[semi-ot, SG] cutting edge technology and 25mm pigeons

9 posts ยท Mar 27 2003 to Mar 28 2003

From: Beth Fulton <beth.fulton@m...>

Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 09:57:39 +1100

Subject: [semi-ot, SG] cutting edge technology and 25mm pigeons

G'day guys,

By now you know how inclined I am to use "interesting" figures to liven up the
game board. Well while reading the report on chemical warfare and sensitivity
at

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993546

I was particularly taken by the line

"The troops have practised the drills, and are carrying the best
high-tech
chemical detectors an army can buy. The US marines even have a brand new piece
of kit: pigeons..."

I know you can get 25mm pigeons from irregular, so I was wondering if anyone
knew how these birds were caged so I could whip some 25mm scale versions up
and equip some of my Haxaya with some good chem defence detectors;)

(I'm resisting the urge to give them to the space pirates, who would naturally
have them perched on their shoulders.....)

Thanks

From: Joe Ross <ft4breedn@h...>

Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 23:24:15 +0000

Subject: Re: [semi-ot, SG] cutting edge technology and 25mm pigeons

Ok... I am gonna take a whack at this... Barring all "unladen swallow"
allusions, how many pigeons are actually acclimated to the desert.... so how
do they tell if they pass out from heat exhaustion or succumb to gas? I really
need an explanation for how this is implemented... Joe

> From: Beth.Fulton@csiro.au

From: Beth Fulton <beth.fulton@m...>

Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 10:29:36 +1100

Subject: RE: [semi-ot, SG] cutting edge technology and 25mm pigeons

G'day,

> Ok... I am gonna take a whack at this... Barring all "unladen

You and me too mate;)

As to the acclimation I'm *guessing* they took them out with them earlier on
and let them get used to the heat the same way the guys do. Could also depend
on the type of pigeon, sensitivity is probably the same across them, but
ability to resist temperature issues would differ between (for example) a
carrier and a meat pigeon.

This is all assuming New Scientist has its facts straight (it usually does,
but there's always that chance I guess)

Cheers

From: Joe Ross <ft4breedn@h...>

Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 23:40:59 +0000

Subject: RE: [semi-ot, SG] cutting edge technology and 25mm pigeons

Aw, come on.. I KNOW we don't still use them for messaging on the boat!! I am
an IT for crying out load.. I handle the radios!! And it is a falacy that the
meat isn't all chicken on cruise... it is just that you lose your taste buds
after the first three months and everything tastes like it COULD be a
pigeon!! :-) (What the heck is a meat pigeon?)

> a carrier and a meat pigeon.

Actually, I have heard this from another source, so I am pretty sure it is
valid, I just didn't give it any thought then.

> This is all assuming New Scientist has its facts straight (it usually

From: Beth Fulton <beth.fulton@m...>

Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 10:56:13 +1100

Subject: RE: [semi-ot, SG] cutting edge technology and 25mm pigeons

G'day,

> Aw, come on.. I KNOW we don't still use them for messaging on

I suddenly got an image of a line of pigeons fluttering along behind a boat
holding a serious of trailing blue cables up off the ocean so they don't get
wet;)

> And it is a falacy that the meat isn't all chicken

It just makes me shiver wondering what space navies will be saying along those
lines in centuries to come;)

> (What the heck is a meat pigeon?)

Very heavy set pigeon bred for meat not its ability to fly... which in extreme
cases they now can't.

> Actually, I have heard this from another source, so I am

Well at least my imagination grabbing on to this hasn't made a complete fool
of me;)

Thanks

From: Mike Hillsgrove <mikeah@c...>

Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 00:27:56 -0500

Subject: Re: [semi-ot, SG] cutting edge technology and 25mm pigeons

Is that an African pidgeon or a Europeon pidgeon?   I guess we can put
them in with the 2000 monkeys that Morocco sent us to find land mines and the
dolphins looking for sea mines.
.

From: Ground Zero Games <jon@g...>

Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 08:50:58 +0000

Subject: RE: [semi-ot, SG] cutting edge technology and 25mm pigeons

> G'day,

There was a similar report in a newspaper over here a couple of weeks back
- only talking about chickens, not pigeons.Photo of coop crate strapped
to
deck of a Bradley. Termed them KFC- Kuwaiti Field Chickens.....

From: Joe Ross <ft4breedn@h...>

Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 11:28:50 +0000

Subject: RE: [semi-ot, SG] cutting edge technology and 25mm pigeons

Yeah.. that's the report I remember seeing.. I laughed at the KFC part. Joe

> From: Ground Zero Games <jon@gzg.com>

From: Glenn M Wilson <triphibious@j...>

Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 14:58:15 PST

Subject: Re: [semi-ot, SG] cutting edge technology and 25mm pigeons

Animal Wars - maybe we could... no, they'd form a union and complain
about the food and pay...

Gracias, Glenn

On Fri, 28 Mar 2003 00:27:56 -0500 "Mike Hillsgrove"
> <mikeah@cablespeed.com> writes: