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Airborne Laser Successfully Tracks, Hits Missile
fructose writes "The Airborne Laser managed to acquire, track, and illuminate a test missile a few days ago. According to the press release, the Boeing plane 'used its infrared sensors to find a target missile launched from San Nicolas Island, Calif ... issued engagement and target location instructions to the beam control/fire control system ... fired its two solid-state illuminator lasers to track the target and ... fired a surrogate high-energy laser at the target, simulating a missile intercept.' The sensors on board the missile confirmed the 'hit.' Michael Rinn, ABL's program director, said, 'Pointing and focusing a laser beam on a target that is rocketing skyward at thousands of miles per hour is no easy task, but the Airborne Laser is uniquely able to do the job.' The next steps will be to test the high-power laser at full strength in flight and do a complete system test later this year. Its success or failure will determine whether the project gets canceled. Looks like the Real Genius fans out there are finally living the dream."
So, when can we expect to see these things on sharks?
and the biggest strength the U.S. has at its disposal is the good will we manage to generate by helping others and spreading wealth and peace in the world.
The USA has a trillion dollar trade deficit. Every year the USA buys more junk than it can possibly afford, made all over the world. Look at what the good will this has gotten us. Nothing. Germany and Japan and South Korea and China dump all their junk on the USA, and take our market for granted, but what have they done for us lately?
Conversely, the British are in worse shape than we are, but, when push comes to shove, if the USA needs an ally, the British come through.
You know what I think? I think the USA needs to recognize that it has some friends and others are not so much friends, no matter how much money you put on the table, and reprioritize its trade based on that. Don't you think its kinda B.S. that a British or Canadian soldier that actually fights alongside the USA in Iraq or Afghanistan, deserves in peacetime more of a job working for some company that exports to the USA than, say, a South Korean or a German? Certainly the British and the Canadians are no lovers of war but they stood with us and actually have made some real contributions in money and in blood.
If we were really going to do the right thing, we would be importing cars from Britain, not Korea.
This is my sig.
Avoid Texas afterwards.
Particularly Dallas.
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
Why hammer?
Simply freeze the penis first.
Haven't you ever used a frozen sausage in a fight?
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
Tell it to those who can't afford the basic health-care.
Couple of hours ago there was a story on CNN about a guy who tried pulling two of his teeth with pliers - cause he had no money to pay for the procedure.
I mean - COME ON!
For fuck's sake, I've had free health-care whole my life here in Bosnia.
And despite the fact that state coffers are being filled by only about 700.000 employed (out of about 3.5-4 million people) - most health-care is free here.
Granted... system is swamped with elderly who often abuse it (going to doctor every other day is the only entertainment to some), there aren't enough resources (you will often wait for an ultrasound exam for a month) and most medicine that is not free is WAY too expensive for your average worker or retired person - health care is still essentially free. Some procedures and medicine require "participation in cost" but none of the basic health care does.
All of the problems health care here has are the same ones every other public system here has - general poverty, rampant corruption on every level of government and general ignorance and lack of education among the population.
We have about 700.000 employed, while at the same time we have about 750.000 illiterate.
Who keep voting for people based on religion and nationality. So it is perfectly normal that a pensioner barely survives on ~$200 a month, while his representative(s) in the government get ~$10.000 (+perks and benefits and bribes) a month to sit on their asses. (Couple of months ago some reporter did a story about how much work has the government done in the past year, from their own plan that they had for that year. No ministry did more than 15% of the promised. Most did less than 5%. Several did absolutely nothing. No action was taken to fix that.)
Still. No (sane) Bosnian would even consider doing amateur dental work on himself - as it has been free for all his life. Other dental care too.
And if you can't wait - you can always go to a private ordination or clinic. And pay out of your own pocket, naturally.
Come on.
If Bosnia (and other former Yugoslav republics - most public systems in these countries are just slight modifications of the pre-1990's system) can give its citizens free health-care, why couldn't United States?
It can't be for economical reasons.
The ONLY reason USA is even having this debate at all is because it has been taught for the last 100 years or so that socialism = communism = evil.
General public is so brainwashed that they can't even accept the basic economic of buying a keg of beer.
Everyone chips in, everyone gets the beer way cheaper than if they bought a bottle for themselves.
You want to drink something else, and have the money for it?
Chipping in a buck or two won't kill you, you get not to be a selfish bastard, everyone gets to enjoy the party, you can still BYOD and the beer is essentially free for everyone.
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens