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Friday Night Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 07:14:30 PM EST
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All eyes seem to be on Egypt. The internet there disappeared today and police targeted journalists. President Obama describes his conversation with Egypt President Hosni Mubarak today. He told Mubarak to make good on his promises. Mubarak has dismissed his cabinet.

In less important news, Shaun White failed to qualify for the finals in the X Game's men's snowboard slopestyle. Charlie Sheen has finally checked into rehab and CBS has finally put his "Two and A Half Men" show (which I've never seen) on hiatus.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

< FBI Raids "Anonymous" Hackers Over Wikileaks-Related DDOS Attacks | Saturday Morning Open Thread >

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    Friday Night Open Thread | 22 comments (22 topical)

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    Weird science, or flying with QE (5.00 / 2) (#3)
    by Harry Saxon on Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 08:07:16 PM EST

    European robins may maintain quantum entanglement in their eyes a full 20 microseconds longer than the best laboratory systems, say physicists investigating how birds may use quantum effects to "see" Earth's magnetic field.

    Quantum entanglement is a state where electrons are spatially separated, but able to affect one another. It's been proposed that birds' eyes contain entanglement-based compasses.

    Conclusive proof doesn't yet exist, but multiple lines of evidence suggest it. Findings like this one underscore just how sophisticated those compasses may be.

    "How can a living system have evolved to protect a quantum state as well -- no, better -- than we can do in the lab with these exotic molecules?" asked quantum physicist Simon Benjamin of Oxford University and the National University of Singapore, a co-author of the new study. "That really is an amazing thing."


    Click or Wired Me

    What was Mrs. Schrodingers' complaint to her husband?

    "Erwin, was der Teufel hast du mit der Katze? Das arme Ding schaut halb tot!"

    "Erwin, what the Devil have you done with the cat?  The poor thing looks half-dead!"

    Egypt... (5.00 / 4) (#7)
    by Stellaaa on Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 09:37:46 PM EST
    What amazes me is that American News operations have such a hard time finding educated Egyptians, who can speak for Egypt.  Egyptians who speak unbelievable English.  

    Yet, the racism of the media, always must have us hear about people from the Middle East, through the filters of the west.  Shame, shame.  We will never learn.  

    For years now Egyptians have been tortured, jailed and murdered in the name of "keeping Egypt Stable".   Well, the stable clock ran out.  

    Workers have been striking, a young student was brutally murdered last summer and Egyptians demonstrated for days.  Did anyone listen?  No.  Why?  Because there was no central casting Imam spewing idiocies that fuel the anti Arab sentiment.  

    Stability just blew up in the face of America, Biden and company had no clue.  

    The tear gas cannisters had  "Made in USA" stamps.   Heh, we do make stuff in America.  

    I was born in Egypt and lived there the first part of my life.  I know the streets they show in Alexandria.  People have had enough, this is what self determination looks like.  It's messy and no pundit or think tank PHD carrying thinker understands Egypt and what is going on right now.  The way they did not understand the Economic calamity.  

    Hold on to your hats, it's gonna be a bumpy ride letting the ex-colonies that were repressed for the last forty years, get their voices and ask for what we all got in the West: self determination.  

    I have a lot to learn about Egypt, (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by Anne on Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 10:00:42 PM EST
    but I think it's safe to say that the American media aren't particularly interested in putting Mubarek - or American foreign policy - under the microscope; there's too much danger in reminding the American people that we have a history of supporting iron-fisted leaders in the name of "stability."

    Watching the ABC News report this evening, I was struck by the footage and the narrative that made sure to show the people pausing in the midst of their civil protest to answer the call to prayer; was that central to the story, or was that a way to manipulate the viewers into coming away from the report with a negative bias against the protesters?

    It's no wonder Americans are so ill-informed about national and world events; for the most part, the American media aren't worth spit.

    Parent

    NBC did the same thing. (none / 0) (#10)
    by caseyOR on Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 11:21:45 PM EST
    In the middle of Richard Engel's report from Cairo, NBC put up footage of the crowd stopping in the street to pray. Brian Williams did not come right out and claim these were radical Islamists, but the implication was there.

