The Radio Tower

Recently, there was a report on CNN about some pilots reporting that they had been flashed in the eyes by a green laser. Being a laser enthusiast myself, I immediately switched my focus from wondering why I bought GM stock 6 months ago, to a more serious issue- the future of laser legality. When I first began to get serious about lasers, I was sure to learn of the dangers of operating such a wonder of technology. Of course there is the obvious “don’t look into beam with remaining good eye”, but there is a concern that many people are unaware of, you can hit airliners with them. I am not referring to those $5 red lasers you buy at a dollar store and use to aggravate your cat with. I am talking about the high powered Class IIIb and Class IV lasers. Since you probably don’t know what a Class IIIb laser is, It basically means it will blow a hole through your retnia and has a range of several miles and Class IV are used to cut titanium.  Before I get into the threat lasers are facing, I wish to show you why lasers are so awesome.

I have several lasers including a 300mw green laser and an industrial CO2 cutting laser(which I plan on turning into a ray gun). When I press the button on the 300mw laser, I see this beautiful green, perfectly straight beam pour out of the end, its like something out of Star Wars. I am the coolest kid around when I have a laser with me, everyone stops and whispers to their friends, “Man, I wish I was as cool as him. All I have is a super hot girlfriend, I hope she doesn’t see him, my six pack can’t compete with that green beam.” Even more impressive than the green laser, is my violet laser or “Blue Ray”. It is the same laser that you use when you turn on a Blue Ray movie but this, I get to hold and shine at and melt things. The violet laser also is alot more powerful than it’s green or red cousins, it has no problem igniting matches or popping children’s ballons at a birthday party. 

Now in regards to the legal issues of laser use, this is what must be held in mind- you will go to jail for a long time if you get caught shining it at a plane. Pilots are REQUIRED by law to report any laser sightings. I tell anyone who uses my lasers to not shine it at any vehicles, people, or aircraft. Usually they don’t listen to me and spray a passing car, to which I get belligerent and rage at them with the ferocity of a derailed train. People like that are going to ruin it for all of us who enjoy using lasers in a peaceful manner. 

The event I spoke of in the beginning of this article goes as such:

(CNN) – Pilots on 12 jetliners landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Sunday reported that someone was shining a green laser light into their cockpits, bringing renewed attention to a problem that has plagued pilots since the introduction of cheap laser pointers several years ago.

This is terrible. There are people out there who wish for nothing more than to ban anything that is fun to play with and now some faggot has given them a box full of ammunition to shoot the hell out of all the fun in the world. Its no different than the idiot kids who got the little bottle rockets banned because they thought that shooting them at each other’s eyes was a good idea. The article seriously goes as far to say this

“Hesselbein and others say they have not seen lasers used as weapons by politically motivated terrorists. “

Did they seriously try and link laser pointers to terrorists?  The only time you need to worry about a terrorist having a laser is when it is attached to an AK-47. Have we become so paranoid that we must label all and everything as a weapon?  The world has lost its mind apparently. I am going to buy an entire truck load of lasers to ensure I have enough to last at least three decades.

We have moved forward into the world of Web 2.0.  Eventually we will import the comics and other sections from the old tower site, which can be found at http://old.theradiotower.com.  Expect to see a lot of political, opinionated blog posts about the current happenings in the US.