Monday, October 16, 2006
Shrink Wrap Yer Dead!
When I worked in a warehouse one summer during college, I shrank wrap plenty
of boxes to ensure stability during transport. Since then, I've seen new uses
for the stuff. Shrink-wrapping boats for winter storage has been a common
practice up this way for several years now. I've even seen small ships
(ferryboat sized) shrink-wrapped. I recently read (Update 2011: Link
gone.) about two new items getting shrink-wrapped: military aircraft and dead
bodies.
Shrink-wrapping helicopters and planes for transport is a great idea. Any
veteran of warfare in the Middle East will tell you how nasty that desert sand
can be to machinery. I wish that I'd saved the article that I read about how
we're wearing out our equipment in Iraq at an accelerated pace due to the harsh
conditions there.
As for the bodies.... eeewwwww.
A Washington state coroner named Terry
Harper secured $30,000 in federal funding for a "mass fatality containment
system" that would swiftly shrink-wrap corpses in the event of a catastrophe.
The machine reportedly takes fewer than two minutes to shrink-wrap a body.
Randy Dutton, VP of FPM, Inc., who shrink-wraps military equipment, suggested
that Mr. Harper switch to a higher grade plastic (that he sells) because,
"Testing shows that corrosive gases will penetrate through plastic film."
Again, eeeeewwwww. I wonder if they'll show that sometime on CSI.
\_/
DED
5 Comments:
 Mike said...-
Ahhhh, I think we've found something that freaks Ded out!
And, it's not just the earmarking of federal dollars either.
Heh, heh.
- 10/17/2006 6:52 AM
 DED said...-
Putrefaction. Rotting corpses. Oh yeah. It's all gross and nasty. And having
it all shrink-wrapped like some sandwich baggy of human goo. Yeah, that skeeves
me out.
- 10/17/2006 10:11 AM
- Alan P. said...
-
shrink wrap's
all right with me.
shrink wrap
is the way it should
be.
shrink wrap
is a good thing.
wrap that corpse
and let it be.
- 10/17/2006 10:36 AM
- Mike said...
-
Mort, that was beautiful. You should call it Leaves of Ass.
- 10/17/2006 11:49 AM
- Mike Eberhart
said...
-
That's just a bit disgusting. But, who knows, maybe it is a good way to keep
any possible biological contamination contained. I guess it is something I would
just rather not think too much about.
- 10/18/2006 1:22 PM
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About Me
Name: DED
Location: United States
I'm a stay-at-home Dad who survived dotcom burnout and a
chemical engineering career that fizzled. While the kids are in school,
I'm free to write stories.
I'm a rational environmentalist, science and technology enthusiast, who leans
libertarian, reads and watches sci-fi, drinks and brews beer, and listens to
metal.
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