TASERs have been in the news a lot recently. A student was tasered at John Kerry's speech just a few months ago, and more recently an Oakland cop killed someone with a taser. Then there's the Vancouver guy who was tasered to death in the airport, and in the UK, one man actually burst into flames after he was shot with a taser. He died, too, of course.
Perhaps even more frightening is the Georgia police that unnecessarily tasered a man four times in 40 seconds killing him. Seeing such unnecessary tasering just makes one's stomach churn. Especially when you realize it is everywhere, even when someone is just stopped for a speeding ticket.
The issue, of course, is that because it is considered nonlethal, police seem more apt to utilize it in a situation. But with all these recent deaths, one starts to wonder if it really is nonlethal. That's why the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) in the UK decided to do a study specifically to find out how harmful tasers really are.
Because the cause of death from electric shock generally seems to be a problem with the heart, the researchers focused in on the possibility of cardiac arrhythmia occurring with the use of M26 and X26 commercial tasers. They chose guinea pig hearts to test on, due to the similarity of its electrocardiographic-wave configurations in comparison to human hearts.
The results were surprising for me, though I suppose that's only because I was unfamiliar with similar findings from the past. The current densities of both devices had to be increased by at least a factor of 60 before erratic heartbeats were seen. In other words, tasers are safe when used properly.
There is apparently a wide safety margin between the intensity of a taser strike and the level at which a human heart would beat irregularly. The research team did, however, warn that "consumption of alcohol or some drugs, or an existing heart condition" might "reduce this safety margin in some individuals".
"I have many concerns about TASERs, but the induction of a cardiac arrhythmia appears to be less of a problem," stated Brad Roth, associate professor in the department of physics at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. So it remains to be seen why, exactly, so many taser deaths have occurred recently.
Perhaps it just in misusing them that the problems occur? But even if someone is tased four times in forty seconds, how does that compare to the finding that tasers are sixty times too weak to cause irregular heartbeats? These are very unclear questions, and I certainly don't have any answers.
What do you guys think?
Update: PhysicsWorld has an article on today's study, and also I was informed that the UN now considers tasers as torture.
26 November, 2007
15 November, 2007
19 Planes Virtually Destroyed In US Skies
The administration likes to say that they're doing a great job with homeland security, since no significant attacks have been made on US soil since 9/11. But today that story has been proved to be nothing horseshit.
The GAO released a report today that detailed how teams at 19 different airports were able to smuggle bomb parts and liquid explosives right past security to get onto the planes. These bombs were built out of $150 worth of materials commonly available at hardware stores, and a video they showed in session with congress today showed just how powerful such an explosion would be. (I will upload the cspan footage onto youtube shortly and post it here.) I think it was clear to all who watched that the resulting explosion could easily destroy any plane it went off in, although TSA chief Kip Hawley just had to point out that since such an explosion has not been tested inside a plane, "no one really knows" what would happen if it went off in mid-flight. (I guess they'll have to check Mythbusters for that one.)
While it is clearly troubling that in 19 attempts, 19 successes were had, perhaps it will be even more troubling to realize that when they saw how easy it was to get through, they tried AGAIN, but this time triggered the special screening to see what would happen. They STILL got through in 19 out of 19 tries.
But believe it or not, this is not the worst part.
The worst part is that last year, the GAO did the same exact thing and got the same exact results. There has been no improvement in the intervening year, even though last time, Congress told the TSA to train their people to protect against this threat. TSA chief Hawley insists that "as of right now, our airports are safe. We have fixed the problem", yet immediately afterward, the GAO official (sorry, but I didn't catch his name) retorted that "we used the same exact methods we did last year, and had absolutely no problems getting through", though he admitted he also used new techniques in some cases and additionally smuggled in liquid explosives, which they didn't do in last year's exercise.
What this means, in a nutshell, is that we apparently can't guard against this stuff. This problem was brought to the attention of Homeland Security and its TSA division last year, and were told to at least fix this breach, yet a year later, no progress has been made. It remains obvious, therefore, that no progress can be made, since I refuse to believe that these people actually want security to be so easily broken.
