Open Thread – 5 October 2017

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Pat Lang

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44 Responses to Open Thread – 5 October 2017

  1. Martin Oline says:
    October 5, 2017 at 10:37 am

    I have come across a new author I would like to share. His name is Wayne Stinnett and he writes a series of books that center around the Florida Keys, although he calls Traveler’s Rest, South Carolina home. He is a retired veteran of the Corps and writes military/security style adventure. His second book, Fallen Palm, is the first published. Apparently the first stories, which he wrote in the late 1980’s, was rejected many times by publishers. He came across the early stories while moving (had to buy an old computer with a 5 1/4″ drive to access them) and gave it another shot in 2010. It works well. The first in the series wasn’t published until 2014 after four sequels had been published. I enjoy his style and am very glad I have discovered another author who will entertain me for another year.
    A short character description from the website Fantastic Fiction -“retired at 37 he had no idea what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He only knew he didn’t want to spend the coming winter anywhere cold. His only skill is killing people from up to a mile away, and he knows there aren’t many job opportunities in the civilian world for that. However, he also knows his way around boats and has an old friend living free and easy in the Florida Keys.”
    If you live in Florida or South Carolina your local library could very well have his work on the shelves. I only wish they had Pat’s work.

  2. Fred says:
    October 5, 2017 at 11:35 am

    On a bright note for those needing a news detox the baguettes in Paris are just as good as when I last visited.

  3. mike says:
    October 5, 2017 at 11:55 am

    Erdo-dog’s master, Putin, speaks out about threats to stop Kurdish oil flow: “It is not in anyone’s interest to halt Kurdistan’s oil exports.”
    https://www.ft.com/content/8cb7e048-eadb-3024-b1d3-34b4afa11554
    Rosneft, which has oil and gas contracts in the KRG, is 75% owned by the Russian State. Interestingly British Petroleum owns another 19%.

  4. Poul says:
    October 5, 2017 at 11:56 am

    A nice little piece on the Syrian government and the question of legitimacy.
    http://ndupress.ndu.edu/JFQ/Joint-Force-Quarterly-87/Article/1325967/asadism-and-legitimacy-in-syria/

  5. mike says:
    October 5, 2017 at 12:34 pm

    The Coalition congratulates the Government of Iraq and the Iraqi Security Forces on their swift and decisive victory against Daesh in Hawijah.
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DLYCVElVYAAZdZr.jpg:large
    Time now to finish the push against Daesh in Rawa and al-Qaim up to the Syrian border.

  6. georgeg says:
    October 5, 2017 at 12:38 pm

    What are we doing in Niger?…..

  7. Ted McGreevy says:
    October 5, 2017 at 3:40 pm

    Boko Haram leaders in Niger?

  8. robt willmann says:
    October 5, 2017 at 3:42 pm

    As an exercise, and using available evidence, one can try to solve what has been said to be a crime of multiple homicide, aggravated assault, and damage to property that happened on the night of 1 October 2017 in the area of an outdoor concert and the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas.
    A newspaper or television story is not evidence. A press conference is not evidence. An autopsy expresses evidence, as do such things as ballistic tests, chemical residue samples and their evaluation from a suspect’s body, and so forth. Photographs, videos, witness testimony, tangible things, and other such items are evidence.
    This is not saying that law enforcement investigators are not acting in good faith. Rather, it can be an exercise into what the public is able to evaluate in an instance such as this when a push is being made to change existing laws that affect many people, and this country is supposed to be a free society with the public operating through a democratic republic.
    The press conference of Sheriff Lombardo of 4 October 2017 is here, with both links being the same thing–
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=603C9zCbOu4
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg6mZ80C8qc
    The statement is made that the original idea that the shooting started at 10:08 p.m. is changed to 10:05 p.m., and that it lasted until 10:15 p.m. At about 18 minutes into the press conference, Sheriff Lombardo answers questions.
    We have heard a story. Now, what evidence exists that can be evaluated?

