HEMP Weapons

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If any single thing can be considered diametrically opposed to cannabis hemp in every way, it well may be the H.E.M.P. weapon. In this context, HEMP is an acronym for "High altitude ElectroMagnetic Pulse" and is described in the article below.

"High Energy Radio Frequency" (HERE) and "Electromagnetic Pulse" (EMP) weapons

By Robert Tilford
Source: examiner.com

Electromagnetic Pulse bomps are scary weapons which have the 
potential to fry computers and sensative ekectronics,

Credits: DIefense Intelligence Agency

They are called "High Energy Radio Frequency" (HERE) and "Electromagnetic Pulse" (EMP) weapons - I know very "exotic and futuristic" names but they do pose a serious threat to the entire world. Especially in terms of lethality.

An electromagnetic pulse (sometimes abbreviated EMP) is a burst of electromagnetic radiation. The abrupt pulse of electromagnetic radiation usually results from certain types of high energy explosions, especially a nuclear explosion, or from a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field. The resulting rapidly changing electric fields and magnetic fields may couple with electrical/electronic systems to produce damaging current and voltage surges.

In military terminology, a nuclear bomb detonated hundreds of kilometers above the Earth's surface is known as a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) device. Effects of a HEMP device depend on a very large number of factors, including the altitude of the detonation, energy yield, gamma rays output, interactions with the Earth's magnetic field, and electromagnetic shielding of targets.

They are sometimes referred to as "Directed Energy Weapons" (DEW's) which basically use electromagnetic radiation to deliver heat, mechanical or electrical energy to a target to cause various sometimes very subtle effects.

These weapons are being designed to be used against humans, electronics equipment and military targets generally dependant on technology like command and control centers.

EMP LASER WEAPONS

An electromagnetic pulse laser weapon can be used from up to 1.242 kilometers or over a mile away from a human and kill them with precise accuracy. Others are taser like weapons that effect motor effect in a human being.

PULSED ENERGY PROJECTILE (PEP) ROUNDS - THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARES!

The purpose of PEP (Pulsed Energy Projectile), the LIP (Laser Individual Plasma) weapon and last but not least the Active Denial System (ADS) to induce pain although the PEP and has lethal capabilities.

When used as directed electromagnetic energy (DE) weapons can operate similar to omni-directional electromagnetic pulse weapons.

Potential military uses of such weapons are scary and include 1) the capability of inlfuencingan enemy force (or population) to flee rather the to stand and fight 2) instill dread and deny the enemy of sound and sleep - essentially driving people crazy.

Such weapons have redefined the word "terror" when you think of what could happen if such weapons ever fall into the hands of terrorists.

On-line you can read of amateurish attempts to created portable weapons, other are viable attempts to seem to point to a new trend in terms of terrorism in the near future. One site in particle gave all the information you need to make a HERF gun off the shelf, using a 800 watt Microwave oven that had a range of 50 ft that was demonstrated in a field tests and photographs to take out video cameras at 20 feet. (Source: "How to make a HERF weapon" www.topsight.net/article.php/20021115142933894) .

The author explains and photographs all his experiments and shows that even an idiot can make their own HERF gun by simply taking apart a microwave and fitting a wave-guide and cone around the magnetron.

HERE guns could be made and aimed at anything electronic would permanently destroy it.

PROTECTING AGAINST EMP

The only way to protect your computer from such radio weaponry or HERF is by using the Faraday cage method. This can be done by wrapping metallic shielding on and around the entire system. To completely protect it you need to cover the keyboard, mouse, all wires going in and out of the system and even the case of the computer (which alone cannot because of the gaps in the steal, a problem we have identified as a security problem). The other security measure often overlooked, in protecting computers from EMP is "unplugging the machine when not in use.

HOW REAL IS THE THREAT - THERE ARE 30 MILLION REASON WHY!

"In a blink of an eye, electromagnetic bombs could be thrown civilization back 200 years and terrorist can build them for less $400.00. (And kill an estimated 30 million inside of one year)." National Security Agency employee - speaking off the record for this exclusive allvoices report.

WHAT IS EMP?

