"Also, remember the rest of the world is catching up on this technology..."

Wise words, HK, as I suspect we will be finding out in the not too distant future.
What goes around, comes around....

"How do we define terrorist?"

Whoever the President says is a terrorist. In Dubbya's case you were either with us or agin' us. Somehow, I think Obama's approach is slightly more nuanced, but it still gives me the creeps that all the decisions are carried out within one branch of the government, in contravention of our cherished system of checks and balances. What happens if, in the future, we get another Dubya in office, when our drone system has become increasingly sophisticated......? Gotta go, I'm getting the shivers again.

And there is the case of the hapless Jose Padilla. They didn't incinerate him with a Hellfire missile, but they tossed him in the brig without formal charges, access to a lawyer, an appearance in court, etc, thereby demolishing the most bedrock principle of our legal system, habeas corpus.

"For my prize, can I get one of the foxier BPL girls wrapped in cuben fiber?"

Sorry, but Roger's an Australian. For your prize you get Franco Darioli wrapped up in silnylon....

.. Darioli wrapped up in silnylon....

Not really the answer I was looking for ...

Edited by hknewman on 02/07/2013 20:52:40 MST.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I like riding the bleeding edge of technology almost as much as I love backpacking.

Went backpacking/camping with some friends (definitely not ultralight this time)in Big Sur this past weekend. I brought along my new toy, a $35 Syma X1 quadcopter with a $50 808 #16 keychain camera attached to it.

It's not equipped with first person view gear(yet) so its not a 'drone' but I'm going to work on that over the next few months and should be able to get something setup that will allow me to see what the video camera sees out to about 500 yards and about 10 minutes of flight time and only add a few ounces to the entire setup. Right now with multiple extra batteries and a transmitter the whole thing weighs under a pound.

Here's a video I put together of the trip, be warned my choice of music might not be your cup of tea :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HRavgDv144&hd=1

I know that this kind of thing isn't for everyone, but the footage I'm going to be able to get makes it worth it for me. hopefully I wont get flamed too bad for this post :)

Seriously Tom? "What happens if we get another Dubya in office?" The guy we have now has expanded the programs of Dubya that you find offensive a hundred fold. Why would that be OK?

Really? How do you know? What you see is only a tiny tip of the iceberg. That's why they call it 'covert' ops in the first place. But it is fascinating to see the screeching hawks cooing like doves just looking for way to sink their claws into that guy you mentioned.

"Seriously Tom?"

Yes, Joe, very.

"The guy we have now has expanded the programs of Dubya that you find offensive a hundred fold. Why would that be OK?"

The things I found offensive about Dubya were not what you seem to think. You're absolutely right about Obama expanding the drone program a 100 fold, and I am against that as well, for a lot of reasons that probably belong in a separate thread.

No, what I found offensive about Dubya were his disastrous invasion of Iraq, the fallout of which is still unfolding, his needless antagonizing of Russia, his tax cuts in the midst of prosecuting 2 wars, the rendition program, torture, turning the NSA loose on the American citizenry, incarcerating Jose Padilla in a military prison without a lawyer or timely appearance in a court of law in violation of the bedrock principle of habeas corpus, to name a few of the most egregious things that happened on his watch. Sorry, I know you're from Texas and probably have a more positive opinion of Dubya, but I think he'll go down in history as the worst president this country this country has ever had.

I would say this will be the most important role for backpacking drones...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=janur7RJwm0

Well now, the beer drone changes everything.

Talk about winning hearts and minds.

"Talk about winning hearts and minds."

Not really. Due to the sequester, we can only afford to load the beer drone with Coors Light.....

That would be a tremendous waste of beer.


...Even Coors Light

"That would be a tremendous waste of beer.


...Even Coors Light"

When did they start calling Coors Light beer?

I don't know when it started, but I have run across a few people who consider it beer. Granted they were tongueless, alcoholic NASCAR mechanics... but they called it beer.

Corporate sponsorships make you say thing you don't really mean.

"I don't know when it started, but I have run across a few people who consider it beer. Granted they were tongueless, alcoholic NASCAR mechanics... but they called it beer."

Were they actually drinking it, or using it for brake fluid?