There's a conspiracy in the US at the moment. No, I don't mean the one to usurp the Iraqi oil fields. 3M is in cahoots with the press in this country to put a run on duct tape and window insulation kits. It must be a warm winter somewhere (like Alaska, where it's been warmer than most of the East Coast of the US), so sales projections must have been down. 3M must have cooked up this scheme to bolster their stock price in a more honorable way than Bernhard Ebbers did. Don't bother trying to convince me otherwise, because it is so irrefutably true.
In other news, I'm finding that I am changing my daily routine to deal with the elevated risk of terrorism in the world this week. Last night, as I was walking to the train, I realized that it had been hours since I last listened to the news. If there had been an attack somewhere (like the DC area), I didn't know about it.
I now have a browser window permanently fixed on Google News.
--Nat
Re:Elevated levels of fearomones
ziggy on 2003-02-13T21:15:59
That's nice, but (1) I can keep track of the current terror level, and (2) I'm more concerned about people very close to me who work in federal office complexes that agencies like US Naval Intelligence call home.It's one thing to make fun of everyone's favorite AG. It's another thing entirely to go about your daily business counting the places that would make a perfect location to stage an attack: Times Square, Metro Center, Grand Central, Union Station...
Me? I've read more than my fair share of dystopic fiction. I've been expecting a dirty bomb or a an outbreak of pneumonic plague or something to hit Grand Central during the morning rush for over a decade. I'm less concerned that something could happen. I want to know when something has happened. Without getting a direct neural feed from CNN Center, thankyouverymuch.
:-)
considering that most, if not all, biological agents are of a substantially smaller size than the average pore in any plastic sheeting or ducttape you're fucked whether or not you buy the plastic for your windows. It's irresponsible for the news and/or government to tell people to do this and if people in the states had an edcuation worth a damn they'd be marching on washington demanding some answers instead of going to SAMS and buying reams of plastic. Idiots.
Go rent "The Andromeda Strain" after you've bought your plastic sheeting....mmmm...yeah.
Re:ignorance is more likely
delegatrix on 2003-02-14T00:03:11
While clearly stating the futility of a 'safe-room' in many instances of attack, the The Washington Post ran a story today that said"John Sorensen, a top emergency preparedness researcher at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, said that in the 1990s, officials conducted detailed experiments in which people duct-taped plastic sheets to seal up rooms. They did it efficiently, reducing chemical infiltration by as much as 90 percent during the first hours, he said. But the experiments yielded a second conclusion, as well. "It had a very positive psychological effect," he said. "People said they really felt better doing the taping, that they weren't just sitting around waiting" to die. Officials said preventing panic and ensuring that the public remains focused enough to follow officials' instructions is paramount in civil emergencies."
If duct taping windows help a person cope, then it isn't as stupid as it sounds.
Re:ignorance is more likely
hfb on 2003-02-14T07:36:27
Well, optimisim defines America but would you rather die knowing your government fucked you over or die thinking that you'll be saved along with everyone else as long as you tape a little harder and better. I can't see how 'having the right attitude' is really going to help people fucking die unless you just want to avoid the stampede of people running towards the whitehouse as a final last stand against tyrrany.
Even with 90% reduction, I doubt it would do much to help in the event they use weaponized smallpox or something else more sinister which may even dissolve plastic. Maybe y'all should go on down to the local biotech supply company and get a level 4 suit just to be sure.
My father did these disaster preparedness drills too when he worked as head of communications of the state police and in all scenarios there was little preparedness and little hope that a significant number of people in an urban center such as st. louis would survive. Why lie to people and why let them cling to a lie....well, I guess that's what america is all about.
Re:My kit
ziggy on 2003-02-15T20:46:47
I think that's a really poor and unrealistic disaster plan.My emergency disaster kit is about 5 bottles of really good whiskey.You'll need the whiskey, but it needs to be well balanced between highland scotch, lowland scotch, plus a few single barrel bourbons for good measure. And if this really is a disaster kit to handle end-of-the-world scenarios, there should be a bottle or two of scotch from a defunct distillery. (See Caedenhead's for this week's offerings.) There should be room for a case of a good strong bottle-conditioned beer that ages well. Cola lasts forever, and nothing tastes better with a coke than a nice aged rum; keep copious quantities of each on hand. And any sane person would also add copious amounts of water, crackers and vegemite to cure the inevitable hangovers.
This public service message was brought to you by the Malted Beverage Appreciation Society and Kraft Foods of Australia.
Re:My kit
gizmo_mathboy on 2003-02-16T16:16:29
I stand corrected. My kit will be amended as recommended.:-)
Ahhh, I knew my perusal of use.perl would pay off some day.
