Capital of Nasty Electronic Magazine
Volume I, Issue XI, Year MCMXCVI AD
Thursday, September 5th, 1996
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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

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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
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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

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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.
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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.

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