Strap this thing on and fly over to Grand Beach.  Avoid all traffic and get a great view at the same time.  Only problem, what happens when the thing stalls.

Martin Aircraft Company, in Christchurch, New Zealand, aims to make 500 packs a year which will sell for around £50,000.

The 200 horsepower dual-propeller packs are the brainchild of inventor Glenn Martin who unveiled his machine for the first time in July last year.

Because it weighs less than 254 pounds (115kg) the jet pack does not require a pilot’s licence. It is capable of travelling 30 miles in 30 minutes on a full tank of fuel.

And recent tests have seen the newest model reach heights of up to 2,400 metres and top speeds of 60mph.

But only now has sufficient investment been found for the company to begin production of the craft, which will also begin at an undisclosed site outside New Zealand.

Martin Aircraft Company chief executive Richard Lauder said the pack could be perfect for the emergency services, private users and even the military.

He said: “This could be life-saving stuff.

These stats are slightly dated as they are from 2008.  But Canada still produces the most NHLers.  And from this Canada should have the best hockey team in any international competition.  Therefore it is only logical that we should win the Gold medal in Vancouver.

	Country	Forwards		Defence		Goalies		Total	%NHL
1	Canada	248	53.7%	116	48.9%	35	50.7%	399	52.0%
2	U.S.	95	20.6%	49	20.7%	9	13.0%	153	19.9%
3	Czech Rep.	31	6.7%	19	8.0%	3	4.3%	53	6.9%
4	Sweden	22	4.8%	19	8.0%	4	5.8%	45	5.9%
5	Finland	17	3.7%	9	3.8%	8	11.6%	34	4.4%
6	Russia	18	3.9%	7	3.0%	2	2.9%	27	3.5%
7	Slovakia	8	1.7%	7	3.0%	2	2.9%	17	2.2%
8	Germany	5	1.1%	3	1.3%	0	0.0%	8	1.0%
9	Switzerland	0	0.0%	1	0.4%	3	4.3%	4	0.5%
10	Ukraine	3	0.6%	1	0.4%	0	0.0%	4	0.5%
11	Austria	2	0.4%	1	0.4%	0	0.0%	3	0.4%
12	Belarus	2	0.4%	1	0.4%	0	0.0%	3	0.4%
13	Denmark	3	0.6%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	3	0.4%
14	Kazakhst.	1	0.2%	0	0.0%	1	1.4%	2	0.3%
15	Latvia	1	0.2%	1	0.4%	0	0.0%	2	0.3%
16	Brazil	0	0.0%	1	0.4%	0	0.0%	1	0.1%
17	Brunei	1	0.2%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	1	0.1%
18	UK	1	0.2%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	1	0.1%
19	Italy	0	0.0%	1	0.4%	0	0.0%	1	0.1%
20	S. Korea	1	0.2%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	1	0.1%
21	Lithuania	1	0.2%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	1	0.1%
22	Norway	0	0.0%	1	0.4%	0	0.0%	1	0.1%
23	Poland	1	0.2%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	1	0.1%
24	Slovenia	1	0.2%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	1	0.1%
25	France	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	1	1.4%	1	0.1%
26	S. Africa	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	1	1.4%	1	0.1%
	Totals	462		237		69		768

The Taliban have attacked the Kabul City Center shopping center for the second time in the past 6 weeks.  

Kabul City Center is Afghanistan’s first modern-style indoor shopping mall that opened in 2005. It is approximately nine stories tall and is located in downtown Kabul. The mall is equipped with escalators and see-through elevators.

The top six floors of the mall is part of the Safi Landmark Hotel, which is owned by a Dubai based hotel and resort company.

This mall is not that impressive in relation to western malls.  In fact it makes Portage Place look like the Mall of America. 

But the mall represents western values and that makes it a prime Taliban target.  The Taliban are a people that adhere very strongly to their religious and ideological beliefs.  These are not people that are going to change outlooks quickly.  Actually they have kept their same belief system and worldview for many centuries. 

And after all who needs a mall when everything a Taliban man owns (including wives) should be able to be carried on a big camel and three mules?

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

  Two teachers’ performance of a dirty dance at a Canadian high school rally has led to their suspension without pay, The Globe and Mail reported.

After footage of the graphic lap dance was posted online, the Winnipeg School Division launched an investigation into the incident at Churchill High School.

