pigeons, etc.

1. As a grandson of a coal miner, let me tell you, these birds (well, it might
have been canaries) have done this kind of job for a long while. They are
(barring action by PETA!) a cheap and effective way to detect some of the
nastier invisible nerve agents. Mind you, if you're beside the pigeon when it
croaks... you ain't far behind.

2. I have to ask, are the pigeons laden or unladen? and what's their airspeed
velocity? and what is your quest?

3. Re: Commentators and Analysts. Although he is (understandably) a bit of a
cheerleader, I kind of like Gen Wesley Clark(e?). He was, after all, a big
Nato guy IIRC as well as being a big US general. He knows (to the extent that
anyone not currently active but who did sit in a big seat) his stuff. What
bugs me is celebrities, actors, etc. shooting off their mouths. Oh, and high
school kids. Not because they have no right, but just because they really have
no clue. But then, if it's good enough for Grapes, I guess it's good enough
for the rest of 'em. And I'm not one to argue with a snappy dresser. (I'm sure
this last part has utterly mystified anyone not from Canada).

4. Following Beth's comment: Imagine the pigeon as a cheap and effective air
pressure leak detector for the space navy. (Or toxic fume detector... either
work... when the pigeon keels over, get the heck into a vacc suit on canned
air).

5. Brian, thanks for taking the politics off list. Although I utterly disagree
with you and I suspect this weekend we'll see how many other Canadians do to,
this list surely is not the place for it. Some technical questions, maybe. But
the
right/wrong thing really ought to stay away and
I appreciate your willingness to let that aspect go. (We can always argue off
list!).

On Friday, March 28, 2003 6:51 PM, Thomas Barclay
[SMTP:kaladorn@magma.ca]
wrote:
> 4. Following Beth's comment: Imagine the

Not so farfetched.  When I watched the movie "K-19", one of the
engineering crew had a rodent in a cage which was seen to keel over dead after
the reactor started leaking.

> At 9:30 AM +1000 3/31/03, Robertson, Brendan wrote:

Maybe for the ESU, but I'd expect that since we don't see the US Army (or any
of the allies) with anything but electronic CAMs, the biological gear just
doesn't have the feature set (lout alarms when things are wrong for example)
for a modern or futuristic warning system.

Er, how much experience have folks discussing this had with pigeons?

I don't think I'd like to spend much time in an enclosed, air-recycled
space with 'em, no matter how good the air scrubbers were...

And don't get me started on chickens!

The_Beast

G'day,

> Er, how much experience have folks discussing this had with pigeons?

My Dad bred them for food, sport and "pigeon fancying" so we had a few hundred
when I was a kid. Had more chooks, but smell wise it was the ducks that were
the worst.

> I don't think I'd like to spend much time in an enclosed, air-recycled

Actually that brings up a whole new kettle of fish, most of the flus we get
are from birds, too many/too long in close quarters and you may breed
yourself a new flu strain.

Cheers

[quoted original message omitted]

> At 7:46 AM +0200 3/31/03, KH.Ranitzsch@t-online.de wrote:

Why not just ditch the majority of the bird and use a bit of bio on a chip for
your detector?

> On Sun, 30 Mar 2003 20:31:38 -0600 devans@nebraska.edu writes:

Three Semesters on a College chicken unity with the Agriculture guys -

 "... send me to prison.   I am not getting in that enclosed can with
all those chickens.... Sir!"
> The_Beast