    And that was too bad because Engel talked about the massive poverty and unemployment and rising food costs and the brutality the police visit upon the Egyptian people every day. Engel said that when the demonstrations started it was the impoverished and the unemployed and students taking to the streets. Now the middle class has joined in.

    Parent

    Reverend King (none / 0) (#11)
    by Stellaaa on Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 11:38:01 PM EST
    People stopped to pray so that the cops would not attack them.  The demonstrations were led by a wide range of groups.  The Muslim Brotherhood did not instigate this movement, now they will ride the benefit.  Their wings have been clipped and they were pacified by the regime.  

    I have watched the events for years now, the range of the oppositions is far and wide.  

    Of course, our media wants to simplify into the binary that is easy for us to digest.  What I have been hearing about Egyptian politics from US media is so rudimentary and wrong headed.  

    Watch Al Jazeera English.  They have great interviews, live reports and blogs.  

    Parent

    Just to let you know... (5.00 / 2) (#14)
    by lentinel on Sat Jan 29, 2011 at 04:22:07 AM EST
    that "PayPal is the world's most-loved way to pay and get paid."

    That is their new slogan.

    So next time you use their service, think about how much you love them. I know I do.

    In fact, I try to take a little time each day to think about all the love I feel for Paypal.

    I think this might be the basis for a new religion.

    Some decided coolness in some (none / 0) (#1)
    by KeysDan on Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 07:40:57 PM EST
    quarters to Mohammed El-Baradei, the adult face to the demonstrators.  IAEA and  winner of the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize, and his possible role in Egypt's future.

    Marc Ginsberg, former US Ambassador to Morocco, served as an expert on the area during Tweety's show tonight.  Mr. Ginsberg pretty much dismissed Dr. El-Baradei in favor of some military officers.  Moreover, Mr. Ginsberg claimed that Iran was putting money on the streets to fuel the protestors, without evidence when pressed by Mathews.

    Of course, Dr. El-Baradei will not be forgiven by some for his challenge to the Bush/Cheney/Powell claim of Saddam's WMD-- based on his International Atomic Energy work.  Even worse, was El-Baradei's unmasking, in March 2003, of the forgery that was the document cited by Bush in his SOTU that Saddam sought to obtain yellow-cake uranium from Niger.

    UN Ambassador John Bolton and Secy. Condi Rice tried to stop El-Baradei from gaining a UN re-appointment but they were defeated by his international reputation.   Fortunately, the good people of Egypt will, I hope, select their own president when their present leader of "de-Nile"  finally gives up the ghost.

    I don't remember (none / 0) (#4)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 08:52:55 PM EST
    the Brits agreeing.

    Even worse, was El-Baradei's unmasking, in March 2003, of the forgery that was the document cited by Bush in his SOTU that Saddam sought to obtain yellow-cake uranium from Niger


    Parent
    Yes, the Brits were untouched by politics (none / 0) (#5)
    by Harry Saxon on Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 09:36:09 PM EST
    in their role in the war:

    The country's most senior civil servant today said the cabinet should have been told of the attorney general's doubts about the legality of invading Iraq before Tony Blair went to war.

    "The ministerial code is very clear about the need, when the attorney general gives written advice, the full text of that advice should be attached [to cabinet papers]", Sir Gus O'Donnell told the Iraq inquiry.

    The clear implication of his evidence is that Blair breached the code of conduct ministers have a duty to uphold.

    The attorney's doubts, had they become widely known, could have led to a serious debate among ministers with implications for British participation in the war, evidence to the inquiry has suggested.

    From the Guardian

    Click or Disbelieve Me

    Parent

    I"m sure you recall (none / 0) (#9)
    by observed on Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 11:07:02 PM EST
    that the Brits didn't produce any actual evidence ---they only claimed to have another source.

    Parent
    Yes, we must never believe (none / 0) (#15)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Jan 29, 2011 at 09:11:07 AM EST
    intelligence agencies who fail to produce their confidential human sources. (sarcasm alert)

    And we do have this:

    Mayaki said, however, that in June 1999,(                    ) businessman, approached him and insisted that Mayaki meet with an Iraqi delegation to discuss "expanding commercial relations" between Niger and Iraq. The intelligence report said that Mayaki interpreted "expanding commercial relations" to mean that the delegation wanted to discuss uranium yellowcake sales. The intelligence report also said that "although the meeting took place, Mayaki let the matter drop due to the UN sanctions on Iraq."

