Will we be heading this way?

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/03/international/europe/03PETE.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6210255/EU-funding-Orwellian-artificial-intelligence-plan-to-monitor-public-for-abnormal-behaviour.html

http://www.newsweek.com/id/215564?GT1=43002

The Russians are trying to, in select areas, force people to quit swearing. I understand in certain places, eg. children's schools. obcenity is unwarranted, but doesn't this go a bit beyond even censorship? One of the articles above concerns the funding by the European Union to find means of monitoring for "abnormal behaviour". Who'll decide "abnormal behaviour"? I also wonder how long it'll take before we begin to look into such things here.

Bleh....

I haven't posted in awhile and, to be honest, I really don't feel like posting today. I just feel I need to post something. I'm in a bit of a funk right now; in my life, in my job, in general. I'm not really depressed, or angry. Just bleh.

"Retreat? Hell, we just got here!"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Belleau_Wood

The Battle of Belleau Wood ended 91 years ago today and the U.S. Marines earned the nickname "Devil Dogs".

I wonder about the future of our species...

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/19856092/detail.html

I just shake my head in disbelief...

Not the best thing I've started a morning with...

http://raymankojast.blogspot.com/2009/06/yesterday-i-wrote-note-with-subject.html

If this doesn't tear you up inside and leave your heart a lead weight in your chest; then you're not human. Many people, more eloquent than myself, have commented on how we Americans take things for granted. This shows why our Bill of Rights is so important and worth defending. I feel so sorry for her family and hope that her sacrifice was not in vain.

Cobra wants their Weather Domnator back...

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200907/climate-engineering

It seems that, with the right amount of money, one could possibly affect the climate profoundly. In the wrong hands, we could have a new definition of eco-terrorism.

Today in history...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_Attack
...of course he attacked at night, he's a vampire!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._J._Simpson_murder_case#The_low-speed_chase
...O.J. had a leisurely drive around L.A.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Calvi

...and "God's Banker" had a personal meeting with the Almighty.

More classes...

On Monday and Tuesday, I had to take more classes. These were for a 1B Erosion and Sediment License (assuming I passed the test, of course). If I passed the test, I'll be certified to inspect construction sites to make sure they're using prope erosion control practices. It's not as exciting as it sounds, but, for better or worse, it'll give me something else to do at work.

On this day, in 1864...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cold_Harbor

...Grant finally realized marching on fortified positions was bad. Even though he "lost" the Battle of Cold Harbor, it and the taking of Atlanta pretty much meant the end of the Confereracy.

Even the gods can miss...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31322855/?GT1=43001

Call this kid lucky. If that's not something to tell your grandkids, I don't know what is.

No more fiddlin' for you!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nero
On this day, centuries ago, the world lost a great artist. He was an Emperor, as well !

All I ever get is an old shoe...

From the AP:
MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – Florida authorities say a commercial fisherman reeled in a live missile in the Gulf of Mexico and kept it on his boat for 10 days.
The sheriff's office in Pinellas County says the boat's captain, Rodney Salomon, hooked the air-to-air guided missile 50 miles off the Panhandle town of Panama City. The Air Force and Navy use Gulf waters off the Panhandle for weapons training.
Salomon had the missile aboard his boat for 10 days before returning Monday to port in Madeira Beach, near St. Petersburg.
A bomb squad was called in from MacDill Air Force Base and dismantled the missile in an empty parking lot.
The bomb squad said the missile was very corroded from floating in saltwater for a long time. They said it was live and in a very unstable state.
(This version CORRECTS spelling of captain's name to 'Salomon,' sted 'Soloman,' per update from the sheriff's office.)...
Now, does this guy have any idea how lucky he truly is? He had an unexploded, unstable rocket on his boat for ten days. Why didn't he call someone sooner? Did he I have to finish his trip that badly?

Good times...

Last night, a couple of my buddies, whom I haven't seen in about five years, drop by to do some catching up. We talked politics, history, guns, martial arts, and movies for several hours. In the last few years, I really don't see as many of my "Circle" as I used to, unless it's a "special" event (birthday, funeral, etc.). Last night reminded me that sometimes it's cool to just hang out and talk.

Water Blues

Politically, I consider myself an Independant, though I straddle the line between Libertarian and Republican for the most part. Today, the Libertarian in me is really on the rise as I had to deal with one branch of government I have little use for, the Georgia EPD.
Now, just so people understand, I realize we need an EPD. We just don't need the current, monolithic, Byzantine, unapproachable, bureacratic EPD we have. The town I work for, which will go unnamed, has to turn in six samples a month to check for organic contamination (E. Coli, etc.) to the State labs. Last month, one came back positive, so we did a re-test with four more samples. One of these came back positive (not the same one) so we have to alert every water customer in the City that we may contaminated water. The problem is, any number of things may have compromised the samples. We take these from outside faucets and while the bottles are sterile, the environment isn't. However, there is no appeal process for this situation. We have to notify several thousand people (small town) and let them know the water may have been compromised. Therefore, at the very least, I can look forward to days of people calling me blaming us for diarhea and stomach aches and possibly even lawsuits.

A long month...

It's taken me a long time to actually put up my first post. I've had the account for nearly a month, but different things kept popping up. Some was just laziness in various guises, but most signifigantly was my Father passing away on the 14th of May. It still hurts, probably always will, to some extent, but I'm doing better now. More focused, at the very least.