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GPS Coke Can X-Rayed
carbolic writes "WiFi-Toys.com and Engadget have posted a link to X-ray images of the GPS Coke can that has security people all up in arms. The GPS Coke can looks a little bit like an IED (improvised explosive device). The PDF file posted on security company Blackwater USA's site shows several views of the can and compares it to an IED. And for thoroughness, the PDF shows a regular can of Coke X-rayed, too."
"It may look like a IED to a layman..."
Um so? I imagine a lot of things could look like an explosive to a "Layman". Ever seen the inside of a CRT monitor or a TV? Imagine how much C4 you could hide in that.
This is just plain silly.
Are we moving to a society that fears anything that could potentially look like a bomb to an uneducated twit?
"If I were bound by all laws everywhere I'm sure I would have committed a capital crime somewhere."
You posted a knee-jerk reaction.
What causes starvation and poverty is not the lack of food. There is more than enough food. It is the lack of a free market to transport that food to market efficiently.
In America, we have all kinds of systems to get the food to your dinner plate. These include the food processing and food transporting industries. Just as important is advertising and price setting. by advertising the availability of food, Americans are able to discover the rich variety of foods available.
In Kosovo and other countries, starvation is caused by the lack of a free market. Right now, terrorists threaten any free trade. Just stepping outdoors is risking your life. In other places, farmers are not allowed to grow the foods they want to and sell them at whatever price they want. People are not allowed to traffic in food trade, and are not allowed to build up processing plants to process foods. It is either terrorism, civil war, or bad policy that causes this, but the end result is all the same.
If you would really like to help the Kosovoans, send in some footsoldiers to weed out and eliminate the terrorists. Allow the people a chance to have a free election, encouraging things like civil discourse and not killing the opponent. Stabilize the security of the country first.
Next, you must enact policies that will allow the free market to thrive.
As you can see, whether or not the Coca-Cola company advertises a campaign for a contest has little bearing on the economy in Kosovo. Your comment was not only stupid, it was actually counterproductive.
The radical sect of Islam would either see you dead or "reverted" to Islam.
It is the lack of a free market to transport that food to market efficiently.
Yes, and do you know who is responsible for that? The US and Europe, with their lavish farm subsidies. If Western nations ever allowed the free market to operate in developing nations, problems with food and poverty in the world would be greatly reduced.
In America, we have all kinds of systems to get the food to your dinner plate.
We also have enormous government subsidies, paid for by tax payers, to keep farmers happy and in business. It may be good for ensuring a reliable food supply domestically (and give the number of wars we fight, not exactly a bad idea either), but it is causing huge economic problems elsewhere.
So how are you going to manage that?
If you look at the X-Rays, the main difference between a real explosive device, and the GPS coke can, is that the GPS coke can just has electronics and batteries.
An explosives device has electronics, batteries and.......explosives...
Unless you're just gonna make an explosive device by overloading some capacitors I don't think there's much chance of anyone making the mistake.
Advanced users are users too!
The promotion with these coke cans is that you get a GMC equinox right? First off, if I had one of these cans, I don't think I'd take a flight and run it through the x-ray machine before I thought about pressing the button to claim my prize. I think as soon as I take this soda out of the package, and see, HEY! I WON MY PRIZE! I'll press the button. Thus, the Coca-Cola Prize Squad will come by, collect my can of technological glory and nicely deposit my newly won SUV. So why would I wanna take my can and run it through the x-ray machine?
Those of you that may think that terrorists could run their "IEDs" through the x-ray machine to get past security. It wouldn't make sense, since the reason I just explained before. If it was REALLY a REAL GPS coke can, it wouldnt be there, since the person would have already claimed their prize as soon as they see it. Thus, it has to be a bomb otherwise.
"With so many people in the world today facing starvation and mass death from lack of nutrition, it literally sickens me to the stomach to see things like this."
A.) Coke != America. It's a company.
B.) Can't fight starvation without a strong economy.
C.) It's one thing to say that corps making a lot of money should donate more, it's another to say they should stop marketing and put the money into other people's pockets. What happens when they grow dependent on it, then the lack of marketing suffocates the source of income?
My post is off-topic, I accept that. It's worth the karma hit to tell you how short-sighted you're being. I don't want people to starve, either. We agree on that point. I agree that more sharing could happen. But, "What will Americans throw money away on next"? Grow up. I know for a fact you don't come from a country that's dedicating all its resources to the rest of the world. Give the USA a little credit, our economy is benefitting a LOT of people & countries through frivilous commercialism. Just ask anybody who thinks we're importing too much.
"Derp de derp."
I am an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technition (military bomb squad) and I would just like to add that the Coca-Cola company was very helpful in the disemination of imformation to all security agencies. The device is not a threat, lack of information about this device is a threat.