posted 03-13-2008 01:55 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Lunar rock nut:
BTW I believe there is a law in the works here in Oklahoma to ban billboards maybe it will pass and other states will follow suit.

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posted 03-13-2008 08:00 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Rizz:
Because they are an eyesore on the landscape.

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They are?

Seems to me they are only placed along highways, which is already an eyesore on the landscape. If you want to enjoy the landscape, you should move off the road. I don't think they put billboards in those places.

Billboards provide a service. I suspect all of us have used them from time to time when traveling. Do we really need to ban them? Really?

I read an article many years ago by an East German who had traveled to West Germany and was discussing the differences he noticed. One of them was how dynamic and alive West Germany seemed because of its billboards. He just thought they were beautiful, as if something was happening and colorful and possible.

I'll never forget that. Something we take so for granted that might symbolize living to another.

I hope the Oklahoma bill fails. They help me know where I might find a cool drink when I am a thirsty traveler. Let me know I only have 3 miles before I can lay down and rest. Once in a while a good one might make me laugh.

posted 03-13-2008 10:19 PM            

Most of the billboards were just plain ugly & useless.

"Why Pay a Fee to use the ATM, It's your money?"

and countless other ads.

I was just offering a reason to ban them.

Doesn't really matter to me, we dont have any where I live and its kind of nice.

Rizz

posted 03-21-2008 12:22 PM               

Then, as it turns out, the folks at badastronomy.com had debunked it pretty well a couple of weeks ago. I'll end this post with a quote from their website, but first I'll say that the Rolling Rock site does have a feature where you can post a message by clicking on a spot on a large picture of the moon, and others can click on your dot to read what you wrote. I thought some cS members might have fun with that.

Here's the quote from badastronomy.com (in which I notice a "Real Genius" reference! Is that a trifecta?):

quote:

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Realistically, it's not possible to do what they want to do. The Moon is a quarter million miles away, and lasers spread. Even tightly focused beams will spread out hugely by that distance. That means the power gets spread out, so the laser is pretty dim by the time it gets to the Moon.

Then, the light has to be reflected back to the Earth. The Moon is really not terribly reflective; its average albedo is about 12%, which means it reflects only 12% of the light that hits it. So you lose 7/8 of the light you send there anyway.

Of course, a laser powerful enough to overcome all this would probably have military applications, since it would have enough power to slice an incoming missile in half. Calling Chris Knight and Mitch Taylor! I imagine the FAA might be a little concerned about planes in the area, too. Any birds that happen to fly too close might be fried... hmmmm, does crow go with beer?

And, duh of duhs, they say they are doing this during the full Moon, when the surface of the Moon is lit up by the Sun! The best time to do this would be around first quarter, when the Moon is half dark, and up during the early evening. That way the surface is dark and provides contrast, and more people will be around to see it.

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posted 03-21-2008 07:15 PM               

This is about the same level of mentality as having an electric car crash up derby on the Moon ala Idiocracy.

posted 03-21-2008 07:52 PM               

While advertisers can sometimes create trends, they more often exploit them. As such, they can be a good indicator of what the public finds interesting or cool.

That a beer company's ad agency thinks that the Moon is of enough interest to drive sales of their product, well, that should be something space enthusiasts should find encouraging!

The longer we treat space as a pristine environment and not an extension of our own domain, the longer it will take before it becomes part of our environment.

You rarely hear a space enthusiast complain about the opening space scenes of "2001: A Space Odyssey", even though it depicted a future full of advertisements.

posted 03-21-2008 10:18 PM               

IMHO, what concerns me for possibilities generations down the road is that precedents will be interpreted from today's actions.

Here is the line of thought:

1. In 2008, a company attempts to create a laser logo on the moon. While the attempt did not work, the company went without any sanction.
   
2. In 2020, a company succeeds in projecting a logo. While there is protest, the argument is stated: "Well, this company attempted it earlier without any penalty."
   
3. In 2040, a corporate sponsored base is built.
   
4. In 2060, the corporate base builder makes roads and structures that create its logo viewable from Earth. It defends itself based on reasoning of the first three precedents.