They’ve got a secret weapon:
The head of (Australia’s) Defense Science and Technology Organization’s Land Operations/Simulations division reportedly instructed developers to model the local marsupials’ movements and reaction to helicopters.
Being efficient programmers, they just re-appropriated some code originally used to model infantry detachments reactions under the same stimuli, changed the mapped icon from a soldier to a kangaroo, and increased the figures’ speed of movement.
Eager to demonstrate their flying skills for some visiting American pilots, the hotshot Aussies “buzzed” the virtual kangaroos in low flight during a simulation. The kangaroos scattered, as predicted, and the Americans nodded appreciatively . . . and then did a double-take as the kangaroos reappeared from behind a hill and launched a barrage of stinger missiles at the hapless helicopter.
As always, the challenge is to move from modeling and simulation to deployment. Still, you work with the tools you’re given.
Two arms,
two legs,
two swollen glands.
Beneath the Southern Cross I stand,
can of Fosters in my hand,
symbol of my native land,
Australia!
(Up the red roo, ya bloody beauty!)
Never turn your back on a Kangaroo! They can’t be trusted.
Didn’t the kangaroos take up arms in Crocodile Dundee as well?
The flying boxing kangaroo says it all… BIG RED.
Australia – you are standing in it.
When did the Roos get the new missle upgrade? Did I miss a resupply AGAIN?
continuing with missile firing kangaroos:
http://www.navysite.de/cg/cag2.htm
Don’t forget the “Sydney Wave”.
I took some ‘roo pix at my buddy’s house in Cooloongalook, near Foster-Tuncurry. Those skippy’s are EVERYWHERE!
cat (in the hat): Hope you could visit North Haven (near Laurieton) just north of Cool….
Check out Googie Erf for a squizz.
If you are freezin’ then I’m fryin’ (yesterday):
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l261/SpazSinbad/Springwood15jan09.gif
NSW, eh?
My mother was from here:
http://www.murwillumbah.com.au/
I hope to visit someday. Sooner, rather than later.
Respects,
Steve Hendry
The Canberra’s 3rd&4th tours in Vietnam off DaNang bracketed–encompassed part of both ends– my tour there in The Air Force (Oct67-Oct68) I wonder if Canberra was part of the every-few-minutes boom,boom,boom H&I fire that lulled us to sleep all night, every night from the Navy just off the coast–was a very reassuring sound.
‘Sydney Wave’ meaning here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aussie_Salute
“The Aussie salute, also known as the Barcoo salute (after the Barcoo River) or Bush salute is the waving of one’s hand in front of the face at regular intervals in order to prevent bush flies from landing on it, or entering one’s nose or mouth. Pianka characterizes it as a gesture that is “diagnostic of Australia”.
It is really important to keep one’s trap firmly shut in Oz. Yet the flies are ‘breathable’. Almost.
Virgil X
You could come to Baltimore and ask around:
http://www.usscanberra.com/reunioninfo.htm
My dad was on the Canberra in the early ’60s, they did a round the world cruise during that time.
Good pic of Prez Bush & Oz PM (former) 2001 with ‘Canberra’ bell:
http://www.usscanberra.com/Images/Albums/11._bell_ceremony.jpg
I’d be willing to bet the programmers did it on purpose. It’s something a programmer would do.
If you follow the original link, the programmers did do it on purpose. Not only that, the ‘roos in the simulation fired “brightly-colored beach balls,” not stingers.
Casey: Have you ever been hit by a wet beachball? Ouch – that stings.
I didn’t follow the link, and what you found isn’t at all surprising to me. I used to write programs frequently and have pulled a few doozies in my day. In the last days of DOS I put a program in place of the network login of my supervisor that allowed him to login and then started a fake HDD format. He was a joker and smart Alec in the same vein as me. I can truly say that revenge is, indeed, a dish best eaten cold.