Silly String Finds Serious Purpose In Iraq

[OhioChick]

POSTED: 5:15 pm EST December 6, 2006
UPDATED: 5:43 pm EST December 6, 2006

STRATFORD, N.J. -- In an age of multimillion-dollar high-tech weapons systems, sometimes it's the simplest ideas that can save lives. Which is why a New Jersey mother is organizing a drive to send cans of Silly String to Iraq.

American troops use the stuff to detect trip wires around bombs, as Marcelle Shriver learned from her son, a soldier in Iraq.

Before entering a building, troops squirt the plastic goo, which can shoot strands about 10 to 12 feet, across the room. If it falls to the ground, no trip wires. If it hangs in the air, they know they have a problem. The wires are otherwise nearly invisible.
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/10477615/detail.html

[Fridays Child]

1. That's pretty cool.

I'm for anything, no matter how unlikely, that keeps our soldiers alive.

[AIJ Alom]

2. Thank God for intelligent troops at the grunt level who try their

darndest to compensate for the idiots at the highest level of government.

[SeattleGirl]

3. Hey, whatever works to help them stay alive.

Thanks for posting the story, OhioChick. :thumbsup:

[Ian David]

4. The government won't pay for it, though. n/t

[lapfog_1]

5. Quick, let's come up with a new name and new packaging.

I'm sure there will be a no-bid contract soon to sell it at $500/can to the DOD.

The "IED remote triggering detection system" using "advanced molecular structures of long polymer chains".

(I used to evaluate bid proposals for NASA - can't tell can you?).

[Vox Acerbus]

7. I know!

"Serious String" - $400 a canister, sold by Halliburton in a no-bid.

Hell you know it'd work.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

9. Serious string!

:rofl:

[juajen]

10. My hubbie says it should glow in the dark so

it can be used at night and in dark places.

[XanaDUer]

14. Freedom String!

nt.

[lapfog_1]

20. I see your icon is all ready to go for the "Freedom String Marker"

all hail the FSM. Our soldiers path to a safer path, er...

[proud patriot]

6. Wow , great idea

who would have thought silly string could save lives :wow:

[Maddy McCall]

8. Here's the downside: Govt won't supply silly string. Families have to.

Something that's only $1/can and can save numerous lives.

[Missy Vixen]

11. Okay, I read the article

It's not possible to mail the cans. I thought it would be great to organize an effort from here.

Let's hope that the woman collecting the cans can find a pilot who's willing to fly them there.

Julie

[pdxmom]

12. And we've spent how much money to prosecute this war??? Our

men and women on the ground are the ones that should be in charge. They are the only ones with any sense.

[TexasLawyer]

13. probably illegal under USPS rules to ship

Silly String is under pressure and it is highly flammable, two no-nos for shipping by US mail.

Not that this will stop people, but if the box is inspected by postal inspectors it might be tossed.

[napi21]

15. Actually, you should be able to get an OK to send it, they just want to know

what they have. The company I worked for used to import nail polish and many different perfume fragrnaces (that were under pressure), and although we did have most shipped via cargo ship, we also had quite a few pallets shipped by air. We also were adistributor to many smaller retailers, and as long as we labeled the packages properly, we could ship them by air. I think they just need to know what they have so they know how to handle it and where to pack it in the plane.

[Clark2008]

16. Did you read further down in the story?

Also, soldiers put condoms and rubber bands around their rifle muzzles to keep out sand. And troops have welded old bulletproof windshields to the tops of Humvees to give gunners extra protection. They have dubbed it "Pope's glass" -- a reference to the barriers that protect the pontiff.

I say we piss off the fundies AND help support the troops by sending them boxes and boxes of condoms, too.

:evilgrin:

[shadowknows69]

17. I would think it would be heavy enough to trigger a trip wire

but anything that helps is a good thing.

[Nickster]

18. Cynical ole me...I'm just waiting for them to say that the Pentagon will deny insurance for

anyone that dies whilst using silly-string, like what they did when soldiers were getting body armor from their families. If Halliburton doesn't get a cut of the silly-string business, then no one can.

[The_Casual_Observer]

19. Some defense contractor will catch on, repackage it & sell it to

the government for $1000 a can.

[OhioChick]

21. Kick for the Morning Crowd.

:kick:

[1932]

22. Silly String (TM) must have a great PR firm.

I've seen more Silly String references in media (and I've seen more Silly String in public) in the last six months than I've seen in the last ten years.

Someone is working really hard for Silly String.

[Patsy Stone]

23. Kick

If for nothing else but the "Serious String" comment. :rofl: