2007/03/30

Misc. Friday Ramblings...


Friday FIREPOWER!
  • The Benchmade ERT-1.
    The ERT-1 provides you options when you need them most. Benchmade engineers combined the proven cutting technology of our professional use Rescue Hooks into a tool that cuts seatbelts, breaks glass, and can provide light with the click of a button. Completely functional while submerged the ERT-1 can be used in a multitude of emergency response situations. Even more amazing is the price. Peace of mind has never been so affordable.


2007/03/27

Halo Monty Python parody

How do you remake a Monty Python parody? You can’t really; it’d be classic comedy heresy. Instead, you adapt it to your favorite videogame. That’s what GovernorWatts did in this Halo remix of the “How not to be seen” public service film.

2007/03/26

Gauge your politics.

Ever wonder where you beliefs were on the LIBERAL versus CONSERVATIVE scale. Here is an easy way to find out by taking this short 25 question

The following quiz was written by Victor Kamber and Bradley S. O'Leary and appeared in the October 28-30, 1994 issue of USA Weekend. Before you vote in the next election, take this quick, quiz to see where - and with whom - you really stand.

I scored a 25. Moderately conservative. Yay.

2007/03/23

too tired....

70hours at work this week....and I'm in for the weekend as well. blah....

2007/03/21

Platform exclusivity is dead.

Wow! The murmurs were there for months, but today Capcom has proudly announced they have Devil May Cry 4 in development for not just the PS3, but also the Xbox 360 and PC platforms. The action game will be released simultaneously on the PS3 and Xbox 360 in Q4 2007.

“Devil May Cry is a series of popular, stylish action games. Since the release of the original Devil May Cry on PS2 in 2001, the series has shipped 6.8 million copies as of December 31st, 2006, proudly making it one of Capcom’s flagship titles. The series appeal is not limited to games; an animated TV series to be broadcast on Japan’s WOWOW network is slated to air Spring 2007. The latest iteration, Devil May Cry 4 will take advantage of each platform’s hardware strengths to achieve the most stunning visuals in the series to date, and the introduction of a mysterious new protagonist [Nero] will keep the action fast and fresh.”

Multiplatform is becoming a necessity with growing development costs with PS3 games getting future releases on the Xbox 360 as well, that’s games like Virtua Fighter 5, Grand Theft Auto 4, Assassin’s Creed, and Mercenaries 2. Sony exec. Phil Harrison recently spoke with bloggers about losing so many (initially) exclusive franchises in recent month. He explained this by saying:

“I don’t think PS3 has the install base to support Rockstar’s investment in GTA IV on its own. Reinventing a sandbox-oriented series on next-generation platforms can’t be a cheap endeavor, so while PS3 plays catch-up with Xbox 360 in terms of userbase, Rockstar must unsurprisingly cover its bases and ensure they’re reaching the maximum amount of gamers when GTA4 releases this October.”

As a former Sony fanboi all I can say is ...

2007/03/20

Why is the sky blue?

Drifting around the Earth in 2006 July, astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS) captured a crescent Moon floating far beyond the horizon. The captured above image is interesting because part of the Moon appears blue, and because part of the moon appears missing. Both effects are created by the Earth's atmosphere. Air molecules more efficiently scatter increasingly blue light, making the clear day sky blue for ground observers, and the horizon blue for astronauts. Besides reflecting sunlight, these atmospheric molecules also deflect moonlight, making the lower part of the moon appear to fade away. As one looks higher in the photograph, the increasingly thin atmosphere appears to fade to black.

2007/03/19

Do you run drugs Danny?

In 2004, Richard Davison, the managing director of Crompton Marine, and his girlfriend, Ellen George, were arrested after Spanish authorities conducting anti-drug smuggling

operations seized a number of boats sold by their company and reported them to British customs officials. The two were suspected of using Crompton Marine as a front for supplying high-speed inflatable boats to illegal drug merchants, advertising them as "high-speed, uncatchable craft that have a low radar signature."

