Some kind of laser? In space? Controlled by who?!

Looks like chain mail is back on the menu boys!

There are two main targets for nuclear weapons, counter-force, and counter-value. Counter force means destroying the military capacity of the target, including its nuclear arsenal. Counter value means targeting cities, population centres, and soft economic targets like commercial ports, the things the target values and is built to protect.

Having a counter force posture basically means you’re able and willing to carry out a first strike, this is an aggressive posture. Having a counter value posture basically means having a second strike posture, that you accept your own destruction, but intend to make the cost of any attack so high as to make any victory unattainable.

Second strike weapons must be ready at all times to launch within a few minutes (in the case of the US doctrine) or be portable to remote locations and difficult to track (Soviet doctrine) First strike weapons have the luxury of taking many hours to fuel up and launch, for example the Jupiter missiles stationed in Turkey. It was the presence of these missiles, who’s only practical purpose was a first strike, counter-force attack that precipitated the Cuban missile crisis.

Developing a credible defense against ballistic missiles represented an intention to move from a reactionary second-strike, counter value posture to an aggressive first strike counter force posture. Developing credible ABM weapons was seen as an escalatory move. This, plus the invention of MIRV warheads lead to the SALT and START treaties, where both sides recognised there were two possible outcomes - a never-ending path of escalation with ABM weapons and aggressive first strike posturing, or deliberately choosing not to develop ABMs, ensuring your own destruction if attacked, while adopting the unthinkable counter value posture, and settling into a lasting balance of power.

Ronald Reagan’s Star Wars bullshit then upended the balance of power a little bit, by claiming to be able to fully protect the US against incoming missiles, which if true would have made a first strike attack by the US survivable. The Regan administration actually intended to destabilize the Soviet economy by forcing them to adopt an identical posture, sinking billions of rubles into their own star wars program (like they did with the space race). Only, Regan fucked up because he didn’t consider there was another option. The Soviet doctrine wasn’t to match the US and eat itself alive while doing so, Soviet doctrine was to just nuke the star wars infrastructure if it ever became operational, and probably precipitate a full nuclear exchange in the process.

MIRVs disrupted the balance of power by enabling one missile to deploy enough decoys and warheads that even at a 90% kill rate, the 10% that made it through were enough counter-value to make any war unwinnable.

More powerful warheads were less desirable over just more of them. The development of MIRVs actually made START look more desirable, and so contributed to the balancing of power and easing of tensions. Whichever idiot decided to station Jupiters in Turkey nearly cost us everything.

Developing credible anti-nuc defences is a mugs game, it only ensures your adversary will come up with new and crazier ways to nuke you. Examples include the SLAM missile, an open cycle nuclear powered cruise missile, the Russian Posiden nuclear powered nuclear torpedo with unlimited range, cobalt bombs, nuclear landmines, all sorts of fun stuff.

Sriracha nasal spray

*landlords garden

Violence is not the answer. Violence is the question. The answer is “Yes”

Millennials are killing the serial killer industry

Probably some of my old SF books. I’ve definitely had many of them for more than 20 years. There’s probably one I’ve had more than 25 years.

Homecoming sluts 9?

Something you saw in a fever dream

Real life Mecca Chameleon with notes to self

It could be sleep apnea. It could be allergies (sometimes you acquire them later in life). Could be that aliens are abducting you late at night and taking turns batting your titties around and you have amnesia about it.

That’s pretty neat!

The easiest primary explosive to synthesise at home is HMDT (Hexamethylene triperoxide diamine) The second easiest is TATP (Acetone Peroxide).

Knowing what organic mercury does to the body and brain, and how miniscule an amount is required, and how easily it gets into the body

Also the reason bar cocktails taste so good? Boatload of sugar

I like low profile keyboards, not Mt Everest leycaps. My go-to is the Keychron K5 SE. Full numpad, low height, quiet optical mechanical keys. I made my office buy me one, and bought myself the same one for home use so I don’t have to adapt to a slightly different layout at home.

It can be Bluetooth connected, buy I keep it wired. Lots of backlight colour options, fancy splashy ripple stiff, but I like a plain white backlight.

✋

Monstera is bad for cats. Mine doesn’t chew leaves so she’s pretty safe

So nice of him to hold the chair steady for his buddy to stand on while he changes the bathroom lightbulb. Safety first.

If God wears a feathered boa and Bejeweled cat-eye glasses, it’s Dame Edna