These are the Anti-Discriminaton Laws of the USA that Elena Kagan had to consider when making her decision regarding miltary recruiters.

It doesn't surprise me that a Republican like Sessions wouldn't have a profound RESPECT for the laws of the USA.  They like to circumvent them and defraud them and obstruct the passage of them rather than ABIDE by them.

Solicitor General Kagan had to take into consideration not only EVERY  CIVILIAN law on the books, she had to consider the By-Laws of the university and the impact on the students and faculty should she simply disregard all of it to allow the USA military 'carte blanc' access to the campus.

Obviously, Sessions believes the USA military has 'Eminent Domane' over every PRIVATE university in the country.

NOT ! 

It was the obligation of Solicitor General Kagan to make the argument on behalf of those that would be most deeply effected by a 'glib' attitude regarding Civil Rights.

Oh, yeah.  Besides the laws below there are also criminal statutes such as "Hate Crimes" statues to consider as well.  You see, sometimes when poeple feel as though an 'entity' of the government can trample Civil Rights as if they are nothing, people get the idea an act of violence, such as the murder of Matthew Shepard, can be justified.

Any decision regarding Civil Rights in a varied society that is the USA carries with it the brevity of the outcomes should they not be taken seriously.

Honestly!

- Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution



- Civil Rights Act of 1871[4]


- Lloyd – La Follette Act (1912)


- Fair Employment Act of 1941


- Executive Order 11478[5]


- Equal Pay Act of 1963


- Civil Rights Act of 1964[6]


- Immigration and Nationality Services Act of 1965


- Civil Rights Act of 1968


- Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967[7]


- Rehabilitation Act of 1973


- Age Discrimination Act of 1975


- Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978


- Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990[8]


- Civil Rights Act of 1991


- Employment Non-Discrimination Act


- California Fair Employment and Housing Act[9]


- Executive Order 13166 – “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English
    Proficiency”


- Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 - enables qualified employees to take prolonged unpaid leave
 for family and health-related reasons without fear of losing their jobs. For private employers with 15
 or more employers


- No-FEAR Act


- Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

I don't believe the Russian '11' can be called a 'spy ring.' It was a 'cultural experiment' by Russia. That's my take.

In a Chinese newspaper it was stated these were Russian citizens that have done nothing wrong.  The families need to be sent home.  Deproted if you will.

  Russia says suspected spies are its citizens who didn't harm U.S. interests

English.news.cn 2010-06-30 00:16:25

MOSCOW, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that suspected spies detained in the United States were Russians who did nothing to harm U.S. interests.

They were "Russian citizens who found themselves on U.S. territory at different times," said the RIA Novosti news agency.
"They have not committed any actions directed against U.S. interests."
The ministry also said Moscow hoped they would be "well treated while in custody" and be granted access to Russian lawyers.
Editor: yan

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-06/30/c_13376041.htm

My best guess is that Russia is still a bit confounded by the USA and its 'citizen' culture.  Under the Presidency of Vladimir Putin, the Russia society has shown more and more 'Western' tendencies.  He was interested in his people.  I really believe Prime Minister Putin was the first leader in Russia to sincerely change the course of his country's concern for its citizens in a way that 'blends' with other First World countries.  

If one looks at China there is 'that striviing' that can be witnessed.  China holds onto its 'old world' fears and distances as a security blanket even as Taiwan moves closer and closer to the Mainland as a real member of the Chinese society.  It is my guess 'being communist' is a bit tedious in a global community that is changing by the day to seek 'influence of the individual.'

The current President Medevedev is a very brilliant man.  He is a man for his time.  He seeks to make historic changes in course by Russia in their willingness to move the global community back from the brink of nuclear proliferation.  Even /Russia has to admit the 'idea' of allowing every country in the Middle East to be a breath away from nuclear weapon capacity is completely foolish and very dangerous.

But, what does this have to do with 'families of spies?'

The USA has just come through a very, very rough eight years under Bush and Cheney.  Even their elections of 2000 were contentious. 