After the couple's arrest, a third party, Ian Rush, allegedly carried on their underground boat trade under the name Nautexco Marine and was also arrested. Evidence presented during Rush's 2007 trial indicated that Davison and George (and later, Rush) were making secret deals for boats like the one pictured above: craft between 30 ft. and 60 ft. long, costing as much as £350,000($680,000 US), and featuring up to eight 250-horsepower engines (with a total fuel storage capacity of 15,000 litres) that enabled them to outrun pursuers at speeds up 60 knots(70 mph). The craft were designed with low profiles (to avoid radar detection) and were painted grey or black to make them difficult to spot on the water. Crompton (and Nautexco) Marine's primary customers were said to be smugglers who used the craft for transporting drugs and other contraband between north Africa and southern Spain.

2007/03/16

Misc. Friday Ramblings...

Family Tech Support, Fark Style: DJ Shamrock: I once told my wife's cousin to get Firefox. He bought the Clint Eastwood DVD Firefox, popped it into the drive and called me up complaining it didn't help. I told him he has to think in Russian for it to work.

Friday FIREPOWER!
  • The XM307 ACSW 25MM/XM312 .50cal ACSW
    The XM307 Advanced Crew Served Weapon (ACSW) is a developmental 25mm belt-fed autocannon with smart shell capability. It is the result of the OCSW or Objective Crew Served Weapon project. It is lightweight and designed to be two-man portable, as well as vehicle mounted.

    The primary advantage of the XM307 is its attenuated recoil system. The weapon controls recoil to a degree that a large tripod and heavy sandbags are not required to effectively employ this weapon. Because of this reduced recoil impulse and light weight, other mounting options are also possible such as small unmanned vehicles and aircraft.

    The XM312 is a modern machine gun chambered for the 12.7 × 99 mm NATO cartridge which is derived from the XM307 25mm autocannon. It was designed in response to a request by the US military for a replacement for the aging M2HB heavy machine gun, and as a complement to the more efficient and lethal, but heavier, XM307. It is quicky capable of being converted to a XM307 with a few number of parts and workload at the unit level (and vice versus from the XM307). Procurement of the XM312 will allow easier use of the XM307, as only the related kits would have to be adopted.

  • USN Protector UAV.
    Protector is a remote-controlled Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) equipped with a stabilized mini-Typhoon weapon system (MK 49 Mod 0), cameras, radar equipment and electro optics. Highly autonomous, the Protector can successfully operate with general guidance from a commander and operator in port, riverine, harbor and coastal waterways - making it an innovative solution for today's critical missions, including force protection, anti-terror, and surveillance and reconnaissance. The Protector was developed by Rafael in response to emerging terrorist threats against maritime assets, and is the only operational USV that exists today.

    The main advantage of the system is its flexible configuration ability, accommodating mission specific modules, while preserving speed, stealth and maneuverability. RAFAEL, the developer of the Protector is cooperating with BAE Systems, and Lockheed Martin to pursue business opportunities in North America. Protector has been demonstrated in service with navies in Asia, Persian Gulf and the Middle east.

  • The .577 T-Rex strikes back.



2007/03/15

Making the home town proud.

These guys drove around the town I live in, blasting a train horn at the unsuspecting.

2007/03/13

What's your persuasion?

You Are a "Don't Tread On Me" Libertarian

You distrust the government, are fiercely independent, and don't belong in either party.
Religion and politics should never mix, in your opinion... and you feel opressed by both.
You don't want the government to cramp your self made style. Or anyone else's for that matter.
You're proud to say that you're pro-choice on absolutely everything!

2007/03/12

How do you lean?

Your Political Profile:
Overall: 65% Conservative, 35% Liberal
Social Issues: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal
Personal Responsibility: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal
Fiscal Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal
Ethics: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal
Defense and Crime: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

2007/03/09

Misc. Friday Ramblings...

Heroes
(Holy shit it's) Malcom McDowell as Linderman: "Now you can't have any of my pot pie."

Friday FIREPOWER!
  • Blues Traveler frontman arrested with "arsenal"
    Blues Traveler singer and harmonica player John Popper was arrested after the vehicle he was riding in was clocked going 111 mph, the Washington State Patrol said Wednesday.

    Popper, 39, was arrested Tuesday afternoon on Interstate 90 near the Spokane/Lincoln county line, the Washington State Patrol said.

    Inside the black Mercedes SUV, officers found a cache of weapons and a small amount of marijuana, the Patrol said. A police dog searched the vehicle, finding numerous hidden compartments containing four rifles, nine handguns and a switchblade knife. Authorities also found a Taser and night vision goggles. The vehicle was seized.

