Just when you thought the Cold War was over and Vlad and George were bosom buddies, reality again rears its ugly head. Islamo-fascists once again are the beneficiaries of Russia's greed and desire to reignite the Cold War. According to the Associated Press, Russia is selling a state of the art air defense system to the Iranian government. Obviously, the Iranians have forgotten the Russian oppression of their Afghan brothers in the 80's.
This new air defense system will undoubtedly be used to protect Iranian nuclear reactors from any potential threat from the air. The S-300 air defense missile system is capable of engaging any airborne threat at a range of 95 miles and 90,000 feet, including other missiles.
Russia has already agreed to supply Iran with nuclear fuel for the Bushehr nuclear plant. Regardless of what is reported about Iran's lack of a nuclear weapons program, one can be sure that they can and will have nuclear capability in a very short time. Building a nuclear bomb is fairly easy. The hard part is obtaining fissile material. But if you have a nuclear reactor you no longer have that problem. The technology and expertise can easily be obtained via the Internet. Take a read through Tom Clancy's Sum of All Fears. He was able to obtain all of the requisite information for building a nuclear bomb without the benefit of the Internet. Even though the bad guys already have the knowledge, Big Brother might take note if I were to include links. So you are on your own. But, it is pretty simple stuff even without a PhD. in Physics.
Maybe I am paranoid and Mr. Putin is not the same guy who ran the KGB and is now stepping down as president to return to private life. Oops, I forgot. He is not returning to private life. He is taking a new job as Prime Minister and in all likelihood will retain control of the Russian Mafia - err government.
The Doomsday Clock is ticking forward and everyone wants to play pin the tail on George. The real donkies are Vladamir Putin, the Iranian theocracy and the rest of the Islamo-fascists. Our European friends just supply the tacks and a few nuclear reactors.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
Tolerance
It is a good thing that Christians are bit more forgiving than others. Naming a teddy bear is one thing. Action figures are another...
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_7789121
Illegal Immigration - The law works?
The Associated Press has a story today about illegal immigrants leaving Arizona in response to the state's employer sanctions law that goes into effect January 1. One pastor talks about illegals being fed up with "living in terror". Terror? I guess being caught by law enforcement when you are a criminal is now "terror". Of course the next question is, if that is terror, what is crashing airliners into buildings?
These "terrorized" illegals must now choose where to go now that Arizona is becoming less hospitable. Some plan on moving back to their native lands. Others are checking out the immigration laws of neighboring states. Perhaps, some will even move to LakotaLand where they can roam and live tax-free.
These "terrorized" illegals must now choose where to go now that Arizona is becoming less hospitable. Some plan on moving back to their native lands. Others are checking out the immigration laws of neighboring states. Perhaps, some will even move to LakotaLand where they can roam and live tax-free.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Treaties - Meaningless Words on Meaningless Paper
According to some foreign news sources, a group of Lakota Indians have declared independence from the United States and are unilaterally withdrawing from treaties with the US. Their justification is based on UN treaties and the US Constitution. Yet, they refer to treaties with the US as "meaningless words on meaningless paper" on their website. I guess you can have it both ways.
I imagine that this is a fringe group that does not represent all Lakota and is probably nothing more than a publicity stunt. However, if this is truly a step toward succession, any treaties that were withdrawn would no longer apply. If that is the case then they need only open up a history book to see what happened when a few states thought it was a good idea to no longer be a part of the United States.
Of course I don't think that the US would actually go to war or try to occupy the area. Although war would be a possibility if anyone had the backbone of Abraham Lincoln. However, it would be easy enough to deny passage through US territory to access the "new sovereign country" until the proper treaties could be ratified. Oops, treaties are worthless pieces of paper. But without them there would be no entry or exit to LakotaLand.
If the Lakota were able to take a part of the Midwest and start a new country could the People's Republic of California be next?
Update: USA Today confirms the story 12/21/07 and the bloggers there think it is a fantastic idea. I guess I am just a wacko who does not believe in freedom. Waco, TX should be a wakeup call. Koresh was not even trying to form a new country and look where he and his followers ended up.
I imagine that this is a fringe group that does not represent all Lakota and is probably nothing more than a publicity stunt. However, if this is truly a step toward succession, any treaties that were withdrawn would no longer apply. If that is the case then they need only open up a history book to see what happened when a few states thought it was a good idea to no longer be a part of the United States.
