Re: Stop AOL from ruining email
Damon Agretto wrote: You know, with as many issues as I've seen with AOL at work, I'd just say the heck with 'em and tell people to get a REAL email service... They are closing activities in Brazil and South America. Nobody is crying for them :-) Alberto Monteiro ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Semi-OTC Lasers
http://wickedlasers.com/ For the last few months you have been able to buy lasers that could pop balloons, melt trash bags, cut electrical tape, and melt through plastic. It is a fairly interesting advance in materials science that allows consumers to do such things with an over-the-counter product. (Of course, you aren't going to find these at your local electronics stores) The lasers here (especially the green ones) tout some amazing capabilities such as being visible(the priciest model) at 120 miles(193.12128 K)while using 3 volts of power supplied by everyday AA or AAA batteries that should last for 2 hours (2 metric hoursG) on a 100% duty cycle, even if the laser itself costs $2000 (1648 Euro/1129British pound). I expect that the price of lasers with this kind of capability will come down over time and that simultaneously, legislation to curb their availability and criminalize their misuse will occur. These kinds of lasers are somewhat dangerous toys in the hands of the well intentioned, but in the hands of crafty and mischievous malcontents. To be clear, these particular devices have *some* potential for misuse, but I expect that the next generation of devices that will come on the heels of cheaper devices of this generation will have capabilities that could be problematic for security and law enforcement, hence the expectation of more restrictive legislation concerning their possession and use. xponent Call For Comment Maru rob ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hello...
On 2/22/06, Steve Sloan [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Charlie Bell wrote: I have this really weird urge to be ontopic. I'm sure it'll pass... ;) On topic? What's that? ;-) This list has a topic? Mauro D. All is Brin, even cuisine :-P ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
A Second Conviction
Several years ago, way back when the list was hosted by a major university, we had a conversation about our personal brushes with death or encounters with killers or somesuch. At that time I related 2 stories about my encounters with people who had or would soon murder others. The unrelated story was about how I was almost procured for a famous serial killer. The other story was about how I blustered and chased off a pair of guys who were threatening to beat the crap out of my younger brother in our frontyard. One of those fellows was one Max Soffar. I believe I also posted some link to the Department of Corrections webpage concerning him and his Deathrow status. To refresh, a few months after my encounter with Soffar, he robbed a bowling alley and shot all 4 people inside execution style, killing 3 with one person fortunately surviving. Sidebar: Last year I was working with a pair of fellows, they happened to be best friends since Jr High, and the subject came up. I related this story to them, they both looked at each other with a should we tell him look and informed me that Gregory Garner, the lone survivor of the robbery was at that time one of their best friends. It is indeed a small world after all Mr Disney. So What?: Max Soffar was given a new trial and was again found guilty. Punishment phase is ongoing at this time and it appears very possible that Soffar will once again sit on deathrow. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3676421.html I've told this story a few times over the last decade and a half. Giving consideration to Soffars possible innocence was frightening. It meant that the actual killers would likely still be at large. That would be tragic. Soffar being imprisoned unjustly for 25 or so years was only a minor consideration for me. He was a bad bad apple. He beat his mother with a bicycle chain (a highlight of his juvie criminal career). The juvenile courts ordered him to live in a tin shack behind his parents home (a nice home in a nice neighborhood he was court ordered not to enter), balancing the parents requirement to care for him and the need to keep him separated from them. In this part of the world a good bit of the news is devoted to people released from prison when DNA evidence proved their innocence or at least disproved the evidence that provided for a conviction. How many criminals are roaming free because someone was unlucky enough to provide for an easier conviction? In a town where our police crime lab was so inept (with regards to DNA evidence certainly and there is some question that convictions were made) that every conviction over a number of years is questionable, one has to seriously question the results of every trial. It is a real mess. To be sure, Soffars original conviction predates the use of DNA evidence, and his guilt was judged on other factors that are generally considered to be generally reliable. But there is always an uncertainty factor for the purveyor of news and when the quality of criminal justice is called to question, uncertainty increases. I do not doubt Soffars guilt. My brother knew the guy, and he was a well know thug amongst the young people in Friendswood. My own encounter with him was enough to tell me he was dangerous. (Well..I thought it laughable that he and his obviously doped-up friend wanted to fight 2 guys much bigger than they were, and that, plus a lie about the imminent arrival of the police, it still took 5 or 10 minutes of heated jawjacking to convince him to leave..put a gun in his hands I doubt it would have been so easy) Some pictures: http://ccadp.org/maxsoffar.htm http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/statistics/deathrow/drowlist/soffar.jpg He looks just like I remember him. xponent Many Hits Maru rob ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: unbelievable
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created Yup. However, some people cannot tell a man from a bird - Klaus ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Stop AOL from ruining email
I've been on AOl since 1990, and my email address (my last name @aol.com) is something that I enjoy because I never, ever have to repeat it for anybody. So many people have stupid email addresses like [EMAIL PROTECTED] or some such nonsense. Mine is 12 characters, made up of two parts that anybody who knows me and has a computer can remember. And it tells everybody Warning. AOL dummy ahead. :-) Ah, well, where have to good times gone when people has e-mail-adresses like [EMAIL PROTECTED] No need to repeat it either, since you had to write it up anyway :-) - KLaus ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Semi-OTC Lasers
