Random Thought

I think now's the right time to get rid of the problem. Things will be different in 5 years when china gets more new toys.

The NK military has mostly vietnam era stuff. The new stuff aren't many, and hence, negligible. The fact that they fake images to make them look stronger and more numerous tells me most of their stuff is not in working condition. Or they can't afford to use them too often.
Their soldiers probably didn't get much real firing training either.
I would say overall the military power is not comparable (weaker) to Iraq in the 2nd gulf war. Sure, the military has lots of soldiers but these days any large group is easy picking and destroyed in seconds. The most dangerous things are probably the ZSU-23/57, mines, and the mountain ranges.
It's easy to destroy their installations etc but taking the mountains will be difficult. Since the SK border is quite well defended with robots etc. I think there is no need to take the mountains at all. We simply can use drones to bomb any gathering and take care of the whole mountain area. The forces there will be trapped. The rest is easy.
Another problem is the military's discipline or moral, and whether the soldiers actually follow the regime or are easily persuaded like the iraquis to give up. I think it's the later but the leadership needs to be cut off first.

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http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/04/polynesian-dna-mysteriously-shows-up-in-a-brazilian-tribe/
Polynesian DNA in brazil! Interesting.

I have been tracking the WHO regarding the new bird flu (H7N9) case.
If it was really coming from the pigeons that's serious trouble, even more so than in the past. It could mean the virus has already been spread all over the place, and it's only a question of time before the worse case happens.

It will be interesting to see what happens when the U.S.-ROK War Games are over and done with.If they haven't finished by now.In the meantime China keeps claiming islands in the South China Sea literally
left and right it seems.
They've even started tourism to one island claimed by Vietnam.

Even though the iron lady passed away the news wasn't so wide spread.
I was really a bit surprised there. i mean I can't think of a reason to keep it down.

Anyway, these days beware of ads on the net. Some malicious code have infected a lot of ads servers!

http://www.news.com.au/technology/sci-tech/united-states-navy-to-
send-prototype-laser-gun-on-ship-to-persian-gulf/story-fn5fsgyc-1226615482023
Since yesterday, the age of laser weapons has come. It's large but that shouldn't be a problem. It seems not that powerful yet either.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22081204
EU investigation to probe Mastercard fees. Not really something new, but these things seems to be a taboo to say the least.
These days a certain company pretty much controls all transfers on the internet. Everyone is scared to say anything. <_< >_>

Yes Thatcher was one of the icons of the late twentieth century and so should have gotten more press at her death than what was given.And then there was the far left acting childish over it.

Another noted death this week was that of Annette Funicello who was the face of the '50's version of Disney as the most popular Original Mouseketter.Though born in 1942 she was an icon of the Baby Boom
Generation not just from her Disney work but also from the Beach Movies she did with Frankie Avalon.

She had been battling with MS for over 20 years.

http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2013/pr13_0410bogstatement.htm
That's something the postal service doesn't have a say.

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/04/03/1219361110.abstract
It grows with the body!

And yeah another informative article for the vegan supporters
http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/04/feeding-our-gut-bacteria-meat-may-enhance-heart-disease-risks/

Even though bitcoin crime is increasing it seems there are still no plans to regulate by law. Well, just avoid it for now.

There's a list over at Listverse of fictional characters that were modeled on real life people.
One wouldn't know it but Snape is actually based on J.K.Rowling's chemistry teacher.He didn't know it until his wife and friends pointed it out after viewing the first movie.

Gun nuts should move to Idaho as they have the some of the least strictest gun laws in the country.

In other news:this day marks the official 66th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the racial barrier by donning a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform.

*thumbs up*

On the latest bad news, Boston has been bombed. Obviously two of them exploded about the same time near the Boston marathon finish line.
Really, my mother even called talking about some building collapsing or so. Total chaos and confusion.

That's Horrible news, poor people. Makes no sense though. Who, why and why now? I guess terrorists are to blame. But so far it seems as if terrorists have no clue either...

I guess no way people will agree to ban free sale of guns now..