  9. Ted McGreevy says:
    October 5, 2017 at 3:55 pm

    Names of contributors to this article. Seriously? The “who” of the Bolshevist “Who, whom?” are vigilant against keeping the rich “whom” in check. Just like they’re doing with their father.

  10. Serge says:
    October 5, 2017 at 4:05 pm

    Training locals so that they can last 2 weeks instead of 1 week the next time al qaeda or boko/IS comes rolling in after the collapse of an African state(see libya-> Mali )

  11. The Beaver says:
    October 5, 2017 at 4:23 pm

    Fred
    Just came back two days ago after 24 days in France (9 in Paris). Found a very good boulangerie on Rue de Bellesfeulles since we were staying in the 16th. 🙂

  12. mike says:
    October 5, 2017 at 4:29 pm

    Killing AQIM and daesh.

  13. Fred says:
    October 5, 2017 at 5:22 pm

    Looks like the Democratic IT scandal is worse than thought. You really have to wonder who is covering up what and why?
    http://dailycaller.com/2017/10/04/lawyer-for-it-aide-says-dem-congressmen-to-blame-for-falsified-spending-records/

  14. Allen Thomson says:
    October 5, 2017 at 7:23 pm

    Any thoughts on the somewhat bizarre stories concerning mystery symptoms/illnesses/attacks afflicting the personnel at the US embassy in Havana this past year?
    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/29/us/politics/us-embassy-cuba-attacks.html
    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cuba-acoustic-attacks-targeted-u-s-intelligence-operatives/

  15. ex-PFC Chuck says:
    October 5, 2017 at 7:34 pm

    Alex Krainer’s book debunking William Browder’s Red Notice, entitled The Killing of William Browder, can be read for free at the Internet Archive here: http://bit.ly/2xkC1oI
    And here is Krainer’s post at The Saker today entitled “How my book unmasking Bill Browder was censored by Amazon:” http://thesaker.is/how-my-book-unmasking-bill-browder-was-censored-by-amazon-by-alex-krainer/

  16. Bandolero says:
    October 5, 2017 at 8:09 pm

    outthere
    Regarding the death of Lieutenant General Valery Asapov I have no inside information. However let say how I recepted the Russian news back than and in which order.
    1st) Message that LtGen Asapov died in artillery fire close to Deir Ezzor
    2nd) Video that Russian forces created a bridge over the Euphrat under artillery fire
    3rd) Pictures that LtGen Asapov was standing freely with the Russian forces creating the bridge over the Euphrat
    So, when connecting Russian news back than, in summary they clearly proved that LtGen Asapov was walking around unprotected while supervising the creation of a bridge under ISIS artillerie fire.
    But as I said I have no idea about the exact circumstances of the martyrdom of LtGen Asapov.

  17. J says:
    October 5, 2017 at 8:33 pm

    Why is the Mainstream (Fake) News Medias being so silent on the missing $21 Trillion just between two, repeat two agencies, DoD and HUD? Why don’t we hear about FBI/DOJ investigations into the missing money? How many more agencies have unaccounted/undocumented ‘missing’ Trillions? This $21 Trillion(s) alone is just over two past administrations, Bush II and Obama tenures. The DoD IG has reported in the recent past that they were unable to find $6 to $9 Trillion in missing DoD monies.
    Also….what about the missing gold that was in the bottom rung of the Twin Towers before they came tumbling to earth? Who took it, Cheney or Jacob Rothschild, or both maybe? Where has the gold disappeared to?
    DOD and HUD Missing Money: Supporting Documentation for $21 Trillion of Undocumentable Adjustments
    https://solari.com/blog/dod-and-hud-missing-money-supporting-documentation/

  18. J says:
    October 5, 2017 at 8:50 pm

    Now I’ll get off my little soapbox about the missing Trillions, and mellow out with some good music. For your listening/viewing pleasure:
    EMIN & A’STUDIO – Если ты рядом – TISER
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw-iZhko4Mc
    also two of my very favorite performers МАКСИМ ФАДЕЕВ and НАРГИЗ
    МАКСИМ ФАДЕЕВ FEAT. НАРГИЗ – ВДВОЁМ
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBKuHpJprVI

  19. Fellow Traveler says:
    October 5, 2017 at 10:43 pm

    Maybe they don’t report on it since DoD spending amounted to ~$10T between 2000-2016.
    https://www.statista.com/statistics/272473/us-military-spending-from-2000-to-2012/
    (mistitled, actually, 2016)
    Since the report is generated by Catherine Austin Fitts, and she was HUD Commissioner under GW, perhaps she should know where she lost all of it.

