U.S. develops yet another tool for abusing civilians... · Friday January 26, 2007 by colin newell
The US military has given the first public display of what it says is a revolutionary heat-ray weapon to repel enemies or disperse hostile crowds.
Called the Active Denial System, it projects an invisible high energy beam that produces a sudden burning feeling.
Military officials, who say the gun is harmless, believe it could be used as a non-lethal way of making enemies surrender their weapons.
Officials said there was wide-ranging military interest in the technology.
Heat energy up to 54C (130F) penetrates less than 0.5mm of skin
Manufacturers say this avoids injury, although long-term effects are not known… link
Ok. Here is the deal. I worked with a variety of microwave transmitting systems* (for the Canadian Federal Government) for about 4 years. The hazards of heating from microwave radiation are well known and published widely.
This kind of radiation damages your eyes and it can damage your D.N.A.
Anything AND I MEAN ANYTHING that the U.S. military says about this system is utter bull$hit.
For the record, I am a federally and provincially certified journeyman electronics and telecommunications technician fully qualified to operate, design and rebuild all manner of high power transmitting and receiving equipment.
Deal or no Deal? [4]
Oh Damn, not another hobby... · Wednesday January 24, 2007 by colin newell
There aren’t too many Christmas gifts that make me light up like a…
well, you know.
My sister-in-law and brother-in-law bought me one of these for the holidays.
And I curse their names every hour of every day…
that I am playing with it.
I mean, if you know me, you know that I have one too many hobbies.
One too many.
This one actually takes the cake though. It looks simple enough but it demands 100% of your attention to keep it in the air and out of your hair.
The Micro-Mosquito coaxial helicopter is a lot of fun. There are online forums dedicated to the discussion and dissection of this toy.
Alas, I have almost moved on to this website
located in Canada no less.
I have my eye on a tricked out Nitro Raptor with a Futaba radio, tight damping and all metal swash-plate…
whatever the heck that is…
Gift givers – I curse your name!
Major blog re-design -coming- here... · Sunday January 21, 2007 by colin newell
Yup.
I am sick of this look.
Ground control to Major Blog,
your circuits dead, there something wrong…
Can you hear me major Blog?
Can you hear me major Blog?
Stay tuned loyal reader.
Addon: Ok, so what I am going to do is create a theme for each section. I think this homepage is quite unique and should not remind anyone of anything
Am I right?
Comment [2]
Rankin Family live in Victoria - a short concert review · Wednesday January 17, 2007 by colin newell
Ok. I love the Rankin Family. From the moment I saw them on stage in Victoria in the mid-nineties, I knew that the Rankin Family were the real deal.
I bought all the albums. Still play them.
It was with much rejoicing that I had the chance to see them on the first leg of their reunion tour.
Apparently I was not the first in line to buy tickets. I think I waited a week.
As a result, our seats were up in the ceiling somewhere.
No problem. The Royal Theatre in Victoria is designed in such a way that there are no bad seats. It is true. There are none.
This concert was to be stop 3 for the Rankins – Nanaimo was the first. I think they had two gigs up there.
Because of the loss of a sister in Calgary, they attended the funeral and cancelled the first 2 of the concert dates.
Victoria B.C. was stop one for the Rankin’s 22-city tour.
Some details:
Tragedy struck their family a week ago when one of the Rankins died in Calgary. The Rankins are a large family – Raylene, John Morris, Jimmy, Cookie and Heather, began touring together professionally in 1989. But they are 4 of 12 kids. On September 17, 1999, the band officially broke up to pursue their separate careers and lives. One of the anchors of the band, John Morris Rankin, died in a car accident on January 16, 2000.
Anyway – back to the show.
With our luck (of 1500 seats in the Royal Theatre) we were seated directly in front of a row of young, ex-Pat Cape Breton trailer trash – they were pumped, half-drunk and ready to party.
Now, do not get me wrong. I like to party. Really. At concerts, I get crazy.
But correct me if I am wrong, but I think you have to sing and scream when the band is actually playing.
I did turn around and glare a couple of times at Trailer Park Boy behind me after he yelled: “I lav youa Jammmy!” one too many times. These are the worse kinds of concert goers.
Anyway. The Rankins kicked ass. After a slow start (they seemed road weary or grief weary and this was stop #1!) they wound the audience and themselves into a Celtic-Breton frenzy.
They played the new stuff. They played the old stuff. They trotted out some new Rankin talent; John Morris Rankins surviving teenage daughter – a crack step dance and fiddle player. She sang once. It was rough, but the Rankin magic is in her voice and blood. Ah. Just like old times.
Welcome back Rankins!
Comment [2]
