Laser Tag. ZAP! Ow, Dammit.

Laser Shock comes in a box with two guns connected to two breastplates. Each player uses the straps to fasten their breastplate to their chest, (the straps are adjustable accommodating most sizes of player), then activates their gun by pressing the reset button and pointing the gun at their opponents breastplate. This will cause the lights on the breastplate to light up – indicating that they have six ‘lives'. Once both players have done this they are ready to battle.

Each player can choose between two intensity levels of electric shock. If you choose to go for the lower level of shock it won't ‘buzz' as much when you take a direct hit, (this happens when your opponent hits your breast plate), but when you shoot your opponent you will only knock off one of their lives. If you choose the higher level setting then the ‘buzz' of a direct hit will be more fierce but because you're prepared to take a greater risk you will knock out two of your opponent's lives every time you're on target.

Thanks to Cobbster for the link.

Keep hitting that snooze button?

Scientists at MIT's Media Lab in the United States have invented an alarm clock called Clocky to make even the doziest sleepers, who repeatedly hit the snooze button, leap out of bed.

After the snooze button is pressed, the clock, which is equipped with a set of wheels, rolls off the table to another part of the room.

"When the alarm sounds again, simply finding Clocky ought to be strenuous enough to prevent even the doziest owner from going back to sleep," New Scientist magazine said Tuesday.

Of course, they don't take into account that here in the South, it would turn into Clocky meets Glocky, and Glocky will win every time. Then again, nothing would wake you and the rest of your house up like shooting at an alarm clock.

Three more for the good guys!

Shopkeepers and residents on one of Baghdad's main streets pulled out their own guns Tuesday and killed three insurgents when hooded men began shooting at passers-by, giving a rare victory to civilians increasingly frustrated by the violence bleeding Iraq.

The clash in the capital's southern Doura neighborhood erupted when militants in three cars sprayed bullets at shoppers, Interior Ministry officials said. Three people — a man, a woman and a child — were wounded.

The motive was unclear, but there have been previous attacks in the ethnically mixed neighborhood. Earlier in the day, gunmen in the same quarter killed a policeman as he drove to work, police Lt. Col. Hafidh Al-Ghrayri said.

A forceful citizen response is rare, but not unheard of in a country where conflict has become commonplace and the law allows each home to have a weapon. Early this month, police said townsmen in Wihda, 25 miles south of Baghdad, attacked a group of militants believed planning to raid the town and killed seven.

If only the criminals have guns, then your public is losing. No protection in your section, now it's time to act. A .22 won't do, you need rapid fire. Big battle rifles will make a sucker's day.

Eeek, I went into Mix-a-lot mode.

Anyways, think about customer service as well today.

Land of the free....

A student named Jay (who wants his last name to be withheld) at Brick Township High School in New Jersey, had his chair pulled out from under him after he refused to stand for the national anthem. The class started out that morning with Mantel yelling "I don't want to hear a sound! Not a sound! Morning exercises will come on, you will stand, you will stand quietly, you will pay attention! Any Questions!?...Now stand up and keep your mouths shut!" Students stood up as the national anthem began playing.

In the middle of the anthem, Mantel walked over to Jay and demanded that he stand up. Jay silently refused, and Mantel yelled again, "Stand up!". Jay then said "I don't have to stand up". To which Mantel insisted "You have to stand." Jay said "No I don't". Mantel then reached over and pulled Jay's chair out from under him. Jay responded to Stuart Mantel's outrageous behavior by asking Mantel "Are you serious?", to which Mantel yelled "I am damn well serious."

Jay said that he didn't have any political reasons for his refusal to stand but that he wanted to sit because he feels it is his right to do so and that right was being threatened by Mantel. Jay said that he thought Mantel might tell him to stand, but he never expected to be physically forced to do so.

Jay's friend who was in the class at the time, Corey, says that their teacher had been strict in the past in demanding that students stand for the national anthem and pledge of allegiance. That's why they brought in a camera - to expose the teacher in case he did anything again. "The teacher and school principals wanted him (Mantel) to press charges against us...they tried to blame it on us like it was premeditated, like we did it just to get him on tape, which is false. We knew he was gonna go nuts because he frequently used to" said Corey.

