The creationist proponents have always been entitled to their opinion, but lately they've been trying to throw out bits of the education system so that their beliefs might fit.
For one, Religious beliefs will always clash with science, it always has... this isn't going to change... no matter how much they tear apart the classroom. The whole point to faith is that it cannot function on evidence... the whole point to science is that it cannot function without evidence.
There's something the creationists didnt consider before pushing for creationism to be taught in classrooms...
Now that it's on it's way through, and to be implemented into the US education system, I will tell you what that mistake was...
When formulating a lesson plan, a teacher/professor will typically only teach children that which they don't already know. Teaching kids what is already obvious to them, is a waste of time, and good teachers avoid this at all costs.
With that being said... you didn't specify WHICH religion to follow when teaching creationism.
So, the Christian kids, YOUR kids (I address this to Christians), having already been taught about Christianity by YOU and your church, will not be taught Christianity in schools. As I mentioned, they already know about it, they've already been taught the Christian version of creationism, by you... so the teachers will have nothing else to teach but another religions version of creationism.
This is a BIG woops.
The teachers and professors will be left no option but to teach your children about religions other than Christianity. They will essentially be backed into a corner, and will find the only option is to teach Islam, Hindu, or any other religion on the planet OTHER than Christianity.
At first, I tried to warn some of the Creationism proponents that they are making a decision that will harm their religion... but as usual, I wasn't listened to because I'm Atheist... supposively I worship the devil or some such nonsense and aren't to be trusted.
So I've saved it for later... and here it is.
They pushed for it...
... and I told them so.
I wonder what you'll say when your kids come home asking about allah.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Life, Liberty, and the Persuit of Happiness.
Lately, as in, over the last 7 years. I have seen a trend.
This trend is not of economic value, nor is it of religious value, yet it directly violates the freedoms of which a free nation holds to.
I speak of none other than fascism.
It has been a long time since fascism has taken root in the minds of a nation. Fascism, like a slowly heated kettle, takes time to be noticed. Small and seemingly innocent steps toward the security of the people, often end up to amount to the slave like ownership of the people by a select few; the government.
We spent a great number of resources and lives to combat fascism many decades ago. Who would have conceived it would be right here, in the free nations, that fascism would seek to infect a host?
When the people of a nation live in fear of being confused with the enemy of their government, those people are silenced from having a valid opinion. Neighbors will allow neighbors, family will allow family, and friends will allow friends, to be taken by their government in the dead of night, without hesitation, nor question as to why. The government need only declare them traitors or terrorists to justify their actions.
The next time you hear of someone being declared a traitor or a terrorist, ask those who declare them so, Why?
You will be surprised to find they haven't a single answer.
The United States are comprised of good people, like you and I. They do not deserve this fascist treatment any more than we do.
So why then, is it that we the people who reside out of the United States stand by and watch as their rights and freedoms are revoked? Do we seriously believe this infection cannot plant roots where we live?
We have all heard the drone like repetition of the governments wishes through the people of the United States. Suggestions that revoking the rights and freedoms of the people are done for security, and will be re-instated. Anyone who has even briefly read their history knows; those rights and freedoms will never be restored willingly.
And it is to those who reside in the United States, I remind you of your own foundation. A single paragraph, scribed through beauty, that once was used to define your nation. Lets pray you take heed once more.
Nations belong to the people, not the few who seek to control them.
This trend is not of economic value, nor is it of religious value, yet it directly violates the freedoms of which a free nation holds to.
I speak of none other than fascism.
It has been a long time since fascism has taken root in the minds of a nation. Fascism, like a slowly heated kettle, takes time to be noticed. Small and seemingly innocent steps toward the security of the people, often end up to amount to the slave like ownership of the people by a select few; the government.
We spent a great number of resources and lives to combat fascism many decades ago. Who would have conceived it would be right here, in the free nations, that fascism would seek to infect a host?