  20. The Twisted Genius says:
    October 5, 2017 at 11:10 pm

    Fred,
    Been a good hockey night for both of us. Red Wings got their first win in their new Little Ceasars Arena and the Caps won their opener in Ottawa with an Ovi hat trick. (The win was actually a SO.) His countryman, Kuznetsov, guaranteed another 50 goal season for Ovi a few weeks back. My younger son and I will take in the home opener Saturday. Hoping the Caps make it 2-0 against the Habs.

  21. FourthAndLong says:
    October 6, 2017 at 12:20 am

    Colonel Sir,
    Allow me to contribute something I was fortunate to discover tonight.
    An incredible Cossack Song and Dance with swords. Translation and links follow. It’s the Two YouTube videos I really want to share. Thank you. Listen to them ten times or so for full effect. It is chanted and repetitious by nature.
    I find this song here below incredibly beautiful and inspiring. Especially when accompanied by the warrior’s dance in the YouTube video:
    Oi Cya Ti Oi Cya, Ti Menya Ne BoiCya
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFhG5unY6Zk
    NOT TO BE MISSED IS THIS VERSION:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUyla4Y4b9c
    Featuring a young woman of surpassing beauty dancing with the swords !!
    Enjoy this machine translation — the original in Cyrillic follows:
    ОЙСЯ ТЫ ОЙСЯ ТЫ МЕНЯ НЕ БОЙСЯ
    (You are afraid, do not be afraid of me)
    On the mountain stood the Cossack.
    C G
    He prayed to God,
    For freedom, for the people,
    E Am
    He bowed low.
    Chorus:
    Am C G
    Oysya, you are afraid, do not be afraid of me,
    E Am
    I will not touch you, do not worry. : | | 2x
    Taken from the site https://mychords.net/
    And he asked the Cossack
    Truth for the people.
    There will be truth on earth –
    There will be freedom.
    Chorus.
    For the friends the Cossack asked –
    To them in a foreign land
    Side by side
    Greed and pride.
    Chorus.
    To the wives waited,
    Both fathers and children
    Those who seek truth-mother
    Yes in white light.
    Chorus.
    For people asked the Cossack
    Yes blessed,
    To have bread and salt
    In peaceful settlements.
    Chorus.
    To the blood did not flow
    At what is the threshold,
    So that the crooked did not live –
    He prayed to God.
    Chorus.
    So that Cossack prayed
    For the native land,
    What would not sorrow, no trouble
    She was not touched.
    Chorus.
    God asked the Cossack
    Truth for the people.
    There will be truth on earth –
    There will be freedom.
    Chorus.
    Oh, oy, you’re ow-ya,
    Do not be afraid of me.
    There will be truth on earth –
    There will be freedom.
    На горе стоял Казак.
    C G
    Он Богу молился,
    За свободу, за народ,
    E Am
    Низко поклонился.
    Припев:
    Am C G
    Ойся, ты ойся, ты меня не бойся,
    E Am
    Я тебя не трону, ты не беспокойся. 😐 2x
    Взято с сайта https://mychords.net/
    А еще просил казак
    Правды для народа.
    Будет правда на земле –
    Будет и свобода.
    Припев.
    За друзей казак просил –
    Чтоб их на чужбине
    Стороною обошли
    Алчность и гордыня.
    Припев.
    Чтобы жены дождались,
    И отцы, и дети
    Тех, кто ищет правду-мать
    Да по белу свету.
    Припев.
    Для людей просил казак
    Да благословенья,
    Чтобы были хлеб да соль
    Во мирных селеньях.
    Припев.
    Чтобы крови не лилось
    У отчего порога,
    Чтоб да кривде не жилось –
    Он молился Богу.
    Припев.
    Так молился тот казак
    За землю родную,
    Что б не горе, не беда
    Ее не коснулись.
    Припев.
    У Бога просил казак
    Правды для народа.
    Будет правда на земле –
    Будет и свобода.
    Припев.
    Ой-ся, ты ой-ся,
    Ты меня не бойся.
    Будет правда на земле –
    Будет и свобода.