For the last few months you have been able to buy lasers that could pop balloons, melt trash bags, cut electrical tape, and melt through plastic. And more easily blind people than the class 1 lasers. Want to kill someone? Wait till he drives past on th efreeway, point the laser at his eyes and there he goes. The perfect crime, killing people with an intuitive point and click interface. - Klaus ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Semi-OTC Lasers
On Feb 24, 2006, at 12:15 AM, Robert G. Seeberger wrote: To be clear, these particular devices have *some* potential for misuse, but I expect that the next generation of devices that will come on the heels of cheaper devices of this generation will have capabilities that could be problematic for security and law enforcement, hence the expectation of more restrictive legislation concerning their possession and use. Well yes. There are increasing problems for pilots - people with lasers like to illuminate planes and choppers, and pilots are at risk of dazzling or eye damage. Was a report on Australian tv last night, so I'm now an expert. ;) Charlie ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Semi-OTC Lasers
At 09:12 AM Thursday 2/23/2006, Klaus Stock wrote: For the last few months you have been able to buy lasers that could pop balloons, melt trash bags, cut electrical tape, and melt through plastic. And more easily blind people than the class 1 lasers. Want to kill someone? Wait till he drives past on th efreeway, point the laser at his eyes and there he goes. The perfect crime, killing people with an intuitive point and click interface. I have a class 1 green laser rated at 4.99mW that I use for a star pointer which would likely be sufficient for that purpose. (Drives the cat crazy, too.) The downside of doing what you describe at night is that the beam of even a class 1 green laser is visible at night (the very reason it is useful for pointing out objects in the sky), so any witnesses would be able to describe where the beam came from. The laser Rob described is actually bright enough that the beam can be see in the daytime (I'm not sure about in bright sunlight). I'd like to get one for demonstrations in class but don't have a spare $2K atm. -- Ronn! :) Ronn Blankenship Sometime Adjunct Instructor of Astronomy/Planetary Science University of Montevallo Montevallo, AL Disclaimer: Unless specifically stated otherwise, any opinions contained herein are the personal opinions of the author and do not represent the official position of the University of Montevallo. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Semi-OTC Lasers
At 01:54 PM Thursday 2/23/2006, Charlie Bell wrote: On Feb 24, 2006, at 12:15 AM, Robert G. Seeberger wrote: To be clear, these particular devices have *some* potential for misuse, but I expect that the next generation of devices that will come on the heels of cheaper devices of this generation will have capabilities that could be problematic for security and law enforcement, hence the expectation of more restrictive legislation concerning their possession and use. Well yes. There are increasing problems for pilots - people with lasers like to illuminate planes and choppers, and pilots are at risk of dazzling or eye damage. People don't think. And I don't let anyone else use my green laser pointer. Or, in fact any of the red ones. (Some idea of how much the price of the latter have come down is that I found a pen for $3 which has a red laser pointer and blue LED flashlight included.) Was a report on Australian tv last night, so I'm now an expert. ;) Of course! --Ronn! :) Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country and two words have been added to the pledge of Allegiance... UNDER GOD. Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer and that would be eliminated from schools too? -- Red Skelton (Someone asked me to change my .sig quote back, so I did.) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Semi-OTC Lasers
- Original Message - From: Ronn!Blankenship [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Killer Bs Discussion brin-l@mccmedia.com Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2006 9:17 PM Subject: Re: Semi-OTC Lasers At 09:12 AM Thursday 2/23/2006, Klaus Stock wrote: For the last few months you have been able to buy lasers that could pop balloons, melt trash bags, cut electrical tape, and melt through plastic. And more easily blind people than the class 1 lasers. Want to kill someone? Wait till he drives past on th efreeway, point the laser at his eyes and there he goes. The perfect crime, killing people with an intuitive point and click interface. I have a class 1 green laser rated at 4.99mW that I use for a star pointer which would likely be sufficient for that purpose. (Drives the cat crazy, too.) The downside of doing what you describe at night is that the beam of even a class 1 green laser is visible at night (the very reason it is useful for pointing out objects in the sky), so any witnesses would be able to describe where the beam came from. The laser Rob described is actually bright enough that the beam can be see in the daytime (I'm not sure about in bright sunlight). I'd like to get one for demonstrations in class but don't have a spare $2K atm. Retinal damage is a very real problem even with low powered lasers and is likely the more frequent type of laser misuse. The danger I am thinking about concerns such lasers ability to cut through plastics and such. What if one were to use a laser to cut through a barrier that separated two chemicals that normally should be kept a good distance from each other? I suspect that the list of such chemicals is much larger than the list of chemicals normally searched for, frex when boarding planes. How about water and phosphorus? I imagine there are also some normally innocuous chemicals (precursors) that when combined create a poisonous gas or possibly a nerve agent. Significantly increasing the numbers and types of chemicals that law and security agencies *need* to search for is quite a problem. I expect that I am imagining only the simplest variations of such a device. but it seems to me that such a device would be fairly simple to build and conceal/disguise. xponent Pandora's Box Of Tricks Maru rob ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
