Castaic, California, a quiet little jaunt from Los Angeles, has just gotten a new toy for their jail, a raygun. More accurately the Assault Intervention Device or AID is a microwave beam emitter projecting an invisible beam about as wide as a CD, for a distance of up to 100 feet. The microwave beam penetrates the skin by only 1/64th of an inch, causing minimal damage, but a whole lot of pain.
It’s a downsized version of the Active Denial System developed for the military in their search for non-lethal weapons, mounted on a Humvee or truck to use in crowd control / riot suppression. Now it’ll be used at home to suppress prison riots instead.
AID is fairly simply to use. The raygun is mounted in a turret on the ceiling, along with a CCTV camera feed. From a safe room a guard can aim and fire the pain gun to stall or suppress a fight while guards move in. In normal circumstances, without AID, precious time stopping the fight is lost while guards prep and move. With AID fights will hopefully be stopped sooner and safer.
It’s an interesting concept, and as its first deployment, will no doubt provide admirable testing during the six month deployment. One has to wonder however at the cost. The National Institute of Justice provided it free of charge, no doubt in exchange for the invaluable human testing information that will be provided by using it in a jail. After that, can it really be something that modern prisons can afford?
I would say “Happy Veterans Day”, but honestly, I’m not sure that happy is the right word for it. But it is Veterans Day. A day to honor the brave men and women who served (and those who still serve) in the US military.
Originally it was Armistice Day, and honored only World War I veterans. But it has been expanded into Veterans Day, and honors all veterans.
And so it is not necessarily a “happy” day. War is not exactly something full of joy and glee. But on this day, you can make a veteran happy. Give them the honor and respect that they deserve. Give them your support. Show them that you care.
Some of them may have just been cooks or secretaries who have never even seen a war. Some of them may have been soldiers who saw things that those who didn’t will probably never fully comprehend. But regardless of what they did or didn’t do, they all took a moment out of their lives and dedicated themselves to protecting our country. Not every hero killed fifty men. Soldiers can’t march on empty stomachs. And soldiers can’t fire weapons without requisitioned bullets, delivered to where they’re needed. Everyone who serves in the military serves a higher purpose. And for this, they all deserve our respect.
Originally enacted after the Civil War to honor the Union soldiers who died while in military service, it was first called Decoration Day. After the horrors of World War I Decoration Day became Memorial Day, and was broadened to honor any American casualties of every military action and war. It is a day of flowers on graves and flags. It is a day of mourning and remembrance. It is a day of honor and respect for the sacrifices made for our country and our freedom.
Memorial Day
As you flit about from sale to sale today and enjoy that BBQ on your 3 day weekend, remember that. Remember them.
Men and women died. For your ancestors. For you. Soldiers, now in the grave, defending our country, defending their loved ones, defending democracy, defending freedom. Remember them.
What is there to say really? It’s an exosuit. It quickly folds up for carrying. You can run forever in it. You can lift heavy things with it. It’s the robot-man without fear of androids taking over the earth. And at least Lockheed isn’t coy enough to try to pass off this great invention as a spade.
I would say “Happy Veterans Day”, but honestly, I’m not sure that happy is the right word for it. But it is Veterans Day. A day to honor the brave men and women who served (and those who still serve) in the US military.
Originally it was Armistice Day, and honored only World War I veterans. But it has been expanded into Veterans Day, and honors all veterans.
And so it is not necessarily a “happy” day. War is not exactly something full of joy and glee. But on this day, you can make a veteran happy. Give them the honor and respect that they deserve. Give them your support. Show them that you care.
Some of them may have just been cooks or secretaries who have never even seen a war. Some of them may have been soldiers who saw things that those who didn’t will probably never fully comprehend. But regardless of what they did or didn’t do, they all took a moment out of their lives and dedicated themselves to protecting our country. Not every hero killed fifty men. Soldiers can’t march on empty stomachs. And soldiers can’t fire weapons without requisitioned bullets, delivered to where they’re needed. Everyone who serves in the military serves a higher purpose. And for this, they all deserve our respect.