  22. JamesT says:
    October 6, 2017 at 1:22 am

    The Russians are certainly musical. I visited Moscow in 1998. My buddy and I were taking a taxi from the train station to his mom’s flat, and a song came on the radio that (I presume) the radio DJ had mixed himself – it was a Russian opera singer singing over American gangster rap. It was awesome.
    My impression is that the quality of popular music there has declined as the industry has become more corporate and various oligarch’s daughters decided they wanted to be pop stars. But I really like Leningrad (this video has English subtitles):
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktiONWfSL48

  23. confusedponderer says:
    October 6, 2017 at 1:47 am

    My recommendation for getting nice, frenchish food in Paris is the restaurant “Chartier” in Montmartre. They have a nice variety of french food, and they are a ‘bouillon’. In Chartier, you’ll get, at least when I went there, the bill calculation done on the paper tablecloth.
    http://www.bouillon-chartier.com/en/360-tour
    I like the old style, the food is great, and so are the very helpful and friendly waiters.
    About a decade ago, my brother asked the waiters if he could take some photos of the restaurant and of the waiters at work and they happily allowed. My brother made some great pics that day, in black and white, and sent the betters as a gift and ‘as a thank-you’ to the restaurant.
    However, I am not as good as a photographer and always went there for the food ^^

  24. Philippe T. says:
    October 6, 2017 at 5:01 am

    Did you “hear” about the Dr Vladimir Gavreau researches, a scientist in Marseille, in the 50′ et 60′?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wab8oIdgYBc

  25. LondonBob says:
    October 6, 2017 at 7:00 am

    https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/10/how-putin-came-to-rule-the-middle-east/
    Surprised to see such an article appear in the press, a very honest portrayal of Russia’s rise to preeminence in the Middle East. I hope Trump doesn’t undermine the Iran deal, although doing so only weakens US influence.

  26. ex-PFC Chuck says:
    October 6, 2017 at 9:50 am

    At Antiwar.com Thomas Harrington, a professor of Hispanic Studies at Trinity College, writes about how the Catalonians are preparing for independence and pulled off the recent referendum. He also provides some insight into the diverse natures of the peoples who make up Spain and their histories.
    http://original.antiwar.com/thomas-harrington/2017/10/04/last-sunday-catalonia-pirates-1-invincible-armada-0/

  27. SmoothieX12 says:
    October 6, 2017 at 10:03 am

    Emin is from Baku. THAT Baku which, sadly, despite all Baku’s present glitz and beauty is long gone.

  28. Babak Makkinejad says:
    October 6, 2017 at 11:01 am

    Fine!
    This expresses the Russian experience better:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxkQ8u7Y__4
    The thing is, no European country has experienced this level of repeated destruction for more than 800 years; thus they are left to dream the dream of Reason and Liberty while the Russ experienced the reality of rapine, murder, and starvation.

  29. mike says:
    October 6, 2017 at 11:24 am

    Sidorenko claims that SAA is now in Mayadin. That city is reported to be the latest hidey-hole of al-Baghdadi.
    https://twitter.com/IvanSidorenko1/status/916299673081733121

  30. Fred says:
    October 6, 2017 at 11:41 am

    TTG,
    I managed to get an invite to a preseason game at the new arena. Nicely done though I think they’ll have a tough time at the prices they are charging.

  31. Laura says:
    October 6, 2017 at 1:43 pm

    What do you suppose will be the consequences of Trump’s possible decertification
    of the Iran nuclear deal? I am so ready to educated on this!

