My Novels

Friday, December 14, 2001

Beautiful, beautiful day here in the South! The air is rain-washed fresh, and it's in the 50s, just perfect for a long bike ride early this morning. Then I scrubbed the cats' huge sunporch, mopping the floors, washing the many windows. I have a perfect cat-house for my five cats, and they also can come inside via a petdoor, but usually prefer staying out there during the day. Anyhow, I had a busy morning, but finally made it to the computer.

I did some reading first, browsing various news stories. First of all, if you aren't familiar with Nanotechnology, you may not find what I'm about to write about very interesting. If you'd like to learn more about Nanotechnology, go here. Briefly, here's a definition: "Molecular nanotechnology: Thorough, inexpensive control of the structure of matter based on molecule-by-molecule control of products and byproducts of molecular manufacturing."

This is either going to be the BEST thing that ever happened for humans, or the WORST. According to scientist, the bad news is that if abused, this nanotech can create literally a glob of goo that will consume the entire earth! But as they say, the genie is out of the bottle so mainly the scientist are trying to figure ways to prevent this occurring...or from terrrorist getting into the act. This article Nanotechnology: Six Lessons from Sept. 11 --K. Eric Drexler will inform you about how the Foresight Institute is trying to prevent nanotech disasters.

What I often wonder though, is how you can ever prevent such an incident by, not a foreign terrorist, but simply a brilliant American scientist who...for whatever reason, goes off the beam, becomes destructive and then turns against humanity? THAT is the ultimate threat, and please, don't even dare think this couldn't happen. OF COURSE IT COULD. I mean, how do we know that the anthrax sent via the mail wasn't done by some mad genius scientist? I personally don't think some stupid redneck militia type did that, and there's a high possibility that some individual with great lab expertise was the culprit. It's almost a cliche about the 'mad scientist' destroying the world...but a very REAL possibility. And one which, so far as I can determine, there's no way to prevent.

As for redneck terrorist, here's an excerpt from the captured nutcase who sent powder to the abortion clinics:

Clayton Lee Waagner, 45, told the newspaper that he had threatened to kill abortion doctors, but he called the threats lies meant to throw the abortion industry into panic. He said he would not apologize "for making them scared to go to their cars at night."

Waagner said he also thought about actually killing abortion doctors, but changed his mind after the Sept. 11 attacks, which he learned about while hiding out on the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania.

"I love America as much as anyone else," he said. "I just sat there in the woods. I couldn't move. I was in shock. That morning it hit me; I couldn't do it."

Rather than kill abortion doctors, he said, he decided to continue frightening them.


Nothing like a true, blue IDIOT who loves America, huh?

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Here's something that has been a long time coming, but which I believe is absolutely necessary:

From Drudge Report:
The Senate Intelligence Committee has been quietly gearing up for a major hearing, bipartisan -- Democrat Bob Graham, Republican Richard Shelby -- in February, starting in February, a Pearl Harbor-type investigation of the intelligence failure: open hearings, closed hearings, going back to CIA intelligence failures with the Khobar Towers, Supercolumnist Bob Novak reported Wednesday.

"It is going to be a bombshell of an investigation of historic proportions -- a lot of embarrassing red faces resulting from it," Novak added during a CNN session.


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And last but not least, the Pope had to get into the act with a request for fasting. Hey, I used to fast all the time, still do occasionally...but not as a means of 'saving the world.' IF this works (and of course I DO NOT believe prayer is anything but wishful, hopeful thinking), then we're right on the verge of world peace. Yeah, right!

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope John Paul on Friday led the world's Roman Catholics in a day of fasting for global peace in solidarity with Muslims in the wake of attacks against the United States and spiraling violence in the Middle East.

The Pope, convinced that prayer can move minds and mountains, asked Catholics to skip at least one meal if their health permitted it and to give to charity the money they would have spent.


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I've done not one bit of Christmas shopping this year. Other than hanging a wreath on the door, and putting up a few electric candles in the windows, that's been the extent of my decorations. I will buy DH something, but I don't think we're going to family gatherings this year. I just want a day of peace and quiet, and after last year's Christmas fiasco (see Live Journal entries for that) I will not miss it at all.








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