FROM THE FOLKS WHO BROUGHT YOU 'DUCK N' COVER'

[mburbank]

thank you, government. I will go get my duct tape right away and sleep easier.

[KevinTheOmnivore]

>: :fightterrorism

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/manufacturing/2003-02-13-duct-tape_x.htm

DUCT TAPE MAKERS SWING INTO HIGH GEAR

By Gary Strauss, USA TODAY

Duct tape manufacturers are quintupling production to meet demand from a skittish U.S. public intent on protecting homes from terrorists.

Consumers have snapped up the ubiquitous adhesive since Monday, when federal authorities listed it among key products that could provide protection against chemical or biological attack.

Manco, which supplies Wal-Mart, Lowe's and Ace Hardware under the Duck brand, will boost production at its Hickory, N.C., factory this weekend, adding six shifts. Rival Nashua, which supplies Home Depot, Costco and Auto Zone, began shifting production from industrial tapes to consumer products at its Franklin, Ky., plant Thursday.

"Huge demand started on the East Coast Monday, and it has rolled across the rest of the country as the week wore on," says Gary Holmes, spokesman for Nashua parent Tyco International.

"Sales are unbelievable," says Tom Taylor, president of Home Depot's Eastern division, a 650-store network from Maine to Florida. "There's an incredible rush for duct tape in major markets."

Home Depot began poaching stores in other markets Tuesday and also boosted orders from vendors. On Wednesday, 26 trucks chocked with duct tape and plastic sheeting began resupplying depleted Washington, D.C., and New York stores.

Home Depot outlets in those markets are posting duct tape sales increases of up to 1,000%. As far south as Miami, sales of protective supplies are up 200% to 600%, Taylor says.

Demand also is strong for sheeting, flashlights, batteries and knives amid stepped up security since Friday, when the terrorism threat level was raised to orange, or "high."

Entrepreneurs, using security as a marketing tool, are selling duct tape on Internet auction site eBay.

Duct tape and sheeting is recommended to seal vents, windows and other openings from chemical and biological fallout. Whether that can adequately protect consumers is open to debate; stocking up may be more for soothing jittery souls.

"We don't think anything's going to happen, but it's better to be safe than sorry," says Melissa Jackson of Tulsa, who bought 11 rolls of duct tape.

The adhesive was developed for military use during World War II as a container sealant made from duck cloth. Following the war, it became better known as duct tape for widespread use in sealing ventilation ducts. These days, it's an all-purpose household item with uses as varied as wart removal and emergency repairs. Each year, $300 million worth of duct tape is sold in the USA.

How long will demand last? "When it's a hurricane, we can predict how long," Taylor says. "But this? We're in uncharted territory."
-30-

[mburbank]

I totally PROMISE you it will turn out the major players in the duct tape industry contributed heavily to the Bush campaign.

[GAsux]

All conspiracy theories aside, who are these morons that are rushing out to buy duct tape? I suppose they are the same people who think that wearing Joe Boxers from the Gap will make you infinetely more appealing to the opposite (or same I suppose depending on what you're into)sex.

[Anonymous]

Way to pump money into the economy!!!!!











But seriously... what the hell is plastic sheeting going to stop? Unless maybe it was already up? And then... who could take it down? How long would you have to be in an air tight room to be safe? What is better death by chemical attack or suffocation? This is the lamest scare tactic ever.

I can understand maybe buying clean water. Maybe flashlights. But I think if we did get sucessfully attacked we are pretty much fucked. I am worried though because I do have a sister that lives right near the white house and all that shit. They are scared over there.

[Anonymous]

False Alarm?
Terror Alert Partly Based on Fabricated Information

By Brian Ross, Len Tepper and Jill Rackmill



Feb. 13 — A key piece of the information leading to recent terror alerts was fabricated, according to two senior law enforcement officials in Washington and New York.

The officials said that a claim made by a captured al Qaeda member that Washington, New York or Florida would be hit by a "dirty bomb" sometime this week had proven to be a product of his imagination.
The informant described a detailed plan that an al Qaeda cell operating in either Virginia or Detroit had developed a way to slip past airport scanners with dirty bombs encased in shoes, suitcases, or laptops, sources told ABCNEWS. The informant reportedly cited specific targets of government buildings and Christian or clerical centers.

"This piece of that puzzle turns out to be fabricated and therefore the reason for a lot of the alarm, particularly in Washington this week, has been dissipated after they found out that this information was not true," said Vince Cannistraro, former CIA counter-terrorism chief and ABCNEWS consultant.

It was only after the threat level was elevated to orange — meaning high — last week, that the informant was subjected to a polygraph test by the FBI, officials told ABCNEWS.

"This person did not pass," said Cannistraro.

According to officials, the FBI and the CIA are pointing fingers at each other. An FBI spokesperson told ABCNEWS today he was "not familiar with the scenario," but did not think it was accurate.

Despite the fabricated report, there are no plans to change the threat level. Officials said other intelligence has been validated and that the high level of precautions is fully warranted.

[sadie]

fema says: Ten square feet of floor space per person will provide sufficient air to prevent carbon dioxide build-up for up to five hours.

:rolleyes

[ranxer]

:lol oh man, what a country. :/

i hope yall get out to something tomorrow to excercise yer right of freespeech while its still legal

i thought we've always had terrorist threats but we wernt publicizing it. this is just crazy.. i'd love to put a big pink bag over my house and put a sign out.. "come on you terrorists, i'm ready!"

Liberate America vote at www.votetoimpeach.org

[Malevolent]

Don't forget that some of the increase in duct tape sales can be attributed to Valentine's Day.

[FS]

Nobody gives their girlfriends duct tape for Valentine's. :rolleyes

[Malevolent]

:eek Oh, fuck! I have to run to the mall!

[El Blanco]

Well, I've used it on girls a couple times.

[ranxer]

omg, yer a sick duck blanco.. i'm assuming yer mocking. >:

[Protoclown]

ALL I KNOW IS, I'M GONNA BE TOTALLY SAFE!! IN CASE THE TERRORISTS ATTACK ME WITH FART BOMBS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHILE I AM SLEEPING, I AM GOING TO PUT A PLASTIC WAL-MART BAG ON MY HEAD AND SECURE IT TIGHTLY AROUND MY NECK WITH A RUBBER BAND!! NO BAD AIR IS GONNA GET INTO MY LUNGS, NO SIRREE!!! BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY!!! :dunce

[sadie]

omg! yer a sick fuck, proto. i'm assuming yer mocking. :lol

[FS]

Don't be surprised if this biological attack scare causes a run on auto-erotic asphyxiation fetish movies.

[GAsux]

There'll be no need for that. You can just download my collection on Kazaa.

[FS]

You're ChokeyMcHardon@kazaa.com?