Silly String Saves Lives!

Subject: Silly String Saves Lives!
From: SharonA
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 04:18 PM

News bulletin from the Associated Press...


Dec 6, 2006 3:38 pm US/Eastern

N.J. Woman Collecting Silly String For Iraq

(AP) STRATFORD, N.J. In an age of multi-(m) million-dollar high-tech weapons systems, sometimes it's the simplest ideas that save lives.

That's why a southern New Jersey mom 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 of Stratford learned from her son, a soldier in Iraq.

Before entering a building, troops squirt the plastic goo, which can shoot strands about ten 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.

Now, one-thousand cans of the neon-colored plastic goop are packed into Shriver's garage, ready to be shipped to the Middle East thanks to two churches and a pilot who heard about the drive.

A Stratford, N.J., woman is collecting Silly String to send to her son, who is a soldier in Iraq, and to other troops.

The substance, which squirts out in a stream about 10-12 feet long, is sometimes used by troops to detect wires connected to booby traps.

Checks and names of those with families in Iraq can be made out to Marcelle Shriver and sent to St. Luke's Church, 55 Warwick Road, Stratford, N.J. 08084.

(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Subject: RE: Silly String Saves Lives!
From: SharonA
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 04:19 PM

Oops -- my apologies! Mudelves, please move this to the BS section.

Sorry,
Sharon

Subject: RE: Silly String Saves Lives!
From: jeffp
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 04:27 PM

That's pretty clever. Good low-tech solution.