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Comment Re: NK *is* a credible threat (Score 1) 296

Their submarine fleet consists of reverse-engineered Soviet 'Golf' submarines. They were basically the first and last diesel submarines to carry ballistic missiles. They're sub launched missiles only have a range of a few hundred miles. I have no doubt that we've got at least a couple of LA or Virginia class nuclear subs hanging around the peninsula and their bases under close surveilance. Diesels, particuarlly ones that have to surface or run up a snorkel close to the surface in order to charge their batteries are notoriously noisy and the US has DECADES. of experience shadowing Soviet nuclear submarines that were much faster and quieter. Add to that, one leftover we have from the Cold War is the SOSUS net. A network of sonar sensors on the floors of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans that is still active. The Nork's sub(s) would have to get past that. To give you an idea of what that system was capable of in 1968 a soviet sub(also a Golf) sank and imploded. The SOSUS net helped us find the wreck, the Soviets never did. Bottom line. If NK put one of their subs to sea to approach the US on a mission of mayhem I doubt they could pull it off. The biggest problem a US sub commander is going to have is that the sub sinks before he has a chance to put a torpedo into it.

Comment Re:Hrm... (Score 1) 354

I would add to factors that contributed to Stalin's survival the fact that Hitler was delayed in starting Operation Barbarossa(invasion of the Soviet Russian) he had to divert some of the forces allocated to the operation to go bail out Mussolini in Greece, that delayed the start for about 6-8 weeks. What could he have done with another month or two of good weather?

Comment Hard Disk? (Score 1) 1719

He smashed the computer... Ok... what does that mean exactly? To some it could just mean that the monitor or case is cracked. Unless he smashed the disk drive(s), taking care to thoroughly fragment the platters or going so far as to bake it in the oven(500F for 1 hour), throw it in the fireplace or subject it to a good strong magnetic field data could still be recovered

Comment Energy (Score 1) 590

It takes a 777 airliner 18,000MJ to move 1 person 7800 miles at .85 times the speed of sound(assuming a full airliner of 400 people) using jet fuel. say in about a 12-14 hour flight. So take that as a 'standard', you'd need a solar array that can gather that much energy. For a basic 130W solar panel you'd need 3200(60" x 30") of them for each passenger on that plane. That's about 42,000 square feet or about 3/4 of a football field for each passenger.

Comment Re:Well, let's see what happens. (Score 1) 747

Obama requested YouTube to take down the video. 'Nuf Said.

YouTube(read Google) has so far refused to do so. Putting Nakoula back in cuffs is just the legal process taking its course. It's a wait and see if the administration, or its agencies, does anything to try and strong-arm Google into complying with their wishes. "Golly, maybe it's time we looked at net neutrality again, this time by executive order, perhaps an amicus brief on behalf of the government the next time Apple takes another swing at Android. Maybe you are a monopoly."

As for Nakoula's arrest, Obama gets a free pass there. Nakoula is one among thousands of criminals on probation flouting the terms of their release, "don't associate with known fellons", "don't possess a gun", "don't get a job involving children", "don't use the internet"(because his crime involved using the internet as part of his scheme). And they manage to do so because they are not attracting any attention in the process, keeping their heads down, staying under the radar. To say the least, he failed those two maxims BIG TIME. It would be like a child molester on probation running over a fire hydrant in front of a school.

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