Literature, art, education, and... nuclear weapons???

FINALLY!!!  One of the world's great leaders and visionary thinkers, Dmitry Medvedev, recently articulated the extraordinary depth of his understanding of the intersection of the arts and nuclear weapons (say what?!?!?!).  His audience?  Young people of course!!!  Surely they can understand the monumental importance of maintaining a vast arsenal of nuclear weapons, even while developing a broad appreciation of the arts.  Here's the story.

Before Dmitry Medvedev’s valedictory speech earlier this month, the outgoing president awarded medals to dozens of Russians, including a theatre director, a policewoman and the chairman of the Russian hockey federation (Go Big Red Machine!!!).

Dmitry Medvedev flexing his
artistic muscles

Then, taking the podium in a glittering Kremlin ballroom, Mr Medvedev declared that Russia’s younger generation needed positive role models to inspire them towards “success in literature, art, education, and” – he paused wistfully – “nuclear weapons”. 

“They may still come in handy,” he said, apropos, seemingly, of nothing. “We’re not going to use them, but let’s still keep them around, because we have a big country, a complex country. We must value it and protect it.”

Then, wishing his audience “safe skies”, he signed off.

It was an odd demonstration of the Kremlin’s even odder relationship to its most prized asset – the one thing that still gives Russia its global superpower status: the ability to blow the planet to kingdom come.

Ah... here's to mushroom cloud skies and caviar dreams...

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Editor's Note: The original article that was butchered to create this post can be found at the Financial Times:  http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/698334c8-a4d9-11e1-9908-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1w8Zekg3O

Portable baby bomb shelters for the coming apocalypse

This just in from Russia Today!  It's the biggest (or smallest) thing since personal bomb shelters!!!  (And it's for real!!!)

Nuclear-proof cradles to save VIP babies from apocalypse

Russia Today, May 24th

More than 100 capsule cradles aimed at protecting officials' babies from a nuclear blast and chemical or biological attack have been ordered by Russia’s security service.

The $60,000 portable cradles are specially designed for babies from birth to 1.5 years old. Made of special diffusion material, the capsules block poisonous reagents, biological aerosols and radioactive dust.

The capsules will stay hermetic in temperatures ranging from -30C to 40C with at least 18 per cent oxygen content in the air, Izvestia reported.

The babies inside the capsules could survive for up to six hours. The capsules could also be used for cats, dogs, and birds.

The capsule cradles were invented back in 1960 by Soviet military engineers. Now they are produced at a steel factory in Moscow region.

The unusual order comes soon after Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s speech at the International Legal Forum in St. Petersburg. The former president pointed out that rapid military operations may result in radical groups overtaking power, regional wars, and even deployment of nuclear arms.

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Editor's Comments:  So what's a baby (or the baby's nuclear nanny) gonna do after SIX hours?!?!?!  Let's go find some radioactive baby formula on the shelves of our local incinerated supermarket.  This is definitely one for the ONE PERCENT!  Anyone interested in setting up a franchise here in the U.S.???

Original article at Russia Today on May 24th: http://www.rt.com/news/prime-time/nuclear-proof-cradles-babies-146/

No Fiats for Iranian nuclear program

This just in from The Boston Globe:

Italian automaker Fiat halts sales to Iran

May 25, 2012   

MILAN—Italian automaker Fiat SpA, which controls Chrysler, said Friday that it and subsidiaries will immediately halt sales to Iran, following similar moves by other carmakers under pressure to cut ties to Tehran over its disputed nuclear program.

The international community has been toughening sanctions on the Islamic Republic -- including on its main cash cow, oil -- because of fears that it plans to build nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful.

The auto industry has been under pressure from the anti-nuclear lobby group United Against Nuclear Iran to cut off business dealings with Iran. UANI says that the global auto industry is the second-largest source of foreign currency for the Iranian government, after oil, and also a source of foreign technology.

Some experts have voiced concerns that the Iranian government, desparate to quickly build a successful nuclear device, has been scavenging imported (especially Italian) cars for specialized electronics that could be used in nuclear weapons.

A retired automobile mechanic who specialized in Italian cars said that "with their history of recalls and mechanical problems the Iranian's would be crazy to consider Fiats for anything such as nuclear weapons that depend on reliability.  The only reliable part on these cars is the hood ornament." 

Fiat and heavy-truck maker Fiat Industrial SpA said in separate statements that they "support international efforts for a diplomatic solution" regarding Iran.

One Fiat spokesperson, however, countered the criticism of Fiat. "We have worked hard to build a quality product, and believe that our record of quality-related problems is no different from any other auto company."

A reporter for Al Jazeera, who has spent the last six months in Tehran, said that he has not seen one Fiat on the road in that time. He did, however, document dozens of Fiats in what looked like a wrecking yard adjacent to the Natanz nuclear facility during a visit there in April 2012.

The wrecking yard adjacent to the Natanz nuclear facility (Photo: Al Jazeera)

As to the concern over the possible dual use of automotive parts for nuclear weapons, a Fiat company representative, who asked to remain anonymous, said that the company could neither confirm nor deny such an allegation.

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(Original [the real] article at http://www.boston.com/cars/news/articles/2012/05/25/italian_automaker_fiat_halts_sales_to_iran/)