Open Thread - 5 May 2012

pl 

Comments

[steve]

I would appreciate any thoughts you might have on what is going on in Mali.

Steve

[Dan Gackle]

Gareth Porter has a new article on the finding of Bin Laden. Its two main claims are that (1) OBL had become erratic and was placed in Abottabad by his own people as a way of marginalizing him; (2) The ISI had been investigating the compound, suspected terrorist activity there and informed the CIA about it.

Porter's narrative is based on the research of a retired Pakistani Brig. Gen. named Shaukat Qadir who apparently is publishing a book on the subject.

http://truth-out.org/news/item/8866-finding-bin-laden-the-truth-behind-the-official-story

How credible does the esteemed committee find this material?

[Tyler]

Got married last weekend. Bought a scope kit for that Mosin finally. Going to divemaaster training. Any other divers here?

[Fred]

In honor of non-corporate coffee:

http://www.astrodetroit.com/
Best cappuccino this side of Rome.

[William R. Cumming]

The MSM is starting to complain about the lack of substance in the campaigning of President Obama and candidate Romney. Lacking any longer highly seasoned professions with what I would call area or subject matter expertise the MSM is largely reliant on government press handouts or elaborating on stories others have broken.

So here is some guesses for the top stories between now and the November election.

1.Rulings of the SCOTUS [Supreme Court of the US]!

2.The Fiscal Year 2013 budget and its impacts.

3. Widening US involvement in Sub-Saharan Africa.

4. Loss of interest in MENA documented by lack of discussion in the campaign.

5. Cyber crime and cyber security.

6. Continuing failure of the Western Economies.

7. Crop failures in various ends of the earth and related water shortages.

8. A huge reduction in DoD civilian employment announced.

9. Candidates for administration positions in the next administration being leaked or studied.

10. At least two major revolutions against dominant militaries somewhere in the world.

These are simply guesses based on trends.

[Bruno]

JAS's cartoon

[The beaver]

We (well couldn't get away from dual citizenship through marriage) have a socialist president in France and some journos are still confusing communism with socialism.

[Medicine Man]

Congrats on the wedding, Tyler.

[FB Ali]

Dan,

I think (1) is probably correct -- ObL was just an AQ figurehead in that house; he came up with all these grand schemes but no one paid him any serious attention. It suits the administration and the CIA to portray him as still exercising strategic and operational command over AQ.

(2) is possible -- some reference from the ISI got the CIA interested in that house. It is also possible (as I had proposed in my piece on the subject in SST) that someone in the ISI sold him to the US.

It seems that Shaukat Qadir in his book says that AQ sold ObL to the US. I think that is quite far-fetched.

[different clue]

Here are a couple offerings which are frivolous compared to the comments above . . . but perhaps some pure humor might be fun? They are two tiny 2-minute black and white films about a black cat, narrated in French and with English subtitles. The first one seemed only mildly funny but is a good set up to the very funny second one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M7ibPk37_U&feature=relmfu
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q34z5dCmC4M

[Jay Gould]

The lines are often blurred, viz. Mitterand. There is talk of a coalition government forming in Greece with the socialists and the communists.

Between the Left Coalition and the Communist Party, the hard left garnered a combined 24% of the vote. Hardly a phantom of the past.

[confusedponderer]

I buy my coffee at a small family owned and operated roastery in the neighbouring borough. I'm quite find of the shop. For instance, they make an excellent "café français".

The owner told me, in wonderful dialect, that they started making it specifically for a French customer, who kept correcting them until they got it right. They grind it to be right for your preferred method of brewing (filter or whatever type of machine you use etc).

There may be some coffee around that is better still, but who cares? Excellent is plenty good enough. Also, I haven't found it yet.

[turcopolier]

CP

You are in Germany but I get my coffee from the "New Orleans Coffee Exchange" online. pl

[Morocco Bama]

Currently enjoying some Indian Monsoon Coffee brewed with our Technivorm Moccamaster....the best damn coffee maker in the world, imo. It's function over form, and the form eventually grows on you.

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/2345965/?catalogId=38&cm_ven=Shopping&cm_cat=Froogle&cm_pla=default&cm_ite=default&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=2345965

[Fred]

Congrats on the wedding. Make sure you hit the keys for some good diving. Lobster season still opens in August? Miss those days, but not too much else from Key West. Too many toursists there now.

[Fred]

Friends of mine is from Trinidad. They have a great coffee which comes from Vietnam of all places. I'm going to try and have him bring me some next time they visit there.

[Tyler]

Thank you!

[Fred]

If the press wants substance they should be asking BHO and Romney (he keeps playing up his Michigan connections) about Michigan's Emergency Financial Manager law. The AG was in Michigan at the NAACP diner last night and refused to answer repeated questions about it. Rumor mill is that Detroit and other cities were sold derivatives by various outfits on Wall Street and this is one more method to protect the banks.

[tunde]

Col,
What are thoughts on the Jose Rodriguez-Ali Soufan spat re "enhanced interrogation techniques ?" Seems to be getting personal too. Would appreciate your insight being a professional in the field.

[Medicine Man]

Greek politics are getting pretty scary. In addition to the hard left getting a quarter of the vote, the far right fascist party got 6%, enough to have representation in parliament.

[William R. Cumming]

Sworn in today, will V. Putin lead Russia until 2024?

[Walrus]

Congratulations on your marriage. I go up to the great barrier reef for my diving - way to cold down in Melbourne Australia.

[confusedponderer]

IMO it is an overpriced and horribly yet overdesigned machine as it has coffee dripping into the filter, where it stands until it has dropped into the can. I hate those, and I hate the taste of the coffee they produce. The shortfall in taste is inherent in the design IMO.

I brew either by hand, with a filter having as many bottom openings as possible (so the coffee doesn't stand and get bitter). Take that 'Technoworm'!

Alternatively I use my compact and exceedingly cunningly designed steam brewer Krups T8. The sound (somewhat like a rocket start) it makes is as much an experience as is the coffee.

That, or it's straight old espresso from a classic espresso cooker that you put on the stove.

Actually, I think making coffee, with your own hands, is about as important to me as drinking it. I don't like fully automatic coffee machines.

[Alba Etie]

The Rachel Maddow show has had quite a bit of excellent coverage regarding the Michigan Emergency Financial Manager law. That show is surprisingly informative . Rachel Maddow is pretty much an old school New Deal Democrat - but unlike Ed Schultz or other BHO cheerleaders TRMS seems to care very much about the facts and objective journalism. I bet if the Rumor Mill has any leads at all about the derivatives /Detroit/Wall Street- protect the banks story TRMS producers would wish to hear them. Just the law itself is wholly anti -democratic - the state of Michigan can appont an Emergency Manager and say you can no longer vote because of the economic emergency.

[William R. Cumming]

Fred! Wall Street fleeced many municipalities over the last two decades. One reason that the bond market is in such huge trouble. State and local bonds looking more dross than gold even if tax free.

Basically Wall Street since 1980 has been given a pass and what was not strictly illegal was considered fair game. This of course is not a business plan that helps any but its authors.

And few realize that USA is so tied to EU banks and economies that a bailout financially of that sector by the USA will probably cause the next President whoever that is huge heartburn. And the EU banks largely followed the US financial sector's strategies.

WWI and WWII and the Marshall Plan will look like cheap bargains before this decade is out as far as the new world rescuing the old.