Chase

My wild-ass-guess is that sources are pushing the story now because Trump’s trying to do something similar

There’s also the big question of why publish the article now?

The NYTimes article about the 2019 JSOC mission to the DPRK had many interesting nuggets of info. The tidbit about a 2005 mission is the most interesting; eg how did the intel from that mission impact the six party talks?

Putting the seatbelts on without looking is pretty slick, though I suspect that was a pre-filmed sequence that was spliced into the live feed.

Normal people: Yay Tuesday evening let’s relax.

OSINT people: Oh look, honey, that’s the premier of China in a limousine starting their big military parade!
(Spousal eye roll)

I think Kim’s wearing lifts. He looks taller than Putin today (they’re allegedly the same height).

There can’t be any gun restrictions because we have to protect against federal government tyranny, and if kids get shot we just have to live with it. Also the President can send troops to cities because the federal government can do whatever it wants. These two ideas are consistent and reasonable.

The president does not have the power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.

Where is Congress?

Remember Decker's golden rule: when crisis starts, instead of immediately posting stream of consciousness, stand up, pour yourself a strong drink, and do something else. The takes can wait an hour or two.

Unfortunately if the current Iranian leadership survives we may face the worst of all worlds—an angry Iran exiting NPT and more determined than ever to weaponize its nuclear program.

A disembodied chorus of “BROOOOO” just rose up through the floorboards of my office. Oh the joys of working above a technology start-up.

My orchid!

To clarify my prior comments, I want to keep San Francisco’s current rat tonnage, perhaps even lower it, but have that mass consolidated into fewer, but chonkier rats.

Turns out this was San Francisco mayor Daniel Lurie.

When you’re ordering the death of people, no matter who they are, using emojis seems unprofessional.

I am perpetually disappointed by San Francisco’s rats. I’ve seen field mice that’re bigger.

S.F. Pride seeks alternative funding for LGBTQ celebration after major sponsors drop out “The tone has changed in this country,” Pride’s director says of the withdrawal of major corporate sponsors for June’s LGBTQ parade, concerts and parties.

This is an unfortunately predicable outcome.

www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/arti...

Always a good day when you get to write “the social construction of nuclear coercion (that is, the dual phenomena of deterrence and compellence) as praxis.”

Airplane Mode In a world perpetually on the brink of nuclear destruction, there can only be so many false alarms—right?

Sneak preview of Musk's plan for air travel and nuclear security www.vice.com/en/article/a...

A table titled "Atomic Bomb Narratives," which compares the properties of three different narratives about the use of the atomic bomb during World War II. Each narrative is a column, with each row corresponding to one of 7 different narrative properties: "nature of the use decision", "motivation(s) for use of bomb", "outcome necessary for surrender?", "originators", "genre", and "message". The first narrative is labeled "orthodox/the decision to use the bomb." Nature: "moral deliberation." Motivation: "avoid invasion." Output: "ended war, saved lives." Necessary: "yes." Originators: "government officials who made/dropped bomb." Genre: "heroic." Message: "the ends justify the means." The second narrative is labeled "revisionist/atomic diplomacy." Nature: "diplomatic intrigue." Motivation: "flex on Soviets." Output: "began Cold War." Necessary: "no." Originators: "critics, Marxists." Genre: "tragic." Message: "don't trust the US government." The third narrative is labeled "consensus/bureaucratic inertia." Nature: "accumulation of assumptions." Motivation: "multiple, overdetermined." Output: "contributed to end of war (with Soviet invasion)." Necessary: "maybe, maybe not." Originators: "academic historians." Genre: "comedic (chaotic)." Message: "history is really messy."

I am fairly pleased with this table that I cobbled together for a guest lecture next week on the different narratives about the use of the atomic bomb in World War II, and creating an example of ways in which they can be compared to each other in an overarching way.

@nuclearanthro.bsky.social this one doesn’t have googly eyes sadly

I have, once again, patted the bomb.

Currently at the new IKEA bar. I’m a little bit disappointed that they don’t hand you a glass and a bunch of little bottles and make you assemble the cocktail yourself.

one classic "interview trick" for doing oral histories with physicists and weapons scientists is to say something technically incorrect in front of them. they can't resist. it's impossible. the threat of prison time cannot constrain their inherent need to correct you. I get it. I get it.

Someone with a security detail is skulking around the alley behind my building. No cameras though, so at least it doesn’t seem to be a poverty porn photoshoot.

Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowship  - Washington, DC Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowship The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a unique global network of policy research centers is accepting applications for the Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow...

#Nukesky if you’re a PhD student, postdoc, or junior faculty, apply to be a Stanton Fellow with the @carnegieendow.bsky.social’s Nuclear Policy Program.

Applications are due on Dec 20.

Happy to talk about it for those who are interested. carnegieendowment.applicantpro.com/jobs/3572279

You never mean Khomeini unless you really, really mean Khomeini.

This is why I have my phone set to autocorrect “Khomeini” to “Khamenei”.

UPDATE: The US Government, with tens of thousands of analysts, ALSO struggles with the IRBM/MRBM distinction. IT IS CONFUSING.

Anyway, this missile is now officially an IRBM.

IMO balloons were some of the more photogenic means to loft devices