Of course I don't think that the US would actually go to war or try to occupy the area. Although war would be a possibility if anyone had the backbone of Abraham Lincoln. However, it would be easy enough to deny passage through US territory to access the "new sovereign country" until the proper treaties could be ratified. Oops, treaties are worthless pieces of paper. But without them there would be no entry or exit to LakotaLand.
If the Lakota were able to take a part of the Midwest and start a new country could the People's Republic of California be next?
Update: USA Today confirms the story 12/21/07 and the bloggers there think it is a fantastic idea. I guess I am just a wacko who does not believe in freedom. Waco, TX should be a wakeup call. Koresh was not even trying to form a new country and look where he and his followers ended up.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Genetic Engineering - the Home Game
Just as a common hardware/software platform helped the computer world achieve critical mass and heralded the PC revolution, technological advances and the creation of a standard platform could begin the next boom market... Synthetic biology.
Scientists in Maryland have already built the world's first entirely handcrafted chromosome -- a large looping strand of DNA made from scratch in a laboratory, containing all the instructions a microbe needs to live and reproduce. They plan to transplant it into a cell next year where it will take over the cell and begin to reproduce itself. Of course, the idea is that novel microorganisms can be created the produce things like fuel from waste products or vaccines. This is a wonderful idea. However, it would not be much of a stretch to imagine that DNA could be written that has more "less desirable" attributes.
It could be entirely possible within a few years for someone to create whatever they wish just by writing some genetic code. This code is then transformed into DNA via a DNA synthesizer (yes Virginia, this device does exist) much the same way a job is sent to a laser printer. The synthesized DNA would then be transferred to a host cell and voila! Freshly minted artificially sequenced life form.
There is already some commercialization of this type of technology. LS9 Inc., a company California has used synthetic DNA in E. coli bacteria to produce a fuel alternative by feeding the E. coli a mixture of corn syrup and sugar cane. The bacteria are efficient enough that LS9 estimates that they should be able to sell the fuel for $1.25 per gallon.
DuPont also uses a genetically modified E. coli to produce the chemical 1,3 propanediol (PDO). PDO is used to create high-tech fabrics (The CEO wears a pinstripe suit made from the fabric). This process is set to become the first $1 billion non-pharmaceutical bio tech product .
Once standardized techniques are developed for DNA transfer, it will become just about as easy to hack an organism as it is to hack a computer. Even with all of the laws etc that regulate computer technology, it is still easy enough for any miscreant with a little tech savvy to wreak havoc in cyberspace. Synthetic biology ups the ante significantly. It will become fairly easy to write genetic code, synthesize the DNA and then implant it into an organism for replication and watch with glee as the newly created organism does whatever it has been programmed to do. Which could be anything from bio-fuel to bio-weapons and everything in between. The possibility for bio-error is even greater than that of bio-terror.
Even if one does not posses a DNA synthesizer, it is possible to order genetic sequences through the mail and then paste them together. The genetic codes of some viruses are fairly simple; ranging from around 3,000 DNA letters long to more than a million. The polio virus genome has 7,741 letters, influenza virus has 13,500 letters, Ebola has 19,000 and smallpox has 185,000.
In 2002, Eckard Wimmer at the State University of New York demonstrated that is was possible to make polio virus from scratch by building its genome from short lengths of DNA. The DNA sequence for polio was available on the web and was used as a template for hundreds of strands of DNA with about 70 letters each. His team assembled the DNA strands to recreate the full sequence and then used it as a template for a mirror image sequence in RNA, the genetic material used by the virus. These RNA strands were then added to human cells which accepted the new sequence and began to produce copies of the virus. Remember that the polio virus has been officially "eradicated". The 1918 influenza strain is among the group of viruses that have subsequently been built from scratch. A used DNA synthesizer can be purchased over the Internet for under $10000. The possibilities will be endless.
DNA Synthesizer (New)
Here is a link to an interesting report from someone on the forefront of this emerging technology: http://www.jcvi.org/cms/research/projects/syngen-options
Scientists in Maryland have already built the world's first entirely handcrafted chromosome -- a large looping strand of DNA made from scratch in a laboratory, containing all the instructions a microbe needs to live and reproduce. They plan to transplant it into a cell next year where it will take over the cell and begin to reproduce itself. Of course, the idea is that novel microorganisms can be created the produce things like fuel from waste products or vaccines. This is a wonderful idea. However, it would not be much of a stretch to imagine that DNA could be written that has more "less desirable" attributes.