When the people of a nation live in fear of being confused with the enemy of their government, those people are silenced from having a valid opinion. Neighbors will allow neighbors, family will allow family, and friends will allow friends, to be taken by their government in the dead of night, without hesitation, nor question as to why. The government need only declare them traitors or terrorists to justify their actions.
The next time you hear of someone being declared a traitor or a terrorist, ask those who declare them so, Why?
You will be surprised to find they haven't a single answer.
The United States are comprised of good people, like you and I. They do not deserve this fascist treatment any more than we do.
So why then, is it that we the people who reside out of the United States stand by and watch as their rights and freedoms are revoked? Do we seriously believe this infection cannot plant roots where we live?
We have all heard the drone like repetition of the governments wishes through the people of the United States. Suggestions that revoking the rights and freedoms of the people are done for security, and will be re-instated. Anyone who has even briefly read their history knows; those rights and freedoms will never be restored willingly.
And it is to those who reside in the United States, I remind you of your own foundation. A single paragraph, scribed through beauty, that once was used to define your nation. Lets pray you take heed once more.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.I write this, not just for the sake of my future, but for the sake of yours.
Nations belong to the people, not the few who seek to control them.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Lest we forget.
It was in 1961, in President Dwight D. Eisenhowers farewell address to the nation, he attempted to warn the public of the United States of America of the "Military Industrial Complex".
"This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience ... In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic process."
-D. Eisenhower, 1961, Farewell speech to the nation.
It was later on in March of 1963, that John F. Kennedy, the successor to the seat of Presidency, attempted to heed Eisenhowers warnings. He proposed a budget cut on spending toward the Industrial Military Complex.
The cut included 52 military installations within the states, and 21 installations overseas. Including equipment which would normally be allocated toward these installations.
November 22, 1963, Dallas, Texas.
John F. Kennedy was assassinated. While the media points to a Lee Harvey Oswald as the lone assassin, it has been repeatedly proven that J.F.Kennedy had been hit by two seperate shots from two different locations. The second shooter had not been caught.
What is the Military Industrial Complex?
The Military Industrial Complex is the organization of monetary funds which flow from government institutions, funded by taxpayers and federal debt, to the Industrial sectors responsible for manufacturing equipment and weapons for warfare.
While in essence the Military Industrial Complex is a regular occurance of economics, it becomes a very dangerous institution when those in political power hold investments in it.
Over the years since Eisenhowers warning (and moving on to the 21st Century), many key political figures have emerged who have had investments in the manufacturing of weapons, and the procurement of fuel (currently crude oil). Some also have had ties to the FCC, a regulatory committe, intended to censor the main stream media of the nation.
It was not a stretch of the imagination to understand that it was in the best interest of these key political figures to ensure that access to oil goes unhindered, and weapons manufacturers continued to manufacture weapons.
Combined with control over the main stream media, the general public remained uneducated as to the cause of warfare proposed by the Federal Government. The actual causes were commonly re-written to suit the desires of the general public, and to match the geo-political situation of the world at the time. More notably, these causes were re-written multiple times during the war in question.
During George W. Bush's presidency, the cause for invading Afghanistan was just, although, later it was proposed to have been slightly misguided.
On September 11th of 2001, the World Trade Center Towers were brought down by two Boeing 737 aircraft. A third aircraft struck the Pentagon, and a fourth was brought down before reaching it's intended target. Over 3000 people died on that day.
Though the government had declared an organization known as Al-Qaeda to have been the assailant. No direct conclusive evidence had been found. Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden took responsibility for the attack, however, so did a few other minor groups with interests against the United States.
Nevertheless, the justification for warfare had been seeded, and military operations in Afghanistan against members of Al-Qaeda began.
In march of 2003, the United States opened up a second front, waging war with Iraq. The justifications for this war were not only misguided, but later proven to be completely false.
The initial justification for the invasion of Iraq, involved the accusation that Iraq had not discontinued it's Weapons of Mass Distruction program as agreed upon in 1991. The United Nations had been sent in prior to the invasion to find these weapons. No weapons were found, consequently the United Nations refused to give the United States of America permission to launch a pre-emptive invasion.
