There is a simple way of refuting this relaxation oscillator nonsense,
observation.
A relaxation oscillator or blinking star is emitting spherical radiation (ie radiation is being emitted in all directions), in a pulsar the beam of radiation is rotating around a perpendicular axis.
If the object in the Crab Nebula is a blinking star the spherical radiation will reflect off the surrounding dust and form light echoes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_echo
No such phenomena is observed!!!
Regards
Steven