Tinfoil Hat House 896
An anonymous reader writes "A family in Sacromento has covered the side of their house with aluminum to keep the radiowaves from their neighbors at bay. The city has given them one week to remove the life saving shielding or face charges."
I'm not a Californian (Score:4, Interesting)
It's stupid. It's ugly. But why in the fuck is it illegal?
LK
Wow... (Score:4, Interesting)
Maybe they could use that as a reason to keep it?
Re:I'm not a Californian (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:I'm not a Californian (Score:5, Interesting)
Sacramento (Score:2, Interesting)
www.kxtv.com/storyfull1.asp?id=11032 [kxtv.com]
Legit reasons. (Score:5, Interesting)
IANAL but I bet this treatment violates neighbourhood 'quality' standards.
One thing to remember, pot-houses do this to minimise the heat signature.
Aluminum Siding? (Score:5, Interesting)
Put in some Low-E glass windows with a metal reflective layer and a metal roof and they should be good to go - until someone tunnels under their house, of course.
A better solution (Score:3, Interesting)
If, however, there is no radiation hazard, then nobody is affected and it's no more of an eyesore than all of the other satellite dishes out there.
Now, there are known places where radio leakage from assorted sources has caused problems. There was a metal stadium in the Middle East - forget exactly where - where, whilst it was under construction, power tools would turn themselves on and huge arcs could be seen. Turned out that the stadium acted as a gigantic radio dish and was not only receiving signals from powerful radio sources, but was focussing them too.
There have also been known cancer spikes in areas with (a) high humidity and (b) badly-maintained, sparking power lines. It is not yet proven that there is a causal relationship, but nobody has convincingly ruled it out, either.
This particular case, though, smacks heavily of a family being traumatized by George Bush's "War on Terror" (Sept. 11th, in and of itself, was really a fairly negligable event - ten times that number die each year in car accidents in the US, and more than a thousand times that number are currently in prison in the US for violent crimes).
Personally, I think the city should come to an agreement with the family. The family takes down the aluminum, agrees that the problem probably isn't real, but agrees to work with the city to sue the Federal Government for psychological damage to cover the expenses incurred and the treatment needed to deal with the PTSD the family has suffered with, because of GWB's attitudes.
Ordinary Aluminum Siding (Score:3, Interesting)
Then again, I don't understand the reasoning of the average crank.
NSA (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Ordinary Aluminum Siding (Score:1, Interesting)
the way those sheets of aluminum were stacked is going to be 'less effective' than properly designing your house to be RF/microwave proof.
Glad I'm not a Californian anymore (Score:3, Interesting)
-cp-
Alaska -- America's most tax-friendly state [alaska-freegold.com]
I agree, can be a sign of something serious (Score:3, Interesting)
The neighbours wanted to have him comitted for his own good, but you can't do that just because someone is acting crazy, so it kept worsening. Finally he did something threatening and they were able to get him to a mental instution. There he was treated and drugs were able to return his grasp on reality... Unfortunately like many, he elected to stop taking them. This time, his slip to madness was forever, as he decided to kill himself.
Now while I suppose it is theoriticly possible these peopel are being bombarded by radiation, I somewhat doubt it. Microwave radiation isn't known to cause ill health effects at low levels, and if it was at any kind of serious levels you'd know, it would interfere with all kinds of things. Now higher energy radiation such as gamma could, but aluminium won't do shit for that, I'll take a reasonable plate of lead at least.
Also all kinds of radiation are rather easy to detect. If you are concerned you can get or rent the necessary equipment and check. Someone who was in thier right mind and genuinely worried would likely do just such a thing. I mean what if it's something like radon? That's really dangerous as it can release alpha radiation inside you, which is a serious health problem.
I agree with the parent, this is likely a case of eairly schizophrenia and needs to be dealt with. With proper treatment, most schizophrenics can lead a normal life. Without it, they usually totally lose their grip on reality and often hurt themselves.
Re:I'm not a Californian (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:weird but illegal (Score:5, Interesting)
Yep, this is the a classic case of trying to fight irrationality with logic. The classic example is the apocryphal story of the med student working in a psych ward trying to cure a delusional man with reason. The man was under the delusion that he was dead.
"So you're dead," says the med student.
"Yes indeed," says the man, "I've been dead for nearly ten years."
"OK then, do dead people bleed?" the med student asks.
"Don't be absurd," replies the man, "of course dead people don't bleed."
So the med student grabs the man's hand, and jabs the mans thumb with a pin, which then begins to bleed.
