CBS Corp. bowed to public pressure and fired shock jock Don Imus on Thursday, walking away from its best-known radio personality and millions of dollars in advertising. Now, the media company must find a way to replace the sponsorship and recognition that Imus brought to a radio division that still has not recovered from losing Howard Stern to Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. last year. "They may be about to find themselves in a familiar, maybe worse, predicament. They had a year and a half to prepare for Howard Stern's departure and still could not find a viable replacement," said Holland Cooke, a news talk specialist with radio programming consultants McVay Media.
Revenue from radio, the third-largest source for CBS after TV and outdoor advertising, fell 7 percent last year to $1.96 billion. CBS Radio will lose about $15 million in annual advertising and syndication fees it received from "Imus in the Morning," a source close to the show said. CBS had found itself in a difficult position since April 4, when Imus called members of the Rutgers University women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos" on his show -- remarks widely considered racist and sexist.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/13/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
"Sympathy meter reading off-scale low, sir."
"Thank you, Mr. Data."
Posted by: Mike ||
04/13/2007 6:24 Comments ||
Top||
#2
re Imus and cBS
I have a new limerick.. but I won't be posting it at this time.. or anytime too soon.
#3
...Imus may have some very nice charities that do some very nice things for kids of all races, but unfortunately, he let his mouth run loose one time too many. No sympathy here I'm afraid.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
04/13/2007 9:35 Comments ||
Top||
#4
What's next? Criticizing paint roller manufacturers for describing their product's degree of nappiness?
CBS Corp. bowed to public pressure and fired shock jock Don Imus on Thursday, walking away from its best-known radio personality and millions of dollars in advertising
Oddly enough, I've heard it described as the 'millions of dollars' in advertising walking away from CBS Radio--and that was the real pressure that brought him down.
I don't look for Viacom to crack down on any of their--ahem--artists that use similar terminology.
#5
It's hard to find sympathy for an effort that places its fortunes in the mouths of the likes of Howard Stern and Don Imus, whose careers were made on being shocking.
#6
All major record labels following suit and dropping their rap artists who call women "bitches" and "ho's" in 3... 2... 1...
Pfft...
Posted by: Dar ||
04/13/2007 11:31 Comments ||
Top||
#7
Come along now. Imus is not a "shock" jock. But he may end up on Sirius along with Howard Stern and the resulting stampede of listeners away from CBS Radio will be truly shocking, at least for CBS. I've spent a lot of time trapped in traffic on the freeway listening to Imus and LOL. He made a mistake but I'm sorry to see him go.
#9
Interesting. There's an article in the LA Times claiming that Imus's real value was as the only talk radio conduit for Democratic politicians to politically independent white men. link Apparently the left owns the blogosphere, and the right talk radio.
#12
Isnt it great how there always seems to a Silver Lining aspect to these issues. Cynically speaking theyre called Alternative motives. You remember how the FEMA deficiencies during Katrina later morphed into unrelated topics such as race and class. They told us this was an opportunity to collectively atone for our sins through a national dialog. Which ended up obfuscating the real problem and did nothing to reduce the bureaucratic red tape in large government organizations. But boy howdy, did the money flow with the obvious result of large-scale waste and fraud. Theres a new opportunity being pitched. The shrill voices have already begun to call for increased Diversity in the media. Calls for the resurrection of the Fairness Doctrine cant be far behind.
Zimbabwe's government on Monday shrugged off an appeal by the country's Roman Catholic bishops for democratic reform while an opposition activist lay in critical condition in hospital after being shot, reportedly by police. Reacting to a pastoral letter from the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference pasted on church doors on Easter Sunday, Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu said he "respected their opinion," South African public radio reported. Zimbabwe was a democracy, he insisted, adding that the bishops, who warned of a "mass uprising" in the absence of democratic reforms, were "free to say what they like."
Worshippers crowded around church notice boards after mass on Easter Sunday to read the pastoral letter entitled God Hears the Cries of the Oppressed, which lamented state "arrests, detentions, banning orders, beatings and torture" and "vote-rigging."
"Oppression is sin," the bishops warned President Robert Mugabe, himself a Catholic, adding: "In order to avoid bloodshed and a mass uprising, the nation needs a new people-driven constitution" under which to hold "free and fair elections."
Posted by: Fred ||
04/13/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under:
#2
In the good old days, the bishops would have excommunicated Mugabe to get his attention.