The USA is a super power.  Under Bush and Cheney the world has never been closer to nuclear weapons exchange with Russia, China or both.

Under Bush and Cheney we abandoned a war into Afghanistan to remove al Qaeda from the face of Earth after commercial planes were turned into weapons and we nearly had our Capital building destroyed.  Russia was in Afghanistan with Medical Support before the CIA even parachuted in to begin the USA arrival to dismantle 'bin Laden's' insane hatred and ability to kill citizens half way around the world.  RUSSIA was at our side.  No different than it was duiring WWII. 

Yet.  The USA, in a sudden and very unpredictable 'atmosphere' abandoned the war to end al Qaeda to chase down 'mystical WMD' that even UN inspectors could not find a miniscule trace of.  Getting the picture? 

The sudden, unpredictable and nearly 'emotional' reaction to nonexistant WMD which lead to a war to invade a DISARMED country was more than a worry to nearly every other country on Earth.  It was why Tony Blair was immediately at the side of Bush, nearly as a moderator, to the actions of the President of a Superpower, now preceived to be out of control and making 'a new reality' in order to carry out wars of preemption.

Then to realize, the Republicans and their cronies could actually carry out a propaganda campaign enough to discredit a distinguished man that was John Kerry in the elections of 2004.  Those propaganda attacks of Kerry were completely baseless and instilled deep fear of a change in President while still in Iraq. 

I don't know about you, but, its pretty scary stuff.  I would imagine Putin looked at the populous of the USA and decided he didn't know nearly enough about 'the people' as he thought he did.

So, what is a Russian President to do, except, seek to understand Americans more when they have been attacked by a lunatic like bin Laden.

The Russian citizens are and have been completely benign to any outcome in the USA.  Their children were welcome peers to American children.  It seems glib to say, "No harm done,' but, in all honesty it is a great honor to realize other nations and one such as Russia valued the 'citizen' enough to send a mission to seek a deeper understanding of the social cultures it was unsure was intact and benevolent.

It has always been a curiosity to me as to what Russians would think of our 'captialized' medical culture.  I remember when 'Lasik' surgery became a method to correct nearsightedness, an articile appeared in a magazine that Russians across the culture were encouraged to seek the 'treatment' for nearsightedness that would remove the need for eyeglass changes.  Russia saw the 'treatment of lasers' as a means of saving monies to their treasury.

Then, to come to the USA and find out that physicians are making huge profits on an 'optional' 'procedure' as an alternative reality to what actually 'goes on' in Russia.  To say the American Medical Structure is a culture shock to the Russians is an understatement.  While the USA touts it has the 'best' medical treatment on Earth, it hardly seems sufficient to realize so many Americans die annually for the pure reason of being uninsured.  Dying of stupid things such as pneumonia.  A completely treatable disease.

Well.  At any rate, in this bizarre reality of Russian citizens 'living among us' to come to understand the culture of the USA more deeply is an interesting paradigm.  Very interesting. 

The bottom line is that both Russia and the USA are still here without trading nukes.  We managed to 'make it through,' now didn't we?

Send the families home to Russia with their children.  I am confident they will miss us.

General Petreus needs to get his mind around the fact the troops in Afghanistan are coming home July 2010.

U.S. General David Petraeus testifies at his Senate hearing to become commander of the International Security Assistance Force and commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan on June 29.

The tail isn't going to wag the dog anymore, General.  And there won't be anymore illegal or plutocratic wars.

As an American I remind him the Iraqi military and police didn't 'take up' their responsibilty until the USA was leaving THEIR country.

President Karzai needs to review his troops and come to terms with the fact that they aren't able to protect him nor their own country in the 'state' they are in right now.

I do believe Jordan was very successful in training many of the police for Iraq.  I believe Karzai needs to consult with his peer leaders with morals in the Middle East and come up with a plan that actually CLEANS UP his country to rid it of the depraved values of the Taliban and Karzai's brother.

We know for a fact, the more money that is thrown at Afghanistan the worse the corruptoin gets.