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It's been a while since we discussed any millitary related news. Here is some exotic not usualy seen in news:
I been reading\hearing some stuff about pirates in Red Sea. There's been a lot of progress thanks to the invovement of different PMCs - mainly french Secopex, US GMS, russian RSB etc. Secopex did good in just couple of years since they signed contract with Somalia, but ever since head of the company died in Benghazi they seen better days it seems. But so far - it seems things are back to normal and main routes are relatively safe. No wonder market for private millitaries have grown over 100bil in 2012 and rising. Probably has something to do with changes in US policy in regard of such things

They say the police and FBI are looking for a man with a black backpack,either a suspect or witness.

Fortunately, they weren't that big otherwise a lot more people would have been hit. We don't really know who made it yet, but the viciousness of it's design pretty much says it all...

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I guess we are on the way of "private" armys or mercs instead of government troops. That way there won't be any "wars". Heh.
Then there's the drone alternative.
Right now only china & arabian states have increased military spending, everyone else is trying to save money.

Yep, amateurs, and some kind of hater(s) probably, not even terrorists
Is there any final number on casualities? Did all those criticaly wounded survive? I didn't see it in news. One of my cousins moved to US not long ago, haven't heard much since then - i guess it's a reason to call as good as any
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Update - i just read about ammoniac explosion in Texas - shocking, i never thought something like this will happen in US. Rough times indeed
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2Almael: "as long as there's men, there will be wars." - one real smart guy said that
Well, they say up to 30% forces in Auganistan atm are private contractors (not including those with depofstat or cia), so we're actually already there. The results are speaking for themselves and if you browse all the stuff done by PMCs instead of regulars - efficient and cost effective they are, despite initial cost. Moving toward PM model is a good way to save money instead of spending daily on huge armies. There's 4 in Ukraine alone, although only 1 is large enough to operate worldwide, rest are more like private security, but line between PMC and PSC is thin.
Although US millitary is not that certain about PMCs. There's some mention in "The Army Capstone Concept: Operational Adaptability" i think describing "Pros and Cons"...

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When i watch this vid it reminds me of that old fanfic about rescue mission
It has a lot of rough jokes - be warned those unprepared
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azI_RlDHTBE

Boston: 3 died (8 yr. boy, 2x yr women, chinese student), 160 wounded
17+ lost their leg (obviously the one closes to the bombs)

Waco, Texas: 5-15 dead, 1xx wounded. Everything near it has been leveled.
I guess the air circulation wasn't good enough.

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Yeah, they are cheap because they aren't hired all the time.
But if we take the legionnaires as an example one day they could be expansive, too. But the best argument is still political, since only mercs die. It's natural for guys to be interested I'm not an exception either. For example I'm interested in how they are organized as units and are equipped.
Nice one.

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At least fanfiction has action.
Soon 1M views!

Almael wrote:Boston: 3 died (8 yr. boy, 2x yr women, chinese student), 160 wounded
17+ lost their leg (obviously the one closes to the bombs)

Damn, not something that should happen in everyday life . What kind of punishment those guilty should expect for this - is it enough to grant "chair"?

Waco, Texas: 5-15 dead, 1xx wounded. Everything near it has been leveled.
I guess the air circulation wasn't good enough.

The real mystery for us here is how this could happen in US. I seen similar facilities with less safety measures which are still intact after 50-60 years without almost a single repair/service...and i'm sure those in Texas was light years ahead in terms of technology\safety yet something like this happened. Weird.
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For example I'm interested in how they are organized as units and are equipped.
Nice one.

Organized - same as millitary i guess + more individual approach to roles, specializations etc.
Equipment varies greatly since PMC are different - most provide training/consulting, guard/security, anti-pirate guard etc. and rarely see any big battle, so most armed with what is easily availible\proven - AKs or M4s, maybe with slight customization. I guess the best weapon is the one you know the best and not the fanciest one
Good enough wiki here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_military_company - check photo on the page, here are your typical pmcs. 911 (or other millitary/police brand) clothes + M4 and HK45 or USP as sidearm, nothing exotic or as badass to how most USMC usualy look
As for vehicles - very often it's just standard Tahoe or other heavy SUVs availible localy armored from the inside. There are exceptions it seems - check secret super-weapon platform on last picture

Boston: Since last night one of the suspect bombers was shot dead while his younger brother is on the run. They outed themselves before actually getting identified.