According to the Institute for Telecommunications Sciences, Electromagnetic Pulse is 1) "The electromagnetic radiation from a nuclear explosion caused by Comton recoil electrons and photo electrons from photons scattered in the materials of the nuclear device or in a surrounding medium. The resulting electrical magnetic fields may couple with electrical/electronic system to provide damaging current and voltage surges. MAY ALSO BE CAUSE BY NON-NUCLEAR MEANS? 2) A broadband high intensity short duration burst of eltro magnetic energy. Note: In the case of a nuclear bomb, the EMP consists of a continuous frequency spectrum - most of the energy is distributed throughout the lower frequencies between 3 Hz and 30kHz."

In plain language, it is Electro-Magnetic shockwave that is released nuclear and non-nuclear means that can seriously damage only electrical components in its wake or path. China and Russia posses the ability to launch EMP attacks, which are classed in some reports as a "weapon of mass destruction" because of how dependent our society is one electronics and computers.

EMP can travel either through air or through conductive pathways such as electrical phone lines. It can affect electric equipment regardless of if the equipment is switched on or off.

E-BOMBS for under $400 DOLLARS

The more serious threat is from EMP bombs, which can be built off the shelf using around $400 dollars in supplies. Physicist Arthur H. Compton first proposed the theory behind the E-bomb in 1925. Since then they have been like a Frankenstein monster on the loose threatening everyone.

"E-Bombs use a bank of capacitors. Some copper wire and explosives to create an EMP which would wipe out all integrated circuits and other such things", according to Popular Mechanical magazine, which said "only diesel engines will work after a blast".

E-bombs are sometimes called "flux compression generator". They sound nicer that way.

US HAS THE MOST EMP BOMBS - according to the "Tarzan yell" (underground) newsletter publican Phx, Arizona.

The US military has such E bomb and is thinking about using them against anti ship missiles and similar things, which could render sophisticated computer electronics and render them useless. E-Bombs have a "blast range"...and pose a serious threat to unsecured electronics. (Source: http://popularmechanics.com/science/military/2001/9/e-bomb/).

Now circumstantial evidence suggests terrorists are also expressing interests in such weapons. Moreover, we can just imagine how they can adapt them for use in indiscriminate attacks against people in crowded cities.

"Funding for EMP defense should be a national priority - it isn't for some reason?", says Tom Newan of Charlotte, N.C

See useful information on EMP weapons @ http://www.huachuca-usaic.army,mil/contleaming/infrastructure/medical/Mipb/janmarch97/merkle.html

Robert Tilford

Charlotte, N.C.

Hilling to push legalization of industrial hemp

by Dorothy Chomicz
Source: newsminer.com


FAIRBANKS — Fairbanks City Council member Lloyd Hilling will introduce a resolution at the next council meeting urging the state government to legalize the cultivation of industrial hemp in Alaska. This is Hilling’s first resolution since regaining the council seat that he lost to Emily Bratcher in 2008. 

Hilling said he has several reasons for writing the resolution.

“Well, I’ll tell you, my primary motive is that this is something that should be legal, and should be investigated and should be explored. It should be experimented with openly and possibly be developed into something relatively big for Alaska,” Hilling said.

Hemp, or Cannabis sativa, has only minute quantities of the psychoactive substance tetrahydrocannabinol, and cannot be used as a recreational drug. Hemp grows quickly, and the plant and fibers can be used for many purposes such as paper products, textiles, plastics, animal bedding, rope, essential oils, medicine, food and construction. 

Cannabis indica, commonly referred to as marijuana, is not suitable for industrial use and is cultivated almost exclusively for recreational or medicinal drug use. The cultivation of marijuana, and consequently its close cousin hemp, has been illegal in the U.S. since the 1930s.

Even though it is illegal to grow hemp in the U.S., it is not illegal to use it industrially.

“You realize of course that we import it freely — in other words it gets imported without the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) batting an eye because of the fact that it’s non-psychoactive. The entire United States is deprived of growing their own, and there certainly are places where it would compete with imports,” Hilling said.

Hilling said he hopes Alaska will “join with other states and make enough of an outcry to perhaps get the United States people to realize, hey, this is not a drug.”

Hilling said he also hopes to send a notice to the federal government.

“Well, it’s partly a state’s rights thing — it’s an endeavor to assert our right as a state to grow industrial hemp. The states are sovereign — the federal government has no right to prevent us from growing an agriculturally useful product,” Hilling said.

