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Iran is poised to begin producing nuclear weapons after its uranium program expansion in 2009, even though it has had problems with thousands of its centrifuges, according to a newly released CIA report.
"Iran continues to develop a range of capabilities that could be applied to producing nuclear weapons, if a decision is made to do so," the annual report to Congress states.
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On missiles, the report said Iran is building more short- and medium-range ballistic missiles and stated that "producing more capable medium-range ballistic missiles remains one of its highest priorities."
Three test flights of a new 1,240-mile-range Sejil missile were conducted in 2009, the report said, noting that assistance from China, North Korea and Russia "helped move Iran toward self-sufficiency in the production of ballistic missiles."
The report also said that Iran has the capability of producing both chemical and biological weapons, and Tehran continued to seek dual-use technology for its bioweapons program
I just hope their information here is as accurate as it was in Iraq.
Civil Asset Forfeiture and the attack on freedom
h/t Instapundit
Cool
"IEEE Spectrum reports that University of Pennsylvania researchers have developed a Tactile Gaming Vest that smacks and vibrates as players get shot in a game based on Half-Life 2. Four solenoid actuators in the chest and shoulders in front and two solenoids in the back give you the feeling of a simulated gunshot. In addition, vibrating eccentric-mass motors clustered against the shoulder blades make you feel a slashing effect as you get stabbed from behind. If this kind of vest could be linked to a movie while you watch it, the experience would be that much more exciting. Or as one of the creators put it, 'every time Bruce Willis gets shot, you feel it.'"
If it is the decline and fall of the American Empire lets at least have the bread and circuses to go with it.
Is Stop the ACLU worked up over nothing? I have never heard of the Federal Textbook Act but it apparently gives the government the ability to review the cost of textbooks and implements some “solutions” to prices that are climbing much faster than the rate of inflation.
The part that has NRO and Stop the ACLU worked up is a requirement that textbook publishers inform faculty members considering a new edition of a textbook what changes were made between editions. Stop the ACLU is looking at this as an attempt to control content but anyone who attends college knows that one of the major complaints of students is publishers rearranging content or adding some questions to push out a new edition at substantially higher prices and forcing adoption by not printing the older editions any longer. This appears to be an effort to address that. I don’t really think it is the government’s place to be involved but I also don’t think there was a nefarious plot.
Steampunk Convention
Steampunk has rapidly grown as a sub-culture among makers, hackers and crafters the world over. It takes the Victorian era as its inspiration, but imagines how it might have been had technology been more advanced during the days of Empire.
"It's a highly literate art," said Tobias Slater of White Mischief, which organised the night. "It's unlike the original punk, it takes quite a lot of work and dedication to end up looking this way."
For him, steampunk is all about "raiding the garret of the past to make something new". Stalls were dotted around the venue showing off some of some of the new that had been made from the old.
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"It's about the realisation that technology will probably solve our problems and it is good thing and we should learn about it and use it," he said.
The Victorian elements are present, he believes, because that was the last great industrial shift that mirrors the big changes being inflicted on society by the rise of the net.
"Think about how things were 10 years ago, 20 years ago," he said. "Everything has changed. Now no-one can even say what things are going to be like in five years time."
Personally I just think the stuff looks cool. I think modern technology with a 1950 –60’s mod look looks cool also.
. I can’t say that I am thrilled with it. Looking at the reviews on Amazon I guess I am not the only one.
