Completely off-topic: Plastic Sheeting and Duct Tape?

[Khufu1]

This is completely off-topic but I feel as this is my "home-forum" so to speak so I was looking for everyone's thoughts.
This whole thing with a run on plastic sheeting and duct tape to terror-proof your house from the chemical and bio weapon boogie-man reminds me of something I saw that was around during the 50's. During the cold-war and specifically the cuban missle crisis the Civil Defense came up with the animated character, Bert the Turtle to remind us to duck and cover if "BAM", a nuclear weapon hits. I think it is understood today that crawling under your desk at school will not do too well of a job protecting you from an H-Bomb blast or the fallout to follow. That being said do you guys think this whole plastic and duct tape thing is just to give Americans something to do and not feel so helpless or would it work?

Thanks for your thoughts!
Khufu1
http://nuketesting.enviroweb.org/civildef/bertanim.gif

[Steven Cedrone]

You know what scares me? If a family were to make a room "airtight" with plastic and duct tape. Then they decide to test their "anti-terrorism" readiness, and everyone in the room starts getting sleepy.......

This is something I can easily see happening...

Steve

[Kati Compton]

Those references were on The Daily Show last night.

I think that to some extent it's a need of people to feel that they personally can DO something to increase their safety. However, being a bit cynical, I also think that the government encourages it in order to maintain a certain (what they consider) "healthy" level of fear, and therefore in theory, support for the millitary action that we apparently will be taking. If the people don't see the threat as real and personal, they won't support a war.

[hiroProtagonist]

oh, man... I thought this was a post about a hard case for the e740 :D


Interesting animation. Actually portrays the 'bad guy' as a suicide bomber... ahead of it's time? :(

speaking of animation...Steve, I don't know if it's just my browser, but the two right-most white stripes on your beanie appear mostly clear (ie light blue) has it allways been that way and I just missed it?

[Steven Cedrone]

Steve, I don't know if it's just my browser, but the two right-most white stripes on your beanie appear mostly clear (ie light blue) has it allways been that way and I just missed it?

I don't think it's always been that way, but now it's gonna bug me... :wink:

It appears the same way on my browser. Funny, I never noticed that before...

Steve

[Janak Parekh]

Hey, Steve -- it only happens on the dark-blue background, not the light-blue background. Or maybe you just can't tell on the light-blue background... :?

It's one of those things that once you notice it, you'll never not notice it again. :)

--janak

[Rirath]

Nah, it happens on both. Whoever made the .gif, the transparency leaked.

[Buddha]

If you ask me, instead of rushing out buying duct tape and plastic sheets why not just buy a couple of gaz masks or carbon filtered breathers. If you are that paranoid and scared you can wear it on your belt the whole day and have it ready any time, even if you're out mowing the lawn. :way to go:

I've seen a lot of those old 'propaganda' movies (including the one with the turltle) where they explain to families and kids what to do, should 'the' atomic bomb be dropped, I even remember the song "duck and cover lalala" what a big load of crap that was. It sometimes almost looks like a sketch you'd see on comedy central! To think that some people actually believed what was said in some of those movies is 'surreal'.
I think you're right that giving the people a certain amount of fear 'helps' the cause and is done with the hope of creating more sympathy for this coming attack.

[bmhome1]

It was -6 degrees F here the other night and "warmed" up to 10F now. Even in this climate fools were running out for duct tape to "seal" against what? Their heat bills must be $1000 a month if duct tape would seal any air gaps.

[aroma]

I can't wait for the stories of people dying from Carbon Monoxide poisioning from inadequate ventilation...

[Polly]

I remember running home breathlessly from grade school to hide in our bomb shelter during the Bay of Pigs bomb drills. I was so afraid that I wouldn't even come out for dinner, and fell asleep until my daddy carried me up to bed. 8O

That being said, the plastic sheeting and duct tape aren't for the event of a nuke, but in the event of a dirty bomb where radiation would most likely be deflected (according to our trustworthy government officials who seem hell-bent on a war..."don't confuse me with the facts, my mind is made up"). ooh...did you detect the sarcasm that slipped out of my little brain through my finger tips?

I've never been so glad to live so close to excessively windy, barren, southern Wyoming...there's not much up this way to bomb.

[Rirath]

I've never been so glad to live so close to excessively windy, barren, southern Wyoming...there's not much up this way to bomb.

That's a strange statement. I mean, there's times I'm glad not to live in major cities... but ya know, if anywhere at all gets hit we're all going to be effected big time. Economy, panic, the draft, heck... radiation, etc. It's almost like saying "Boy, I'm glad that massive meteor struck in the ocean..."

Erm... not to be all doom and gloom or anything. :) I'm confident we're safe as can be expected.
but I can't blame folks for being prepared.

[IronGeek]

Before we make too much fun of the old cartoon, it might be useful to lookup some facts about limited nuclear war. Check out: http://www.radshelters4u.com/ . Basically it boils down to this, if you’re not in the immediate area of the bomb, ducking and covering could save you from some injuries from the blast wave. :microwave:

[PapaSmurfDan]

Before we make too much fun of the old cartoon, it might be useful to lookup some facts about limited nuclear war. Check out: http://www.radshelters4u.com/ . Basically it boils down to this, if you’re not in the immediate area of the bomb, ducking and covering could save you from some injuries from the blast wave. :microwave:

Too bad the "immediate" area of a ICBM can be many miles. Personally, if people really think plastic sheeting and duct tape are going to save yourself from a real chemical or nuclear attack (yes, this includes a dirty bomb), then you need to think about getting better windows.

<threadjack>Now, if the government (or anyone for that matter) really wants to prepare all of us, they would be handing out chemical/nuclear suits and gas masks with pleanty of spare filters. If Bush is really going to work up the public over a possible chemical or nuclear attack, at least prepare us CORRECTLY. </threadjack> However, there have been times when having a Gas Mask could protect me from my roommates launching a chemical attack after dinner ;)

There is nothing to see here, please return to your usual Palm bashing.

-Dan

[Gremmie]

Duct Tape...someone has been watching too much of The Red | Green Show.

[Brad Adrian]

Actually, I doubt many government officials really believe that plastic and duct tape would be that effective. My assumption has always been that such spooky warnings have been aimed at deflecting criticism about not offering any kind of measures, no matter how ineffective. It's CYA on the grandest scale.