Of course, these days bishops don't excommunicate hardly anyone, even those they should (Kerry, Pelosi, et al.)
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is going to start collecting corruption and wealth- related information about former prime minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina, and if necessary will ask her to submit wealth statement, ACC Commissioner Abul Hasan Manzoor Mannan told journalists yesterday. But he declined to reply when asked if the ACC is taking a similar move concerning immediate past prime minister and BNP chief Khaleda Zia. Tajul Islam Farook, chairman of Westmont Power Company, filed an extortion case against Hasina on Monday.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/13/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
I was hoping see something about Clemson.
Posted by: Danny Ford ||
04/13/2007 16:26 Comments ||
Top||
The BNP faces the worst ever crisis in its history as a chasm has been formed within the party dividing its leaders regarding Khaleda Zia's usefulness as the chief. Some leaders opine in privacy that the BNP would be better off without Khaleda, who lost popularity inside the party in the last five years so much so that the rebel leaders feel little support the once iron-lady would get from the party if she is forced to leave the country.
Most of the leaders and activists also believe the rumour that her 'forced' departure from the country is only a matter of time. Sources said Khaleda does not want to leave the country under any pressure although a group of leaders are trying to convince her to leave the country to avoid any more damage in the changed situation.
Communications Adviser and Chief of the National Corordination Committee, MA Matin, however ruled out the possibility of any such move by the government. But intelligence sources confirmed they have started to gather information about corruption and misuse of power against Khaleda, hinting that those might be used to make her leave the country. Khaleda is reportedly under strict surveillance and has been asked by the 'authorities' to refrain from meeting any party colleague; at the same time party leaders have also been asked not to visit her cantonment residence. Even regular guests trying to visit her at her residence have also been reportedly turned away by the security personnel posted in front the house.
Sources said a severe intra-party conflict surfaced within BNP on Tuesday as a group of party leaders sent a statement to newspapers using the name of Khaleda Zia, which in her name urged the armed forces to keep themselves above any controversy. According to the sources a group of BNP leaders and former officials of the Prime Minister's Office prepared the statement and sent it to different newspapers from the office of a newspaper owned by Tarique Rahman. But senior leaders of BNP including Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan told The Daily Star that they did not know anything about the statement.
Expressing deep concern and dissatisfaction regarding the statement the BNP leaders said the incident caught them by surprise as they 'do not even know who is running the party now a days' and how the BNP chairperson's statement was issued from the office of a newspaper. "The statement is nothing but a conspiracy against BNP and Khaleda Zia... although a group of party leaders and some former officials of the Prime Minister's Office are involved in it," a BNP leader said.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/13/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under:
Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday said the ninth parliamentary elections would be held before the end of 2008 as the present caretaker government is committed to handing over power to an elected government. "I would like to categorically state that we [the present caretaker government] will not stay in power a day longer than it is necessary. I strongly believe, it will be possible to hold the much-awaited parliamentary elections before the end of 2008," he said in his second address to the nation since being sworn in as the CA three months ago.
The ninth parliamentary elections, previously scheduled for January 22, were cancelled following the declaration of the state of emergency on January 11. The CA said the government and the Election Commission is currently mulling holding upazila elections to make local government more effective.
Stressing the government's commitment to fighting crime and corruption, Fakhruddin said, "Our aim is fixed. We want to bring the corrupt, abusers of power and serious criminals within the jurisdiction of existing laws as quickly as possible." "We will show zero-tolerance in this regard," he said.
For the time being, there is no alternative but to be patient for resolving problems in the power sector due to years of accumulated corruption and mismanagement, he said. In his 22-minute speech, Fakhruddin presented an overview of the government's activities in the last three months since he was sworn in on January 12, including the government's commitment to holding credible elections, ensuring full independence of the EC, reforming the public administration and finance sector, continue deregulation, and zero tolerance for corruption, abuse of power and crimes.
The election laws, rules and procedures would be reformed simultaneously to shorten the period until elections, Fakhruddin said, adding that the EC has already outlined a timeline for preparing a voter list and ID cards with photographs. "We are deeply committed to establishing a sustainable structure to keep muscle-power, money and undesirable elements from influencing not only the next elections, but all long-term elections to ensure that they are free, fair and credible," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/13/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under:
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - President Hugo Chavez said Thursday that soldiers will accompany government officials when they take over oil projects in the Orinoco River basin next month. Chavez has decreed that Petroleos de Venezuela SA, or PDVSA, will take a minimum 60 percent stake in four heavy-oil projects in the Orinoco River region and invited the six private companies operating there to stay on as minority partners.