    That's not an arsenal. That's a wish list.

  • The Punt Gun.



  • Israel unveils portable hunter-killer robot
    An Israeli defence firm on Thursday unveiled a portable robot billed as being capable of entering most combat zones alone and engaging enemies with an onboard armoury that includes a machine-pistol and grenades.

    The VIPeR, roughly the size of a small television, was invented as part of Israel's efforts to develop weaponry that could reduce the risks to its forces from hand-to-hand fighting against Palestinian or Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas.

    The manufacturer, Elbit Systems Ltd. , said that the VIPeR's small size and dual treads enable it to move "undeterred by stairs, rubble, dark alleys, caves or narrow tunnels". As well as bomb-sniffing and bomb disposal equipment, the VIPeR can carry an Uzi machine-pistol or plant a grenade. The weapons would be aimed using an onboard video camera.

    According to Elbit, which has close links with the Defence Ministry, Israel plans to deploy the VIPeR among its infantry units after field tests. The robot could also be of interest to foreign police units or U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    John Connor unavailable for comment.

2007/03/07

Off-Duty Airline Employee Accused Of Ejaculating On Passenger

An off-duty Northwest Airlines employee was arrested after a woman on a flight from Seattle complained that the man had ejaculated on her.

The FBI identified the man as Samuel Oscar Gonzalez, 20, of Lakewood, Wash. He was charged in federal court with simple assault, a misdemeanor.

According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, the woman said she was trying to sleep in her seat when the man sat down in an empty seat next to her.

The woman said he touched her, -- which she described as spooning -- lifted her shirt and then got up and left. According to court documents, the woman said she felt a warm fluid on her back, clothes and seat after he walked away. She told the officers he had ejaculated on her.

The crew moved the man to a seat near the front of the plane until the end of the flight. Northwest Airlines Corp. said the flight crew asked that police meet the flight from Seattle when it arrived early Monday in Minneapolis.

"The NWA employee has been suspended pending a review of the incident. Northwest is cooperating fully with law enforcement authorities on this matter," the company said in a statement.

Northwest said that Gonzalez was an equipment service worker, a category that includes baggage handlers, but said he was not working at the time.

Baggage handler indeed. Hope she didn't ask for cream with her coffee.

2007/03/06

Shannon: Firearms will not be tolerated

Randy Shannon has issued a straightforward warning to his University of Miami football players:

Get caught carrying a firearm and your days as a Hurricane are over.

After two shooting incidents involving UM players last year, Shannon plans to enforce a "zero-tolerance'' policy regarding weapons.

"You get caught with a firearm, you're dismissed from the football team," UM's coach said Monday.

"They're gone. They know the rules. It's not hard rules. It's to protect them."

Asked about his players' constitutional right to own firearms, Shannon said: "I'm thinking about the University of Miami and the kids. When you have a firearm, there's a 50-50 chance that you're going to get hurt. So I said, 'Let's not put ourselves in those situations.'

"Make it a 100 percent chance that you're not going to hurt nobody and that nobody is going to get hurt."

Last July, UM safety Willie Cooper was shot in the buttocks by an unknown assailant outside his home in South Miami. Teammate Brandon Meriweather, who shared the home with Cooper, pulled a pistol from his pants and fired three times at the gunman, who escaped.

Police determined that Meriweather acted in self-defense, and no arrests have been made in the case.

On Nov. 7, UM defensive tackle Bryan Pata was shot and killed at his apartment complex shortly after a Hurricanes practice. Pata, who police say owned several weapons, was shot in the back of the head and the case remains unsolved.

Meriweather, who has completed his collegiate eligibility, understands Shannon's policy.

"Guns don't do nothing but get you in trouble," Meriweather said. "There really is no use for a gun in college. You've got to get rid of them. It's no time for them. If you're a team player, you won't have no problem getting rid of them."

So, players are getting shot, and the coach removes their right to defend themselves. Not having a gun = 100% safety. Wow, thems some higher learning going on in Miami.

2007/03/05

Jury Duty

Since Ken gave us a run down on his day in court (as a juror folks, juror), I thought I'd do the same. Called the courthouse automated line over the weekend to see if I could somehow get lucky and not get summoned. No dice. Oh well, I always wanted to see what it was about.

