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Home Science Under Attack In Massachusetts
An anonymous reader tips a guest posting up on the MAKE Magazine blog by the author of the Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments. It seems that authorities in Massachusetts have raided a home chemistry lab, apparently without a warrant, and made off with all of its contents. Here's the local article from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. "Victor Deeb, a retired chemist who lives in Marlboro, has finally been allowed to return to his Fremont Street home, after Massachusetts authorities spent three days ransacking his basement lab and making off with its contents. Deeb is not accused of making methamphetamine or other illegal drugs. He's not accused of aiding terrorists, synthesizing explosives, nor even of making illegal fireworks. Deeb fell afoul of the Massachusetts authorities for... doing experiments... Pamela Wilderman, the code enforcement officer for [the Massachusetts town of] Marlboro stated, 'I think Mr. Deeb has crossed a line somewhere. This is not what we would consider to be a customary home occupation.' Allow me to translate Ms. Wilderman's words into plain English: 'Mr. Deeb hasn't actually violated any law or regulation that I can find, but I don't like what he's doing because I'm ignorant and irrationally afraid of chemicals, so I'll abuse my power to steal his property and shut him down.'"
Better living through chemistry!
Please make note that there are ignorant LEFTIES as well, and that this didn't occur in some religious-frenzied backwater.
This guy appears (based on depictions in the article) to be running an industrial grade chemical lab in his home. That is the kind of lab you might see grad students and professors in at the Chemistry building in a nearby large college or at the research building of a company that makes or uses chemicals. This sure sounds like it is NOT a home chemistry set used for educational purposes (that have only small volumes of 20 to 40 chemicals). The kind of lab this guy apparently has is not appropriate for a residential neighborhood. He should have rented some space in an industrial office park, or moved out into a rural area, or tried to make arrangements with a nearby college.
This is probably news on Slashdot just because it is Massachusetts, which is associated with the city of Boston, which has a bunch of idiots running things there. So Slashdotters and other geeks are always looking for the next screwup in or near that city. But this isn't it. Move along, but keep looking as there is sure to be a genuine screwup somewhere in and around Boston.
now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
That may be true, but a typographical error can still result in incorrect grammar, which when the original comment is about the school system, is tremendously ironic.
Damn. Why do I need to explain this stuff to a stupid AC?
Do a bit of research? RTFA. Research?! Are you trying to encourage people to break the law?
As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
Um, "Jesus" cannot be a copyright. But it IS a trademark of the Republican party.
Don't forget, Jesus(TM) died so members of the Republican Party can be forgiven for their sins.
Now, the RP also has the copyright for The Bible...
Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
The US really shouldn't allow things like in-home laboratories... This is no longer the time for developments the likes of which this guy was involved in. Really, read the second paragraph. Does the US want that kind of person and those kinds of developments occurring in our country again? We need to focus on watching TV a bit better.
Government by the gun is the most democratic of all.
"God made men, Sam Colt made them equal."
Virginia is for lovers. EVE is for griefers.
Is there any blame necessary? Or are you following the lead of an over-reaction by the poster, some right wing anti-guvment type?
Look at these direct quotes from the article:
> Firefighters found more than 1,500 vials, jars, cans, bottles and boxes in the basement Tuesday afternoon, after they responded to an unrelated fire in an air conditioner on the second floor of the home.
>
> Vessels of chemicals were all over the furniture and the floor, authorities said.
>
> Pamela A. Wilderman, Marlboro's code enforcement officer, said Mr. Deeb was doing scientific research and development in a residential area, which is a violation of zoning laws.
If I was a neighbour or someone renting a room or floor in their house, I'd be thanking GOD the fire department noticed that place before I died in a fire fed by "1500 different chemicals ... (that were) all over the furniture and floor".
If he wants to do science with 1500 chemicals, he should rent a space in an industrial park. Then the fire department can use Fire Codes to force him to properly label and store his shit according to the appropriate guidelines.
My question would be if they were working a fire in a window unit on the second floor, what were they doing in the basement?
You fail at pretending to be a volunteer fireman.
M0571y H@rml355.
should delete themselves off slashdot, as should you. If you're anti-science, you have no place here. Most of those chemicals are probably more dangerous than table salt, and the user is a qualified professional chemist.
The code enforcement officer's irrational fear does not justify yours. Or your spewing it all over slashdot.
It's dumbasses like you who are the reason why the US is slipping behind the rest of the industrial world in science education. Your kind of nanny-state horseshit is why high school students watch chemistry experiments on video instead of doing real lab work and why parents who want their kids to learn real hands on science instead of computer simulations can't get decent home chemistry sets anymore.
Tech Public Policy stuff
1957 was not the 1960s. By the 1960s, the Dixiecrats had given up being actual Democrats, and joined the Republican Party.
1964 was in the 1960s that you would proudly have called yourself a Republican in. That was the year that the actual law that we actually call the Civil Rights Act actually passed. Solidly opposed by only Southern Republicans and a few strays elsewhere. Southern Republicans which included those ex-Democrats. Who were proud enough to call themselves Republicans in the 1960s that they adopted the name professionally. Strom Thurmond, the ultimate Dixiecrat, turned Republican for the vast majority of his long racist career, starting in 1964 against the Civil Rights Act.
So I can see why you'd have been proud to call yourself a 1960s Republican. Because you'd rather cook up some other Civil Rights Act that isn't the one we're talking about. Because you'd rather use the 1950s as an example than the 1960s we're talking about. Because you evidently have no problem whatsoever doing everything you could to elect Nixon. All of which is consistent with being a Republican today.
Congratulations! You're a proud Republican.
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make install -not war