Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Cool
Question: These guys are crewing a high tech, state of the art submarine, and the only weapon they can muster against the giant squid is an ax?
And they all have axes. Six or seven of them, if you assume the first guy dropped his when the tentacle got him. Is that a normal arsenal in a submarine like this? No submachine guns, for instance? Shoot that giant calamari's eye out and you can bet he'd let go right away.
Captain Nemo has some explaining to do.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
DId the Iranians just nuke themselves?
News reports describe a gigantic explosion outside the city of Qazvin, which is known to harbor a semi secret and important facility to develop the country's first nuclear weapon.
The Iranians were just today threatening to sink one of our aircraft carriers, and of course Obama's bungling foreign policy is making the Israelis very nervous, so who knows. It could even be a Stuxnet type of virus that purposely ran something the Iranians were doing out of control.
However, it isn't easy to set off a nuclear explosion. If it was, we would be seeing a lot more of it, so perhaps it is a giant fire at a oil storage facility. Time will tell, but the Iranians were sure asking for trouble lately.
Update: Looks like it is an oil facility
"An immense explosion has been heard throughout the northern Iranian city of Qazvin, semi-official Fars news agency reported, and many casualties are expected from the blast."
"Around 1.1 million people live in the city, which is located about 100 miles north of Tehran."
"The blast may be related to nuclear development in Iran, according to the Los Angeles Times. Iranian officials in the past have strongly denied claims by Mujahedin Khalq Organization, or MKO, a cult-like Iranian exile group, that it has a secret nuclear enrichment facility in Abyek, near the major city, according to the daily. "
"The source of the blast remains undetermined."
Authorities there are keeping people at least two kilometers away for now.
Authorities there are keeping people at least two kilometers away for now.
The Iranians were just today threatening to sink one of our aircraft carriers, and of course Obama's bungling foreign policy is making the Israelis very nervous, so who knows. It could even be a Stuxnet type of virus that purposely ran something the Iranians were doing out of control.
However, it isn't easy to set off a nuclear explosion. If it was, we would be seeing a lot more of it, so perhaps it is a giant fire at a oil storage facility. Time will tell, but the Iranians were sure asking for trouble lately.
Update: Looks like it is an oil facility
Fifth century hoard of pristine Roman coins and hacksilver found in the Netherlands.
The first glimmers of it appeared in 1990, when a farmer working his field found two gold coins. He inadvertently dropped one of them and although he searched frantically, he couldn’t find it again. Butterfingers! I wonder what salty Dutch word he said then!
Twenty-four years later in early 2014, the farmer and his nephew returned to the find site armed with a metal detector. Why the wait, I wonder? I would have rented or bought a metal detector the next day! Anyway, properly geared up, they discovered five more gold coins and alerted the authorities.
This is the first treasure found in the Netherlands to have both gold coins and hacksilver. The latter testifies to the political and economic upheaval of the time when the hoard was buried. The reason Rome was sending out elaborately decorated, expensive tableware to the far reaches of the empire was to buy protection of the borders. A Germanic war leader would get paid in a gilded silver plate more than two feet wide, then he would cut it up for its silver value and either keep it or distribute among his soldiers just like they would any other currency.
The date of this hoard was a particularly dangerous time in the area. Many historians point to the year 406, the year of the Battle of Mainz, as the final nail in the coffin of Roman control of the Rhineland. Germanic tribes, among them the Alans, Suevi and Vandals, defeated the Franks and crossed the border of the Rhine into Gaul. Constantine III may not have been able to keep the migrating tribes out of Roman territory, but he did make some effort. Historian at the time record him distributing gold to Germanic chieftains so they would defend the Rhine border in absence of army regulars. A study of gold finds in the Netherlands support the contention, as there is a remarkable concentration of gold from the reign of Constantine III.
Another reason why idiot Democrats are driving California into the ground
Pun intended.
Democratic legislator proposed taxing citizens for every mile they drive.
Yeah, that will bring business in. For now, it's voluntary (?), but that won't last. It will be permanent and universal the minute they think they have perfected the plan.
Related: Governor Brown thinks there was little the state could have done to keep Toyota in California. His quotable quote: "Change is inevitable." In this case, the governor's refusal to look at the situation realistically means the change will be a statewide descent into Detroit, but with better weather.
Hat tip: Wirecutter
Democratic legislator proposed taxing citizens for every mile they drive.
Yeah, that will bring business in. For now, it's voluntary (?), but that won't last. It will be permanent and universal the minute they think they have perfected the plan.
Related: Governor Brown thinks there was little the state could have done to keep Toyota in California. His quotable quote: "Change is inevitable." In this case, the governor's refusal to look at the situation realistically means the change will be a statewide descent into Detroit, but with better weather.
Hat tip: Wirecutter
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)