The USA and NATO has been seeking to correct the path of Afghanistan since September 11, 2001.  Karzai was an appointed President and the nation has sunk lower and lower on the 'trustworthy' scale under his leadership.  I don't believe 'corruption' even begins to describe the 'depraved' nature of Afghanistan.  At least we know where we stand with Pakistan.  In Pakistan we know when 'moral' leadership is in place, the people rise to the occassion and even the ISI will do what its asked more often than not.  I am sure India would say differently and perhaps rightfully so.

But, Afghanistan?  The Middle East nations need to stop exporting their worse terrorists and begin to execute them.  Bin Laden should have been executed a long time ago.

This incident below happen in THE CAPTIAL of Afghanistan against a United Nations personnel.  The Capital of Afghanistan can't even appreciate the humanity provided by the world enough to protect the 'moral' content of the efforts the international community sends.

UN vehicle shot in Afghan capital, driver killed



By DEB RIECHMANN (AP) – 6 hours ago
KABUL, Afghanistan — An Afghan man working for the United Nations was shot and killed in his vehicle Tuesday near a busy traffic circle in Afghanistan's capital, the world body said.
Elsewhere, U.S. and Afghan forces battled hundreds of militants from an al-Qaida-linked group for a third day in Kunar province of eastern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said. Two U.S. soldiers were killed Sunday in the first day of the operation.


The Afghan U.N. employee who died was driving a white pickup truck with the blue U.N. logo painted on the side. Another Afghan member of the U.N. staff, who was in the vehicle, was not wounded, the U.N. said.
The morning shooting occurred amid heavy traffic near Massoud circle, an intersection near the U.S. Embassy and an American military base. Two windows on the truck were shattered and blood was spattered inside the car....

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hvWEqwq3CrRvaQCmt21MfoYhjZJQD9GL2GOO1

The fun and games  are over in Afghanistan, sir.  Karzai and his band of theives and liars are on their own.  Perhaps someday, Afghanistan will have enough moral content to even deserve the compassion of the world.  I suggest the remaining time in Afghanistan by the USA and NATO is devoted to destroying the supply of opium to the world.

Alex (click title to entry for 12 hour loop - thank you)

June 10, 2010
01:30:15z
UNISYS Water Vapor GOES East Satellite

Tropical Storm Alex currently at 55 mph and building after leaving the Yucatan Peninsula.

It is a very large storm and at this point I believe it remains unpredictable.

It has a 'twin vortex' east of the Bahama Islands. 

I would not underestimate Alex or its twin in the Atlantic.

Texas begins preparing for Tropical Storm Alex



By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN Associated Press Writer © 2010 The Associated Press


June 28, 2010, 7:37PM
 
McALLEN, Texas — Beachgoers began canceling hotel rooms for the busy July Fourth weekend Monday as officials prepared emergency shelters and sandbag distribution with Tropical Storm Alex gaining steam in the Gulf and possibly headed for Texas.
A hurricane watch stretched from Baffin Bay, near Kingsville, down the Texas coast and into northern Mexico. A tropical storm watch extended from Baffin Bay north to Port O'Connor, on the tip of Matagorda Bay. Alex had sustained winds Monday evening near 60 mph, and the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami expected the storm to become a hurricane Tuesday.
It was projected to make landfall as a moderate to strong Category 1 hurricane, said Barry Goldsmith, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Brownsville. The path was expected to take Alex very near the Mexico-U.S. border sometime Thursday.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/7085151.html

Republicans are sexists. Never once did the 'idea' of separating personal political preferences enter into the Alito or Roberts confirmation hearings, but, with Judge Sotomayor and now Nominee Kagan has nothing but personal slurs leveled at them.

Forbid a woman should not be a 'cookie cutter' model for the Republicans to confirm.  Elen Kagan is brilliant and everyone knows it.  Her service as Solicitor General has been impeccable and LOYAL to the USA Constitution, which Alito and Roberts cannot lay claim to.  I look forward to her leadership, a woman's right too, as a Supreme Court Justice.  The Court will have three woman and how wonderful it will be.  Thank you for accepting the nomination, Ms. Kagan. 

