Guard Dog

No one likes walking in on two people having sex. Can you imagine walking in on several hundred drug crazed sex fiends with guns? And when they see you..... Retreat!

Hmmm. I sould be able to come up with at least a dozen funny or sarcastic quips here.... but I just can't come up with one. This is absurd enough it actually worries me that they thought this was possible. But suppose it was, would you want to be one of the first US soldiers on the scene after this baby went off....

Now here is a topic I can answer somewhat intelligently on. I am an RF Engineer for a major US based cellular company (hint: the biggest one) so this is a little up my alley. First of all, most US based cellular networks operate in the 800 MHz range. These phones/networks pose no danger to aviation systems, air traffic control systems or navigational systems. However, some networks in the US and many in Europe and other places operate in the 1900 MHz range. These devices may interfere with the TCAS (anti collision) systems in some types of air craft. Most TCAS systems operate around 1095 MHz but there are some that operate at 2085 MHz and there is a slight possibility of momentary interference from a 1900 phone. That said I have never heard of a single instance where that has happened. I agree with Meta, it always surprises me you can even get coverage in an airborne airplane. First of all, the cell sites generally do not have a high power output. In an urban area ERP is usually between 1 to 10 Watts max (30-40 dBm). Because there are usually a lot of cell sites you don't want any one handling traffic in the coverage area of another one. To further shrink the footprint of the cell we downtilt the antennas a few degrees so they are angled slightly towards the ground. This means that a handset in an airplane is receiving off the back lobe (reflection from the antenna rear) which in most antennas is less than 30% of the main lobe power. So if a cell has an ERP of 10 watts the back lobe will be at best 3 watts. Its no small feat for a 3 watt transmission to travel through 4 miles of air (which has clouds, several thermocline's, and other interference) to the airborne handset. Further, most handsets have a max power of 0.3 watts so it is even LESS likely the handset can get back to the cell. Because of the physics of radio wave propagation (I'll give a more detailed explanation if needed) an 850 MHz signal will travel farther than an 1900 MHz signal with the same ERP. So if your phone even works in a plane, it's probably an 800 MHz anyway so there is no need to worry.

Heroes of Might and Magic III. I found it while cleaning out my desk.

If you play as a male PC I'd reccomend the Saeralith mod. In a new romancable NPC that was really well done. Link below... Saeralith Dark Raven actually made the "Chosen of Mystra" mod I think. Never tried it but I'm sure she'll link it. It won't be long before she sees this thread.

Asteroids for the Atari 2600. Ah, i can hear it now....Duh Dum Duh Dum Duh Dum Duh Dum

I always thought the depth charge tasted like Dr. Pepper for some reason.

Okay, this thread is over! No one is topping that post! Kirottu, you are a close second though!

Glass of Guinness + (1/2 shot whiskey + 1/2 shot Bailey's) Drop the shot glass into the glass of Guinness and drink it all within 5 or so seconds. It's pretty good -- all you really end up tasting is the Bailey's. Make that same drink with Budweiser and bourbon and its called a boilermaker. Make it with any pilsner beer and Bacardi and it's called a Depth Charge. Make it with any ale and a scotch and its called a Highland Widowmaker. Heh. There are three things you will learn to do well in the USMC; drink, clean, and shoot. In that order.

Congrats Astr0, best of luck!

Holy crap, I thought I ran a little too far from the pub last night, but IOWA?!

I loved the Cania theme music Soule did for HotU. It captured that desolate feeling perfectly. I'm suprised so many mod makers never made use of it.

Rome TW Medevial II TW Icewind Dale In that order, hands down!

Had a drink with my brother last night. His divorce finalized yesterday. His idea of a drink is a bottle of scotch, a bowl of ice and a pitcher of water. So we split a bottle of JW blue label. Mouth is a little dry today.

I saw the video! I believe! Big Foot, the Yeti, and some aliens came over last night and we all watched!

I never really cared for it after it was resurrcted a few years ago. I really did not like it after they shoved Colin Baker out the door back in the 80s either. But it is nothing short of amazing the longevity this franchise has had. And if it is a cash cow, BBC will not pull the plug on it. They may operate differently from American networks ut they are still in the business of making money.

On a slightly different tack, how about a sequel that utterly ended a franchise. Master of Orion 3?

I spent the entire day working on adding radio capacity to the S Fla cell network. iPhone is coming.

Cynic.

As opposed to somewhere else?

I would abandon my support for capital punishment if: The US were to adopt a truth in sentencing policy and abolish the concept of parole and early release Murders, rapists, and other violent felons were confined in supermax facitlites with no cable TV, gyms, or other amenities the poorer people cannot afford Super violent offenders should not be rewarded for their crimes with color television and air conditioned comfort. As for other lesser offenders I would be in favor of concentrating more on rehabilitation.

Yeh you are a racist. You don't like smokers or drinkers. I bet if he was buying a bottle of asprin you would have spotted him. Wouldn't you?! Anyway, that is a word that has no meaning these days when it is applied to people just doing their jobs. Don't sweat it. I doubt that was the first @$$ hole you ever ran accross at work.

I spent the entire day drinking beer and watching John Wayne movies. I didn't want to watch John Wayne movies, I just couldn't find the remote. And it seemed like such a hassle to change the channel at the TV. All in all, it was a good day.

CNN said today. Dunno. If this has been done here already sorry bout that. I never come to this board. Originally this was in OT but Meta banished it.

Shia and Sunni co-exist peacefully in most Gulf States at least. There are increased tensions between them now because each feels their co-religionists are under attack from the other in Iraq. The solution is not to stir up a bloody civil war in Iraq, but of course no-one saw that coming when the US invaded, except oops actually yes they did. Is this decision a reprieve? I can see how for tactical reasons you might not want to announce in advance your exit date, so perhaps the Democrats' proposal wasn't ideal, but the coalition needs to get out of Iraq and quickly. Of course no-one can be sure of what will happen afterwards - but then, no-one's sure what will happen next anyway. I wonder if the US' greatest fear in leaving Iraq isn't the loss of the sense of control, however illusory that sense is. What exactly is it that coalition troops are currently doing in Iraq that its cessation upon their withdrawal will lead to disaster? Once the coalition goes, however, my own view is that there won't be a massive bloodbath, because there are too many actors within and outside Iraq who have an interest in preventing it. What's more likely is endless rounds of negotiations and peace talks, sponsored by Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran and whoever else feels like it - the insurgents will feel flattered to be invited, they'll continue with low-grade violence just to keep themselves important but won't escalate. That's my prediction, for what it's worth. As a matter of interest, I read in the paper today that the US government is toying with the idea of changing tack in Iraq to treat it like a civil war - with the US trying to broker deals between the factions rather than simply siding with the Iraqi government. I'm glad they're coming to accept that it's a civil war, especially after they were so rude and dismissive about those of us who've been calling it a civil war for a while now. However, the coalition needs to understand that they are not, and cannot for a long time be, regarded as honest brokers in the Middle East. Their clout may still be such that their approval for deals needs to be sought, but honest brokers? Not this half-century. Correct me if I'm wrong Steve. My expertise in the ME is a little outdated and limited only to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait (and then only to small remote parts) but in most gulf states the overwhelming majority of any population is one sect or the other. Iraq was unusual because the minority sect held all the power for so many years. Plus ,as I understand it, Sunnis and Shi'as self segregate as a rule and in their day to day lives seldom interact with each other. Of the Saudi officers I worked with in 91 few were very friendly but the ones I did talk to really were not that into religion (imo) so it never really came up.