Disobeying U.N rules, the United States went ahead with the invasion, arguing that Iraq was in greater defiance of the UN by continuing it's weapons program.
No weapons were found. It was discovered that the Weapons program had indeed been dismantled in 1991 as per the agreement.
The secondary justification for invasion was the removal of Saddam Hussein for his oppression of his own people. This became more widely used once it was apparrent Mr. Hussein had complied with the U.N in 1991.
After the removal of Saddam Hussein, new justification for the war was required, the cause was again shifted. This time, Saddam was portrayed as an ally of Al-Qaueda. However, Saddam was repeatedly noted throughout his time in office as an avid opponent of Al-Qaeda, and repeatedly made hateful remarks about Al-Qaeda and it's supporters.
After the invasion, Al-Qaeda then sent troops into Iraq to fight the U.S Military, which is why they are there now. The ensuing war between Al-Qaeda, the U.S Military, and Nationalist Insurgents has cost hundreds of thousands of Civillian lives in its wake.
This justification remains the one currently used at the time of this writing.
With both Afghanistan and Iraq involved in warfare with the United States, Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden remains uncaptured.
At the time of this documents writing, allegations against another country in the Middle East, Iran, are being made.
The United States government alleged that Iran was involved with manufacturing weapons for the use in Iraq, for the purpose of attacking U.S Military personnel and interests. However, in May of 2008, U.S intelligence quietly withdrew the proposed evidence, declaring the weapons to have been issued from somewhere else. That 'somewhere else' has yet to be disclosed.
Regardless of this retraction, the allegations were still pushed that Iran is arming Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
No evidence of such an exchange has been found.
(Authors note: Current technology is really astounding. The ability to find, track, and closely watch a target from afar is incredibly simple with the satellites, unmanned drones, and lens capabilities currently in service.
If one cannot find evidence of an exchange taking place between two countries, then it is safe to say it simply does not exist.
And the inability to find one person, Osama Bin Laden, would suggest one of two things. A baffling level of incompetence, or other priorities that interfere with his discovery and capture. Neither of these are very settling.)
It was largely thanks to the U.S Military's unintended introduction of the World Wide Web to the general public, and its evolution since then, that the reporting done by the mainstream news came under question.
The vast network of internet users, speaking directly to one-another regarding world events, repeatedly raises red flags toward the news stories published by the main stream media, and to the justifications given by governments around the world for their actions.
It also serves as a means to record history, and remind one-another to the reality of the world, when others might seek to manipulate the truth.
In the early 21st century, and slightly prior, governments began turning to the internet to discover and locate potential political opponents, and potential threats. The key here is in "potential".
It was after the attacks on the World Trade Centers in 2001 that the internet community saw some of it's first arrests made based on oppinions shared.
Changes to United States law over the course of the war on terrorism, permitted the Federal Government to detain anyone indefinitely without cause, warrant, and without permission for the detainee to alert family, friends, or a lawyer to his detainment.
No trials were required to take place, and no release dates were to be set.
It was under this new fear of being detained for their beliefs, that the voice of the American public against the war quickly fell silent.
Users outside of the United States continue to openly share their beliefs regarding present day warfare in the open, however, the U.S Government has been taking measures to gain access to these people aswell.
The wars that will ensue in the 21st century will be based on maintaining the investments made in the Industrial Military Complex, and maintaining the investments made in the procurement of Oil. I, the writer, do not propose there can't be a war based on an alternative cause, however, it is highly unlikely.
The mainstream news is henceforth, under scrutiny of the government, and unfortunately cannot be trusted to deliver news that may hinder the governments reputation, or interests.
The internet, has become a hunting ground, to seek out, and silence political opponents.
You the reader, if you are reading this close to the time of posting, need to be careful. Remember, you must never be afraid of having a differing opinion, regardless of what you may have to say to appear "patriotic".