  32. The Beaver says:
    October 6, 2017 at 2:27 pm

    @georgeg
    FYI:
    https://sofrep.com/91131/sofrep-exclusive-details-emerge-ambush-green-beret-team-niger/
    The Green Berets arrived in Niger some time in the early summer where the team was assigned to a 30 man force from the Niger Forces Armées Nigeriennes (FAN) paramilitary unit. The job of this Special Forces team was to conduct what is known as Foreign Internal Defense (FID) training in which the Green Berets which would further train their Nigerien paramilitary unit in the art of guerrilla warfare, counter-insurgency tactics and military operations within and along Niger’s borders.
    Having Green Berets in Niger for this type of mission is a highly strategic one, mainly due to the country’s borders with Algeria, Mali, and Libya, all of which have large terror groups such as the Islamic State, Boko Haram, and al-Qaeda in the Magreb (AQIM) within them. And borders don’t seem to phase these terror groups as they flow through in the rural sub-Saharan desert areas near the border, to either establish training camps, pass on through to the next conflict zone, or worse, move human prisoners. Many of said prisoners are young girls and children, who are sent to black market slave traders in Gao, Mali and Libya to finance their terror operations.

  33. JamesT says:
    October 6, 2017 at 3:04 pm

    Thank you for the recommendation. The Spectator seems to be more even handed and less Borg. The writer of the article, John R. Bradley, wrote a book on Saudi Arabia that I found very interesting. Furthermore, it seems that he predicted the Arab Spring:
    “First published in 2008 with the subtitle The Land of the Pharaohs on the Brink of a Revolution, this strikingly prophetic and critically acclaimed book caused an international media firestorm when it was banned by former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak. When the revolution it uniquely predicted took place in January 2011, Inside Egypt became essential reading …”

  34. Allen Thomson says:
    October 6, 2017 at 3:05 pm

    And then Nekrasov:
    Жаль только – жить в эту пору прекрасную
    Уж не придется – ни мне, ни тебе.
    My translation — you can find better versions I’m sure.
    Father speaking to son about the bright future, somewhat ironically:
    It’s only too bad — that life in that splendid time
    Indeed will not come — not to me, not to you.

  35. Adrestia says:
    October 6, 2017 at 3:16 pm

    And don’t forget Gerhard Schröder – former chancellor of Germany – as Chairman of the board of Rosneft since a week.
    https://www.ft.com/content/100db270-a518-11e7-9e4f-7f5e6a7c98a2?mhq5j=e6

  36. different clue says:
    October 6, 2017 at 3:22 pm

    Laura,
    It all depends on who does what in response. Any predictions could only be conditional. They might best be arranged into a “prediction tree” something like a “decision tree” . . . if someone here can construct one.
    I think Trump simply thinks he can extort the Iran Gov into doing certain new things Trump’s way with the threat of “worse to come” if the IROI does not take the “decertification” as a warning to “mend its ways” in line with Trump’s desires.
    I think we can all predict that the Iran Gov will not do that. All the possible outcomes after that is where a “prediction tree” would be useful for illustrating the possible outcome-paths.
    The obvious step-in-response for the Iran Gov to take would be to very earnestly inquire of the other governmental parties to the nuclear agreement as to whether they believe Iran has kept to all the strict words and letters of the agreement. If Russia and China are involved, they would certainly certify the agreement as being kept as far as they are concerned. If the Europeans are not yet ready to become an Independent Penninsula of Independent Countries, then they will follow Trump’s lead in saying Iran is not keeping the agreement.
    So the first fork in the road ( or first branch in the tree) will be Europe’s, to take as they will.

  37. Allen Thomson says:
    October 6, 2017 at 3:31 pm

    > that life in
    On grammatical reflection, that’s probably better as that to live until

  38. Kooshy says:
    October 6, 2017 at 4:27 pm

    And as good ( some times ) as of LA’ La Brea beakey

  39. FourthAndLong says:
    October 6, 2017 at 9:31 pm

    Had the Russians not been there over those many centuries, it would have been the Europeans who would have had to deal with the Mongols and other berserkers.

