Musing on Nukes and Life

This will be a rather scattered blog-- my apoligizes.

I. Recent Books

A. The Politics and Technology of Nuclear Proliferation
(1-10 scale: 8 for policy wonks, 3 for neophytes)

http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~rhdt/diploma/lecture_11/nuclear-bomb.gif

"In the years before the Second World War, uranium was processed for the radium that wa found in it. A Czechoslovakian plant was strated in 1904; ore form Colorado was processed in Denver beginning in 1913; in the 1920s a plant was built in the Congo region; and the Canadian desposits at Great Bear Lake were first used in 1933. Aside from its value as a source of radium, uranium was a source of yellow and green color for ceramics and was used in steel alloys. Once it had been processed, most of the uranium mined for its radium content ended up in waste piles, which were to provide a valuable resource for the Manhattan Project during World War II."
-Robert F. Mozley; The Politics and Technology of Nuclear Proliferation, page 39

Also, for those that like to believe fate has something to do with reality. The nation with the highest amount of uranium reserves is the United States (followed by Canada, Austrailia, South Africa, Niger, Brazil and France). Ibid, 49.

These are really two of the more trivial facts held within Mozley's book on Nuclear Proliferation. While it doesn't deal with some of the more castrophic areas of proliferation research (reaction to attack, most likely attacks, best ways to avoid), it is a great introduction to both the science and politics behind proliferation.

What I enjoy most is the bounded rationality paradigm it continues to bang into US decision-making. Any realist should look at Atoms of Peace or the fact that the America was aware of North Korean proclivities towards 'the bomb' in 19080, and then tell me again how a can idenitify interest and not affected by technoligical shifts, path dependency, or misaprehesion of the nature of the international system.

As an "experimental particle physicist," Mozley devotes a large amount of time to the science of nuclear technology. I especially like his diagrams. People like me who gloss over scientific accounts will probably not find much luck with his work [still comes off the page dense]; furthermore, he doesn't clearly show the significance of telling you each fact. But one can easily flip around; taking some science [why there is a difference between light-water, heavy-water and breeder reactions, or the time it takes to cool feul rods (and why they have to cooled)], or skip ahead to get a nice history of international approaches to counter-proliferation and country's with nuclear ambitions [past. current, and future]. He does a much better job distilling the political importance, though it is no where nearly as rich as his scientific analysis.

But yes. Its a good book-- everyone should read it. If only how to learn how to make your own breeder reactor and uranium bomb. Also you get to read how Mozley wants the international community (the UN?) armed with nuclear weapons. Interesting approach-- Kofi Annan would get a bit more weight if he had some nuke codes.

II. Exit, Voice and Loyalty (for politics peps, I'd say 8)

Albert Hirschman shows how we all have political potenial! Not a provocative point, it seems, but it dramatically changes the way we should investigate insitutions. Whether from the individual-up (such as Olson), emphasizing the individual barriers to collective action, or rather assume collective action occurs and what matters is how its funneled through the particular insitution (Hirschman's push).

A very good book. Uses straight forward language to prove its points. Would of like a little more acknowledge of the theories it was taking on, but whatever. Also, its always nice to have someone use Ralph Nader as proof to how the elements of the international/maro-economy do not really matter: just instituional exit formation (the differences in how people can exit various organizations, from governments to shareholders).

Also has a nice examples. Everything from explaining why McCarthy got the Democratic nomination, to why Golderwater got his party's nomination; from why Latin American politics are so unstable, to Japanese stability; and finally, from Nigerian railroad ineffiency to public school deterioration.

How can such an approach be wrong?

III. (started) The People of Paper (Score: ?)

Salvador Plascencia writes the novel The People of Paper. The back leafet states:

"Amidst disillusioned saints hiding in wrestling rings, mothers burnt by glowing halos, and a Baby Nostradamus who sees only blackness, a gang of flower pickers heads off to war, led by a lonely man who cannot help but wet his bed in sadness. Part memoir, part lies, this is a book about the wounds inflected by first love and sharp objects."

Have to say, that is one of the most effective and sustinct (could the two be tied?) back covers I have read. Meg got the book for my birthday. The first few pages are nice-- if anyone is interested in more developed thoughts, shoot an e-mail.

II. General Stuff from the Life of Keith

A. Fortnightly/WashPub Update

I am now chief editor of FN/WashPub. This is very exciting. Taking my slot in the editor position is Dan Wiser. Everyone else is the same.

Additionally, we got CIO money: thanks to Patrick Lee, who pushed for a CIO appropriation. Now we have a strong paper suppy (free of charge). This allows us to print 500 editions around grounds. We also were fortunate enough to get additional funding for other nessecary goods. If anyone from the CIO group read this, thank you very much.

Last issue was amazing. Got three new contributors: Rachel Carr, Peter Trauernicht and Evan Monez. Rachel wrote a fantastic peice on Mulberry's destruction. The best article written in the semester for its genre in my opinion.

B. WashStuff

Doing, again, stuff for WASH. Hope I do a good job. First OC of the new administration was interesting. Made me wish to remember that elections are not discussed. But whatever-- perhaps it was a fruitful discussion. It will be a good semester. Ben's already doing a fantastic job as President.

C. Other stuff

Haven't gotten around to watching Harry Potter. But Penguins in on DVD, and soon that will be purchases and watched repeatedly.
Going to be a busy week, but nothing undoable. Wish me luck on the two app's I am getting in by Friday. I still don't like thinking about not being back here, but hey: gotta start being realistic at some point.
It costs over $500 dollars to fly from DC to Edinburgh. I find this a ridiculous amount. It seems to me that Edinburgh can't be much further from DC than California. Well....how much does a ticket to CA cost? Oh well....flight travel should be free. So should my healthcare.

How I knew I had to grow up sooner rather than latter: my parent's health coverage of me expired-- leaving me without coverage for a few days. Its strange when you realize if you get sick or hurt there is absolutely no way you can pay for it.

I saw snow today. It moved slow-- building steadily. It didn't seem like a very welcoming snow. It jsut seemed to push me inside. Not exactly sure why. But there was something nefarious about Mother Nature today. Perhaps it was b/c for the most part it wasn't sticking. Very inauthentic feel to it. And lord knows I propell to much of that in my life as it is.

The emo glasses I believe are dead-- destoryed by Miss Shaw. And my new ones seems to have permament bend-- leaving them crooked on my face.

What does one think when they see someone with crooked glasses? Are they just lazy? Or do they look dangerous? Perhaps just silly. But it is rather strange to not have straight boarders on my site.

Alright-- must sleep. Have to get much work done tomorrow.

Ah-ha! Apparently there exists a ticket to london for $200 dollars! Improvement.