Or lose everything
"On May 1 we are going to take control of the oil fields," Chavez said. "I'm sure no transnational company is going to draw a shotgun, but we will go with the armed forces and the people."
The projects - run by BP PLC, Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp., ConocoPhillips, France's Total SA and Norway's Statoil ASA - upgrade heavy, tar-like crude into more marketable oils and are considered Venezuela's most promising. As older fields elsewhere go into decline, development of the Orinoco is seen as key to Venezuela's future production. Negotiations over the takeover have yet to yield an agreement and are expected to be difficult as the companies seek a deal that takes into account more than $17 billion in investments and loans related to the projects.
Chavez has been given special powers by congress for 18 months to issue laws by decree in energy and other areas, which he has also used to nationalize the country's biggest telecommunications company and electricity company. Chavez has justified the nationalizations as necessary to give the government control of sectors strategic to Venezuela's interests.
Posted by: Steve ||
04/13/2007 07:59 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
..I just wish we had the balls to drop a few companies of the 82nd Airborne on the Exxon fields and tell Hugo, "Ya know what? We think this needs to go through the US courts. Could take years..."
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
04/13/2007 9:37 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Venezuelan oil production continues to drop. Chavez needs the revenue and is going to get it by cutting the the majors out.
However, like the recent bond offerings, it's a temporary fix. Without massive capital spending oil production will continue to decline. Price controls and takeovers of other private companies are driving the non-oil economy into the ground as well.
#6
I like #3 tw's idea, with the caveat that the oil companies get all their people out of the country first. Also might want to think of a way the last guy out (via helicopter, standing by) can damage the equipment in a way that Chavez would find difficult to fix, but the oil companies could fix fairly easily if/when they got their property back.
Once everyone's out, the companies should publicly tell Chavez via joint press conference that if he's going to steal most of their investment, he might as well steal it all. And tell him good luck and drop dead.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/13/2007 20:47 Comments ||
Top||
#7
The oil companies are getting most of their foreign nationals out already. And some of the subcontractors have pulled their equipment and trucked it over into Brazil, and evac'd their technical staff, leaving only skeletal ops crews in place who are training locals before they themselves leave. You just don't hear about it because the papers here dont want to report on negatives int he wonderful workers paradise down there - and Hugo doesn't want it getting out the people are bailing on his thug-led kelptocracy.
#8
FREEREPUBLIC/LUCIANNE > CHAVEZ TO ARMY OFFICERS: ACCEPT SOCIALISM OR LEAVE. D *** ng, that sounds familiar in Amerika = America, the USSA/USR = USA, but where??? Now I remember - 9-11-2001, NYC + attack on WTC + collapse + 3000 dead > AMER MUST ACCEPT ANTI-US OWG + ANTI-US SWO-CWO, OR BE DESTROYED!
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Thursday said his nationalization drive could be expanded to cement-makers if they were found to be worsening a housing shortfall by favoring exports over domestic sales.
Buoyed by a landslide reelection in December, Chavez has forged ahead with the construction a socialist republic, taking over sectors of the economy he calls strategic, such as power utilities, oil projects and the country's No. 1 media company.
"We need to investigate the cement factories. I want reports ... because what is going on is that they still prefer to export at a higher price than issue supplies in the interest of the Venezuelan people," the anti-U.S. leftist said in a speech.
"If the cement-makers do not want to, then very well, we will take them over," he said in a speech recalling a 2002 coup attempt against him, adding that Venezuelan cement-makers had been privatized too cheaply "at the price of a scrawny hen."
#2
Exports are more profitable because of the government's artificial foreign exchange rates and because of government imposed domestic price controls.
#4
Jack Straw, then foreign secretary, told the Commons that "advocating the violent overthrow of a sovereign state is unacceptable" and warned the tycoon he could be stripped of his refugee status.
Really? Ok, then what are the Brits doing or have done about those Islamic, fanatical, murder advocating Jihadis amongst them that advocate the violent overthrow of the British government and replacing it with an Islamic theocracy even to the point of endorsing mass murder to accomplish their goals?
Have they done anything at all? Are they doing anything?
