Capital of Nasty Electronic Magazine Volume I, Issue XI, Year MCMXCVI AD Thursday, September 5th, 1996 ------------------------------------------- 1. More thoughts to ponder 2. "Let's say that..." 3. Project: Build your own A-Bomb. 4. "Which way do I go?" by Leandro ------------------------------------------- 1. MORE THOUGHTS TO PONDER Several years ago the sociology department of Duke University did a study on "Peace of Mind". Several factors were found to contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability. They are: 1. The absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge was a major factor in unhappiness. 2. Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression. 3. Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Co-operate with life, instead of trying to run away from it. 4. Force yourself to stay involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress. 5. Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune. 6. Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues - love, honor, compassion and loyalty. 7. Don't expect too much of yourself. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable. 8. Find something bigger than yourself to believe in. Self-centered, egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness. 9. Don't hurt the ones that love you. If you push them away, you will find yourself alone. - source unknown ------------------------------------------- 2. "Let's say that..." Let's say that I am sad because I have no money. If someone gave me some money, my sadness would probably disappear. But let's say that someone gave me money on the condition that I would remain sad, in the sense that to get the money I had to be sad, would the sadness at that point stay or leave? If I ceased to be sad, that person would want his money back, and I would be sad again, and stay sad, which would give me the right to that money, which would make my sadness go away and the right of having that money (which I keep on talking about, but that I haven't seen yet). So keep your money and leave me with my sadness, or even better, give me that money and take home my sadness. Periodo Blu (Blue Period) Milo Manara (C) 1994 Mondatori ------------------------------------------- 3. Project: Build your own A-Bomb. Introduction: All over the world problems have occured when the United States supreme court, prohibited pubblication from some famous magazines, because they contained instructions on how to create a nuclear device. The court used the exscuse that knowing such things, could be dangerous for the public safety. However, many books in libraries explain how the bomb works and how to create one. This project here described by our amazing CoN scientist, could cost between the $5,000 and $30,000, but it all depends on how fancy the designer decides to make it. Construction method: 1. Obtain some 110kgs of military grade plutonium, for nuclear armaments from your favorite distributor. A nuclear powerplant can be a good place to start, however it is not recommended, as engineers tend to be upset when large quantities of plutonium disappear. We suggest contacting your local terrorist group. 2. We remind you that pure plutonium is somewhat dangerous. Make sure you wash your hands with warm water and soap after the use, and don't let your kids or pets play or eat it. If some plutonium is left, it can also be used as a bug repellant. Give the rooms a good ventilation after the use. If you can't find a place where to store the remaining plutonium, simply use an old coffee container. 3. Construct a metal container in which the device can be placed. The box can be constructed to resemble something else, such as a briefcase, a TV or a Chevy'57. Do not use tinfoil. 4. Divide the plutonium powder in two semicircles, separated by 4cm. Use white glue to keep the plutonium powder from moving. 5. Now take 220kg of trinotrotoluene (TNT/Dynamite). Your handy Homehardware will be probably have a good amount stored, or simply borrow some from the closest mine. 6. Pack the TNT around the two semicircles of Plutonium powder, as described in step 4. Use some plastiline or playdo to maintain the dynamite in place. You can use colored playdo if you want, however it is not necessary to use too much immagination when doing this. 7. Place the described structure in the box you created following step 3. Use strong glue, that will be able to hold for a while. Crazy Glue is fine as well. Attach the structure with the TNT and Plutonium powder in the metal box to prevent explosions caused by unwanted vibrations. 8. To make the structure explode, use a remote control (RC) with servo mechanism, like the ones used in model cars or airplanes. With patience you can build a detonator that will be activated by the servo, which will produce the explosion. 9. Hide the finished object away from the view of your neighbours and from the kids. Don't place it in the garage or in your basement. Humidity and the different temperatures might make the device explode, caused by the low stability that Plutonium seems to have. Under a sink or in your closet will be just fine. 10. You are now the proud owner of a functioning thermonuclear bomb. This can be used to break ice during a party, and with a pinch, to help the national defence. Theory of operation: The device functions this way: when the RC activates the servo, a spark will occur which will make the dynamite explode. With the explosion, Plutonium will be compressed causing an unstable mass. This mass will produce a chain reaction causing the bigger explosion, and here you have it: a megaton explosion. ------------------------------------------- 4. Which way do I go? by Leandro Asnaghi-Nicastro I was sitting at the desk at work, recording sounds with Jason, my Editor at IFront, when the phone rang. It was my friend Neetu, troubled by a question in her Biology class. The question was simple: parents asked you, a doctor, to genetically alter their son, so he would grow taller. It's a simple question really, it wouldn't have taken that much time to answer. But then other kind of questions came to mind: is it ethical to alter genes to make a body different? When I was born, I was made to have this body, with it's problems, it's advantages, it's shape, form, color, smell. It was given to me by God, and for whatever reason I have it, there must've been a reason. I should be honored to have been given the gift of life, and I should take care of this body, as if it was God's and not mine. As a doctor, would I have the right to interfere with the complicated programming within a human? I read once somewhere that "The eyes are the window of our soul", our soul, a form of energy that makes us who we are, and resides in this material body, a body that could be considered like a temple. I would most certainly refuse to alter that child's genetic structure, in order for him to be taller. Neetu pointed out "but what if the family was a family of midgets and they didn't want his son to be teased in life?" I thought about that, but I know that there are other ways to allow a person to grow, surgically for example. I love you for what I learned you are, not for what you look like. Looks matter, but to a point: beauty doesn't keep two people togheter. We must see each other the same way God looks at us: for who we are, not for what we look like. However, I don't believe in God, or at least, in this time of my life, I never felt God was necessary. I never heard His voice calling me, never felt the need of praying to Him and asking for something. Some people even bothered me too much telling me how guilty I should feel for thinking this way, and that I will go to hell. If I was willing to learn about Him, I found myself pushed away, and may I add that hell, to me, doesn't exist. This doesn't mean that I don't take my hat off when I walk into Saint Peter, or that I keep my shoes on if I go inside a Mosque. I respect other people beliefs. I think that what matters is that we are pure and good inside, no matter what the outside looks like. If I was that doctor now, I would probably do that genetic alteration, not because I want to bring disrispect to God, but because I feel the body is mine, I should be able to improve it to make my life better. It is even possible to make life longer, by changing the genetic structure of cells, when they divide, so that they'll keep on doing it, and our bodies would always be young. But what scares me about myself, is that I would love to do all this, without realizing that I am trying to play God myself. -------------------------------------------