Getting yourself killed over their corruption is not an option. You, and those like you, will be needed when this is all over with. Violence is for the weak, stand tall, be brave, and wait this out.
It is with great regret, that we may soon be unable to express our views on political matters openly. With hopes that when this is over with, may we be able to look back on our recordings of events, and know the truth.
Never allow history to be re-written. No matter how subtle the change, no matter how persuasive the reason, or how forceful the writers may be.
In this regard, we have been complacent.
Whatever the repercussions for this may be, we must ensure those in the future never permit our mistakes to be made again. And for our own sakes, let us pray this corruption ends peacefully.
Johnsky.
"This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience ... In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic process."
-D. Eisenhower, 1961, Farewell speech to the nation.
It was later on in March of 1963, that John F. Kennedy, the successor to the seat of Presidency, attempted to heed Eisenhowers warnings. He proposed a budget cut on spending toward the Industrial Military Complex.
The cut included 52 military installations within the states, and 21 installations overseas. Including equipment which would normally be allocated toward these installations.
November 22, 1963, Dallas, Texas.
John F. Kennedy was assassinated. While the media points to a Lee Harvey Oswald as the lone assassin, it has been repeatedly proven that J.F.Kennedy had been hit by two seperate shots from two different locations. The second shooter had not been caught.
What is the Military Industrial Complex?
The Military Industrial Complex is the organization of monetary funds which flow from government institutions, funded by taxpayers and federal debt, to the Industrial sectors responsible for manufacturing equipment and weapons for warfare.
While in essence the Military Industrial Complex is a regular occurance of economics, it becomes a very dangerous institution when those in political power hold investments in it.
Over the years since Eisenhowers warning (and moving on to the 21st Century), many key political figures have emerged who have had investments in the manufacturing of weapons, and the procurement of fuel (currently crude oil). Some also have had ties to the FCC, a regulatory committe, intended to censor the main stream media of the nation.
It was not a stretch of the imagination to understand that it was in the best interest of these key political figures to ensure that access to oil goes unhindered, and weapons manufacturers continued to manufacture weapons.
Combined with control over the main stream media, the general public remained uneducated as to the cause of warfare proposed by the Federal Government. The actual causes were commonly re-written to suit the desires of the general public, and to match the geo-political situation of the world at the time. More notably, these causes were re-written multiple times during the war in question.
During George W. Bush's presidency, the cause for invading Afghanistan was just, although, later it was proposed to have been slightly misguided.
On September 11th of 2001, the World Trade Center Towers were brought down by two Boeing 737 aircraft. A third aircraft struck the Pentagon, and a fourth was brought down before reaching it's intended target. Over 3000 people died on that day.
Though the government had declared an organization known as Al-Qaeda to have been the assailant. No direct conclusive evidence had been found. Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden took responsibility for the attack, however, so did a few other minor groups with interests against the United States.
Nevertheless, the justification for warfare had been seeded, and military operations in Afghanistan against members of Al-Qaeda began.
In march of 2003, the United States opened up a second front, waging war with Iraq. The justifications for this war were not only misguided, but later proven to be completely false.
The initial justification for the invasion of Iraq, involved the accusation that Iraq had not discontinued it's Weapons of Mass Distruction program as agreed upon in 1991. The United Nations had been sent in prior to the invasion to find these weapons. No weapons were found, consequently the United Nations refused to give the United States of America permission to launch a pre-emptive invasion.
Disobeying U.N rules, the United States went ahead with the invasion, arguing that Iraq was in greater defiance of the UN by continuing it's weapons program.
No weapons were found. It was discovered that the Weapons program had indeed been dismantled in 1991 as per the agreement.
The secondary justification for invasion was the removal of Saddam Hussein for his oppression of his own people. This became more widely used once it was apparrent Mr. Hussein had complied with the U.N in 1991.
After the removal of Saddam Hussein, new justification for the war was required, the cause was again shifted. This time, Saddam was portrayed as an ally of Al-Qaueda. However, Saddam was repeatedly noted throughout his time in office as an avid opponent of Al-Qaeda, and repeatedly made hateful remarks about Al-Qaeda and it's supporters.
