Fusion - full steam ahead

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (Iter) just got France as the host country (after a year and a half of political wrangling over location) and will proceed!! This is awesome. Fusion is a must for Earth to thrive long term.

I must say that Greenpeace opposition to this project is quite misguided and shortsighted. It is a shame that an organization dedicated to a cleaner Earth is opposed to future technologies which hold promise to solve most of our energy needs and at the same time drastically reduce green house emissions from fossil fuels. Ideally, a boundless energy source would usher a new era of prosperity and peace for all! Go FUSION!!

Globalgasm anyone?

From their "What" column:

"Globalgasm is a weekly digital orgy with the intent of healing the planet. Imagine the entire world having sex at once! To participate, simply have a orgasm at the designated time!"

Warning: Not work safe. The link will provide an audible "oh" - as in "oh, i'm coming".

Gotta appreciate a good sense of humor

Come to Poland, the land of model plumbers! ;)

Fun science news

Gotta appreciate "The Register"'s sense of humor!

"There was no mention of whether the results may have been affected by the fact the couples were being watched by a bunch of geeks in white coats while at least one partner had their head connected to a machine that goes bing."


The science news these days is pretty screwy. They report every little study and often you'll read two contradicting stories within a year quoting different studies that oppose each other. They're news agencies, I guess, and so they report it as they find it. Still, this is where the benefit of an editor (science editor?) at larger publications comes in handy.

Update: AP picked it up too.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050620/ap_on_sc/sex_in_the_brain

Sleepless in Chicago?

We must be safe!! Let's close down all the bars so we can get rid of crime, prostitution and littering. Let's vote entire neighbourhoods dry. Mr. Duis reflects perfectly my thoughts on this situation.

"We complain about the fact that we've become cities of strangers," said Duis, "and yet for some strange reason we go out and destroy places where people meet face to face."

***
You know, while we're at it let's just reintroduce prohibition. It is working so well with drugs!

Let it go already...

I cannot believe the Schiavo case is still being thrown around. Now Gov. Jeb Bush wants her husband investigated to see whether he waited too long to call 911. What?! For crying out loud let it go so everyone can get on with their lives.

Conservative = Federalist?

The main problem with Conservatives these days is that they've attached themselves to the Republican party which is wedded to the social/moral conservatives. What ends up happening is that you trample all over your roots in order to implement your goals and satisfy your base. What happened to less government, fiscal responsibility and state's rights?

I am impressed with Rehnquist for staying true to his federalist leanings even in a politically charged case such as a state's right to set its own laws regarding medical marijuana.

***

Of course, this gets rather tricky as Roe v. Wade (abortion) can be thrown into the same bucket. Same with Brown vs. The Board of Education (segregation). Ultimately you could declare all these issues state rights issues that each state should deal with individually. Of course at that point you run the risk of deep differences between the states which could eventually lead to a dissolution of this fine country. A strong central gov't acts as an equalizer - we all give up certain freedoms in order to live together and work further on this careful balancing act. In the end you win some and you lose some.

Like you didn't see that one coming...

The Supreme Court today ruled in favor of the federal government in regards to its power of enforcing the Controlled Substances Act even when states make laws otherwise. The issue was whether growing pot for personal use (no buying or selling occurs) can be connected with interstate commerce - that vague notion that gives the federal government oversight over most aspects of life in the US.

Needless to say that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the federal government. I would be curious to read their full findings (ah, but who has time) as it is hard for me to see how growing pot for personal use affects interstate commerce. If anything it would reduce the trafficking of drugs into this country which should a be good thing.

The issue really comes down to our federal gov't aggressive campaign against "illegal" drugs more than anything else. We are not yet ready as a country to deal with the problem constructively and so prepare for more of the same as we battle the glorious and neverending war on drugs all the while pushing alcohol, caffeine and pharmaceuticals as a healthy alternative! Hypocrisy at its best!!

"Schools restrict use of Tasers"

I just like the headline on this one! ;)) What are Tasers doing in schools in the first place? Where is the Onion headline to counter: "Schools restrict use of broken bottle tops".

You know it is absolutely amazing what passes off as news these days. I am starting a collection of bizzare news items. So far I have two - one about a school performance where the easter bunny gets whipped(!) and the other about a group of scientists disguising a plane as a bird and leading a flock of endangered birds on a migration.

I'll see if I can locate the articles online - they truly are something to behold!

If you're into music...

... you're gonna love the MusicVine - a visual representation of how various bands are connected to each other! Truly awesome!

Update: Just like the Visual Thesaurus.

Buyer beware indeed

Never considered myself naive when it comes to the Internet, but I certainly had no idea - certain online stores change their prices depending on who is buying! WOW! That just seems plain wrong. Give me a discount card or rewards points, but don't unknowingly change your price on me just because I visit or buy from your site (or others) [in]frequently.

The "mermaid syndrome"

OK, so there's actually a mutation that occurs once out of every 70,000 births (not that uncommon considering the extent of the changes) where a persons legs are fused together and the organs in the lower abdominal cavity "modified" to fit. This mutation is called the "mermaid syndrome".

Wow! That is just crazy. A leftover gene from the past? Or perhaps one waiting for the future? Reminds me of "Galapagos" by Kurt Vonnegut - a book I would heartily recommend.