Tag: Blow

Posted on

Lasers + Desert = Kaboom

Wonder what all this vast New Mexico desert is good for? Well some scorpions and tarantulas might call it home but humans use it to test out weapons. The latest is something from science fiction, lasers to blow up missiles. I’ve been out to the Army’s White Sands Missile Range in the middle of the New Mexico and can tell you that they’ve got some weird looking buildings and equipment out there. IT’s been a while but they use to launch missiles from the base quite a bit. It’s kind of a strange feeling when your leaving for work at 5am and can see a while streak with a bright ball at the top of it streaking through the sothern sky.

If you don’t bother to read the press release here is the link to the pictures and video. 

Posted on

Ignition Interlocks In New Mexico

The State of New Mexico has take one more step to proving that were a bunch of slacked jawed yokels. The House of Representative passed a bill that will require every vehicle sold in the state to have a breathalyzer installed as a ignition interlock. Whether you have been convicted of DWI or for that matter whether you drink or not you will have to breath before you can start your car.

There are so many problems with this. Breathalyzer tests are not always accurate. There are probably ways that can one can remove them from the car. Not to mention a whole bunch of civil liberties that are being violated. It will also effect our local economy as people will go out of state to buy vehicles (unless they pass another bill requiring any vehicle with a NM license plate to be retrofitted with one of these things).

I Previously complained about the hight amount of DWI related accidents in New Mexico. The Governor has has proposed some useful changes (PDF) to the existing laws that will go farther then the poorly conceived breathalyzer plan.

  1. My package dramatically increases penalties for killing or injuring someone while driving drunk
  2. It toughens the penalties for multiple DWI offenders who kill or injure
  3. Multiple DWI offenders, and those who drive drunk on a suspended or revoked license, will also forfeit their vehicles. We?ll take the weapon out of their hands
  4. This package includes a new DWI child endangerment law, creating tougher penalties for those who drive drunk and injure our children, and
  5. I?m proposing a new law that makes it a separate crime to refuse a blood alcohol or breath alcohol test, closing an important loophole in our DWI laws.

Yet these changes haven’t even made it before the state legislator. These are the real changes that are needed.

This new bill still needs to make it through the senate and the Governor. This hasn’t yet made the national news but if it make is any further I’m sure everyone will be laughing at us.

[Update:] Here is some slashdot coverage.