The simple fact, then, is that anytime terrorists want to, they can blow up passenger planes in American airspace. With all that this gov't has tried to do to limit such threats, nothing has worked. The fact that we haven't had a major terrorist attack recently, I then conclude, is not because of hotshots behind the scenes who are taking out the badguys Bond-style, but rather because the would-be terrorists simply haven't yet had the willpower to see such plans through. If they did, then numerous planes would already have been destroyed.
Or do you think I'm being too harsh? What do you guys think?
Update: Summary of the GAO report is available at their website. Also, apparently CNN did a short piece on this as well.
The GAO released a report today that detailed how teams at 19 different airports were able to smuggle bomb parts and liquid explosives right past security to get onto the planes. These bombs were built out of $150 worth of materials commonly available at hardware stores, and a video they showed in session with congress today showed just how powerful such an explosion would be. (I will upload the cspan footage onto youtube shortly and post it here.) I think it was clear to all who watched that the resulting explosion could easily destroy any plane it went off in, although TSA chief Kip Hawley just had to point out that since such an explosion has not been tested inside a plane, "no one really knows" what would happen if it went off in mid-flight. (I guess they'll have to check Mythbusters for that one.)
While it is clearly troubling that in 19 attempts, 19 successes were had, perhaps it will be even more troubling to realize that when they saw how easy it was to get through, they tried AGAIN, but this time triggered the special screening to see what would happen. They STILL got through in 19 out of 19 tries.
But believe it or not, this is not the worst part.
The worst part is that last year, the GAO did the same exact thing and got the same exact results. There has been no improvement in the intervening year, even though last time, Congress told the TSA to train their people to protect against this threat. TSA chief Hawley insists that "as of right now, our airports are safe. We have fixed the problem", yet immediately afterward, the GAO official (sorry, but I didn't catch his name) retorted that "we used the same exact methods we did last year, and had absolutely no problems getting through", though he admitted he also used new techniques in some cases and additionally smuggled in liquid explosives, which they didn't do in last year's exercise.
What this means, in a nutshell, is that we apparently can't guard against this stuff. This problem was brought to the attention of Homeland Security and its TSA division last year, and were told to at least fix this breach, yet a year later, no progress has been made. It remains obvious, therefore, that no progress can be made, since I refuse to believe that these people actually want security to be so easily broken.
The simple fact, then, is that anytime terrorists want to, they can blow up passenger planes in American airspace. With all that this gov't has tried to do to limit such threats, nothing has worked. The fact that we haven't had a major terrorist attack recently, I then conclude, is not because of hotshots behind the scenes who are taking out the badguys Bond-style, but rather because the would-be terrorists simply haven't yet had the willpower to see such plans through. If they did, then numerous planes would already have been destroyed.
Or do you think I'm being too harsh? What do you guys think?
Update: Summary of the GAO report is available at their website. Also, apparently CNN did a short piece on this as well.
05 November, 2007
Put Mike Gravel on Democracy NOW!
Mike Gravel is falling back. NBC's decision to kick him out of the debate reeks of corporate censorship by General Electric, one of the companies who profit so much whenever we go to war.
We need to stand up and do something. Mike Gravel needs exposure, and he needs it NOW. What is most astonishing to me about Gravel's lack of progress in the polls is that whenever a blind poll is put out, where people must choose the issues they care about, rather than the candidates behind those issues, Mike Gravel consistently comes out on top, followed closely by Dennis Kucinich and Al Gore. I'll repeat that for those who are just scanning through this paragraph: Mike Gravel LEADS the polls whenever issues are chosen rather than faces. Not only is Mike Gravel the best candidate for President, but the US public seems to know it, too!
Furthermore, if we just let Mike Gravel fade away after what NBC did to him, then what does that say about us as a people? Corporate media cannot be allowed to dictate who can and who can't be our next President! If we let GE throw Gravel out of the race without a vote, Ron Paul will be next! And Kucinich right after that. It's not right--the whole point of having a vote is for people to vote! We MUST allow the people to have their say, rather than to let big media continue to dictate to us who can and who can't be our next President!