Currently 10 U.S. states — California, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont, West Virginia — have passed laws legalizing the cultivation of industrial hemp, but it is still against federal law to do so. According to the North American Industrial Hemp Council website, “While it is theoretically possible to get permission from the government to grow hemp, DEA would require the field be secured by fence, razor wire, dogs, guards, and lights, making it cost-prohibitive.”

Hilling said the resolution is a way to introduce an item he is knowledgeable about.

“Frankly, well, it’s something to do. I’m not up to speed on what the council is doing yet, and this is something I am up to speed on.”

Hilling said his interest in the issue was inspired by local hemp advocate Frank Turney, and after looking into it on his own he became convinced that its production should be made legal. 

Mayor Jerry Cleworth says he has not read the resolution yet, but he’s not surprised Hilling wrote it.

“Lloyd is very open to stuff from constituents. That’s one reason I think everybody kind of likes Lloyd — he’s not afraid to go out on a limb, and not afraid to look at things and explore.”

Hilling said he also is in favor of legalizing marijuana, but that strict safeguards would have to be put in place to ensure that children did not have access to it.

Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Hilling to push legalization of industrial hemp 

Adult Swim’s Flash Game Hemp Tycoon Crops Up on Facebook

by Randy Nelson

Source: insidesocialgames.com

Adult Swim’s video games studio has launched what it is calling its most ambitious social title to date, Hemp Tycoon. Based on its popular Flash game of the same name, Hemp Tycoon is a farming simulation that has players planting, harvesting, and selling hemp. For the jump to Facebook, the title has received a number of additions and updates for its Facebook debut.

A look at the title in our AppData traffic tracking service indicates that Hemp Tycoon hasn’t completely made the switch to Facebook’s new active user accounting method. The game’s Facebook page reports 30,000 monthly active users.

In Hemp Tycoon, players assume the persona of Hempy, a hemp leaf who grows hemp. With the assistance of his grandfather, Hempy starts out his fledgling hemp empire growing plants inside of his tree house. Players start with an initial allotment of cash, using it to purchase seeds that can be planted in pots. They can then harvest the hemp after a period (various types require differing amounts of time before they’re fully grown) and sell it for more cash.

Boosts, including grow lights, and fertilizer can also be purchased. Seed types range from a run-of-the-mill hemp plant to zombie hemp, which looks like it sounds, and bacon. Once they have more money, players can purchase businesses that allow them to transform their harvested hemp into ice cream, textiles, and more. The game has several dozen quests to complete, which reward players with experience points. Levelling up enables players to purchase higher-level hemp plant seeds and items. There are 60 different plant types in all. From an overhead world map, players can move between their grow locations and businesses. 10 businesses are currently in the game.

This version of Hemp Tycoon differs from the original Flash release in a number of ways. For one, the Facebook release features monetization. The Flash version also lacked many of the seed types, boosts, and deco items. New to this version are quests and the businesses which convert hemp into other items for sale. The title has also received a significant visual upgrade for its debut on the social gaming platform.

Hemp Tycoon’s social features include sending friend requests, posting accomplishments to the player’s Wall, and sending gifts to friends. These include free fertilizer, which can be gifted every time the player completes a quest.

Adult Swim is monetizing Hemp Tycoon primarily through the purchase of additional cash, the game’s soft currency, as well as premium boosts. Players can also use the soft currency and Credits to purchase garden decorations.

Though not as explicit in theme, Hemp Tycoon falls under the marijuana-themed game sub-genre of farming sim pioneered by Pot Farm and most recently expanded in Weeds Social Club and Cheech & Chong’s Animated Game. Hemp Tycoon is a lot more like Pot Farm than the latter two because its primary objective is to be funny — compared to the brands driving Weeds and Cheech & Chong. It’s not immediately clear how big of an audience there really is for this sub-genre; however, Pot Farm is still going strong with 550,000 MAU, Weeds enjoys 80,000 MAU, and both Cheech & Chong and Hemp Tycoon currency have 30,000 MAU. At the risk of making a pun, this could be an area of growth on Facebook.

You can follow Hemp Tycoon’s progress using AppData, our traffic tracking service for social games and developers.

The Governor Did What?!

