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California's "Wireless-Free" Zone
pangur writes: "In Wired, there's the story about how Arthur Firstenberg changed Mendocino, CA into a 'wireless-free zone' as a safehaven for those deemed 'electrically sensitive'. His critics claim that he is driving away any chance of a significant economy."
"This overexposure to pulsed microwaves has been a personal tragedy for me," Wagner said in an e-mail interview. "I'm left hypersensitive -- even my mouse burns my hand when I use my computer now."
Am I the only person who doesn't understand this? Why did he give an *email* interview if using computers is so painful to him?
Tarsnap: Online backups for the truly paranoid
Hypochondria is one word for it... The thing is that a lot of these people don't want to hear that what they have is really a mental imbalance. I've heard of people with imagined skin parasites too -- they will go to the dermatologist, present no obvious symptoms, and simply do not wish to be told that what they really need is a mild antipsychotic.
It's a bizarre situation. I feel safe in saying that these people's conditions are probably delusional; what has to be brought into account is that whether or not it's all in their heads, their suffering is certainly real. The problem is that they take any attempt to bridge the disconnect as a personal insult...
/Brian
Prove a paranormal ability and Randi will give you one million U.S. dollars, baby.
Seriously. A million bucks. No kidding.
Well, Mr Firstenberg?
We're waiting.
We're still waiting.
We're going to be waiting forever, as usual, aren't we?
Just to save Mr Firstenberg some time, I'll list a typical collection of objections to the validity of Randi's offer, as proffered by various alleged levitators and mind readers, on Mr Firstenberg's behalf:
"There is no money. There is too little money. There is too much money. I want to see the money in a pile. Proximity to cash compromises my spiritual enlightenment. Randi is a powerful anti-psi ray emitter. Randi is a cannibal and I am afraid of him. The FBI will forcibly change my gender if I win. I want it in Tongan Pa'angas, not US dollars. Money is an illusion. Property is theft. I'm a teapot! I'm a teapot!"
Let's just compare the symptoms of the two...
(Dehydration references: here and here.)
ES: Unusual tiredness, Flu-like symptoms, Weakness
Dehydration: Weakness, Fatigue and/or loss of energy
ES: Problems with concentration, dizziness and loss of memory, Sound sensitivity, Sun sensitivity
Dehydration: dizziness, changes in mental state (disorientation, memory loss), Delirium, Irritability
ES: Unconsciousness
Dehydration: Loss of consciousness
ES: Cardiac palpitations
Dehydration: Rapid or weak pulse
ES: Headaches, Teeth and jaw pains, aches in muscles and joints, Burning pain
Dehydration: Headache or bodyache
ES: Nausea and digestive problems
Dehydration: Nausea, vomitting
ES: Dryness of the upper respiratory tract
Dehydration: Dry mouth
ES: Perspiration
Dehydration: Sweating
-------------
Dehydration doesn't account for all the symptoms, but it sure does cover a lot. Makes you wonder if Mendicino just needs a mandatory water consuption policy...
Police officer: sir, I noticed that your driving seems as if you are unusally tired and/or dizzy. Have you been drinking?
Guy: No officer, not a drop!
Police officer: I knew it! I can spot dehydration a mile away! Take this low life and put him in the tank until he sobers up.
HIV Crosses Species Barrier... into Muppets
Don't tell Mr. Firstenberg, but Mendocino lists a good dozen hams, and I'd have to believe that Mendocino county hasn't been terribly effective in telling the FCC they're the boss.
According to the ARRL's callsign lookup for zipcode 95460, there are 14 hams listed in the community. The town also sports a amateur radio club - Willits Amateur Radio Society (look at their stated objectives for reference to their county).
And I'd have to bet the local luddites haven't been too effective in shutting off satellite reception, AM, FM and broadcast TV reception, licensed microwave, 800 MHz trunking (e.g. city/county police, fire and roads), etc.
So I'm terribly curious how this RF allergy is only affected by specific frequency bands - e.g. 900 MHz analog cellular (but not amateur use of 900), PCS around 1.8 GHz, 2.4 GHz ISM and 5.3/5.8 U-NII allocations?
Even more curious is that I don't see any reference to the pulsed microwaves emitted by microwave ovens - approximately 2.4 GHz devices that often carry 500 watt radios and leak significantly more RF than the receive end of a 2.4 GHz wireless ISP transmission (e.g. -55 to -85 dBm).
Apparently the energy crisis wasn't enough for these mysticism-led luddites. They probably won't be happy until the state is living in an ag commune...
*scoove*
I'd even bet that if we moved service into another frequency assignment, the allergy would follow.
I remember in physics class in high school, we figured out the strength of the EM field around a high voltage wire. We calculated that even as close at 50 feet (like wires suspended in the air), the earth's natural field was like 100 times stronger.
:-D
Since then, I've always viewed these claims of EM radiation problems with a skeptical eye. My own suspicions is that this guy had a few too many REMs to the skull from his dental X-Rays and is a candidate for therapy.
Humorless sig goes here.
In a related anecdote, some guy (IIRC in the UK) was busted for stealing power from the power company. He did this buy winding a large quantity of copper coil around his garage, which was situated underneith a high voltage line. The garage full of coil was sufficient to induce enough power to run his house. Unfortunately, I can't find a link to the story.
Caveat: I still think the people trying to shut down the school radio are nuts. I just wanted to point out that short-range EM from high voltage lines is a much different situation than EM from cell towers.
Crispin
----
Crispin Cowan, Ph.D.
Chief Scientist, WireX Communications, Inc.
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