According to the summons, I'm supposed to show up at 8:30am. Good thing I got there early, as there must have been about 250 summoned for the day. Also a good thing that I dressed warmly. It must have been a constant 60F inside the building. It was also suggested to bring something to read for downtime. If you ever need something to pass about 7 hours of sitting, I suggest heavy reading like Dangerous Nation by Robert Kagan.

So around 8:30ish, the morning starts with a brief introduction by a clerk of the court and a video explaining what our civic duty is. Then, the fun begins. We get to fill out some basic paperwork and wear a nice little elastic necklace with our bar code ID on it. At about 9:30, the first roll gets called. About 24 folks are selected and are escorted by a bailiff to a courtroom. 30 minutes later, another roll call for about 18 more. This continues until about 11:00.

Then, for about a half an hour, we get to see clerks and bailiffs trying to find out what judge and what court needs people. Come 11:30, the rest of us not chosen so far are dismissed for lunch with orders to return no later than 1pm.

We get a free shuttle ride to the Landing. The Landing has an upstairs area that has your typical mall-type fast food joints. I settle on the chicken teriyaki place, Sakkio. Sorry, not gonna eat at a place called Flamers. The Landing is about 4 blocks from the courthouse, so after lunch I stroll back on the Riverwalk to the courthouse.

1pm rolls around, and there are a lot more people in the courtroom than when I left. Apparently, the courtroom I was in only held about half of the summoned folks. The other half was on another floor. Great. I'll never get picked now. Well, a clerk up front must have read my mind.

In between passages on the liberal expansionist policies of our forefathers, I overhear two clerks talking about people that haven't been chosen yet. Apparently, some folks have been picked but were sent back because they weren't needed. They go back into the pool. However, those of us not chosen at all yet get sorted up to the top.

Things go very quickly for a bit. From about 1:15pm to about 1:45pm, three separate jury panels are pulled. Then, slowdown hits again. From 1:45 to 2:30, nothing happens. However, at 2:30, I get pulled. In fact, about 35 of us get pulled. 35? That's odd. Yes, it is.

So, we head up to see the judge. But, before that, we have to wait again. 2:30 to 3:30, in fact, we were in another courtroom waiting to get summoned. 3:30 hits, and we are in to see the judge. Fantastic! I get to see how this finally works.

No go on the selection. It seems that this was going to be a good case, as the judge put it. Felony case. He said we would have had fun with it. Would have? Judge says he has bad and good news. The bad news is that the main witness is in the hospital. Quite serious. They may only be able to get testimony by video. That means, no jury selection. Good news is, no jury selection. We are dismissed from our civic duty.

Hurry up and wait with no payoff. Ah well, there is always next year.

2007/03/02

Misc. Friday Ramblings...

Heroes
Ted: "Relax, I'm not going to nuke the dog. Am I...Mr.Muggles?"

Friday FIREPOWER!
  • Canadian Firearms Licensing.

  • Advanced Armament suppressor on a PLR-16.


2007/03/01

Music imitates life...

A while back I posted a little Q&A where you set your audio library on random shuffle and put the song you get with the question asked. Your life as a soundtrack, if you will.

Well, going through what I have on hand at work, I found This is it: The best of Faith No More. I thought I'd share with you my take on the phases of life using that CD. I ordered the songs on the left hand side. Play them as you read along.

  • A Small Victory = Birth
    Some couples never can have children. Others probably shouldn't. However, each child born is a miracle, thus, a small victory.

  • Be Aggressive = Childhood/Teenage years
    Learning. Adapting. Fighting. Playing. Be aggressive or get ground to a pulp.

  • Epic = Adult life
    You've made it. More than likely, you start out full of confidence, brimming with vim and vigor. To get this far, the struggle has truly been epic.

  • Midlife Crisis = Self-explanatory
    Usually identified as something a guy goes through, accompanied by expensive toys and mistresses.

  • Waning Years = Falling to Pieces
    Your body goes. Your mind goes. Your life can literally fall to pieces.

  • Your Funeral = We Care A Lot
    A dog and pony show in order to put a box in the ground. While most friends and family do earnestly care a lot, there should have been more of that during life.


Poetic, eh? Of course, my cynical bastard side says switch the first and last one. Nothing says victory over life like death. :P