Jay's other classmate Steve got suspended for 10 days for filming the incident. The school told Corey that it "violated the teacher's constitutional rights" for them to film the teacher without his permission."I think that its crazy that people are getting in trouble for this or things they say. There have been so many kids video taping and no one ever got in trouble for it. So why now?" Jay asked. It sounds as if the school is punishing this student now because of the nature of what's on the tape, not the fact they were taping the teacher without his permission.

When I asked Corey if Mantel was being punished for pulling out Jay's chair, he said "Nope...I asked (the principal) 'What are you doing to discipline Mantel?' and they said 'we talked'. Teachers do anything they want". Seeing acts like Mantel's go unpunished will likely inspire teachers to continue intimidating their students into standing for the national anthem and pledge of allegiance.

Disrespectful punk or civil rights hero. Either way, he won because the teacher lost his cool. Praise God and country indeed. Oh yeh, that's right, God isn't allow in school. Why should country?

Breakin the law, breakin the moped?

Heidi Brown was told she could park her new scooter outside the vehicle registration office while she waited to get license plates.

To her horror, it was blown up by the army after someone reported that it might be a bomb.

Police in Ipswich, eastern England, confirmed on Thursday that a moped had been blown up in a controlled explosion after local business people "raised concerns" that it could be a bomb.

"The moped was chained to the perimeter fence outside the building. We weren't able to identify whose vehicle it was because there were no license plates on it," said a spokeswoman for Suffolk police.

She said the surrounding office buildings were evacuated and three roads were closed off.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported the scooter belonged to Brown, a 22-year-old care worker, who said she had been told she could leave it there awaiting inspection.

Conundrum: How do you get a scooter to the inspection yard if it is illegal to drive without tags, yet the inspection yard is the only place to get the tags?

Laser Hummer in Iraq

In 2003, the Army sent ZEUS, a Humvee armed with a 10kw solid-state laser, to Afghanistan, to blast mines and other explosives left over from years of war. In the six months ZEUS spent there, the laser-hummer zapped over 200 pieces of unexploded ordnance, according to the Army, "at one point setting a record for ordnance disposal by negating 51 pieces in less than 100 minutes."

Now, ZEUS "is being forward deployed" again, Army Space and Missile Defense Command Lt. Gen. Larry Dodgen tells Defense Daily.

"According to spokesman at Headquarters, Department of the Army, ZEUS is in Iraq as part of a three-vehicle convoy protection concept being evaluated now," DD adds.

ZEUS uses a pair of lasers to sizzle its targets, according to Sparta, Inc., the vehicle's maker. A joystick-controlled green Nd:YAG laser is used to designate the target. One it's locked, an invisible high-power Nd:YAG laser swerves around, to heat the sucker up.

The system uses diesel fuel to create the laser beam, which focuses energy on the outer casing of the target, which heats up until it detonates, [triggering] a less violent explosion than if the explosive was activated, causing less damage to the surrounding area...

“Its power level and utility is new and is not for aerial targets, it’s for unexploded ordnance,” Dodgen said. “It is a system that works, and we certainly would like to use it whenever possible.”

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Did you get pinched? Do you wanna?

Good for the gander is not good for the goose.

When is the discriminitory treatment of women not really discriminatory? How about when an ad campaign shows women and men being treated exactly the same? Nope: that's still discriminitory! At least, in South Africa. But to really judge, you need to see the photos, which follow the story from True's 13 March 2005 issue:

To call attention to its new Fall line, the Young Designers Emporium of South Africa has a new poster ad campaign in its shop windows. The "Brand Spanking New Fashions" posters feature models in their underwear sporting red marks on their thighs to imply they've been spanked with a paddle. The Law Society of South Africa has expressed outrage over the posters, which go "against the grain of eradicating the trivialization and humiliation of the female body," says Society spokeswoman Nonto Umlaw. "We show a man and woman being spanked," points out YDE Creative Director Sam Coleman. "It is quite surprising that no one said anything about the man." (Pietermaritzburg Witness) ...Well no: obviously he deserved it.

