short notes:
will brady's ruminations
will brady's ruminations
2007-12-22
holiday greetings
The addition is not completed, but we dolled it up for Christmas, and visitors. Now you can see what the French Doors look like from the inside.
For a couple of guys averse to giftgiving, we have amassed quite a haul.
¶ 16:41 0 comments 
For a couple of guys averse to giftgiving, we have amassed quite a haul.
2007-12-19
2007-12-18
mental health
You have until Friday, December 21, 2007 to provide feedback and input about the National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH] Strategic Planning for the Future. E-mail is the quickest way to send your comments Strategic Planning Feedback
One of the biggest funders of research in the mental health field on Earth is the USA National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
NIMH is requesting public comment, which you can e-mail to them, about a draft of their "Strategic Plan" about NIMH research goals over the next three to five years. Their deadline to receive e-mail comments is *this* Friday, 21 December, 2007.
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¶ 15:24 0 comments
entry under construction
You have until Friday, December 21, 2007 to provide feedback and input about the National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH] Strategic Planning for the Future. E-mail is the quickest way to send your comments Strategic Planning Feedback
One of the biggest funders of research in the mental health field on Earth is the USA National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
NIMH is requesting public comment, which you can e-mail to them, about a draft of their "Strategic Plan" about NIMH research goals over the next three to five years. Their deadline to receive e-mail comments is *this* Friday, 21 December, 2007.
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¶ 15:24 0 comments
2007-12-17
politics | freedom of speech
Senator Chris Dodd speaks about against Buscho and telcom abuse of power
""Today we have scored a victory for American civil liberties and sent a message to President Bush that we will not tolerate his abuse of power and veil of secrecy. The President should not be above the rule of law, nor should the telecom companies who supported his quest to spy on American citizens. I want to thank the thousands of Americans throughout the country that stood with me to get this done for our country."
CNBC airs a news broadcast that actually tells us news! Telecommunications corporations lost their bid in bing immune from prosecution for having released phone records of honest citizens without a warrant or court order. Imagine! Tie this with the ballsiness of FCC Rethuglian Commissioners who also want media conglomerates to own even more of the media in this country than they actually do. The Bushco thugs must really, really envy Vladimir Putin, to so emulate his efforts.
And shame on Hillary Clinton, Obama, and other Dem politicos who stayed on the campaign trail rather than fight with Senator Dodd on this battle. Instead, they stay on the side lines, hawking their images like side show shills rather than doing the tough task of leading.
""Today we have scored a victory for American civil liberties and sent a message to President Bush that we will not tolerate his abuse of power and veil of secrecy. The President should not be above the rule of law, nor should the telecom companies who supported his quest to spy on American citizens. I want to thank the thousands of Americans throughout the country that stood with me to get this done for our country."
CNBC airs a news broadcast that actually tells us news! Telecommunications corporations lost their bid in bing immune from prosecution for having released phone records of honest citizens without a warrant or court order. Imagine! Tie this with the ballsiness of FCC Rethuglian Commissioners who also want media conglomerates to own even more of the media in this country than they actually do. The Bushco thugs must really, really envy Vladimir Putin, to so emulate his efforts.
And shame on Hillary Clinton, Obama, and other Dem politicos who stayed on the campaign trail rather than fight with Senator Dodd on this battle. Instead, they stay on the side lines, hawking their images like side show shills rather than doing the tough task of leading.
Labels: corporate crime, corporate malfesance, economic treason, FISA, freedom of speech, politics, profiles in courage, secret courts
¶ 23:55 1 comments
media control
The FCC is determined to pursue a corporate financed gag order on free speech! Even though there has been extensive opposition at crowded public hearings, as well as opposition from public interest groups spanning the the political spectrum FCC 
commission whores plan to make it easier for corporations to restrict free speech by gaining even more control over the media.
The five commissioners include:
Kevin J. Martin, Chair Republican North Carolina
Michael J. Copps Democrat Wisconsin
Jonathan S. Adelstein Democrat South Dakota
Deborah Taylor Tate Republican Tennessee
Robert M. McDowell Republican Virginia
At public hearings across the nation, the citizenry have been resoundingly clear that we are opposed to making it easier for corporations to control both print and telecommunications media. Bushco Lap Dog Martin Chairman has completely ignored the Peoples' Voice on this matter.
So indifferent is Martin to public opinion that he wrote, and submitted, an op-ed essay to the New York Times advocating giving corporate titans what they want. The essay was turned over to the New York Times even before that last of the public hearings, in Seattle, last week, were even held [though he says he can't remember this].
Chairman Martin is under investigation for a lack of transparency in FCC proceedings as well as an abuse of his power in relation to cable industry regulations. He has also been accused of keeping his fellow commissioners in the dark in an attempt to push through policy. John Dingell (D) of the House Commerce Committee commented that this, his cable industry proceedings, as well as an attempt to relax the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership ban "lead to larger concerns as to the inclination and ability of the commission to perform its core mission: the implementation of federal law to serve the public interest."
A faithful lap dog to the Bushco Regime, Martin has also served as a Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy. He has also served as the Deputy General Counsel to Bush-Cheney 2000, on the Bush-Cheney recount team in Florida, and on the Presidential Transition Team in 2000.