..."I tend to be a legal realist, and I don't think there is one right answer to every legal question, especially when you are talking about the big issues the Supreme Court has to address," Kinports explained. "I think one's vote in a lot of the cases the Supreme Court hears can't help but be influenced by politics in part, but also by one's personal experience, one's sense of how the world works. Deciding a legal case is not like solving a math equation. It may well be influenced by one's views and perspective."

Kinports clerked on the Supreme Court under Justice Harry Blackmun as well as for the same Washington, D.C., Circuit Court of Appeals judge as Kagan, Judge Abner Mivka. Though she does not know Kagan, Kinports said Kagan seems to be persuasive and already appears to have developed a good relationship with the current justices during her tenure as solicitor general since 2009....

Vladimir, were you worried about us? How touching. How long have they been doing this? What political contacts were their favorite?

...The arrests are the culmination of a multi-year investigation that used extensive surveillance of communications and wiretaps, including putting listening devices into the homes of the accused individuals.
The FBI decrypted a coded message in 2009 sent to two of the individuals accused of being part of the ring. The message instructed them to "search and develop ties in policymaking circles in US and send intels" back to Moscow, according to court papers....

BP seeks to reassure Russia over oil spill



By Charles Clover in Moscow
Published: June 28 2010 17:02
Last updated: June 28 2010 17:02
BP’s embattled chief executive, Tony Hayward, met top Russian officials in Moscow on Monday in an effort to reassure them that the company’s commitment to Russia, the source of 25 per cent of its oil production, is undiminished as a result of the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
In media comments ahead of the meeting, Igor Sechin, the deputy prime minister who oversees energy policy, fuelled speculation about Mr Hayward’s future. He was quoted by several Russian news agencies, as saying “Hayward is leaving his post, he will introduce his successor.”

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c2e7150e-82c9-11df-b7ad-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss

Senator Byrd loved the USA Constitution and the people he represented. He openly wept on the Senate floor for the late Senator Kennedy.

But, he openly distained the Bush Administration for its abuses of Constitutional Law and openly brought that disdain to the Senate Floor.
 
Good-bye and Thank you, Senator Byrd.
 

 
 

The Fleecing of the American Citizen continues compliments of 'Approval Seeking' Brown. He can't discern what is best without a constituent vote.

...Senator Scott Brown, a Massachusetts Republican, said he was withholding support, citing $19 billion in new bank taxes inserted at the last minute.  (click title to entry - thank you)

Just can't trust a playboy.

This guy is at least as bright as Ali Velshi who believes a 'local economy' is defined by BP franchises.

Hasn't anyone on Capital Hill explained the facts of life to 'surfer boy?'

When a Congressional body passes REFORM legislation to REGULATE an industry there has to be a way of paying for it.  Perhaps, Brown has overlooked the fact that most of the banks that CAUSED the ECONOMIC CRASH of the USA in 2008 that has RESULTED  IN  HIGH  UNEMPLOYMENT are turning profits in the double digit billions US. 

Let's see.

...That would put Goldman's estimate of second quarter profits at the four at $756 million for Morgan Stanley, $2.3 billion for Bank of America, $2.9 billion for JPMorgan, and $1.5 billion for Citi....

http://blogs.forbes.com/streettalk/2010/06/21/goldman-bank-2q-profits-down-bad-but-not-a-disaster/


It would seem as though Lover Boy can't come to grips with the problem of making Wall Street banks pay for the regualatory authority that will protect consumers.   You know 'the small people.' 

Scot Brown rather play 'footsie' with Wall Street Banks to INSURE exorbitant profits while there are high umemployment rates throughout the country.

See, Scottie doesn't seem to understand LEGISLATION TO REGULATE means that Wall Street Banks CAN'T pass on the taxes to consumers, they can't raise interest rates, they can't do any of those nasty things, but, they do have to pay for their own regulation because they are greed merchants and not ethical business people.

Of course, in some perverted Republican 'mindset' any tax turns into a cost to consumers and a slush fund for Democrats.  It is the ONLY way they can operate their propaganda campaigns that deprive the American people of a FUNCTIONAL government.