  40. Laura says:
    October 6, 2017 at 10:32 pm

    different clue — Thank you. That is a helpful way to view incoming news…and views. I appreciate your tutelage!

  41. different clue says:
    October 7, 2017 at 3:02 am

    Laura,
    Thank you for the kind words.
    But . . . tutelage? Me? I think that possibly you and certainly me and likely many others are here for tutelage and observed practice in learning, thinking and analyzing after a fashion, under the guidance of our host and the guest authors and some of the highly knowledgeable “been there done that” senior commenters on these threads.
    I am just hoping that one or another of those more senior people here might consider a “prediction tree” useful enough to consider crafting and offering one.

  42. Fred says:
    October 7, 2017 at 10:16 am

    Kooshy, CA, Beaver,
    I’m in the Latin Quarter trying to get by on a baguette a day. It’s tough being down and out like this.

  43. different clue says:
    October 7, 2017 at 5:23 pm

    The world of war and politics so dominates my awareness just lately that I find it hard to think of anything non-political. But I have thought about totally non-political things in the past and I can at least remember what they were and/or are.
    So to offer a momentary break from the political in case anyone wants such a break, here is one of the non-political things I have thought about from time to time.
    Cactus! Why do so many of them have such elaborate spine systems? Is defence against cactus-eating animals the only thing the spines are doing?
    I wonder if the long elaborate spines of those cactuses who have them are dew-harvesting devices. What if aerial water vapor in the coldest pre-dawn hours is able to condense onto the spines and then drip off the downward pointing spines onto the ground around the cactus? And flow down the upward point spines onto the little fuzzy aureoles around the base of each bunch of spines?
    And if this is what is happening, are the cactuses merely taking passive advantage of it? Or have they actively evolved spine and aureole systems designed to actively speed up the rate of water vapor condensation and dew-flow onto the cactus or onto the ground right around it?
    And how could one even tell? Perhaps cactuses in the pre-dawn hours could be time-lapse photographed with infra-red cameras or real-time Forward Looking Infra Red ( FLIR) videoed, to see if the spines glow brighter than the background. If the spines do glow brighter than the background, that could mean that they are both able to absorb heat from the condensing water vapor ( thereby allowing it to condense) and are also able to re-radiate that intaken heat back up and out into Space as infra red radiation. That would get the intaken heat out of the way and keep the spines cool enough to keep absorbing heat from water vapor and keep condensing more water vapor into
    more dew for dropping onto the ground or trickle-flowing onto the cactus aureoles.
    And if the spines were discovered to be actively intaking and out-radiating heat so as to actively condense and harvest the air-water all around them, could they then be filmed or photographed to see if water actually was dripping off them or flowing down them to the base? We know that any water dripping off the spines onto the ground around the cactus would be uptaken by any cactus roots it encountered.
    But what about the aureoles? If their tiny little multi-fuzzy haired selves are water absorbent, could they be filmed or photographed absorbing any spine-water that flowed down to them? Just as a possibility-test, could researchers drip water onto cactus aureoles to see if it just sits there or if it gets absorbed? Because if it gets absorbed by the aureole when a scientist puts it there in the daytime, it would also get absorbed by the aureole when the spine drip-flows it there in the pre-dawn hours . . . if the spine does that.
    cactus spine aureoles . . . apparently very important to many cactuses.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areole
    images of cactus spine and aureole systems.
    https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrBT9BZRdlZsbcA9lxXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzMXBobHNmBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDVUkwMkM0XzEEc2VjA3Nj?p=cactus+spine+aureoles&fr=sfp

  44. rjj says:
    October 13, 2017 at 9:58 am

    diff,
    I have a dose of The Avoidance, specifically clean out the g’raaage avoidance.
    Did you search on cactus dew harvesters? lots of downloadable pdfs out there. Conscience prevented looking for heat transfer studies.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4928504/
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275467088_Dew_harvesting_efficiency_of_four_species_of_cacti

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