You can call the Federal Communications Commission [445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554] weekday business hours by a toll free number 1-888-CALL-FCC to express your concerns about this hijacking of American Citizens' interests. But don't try calling after hours, they only offer phone menu options to corporate applicants, the new media and others. There is no access for the ordinary citizen.The FCC has an e-mail address E-mail: fccinfo@fcc.gov and a fax number 1-866-418-0232, where you can express your concerns. But do it quickly. Chairman Martin plans on rendering a decision in favor of the corporate titans this week.
Or contact your senator or congressional representative via Congress.org, EFF's Congressional contact sheet. In general, it is usually better to CALL rather than write [takes too long to receive it] or e-mail a Congressperson [many don't take e-mail seriously].
commission whores plan to make it easier for corporations to restrict free speech by gaining even more control over the media.The five commissioners include:
Kevin J. Martin, Chair Republican North Carolina
Michael J. Copps Democrat Wisconsin
Jonathan S. Adelstein Democrat South Dakota
Deborah Taylor Tate Republican Tennessee
Robert M. McDowell Republican Virginia
At public hearings across the nation, the citizenry have been resoundingly clear that we are opposed to making it easier for corporations to control both print and telecommunications media. Bushco Lap Dog Martin Chairman has completely ignored the Peoples' Voice on this matter.
So indifferent is Martin to public opinion that he wrote, and submitted, an op-ed essay to the New York Times advocating giving corporate titans what they want. The essay was turned over to the New York Times even before that last of the public hearings, in Seattle, last week, were even held [though he says he can't remember this].
Chairman Martin is under investigation for a lack of transparency in FCC proceedings as well as an abuse of his power in relation to cable industry regulations. He has also been accused of keeping his fellow commissioners in the dark in an attempt to push through policy. John Dingell (D) of the House Commerce Committee commented that this, his cable industry proceedings, as well as an attempt to relax the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership ban "lead to larger concerns as to the inclination and ability of the commission to perform its core mission: the implementation of federal law to serve the public interest." A faithful lap dog to the Bushco Regime, Martin has also served as a Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy. He has also served as the Deputy General Counsel to Bush-Cheney 2000, on the Bush-Cheney recount team in Florida, and on the Presidential Transition Team in 2000.
You can call the Federal Communications Commission [445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554] weekday business hours by a toll free number 1-888-CALL-FCC to express your concerns about this hijacking of American Citizens' interests. But don't try calling after hours, they only offer phone menu options to corporate applicants, the new media and others. There is no access for the ordinary citizen.The FCC has an e-mail address E-mail: fccinfo@fcc.gov and a fax number 1-866-418-0232, where you can express your concerns. But do it quickly. Chairman Martin plans on rendering a decision in favor of the corporate titans this week.
Or contact your senator or congressional representative via Congress.org, EFF's Congressional contact sheet. In general, it is usually better to CALL rather than write [takes too long to receive it] or e-mail a Congressperson [many don't take e-mail seriously].
SEE: Wikipedia's bio on Kevin Martin; read Bill Moyers ongoing account of abuses of power under FCC Chairman Martin; and Normon Solomon's essay on Why FCC Rules Matter to us.
Labels: censorship, corporate control, economic treason, freedom of speech, gag orders, government accountability, propaganda
¶ 08:20 0 comments
2007-12-16
technology
Nuclear power's adherents see a bright, clean future supplying America's energy-starved consumers with abundant nuclear power. Paul Guinnessy wrote close to a year ago at Physics Today: 
Other industry propagandists, such as the CASEnergy Coalition promise they will "...be an important voice in the public dialogue over current and future energy needs, particularly in addressing how nuclear power can contribute to America’s energy security and economic growth."
But it's not just the fevered greedy who are looking optimistically at rebuilding nuclear power resources. A recent article in the Voice of San Diego cites that even Californians [long opposed to any nuclear energy plant construction] are looking favorably at building new nuclear power plants. Given this fevered pitch, combined with the fact that the Oilmen are still in the White House, and American consumers incessant thirst for electrified gadgetry, I think we can expect more efforts will be made, and successfully, to get the nuclear power industry up and running again.
Which means keeping a watchful eye on outfits like Duke Energy going into the nuclear power business shall be critical. Duke already comes with a tarnished record as a major coal-fired plant polluter. The state of North Carolina denied Duke Power, in March 2007, an application to build a new coal plant and there is major litigation filed by the Environmental Defense Fund against Duke Power before the US Supreme Court for past abuses. Employee rights advocates diligently monitor Duke Power's penchant for abuse and disregard for the environment, worker safety and economic equity. Duke Power's close ties to Bushco officials is troubling as well.
Singling out Duke Power is not my objective here. This is still only one of many corporate entities that share similar shady histories and yet are likely to take major roles in a re-emerging nuclear power plant growth tide.
It makes me think of the 1970s film The China Syndrome which was not, upon reflection, and anti-nuclear power screed [though industry PR flaks ranted otherwise]. It was actually a film identifying corruption between politicians and big business, shoddy construction short-cuts and lack of adequate impartial government oversight that the story to the film made as an expose.