The images from the above link show a man and woman, both on all fours facing away from the camera, both wearing undergarments. Each has a "spank" mark on their thighs. Children get spanked. Some women love to be spanked. Some men do as well. Why is spanking humiliating to just the female body?

BTW, if you don't subscribe to This is True, do it today. It is free!

Happy Holiday, fellas.

Misc. Friday Ramblings

It's my Friday, and I'll cry if I want to.

• Pimp slapped.
  I used to study a form of Kenpo karate under sensei Jack Hogan that used pressure point techniques. They were quite effective. While sloppy in execution, what is done in the above video is a classic "knife hand" strike to the side of the neck.


• Gun Safety
  The four rules should be constantly flowing while firearms are being handled. Even the professionals need reminders sometimes.


• Compliance.
  And people complain about tasers. sheez.


• McDonald's to outsource drive-in operators.
  Is it a religious quandry for someone in India to take a double quarter pounder with cheese order?

Obligatory Friday gun pr0n!

Army opens competition for replacement of M-16, M-4

The Army will hold an open competition among arms makers to select a replacement for its M-16 rifles and M-4 carbines.
The March 4 pre-solicitation notice, posted on the Internet, means the Army’s XM-8 program will have to prove it can outperform the rest of the small-arms industry before soldiers carry it into battle.

Army weapons experts have been working on the Heckler & Koch-made XM-8 prototype as an unopposed replacement since late 2003. It was part of a longer-range effort to perfect an over-and-under style weapon, known as the Objective Individual Combat Weapon or XM-29, developed by Alliant Techsystems and Heckler & Koch.

The XM-29 fires special air-bursting projectiles and standard 5.56mm ammunition. But at 18 pounds, it’s still too heavy to meet requirements, so Army planners decided to perfect each of XM-29’s components separately, allowing soldiers to take advantage of new technology sooner.

The XM-8 is one of those components. It features a compact model for close quarters, a standard carbine and a designated marksman/squad automatic rifle model with a longer, heavier barrel and bipod legs for stability.

The March 4 “Pre-solicitation Notice for the Objective Individual Combat Weapon Increment I family of weapons,” invites small-arms makers to try and meet an Army requirement for a “non developmental family of weapons that are capable of firing U.S. standard M855 and M856” 5.56mm ammunition.

The family would consist of carbine, compact, designated marksman and light machinegun models.

If Luvin' Ewe is Wrong, I Don't Wanna Be Right

Somebody was making nighttime visits to farmer Terry Patterson's sheep barn in the 600 block of Big Mount Road in Paradise Township, police said.
Patterson told police he saw the evidence of several sexual assaults on his sheep, but never the intruder.

So he installed an alarm and intercom system.

It sounded about 3 a.m. Tuesday. Patterson went to the barn while his wife, Cindy, called 911.

Bruce Charles Englar, 53, of the 4600 block of Bentz Road in North Codorus Township, is charged with felony burglary for entering a building with the intention of committing a crime, namely, having sexual intercourse with a sheep.

Englar allegedly told police he was just petting the sheep. Northern Regional Lt. Mark Bentzel said it was not a reasonable explanation for being inside somebody's barn at 3 in the morning.

Englar posted $10,000 bail Tuesday for his release from the York County Prison, a spokeswoman said.

Okay, that is just scary. Thanks to Rez, btw, for the link. However, what is scarier is what is at the bottom of the story....PRIOR CASES!!!

· 1997: An Adams County man pleaded guilty to cruelty to animals for sexually assaulting a live turkey in a restroom at the Wampler Foods plant in New Oxford. The man was fined $750.

· 1992: A carnival worker was charged with agricultural vandalism after authorities said he had sex with a ram at the York Fair. The charge was later dropped in a plea bargain.

Being at work and having the flu sucks worse!

something here before I pass out...

http://rulzofpunk.free.fr/videos/manamana.wmv

Having the flu sucks

...home sick today. no updates.

Childhood cartoons ruined.

