Just a random entry to put something here.

http://www.random.org/

Saw a technical analysis of the aftereffeects of a 10KT (small by nuke standards) detonation in the Port of Long Beach - wiping it and Port of Los Angelese both out. Container form North Korea and Iran on a ship is detonated in the port facility just before unloading. The port, its facilities and most importnatly, 60,000 people woudl die either immediately or within hours formthe initial radiation, blast and heat.

Fallout would be quite harsh due to the shallow draft, and the abundance of water in which radioactive material would be carried by the superheated steam. Initiall there are the heat and overpressure effects - followed by the probability of 500 sq miles of contaminated area that would cause the evacuation of 5 million people. On top of that the loss of most of the refining capacity, and a large number of industries in the area (entertainment, eletronics, etc).

The losses would exceed 3 trillion dollars (for comparison, 9/11 was mayb 50 to 100 billion - less than 5% of that impact fiscally).

Truly scary stuff. And unlike the Soviets who truly loved thier children too, the guy in North Korea and his Apocalyptic friend in Iran would use such things with no regard to anything other than thier wierd cult of personality (Kim Jong Il and his potemkin world) and the violent apocalytpic Koran version that the Iranians use.

Scary to have so many lives riding on such thin reeds of irrationality.

The potential cost of inaction is very very high - millions of Americans depend on this - and probablytens of millions of Iranians and North Koreans as well (who would die in US retaliatory strikes).

Many would have shot Hitler and Tojo before WW2 had they know the horrors those 2 were to unleash on the world.

Should we be considering doing the same to Kim Jong Ill and the Iranian Mullahs?

How do we look into the abyss without the abyss looking into us? How to destroy our enemies without becoming like them?

No easy answers.

All the stupid positive ads of Candidate Bob with his wonderful family, soft lights and easy listening music (but devoid of positions and facts) are gone. replaced by stupid nasty attack ads full of innuendo, mischaracterization and lies and are equally devoid of positoons and facts.

And they are the same from BOTH sides.

If people wonder why we distrust our politicians, simply go check the negative ads run against the person who wins - plenty of reason to distrust the winner, and then check the negative ads they put against their opponents - even MORE reason to disrespect and distrust the winner (no matter who it is).

When will they give me someone to vote FOR instead of against?

Probably never.

I've run my own company. I've done salary work. Ive been unemployed with a family depending on me (dotcom bust). All in communications, cryptography and security.

Seems I now have little in common with many folks that post here - most are half-baked and have no clue about how much they don't know.

Me, there's massive amounts of things that I'll never know.

But at least now, I do know what I like, and what lasts, and what matters. Took me long enough.

Slashdot is becoming more and more a juvenile leftist/anarchist echo chamber, to the detriment of its relevance.

Libertarians (and Conservatives if there are any here) need not bother posting, they frequently get politically moderated as troll or flamebait, while true flamebait (Bush is Chimpy McHitler type stuff) gets modded insightful.

True discussion is long gone except on the technical atricles which are increasingly less common (thanks kdawson, you political troll).

I wonder how much longer until the libertarians abandon this place and it turns into a snarling extremist hivemind like Daily Kos/Free Republic, or a straight-jacketed, no-dissent lock-step propaganda mill like Indymedia or Rush Limbaugh, with only conservative trolls baiting the liberal trolls, and anarchists screaming at both of them...

Its sad.

There are many like it but this one is mine...