"Well what do you know!" exclaims the man, staring in wide-eyed amazement at the drop of blood welling up on his thumb, "Dead people do bleed!"
Re:f'ed up neighbors (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:What the family should do... (Score:2, Interesting)
In conclusion, I win.
electromagnetic radiation (EMR) and satellites (Score:1, Interesting)
If, after getting the obvious psychological help, these folks still "need" to protect themselves they ought to look into something like SAF'N SHIELDED (tm) from International Paper Co. which is a nonwoven mat of metallic fibers that can be applied to their inside walls. It's been TEMPEST-tested (some versions attenutate by 100db) by the U.S. government. Maybe they ought to contract for the services of a good TEMPEST engineer as well.
Then again, it's California
Re:What the family should do... (Score:1, Interesting)
But then again maybe not.
archive - funny (Score:2, Interesting)
Not sure why I care (perhaps because I've seen the damage a redneck can do), but here's an archive with the pictures... It's pretty funny.
http://web.archive.org/web/20021015131654/http://Hearing music on my phone! (Score:5, Interesting)
Of course, I just waited for station identification and found out which AM station I was getting. It turned out that the 50KW AM station nearby [theslowlane.com] away had one of their three towers collapse in the 1989 California earthquake. Until they replaced it, their output pattern was distorted. I was in a really strong lobe.
Adding a small bypass cap across the phone line helped the problem. But it took more filtering to completely cure it. I had to have the telco guys add some filtering on their side of the demark. And, years later, when I got DSL, that had to come out. Huge hassle. Three telco visits with test gear to get DSL working properly.
Re:Hmmm... (Score:3, Interesting)
At the far corner of the property next door to me is a HUGE cell phone tower. When I worked on any electronics in my home lab - analog or digital - I used to have problems with high levels of RF that clearly reduced noise margins in the circuitry. Crude experiments with a high frequency probe and antenna showed that the tower seemed to have a nice fat lobe pumping stuff in my direction. Then I began to wonder about living for long periods with my body continuously absorbing RF energy every night. As a precaution, I DID redo my insulation with aluminum-faced foam board, and lined the bedroom curtains with space blanket mylar. Crazy? Well, I'd rather err on this than wake up in five years with cancer.
By the way, years ago I read an article somewhere that explained that metal springs in a bed could pick up RF energy and worse, resonate. In one rare case a local radio station antenna had provided enough energy that a resonant set of bedsprings apparently sparked and caused a fire. Admittedly a very rare situation. Sometimes when grounding in a building is incorrect or the connection corroded, wiring can pick up RF and strange things happen inside. So it's not so nutcase as you might think to be prudent about RF pollution.
Re:Legalistics (Score:1, Interesting)
But, yes, having this crap on their house does A)significantly reduce the value of the neighbor's houses, B)create a public nuisance and C)invite further degredation to the neighborhood. But hey... thanks for playing.
The OFFICIAL tinfoil hat site (Score:2, Interesting)
Seriously, this guy worked for a real good friend of mine for a while, and he is real serious about this stuff.
Yow...
Re:Glad I'm not a Californian anymore (Score:3, Interesting)
While the article isn't very well written, your complaint is just as poor. You might be glad you're no longer a Californian, but I'm almost entirely sure that it's not a California state law they're being charged under.
Sadly, I often hear people say, "I should be able to pay to live in a neighborhood where aren't allowed to buy a house." It's under a similar but more reasonable principle that they're not allowed to cover their house in aluminum junk. They're (perhaps unknowingly) paying to live in an area where ugly houses aren't allowed.
I suppose it's also somehow the State of New York's fault that in my apartment complex we're not allowed to put up satellite dishes.
Re:Buy a dictionary. (Score:3, Interesting)
- I wouldn't be so sure of that. There are far too many incidents where residents have had to SUE the community organization to put a halt to it's nonsense. I haven't researched the particulars but I figure it must be a case where members are appointed and then run amok. I've seen stories of community codes requiring houses to be painted a particular color, requiring a specific type of railing be used on porches/decks (and we're not talking minimum safety specs here, we're talking ONE particular type of banner is what everyone is required to use), etc. To add insult to injury some of them will make these rules and not bother to grandfather in any houses violating them already. How would you feel if your "community code" got changed and then the organization demanded you tear down your entire porch railing and replace it?
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This has nothing to do with race, national pride, or an unchecked autocracy. Therefore, the fascism label simply doesn't apply. I suggest you learn the meaning of a word before you start throwing it around.In some places it may a matter of democracy, but in all the bad stories I've read there appears to be no democracy to the organizations. Somehow, someway, they ended up becoming little fiefdoms for those in charge.