Thundercats:
http://cascadefailure.keenspace.com/d/20040920.html

Superfriends:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2002-06-12&res=l


Also in this issue:

I am 25% White Trash.

The white trash in my blood will not keep me from becoming a doctor or a lawyer, but it will keep me from a good haircut and any sort of fashion sense.

Take the
White Trash Test
@ FualiDotCom

We lost a good guy on this one.

A multiple victim public shooting last week outside the court house in Tyler, Texas, stemming from a custody dispute, resulted in the murder of two people and the wounding of four others.

Of the 71 unique news stories found by a computerized Nexis search of stories in the four days after the attack, 38 percent mention that an AK-47 or high-powered rifle was used by the attacker. As usual, gun control groups called for more gun control.

Eric Howard, with the Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence, said “These are military-style weapons that pose a significant risk to civilians and the police officers trying to protect the public.”

Only two stories mentioned that the AK-47 was a semi-automatic, not a machine gun, and, while it is understandable, none of the articles provided context by explaining that Arroyo’s weapon functioned the same as deer hunting rifles, firing the same caliber bullets, at the same rapidity, and doing the same damage.

Seems like pretty standard media coverage. But what makes this case different is that 21 percent of the news stories actually mentioned that a citizen licensed to carry a concealed weapon used his gun to try and help stop the attack.

The citizen, 50 year old Mark Wilson, was one of the two people murdered. As CNN reported, “Everyone here agrees, Wilson saved lives.” Fox News' website quoted the sheriff as saying "if it hadn't been for Mr. Wilson, [Arroyo's son] would be dead."

Wilson, a licensed concealed handgun permit holder, heard Arroyo’s shots and saw the commotion from his apartment window. He grabbed a handgun and headed toward the attacker. Arroyo had already wounded several police officers and there was no one left to prevent his rampage.

Arroyo had also shot his 22-year-old son and was about ready to shoot him again from very close range when Wilson fired his gun, hitting Arroyo several times in the chest. Arroyo was wearing a bullet resistant vest and flak jacket and Wilson's shots did not seriously wound him. Yet, Wilson’s shots forced Arroyo to come after him, and it used up a couple of minutes of his time. Unfortunately, in the exchange of gunfire, Arroyo eventually fatally shot Wilson. With police arriving, Arroyo fled the scene and was later shot to death by police as they pursued him.

What is remarkable is that this heroism--an act of defensive gun use--did receive some national attention. Undoubtedly, much of the coverage came from the fact that Mark Wilson was killed by Arroyo, but it still doesn’t take away from the fact that many stories admitted that he had saved at least one life and a few stories quoted police saying that he had probably saved multiple lives.

Of course, gun control advocates draw their usual conclusion from all this. Kristen Rand, legislative director for the pro-gun control Violence Policy Center (search) in Washington, D.C., claims the Tyler shooting last Thursday shows that criminals are undeterred by people potentially carrying concealed weapons. But, in fact, more nearly the opposite is true. When Arroyo faced the choice of continuing to shoot others or defending himself, he was forced to defend himself. Making Arroyo's attacks more risky caused him to change his behavior.

Many people find it hard to believe that 18 national surveys by academics as well as national polling organizations show that there are 2 million defensive gun uses each year. After all, if these events were really happening, wouldn't we hear about them on the news? Yet when was the last time you saw a story on the national evening news (or even the local news) about a citizen using a gun to stop a crime? ABC’s and NBC’s news coverage continued this pattern, but at least some CBS and CNN news reports provided some balance and Fox News’ website also gave the full story.

This misreporting actually endangers people's lives. By selectively reporting the news and turning a defensive gun use story into one that merely says "police shot him dead," the media give misleading impressions of what actions saved the lives of people confronted by violence. As Wilson's case demonstrates, defensive gun use is not a guns-rights myth. Guns have been and are used by law abiding citizens to protect and save their own lives and the lives of others.

Unfortunately, never bring a pistol to a rifle fight seems to hold true, especially if the asshat in question has body armor.

Bring one of these. Yes, it looks like an FG42 on steriods. Nothing wrong with that.