Yeah, I didn't think so.
#7
This sounds more like something Putin asked for than anything real. This idiot just gave Putin the face to put with his "evil western conspiracy is going to take over Russia and already have done Ukraine and such" story. This will reinforce that belief and justify Putin taking Russia even further back towards the old Czarist Russia/Communist systems.
The Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky has told the Guardian he is plotting the violent overthrow of President Putin from his base in Britain after forging close contacts with members of Russia's ruling elite.
In comments which appear calculated to enrage the Kremlin, and which will further inflame relations between London and Moscow, the multimillionaire, with an estimated fortune of £850m, claimed he was already bankrolling people close to the president who are conspiring to mount a palace coup.
#2
Out of the frying pan and into the fire? Forbes has done a good job tracking Berezovsky for over 10 years now. This article "Godfather of the Kremlin" from Dec. '96 was my first intro to Bad Boris.
Posted by: Dar ||
04/13/2007 10:41 Comments ||
Top||
Canada's political parties have been making campaign-style swings across the country in the past few weeks in anticipation that Prime Minister Stephen Harper will cash in on a rise in the polls by calling a snap election this spring. Analysts think the next few weeks present Mr. Harper's Conservative Party its best chance to win a majority in the House of Commons, and signs indicate he could call an election when Parliament returns from its Easter-Passover break next week.
What the prime minister lacks is a valid excuse to dissolve Parliament, and so far none of the opposition parties has given him one. They had an opportunity to bring down his government when his budget came up for a vote last month, but the separatist Bloc Quebecois party used its 50 parliamentary votes to support him -- which meant Mr. Harper could go on ruling for another year at the head of a minority government if he so desires. Thwarting him by giving him what he wants: now there's a winning strategy!
Recent opinion surveys show that the Conservatives have been making steady gains against their chief rivals, the Liberals. The latest Decima poll results, released April 5, showed the Conservatives ahead with 39 percent of support across the country, compared with 30 percent for the Liberals, 13 percent for the New Democratic Party, and 8 percent each for the Bloc Quebecois and the Greens. Those results fell just one percentage point short of what the Conservatives need to win a paper-thin majority with 155 seats in the Commons. However, they are a lot better than the figures of January 2006, which gave the Conservatives a minority of just 124 seats. (The Conservatives got another seat when a Liberal defector from Ontario joined them a few weeks ago.)
The House Republicans have released a report on the First 100 Days of the Democratic Congress, concluding that Democrats have accomplished little legislatively. Partisan Democrats will argue that this is not a surprise, given that they have narrow majorities and a president in opposition. They'll argue that it's unfair to expect much in such circumstances.
But one might still expect them to vote on bills and send a few to the president, right? Well, not even that is happening. It's much more important to posture and take taxpayer funded junkets. and suck up to the lobyists. And Bash the Republicans.
Look at the list of priorities--the 'Six for 06' that the Democrats campaigned on. They promised to implement all recommendations of the 9/11 commission. Leaving aside that they dropped completely the Congressional reform component, the measure still has not been sent to the president. Do they regard it as a priority or not? Oh, look! 8 Federal Prosecutors were fired! We must have an Investigation! And the Tillman friendly fire accident, we HAVE to investigate and point fingers! The Spinach Farmers who poisoned hundreds must be compensated for theit loss!
Won't somebody think of the sugar beets?
Raising the minimum wage has majority support in both the House and Senate--yet it still has not been sent to the president. The same is true of stem cell research. Legislation to change the interest rate on student loans, change the Medicare prescription-drug plan, and implement 'a comprehensive energy policy' have not even been voted on in the Senate. The fate of the Free World is at stake but first we must repay the ones who got us elected first.
Further, though it was not included in the 'Six for 06,' Congressional Democrats spoke constantly about the need to clean up Washington. But while the House and Senate have both passed ethics reform bills, there's no sign that there will ever be a conference report to send to the president. Meanwhile, both House and Senate are disregarding provisions of the bills they have passed. Those provisions don't apply to us, we're inpower now. Besides, that was just a ploy to get elected. You know how Evil those Republicans are!
Despite having accomplished very little, Democrats have been willing to stifle debate, change the rules, and generally go back on campaign promises. It's night and day from the first 100 days of the Republican Congress in 1995 (which also faced a narrow majority and an opposition President). Anyone who thought the Democrats were anything but lying, self-serving weasels is a fool. But then again, the Republicans don't have a good record, either. The difference in the two weasels is the Republicans (for the most part) do want to confront the evil of Islam.