Re:Buy a dictionary. (Score:1, Interesting)
Tyrrany of the Masses (Score:3, Interesting)
America has many problems, most of which have been frequently pointed out on slashdot, where tinfoil hats are de'rigueur. I think this story points to the conflict between individual rights (a basic measure of freedom), and the mis-application of "democracy" to force the desires of the majority on everyone else.
Most people live in white houses, obviously that's the preferred color. Perhaps it should be illegal for me to live in an offensive green one. Catholics outnumber all other religions, why SHOULDN'T they be able pass a law requireing the rest of us to attend mass, after all it's DEMOCRACY. The Religious right doesn't think we should do stem-cell research -- guess we'd better cut federal funding from one of the most promising fields since antibiotics.
Unless he's endangering his family or neighbors, they should leave this family alone. Protecting propterty values by heavy-handed regulation should NOT the mandate of the government in a free society.
How are things on the militia base? (Score:3, Interesting)
Seriously though I'm guessing you have a bit of a warped sense of humour or you are a masterfull troll. Besides the fact that there ARE health and safety concerns associsted with prostitution and scrap vehicles, a typical community code is quite reasonable. If all people were reasonable and considerate there would be no need for such codes.
Alas, a small but significant minority of people are complete jackasses. Given the chance these people will paint their houses hot pink with purple, orange and yellow trim and park a rusty old truck with two flat tires on the front lawn under the shade of their 12-foot C-Band dish (the one that pipes hard-core porn into their living room which they view with the volume on so high everyone on the block can count the orgasms).
These codes might not be about health and safety, but they are about the right of law abiding citizens to live in realtive peace. Unfortunately, there are other types of jackasses who are the opposite--these are the ones that insist on hearing their favourite pins drop after 9PM, mow their lawns in a checkerboard pattern and wish everyone would do the same, and hold up city business with requests for more traffic-calming measures, more noise bylaws and more regulation of every little thing that slightly annoys them.
If you find you are living in a redneck hellhole, or nazi-Stepford-suburbia there is a way to stop the madness. It is called "civic duty". Get involved in politics--especially at the local level. Attend the odd community planning meeting, endorse non-wacky candidates for office and vote for them...or at least vote for cryin' out loud. The latter form of jackass knows this already, and that is why California is so whacked that a government led by Conan the Barbarian is actually a vast improvement over the previous rock-bottom situation with Davis.
Re:Glad I'm not a Californian anymore (Score:2, Interesting)
No sales tax: Check
Voted best state to live in based on quality of life: Check
One of the top spots in the U.S. for small to mid size tech businesses: Check
Beautiful flora and fauna: Check
3 Cities on the "100 Best places to live" list:Check
Yeah, N.H. is pretty lame... I guess.
Re:A better solution (Score:3, Interesting)
I guess one thing I'm working on is the observation that airport security has NOT improved at all since 9/11 and - in some cases - has even deteriorated. Another thing I'm going by is that Government networks have generally done badly on the computer security front.
All of these indicate that those actually responsible for security in the field feel no real pressure to improve. If there really was an imminent danger, these people should either be feeling the heat from those who would attack them, OR feeling the heat from their superiors, possibly both.
However, all of this relies on a critical assumption that anyone actually involved gives a rat's ass, if they're not the ones actually in any danger. This assumption may well be flawed, as it is not exactly a common human trait to do a job well because someone else might suffer.
Re:I'm not a Californian (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Glad I'm not a Californian anymore (Score:2, Interesting)
The GDP of LA County alone is nearly double that of New Hampshire
New Hampshire ranks 48th in the quality of its colleges according to US News and Reports
Approx. 40% of private sector jobs are provided by foreign-owned companies, the highest of any state
As of 2001, 6.8% of New Hampshire's GDP was exports, second lowest of any state.
New Hampshire received approximately 35% more federal aid than it contributes tax dollars. Compare this to California, who's balance is 28% in the opposite direction.
New Hampshire experienced a decrease in population of nearly 4%.
Based on these facts, New Hampshire is clearly redundant. It offers little that is unique, and economically does very poor. I'm sure that it's a great place to live, but it doesn't cut the mustard when you compare it to other states. Here was my solution:
Combine it with Vermont to form the state of New England, and splite another state into two pieces. The options for that were either Northern and Southern California, or East and West Texas. Admitting Puerto Rico as a state would be considered a last resort.