After the invasion, Al-Qaeda then sent troops into Iraq to fight the U.S Military, which is why they are there now. The ensuing war between Al-Qaeda, the U.S Military, and Nationalist Insurgents has cost hundreds of thousands of Civillian lives in its wake.
This justification remains the one currently used at the time of this writing.
With both Afghanistan and Iraq involved in warfare with the United States, Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden remains uncaptured.
At the time of this documents writing, allegations against another country in the Middle East, Iran, are being made.
The United States government alleged that Iran was involved with manufacturing weapons for the use in Iraq, for the purpose of attacking U.S Military personnel and interests. However, in May of 2008, U.S intelligence quietly withdrew the proposed evidence, declaring the weapons to have been issued from somewhere else. That 'somewhere else' has yet to be disclosed.
Regardless of this retraction, the allegations were still pushed that Iran is arming Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
No evidence of such an exchange has been found.
(Authors note: Current technology is really astounding. The ability to find, track, and closely watch a target from afar is incredibly simple with the satellites, unmanned drones, and lens capabilities currently in service.
If one cannot find evidence of an exchange taking place between two countries, then it is safe to say it simply does not exist.
And the inability to find one person, Osama Bin Laden, would suggest one of two things. A baffling level of incompetence, or other priorities that interfere with his discovery and capture. Neither of these are very settling.)
It was largely thanks to the U.S Military's unintended introduction of the World Wide Web to the general public, and its evolution since then, that the reporting done by the mainstream news came under question.
The vast network of internet users, speaking directly to one-another regarding world events, repeatedly raises red flags toward the news stories published by the main stream media, and to the justifications given by governments around the world for their actions.
It also serves as a means to record history, and remind one-another to the reality of the world, when others might seek to manipulate the truth.
In the early 21st century, and slightly prior, governments began turning to the internet to discover and locate potential political opponents, and potential threats. The key here is in "potential".
It was after the attacks on the World Trade Centers in 2001 that the internet community saw some of it's first arrests made based on oppinions shared.
Changes to United States law over the course of the war on terrorism, permitted the Federal Government to detain anyone indefinitely without cause, warrant, and without permission for the detainee to alert family, friends, or a lawyer to his detainment.
No trials were required to take place, and no release dates were to be set.
It was under this new fear of being detained for their beliefs, that the voice of the American public against the war quickly fell silent.
Users outside of the United States continue to openly share their beliefs regarding present day warfare in the open, however, the U.S Government has been taking measures to gain access to these people aswell.
The wars that will ensue in the 21st century will be based on maintaining the investments made in the Industrial Military Complex, and maintaining the investments made in the procurement of Oil. I, the writer, do not propose there can't be a war based on an alternative cause, however, it is highly unlikely.
The mainstream news is henceforth, under scrutiny of the government, and unfortunately cannot be trusted to deliver news that may hinder the governments reputation, or interests.
The internet, has become a hunting ground, to seek out, and silence political opponents.
You the reader, if you are reading this close to the time of posting, need to be careful. Remember, you must never be afraid of having a differing opinion, regardless of what you may have to say to appear "patriotic".
Getting yourself killed over their corruption is not an option. You, and those like you, will be needed when this is all over with. Violence is for the weak, stand tall, be brave, and wait this out.
It is with great regret, that we may soon be unable to express our views on political matters openly. With hopes that when this is over with, may we be able to look back on our recordings of events, and know the truth.
Never allow history to be re-written. No matter how subtle the change, no matter how persuasive the reason, or how forceful the writers may be.
In this regard, we have been complacent.
Whatever the repercussions for this may be, we must ensure those in the future never permit our mistakes to be made again. And for our own sakes, let us pray this corruption ends peacefully.
Johnsky.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Stellarium
Ahh... what to do with all this time... Oh yeah, I can stargaze... but it's day time. Stellarium to the rescue!