Cultivation of industrial hemp for fiber and for grain in france.


by by STEVE LEVINE
Source: independent.com

Brown Vetoes Industrial Hemp Bill

The Governor of California, who allegedly represents his state and is by law a defender of the state’s medical cannabis industry, has vetoed the California Industrial Hemp Farming Act because he is afraid of federal intervention. It saddens me greatly that half a lifetime ago I revered Governor Jerry Brown as a political hero in the mold of Tom Hayden, Cesar Chavez, and even Robert Kennedy. It’s tragic what time can do to a man, and Jerry Brown is no longer worthy of anything other than pity and anger. He has lost his courage.

Industrial hemp has great promise as a renewable, alternative raw material to petrochemicals in composite and textile products. Its seed, as a food source, is second to none nutritionally. With a perfect balance of omega three and six essential fatty acids, it is a nearly complete, easily digestible protein. Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps – an organic, free trade, and progressive company – currently imports 20 tons of hemp oil annually from Canada for use in their soaps. It is their goal to source this hemp oil from hemp grown on American soil. This is the case for many California companies.

Industrial hemp is not capable of producing any kind of high whatsoever, yet our government continues to block re-commercialization of industrial hemp by conflating it with medical marijuana. On October 9, Governor Brown of California used his voice to call the federal ban on industrial hemp farming “absurd” while at the same time hypocritically using his pen to veto the California Industrial Hemp Farming Act. The corporate stranglehold and hysterical drug warriors’ lock on cannabis/hemp policy continues unchecked under President Obama.

In a state that is floundering in a massive debt with high unemployment and, apparently, no leadership, the Governor has vetoed a bill that promised to give jobs to its citizens while growing an eco-industry that is sorely needed in this country. Moreover, it would not have cost the taxpayer a dime! Corporate members of the Hemp Industries Association – including Dr. Bronner’s, Nature’s Path, Nutiva and several others – have pledged to jump in and sponsor this amazing opportunity for California and the entire country at no cost to the government and its citizens. While every product derived from the industrial hemp plant is legal, we are the only industrialized country in the world that does not grow this versatile and durable plant. What the hell is wrong here?

As I see it, our government – state, federal and otherwise – is broken. It has become incumbent upon the people of this country to get involved and take back the freedom and power they have relinquished. This is a good place to start. If you also believe that industrial hemp is a unique plant that can help build a green economy in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way, please make yourself heard. For more information on industrial hemp and how to bring it back to our farmers, please go towww.votehemp.com and www.hempindustries.org.

The veto of SB676, the California Hemp Farming Act, borders on treason. It will harm both the citizens and the environment of this country, respectively facing rising unemployment and disastrous global warming. At the very least, this veto by Brown was highly irresponsible and callous.

As Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said, “To stay experimentation in things social and economic is a grave responsibility. Denial of the right to experiment may be fraught with serious consequences to the nation. It is one of the happy incidents of the federal system that a single courageous State may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country.”

It’s up to us now, as it always has been.

Steve Levine is currently president of the Hemp Industries Association and on the Board of Directors of HIA and Vote Hemp. He produced the S.B. Hemp Festival from 1999 to 2007.

Adult Swim's FarmVille parody, Hemp Tycoon, crops up on Facebook

by Libe Goad,
Source: blog.games.com


Adult Swim has been busy taking its popular games and putting them on Facebook. The latest to make the jump is the FarmVille parody Hemp Tycoon, where -- you guessed it -- you grow hemp, sell it and then use your earnings to build up your business. 

The original version of the game came out sometime last year, but it has now been updated with a new questing system as well as more seeds, grow locations, decorations, boosts and fertilizers. Oh yeah, and you can bug your Facebook friends to send you fertilizer, decorations and other in-game items as well. 

Hemp Tycoon arrives on Facebook today and dares to go where FarmVille never will (but games like Pot Farm and Weeds have -- who knew pot farming would be an overcrowded Facebook game genre?)

Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan wears hemp suit in the Dáil

Source: thejournal.ie

Luke 'Ming' Flanagan (top right) wearing the hemp suit in the Dáil this morning

LUKE ‘MING’ FLANAGAN wore a Louis Copeland suit made out of hemp in the Dáil chamber this morning to highlight the 10 year anniversary of his campaign to have cannabis legalised.

A spokesperson for Louis Copeland confirmed that it was the first time the high-end tailor had created a suit made out of hemp.

Speaking to theJournal.ie, the TD for Roscommon-Leitrim South said that he had bought the material outside of Ireland but that the suit had been made in Dublin. “If I could have purchased it here, I would have,” he said.

