Updates updates updates

Okay, so I've not got around to doing this for longer than I thought.  Where to begin?

Birthdays were good, had a party on the island with friends, one with people from work and one in the UK with friends there.  Sorry I didn't get to see everyone.  Was a little annoyed on the flight over to the UK; on the day of my birthday no less, we were all waiting in the airport for 5 flamin' hours as the airport was fogged out, but we got there in the end.  No they wouldn't let us leave the airport as we had checked bags in.  Bah!  Anyways...

Went offroading with Matt, one of the guys from work; he has a specially modified monster land-rover, and I got to drive it too!  Woo!
The contract I've been working on for the last 10 months came to a close with a big, paid for, work's party!  We went go-karting, slap-up chinese meal and then onto the town 'till late.  Job matters are continuing on an upward trend, being impressed with my previous work I was made an attractive offer to work on another project within the same organisation and I am now working for them directly, through my own consultancy company.  Say hello to BPS Limited (I've not decided on a hostname yet, so no website).

Acquired more Stuff: Got the new fridge in June, which was officially opened, with brass plaque and much fanfare. (Video upon request   I got myself a new graphics card, the Gigabyte 6600GT VIVO for use with BF2, and GTA:SA.  Though I've not installed the card or the games yet, the new job is keeping me busy at the moment.  I was going to do it last weekend but...

I went camping with some friends and friends of friends down north of the island (north is "down" on the IoM).  Though I cheated and didn't actually stay in a tent, since I've not got one.  Was nice to sit around the campfire and relax.  We all brought way too much food, though we managed to eat most of it.  Got myself stuck into cooking everything on the BBQ; it wouldn't be the same without a few burned sausages.  Met some very nice new people, who took a great deal more care tidying up than in the UK.  People really care about their environment here.

It sounds like alot, but I don't really feel like I've been doing much other than work recently.  Really looking forward to a reunion with some old uni friends in august, and the trip to Edinburgh a few weeks later.  Oh and lastly, I setup the new icecast web forum a few weeks ago

Black day for Liberty

Today something like seven bombs were detonated on the tube and bus network in the city of London, UK.  I’m sure it is no coincidence that George Wanker Bush is in our country.  Over thirty people are said to be dead, a count that will surely rise.  Their families have my sympathies; I know what it’s like to lose someone close to you.

This said... I am not looking forward to the UK government’s reaction to this.  I’m sure this will be trotted out for the case for ID cards.  Not that it would have stopped it: Proof of ID is no proof of intentions.  The point of these attacks is to cause fear & disruption.  No security measure is going to stop a terrorist intent on harming others.  The French still managed to run a resistance movement in WWII occupied France, what makes people think curtailing peoples’ civil freedoms and rights is going to do to prevent terrorism in the modern world?  There is certainly more chance of winning the lottery than being the victim of a terrorist attack, and being free is a far bigger win than any lottery jackpot.

Rather than sticking our head in the sand and allowing our government to take more of our freedoms away as is happening in America; I hope we can realise that there is a reason we are being attacked.  War.  Bloody, horrible war.  The UK has the blood of innocent lives on its hands from what was the shameless, illegal political grab for oil that was the Iraq war.  Have any bombs gone off in say… Belgium?  Nope.  They didn’t stand “shoulder to shoulder” with America, a country that quite happily and openly violates international human rights principles and the Geneva Convention; a country that incidentally has little interest in any "quid pro quo", we were just there to make them look better.  We have completely lost any moral high ground we might have had in the first place.

By allowing terrorism to restrict what we do, and where we go and what we are allowed to say, is allowing them to win.  I've had enough of this anti-terrorism bullshit.

You’re probably thinking I’m insensitive and heartless at this point.  Well I think bombing innocent people is horrific.  We’ve just been given a taste of our own medicine.

"The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks.  We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence.  It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men." - Samuel Adams, 1771.

Birthdays

Well here I am again... another year on.  Less philosophy this time.  Been too busy with work to think about it much.  However I have managed 3 parties in 8 days, which I'm rather happy with   Will fill in the details later on, for now I'm just so very tired.