zenpundit.com

CAFFEINE…THE ELIXIR OF LIFE

Brad DeLong discovers how to maximize the effects of caffeine consumption. While I like a good cup of coffee in the morning I keep the caffeine buzz going during the workday by chain-drinking Diet Coke. For fun I’ll occasionally pop a few of these as well.

UPDATE:

Rob at Business Pundit links here with yet another stimulating beverage…taken with a dose of Zen philosophy !

ISRAEL PROPOSES CHANGES TO NUCLEAR DETERRENCE POLICY – SECOND-STRIKE CAPABILITY URGED

An Israeli government report urges regional retaliation in the event of a nuclear or biological WMD attack on Israel by an Arab state or Iran. This would be a posture similar to the ” Massive Retaliation ” doctrine of John Foster Dulles during the early Cold War. Money quote:

“”To meet its ultimate deterrence objectives — that is, to deter the most overwhelmingly destructive enemy first-strikes — Israel must seek and achieve a visible second-strike capability to target approximately 15 enemy cities,” the report, presented to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said. “Ranges would be to cities in Libya and Iran, and recognizable nuclear bomb yields would be at a level sufficient to fully compromise the aggressor’s viability as a functioning state. All enemy targets should be selected with the view that their destruction would promptly force the enemy to cease all nuclear/biological/chemical exchanges with Israel.”

Israel does not officially admit to being a nuclear power but mainstream estimates of Israel’s nuclear arsenal range from a few dozen warheads ( roughly on par with China’s ICBM force) to as much as 200+ nuclear bombs of varied megatonnage (on par or superior to the nuclear strength of the UK or France )

THE IRANIAN BOMB

Rafsanjani calaims Iran is near a nuclear breakthrough but disavows any intent to develop a bomb ( everyone who believes the hardline Islamist leader raise your hand .) UN inspectors detect evidence that indicate otherwise.

NEW ADDITIONS TO THE BLOGROLL

Many of the new additions to the blogroll are bloggers who themselves have a primary interest in the Mideast. First, noted historian and HNN blogger Judith Klinghoffer of Deja Vu returns – her blog was knocked off Zenpundit by the great Blogrolling crash of ’03 and in my infinite laziness I just got around to the restoration. Secondly, is Collounsbury, a Middle East and North African specialist and investor who frequently travels widely in the region, including Iraq. Third is the well-known neoconservative academic and columnist Daniel Pipes whose strongly argued views often provoke commentary.

The other new additions are a diverse lot. I’d like to welcome Andis Kaulins ofLawpundit and also the academic group blog No Left Turns (of whom John Moser had a good HNN article running last week)and the tech oriented Zentelligence. Check them out and enjoy !

ZENPUNDIT UNDER RECONSTRUCTION

I’m giving Zenpundit a bit of a facelift within the limitations of my technical ineptitude. My blogroll has been coded in but has yet to appear for some reason – there will be some new additions to it as well. I’m also toying with a putting up a photograph, certain to elicit a fair degree of ridicule I’m sure. Bear with me as I make these changes today.