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NYC Wants to Ban Geiger Counters
Ellis D. Tripp noted a village voice article about attempts in NYC to pass a law requiring permits for air monitoring devices including apparently geiger counters. I'm sure everyone will feel much safer not knowing anything.
The Russians mass produced personal gieger counters 6 months after the accident in Cherynobyl I bought one.
It saved my ass in the 90s when I took my Wife and Kids to Ruggle's Mine in Maine! Basically it's a mica mine but when were were hiking I told my kids not to touch the yellow chalk like rocks that some kid was using to write his name on in the caves. i took my gieger counter out and measured 350millirads. I told the kids parents that the rock was radioactive and they should take him to wash his hand and to change his clothes and get him in a tub. I believe the yellow rock was pitchblend.
heck.. I think a pocket gieger counter would come in handy.. why are they banning them? Is New York City's background radiation level higher than normal?
If NYC is worried about bad geiger counters, have one of the universities create a low-cost calibration and test program and then offer all who pass an oppotunity to join in a web ring or something. Seems to me like a good way to get the city monitored for almost free and to give the authorities a heads up if there are lots of spurious readings. Sounds like a win-win to me, how expensive could a basic check be ?
Nullius in verba
They should equip everyone with Joo Janta 200 Super-Chromatic Peril Sensitive Sunglasses while they're at it.
Web 2.0 == Giant Blogspam Circle Jerk
I don't think there's anything wrong with preparing for 'hypothetical future situations'. In fact, I'm all for it. The problem in this particular instance is that they haven't properly thought about the severity of the situation they are trying to combat. Does the possible increase in false alarms warrant the outlawing of 'air monitoring devices'? I don't think it does. A better solution would be (as another poster mentioned) a fine for those who 'falsly alarm' :D. However, I think there is no need for such a fine until the number of false alarms involving 'air monitoring devices' becomes problematic.
:D
Their solution for the (currently nonexistant) problem would probably cause more panic:
1) person with (illegal) 'air monitoring device' detects problem
2) person informs others
3) panic
4) government officals say 'no problem'
5) many idiots think there is a conspiracy
as opposed to:
4) government officals and many independent researchers say 'no problem'
5) three idiots think there is a conspiracy
In both cases,
6) ???
7) profit
applies
Don't forget noses. They can detect all sorts of hazardous chemicals.
You've been watching too many movies. Back in "wild west" days, Civilized Boston had a higher violent crime rate than the wild west. Gun fight at the OK corral was an anomaly. Most towns in the wild west were peaceful as they were populated by farmers and ranchers who wanted a safe environment to raise their families.
The right to own a firearm defines if you are a citizen or a subject. What do you want to be?
-- Will program for bandwidth
See Point Blank, by John Lott. He did a fairly extensive analysis of the impact of various levels of firearms regulation in the US, and found that "shall issue" permitting jurisdictions enjoyed lower crime rates, and that crime rates fell when these laws were enacted. "shall issue" refers to a legal requirement for issues concealed carry permits in the absence of any reason to deny the permit. In "shall issue" states, such as Washington, you can get a permit to carry a gun by walking into your police station and asking for one. They fingerprint you, and in two or three weeks, after they do a background check on you, you get the right to carry a handgun just about anywhere. Not surprisingly, holdup rates in these areas are lower than in districts such as NYC and Washington DC, which prohibit law abiding cictizens from owning or carrying a sidearm.
:-)
And yes, I have one, and yes, I sometimes carry a gun. Why? Because it makes me feel more manly.
I was taught to respect my elders. The trouble is, it's getting harder and harder to find some.