All in the Family featured the curmudgeonly Archie Bunker. Archie was television’s most famous grouch, blunt, blustering, straightforward and untouched by the PC crowd. He was the archetype of the conservative male. Michael desprately tried to reeducate him, but he persisted in his breviloquence.



Looking back at the last 40 years, we realize: ARCHIE WAS RIGHT!

6/01/2013

At Least They Fired the Chick

Newcastle Wyoming

A nuclear reactor built by a Wyoming teenager isn't enough for a science fair that disqualified him from their competition. Fair officials did not censure the teen for building the fusion reactor, but for entering too many science fairs in the wrong order.
Conrad Farnsworth, an 18-year-old from Newcastle, Wyoming, built the reactor in his father's garage. He ordered some parts online, and traded for other parts he needed. Farnsworth is one of only about 15 students to have ever created such a device, and the first from the Equality State.
Farnsworth's goal - one he had worked toward for four years - was to enter the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Rules of the competition allow students to participate in just one regional science fair and later, one larger event, like a state-wide competition in order to qualify.
For those of you who don't know Newcastle Wyoming has one whole stop light and less than 3,000 people living in it.  It's about as po-dunk as you can get without having babies with your sister.  I doubt anyone knew about the "don't enter your working model of a fusion reactor in to many science fairs" rule. 
Because Farnsworth entered both qualifying events, and in the wrong order, the director of the fair, Annie Bergman, reported Farnsworth, and disqualified the teen from the International competition. Her contract was later not renewed by the University of Wyoming who sponsored the event, as officials deemed that she had acted outside her authority.
To me this last paragraph is the most amazing.  Who would have thought that UW would have done such a wise and sensible thing and fire the fruitcake?

3 comments:

  1. Hey, now, I grew up in that podunk town! We resemble that!

    Grew up with this kid's parents and grandparents, too. WTG Conrad! I hope someone at some big engineering school gives you a scholarship.

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  2. I have friends that live there too. I don't get over that way too much anymore but I used to.

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  3. WaterBoy1:49 AM

    Wow, you mean somebody else from Wyoming is on the Internet?

    Will wonders never cease... ;)

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