Oh no, not again.

Edward Jay Epstein is flogging his Atta-in-Prague theory once again, albeit this time with a question mark. Good for him for adding the correct punctuation. Yet he still thinks he can impress us by using words like "Jiri Ruzek" and "Jan Kavan."

Those familiar with the career of Jan Kavan know he's not exactly the most reliable character. Neither are his henchmen. It's enough to bring up the ugliest of cases, that of his aide, Karel Srba, for instance, convicted of conspiring to murder a Czech journalist.

The Final Word (written by a man who's well-acquainted with the Prague political scene) also pipes in with a few skeptical words. I also don't think there's much to go on here. The evidence is no less flimsy than it was before.

At this point, I wonder if the least reliable character in Epstein's story isn't Epstein himself. He's carved out a niche as the guy with the Atta-in-Prague theory, and considering he's got a book deal pending, I doubt any amount of evidence to the contrary is going to get in his way.

Snippets from the recent WSJ article linked to above:

- "Though no one has been allowed to interview him, [Iraqi intelligence officer Ahmad al-Ani] told the CIA that he was not anywhere near Prague at the time of the meeting."

Huh? What, he just shouted out to a passing CIA officer, as he was being led down the prison in leg-irons, "Hey, I wasn't in Prague in April 2001...!" (Or does Epstein simply mean that he hasn't had a chance to interview him?)

Keep in mind, his sources for this story do not appear to include anybody at the CIA. In fact, his sources complain that they haven't been given much information by the CIA. So which is it -- are they knowledgable sources, or are they being kept in the dark? You can't have it both ways.

- "Prime Minister Milos Zeeman..."

Zeeman? Stop, just stop...

It's official: Czechs are the biggest pot-smokers in Europe. According to Czech news agency, "Young Czechs tend to use the drug as a form of entertainment." You don't say?

Meanwhile, according to the Prague Post, Czechs are also "the world's biggest cell phone fanatics."

As you've surely noticed, there's a febrile discussion going on down in my post about the flap over the Czech version of the Hungarian version of Big Brother and the cast's sudden and strange relocation to Bratislava -- a true Habsburg clusterfuck if I ever heard one.

As I wrote in the comments, I am determined to make this blog an information clearinghouse for breaking developments in this important ongoing story.

The subject also sparked a flurry of private messages between myself and Vladan Sir, my foremost Czech experts on all things... well, on all things. And it got me thinking, maybe my blog is in need of a little experiment, you know, if we're really going to go to the next level in our battle against the MSM's stifling strangehold on our way of life.

Therefore I’ve decided to give Vladan a whirl at being a guest blogger here at Scottymac Dot Blogspot Dot Com. I’ll still be posting on a regular basis, fear not. I’ve asked Vladan to use all lower case letters in order to highlight his distinctive style. And if and when he gets tiresome, I’ve a hooked stick at the ready.

Welcome, Vladan.

It must suck to be addicted to nicotine, afraid of flying, drunk, doped up on sleeping pills, a habitual sleepwalker, and dying for a cigarette while in flight.

I was in Alexandria over the weekend and I saw a lot of crazy stuff up close and personal. Of the stuff I've read, so far I have to say AP got it wrong and the C.S. Monitor more or less got it right.

WWII bomb found in Prague. The cast of the Czech version of "Big Brother" had to be evacuated from their house, which is nearby. But sources in Prague tell me local television media are reporting the cast had to be moved due to a dispute with the landlord, a local "magnate." Hm. This story is not developing.