I celebrate US Independence Day on July 2 -- the day the Continental Congress approved the resolution of independence that they had been talking about since June 7.

John Adams wrote to his wife:

"The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."

Congress argued until July 4 before adopting the Declaration of Independence, the document that explains why they voted for independence on July 2.

Most of the representatives signed it in August.

Hmmm... I tried listening to some pure tones from my PC one time. I could not hear the higher notes, so I turned them up. The young guy in the next office said "WTH ARE YOU DOING!!!!"

From the article:

3. "Students' access to and achievement in computer science must not be predictable on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, language, religion, sexual orientation, cultural affiliation, or special needs."

The easiest way to accomplish that is to punish anyone who gets ahead of the class. WE MUST ALL BE EQUAL!!!

But the "bias" may not be on the part of the employer. Consider the possibility that black lesbians are just not interested in the job you are hiring for. (Maybe they are smarter than those who do want that job.)

Yes, Monsanto developed the terminator gene technology.

They have never used it in their products.

Yes, Monsanto enforces their contract that prohibits seed saving by farmers. If farmers want to use seed saved from harvest for the next year's crop, they have to use some other source for their initial seed. Most US and European farmers were already buying seed every year before GMO seed became available. This was less common with soybeans, but the trend was there.

NPR report on the Top Five Myths Of Genetically Modified Seeds.

...and I could tell how I got kicked off the school's timeshare account. It was my partner-in-crime who got us caught. Oh, yeah, I almost forgot -- GET OFF MY LAWN!!!

In Wisconsin, a police officer can interrogate a student who is a minor all he wants unless the student is a suspect, the school district has a policy forbidding it, or the parent is present (and objects). I was surprised to discover this when my son was questioned as a witness before anyone said anything to us about it. My son came home and struggled a bit with explaining that he was questioned by the police. My son has comprehension problems (he's getting better) and I don't think he really understood what was going on.

Last night's NCIS repeatedly mentioned the ATF's infamous Fast & Furious operation. That doesn't fit with your statement that the show "has always used an 'ends justify the means' attitude".

I'm currently carting around 200 books in my Kindle.

Bacon is BAD for you? NOOOO!!!! I REFUSE to believe it!!!

Try a real e-reader, not that Sony piece of crap. I would have thrown that Sony against the wall the first time it took an hour to do anything. Try a bottom-end Kindle. It's way better than what you describe.

Either boomers and millennials are completely different, the millennials need to try a REAL e-reader or I'm unusual. I like reading on my e-ink Kindle with no back-light better than reading a printed book.

An interesting article from Car & Driver magazine, June, 1980.

The conclusion?

"The test is over. It's obvious our subjects are as high as they're going to get. It is also obvious—and a little disappointing—that their driving abilities as determined by our two tests have not been particularly impaired, have not shown dramatic deterioration."

Visit the link for more details, including comments by an assistant research scientist specializing in drugs and their effects on driving at the Highway Safety Research Institute in Ann Arbor. (Hint -- the Car & Driver results are consistent with other tests.)

Are you paranoid if people are trying to do exactly what you think they are?

According to the University of Florida it's malaria that has been eradicated, not the Anopheles mosquito.