Happy Pi Day, everyone! Today is March 14, which corresponds to the first three digits of pi: 3.14! The most revered time on Pi Day is 1:59, because pi approximately equals 3.14159! In honor of Pi Day, here are some interesting pi links:
http://www.joyofpi.com
http://mathforum.org/dr.math/faq/faq.pi.html
http://www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/pi/
Also, a brief Entwistle update: Neil’s next court appearance, which was scheduled for tomorrow, has now been pushed back to April 18 because prosecutor Michael Fabbri needs more time to present his case before the grand jury. Entwistle will probably be indicted then at Framingham District Court, and later he will be arraigned for a second time, this time at Middlesex Superior Court. He will be able to enter a new plea and request bail if he wishes. The Middlesex Court, which is in the same building as the prison where Neil resides, is where his trial will take place.
For a plethora of Entwistle stories, go to the Boston Herald.
One of the most fascinating stories is this article about the Middlesex Jail.
Former Yugoslavian dictator Slobodan Milosevic was found dead in his cell this morning. Apparently, he died of natural causes. Milosevic was ousted from power a few years ago and was being tried for war crimes by a United Nations tribunal in the Hague, the Netherlands. He was 64 years old. Tomorrow, Dutch doctors will conduct an autopsy.
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Matt Dubay is a glorious hero! This Michigan man believes that men should not have to pay child support if they did not want a baby. He is the first person I have ever heard of, besides myself, who believes this. The woman that took advantage of Dubay in order to get herself pregnant insisted on keeping her baby, even though he wanted it to be given up for adoption. The law required Dubay to pay money to this woman and to the baby merely because it shares his DNA. The concept of child support is ludicrous. It is analogous to forcing a person in Massachusetts to pay for an iPod that a random, unrelated person in California decides to buy. There is absolutely no moral connection between Dubay and the baby. Because he did not choose to have it, he is completely unrelated to it. In this case, the woman is solely responsible for producing the baby, and therefore for dealing with the baby, because she is the one that wanted it. Dubay has initiated a motion to overturn unjust child support laws in his state, and I support it with all my heart. This man is a hero for opposing injustice and state-sponsored theft.
The 12 “American Idol” finalists have been selected, and I do not agree with America’s choices. Although the ejections of Gedeon and Kinnick were just, I really liked Will and thought he deserved to stay. The worst choice by far, however, was to vote out Ayla in favor of Melissa. Ayla could sing better than Melissa, dressed better, and had a far better overall image than Melissa. I really enjoyed Ayla’s performance of “Unwritten” on Tuesday, as well as all of her other performances to date. Melissa’s most recent performance was her best, but I did not like any of her previous performances, and I bet her good performance was just a fluke.
Well, at least Bucky is still in the competition. I thought he was going to be voted off when it came down to him and Gedeon. I was also surprised, but delighted, that Kevin got a spot in the top 12. I like him because he is unique and appealingly funny-looking, but did not expect most people to agree with my opinion. At this point, my favorites among the boys are, from best to worst, Bucky, Chris, Taylor, and Kevin. My favorite girl is Kellie. None of the other girls have proven themselves particularly noteworthy yet.
Another complaint I have is about the “Idol” voting system. Last night my family repeatedly tried to call in our votes, but were unable to get a single vote in. I fail to see the point of a voting system in which not everyone who wants to vote gets to. It’s like having a presidential election and making a rule that only the first 100 people to arrive at the polling station get to vote. Prospective voters would be running like lunatics, pushing and shoving each other, and only the strongest and most vicious would get to vote! Systems in which not everyone can vote are unjust and produce results that do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the people.
Last night’s Academy Awards were actually more just than I anticipated! Of course, the nominations were way off base, since, among numerous other atrocities, neither “The Chronicles of Narnia” nor “Because of Winn-Dixie” was nominated for best picture. However, “Narnia” won an award in the Best Makeup category, one of three categories in which it was nominated! Congratulations to the makers of this outstanding movie. What’s more, “Brokeback Mountain” lost in the Best Picture category! For the full list of Oscar winners, go to Oscar.com.
In other news, Governor Mike Rounds of South Dakota signed that state’s anti-abortion bill into law today. Although Rounds is a Republican, I strongly disagree with him on this issue! The bill bans all abortions, except for those that are necessary to save the woman’s life. This law is a violation of what is believe to be the inalienable right not to have a baby. It is an oppressive bill and should be abolished! I look forward to a Supreme Court showdown sometime in the future.
The newest “American Idol” castaways are Brenna, Heather, David, and Sway. Overall, I agree with America’s taste this week. Brenna and Heather were among the worst of the girls, and Sway and, to some extent, David, were among the worst of the boys. Currently, my favorite girls are Paris, Ayla, Kellie, and Lisa, in that order, and my favorite boys are Bucky, Chris, Will, and Ace.
