3x09_3x10

Red mercury rising

I tend to start a lot of books in parallel and then misplace them for a few months before remembering to go back and finish them. Not many books can keep my full attention from cover-to-cover. “Shame” by Sam Cohen is among the rare exceptions where I simply can’t set a book down until completed. Cohen was part of the Manhattan Project and the first proponent of the neutron bomb. His work with and for such luminaries as Oppenheimer, Teller, von Neumann, and the notorious Jess Marcum gave him a front-row seat to military science and policy in the 20th century. While the view of the theater was good the script was almost tragic; his dealings with the US Congress, black comedy.

What if nuclear weapons development and military policy was in the hands of naive and unqualified men? What if RAND didn’t give good advice? What if the scientists bickered and argued like teenagers? What if the math behind nuclear weapons was half wrong? What if leading Congressional officials didn’t know what a neutron was? And what if all your allies go into early retirement at the hands of politicians?

Iran attack lunacy

I have long held that attacking Iran is impossibility. I expect specific tactical actions by Israeli Special Forces with the discreet assistance of the US. I don’t expect any further escalation as the economics of such action would be disastrous for too many world powers. Not to mention the logistics of any Iran invasion are currently unimaginable and no military commander, no matter how dedicated or blinded, would actually attempt such a thing. They’d tell President Bush to pound sand (no pun intended) and they’d take the next C-17 to a non-extradition country.

Unfortunately I may be wrong and reading opposite perspectives is sobering. -Ali

Dolphin drowning

It’s hard not to show at least the smallest amount of admiration for whoever decided to pull this compromise off. The social aspect alone is hilarious as some of the visitors to the site are likely either already on the road or about to head to Miami. I hope, for their sake, they turn off their computers before they head to the airport.

Da Bears! Cheers, -Ali

Verizon throwdown

Verizon is getting hardcore this year with an EV-DO Rev A network and a worldly BlackBerry. Granted the later is still rumor but it’s a heckuva a rumor. I’m a CrackBerry addict and a Verizon customer so I’m delighted at the prospects. Although I’m generally satisfied with my 8703e and renting international phones as necessary I’m always depressed when I’m without proper connectivity while traveling.

I have a lot of gadget desires for 2007: An AVCHD camcorder, some home automation, a hybrid vehicle, and a Red Sox themed laptop. All reasonable desires, ‘eh?

Outside of gadgets I have some home improvements to schedule for my new place (waiting for the new-construction warranty to expire first). I’m installing Medeco locks, garage floor sealant, proper water filtering, and various LED lighting. If I’m really ambitious I’ll go ahead and improve the master shower and build some expansive shelving. I’ll resist the pinball machine urge for now.

If anybody has some suggestions on alternatives to X10 or anything related to the above random items please comment. Cheers, -Ali