesora has many more opportunities to listen to Air America, but so far Franken's the only show she likes.