In June 2010, I penned a quick fan-fic version of Christianity. Why? Because the original story was so full of holes it was, well, unbelievable. An all-powerful god electing to have an avatar of himself executed in ancient Palestine in order to forgive humanity for the single, inherited sin of their original two ancestors? It's a wonder the story caught on at all - presumably, any all-powerful being could have just forgiven us all in the snap of a finger. It's not like we can possibly be held accountable for the sin of Adam & Eve. It makes absolutely no logical or moral sense - even if you grant the liberal Christian theological point that Adam & Eve were metaphors for all of humanity, you're still left with the cold, hard fact that we're still being held accountable for the sins of those who came before us, still being labelled as hellbound sinners at birth (conception, even) and still having our souls held to ransom. We're still being presented with a story which, if we can't believe it, will see us consigned to Hell. Based on that, I concluded that it would make more sense if God simply wasn't omnipotent, even if you grant him omnibenevolence and omnipresence. Accordingly I attempted to present a narrative of Christianity that, although still rooted in the supernatural, made slightly more sense than the one I grew up accepting (grudgingly, at times, until I abandoned it completely).
Well, I read through my original manuscript and decided to make a few small changes (in order to, um, make it more logically coherent). I hope I succeeded.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
First Power Balance, now Radiguard?
On Dec 24 I saw an ad on Australian TV for a button that you stick on your mobile phone to shield you from the dangerous radiation that mobile phones are alleged to cause (according to "studies"). It costs $40. Google around, you'll find the website for the "RadiGuard".
Leaving aside the fact that the actual studies to date done on mobile phone radiation (not the "studies" the commercial referred to) have been at best inconclusive with regard to actual or even potential harm (and here's a nice link on that subject - and that's a site you should visit every day, by the way), here's why this thing is, frankly, a complete scam designed to make you afraid and then capitalise on that manufactured fear:
1. This device is meant to be a radiation barrier, yet you stick it to the BACK of your phone. Shouldn't it be between your head and the phone, i.e. on the FRONT? A barrier is no damn good if it's anywhere other than between you and the hazard. This shouldn't need pointing out. Unless you're more concerned about hand cancer than head cancer.
1a. Perhaps this sticky button is meant to "stop" radiation in a way other than providing a physical barrier? Other than on Star Trek, no "field" exists which can stop EM or IR radiation. There's a reason your radiologist stands behind a big thingy and wears lead underpants.
2. It claims to "block" IR radiation - heat - without itself heating up. In other words it claims to be able to violate physics and destroy energy. Or perhaps it can cool itself at the exact same rate as it heats so there appears to be no change in temperature - the world's most efficient heatsink? Or perhaps it simply transports the energy to another dimension? If any of those apply it'd be no small accomplishment for a device with no power source.
3. It claims to block 99.5% of the radiation your phone emits - without affecting signal strength. Considering most of the radiation emitted by your phone IS the signal, again, that's no small accomplishment.
4. It claims to use something called "Scalar Energy Embedding" ... which does not exist. I don't mind if the crew of the Enterprise string some science-y words together as some kind of plot device, but the crew aren't charging gullible Klingons $40 apiece for sticky buttons and claiming they defy everything currently known about everything and will protect you from the brain tumors that EVERYONE WHO USES A MOBILE PHONE IS GETTING right now - oh, that's right, they're not.
This kind of misuse of the word "energy" - and this whole sordid scam itself - reminds me of those fucking ridiculous rubber hologram bracelets that are meant to make you a better basketball player/golfer/xtreem sports DUDE. And which also cost $40. Hell, even Today Tonight exposed that particular scam for what it was. The sticky radiation guard from THE FUTURE deserves no less.
What to do apart from complain? Bugger alerting the "journalists" at Channel 7 (as they're highly selective about what they choose to call a scam), complain to the ACCC: http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/54217#h3_37 - go to General Complaints.
People have a right to truthful and accurate information about anything they'll potentially spend money on. Lying might not be illegal, but lying to make money is definitely illegal. This product is designed to take advantage of a false sense of insecurity and a lack of scientific understanding. It makes claims about "studies" which are not supported. It makes claims about the danger of mobile phones which are not supported. The claims it makes about its own function are not just unsupported, but pure fiction. Everything we're being told about this product is false, except the price tag (which is the whole point of its existence).
Go, bitch & moan to the ACCC, before someone you love spends their hard-earned on this sticky plastic button in the belief that they're protecting you or themselves from THE CANCER. If you've seen an actual person you love suffer from actual cancer, seeing charlatans attempt to bilk people out of their money using alleged cures or preventions of cancer as the bait should seriously get your back up.
