Forums: Static Apnea

SACRAMENTO – With every budget proposal, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger repeats his mantra. “I will not raise taxes on the people of California because they are already paying enough taxes,” Schwarzenegger said last month as he unveiled his plans to attack a potential $14.5 billion budget gap. Nearly three weeks later, he reiterated that pledge. Speaking to newspaper publishers, Schwarzenegger said, “Raising taxes is out of the question because you can't tax your way out of this problem.” Yet, by substituting fees in lieu of taxes, Schwarzenegger proposes to reach into the pockets of motorists, disabled Medi-Cal recipients and homeowners for...

Lunar settlements could face high-voltage sparks.Lunar colonists could be in for a nasty shock — literally. A team of US scientists has found that the Moon's surface can become charged with up to several thousand volts of static electricity1. This charging could release sparks that disable electronic equipment — including monitors, space buggies or even the front door of a Moon base. And it could cause dust clouds that clogs up instruments. What's worse, it can be caused by bad weather in space: just when astronauts need their equipment to give them warning and allow them to shelter from the...

A North Attleboro man faces financial ruin because he built a new home so close to dangerous high-voltage transmission lines that fluorescent bulbs inside the house light up without even being plugged in. The electric currents running through the two-story home are considered so potentially harmful that the town’s fire department has strung “caution” tape around the house while an electrical inspector has refused to issue a final permit out of fear someone might get electrocuted. The home’s metallic door knobs and exterior shingles give off mild electric jolts when touched, while flowing currents are strong enough to light up...

Renewable Energy Problems ? Berlin: A German inventor, who says he has developed a way to make crude fuel oil from paper, rubbish, and plastics has found himself under attack. A local newspaper reporter somehow concluded he was making oil from dead cats ,and the published story set off a geyser of protest. “No, nay, never !” , responds the inventor. “It’s all paper , plastics, and rubbish.” “At worst “, he concedes , “the odd toad may have jumped into the batch.” Sidney: An Australian man, who was wearing a woolen shirt and a nylon/synthetic jacket , is reported...