    <snip>

    The former ambassador also told Committee staff that he was the source of a Washington Post article ("CIA Did Not Share Doubt on Iraq Data; Bush Used Report of Uranium Bid," June 12, 2003) which said, "among the Envoy's conclusions was that the documents may have been forged because `the dates were wrong and the names were wrong." Committee staff asked how the former ambassador could have come to the conclusion that the "dates were wrong and the names were wrong" when he had never seen the CIA reports and had no knowledge of what names and dates were in the reports. The former ambassador said that he may have "misspoken" to the reporter when he said he concluded the documents were "forged." He also said he may have become confused about his own recollection after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported in March 2003 that the names and dates on the documents were not correct and may have thought he had seen the names himself. The former ambassador reiterated that he had been able to collect the names of the government officials which should have been on the documents.

    Link


    Parent

    The brit source was the forgery, (5.00 / 1) (#17)
    by observed on Sat Jan 29, 2011 at 01:18:51 PM EST
    that's the point.

    Parent
    The Brits don't agree (none / 0) (#20)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Jan 30, 2011 at 12:15:29 PM EST


    Parent
    Of course the British (5.00 / 0) (#21)
    by Harry Saxon on Sun Jan 30, 2011 at 12:41:16 PM EST
    don't admit they made a mistake, would you?

    Parent
    The conclusion (none / 0) (#16)
    by Harry Saxon on Sat Jan 29, 2011 at 09:57:42 AM EST

    (U) Because CIA analysts did not believe that the report added any new information to clarify the issue, they did not use the report to produce any further analytical products or highlight the report for policymakers. For the same reason, CIA's briefer did not brief the Vice President on the report, despite the Vice President's previous questions about the issue.

    So, since the report wasn't used, why all the quibbling about the details, PPJ?

    You really should read all of what you want to link do before doing so.


    Parent

    You left out the best part (none / 0) (#18)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Jan 30, 2011 at 12:11:50 PM EST
    he CIA's DO gave the former ambassador's information a grade of "good," which means that it added to the IC's body of understanding on the issue........ He said he judged that the most important fact in the report was that the Nigerien officials admitted that the Iraqi delegation had traveled there in 1999, and that the Nigerien Prime Minister believed the Iraqis were interested in purchasing uranium, because this provided some confirmation of foreign government service reporting


    Parent
    You left out the best part (none / 0) (#19)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Jan 30, 2011 at 12:14:51 PM EST
    The CIA's DO gave the former ambassador's information a grade of "good," which means that it added to the IC's body of understanding on the issue........ He said he judged that the most important fact in the report was that the Nigerien officials admitted that the Iraqi delegation had traveled there in 1999, and that the Nigerien Prime Minister believed the Iraqis were interested in purchasing uranium, because this provided some confirmation of foreign government service reporting


    Parent
    Yes (none / 0) (#22)
    by Harry Saxon on Sun Jan 30, 2011 at 12:42:53 PM EST
    because one person 'believed' something, that makes it true.

    You could throw a traffic ticket in court based on this level of evidence, let alone a decision to go to war, IMHO>

    Thanks for the feedback, as always.

    Parent

    "the internet there disappeared..." (none / 0) (#2)
    by Mr Natural on Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 07:48:49 PM EST
    Heh.  Sounds like Joe Leiberman sold them one of those non-subject-to Judicial review Internet-Off switches.
    House GOP tries to redefine rape (none / 0) (#6)
    by Towanda on Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 09:37:03 PM EST
    and erase decades of progress on the definition.  So just saying no won't be enough; it's back to the '50s, if they have their way.

    I swear, I can't stand this country sometimes these days, where millions elected these misogynist fools.

    WSWS on US, EG and fight for socialist revolution (none / 0) (#12)
    by Andreas on Sat Jan 29, 2011 at 12:14:07 AM EST
    The United States, Egypt and the fight for socialist revolution
    29 January 2011, World Socialist Web Site Editorial Board

    Encouraging re Pres. Obama and (none / 0) (#13)
    by oculus on Sat Jan 29, 2011 at 01:28:47 AM EST
    gun control:  NYT

    Friday Night Open Thread | 22 comments (22 topical)

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