[sdiy] Tin Whiskers (straying OT for a moment)

[Glen]

At 11:09 AM 1/12/05 , Senso wrote:

>But watch out for government press releases. As soon as they say "We 
>are aware of the problem and everything is under control", it's time 
>for major mind blowing panic. ;-)

Yeah, that's exactly the attitude expressed by a US postal official just a
few days before someone died of anthrax poisoning. They knew a certain
postal facility had been contaminated with a small amount of anthrax, but
they refused to test and treat all the workers. This resulted in at least
one person dying, and I think there might have been others that got sick as
well.

They seemed to think that mass testing and preventative treatment with
Cipro would start a panic among the workers. Well, guess what happened when
they tried to downplay the danger? Someone died, and mass panic ensued!

Never trust a bureaucrat when he tells you categorically that there is
absolutely no possible danger involved in a situation. If you ask me, very
firm denial of even a potential danger, however remote, is a sign of
potential danger in itself. It's often the sign of a mind that has refused
to think about the issue further. How can a mind which has refused to think
any further about a situation be trusted to make intelligent judgements
about that situation?

I saw a vicious "lady" on the Larry King Live show, several years ago, who
categorically denied even the remotest possibility that extended use of
cellular phones might cause tumors in some people. Some poor soul from
Florida had just lost his wife to a brain tumor, and he was on Larry King
to let the world know that the tumor was located exactly in the place where
her cellular phone antennae would normally be located nearest. He wanted
the world to seriously check into the possibility that cellular phones
might be causing tumors. Larry's other guest was this cold-hearted lady
that represented either the government or the communication industry. (I
think she might have worked for both in her career?) She very coldly mocked
the poor guy who was grieving over his lost wife, and categorically denied
that even the remotest possibility existed for getting a tumor from
extensive cellular phone use. It didn't upset me that she didn't believe
the man. It was the very cold and derisive manner that she mocked him, and
the fact that her mind was closed to any further consideration of the
subject. It really irritated me, to see her antagonize and ridicule that
poor person.

Last night, I read the headlines from England, concerning the risks of
getting tumors from heavy cellular phone usage:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1436543,00.html

It seems the research scientists are now claiming that they didn't take the
issue seriously enough. Where's that lady from the Larry King show now? I
wonder if she has a tumor yet?


I'm sorry for the rant. I just don't want to see anyone blindly trust
another one of these overly-confident spokespeople with their own personal
safety again. Also, my mother has been unconscious, in critical condition,
in intensive care, for about 20 days now. (Her recent surgery didn't go as
well as it should have.) Lately, it's been a bit hard to not show some
emotion once in awhile.


take care everyone,
Glen

-- 
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.6.10 - Release Date: 1/10/05