The hemp suit is “very comfortable, excellent material, and it’ll be my attire for many an occasion from now on,” said the TD.

Flanagan said that it is ten years since he posted joints to journalists and members of the Oireachtas as part of a National Legalise Cannabis Day – but that little has changed.

“In the 10 years that have passed, it is estimated that €7.5 billion has ended up in the pockets of the kind of people who had Veronica Guerin killed. 60,000 people have ended up with a criminal record and for what? What was the goal?”

“The idea was to reduce usage – that hasn’t happened. It was supposed to make life safer for people – that hasn’t happened”.

Flanagan emphasised the specific issue of cannabis being sold with adulterated substances which are seriously harmful to the health of the user,  noting that silicon, crushed up car tyres and “God knows what” is being added to cannabis. “Someone found dealing the substance with these adulterants in it should receive a stricter sentence”, he said.

Flanagan, who gave up smoking cannabis several years ago, said that the best way to guarantee that people know what kind of cannabis they have is to legalise it.

Flanagan will be modelling the suit at a fashion in show in Dún Laoghaire on Thursday evening in aid of the National Maritime Museum of Ireland. Fellow independent TDs Mick Wallace and Richard  Boyd-Barrett will also be taking part in the show.

The Bag Lady

By Betsy Brint
Source: glenview.patch.com

Confessions from a reusable bag junkie.

I am a reusable bag junkie. 

You say “BYOB,” and I bring my own bag. The store clerks ask, “paper or plastic?” I smugly reply, “neither.” You see me strut into the grocery store toting totes filled with totes. What you don’t see is my obsession.

I didn’t just jump on the reusable-bag bandwagon – I leapt. My addiction began with a simple, unbleached organic cotton model. Sleek in style with sturdy handles. No logos, no patterns, no nonsense. I liked how it felt walking through the supermarket parking lot carrying my empty bags, knowing people were looking at me wishing they had thought to bring their own. But they weren’t green enough, together enough, hip enough… not like me.

Then one day, only weeks after my original reusable bag purchase, I saw a better model. It stared at me in the Whole Foods checkout line. It was lighter weight and made of a hemp weave. Artistically highlighted with a vegetable dye stripe in a muted shade of eggplant. “Fair trade” whispered to me from the cloth label. 

I bought five.

No longer needing the organic cotton bags, they found their way into my husband’s trunk, thus alleviating my guilt, and I switched to the hemp weave. 

Stores began enticing me with incentives to arrive bag-in-hand. At Trader Joes I could win hundreds of dollars in free groceries and at Sunset Foods they donate five cents to School District 112 for every bag brought in. Bags, bags, I needed more bags.

It wasn’t long before the hemp weave bags were loaded into my son’s car, making room in my life for a full set of sturdy bags made from recycled plastic bottles. I fooled myself into believing they were better for carrying milk. Until I saw the insulated reusable bags. I needed two: one would keep my milk cold and my ice cream frozen while another would ensure a warm roasted chicken for dinner. I had to have them! 

Soon the recycled bottle bags were relocated to a dusty existence on a shelf in my garage. They were joined by carry-alls sent by The World Wildlife Fund (along with some return address labels) because I made a five dollar donation back in 1989. Bags from golf outings, walk-a-thons, Free People, Lululemon and Mark Shale began to fill my laundry room shelves. I knew better than to ever throw away a reusable-bag.

The day I realized I truly had a problem was the day my sister showed me her new Michelle Obama “First Lady of Fabulous” bag she had gotten as a gift. I bought twelve.

What was I to do with dozens upon dozens of eco-friendly bags? I was beginning to think maybe I wasn’t as “green” as my intentions.

I hang my head in shame.  And here is what I am going to do about it. I found an organization that will actually recycle the surplus bags and get them in the hands of others. I am going to send my reusable-bags to:

ChicoBag Companyc/o Zero Waste Program
13434 Browns Valley Drive
Chico, CA 95973 

I will keep my “First Lady of Fabulous” bags of course, but then I plan to go cold turkey.  Wait a minute…

I’ll need at least one insulated bag for that.

About this column: Betsy Brint and Sally Higginson are wives, mothers, sisters and friends who host the radio show Walking on Air. A large percentage of the time, Betsy and Sally consider themselves happily married. The remaining small percentage of time makes for lively radio. www.walkingonair.org