Waco: Well, a lot of small american companies aren't that modern. Many have century old machinery, too. This is also true for other 1st world countries not just 3rd world countries. Most of these machines are large and very primitive, though. Smaller more complex machinery are around 50+ years. Even the F-14 or Patriot missile were build with some of these old machines.

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One news that went under
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22200476
"Kepler telescope spies 'most Earth-like' worlds to date"
This has been around for some days but the news just went under.
2 of 5 planets in a system 1200 Ly away. It's a smaller star than the sun. Looks great for colonization.

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Thanks for the pics. ..female merc!! 0.o

Btw. I noticed there are new scopes that have those light or illuminating cables http://i00.i.aliimg.com/img/pb/032/041/469/469041032_175.jpg
Like using flashlight it's like putting a marker on you.
Now-a-day with nightvision everywhere this is just fatal.

Ironically it now seems like the brothers weren't the usual type one would expect to blow up bombs or do other terrorist acts.
In fact the younger was said to be really nice and helpful by friends and even a bit out going.
So there goes the myth of these things being done by loner types with a grudge against the rest of the world.
I wonder if them being Chechen might have something to do with it though.

It's over.
At around 6:30 pm it was announced the search have ended unsuccessful and people could go out again.
Around 7:00 pm a boat owner saw blood and called police. After a shootout the younger brother was arrested. He bled all day so was near death anyway.
There isn't much information about the older brother, but I bet he was the one who started it. This case doesn't look like a true loner case to me. They don't seem to be loner types. Rather it seems to me they segregated and isolated themselves due to their strong islamic belief.
I don't think being chechen is a reason. They seemed to have moved from chechnya to another ex-soviet state presumably around the time of war. With a lot of their clan in the US there's probably no personal grudge due to war. But I'm certain they had contacts within the community. Then they moved back for paper works before moving to the US. The younger brother already stayed over a decade and got his citizenship last year. The final turn of mind probably happened while in the US for any possible reason.
In any case, this was long planned at least 1+ year (likely 2 years).
Unless they got help I don't think it's easy to prepare faster without raising suspicion or some of flags.

The Wallstreet Journal had an interesting article that indicated the older brother might have gotten into radical Islam because his mother was afraid he was too heavily involved with marijuana,alcohol and girls.
A bit ironic if true,that the whole genesis was the mother trying to get a positive influence for her sons.
Then we will never know.
Before that it seems the older brother's main interest was boxing.

Parents shouldn't pressure children into something. Most likely it will backfire. This is pretty much a given.
The way the uncle goes on about this and that is just not right.
Disowning and all is fine but badmouthing like that ... is just so dishonest.

Anyway, on other news, today, Australia's population has broken the 23 million mark. Ooooh!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22252099
BBC has another report on investigating European DNA.
So it seems europeans of today are mostly a mix of eastern people. And that just around 2000 BC. Or imho around(shortly before) the same time the greeks had all their Mediterranean colonies. Hmm...

I recently saw a russian movie (forgot the name).
It's set in pre-founding era (?) (before some Viking group) of the russian people.
It was something about a guy from a prophecy fighting some sleeping evil. He's supported by a bat. I know it's famous story.
The thing I noticed was the garment the soldiers of the evil King wore.
It somehow looked so much like ancient mongolian/chinese with those capes.

I think i saw that movie.
It think there's a reason for it - for russian people (as well as any Slavic nationalities), when it comes to enemies - everything related to mongolian/tatar is a strong symbol, especially in pseudo-hystory/fantasy movies.