There are two easy things that YOU can do to help stop corporate media from pushing us around. The first is to make sure NBC's attempt to throw out Gravel is unsuccessful.
Whether you like Mike Gavel or not is beside the point. What matters is that we DO NOT LET GE WIN. Gravel must be allowed to stay in this race until it comes to a vote; if, at that time, the people decide not to go with him, then so be it. But it must come to a vote!
To accomplish this, Mike Gravel must get the exposure he needs to force the next huge media conglomerate that they must allow him in the debate. So here's what I need all of you who are reading this to do right now.
Go to Democracy NOW! and request Mike Gravel as a guest on their show. Democracy NOW! doesn't have the audience base that NBC does, but the people who watch Democracy NOW! are committed to helping good causes. If we can get Mike Gravel on that show, that could mean a huge increase in volunteer effort! Please, go to Democracy NOW! now!
Second, we must actively engage the public. We need to tap into the mainstream, and get people talking about why GE would do such a thing to Mike Gravel. I have an idea for this, and it involves Stephen Colbert and Ron Paul. But I still need to work out the kinks before I propose it... I'll have a proposal up on this blog by tomorrow.
In the meantime, if you care anything at all about keeping this country free, then go to Democracy NOW! now to help get Mike Gravel on their show!
Update: By request, I am posting the blind poll that shows Gravel on top. Another recent blind poll put Al Gore on top, but in that one, Gravel, Kucinich, and all republicans were not included. Ron Paul has so far not won any blind polls, though he consistently does well in nonblind straw polls.
We need to stand up and do something. Mike Gravel needs exposure, and he needs it NOW. What is most astonishing to me about Gravel's lack of progress in the polls is that whenever a blind poll is put out, where people must choose the issues they care about, rather than the candidates behind those issues, Mike Gravel consistently comes out on top, followed closely by Dennis Kucinich and Al Gore. I'll repeat that for those who are just scanning through this paragraph: Mike Gravel LEADS the polls whenever issues are chosen rather than faces. Not only is Mike Gravel the best candidate for President, but the US public seems to know it, too!
Furthermore, if we just let Mike Gravel fade away after what NBC did to him, then what does that say about us as a people? Corporate media cannot be allowed to dictate who can and who can't be our next President! If we let GE throw Gravel out of the race without a vote, Ron Paul will be next! And Kucinich right after that. It's not right--the whole point of having a vote is for people to vote! We MUST allow the people to have their say, rather than to let big media continue to dictate to us who can and who can't be our next President!
There are two easy things that YOU can do to help stop corporate media from pushing us around. The first is to make sure NBC's attempt to throw out Gravel is unsuccessful.
Whether you like Mike Gavel or not is beside the point. What matters is that we DO NOT LET GE WIN. Gravel must be allowed to stay in this race until it comes to a vote; if, at that time, the people decide not to go with him, then so be it. But it must come to a vote!
To accomplish this, Mike Gravel must get the exposure he needs to force the next huge media conglomerate that they must allow him in the debate. So here's what I need all of you who are reading this to do right now.
Go to Democracy NOW! and request Mike Gravel as a guest on their show. Democracy NOW! doesn't have the audience base that NBC does, but the people who watch Democracy NOW! are committed to helping good causes. If we can get Mike Gravel on that show, that could mean a huge increase in volunteer effort! Please, go to Democracy NOW! now!
Second, we must actively engage the public. We need to tap into the mainstream, and get people talking about why GE would do such a thing to Mike Gravel. I have an idea for this, and it involves Stephen Colbert and Ron Paul. But I still need to work out the kinks before I propose it... I'll have a proposal up on this blog by tomorrow.
In the meantime, if you care anything at all about keeping this country free, then go to Democracy NOW! now to help get Mike Gravel on their show!
Update: By request, I am posting the blind poll that shows Gravel on top. Another recent blind poll put Al Gore on top, but in that one, Gravel, Kucinich, and all republicans were not included. Ron Paul has so far not won any blind polls, though he consistently does well in nonblind straw polls.
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