It could be entirely possible within a few years for someone to create whatever they wish just by writing some genetic code. This code is then transformed into DNA via a DNA synthesizer (yes Virginia, this device does exist) much the same way a job is sent to a laser printer. The synthesized DNA would then be transferred to a host cell and voila! Freshly minted artificially sequenced life form.
There is already some commercialization of this type of technology. LS9 Inc., a company California has used synthetic DNA in E. coli bacteria to produce a fuel alternative by feeding the E. coli a mixture of corn syrup and sugar cane. The bacteria are efficient enough that LS9 estimates that they should be able to sell the fuel for $1.25 per gallon.
DuPont also uses a genetically modified E. coli to produce the chemical 1,3 propanediol (PDO). PDO is used to create high-tech fabrics (The CEO wears a pinstripe suit made from the fabric). This process is set to become the first $1 billion non-pharmaceutical bio tech product .
Once standardized techniques are developed for DNA transfer, it will become just about as easy to hack an organism as it is to hack a computer. Even with all of the laws etc that regulate computer technology, it is still easy enough for any miscreant with a little tech savvy to wreak havoc in cyberspace. Synthetic biology ups the ante significantly. It will become fairly easy to write genetic code, synthesize the DNA and then implant it into an organism for replication and watch with glee as the newly created organism does whatever it has been programmed to do. Which could be anything from bio-fuel to bio-weapons and everything in between. The possibility for bio-error is even greater than that of bio-terror.
Even if one does not posses a DNA synthesizer, it is possible to order genetic sequences through the mail and then paste them together. The genetic codes of some viruses are fairly simple; ranging from around 3,000 DNA letters long to more than a million. The polio virus genome has 7,741 letters, influenza virus has 13,500 letters, Ebola has 19,000 and smallpox has 185,000.
In 2002, Eckard Wimmer at the State University of New York demonstrated that is was possible to make polio virus from scratch by building its genome from short lengths of DNA. The DNA sequence for polio was available on the web and was used as a template for hundreds of strands of DNA with about 70 letters each. His team assembled the DNA strands to recreate the full sequence and then used it as a template for a mirror image sequence in RNA, the genetic material used by the virus. These RNA strands were then added to human cells which accepted the new sequence and began to produce copies of the virus. Remember that the polio virus has been officially "eradicated". The 1918 influenza strain is among the group of viruses that have subsequently been built from scratch. A used DNA synthesizer can be purchased over the Internet for under $10000. The possibilities will be endless.
DNA Synthesizer (New)
Here is a link to an interesting report from someone on the forefront of this emerging technology: http://www.jcvi.org/cms/research/projects/syngen-options
Friday, December 14, 2007
Genetic Engineering
It is a brave new world and we are alive to witness it. Japanese researchers have created a genetically modified mouse that does not fear cats. It seems that the fear of cats was hardwired into the genetic code of the rodents. Now the gene can be switched off. So Fluffy can now have a willing playmate. At least until Fluffy breaks her new toy.
As novel and humorous as the seems, it certainly raises a few questions. Does this mean that eventually we will not be able to use the excuse of genetic predisposition? Mickey might not have been able to help himself over his fear of Fluffy. But scientists can.
Not only can your pet cat get a receptive pet mouse. But, you can clone Fluffy and have the clone fluoresce. It seems that the folks in South Korea that have been leading the way in animal cloning have figured out a way to modify the clones before implantation.
I can't help but think of my post from a while back... Cloning Jeri Ryan... imagine the possibilities.
http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/J/JAPAN_FEARLESS_MOUSE?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-12-13-04-57-43
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2007/12/123_15447.html
As novel and humorous as the seems, it certainly raises a few questions. Does this mean that eventually we will not be able to use the excuse of genetic predisposition? Mickey might not have been able to help himself over his fear of Fluffy. But scientists can.
Not only can your pet cat get a receptive pet mouse. But, you can clone Fluffy and have the clone fluoresce. It seems that the folks in South Korea that have been leading the way in animal cloning have figured out a way to modify the clones before implantation.
I can't help but think of my post from a while back... Cloning Jeri Ryan... imagine the possibilities.
http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/J/JAPAN_FEARLESS_MOUSE?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-12-13-04-57-43
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2007/12/123_15447.html
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