FAHRENHEIT451 COMES TRUE!

Have you read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury? If not you should. TODAY.

The reason being is that today I found this story.

It seems that Homeland Security may have found a way to circumvent the Fourth Amendment
(unreasonable search and seizure, if you don't know, or'd rather not click the link.)

Firefighters (Men and women trained to extinguish fires) are now receiving additional training to:

"to identify material [books?] or behavior that may indicate terrorist activities" and were also "told to be alert for a person who is hostile, uncooperative or expressing hate or discontent with the United States." reports David Edwards and Muriel Kane Published: Thursday November 29, 2007 on Raw Story.

The story goes on to say:

"Unlike law enforcement officials, firemen can go onto private property without a warrant, not only while fighting fires but also for inspections. "It's the evolution of the fire service," said a Phoenix, AZ fire chief of his information-sharing arrangement with law enforcement."

So, I know my last couple of post have been bordering on governmental paranoia but this is one more red flag that our personal lives are being intruded upon by the public office. The same people we 'elected' to look out for and fight our interests.

Well, I have no interest in being spied upon. Though I'm sure somewhere that some FBI agent is reading my blog and assembling a psychological profile.

How long before the firemen of today completely morph into the firemen written about by Ray Bradbury in 1951?

I think Ill have to go and bury some books in the backyard tonight.

If you'd like to explore more extreme scenarios visit the SHTFBlog.

What say you?

Big Brother Clashes Heat Up

• Reading my morning news sites I found this story about a guy in Tennessee who got busted for using a .30-06 rifle to shoot out cameras with at stop lights. I guess he got sick and tired of being watched over. However, the story indicates he needs some range practice as it took him 3 shots to take out the one camera. Any decent marksman could have done it in one shot.

• Then I find that police in Miami will be adding drones to their skies. I view this as erosion of our personal privacy disguised as 'protection' and 'safety'.
  

"The capability of the unit is phenomenal," said Miami-Dade Detective Juan Villalba.

When will you say something? When the drone is flying over your backyard? Or will it be after they knock down your door because they saw you in the yard sharing some beers with your 18-year old son one summer day?

It is not JUST to keep informed but to RECOGNIZE and ACT.

-Thank you, this has been your daily dose of reality.

Geology Post

After all that excitement of the previous two posts I definitely need to get back to roots. At least for the moment.

Yesterday, I was looking back through some of the pictures and images I got while putting my geology thesis together. I got some really cool pictures and for any of the geologist teachers that may swing through here, feel free to use the pictures for teaching aids.

This is a sketch I made from a thin section (cut parallel to lineation and perpendicular to foliation, is that right? i cant remember) about 9 years ago (*geeze* it dosen't seem that long).
Red/pink colors are garnet.
The green is a chlorite reaction rim contacting the dominantly muscovite matrix.

I believed and still do that there are two generations of garnet growth. The older showing a poikiloblastic internal structure. The younger did not.

On one garnet I highlighted asymmetric quartz tails.
The beige I never actually identify. Though it could have been andalusite. It was very homogenous...almost microscopic oatmeal structure.

Book Review: Good Omens

Good Omens
The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

Authors: Neil Giaman & Terry Pratchett

I just finished reading this book. It, if you couldn't tell by the title and cover, is fiction. In my own words I will attempt to sum the novel up as quickly as possible:

Agnes Nutter was a witch, who in 1655, wrote a book of prophecies. One of which was the exact day the end of the world would come. It just so happens that it is going to be Sunday.

The anti-christ (Adam, somehow fittingly) is re-born in to the modern world. A mix up in the delivery room causes Adam to be raised in the country as a normal boy. The authors do a good job at adding an overshadowing of his true power in his everyday world.

There are two angels, one on the side of heaven (Arizaphale) and one on the side of hell (Crowley). They both live on earth and help people or create problems, respectively. Since they have lived on earth since The Beginning they actually have become quite accustom to life on earth. As a result they are not looking forward to the Rapture. However, since they are here each respective side is sending them to find Adam. It seems that the delivery room mix up caused both sides (Heaven and Hell) to lose track of him.

As the book moves along the heat (pun intended) between the two sides is building and building into the great last battle. More and more weird shit is happening all over the world, like Atlantis rising. Arizaphle and Crowley get more and more frantic looking for Adam. The Four Horsemen appear, riding motorcycles, looking for Adam.