Note that I have not touched upon the substance of the bills the Democrats are pushing. There's plenty of room for criticism on the merits of their legislation. I'd encourage you to read the report prepared by the House Republicans, which looks in detail at the substance of the agenda.
To see for yourself the 17 bills that have been signed into law this year, click here. Nine of the seventeen are bills to rename post offices and courthouses, which appears to be a bipartisan process--one of them is the 'Rush Hudson Limbaugh Courthouse.'
We should give some credit to Captain Ed, who presaged this report the other day. Whether Democrat, Republican, or Other we, as the governed, need to hold our Legislators feet to the fire over their failure to uphold their campaign promises.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
04/13/2007 19:35 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Partisan Democrats will argue that this is not a surprise, given that they have narrow majorities
pardon me? Doesn't this conflict with the National Mandate they received? Are they apologizing for their ineffectual results by saying that it wasn't their fault, it was the voters? Strong stuff. Good times....good times
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/13/2007 20:51 Comments ||
Top||
Nasty, condescending article in The Register (UK), but some interesting information within.
American border guards will soon deploy 98-foot-tall radar surveillance masts with built-in wireless networking in a bid to prevent those attempting to enter the US illegally. Boeing, prime contractor for the Secure Border Initiative (SBI), recently announced a successful test of the first "integrated mobile sensor tower".
According to SBI Monthly, the towers will provide information to the Common Operating Picture, or COP, a networked computer map showing where the intruders are.
SBI Monthly lays out a typical scenario showing how COP works:
A group of individuals has just entered the US illegally and is on foot. As they make their way across the desert, they are picked up on radar...A Sector Enforcement Specialist identifies the location...[and] zooms in to get a visual on what triggered the radar. The Specialist then notifies Border Patrol Agents in the vicinity through voice communications. The responding Agent is then relayed the coordinates of the illegal aliens to their Mobile COP, displayed on their laptop computer mounted in their vehicle...the Agent goes to intercept...Moments later, the Agent locates the illegal aliens and makes the apprehensions.
Assuming flat desert terrain, a 98-foot mast will have line of sight range out to approximately 12 miles, so each tower could sweep a circle of territory 24 miles across. The US' southern border is a smidgeon under 2,000 miles long.
Govexec.com reports that the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general estimates the final cost of SBI at $8bn to $30bn, though Boeing has no contracts of that magnitude just yet.
#2
Moments later, the Agent locates the illegal aliens and makes the apprehensions.
And in an hour or so Homeland [IN]Security releases them inside the US with only a promise to appear in court.
#3
As Hadrian's Wall and the Great Wall demonstrated, if you don't have the manpower and will to back it up, no wall will impede those intent upon raping, pillaging, looting coming over.
#4
The Secure Border Initiative includes provisions to end "catch and release" and to build additional fencing, as well as the deployment of a variety of sensing technologies along the border.
#7
8 to 30 billion dollars, that's some spread. I guess that means it would really cost 100 billion when it's all said and done.
Do these people that estimate these costs drag the number out of their ass? Oh! Wait. Never mind...
Posted by: Natural Law ||
04/13/2007 14:13 Comments ||
Top||
#8
Brer Rabbit -
It's actually quite simple. We can afford this and not a fence, because Boeing doesn't make fences. Since Lockheed Martin won both the F-22 and F-35 contracts (and therefore has guaranted work for roughly the next two decades), and since the next big aircraft contract will be the B-52/B-1 replacement that will start preliminary work around 2015 (and only Boeing really has a chance at that one), the major aerospace companies have basically become technology providers in search of missions. Pork and the need to keep the manufacturing base open and running will do the rest.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
04/13/2007 14:14 Comments ||
Top||
#9
Math, anyone?
The rule:
1.17 times the square root of your height of eye = Distance to the horizon in nautical miles
Sq. Rt. of 98 = 9.9
1.17 * 9.9 = 11.58 Nautical miles
It can see both ways along the border, so each 98' tower can cover about 23 naut. mi. of border.
#11
Figure this: some terrain is simply too rough and has too many dead zones. Other is urban. You need patrolled fences in those areas.