Btw, about that hybrid scope with illuminating cable - i think it's probably for FoF identification - it's often more important than anything else, especially during night. There's a reason night ops require additional\special training and is not for noobs - "friendly fire...is not"(C)

One of the few truly usefull fancy things US programms like "land warrior" achieve is electronic friend-or-foe identification. FoF is always a huge problem and knowing who's-who instantly is a great bonus. However, i think it also makes soldiers more careless if they get too used to electronic markers - should it fail...

I see. I was not sure what to make out of those.
I wondering what the russians stand is toward the Vikings? Do they see them as say "relatives" or as complete different kind of people. As I understand it russia was founded by a Viking tribe.

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Well, for night ID we (westerners) use illuminating bands which are only visible at close range. For example if you go around at night you can see your next friend only up to some distance away. I think thats good enough. Anyone further away is not in your group/unit. Meeting friendlies at a distance imho is rare on the ground. AFAIK, the accidents due to friendly fires during the Gulf/Iraq War was mostly some aircraft/vehicle firing on friendly vehicles. *shrugs*
Yeah, the rules of engagement is still to check visually first.

Apropos, I was following this https://2img.net/r/ihimizer/img507/2949/pictureviakapsifirr7.jpg
And found about the BMP-T http://btvt.narod.ru/3/bmpt.htm
Is it a true IFV
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infantry_fighting_vehicle
or is it just a modified T-72?
It looks like a cross of an anti-aircraft and a normal IFV.
For a future army where soldiers rarely go out fighting I'm imagining
future IFVs would look similar but perhaps better armed.

I think Russia wasn't exactly founded, more like led by Vikings or people who had strong roots with them. A lot of battle related skills were taken from "Varangians" (i think it's the right name/translation) that's for sure, but Viking were pain for entire Eurasia and even Africa so sure there's not much love. But with all the books and movies i can't remember any strong negative image for Vikings. What i know is they were employed by various russian lords (as mercenaries) and they didn't really conquer anything, only taking their prize/reward and i guess were more civilized than eastern/southern neighbors.

"we (westerners)" Well, most of the world millitary is very "western" these days, it's only about preferences in different parts of the world
Illuminating bands are good, but at night - close range is the biggest danger anyway. The first reaction of every man with gun - is to shoot at any other man with gun he sees, and checking visualy first might be too long already. Electronic means of IFF will be superior to anything...

That's "Ramka" - "tanks support fighting vehicle" - same as BMP, but it's role is to battle anything dangerous to tanks (like your typical bad guys with RPGs) Not sure about better armed - modern ones are armed to the teeth - machine guns>cannons>mortairs>missiles... I only seen a few though, but they're quite impressive i'd say... A kind of "moving turret", scarry stuff for the infantry.

Shocking revelation some are made in china!!
http://ydtzcl.en.made-in-china.com/product/beJEoArFhVcW/China-Luminescent-Tape.html
Well, the primary purpose is to know your next man. Anyone else is suspicious. Even with some kind of IFF most people will just shoot as you say. Someone once said the common soldier on the battlefield is completely dump. Meaning the soldier usually won't check back or use common sense before reacting/shooting according to training.
IFF is no warranty, and as you said too much reliance is bad, too.
Some mercenary might use a captured IFF.

True, the Merkava has all that equipment. As far as I see most of these IFV only have one heavy weapon. I think more automated turrets e.g. against infantry will be installed.
The greatest threat in the future will be drones so some anti-air missile will be a must. But it seem there aren't many missiles capable of the required range (~9km) with the size restriction and weight needed for infantry/vehicles.
In the future it's suicide without air-defense. We can already drop bombs from 15-40 miles away against moving targets... Most likely you won't see it coming. Maybe it's time we build (mecha)robots to take care of drone defense. *shrugs*
While looking I found this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mbombe
6x6 wheels, 27 tons I have to say quite an uncommon and innovative design. Ideal for a merc unit. Not sure about all the windows, though.

I have a book about the Vikings in my personal library and just re-checked what it had to say on the subject of Russia and the Vikings.The word Rus is Slavic and the book says it probably came from the
word Rotsi which was the Slavs word for Sweden.