For the record, as I've noted before, I have long lived in the shadow a nuke plant [now dismantled] fraught with unpublished problems. I am not completely opposed to thoughtful, planful, judicious use of this awesome source of energy. But I am mindful of the risks; the largest of which to me, is human folly. That is my fear when we talk about building new nuke plants. The other risks, elusive and unknown, I myself have already been living with. Would that our politicians and business executives had to do so as well.
Only last week Duke Energy Corporation filed an application this the Nuclear Regulatory Commission [NRC] to build two new nuclear generating plants in South Carolina. And industry lobbying groups like the Nuclear Energy Institute have been aggressively promoting nuclear power as "clean, efficient" and that it "does not release carbon emissions" into the atmosphere.
The US nuclear power industry has been virtually frozen since the Three Mile Island accident in 1979, but in the US Congress 2005 energy bill, tax credits worth $3.1 billion, along with liability protection and compensation for legislative delays, were added for the industry. On 30 December 2005, for the first time in years, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) certified the design of a new reactor—the 1000-MW Westinghouse advanced passive (AP) reactor.Six US power-plant operators are preparing combined construction and operating license (COL) requests to the NRC that could restart construction in the next five years. NuStart Energy, a consortium of nine nuclear energy companies, submitted plans for a General Electric simplified boiling water reactor at the Grand Gulf nuclear station near Port Gibson, Mississippi, and an AP-1000 reactor at the Bellefonte nuclear plant near Scottsboro, Alabama.
According to representatives of the electric utilities involved, the US government and the reactor technology suppliers are paying for most of the $150 million the certification process costs. "The utilities are waiting to see if they can get any more subsidies out of the government," says Lyman, "so it's still premature to say if any of them will go ahead." A satisfactory means for disposal of their radioactive waste products has not yet been announced.
But the nuclear power industry believes the first new US order is only two years away. Says NuStart Energy president Marilyn Kray, "Our country needs these advanced nuclear plants."
Other industry propagandists, such as the CASEnergy Coalition promise they will "...be an important voice in the public dialogue over current and future energy needs, particularly in addressing how nuclear power can contribute to America’s energy security and economic growth."
But it's not just the fevered greedy who are looking optimistically at rebuilding nuclear power resources. A recent article in the Voice of San Diego cites that even Californians [long opposed to any nuclear energy plant construction] are looking favorably at building new nuclear power plants. Given this fevered pitch, combined with the fact that the Oilmen are still in the White House, and American consumers incessant thirst for electrified gadgetry, I think we can expect more efforts will be made, and successfully, to get the nuclear power industry up and running again.
Which means keeping a watchful eye on outfits like Duke Energy going into the nuclear power business shall be critical. Duke already comes with a tarnished record as a major coal-fired plant polluter. The state of North Carolina denied Duke Power, in March 2007, an application to build a new coal plant and there is major litigation filed by the Environmental Defense Fund against Duke Power before the US Supreme Court for past abuses. Employee rights advocates diligently monitor Duke Power's penchant for abuse and disregard for the environment, worker safety and economic equity. Duke Power's close ties to Bushco officials is troubling as well.
Singling out Duke Power is not my objective here. This is still only one of many corporate entities that share similar shady histories and yet are likely to take major roles in a re-emerging nuclear power plant growth tide.
It makes me think of the 1970s film The China Syndrome which was not, upon reflection, and anti-nuclear power screed [though industry PR flaks ranted otherwise]. It was actually a film identifying corruption between politicians and big business, shoddy construction short-cuts and lack of adequate impartial government oversight that the story to the film made as an expose.
For the record, as I've noted before, I have long lived in the shadow a nuke plant [now dismantled] fraught with unpublished problems. I am not completely opposed to thoughtful, planful, judicious use of this awesome source of energy. But I am mindful of the risks; the largest of which to me, is human folly. That is my fear when we talk about building new nuke plants. The other risks, elusive and unknown, I myself have already been living with. Would that our politicians and business executives had to do so as well.
SEE: The Atomic Revolution 1957 [courtesy of comic book researcher Ethan Pearsoff; Information about M Philip Copp, the artist behind the comic book in question. |IMAGE SOURCES: 1- The Atomic Revolution - comic by M. Philip Copp. 2- a page from myt diary, a sketch of what once had been Connecticut Yankee Nuclear in Haddam Neck, Connecticut.glmxaulc
Labels: industrial comics, nuclear power, propaganda, regulatory agencies
¶ 09:20 0 comments
distractions
Orangina was my favorite carbonated soft drink before this advert. This cinches it! Exotic, original, perverse, imaginative. I loved it! Actually,Orangina's ads are often wild and entertaining. Here are a couple of others: Internal Disco and Futballers.
Orangina was my favorite carbonated soft drink before this advert. This cinches it! Exotic, original, perverse, imaginative. I loved it! Actually,Orangina's ads are often wild and entertaining. Here are a couple of others: Internal Disco and Futballers.
SEEN ON: Thought Gadgets |
Labels: advertisting, distractions, Orangina
¶ 00:11 0 comments