I'm off to write a letter.
Leaving aside the fact that the actual studies to date done on mobile phone radiation (not the "studies" the commercial referred to) have been at best inconclusive with regard to actual or even potential harm (and here's a nice link on that subject - and that's a site you should visit every day, by the way), here's why this thing is, frankly, a complete scam designed to make you afraid and then capitalise on that manufactured fear:
1. This device is meant to be a radiation barrier, yet you stick it to the BACK of your phone. Shouldn't it be between your head and the phone, i.e. on the FRONT? A barrier is no damn good if it's anywhere other than between you and the hazard. This shouldn't need pointing out. Unless you're more concerned about hand cancer than head cancer.
1a. Perhaps this sticky button is meant to "stop" radiation in a way other than providing a physical barrier? Other than on Star Trek, no "field" exists which can stop EM or IR radiation. There's a reason your radiologist stands behind a big thingy and wears lead underpants.
2. It claims to "block" IR radiation - heat - without itself heating up. In other words it claims to be able to violate physics and destroy energy. Or perhaps it can cool itself at the exact same rate as it heats so there appears to be no change in temperature - the world's most efficient heatsink? Or perhaps it simply transports the energy to another dimension? If any of those apply it'd be no small accomplishment for a device with no power source.
3. It claims to block 99.5% of the radiation your phone emits - without affecting signal strength. Considering most of the radiation emitted by your phone IS the signal, again, that's no small accomplishment.
4. It claims to use something called "Scalar Energy Embedding" ... which does not exist. I don't mind if the crew of the Enterprise string some science-y words together as some kind of plot device, but the crew aren't charging gullible Klingons $40 apiece for sticky buttons and claiming they defy everything currently known about everything and will protect you from the brain tumors that EVERYONE WHO USES A MOBILE PHONE IS GETTING right now - oh, that's right, they're not.
This kind of misuse of the word "energy" - and this whole sordid scam itself - reminds me of those fucking ridiculous rubber hologram bracelets that are meant to make you a better basketball player/golfer/xtreem sports DUDE. And which also cost $40. Hell, even Today Tonight exposed that particular scam for what it was. The sticky radiation guard from THE FUTURE deserves no less.
What to do apart from complain? Bugger alerting the "journalists" at Channel 7 (as they're highly selective about what they choose to call a scam), complain to the ACCC: http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/54217#h3_37 - go to General Complaints.
People have a right to truthful and accurate information about anything they'll potentially spend money on. Lying might not be illegal, but lying to make money is definitely illegal. This product is designed to take advantage of a false sense of insecurity and a lack of scientific understanding. It makes claims about "studies" which are not supported. It makes claims about the danger of mobile phones which are not supported. The claims it makes about its own function are not just unsupported, but pure fiction. Everything we're being told about this product is false, except the price tag (which is the whole point of its existence).
Go, bitch & moan to the ACCC, before someone you love spends their hard-earned on this sticky plastic button in the belief that they're protecting you or themselves from THE CANCER. If you've seen an actual person you love suffer from actual cancer, seeing charlatans attempt to bilk people out of their money using alleged cures or preventions of cancer as the bait should seriously get your back up.
I'm off to write a letter.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Resolution time
In no particular order:
10. Infiltrate a troupe of baboons; strive to be recognised as one of them; attain alpha male status; create super race of manboons
9. Make time to begin thinking about writing that short story about the novel I once imagined I could write an extremely vague outline for
8. Sell everything I own on ebay and then buy it all back to see how much money I can save
7. Construct a voodoo doll of [name redacted; you'll know who it is when it happens]
6. Contemplate storyboarding a short film about resolution number 9^
5. Be the best lazy drunken father I can possibly be (lazy drunkenness permitting)
4. Start my own clandestine suburban paintball car safari business
3. Ask somebody in a grey suit why "stop the boats" applies to brown people fleeing for their lives but not to Japanese whale-scientists
2. Write more songs about zombies
1. Do lots of silly shit I can resolve to never do again
0. Get in a car with a stranger
And many, many more ...
Sunday, January 2, 2011
My music: From The Ashes - Through The Looking Glass
Happy 2011 C.E.
This tune, "Through The Looking Glass", was recorded on NYE at Alexandra Gardens in Melbourne and features yours truly on vocals.
Find us on nerdbook.
Enjoy.
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