Category: Uncategorized

Decomposition of Mercury(II)thiocyanate (Hg(SCN)2)

The decomposition under heat of Mercury(II)thiocyanate. It’s a visually stunning reaction.

According to Wiki, and my common sense (after all, it’s a mercury-containing compound), “Mercury compounds are extremely toxic and protective equipment should be used whenever working with mercury thiocyanate. Mercury thiocyanate is best known for its former use in pyrotechnics, as it will produce a large, winding “snake” when set on fire. This is known as the Pharaoh’s Serpent. Though some people still use it for this purpose, it is generally avoided because of the production of toxic gases when this reaction occurs.”

Mercury(II) thiocyanate (Hg(SCN)2) is an inorganic chemical compound, the salt of Hg2+ and the thiocyanate anion. It is a stable solid at room temperature that has the appearance of white powder with chunks.

The balanced reaction formula is as follows: 2Hg(SCN)_2 + ∆ -→  2HgS + CS_2 + C_3 N_4

I know it doesn’t look as nifty as I could make it look in word or other programs, but I’m kinda limited by what WordPress will allow me to import … >.> Sorry, guys.

And here’s a video of its rapid decomposition under heat (after the bump).

Continue reading “Decomposition of Mercury(II)thiocyanate (Hg(SCN)2)” →

Christine O’Donnel believes that we spend too much money on AIDS

Christine O’Donnel believes that we spend too much money on AIDS treatment and prevention. I believe that we’ve spent too long listening to her. She sounds more like a Phelps-devotee than anything.

A couple quotes to watch for –

“When somebody finds out that they’re at high risk for heart disease, they cut out the fatty foods, they start exercising, they quit smoking. However, our approach to AIDS, when you’re in a high risk behavior, is to eliminate the consequences so that you can continue in your lifestyle which brings about this disease,”

“A lot of the money that we’re spending goes to things that we know will not prevent AIDS, but indeed will continue to spread the disease. A lot of our money goes to distribute condoms in high schools, and a lot of our money goes to distribute material that is literally pornographic.” – O’Donnell, 1997 Cspan interview.
Read more: http://www.cracked.com/funny-6527-christine-odonnell/#ixzz136Wb0Un3

D.A.R.E. – the new Hitler Youth?

 

D.A.R.E. promotional image - included under Fair Use
D.A.R.E. promotional image - included under Fair Use

I happened upon a good article recently – you can, too, if you go here – written by Radley Balko, a senior editor at Reason Magazine and at Reason.com. For the record, Balko was previously a policy analyst for the Cato Institute specializing in civil liberties issues. You can visit his personal blog, The Agitator, here.

So we assume he knows his stuff.

The article he wrote is on the widely-known failure of the D.A.R.E. program in its primary objective – that of teaching children drug abstinence. Further, the article mentions how the kids subjected to the program do things like turn their parents in for drug use.

Let me say that again. These poor brainwashed kids turn their own parents in to law enforcement officials for negligable crimes. These same well-meaning, innocent children are then (of course) ripped away from the parents who raised them well enough to respect the police in the first place, and tossed into the loving arms of CPS. A perfect reward for telling the truth and doing what you’re told.

This has happened more than just once, by the way.

I quote the Schaffer library of drug policy: “A mother and father in Caroline County, Md., were jailed for 30 days after their daughter informed a police DARE instructor that her parents had marijuana plants in their home, according to a story in The Washington Post in January 1993. The Wall Street Journal reported in 1992 that “In two recent cases in Boston, children who had tipped police stepped out of their homes carrying DARE diplomas as police arrived to arrest their parents.” In 1991, 10-year-old Joaquin Herrera of Englewood, Colo., phoned 911, announced, “I’m a DARE kid” and summoned police to his house to discover a couple of ounces of marijuana hidden in a bookshelf, according to the Rocky Mountain News. The boy sat outside his parents’ home in a police patrol car while the police searched the home and arrested the parents. The policeman assigned to the boy’s school commended the boy’s action. ”