STELLARUIM
I'm an avid supporter of all that is open source, and I came across Stellarium in my search for a non-Microsoft version of their new WWT.
(Even though WWT can be downloaded from Microsoft for free, they didn't see fit to give the rest of us the ability to use it.)
First, I must say, Stellarium is incredible! It very accurately lines up everything you'd normally be able to see with a high powered telescope, and even further.
I plugged in where I live, it took that, and the time of day, and presto! I can explore the sky as it is at this very second without a telescope. Of course, to see anything during the day, you have to turn off the atmosphere. Heh.
No need to go mucking about trying to figure out what that damn bright star is, just look at Stellarium, it will tell you what it is, and even give you a much better view than your telescope could hope to achieve... so that's what I was looking at.
When I started the program, and entered my location, behold, exactly what I see on my balcony, minus the neighboring apartments of course.
But.... but... I want to go stargazing... I don't want to see sky... oh... whats this button do?
Oooooooh. Hey... whats that spec? Lets have a look... that looks familiar...
Okay. Now if you want to know what all those robed people thousands of years ago were yammerin' about... here's the constellations.
.... ah yes. The things you see when you're stoned... er... ancient.
...anyhow. If you're sort of into stargazing... but sorta-not-really... don't go buying a telescope! Get Stellarium!
If you use a debian form of linux (Ubuntu included) just get it from your synaptic package manager... no need to go searching download sites like those windows users.
(Those guys scare me.)
STELLARUIM
I'm an avid supporter of all that is open source, and I came across Stellarium in my search for a non-Microsoft version of their new WWT.
(Even though WWT can be downloaded from Microsoft for free, they didn't see fit to give the rest of us the ability to use it.)
First, I must say, Stellarium is incredible! It very accurately lines up everything you'd normally be able to see with a high powered telescope, and even further.
I plugged in where I live, it took that, and the time of day, and presto! I can explore the sky as it is at this very second without a telescope. Of course, to see anything during the day, you have to turn off the atmosphere. Heh.
No need to go mucking about trying to figure out what that damn bright star is, just look at Stellarium, it will tell you what it is, and even give you a much better view than your telescope could hope to achieve... so that's what I was looking at.
When I started the program, and entered my location, behold, exactly what I see on my balcony, minus the neighboring apartments of course.
But.... but... I want to go stargazing... I don't want to see sky... oh... whats this button do?
Oooooooh. Hey... whats that spec? Lets have a look... that looks familiar...
Okay. Now if you want to know what all those robed people thousands of years ago were yammerin' about... here's the constellations.
.... ah yes. The things you see when you're stoned... er... ancient....anyhow. If you're sort of into stargazing... but sorta-not-really... don't go buying a telescope! Get Stellarium!
If you use a debian form of linux (Ubuntu included) just get it from your synaptic package manager... no need to go searching download sites like those windows users.
(Those guys scare me.)
Electrified Police Shields
Okay, more "wonderful" news on the Populace Control front.
Introducing the all new: SALT WATER.
Yes, salt water, the same stuff you find in those awful oceans we're trying to destroy.
Simply spray the electric shield bearer with this product, and the bearer instantly becomes the victim of his own electrified weapon.
Okay, back to being serious.
The film placed on the riot shield is comprised of perforated contacts. When the victim is contacted, the victim becomes part of the circuit, and hence, through completing the circuit, gets electrocuted.
What the creators have seemingly not realized, is that salt water has a remarkably similar resistance value as people do. Which means there would be no way to differentiate between salt water being sprayed on the shield, and a victim coming in contact with it. The shield will send a current regardless.
Essentially, when hosed with salt water, the shield will merely short out.
In the worst case scenario, the shield could pass stray current into the bearers hands, electrocuting the person holding the shield.
Lets hope they're not strapped onto the bearers arms.
I'm not entirely sure if I want to write to them to alert them to the dangers of this product... or if I want to see it get used, and have another good chuckle... nah, it's up to the product manufacturer to ensure it's safety, not me... just make sure the video gets to YouTube for me, K?
