Archive for the 'News' Category

Thank Slashdot for Making My Day Better

This post was in regards to the newly discovered in the wild superheavey element Unbibium, which until now has only existed in the lab.

Research has led to the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction normally taking less than a second, to take from four days to four years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2-6 years. It does not decay, but undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium’s mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes, not to mention multiple oxymorons.

This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. That hypothetical quantity might normally be called ‘critical mass’ but, in this unique case it is known as ‘critical mess’.

When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium (Am), another just-discovered element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

Six Week Book List

As promised, here are the books I will be reading over the next six weeks:

I realize it may have been unrealistic to try to finish Don Quixote from start to finish in one week (what with work and other obligations), but I’m still going to try.  I’ll probably crank out The Metamorphosis in a night, so I guess some overlap is allowed.

I’m also going to, at some point, attempt to tackle Discipline and Punish by Michel Foucault, though I am unsure when I’ll be able to fit it in.

-Russ

“Bush weighs skipping Olympics opening” – CNN.com

Read the article

The White House left the door open Tuesday to President Bush skipping the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics to protest China’s human rights record and its crackdown in Tibet.  White House spokeswoman Dana Perino, however, suggested that the president might attend some of the athletic events at the Olympic Games in August if he skipped the opening. - CNN.com

This is such a non-commital, mastibatory crock of shit position.  I’m disgusted that American athletes are participating this year; the fact that our own politicians seem to think they’re doing America a favor by “considering” boycotting the opening ceremonies is laughable at best, and is open support of human rights abuses at worst.  I guess we shouldn’t be surprised, though, considering many of the new testimonies coming out about our own country’s human rights abuses.

But we don’t want to piss off the country that holds more U.S. debt than any other in the world, now, do we?  After all, we need them more than they need us.  Isn’t co-dependence fun?  And I see we emulate China every chance we get:  we have an increasingly draconian government (NSA wiretaps, anyone?), a two-party political system that might as well be one-party rule given the spinelessness of Democrats, and our very own Chairman Mao (or King George, if you want to take a longer walk down history-lane).  All that’s left is a Tiananmin Square, and we’ll be well on our way to a shiny new iron-fisted police state.

Yes, I’m pissed off today.  I don’t anticipate being any friendlier in the next year or so, so get used to it.  It’s time everyone stopped pussyfooting around the facts and got active.  The President says that he wants to support U.S. atheletes; I say that if the atheletes themselves aren’t boycotting this year’s Olympics, then they’re not worth supporting.

-Russ

Edit: After a short debate with my Mom of all people, she has at least partially convinced me that it is acceptable for an athlete to go to the Beijing Olympics so that their voice against China’s actions in Tibet can be heard.  This is something I support, but with somewhat mixed feelings.

Free Tibet. Boycott the ‘08 Olympics.

I know my own country is in a sad state of affairs right now, so it seems at least somewhat distracting for me to make this post.  But this is an issue for which I hold a great deal of passion, and it would hearten me to see enough people find the will, voice and stamina to stand up against the Chinese government and its imperialistic ways.

My good friend Jory Ayer has set up a group on Facebook that can be joined here.  Boycotting the ‘08 Olympics is just one way to show China that what they are doing is patently wrong.

Also, I encourage anyone who feels as strongly as I do to read about Tibet on Wikipedia.

Remember that it’s not necessarily the loudest voice that is heard; it’s the choir that will not go silently in the night.

-Russ