Category: In the News

a new robotic suit, plus some enhancements

In the news, a man has created the world’s smallest helicopter.  I’d like one of these.  It sure would be an easy way to get around town!

And while I’m dreaming, I’d like to combine it with this exoskeleton robotic suit that the military has developed.  It multiples your strength and endurance by as many as 20 times.  The microprocessors in this suit can respond in almost real-time, so it actually follows your natural movements.

They both have battery life of about 30 minutes, which isn’t enough for the plans I have.  I’d want to add some type of pulse laser or plasma gun to it, but those really drain the power quickly!  I’m thinking they need to employ some type of mini-fusion reactor (in a bulletproof case, of course).  I’d also want a taser feature, with variable power control from “that tickles” to “that ain’t right”.  I’d also want a rapid-fire launcher that can be equipped with various projectiles such as potatoes or grenades.  And this suit should include a tea-maker.  🙂

What kind of add-ons would you want in a robotic suit?

working less to help the economy

A guy on CNN, Jack Cafferty, has brought up the idea of changing to a four-day workweek here in the U.S., to help deal with rising gas prices.  It’s not an original idea, because the staff here at Buffet o’ Blog have discussed various plans to work less and/or to increase the length of the weekend.  So while it’s not a new idea, it is good to see it finally gaining some traction with the mainstream media.

I’ll volunteer for the four-day workweek, even if it’s just in an experimental stage.  And I volunteer to work from home, too, which would really save on gas prices.

I figure some companies would expect employees to start working 10-hour days to compensate for the extra off-day, but that’s not necessary.  It would be best to leave it like it is except for removing one whole day of work.  Not only would that help the economy and help prevent global warming, it would dramatically improve morale, which would be a huge thing in this time of major corporate layoffs and downsizing.  So companies ought to think about this new strategy.

Actually, I think the four-day workweek would be widely accepted idea among employees (which make up the majority).  So perhaps research is not needed on that.  But if they want to research taking it a step further, like a three-day workweek, I’ll sign up for that.  🙂

the weather ninja

tornadoToday we had quite a bit of severe weather in Arkansas, including several destructive tornadoes.  There was a lot of news coverage, just about all day.  They even showed some live footage of tornadoes by professional storm chasers / spotters.

But one thing I learned recently is that we have a storm chaser here in Arkansas who calls himself the Weather Ninja.  I’m not sure what ninja skills have to do with thunderstorms, but it’s a cool name nonetheless.  He probably isn’t even a real ninja.  Although, he could be one of the Japanese anime types, who knows ancient karate skills plus has super powers.  But I suspect he’s just a regular guy who thought up a great name.

offended at losing weight

These days, I don’t get surprised too much at the stupidity of some people nor at how easily they get offended.  I don’t know if people have always been this stupid, or if our society somehow breeds it in some type of “experiment-gone-wrong” type way.  But either way, some people sure do get offended easily.  Here’s a unique example, which really happened recently.

A 19-year-old overweight guy named Broderick Laswell was arrested last September for beating and stabbing a guy, then setting his house on fire.  When he went to jail, he weighed 413 pounds.  (That’s not just slightly overweight, either — it’s more like “the back of your neck looks like a pack of sausages” fat.)  Anyway, in jail, he’s fed “only” 2300 to 3000 calories per day.  And he’s tried to work out a few times, but he started feeling faint.  He claims that this faintness is due to hunger pains from diminished calorie intake, though it’s more likely because he’s morbidly obese.  I mean, when you’re over 400 pounds, walking across the parking lot is a workout.  (Not that I’d know personally, nor will I be researching this.)

Anyway, this guy is suing the jailers for “lack of nutrition” because he’s lost 105 pounds and is now down to a still-not-healthy 308 pounds.  He claims that this “lack of nutrition” causes his stomach to hurt and growl and be hungry again within an hour of eating.

So, to summarize this, a fat guy commits a crime, goes to jail, is forced to eat a normal amount of food, loses weight, and files a lawsuit over it.  Is he offended at being less fat?  Or does he think prisoners should be fed from a buffet every day?  What is he thinking?