Thanks to Cally at TLXS for the story.

Swinging your weight around.

A former topless dancer who was famously cleared of battering a Florida nightclub patron with her "crazy big" breasts has shed her oversized silicone implants and put one of them up for auction on eBay.

The woman known professionally as Tawny Peaks said on Wednesday she recently came across the implants in a box in her closet after watching a television discussion about crazy things sold on eBay and decided, "Why not ... I don't need it any more."

"Somebody might bid on it. It's like the first boob to be sued over in a lawsuit," she said.

Peaks said she would autograph the auctioned implant for the winner but would keep its mate "for good measure."

She explained that she had her size 69-HH implants removed and underwent breast reduction surgery in 1999 after retiring from the business to start a new life.

"They were like really big, crazy big," said Peaks, who described herself as a happily married homemaker and mother of three now living in the Detroit area.

Peaks won notoriety in 1998 when a man sued her and her employer, the Diamond Dolls nightclub in Clearwater, Florida, saying he suffered a whiplash injury when she swung her breasts into his face at a bachelor party. He said they were "like two cement blocks."

The parties accepted binding arbitration on "The People's Court" television show and the judge, former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, ordered a female bailiff to examine Peaks in private.

The bailiff found the breasts to be "soft" and to weigh about 2 pounds (0.9 kg) each. Koch ruled they were not dangerous and refused to award damages.

The implant auction ends on Saturday. So far Peaks has received 10 bids, topping out at $71, according to the eBay Web site.

Okay, a google image search turns up quite a few pictures which I won't feature here. However, it does go to show you that no matter what pleasures you take in life, you can still find some jackass that wants to make a quick buck out of it. I mean, who in their right mind will go to an adult entertainment establishment to see a particular performer, then try to sue them for physical ailments. "I got hurt by a stripper's boobs" doesn't sound to appealing on your resume. Definitely not something you'd brag to your friends about. Come on, at least make up a story like "we were having crazy sex, and I threw my neck out". Even then, you wouldn't sue. You'd wear your injury like a badge of honor.

As an ebay update, the bidding is up to $10,000 right now. Also, check out her former glory, in auction form.

The 4 best presenters at the Oscars

If you can't legislate morality, take it to the courts.

The Federal Communications Commission unanimously decided that 159 ABC television affiliates did not violate indecency regulations when they aired the movie on Veterans Day in November, despite complaints about profanity and violence.

"The true colors are muddy brown and fire red and any accurate depiction of this significant historical tale could not be told properly without bringing that sense to the screen," said FCC Chairman Michael Powell, a U.S. Army veteran.

The movie included numerous swear words as well as an opening sequence depicting the landing of U.S. soldiers on the beaches of Normandy, with soldiers shot, maimed and killed.

The FCC noted its authority under the indecency statute did not extend to violent programing.

Warnings about the movie's content were aired throughout the broadcast. The ABC network, owned by the Walt Disney Co., ran the movie twice before and did not attract FCC fines.

So, Saving Private Ryan is not offensive, but Saving Ryan's Privates is. I particularly like the part where the FCC says that they can't really control violence because it doesn't fall under indecency. I'm pretty sure that the PTC really wants morality back into TV. There are two things that I think are wrong with that.

First, as with all programming you don't like, CHANGE THE DAMN CHANNEL. No one is forcing you to watch it. Oh, I can hear the tired argument of "what if a kid comes across the channel by accident". Well, if they are too young to understand war, they may be a bit to young to be controlling the TV remote without supervision! Also, with disclaimers and cable TV's info features, there is no excuse not to know what is on. BTW, cable is a private entity. You can't force the government to fine or control it.

Secondly, one group can't control the people's moral compass. With the information age, dogmatic notions of stringent moral followings no longer apply. Church's, religious sects, and "we know better" organizations no longer hold "absolute truths" for the populous. People will turn to CNN or FoxNews before they swallow anything wholecloth. A sense of self-reliance or libertarianism means that people want to develop their own morality, not have it dictated by a group that can't even be considered peers. Times change. Improvise, adapt, overcome.