The armies of Good and Evil take the field of battle with Adam, caught, unafraid in the middle. I will not say what happens after this point. But it was a fairly clever solution to destroying all life on Earth.

This is a pretty easy reading book. I particularly enjoy that there were plenty of places to break because I usually only have 20-30 minutes to read at anyone time. I find that when chapters drag on, so can the book. Anyway, If you are looking for a good, fun fiction this could be it for you.

Side thought: I thought this was much better than American Gods also by N. Gaiman.

Creation Museum

Surfing around last night I came across the website for the Creation Museum. Then I found some pictures via Digg apparently taken of the displays. Going through and reading the summary panels of the displays I noticed a couple of things worth noting. I see the words 'probably' and 'legend' being used.

Well then if its a legend IT MUST BE TRUE. Who would make up such a thing?

*Can you hear me rolling my eyes?*

Moving on... take a look a the image below titled (I presume) "Life Recovers":

Anything about that strike you as odd? In the first frame it seems to me that "Organisms changing rapidly as the earth changes" is called EVOLUTION. They even made up a pictorgraph showing an evolutionary chain for the horse.
Then the second frame "Variety recovers rapidly after the flood". The frame is showing the evolutionary changes of the dog. WTF?

Why do the creationists refuse to accept evolution? The bible is a historical document. A very old one at that. Think of the bible as a very old version of the game 'telephone', to take it for its literal word is preposterous.

Believe in science. Believe in facts. Not Legends.

What are your comments?

Gun Rights

There is a big flap in the rags today regarding second amendment rights. In March the US Supreme Court concluded that the 2nd Amendment protects an individual's right to have firearms. The USSC could be taking a fresh look at the whole issue on Tuesday and beyond. Again.

The key phrase in the 2nd amendment states :

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Reading this, the solution seems clear to me. If you wish to have guns, you need to be a part of the militia. I don't think I have a problem with this. Unfortunately the authority is that of Congress and the problem comes when they want to send me to boot camp and force the friggin' government agenda on me. I'm all for protecting my self, family and lands from foreign invaders but I'll be damned if I'm forced to do something outside of my own will. Now, if the authority deferred to my state, I think we are getting somewhere. We could have some basic, and I mean real basic, training in state. Show me how to shoot, how to move and communicate with my fellow militiamen. Just don't make me go to Georgia in August to get yelled at by a jarhead. Its gonna do no one any good.

Sure, I'll take shifts at the former 295 toll booth converted into checkpoint to watch for commies - if the need be. Or creep through the northern Maine woods to blow up a nazi bunker (Return of the Jedi style). But fuck going outside of my own state or country to fight.

According to wikipedia a militia is: "... a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency, law enforcement, or paramilitary service, and those engaged in such activity, without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service."

The worse thing that could come of this is that: if you want a gun you need to join the militia.
The best thing is that things stay as they are. I suspect things will stay as they are.

I am an ordinary citizen.

Bicycle ist

It's either a really fond hobby or an addiction but I came across and bought another bicycle, this time a mid-1980's Shogun 200. It's yard sale cost, $1.00 Dollar. How could I possibly refuse? Then consider that it has shimano hubs, front and rear derailer AND breaks...well there was just no going back.

I have already stripped it and transfered the brakes and seat-post onto my Raleigh single-speed. This bike was originally planned as a fixed gear, but I am laying in wait for a rear fixed hub and currently ride it with the freewheel at 42x16. Its a great city bike- light, silent and could preform too.

I'm not exactly sure yet of what to do with the remaining parts of this Shogun. -????- At this point I am thinking I could add the other Shimano gear to that Peugeot I got a while back and start building that back up. I just finished a pretty decent re-paint job to the frame. So thats an option...

Any random suggestions/ guidance out there?

Art ist

Here is one of a series done by Steve Dean on pages of Jim Morrison's poem book The Lords.

I particularly like the poem because it remains relevant, maybe even more so, today. Comparing the worship of our entertainers to spiritual leaders.

Perhaps this is where some of the faith in the world is being funneled off to?

Have an art-full day.

Cunning Linguist

Im just feeling like a fool and thought it might be fun to throw that title up there.

It makes me laugh. :)