The video, “Two Teachers, One Chair,” features physical education instructor Chrystie Fitchner and an unidentified male teacher in a sexually explicit routine that had students turn from laughter to disbelief.

“At first we were laughing and then it was like, ‘Oh that’s a little too far,’” The Globe and Mail quoted 14-year-old Freshman Saigha Vincent.

I have also come across the story on CNN, BBC and the New York Daly News.

At least this beats having The Peg on international news because of gang warfare or bus beheadings.

In April 2006, the Wakayama Electric Railway converted all stations on the Kishigawa Line from manned to unmanned in an effort to cut costs. Station masters were selected from employees of local businesses near each station. For Kishi station, Toshiko Koyama, the neighborhood grocer, was selected as station master. Koyama had adopted Tama and other stray cats, and he fed them at the station.

In January 2007, railway officials decided to officially name Tama the station master.  As station master her primary duty is to greet passengers. The position comes with a stationmaster’s hat; in lieu of a salary, the railway provides Tama with free cat food.

The publicity from Tama’s appointment led to an increase in passengers by 17% for that month as compared to January 2006; ridership statistics for March 2007 showed a 10% increase over the previous financial year. A study has estimated that the publicity surrounding Tama has contributed 1.1 billion Yen to the local economy.  In January 2008, Tama was promoted to “super station master” in a ceremony attended by the president of the company and the mayor; as a result of her promotion, she is “the only female in a managerial position” in the company.  Her new position has an “office”—a converted ticket booth containing a litter box. In January 2010, railway officials promoted Tama to the post of “Operating Officer” in recognition of her contribution to expanding the customer base. Tama will maintain the stationmaster’s job while taking over the new job, and is the first cat to become an executive of a railroad corporation.

What in the hell is going on with Winnipeg?  Two months into the year and not one homicide!  What happened to murder capital of Canada? A couple cabbies came close and homeless hero Feron Hall almost swallowed a table leg but so far a clean slate.  Are the First Nations people wearing kevlar vests at their drinking parties? 

But give it time and I’m sure our rough and tumble city will get back into the swing of it.  The hot crazy days of summer are ahead and there will be beatings and head stompings that get out of control.  It would be a pity to see Saskatoon take the championship away from River City.

  CrimeStat Report

Crime Type	Year-to-Date Comparison			Selected Filter Comparison
	Jan 1, 2010 To Feb 21, 2010	Jan 1, 2009 To Feb 21, 2009	% Change	Feb 15, 2010 To Feb 21, 2010	Feb 15, 2009 To Feb 21, 2009	% Change
Break & Enters – Commercial	122	136	-10%	15	22	-32%
Break & Enters – Other	123	95	29%	12	12	0%
Break & Enters – Residential	403	403	0%	58	53	9%
Homicide	0	6	-100%	0	0	(NC)
Robbery – Commercial/Financial	57	64	-11%	5	18	-72%
Robbery – Non-Commercial/Financial	208	183	14%	31	19	63%
Sexual Assault	18	22	-18%	2	2	0%
Shooting	11	5	120%	0	3	-100%
Theft Motor Vehicle – Actual	242	298	-19%	25	41	-39%
Theft Motor Vehicle – Attempt Only	321	276	16%	27	40	-32%
Total	1,505	1,488	1%	175	210	-17%

There have been reports that the Siberian Almas which are equivalent to the Yeti and Bigfoot have been sighted around Lake Baikal in Siberia.

 Lake Baikal, which scientists call ”one of the strangest lakes in the world” because of its peculiar dimensions and strange flora and fauna remains very mysterious.  According to sources, in 1982, the Soviets detected “gigantic aquatic beings who could swim underwater” without the aid of any breathing apparatus in Lake Baikal. Sources said that the military lost several soldiers when they tried to capture these beings.

Locals around the lake report strange terrifying screams and growls coming from near the shores of the lake.  One witness said the gigantic aquatic beings have been fighting the encroaching Almas. 

Russian sources have stated that director James Cameron has been in the area with a crack team of cryptologists attempting to get the epic clashes on film.

George Carlin in his own humourous way was one of the Planet’s greatest philosophers.  His insights were greatly underestimated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtrT5oG_IVc

 

Mount Fuji, Japan

Golden Gate Bridge

Hawaii

Cape Canaveral

Moscow