Closing ceremony Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Invisible Ink
October 19, 2021Ambivalent about getting a tattoo? Now you can get a one that is programmed to disappear.
Ephemeral, located in Brooklyn, NY, offers tattoos made with pigment that is broken and absorbed by the body over a period of nine to fifteen months. The company is the brainchild of two chemical engineers who developed a patented pigment that dissolves safely in the body and is composed of FDA approved materials.
Change your mind? Now you can have . . .
Ref: NYTimes
A different game of War
October 11, 2021
War can be hell… and war can be absolute boredom. There are few better ways to pass the time than by playing cards. They’re easy to carry: small and lightweight, they fit into a rucksack, duffel bag or Alice pack without having to sacrifice any piece of essential gear.
Plus – they’re cheap!
Wartime decks have been used to help soldiers in the field learn about their enemies and allies, to identify aircraft and even teach American history. In the 2003 invasion of Iraq, American forces used playing cards to identify the most wanted members of Saddam Hussein’s regime.
The U.S. Army and the United States Playing Card Company cooperation goes way back. But it was their brand Bicycle that took it to a whole new level.
During WWII, Allied Intelligence officers contacted the card company to produce the most clandestine deck of cards in history. According to the Geneva Convention, Allied POWs were guaranteed the right to receive mail and packages from the Red Cross. The Allies saw this opportunity to smuggle useful objects to the prisoners.
This led to a top secret mission producing a deck of cards that included a hidden map, showing escape routes, directions and valuable tips and information which could help an escapee reach friendly lines or cross a border into a neutral country.
The map was concealed between 2 layers that formed the playing card. Once it was submerged in water, the POW could peel off the layers and find part of the map on each card. The cards were distributed at Christmas via the Red Cross Christmas parcels. Being as cards were always included in their packages, these special decks went unnoticed by the camp guards.
The now famous but once top-secret map deck helped 32 people escape from Colditz Castle. Very little is known about the clandestine decks, even today, for it was kept a secret after the war – as their use was a violation of the Geneva Convention.
This post was shamelessly stolen from The Pacific Paratrooper; go take a look
“Take us out!”
October 5, 2021“I’ve heard about space for a long time now,” says Shatner. “I’m taking the opportunity to see it for myself. What a miracle.”
Blue Origin is gearing up for the second human flight of its New Shepard launch vehicle, and has just revealed the crew members that will be taking part. Hopping aboard for the NS-18 mission will be the company’s own boss of flight operations Audrey Powers along with Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner, who is set to become the oldest person ever to have flown into space.
The first human flight of New Shepard took place back in July following an extensive testing regime, lifting Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos and his brother Mark to the edge of space, around 66 miles (106 km) above ground level. With 18-year-old Oliver Daemen and 82-year-old Wally Funk also onboard, the feat saw the company set new records for the youngest and oldest people taken into space.
It will again be pushing the envelope for its upcoming NS-18 mission, with 90-year-old Shatner to fill one of capsule’s four seats, it was announced today. The veteran actor, director and writer will join Blue Origin’s Vice President of Mission & Flight Operations Audrey Powers, who played a leading role in the certification process for New Shepard.
Taking the other two seats on New Shepard will be former NASA engineer Dr Chris Boshuizen, and author and co-founder of clinical research platform Medidata Solutions Glen de Vries.
“I’ve spent my entire career working to extend people’s lives,” says de Vries. “However, with limited materials and energy on Earth, extending our reach into space can help humanity continue to thrive.”
NS-18 is set to lift off on October 12 at 8:30am CDT, from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One in West Texas and will be streamed live via its website.
