Friday, July 07, 2006

Polydimethylsiloxane Valley

Whether or not Senator Biden’s quip about Indians and convenience stores was taken out of context, as he claimed on CNN’s Situation Room, or he’s just not too bright, (as I’ve long suspected) and doesn’t think about what he’s saying. He also made two references to “silicone valley.”

Being a true journalist of course, I had to check for myself if it was necessary to have a slight Indian accent to be allowed into a 7/11 and I can testify that, at least in Florida, it is not, and like the Senator from Delaware, I’m not joking either. A plain old Midwestern pronunciation will get you a quart of milk and probably anything else you like.

As to Silicone Valley, I can only assume he was referring to some Delaware equivalent of the Bada Bing and being a married man and one whose wedding anniversary is a few days away, I think I will simply trust that no particular accent is required in that sort of place either.

Silicones or Polysiloxanes, have more to do with anatomical amplification than than the element Silicon, which in monocrystaline form, forms the substrate of many semiconductor devices. This is pretty basic stuff and I’m guessing that most 6th graders would be aware of the difference, IPod brain damage notwithstanding.

It’s embarrassing. Do we need a better example of how someone in power can get away with being ignorant of the basics of the modern world? Well, we have Nukular George with his Fizzible materials, but you really expect more from a Democrat and that’s no joke.

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