Nuclear Manicous

Pretty busy day today, having finished a book I'm reviewing and doing mundane things before writing the review to clear my head: cleaning the desk, getting stuff I need for some yardwork this weekend, re-reading a business proposal request, analyzing web statistics, some minor shopping that keeps me in beans and, just now, taking potshots at the manicou as it traversed the fence with my wristrocket.

All in a days work.

But all week, I've been filing away questions that I'm supposed to come back to, and I figured it might be amusing to have everyone take a stab at them. So here we are.

Nuclear Energy

We all know North Korea made a boom noise earlier this week, and diplomatic circles are running in... well, let's just say that now we know why we call them diplomatic circles.

(1) I then realized that there is no nuclear power in South America. The nuclear power close enough to South America is pretty much dominant in this regard - but what if someone like Hugo Chavez decided to build a nuclear reactor? Venezuala - which is doing better with China than North Korea - would probably be the most likely candidate simply because of Hugo. Not that he would do it, but let's say he did. What would happen then?

(2) What would happen if Mexico started a nuclear power plant?

(3) What would happen if Canada started a nuclear arms program?

See, it's kind of weird that the only people who want nuclear weapons these days are countries that are supposed to be naughty - Iran and North Korea is what the news tells me. What if an un-naughty country like Switzerland started a reactor which could manufacture weapons grade uranium as a byproduct?

Which country owns the most nuclear power plants, including assets at sea (which is a hint and a half)?

Maybe the real danger is that virtual micronations may get nuclear weapons.

Nuclear energy has substantial benefits, or it wouldn't be in use as much as it is - and it is used a lot more than most people realize - and quite safely. And it is not difficult to see that nuclear powers play cards on a separate table. If you want to get into that game, you have to ante up. Once you do ante up, nobody can ask you to leave the table because you brought your own chair and nobody wants you to get up and stop playing. You might cash in your chips. So it's very attractive to get into that game, because that table determines the odds on the regular tables.

I wonder if the manicou had a wrist-rocket if we would be sitting on the front step negotiating which fruit trees he could use, and how often.