I wouldn't want to be holding one.
'Peel and Stick' Tasers Electrify Riot Control
As I read the above article, I had to chuckle to myself. Not because I'm rooting for the riot police, but because they have just unknowingly handed protesters a method of revenge.Introducing the all new: SALT WATER.
Yes, salt water, the same stuff you find in those awful oceans we're trying to destroy.
Simply spray the electric shield bearer with this product, and the bearer instantly becomes the victim of his own electrified weapon.
Okay, back to being serious.
The film placed on the riot shield is comprised of perforated contacts. When the victim is contacted, the victim becomes part of the circuit, and hence, through completing the circuit, gets electrocuted.
What the creators have seemingly not realized, is that salt water has a remarkably similar resistance value as people do. Which means there would be no way to differentiate between salt water being sprayed on the shield, and a victim coming in contact with it. The shield will send a current regardless.
Essentially, when hosed with salt water, the shield will merely short out.
In the worst case scenario, the shield could pass stray current into the bearers hands, electrocuting the person holding the shield.
Lets hope they're not strapped onto the bearers arms.
I'm not entirely sure if I want to write to them to alert them to the dangers of this product... or if I want to see it get used, and have another good chuckle... nah, it's up to the product manufacturer to ensure it's safety, not me... just make sure the video gets to YouTube for me, K?
I wouldn't want to be holding one.
BBC: Microwaves Cook Ballast Aliens
I was reading this article from BBC.
The article states that "US researchers say they have developed an effective way to kill unwanted plants and animals that hitch a ride in the ballast waters of cargo vessels."
I however, am unconvinced.
To anyone who understands how a microwave emitter works, one thing really stands out is the amount of energy it consumes.
Granted, some wealthier companies based in the Western World may adopt this as a means to appease the local nature groups. But we've seen the track records of some of the cargo companies that hail from less fortunate regions of the world.
The likelihood of one of these companies spending the money on industrial microwave emitters, let alone the extra fuel required to run the generators powering them, is slim to none.
Given that it is overseas bacteria and aquatic life that we are trying to prevent from being transported unwittingly, and ships without these microwave units will still be making the voyage... it becomes less of an option.
We could of course begin an international monetary organization to assist with equipping these ships with Microwaving Ballasts, but who would fund it? And just how poor would a company have to be in order to obtain funds?
We could also make it mandatory, and let the companies that stand in defiance or poverty 'sink'... but then we would have a rather large transportation problem. And who would be enforcing the mandatory measures?
It would be nice to see waters no longer ravaged by species piggybacking off of international ships, but the problem has not been solved by this idea.
... maybe using microwave emitters on drinking water might be beneficial?
The article states that "US researchers say they have developed an effective way to kill unwanted plants and animals that hitch a ride in the ballast waters of cargo vessels."
I however, am unconvinced.
To anyone who understands how a microwave emitter works, one thing really stands out is the amount of energy it consumes.
Granted, some wealthier companies based in the Western World may adopt this as a means to appease the local nature groups. But we've seen the track records of some of the cargo companies that hail from less fortunate regions of the world.
The likelihood of one of these companies spending the money on industrial microwave emitters, let alone the extra fuel required to run the generators powering them, is slim to none.
Given that it is overseas bacteria and aquatic life that we are trying to prevent from being transported unwittingly, and ships without these microwave units will still be making the voyage... it becomes less of an option.
We could of course begin an international monetary organization to assist with equipping these ships with Microwaving Ballasts, but who would fund it? And just how poor would a company have to be in order to obtain funds?
We could also make it mandatory, and let the companies that stand in defiance or poverty 'sink'... but then we would have a rather large transportation problem. And who would be enforcing the mandatory measures?
It would be nice to see waters no longer ravaged by species piggybacking off of international ships, but the problem has not been solved by this idea.
... maybe using microwave emitters on drinking water might be beneficial?
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