chemistry induces thought

This week I have discovered that Chemistry is indeed good for something after all. Knowing about atoms and elements and moles and such does not seem to have an impact on my life. Nonetheless, being in Chem has brought about some thoughts that might impact my life...

Thought Number One, concerning government regulation and my probable Libertarian future

For Chem lab we have to have lockers full of the beakers, little glass stirring rod thingies, Nichrome triangles, etc. The university of course does not want these things stolen, so guess what, we have to personally go buy locks to put on their lockers full of their stuff. This really was not so bad, since they sell locks at the BC where I can use up my dining dollars. However my lock was not of a cooperating nature. It took several tries to get it to open. Then, yesterday, we had Lab number two which required me to try to get the thing off the locker. The lock did not feel like coming off. And since it's steel and I'm...composed of other molecules, it won.

I had to go get the guy from the store room to break it off for me. He said he was so sorry he had to do this, but there was pure joy on his face as he got out his tools and the other person at the store room was laughing at him. So the lock came off at last...but the story does not end, because of course I had gotten some valuable insights from this little endeavor.

First of all, a lock that I KNOW the combination to should never have to be broken off! So who's fault is it that I would up with a stupid lock that wouldn't turn right? Is it my fault for buying it? Nah, of course not. How am I supposed to know it was a piece of junk? So that makes it the manufacturer's fault. So why does this company exist if they make junk?? Why doesn't someone shut them out of business? There's laws that require warnings on food (Ingredients: peanuts. Warning: may contain nuts) and cigarettes and hair dryers and yeah, you get the picture. Why isn't there a law that requires locks to have warnings ("will not turn. You will have to get the stock room guy.")? But wait...should there be such a law?

Basically, this all boiled down in my head to that government does not need to regulate locks because they regulate too much already.


Thought Number Two, in which Sara discovers in one more way that the Bible is not just another book

So today I dutifully went to Chem lecture. Chem lecture is rather pointless, perhaps even more so than Chem recitation, if such a thing could be. As I was waiting for the boredom to commence, I was reading my Bible. Along came a spider...I mean, this guy I know but I can't remember his name. I feel bad asking him because I have already talked to him on more than one occassion on various topics like music, Hot Topic buttons that say "You non-conformists are all alike", stupid combination locks, and Chem homework. Anyway, so he looks at me and goes, "So are you in Ethics class?" And I say, "uh, no." And he says, "So you're just reading the Bible for fun?" And I'm like, "Yeah, pretty much." And then he asks if he can borrow it! Turns out he *is* in Ethics and they are supposed to read some verses. He also said he goes to a church that I went to once. And his take on Ethics is pretty much what I figured it would be--they can't really tell you anything for sure so they tell you everything. Grr don't get me started.

My point here is that I have noticed that people take note when you are reading the Bible. Especially during a Chem lecture (although I think I finished before the professor began.) If I were reading my French book (which could use some attention about now...) or a romance novel or People, people might say something. But the Bible...that always seems to produce some response, from "weirdo" to "holy little girl...guess I won't invite her to that frat party after all" to "hey, what's in that book anyway?". I am glad for my new habit of reading the Bible in random weird places. Who knows..perhaps God has a purpose for it!

Some Concluding Thoughts
So, if you feel like entering into a discussion about when/if government regulation is good or bad or both, go at it! In Comm class today we talked about radio was regulated by the government. In Soc class we were talking about whether to look at things from the perspective of society as a whole or as individual choices. Is buying a bad lock a bad personal choice that needs to be addressed individually? Or is it merely one outcome of a plague of society (bad products on the market) that needs to be solved as a societal problem, i.e. by the government?

Final Concluding Thought to a Too-long Post
I really need to get back to those atoms and elements and moles and stop conjecturing.