And another: “Nine-year-old Darrin Davis of Douglasville, Ga., called 911 after he found a small amount of speed hidden in his parent’s bedroom because, as he told the Dallas Morning News, “At school, they told us that if we ever see drugs, call 911 because people who use drugs need help . . . . I thought the police would come get the drugs and tell them that drugs are wrong. They never said they would arrest them. . . . But in court, I heard them tell the judge that I wanted my mom and dad arrested. That is a lie. I did not tell them that.” The arrest wrecked his parents’ lives, said the Dallas newspaper; both parents lost their jobs, a bank threatened to foreclose on their homes and his father was kept in jail for three months. ”

I really can’t stress enough how much I despise the D.A.R.E. program at this point. *inarticulate rage*

Hey… I’d like to ask you all a favor.

I’m gay.

In my state and many others I’m not allowed to do a lot of things that hetero couples can do. I’m not trying to tell you I’m right in what I like to do in the bedroom, I’m not trying to tell you you’re wrong.

What I am asking for is a simple understanding that regardless of legal or social pressure, I’m going to live my life with a same sex partner.

And since that’s the case, why not let it go and let me be happy? All you’re doing is creating stress, for yourself and for others whom I care very much about.

If you weren’t thinking about what I do behind closed doors with consenting adults, you instead could focus on the very real problems that actually affect each and every one of us. Examples include our borders (leaky like a sieve), our financial system (Wall street debacle no. 543), our educational system (‘is our children learning?’), and elder care – because damnit we owe our grandparents and parents decent care.

Frankly a large portion of our political system per se is in need of a serious reboot. I think we can all agree on that, whatever the specific changes we’d like to see put in place. Let me help. All I ask for in return is an equal seat at the table.

In the meantime, if you’re in support of giving non-traditional households equal rights to caring for each other and providing for each other (and filing taxes with each other) – why not show it?

check this site out: http://marriageboycott.ning.com/

And then, if you don’t mind, answer a simple question.

Equality Ring - Looks as cool as the person wearing it.
Equality Ring - Looks as cool as the person wearing it.

Best quote ever.

Robert Green Ingersoll –

“When I became convinced that the universe is natural—that all the ghosts and gods are myths, there entered into my brain, into my soul, into every drop of my blood, the sense, the feeling, the joy of freedom. The walls of my prison crumbled and fell, the dungeon was flooded with light, and all the bolts, and bars, and manacles became dust. I was no longer a servant, a serf, or a slave. There was for me no master in all the wide world—not even in infinite space.

‘I was free—free to think, to express my thoughts—free to live to my own ideal—free to use all my faculties, all my senses—free to spread imagination’s wings—free to investigate, to guess and dream and hope—free to judge and determine for myself—free to reject all ignorant and cruel creeds, all the “inspired” books that savages have produced, and all the barbarous legends of the past—free from popes and priests—free from all the “called” and “set apart”—free from sanctified mistakes and holy lies—free from the fear of eternal pain—free from the winged monsters of the night—free from devils, ghosts, and gods.

‘For the first time I was free. There were no prohibited places in all the realms of thought—no air, no space, where fancy could not spread her painted wings—no chains for my limbs—no lashes for my back—no fires for my flesh—no master’s frown or threat—no following another’s steps—no need to bow, or cringe, or crawl, or utter lying words. I was free. I stood erect and fearlessly, joyously, faced all worlds.

‘And then my heart was filled with gratitude, with thankfulness, and went out in love to all the heroes, the thinkers who gave their lives for the liberty of hand and brain—for the freedom of labor and thought—to those who proudly mounted scaffold’s stairs—to those whose flesh was scarred and torn—to those by fire consumed—to all the wise, the good, the brave of every land, whose thoughts and deeds have given freedom to the sons of men. And then I vowed to grasp the torch that they had held, and hold it high, that light might conquer darkness still.”

It needed quotation marks, damnit. ^^

Check this out. SOme amazing Crack…ed.

There’s this site called Cracked.com. Amazing little site. Not sure if I believe all their claims, though. Especially on this one. I mean… flamethrowers, for gossake?

So go check this link out, and then fill out the poll. Because I’d like to know what you guys think. Are they blowing smoke up my ass, or can I go flambe the neighborhood for shits and giggles?