Monthly Archives: February 2008

UK Nukes Hit New Low

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Well, this past November they did.

In December 2006, London “announced”:http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/uk/doctrine/sdr06/index.html that it would reduce its “operationally available stockpile” of nuclear weapons (the ones on their SLBMs) from “less than 200” to “less than 160.”

It appears that the UK did this in less than a year. This past 15 November, Secretary of State for Defence Des Browne, responding to a question from Parliament, “stated”:http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm071115/text/71115w0007.htm#07111542000024 that

bq. I can confirm that we have now reduced the number of operationally available warheads from fewer than 200 to fewer than 160.

For a good resource on the UK and things nuclear, take a look at the Acronym Institute’s “Proliferation in Parliament.”:http://www.acronym.org.uk/parliament/index.htm

State Vector Collapse and the RPM Challenge

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My good friend Leif, who is one of the people most responsible for my taste in music over the years, is recording a new album (as State Vector Collapse) for “RPM Challenge 2008.”:http://www.rpmchallenge.com/

Said challenge is “described as:”:http://www.rpmchallenge.com/content/view/844/1/

…record an album in 29 days, just because you can.

That’s 10 songs or 35 minutes of original material recorded during the month of February. Go ahead… put it to tape.

You can download most (all?) of Leif’s back catalogue, some of which also features the awesomely-clever Erin, “here.”:http://www.soulburn.com/2008/02/05/soulburn-rapoxtech-backcatalog-posted-for-download-as-mp3/

Here is the text of Leif’s email (slightly edited) describing the project:

I’m going to be dusting off the music gear and participating in the RPM Challenge this February: Create ten songs or 35 minutes of new material, whichever is longer.

So in 29 days, expect a new State Vector Collapse album.

I’ll be “blogging”:http://www.soulburn.com my thoughts and composition methods over the course of the project.

If you’re a MySpace type, I’ve got a band page “set up.”:http://www.myspace.com/statevectorcollaps

So enjoy the month… because when it’s over, I’m coming for your ears.

Five days left, buddy.

TW.com FAQs

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Q: Are you blogging again?

A: Yes.

Q: For how long?

A: Dunno.

Q: Are you looking for help?

A: Yes.

Q: Why the hiatus?

A: Case of lazy bastarditis.

Q: Why are you back?

A: I’d rather not have a blog that is Teh Suck.

*Note:* No one has actually asked any of these questions.

ACT Comments

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ACA’s productivity has obviously shot through the ceiling since I left.

For instance, you can now leave comments about _ACT_ articles. I left one at the bottom of “this piece”:http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2008_01-02/cfe.asp by Wade about Russia’s suspension of CFE implementation:

bq. Wade’s CFE article is the greatest ever written on the subject in the history of the universe.

I am obviously being a bit snarky, but the article is really good.

Go leave some of your own.

IAEA Iran Report

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It’s out. Shockingly, ISIS “posted it.”:http://www.isis-online.org/publications/iran/IAEA_Iran_Report_22Feb2008.pdf I’ll write some more about it soon, but they have “an issue brief”:http://www.isis-online.org/publications/iran/ISISIssueBriefIran22Feb2008.pdf as well.

While I’m on the subject, check out “the report”:http://www.isis-online.org/publications/iran/ISIS_Iran_P2_7Feb2008.pdf they wrote about Iran’s IR-2 centrifuge. For more on that subject, check out “these two”:http://verificationthoughts.blogspot.com/2008/02/irans-ir-2-centrifuge.html excellent “posts”:http://verificationthoughts.blogspot.com/2008/02/irans-new-toy-continued.html by Andreas Persbo.

Ishikoro

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A new word I have learned. According to “Sarah Boxer”:http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21013 in the NYRB,

bq. In Japan neglected or abandoned blogs are called _ishikoro_, pebbles.