I spent enough time setting up and then evading GSR's to know that they are not a perfect solution, but properly used, along with fences, LP/OP's, observers, patrols and overhead observation, they can be effective. Main thing is to get the other routes covered with barriers.
In the military we'd simply use a minefield. How bout this: minefield full of "bouncing bettys" loaded with infrared flourescing dye that stains the skin, and fires a trip flare, as well as radioing in the detonation.
ISLAMABAD: Nisar A Memon, the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence, on Thursday said Pakistan would get an F-22 P frigate from China in 2009.
Addressing a press conference after the committee paid a weeklong visit to China, Memon said three more frigates would be delivered by 2013. Three frigates will be manufactured in China and one in Karachi, he said, adding that China would also equip these frigates with six helicopters.
During our visit, we focussed on enhancing ties with China in various fields, particularly in defence and defence production, Memon said.
Senator Dilawar Abbas, a committee member, said, We have assured Chinese think tanks that we would not sell JF-17 aircraft to India. He said Chinese think tanks wanted only Pakistan and China to manufacture JF-17 aircraft.
The committee members also visited JF-17 Thunder aircraft manufacturing facilities at Chengdu, and Hudong shipyard in Shanghai. They also held a round-table discussion with scholars of the Institute of Strategic, National Defence University, Beijing.
Posted by: John Frum ||
04/13/2007 15:47 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[8 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Senator Dilawar Abbas is seriously delusional.
Posted by: John Frum ||
04/13/2007 20:47 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Chinese think tanks wanted only Pakistan and China to manufacture JF-17 aircraft.
with Russian engines?
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/13/2007 20:53 Comments ||
Top||
#6
If any of you have ever seen a male chicken aka cock fight this would make T-rex at 30' 10tones one one serious monster. A 10ton gator 30' long would be big but not that scary rather slow exept for burst. But a jacked up 10ton 30' tall chicken thats a scary thought.
#9
sorry, Fred, chicken does not taste like El Legato. El Legato tastes like turtle and chicken tastes like frog legs.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
04/13/2007 20:14 Comments ||
Top||
#10
#9 sorry, Fred, chicken does not taste like El Legato. El Legato tastes like turtle and chicken tastes like frog legs.
Posted by: Deacon Blues 2007-04-13 20:14
reminds of a cartoon, with two frogs in bed after sex, smoking cigs, one says: "Ya know? We DO taste like chicken"
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/13/2007 20:31 Comments ||
Top||
#11
But a jacked up 10ton 30' tall chicken thats a scary thought.
Hell yes, you'd need a damn forklift to get it into the deep fryer.
The U.S. F-35 fighter-bomber will be the first fighter in a long time to lack a HUD (head-up display). The HUD will still be present, but as part of the Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS). In other words, the HUD information will be displayed on the inside of the pilots visor, while still enabling the pilot to see through the visor. This type of helmet visor has been around for over a decade, but concentrated on allowing the pilot to control weapons by just looking at targets, and pressing the "fire" button at the right time. Now, the display technology inside the helmet has reached the point where it can handle the HUD stuff as well. The weight of these HMDS systems has come down as well, making it easier to wear them for long periods of time.
The HUD was a big innovation for fighters, as it made it possible for the pilot to spend more time with his head up, keeping an eye on the sky, or an ongoing battle. The military HUD has been around for half a century, but appears set to disappear as more pilots shift to HMDS.
Over the last few years, the visor displays have added the display of critical flight and navigation information. This, in addition to the basic function of enabling the pilot to turn his head, get an enemy aircraft into the crosshairs displayed on the visor, and fire a missile that will promptly go after target the pilot was looking at.
These helmet displays allow the pilot look around more often without having to look down at cockpit displays, or straight ahead at a HUD (Head Up Display.) This kind of freedom gives an experienced pilot an extra edge in finding enemy aircraft or targets, and maneuvering to get into a better position for attacks. It's also useful for air to ground attacks.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
CBS Corp. bowed to public pressure and fired shock jock Don Imus on Thursday, walking away from its best-known radio personality and millions of dollars in advertising. Now, the media company must find a way to replace the sponsorship and recognition that Imus brought to a radio division that still has not recovered from losing Howard Stern to Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. last year. "They may be about to find themselves in a familiar, maybe worse, predicament. They had a year and a half to prepare for Howard Stern's departure and still could not find a viable replacement," said Holland Cooke, a news talk specialist with radio programming consultants McVay Media.
