Say what?
New Scientist reports that the US Navy has acquired a patent for a handheld device called AHAD. This invention has a long-range microphone that picks up people's speech and plays it back at a slight time delay which can disrupt the target from speaking intelligibly. The delay - which is 200 milliseconds long - is timed in such a way that is not simply annoying to the speaker, but also, as a neuroscientist explains, actually prevents the target from being able to communicate verbally. The range is limited to about 30 metres. It can affect only a small target area, which means that listeners may not understand why the speaker has become unintelligible.
Off-street parking, the sequel
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Shona contacted Auckland Transport about this flagrant parking abuse on the Albany Highway. Auckland Transport said they have added this area to AT's list of areas to be considered for installation of no parking signs. Their reply stated: "Due to the large number of signage requests AT has received and the requirements to have the signages approved by the Traffic Controls Committee, it is difficult to give a definite time frame for the installation." So it is illegal to park on the berm/footpath, but it needs a sign before they can issue a ticket? This is a very busy route for school kids (when we aren't in lockdown). Trying to negotiate through here when the cars are driving on the footpath/bike path is just dangerous. One or two cars started parking here, but now there are regularly 10!
Crop circle at Mt Maunganui?
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Old school teachers
Ray Bell of West Harbour writes: "I was at Technical College, immediately after the war, when a teacher must have spotted a boy clearly not paying attention. He asked said boy (not me this time) a question. Upon getting no sensible answer the teacher quietly ordered the boy to the front of the class, leaned across his desk and dragged the boy across the desk, held him by his shoulders facing the blackboard, lifted him and wrote the answer on the board with the unfortunate boy's nose! Ex commandos take no nonsense! Having a blackboard rubber flung across the classroom was not at all unusual, by any teacher."
