Friday, September 25, 2009

Billionaire's yacht uses lasers to thwart paparazzi

Roman Abramovich zaps snappers with laser shield, article.
He buys/builds a $2B hyper-futuristic yacht the size of Copenhagen... and he does not want it to be seen???
Funny enough, all a photographer has to do to avoid the lasers is... use a film camera instead of a digital one!

10 comments:

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

Some show-offs really don't know what it is they want!

Alex said...

A private yatch that is bigger than a navy vessel! Is that a frigate alongside it, or a smaller clipper?

(welcome back Pascal)

Sukiho said...

so russia allowes to private people to arm themselves with missile defence systems but gets uptight about other countries doing it? guess money talks

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Right, I hadn't even compared it to the navy ship (which is even in *front*). It's unbelievably huge.

I haven't a "friggin" idea what kind the navy ship is. :-)

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

Alex,
I've never really been away, at least after my computer incident. Check out the posts about jokes, mainly here and here, for my (still ongoing!) epic duels with Tommy.
"En garde, Pussy Cat! Je suis le brave Mouseketeer!"

Sukiho,
Actually, Russia only has fair objections about placing missile defence systems practically at its borders while candidly claiming they're strictly to ward off the threat of IRAN.
When the Glasnost occurred, it was tacitly agreed that NATO would not propose membership to any country directly neighboring Russia. Basic international politeness, surely you understand... That very sort of "mutual defense treaties" served as the foundation of WW1 and WW2!
Would Dubya, or even Obama, tolerate Russia installing missiles in Mexico, Canada... or Cuba?
Oh, wait... The USSR already tried in Cuba. It almost led us to WW3...

In geopolitics, as in Chess, you don't give the "honorable adversary" any free advantage. That's all there is to it.
But Obama has shown much wisdom in this matter recently. Better to have a wise enemy than a stupid friend! I'd say the powerful and intelligent personalities of Obama and Putin/Medvedev are reminiscent of "K&K", back in the day, in the optimism they inspire me.
Well, except that this time nobody's taken off their shoe in the UN assembly. So far. (Only in Iraq! )

Sukiho said...

Pascal - yes I agree, still seems odd that a private boat is allowed to be so well armed tho

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Yes. But from what I hear, Russia is basically lawless. A friend moved his family to Czech Republic, because he did not want them to grow up in Russia, it's insane.

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

"still seems odd that a private boat is allowed to be so well armed tho"
You'rre being mighty kurrious, missie, asking all those questions. That's unhealthy...
What, you an Amerrikan spy or somethin'?
I think I haf seen you somevherre beforre. You wouldn't happen, by any chance, to be a memberr of zee Charrlie's Angels team?...

FSB Special Agent Wladimyr Kozzlov said...

Meesterr Stobblehoowse gospodine, arre you hinting somezhink about Mafias exeestink een Motherr Russia?
(glowering)

FSB Special Agent Wladimyr Kozzlov said...

Oopsy. Vrong leenk. Feexed now.
Am steel havink trrouble with post-soviet amerrikanski teknology.
Perrhaps beekoze ov too much blows on head durink vork.
Ees not eezy beink, um, private seekyoorrity guarrd forr orrdinarry, kompleetely unintereztink orrdinarry russian beelionairre.
Spassiba forr yoorr komprrehension. Pleeze not tellink boss, da?