Edition 4-27-04
Bunker
buster
Brian
M Walters
Increasing demand for weapons that can penetrate bunkers and buildings, as well
as defeat fighters behind barricades, has encouraged RUAG Munition to develop
the modular explosive penetrator (MEP). The new warhead has the important virtue
of being adaptable to most portable anti-tank systems, so that they can become
‘anti-structures weapons’ without the need to modify the firing and aiming
devices.
The concept underlying the MEP consists primarily of a penetrator filled with an
explosive that is only activated after passing through the protective surface.
Thus 20cm of reinforced concrete, 50cm of triple-brick wall, 1.2m of sandbags or
50mm of aluminium is penetrated before the projectile develops its lethal
fragmentation and pressure effect. An important advantage of this characteristic
is that no collateral damage is caused in front of the target.
RUAG compares use of the MEP warhead to throwing an extremely powerful hand
grenade from a distance of up to 400m through an intact wall. But the concept
has also been adapted to meet another requirement for which RUAG has produced a
wall-breaking version that punches a man-sized hole through a triple-brick wall.
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"Winds of Change" M*A*S*H
B*A*S*H Legend has it that the Ursuline nuns developed the hushpuppy in the early 1700s. Native Americans gave the nuns some cornmeal, which the nuns converted into a delicious fritter called croquettes de maise. The name hushpuppy came about when an old Creole cook was frying a batch of catfish and croquettes. His hungry dogs began to howl in anticipation of a chance to savor some of the catfish. The innovative Creole instead tossed a few of the croquettes de maise to the dogs and yelled, "Hush, puppies!" The name has since been associated with this cornmeal delicacy. In addition to providing 100 tempting recipes, Cast-Iron Cooking For Dummies, by Tracy Barr Cordials and liqueurs have a variety of purposes. Some are great mixers, others are good after-dinner drinks, and a few make good aperitifs (pre-meal beverages) as well. Cordial and liqueur are interchangeable, although liqueur is more popular in Europe, and cordial is more popular in the United States. Cordials are made by infusing the flavor of fruits, herbs, spices, and other plants with a spirit, such as brandy, vodka, or whiskey. Cordials come in many different varieties, and most are sweet. In fact, cordials sold in the United States contain up to 35 percent sugar and must contain a minimum of 25 percent sugar by weight. Within the cordial category are cremes and fruit-flavored brandies. Cremes have a high sugar content, which makes them, well, creamy. Usually, the name of such a cordial indicates what it tastes like. Creme de banana tastes like bananas, and apricot brandy tastes like apricots. Most cordials are served after dinner or mixed as cocktails and served over crushed ice as frappes. For more information like this, get a copy of
Bartending
For Dummies, 2nd Edition, by Ray Foley.
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One of the major headlines in the past week has been the death of U.S. soldier and former NFL player Pat Tillman. He has been regarded by many as a true American hero for turning down a multi-million dollar contract to fulfill his civic duties to the United States of America and serve over in Afghanistan
Saint-Basile-le-Grand, Que. -- One-tonne steel doors, armour-plated windows and a pool are among the amenities at an abandoned Hells Angels bunker that could be yours for $280,000. Harley-Davidson increases dividend,
announces share buyback The board also authorized the repurchase of as many as 20 million shares of the company's stock. "Harley-Davidson's continuing strong cash flow has enabled the company to reinvest in the business, buy back significant amounts of our stock and increase its dividend each year since 1993," said Jeffrey Bleustein, Harley-Davidson chairman and chief executive officer. The company currently has approximately 295 million shares of common stock outstanding. Shareholders also approved the re-election of Barry Allen and Richard Beattie as Class I directors and ratified Ernst & Young L.L.P. as the company's independent auditor for calendar year 2004. From
my friend Bill "Second string," meaning "replacement or backup," comes from the middle ages. An archer always carried a second string in case the one on his bow broke. |