Boil Before Drinking » military

DARPA Unveils Robotic Blob

Ninja Man: with Ninja Powers! — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:02:12 +0000

The folks that brought you the Internet are still at it.

The U.S. Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has announced the invention of a ‘blob-like’ robot which is able to inflate and deflate it’s body through a process called ‘jamming’, in which the robot’s synthetic (silicone) skin is changed back and forth from solid to semi-fluid states.

The so-called “chembot” will be used to assist in military and search and rescue operations where it would be called upon to slip through small cracks, holes, and crevices in that very special way that only animate blobs can do.

You gotta love it when you can give any ol’ piece of creepy technology a cutesy wutsey pokeman-esque nickname and swear up and down that it’s only practical value is for saving innocent lives.

Yeah riiiiight.

This Article from 9News Australia can be found here >>.

Navy Wants Laser Blasters

The Runs — Mon, 05 May 2008 12:23:05 +0000

Navy destroyers with laser guns? Its still science fiction, but we’re one step closer to sailing the seas with laser beams. From the Wired Danger Room Blog:

Navy Pushing Laser ‘Holy Grail’ to Weapons Grade

There are lots of good links to other laser-related news. I didn’t realize the Danger Room had an entire sub-category for Lasers and Ray Guns. Definitely something to check back on.

Context for Undersea Cable Cuts? The Pentagon’s Information Operations Roadmap

Ninja Man: with Ninja Powers! — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:38:00 +0000

Given the recent developments regarding the recent undersea internet cable cuts, as brought to the attention of BBD reader by Brother Greg (see previous post), I thought some further documents and websites might provide some greater context, and more ammunition for the “conspiracy” minded among us.

Here are couple of initial reports (BBC) and commentaries (Information Clearinghouse) from last year regarding the Pentagon’s recently declassified “Internet Operations Roadmap”, a document created in 2003 under the watchful eye of former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Extra details can be found at this very interesting wiki site regarding media and democracy called “Source Watch“. Finally, have a look at the original pentagon document, as well as a host of others stored at “IWS – The Information Warfare Site.”

So, it begs the question, is it really a “conspiracy” if the plans of the conspirators intentions have been publicly available for some time; much like the “conspiracy” which saw “the tragic events of 9/11″ used as an excuse to launch a war on a Iraq that had been in the planning for 10 years prior?

Tasers: Torture?

Ninja Man: with Ninja Powers! — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:41:00 +0000

There’s been heightened media coverage of tasering incidents lately. Most recently reports are that police tasered a pregnant woman in Ohio.

Alongside the “death by taser” fiasco in Vancouver, and the speeding ticket incident on a Utah highway, it would appear that it is ever more likely the cops are goind to apply the use of “non-lethal” force (Taser deaths in North America are over the 200 mark now) in favour of more low-tech and traditional approaches such as attempting to do police-work and engage the public. Interesting then, that the U.N. is considering classifying tasers as a torture device.

It used to be really important to people that a strict demarcation existed between “police” and “military” operations. Thanks of course to the TWAT, increasingly we are seeing the lined blurred between domestic and international applications of force. Military operations become “international policing” and domestic applications of military technology are sold and sought after.

So, in that vein, I present to you a Youtube Gallery of “taser’s greatest hits” (the effect of Youtube and personal video equipment in bringing stories like this to light is another story in itself) Enjoy!

Missile Base Dream Home

The Runs — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 14:28:00 +0000

Anyone interested in a new home? There is a Titan Missile Base available for the low low price of 1.5 million. There are 16 buildings, but the real treat is underground. The website advertises thousands of feet of connecting tunnels. Lots of space for you, your family, and the nearest town to ride out the holocaust.

The base is listed on ebay, and there is lots more information there: Missile Base on Ebay. The Q&A section is worth a read.

Also see: The Missile Base – Home

From the website, a list of the major structures:

Three – 160′ Tall Missile Silos

Three – 4 story Equipment Terminal Buildings

Three – Fuel Terminal Buildings

Two – 6 story Antenna Silos

One Air Intake/Filtration Building

One 100′ diameter Control Dome Building

One 125′ diameter Power Dome Building

One – 6 story Entry Portal Building

and a few other misc buildings and areas.