...Brown’s ire over the levy on big banks and hedge funds, which he said would be passed on to consumers, highlighted the difficulties Democrats will face getting the compromise legislation passed in the Senate. Brown and several other Republicans provided crucial support for passage of an earlier Senate bill.
The $19 billion in new taxes would be imposed on large institutions over five years, and the money mostly would be used to pay for costs of increasing regulation over 10 years. It also would pay for $1 billion in federal bridge loans for unemployed homeowners facing foreclosure....

So, I am suppose to believe, as an average citizen, that a tax imposed on abusive Wall Street Banks practicing outside any understanding of an 'ethical business model' is going to cause me hardship, right?

I see.

Well, I suppose if I was delving into Hedge Funds and my costs went up that might be a concern, but, being that I may very well be an unemployed homeowner, suffering from the unethical standards of greed merchants, Brown might want to rethink his vote IN FAVOR of the legislation that is LONG overdue!

He needs to stop having his back scratched by unethical supporters and start actually acting like a legislator that cares about the citizen whom's credit score was RUINED due to the failed economy that we were all led to believe was a good economy for seven years under Bush/Cheney.

If anyone that is 'wthholding' their vote regarding Wall Street Reform actually believe they ARE NOT unethical, needs to think again.

"Who's your Daddy?"

"Morning Papers" - Its Origins

The Rooster
"Okeydoke"

April 22, 1970 was the first Earth Day. Forty years later not much has changed. It shows.

We have found through painful ways, we have to save ourselves. 

Send an SOS with ideas and support to Secretary Chu.  (click title to entry - thank you)

THE  NATURAL  WORLD  MATTERS.

Don't believe me, read this:

'Natural' sunscreen: Better for you?

...But do they work?

"Yes," says Jeffrey Dover, president of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, but consumers typically don't put on enough of the natural products to make them effective. (In general, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends that consumers use enough sunscreen to fill a shot glass.)...

http://www.latimes.com/features/image/la-ig-naturalsunscreen-20100627,0,6048986.story

There is no such thing as Clean Coal Techology. And 'Tar Sands' are an environmental nighmare.

Coal Gasification Plants are less toxic than Biomass Plants, but, they still emit huge amounts of carbon dioxide.  The Gasification process was developed after the Clean Air Act was passed.  It is a process that allows the burning of coal at a lower temperature to prevent high levels of NOX and SOX to enter the 'breathable air' which ultimately leads to toxic waters and contaminated fisheries.

The only 'real' carbon sequestration is that of trees.  When they finish providing 'service' to Earth in the way of carbon sequestration and wildlife habitat they die and degrade to SOIL. 

Not only has coal mining been a nightmare for air and water quality, it been a nightmare to the people that life among the industry and work in it. 

We have witnessed the tragedy of the Massey mines and other such ? accidents ?.  Recently, a Kentuckian by the name of Ashley Judd spoke at The National Press Club about the destruction of The Hillbilly Culture she grew in as a child.

The C Span link to Ms. Judd's one hour presentation:  http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/293979-1


"Veto the Permit for Arch Spruce Mine Number One"




Tar Sands, the nightmare far away in Northern Canada, worse than coal and oil.

Tar sands (also referred to as oil sands) are a combination of clay, sand, water, and bitumen, a heavy black viscous oil. Tar sands can be mined and processed to extract the oil-rich bitumen, which is then refined into oil. The bitumen in tar sands cannot be pumped from the ground in its natural state; instead tar sand deposits are mined, usually using strip mining or open pit techniques, or the oil is extracted by underground heating with additional upgrading.

http://ostseis.anl.gov/guide/tarsands/index.cfm


Energy



Crude Awakening


Right here in North America could lie the answer to our energy needs. But at what cost? Mining the tar sands of Alberta threatens to strip the world’s largest intact forest of its ability to hold carbon and to wipe out the breeding grounds for millions of birds.


By Barry Yeoman/Photography by Jon Lowenstein
 
http://audubonmagazine.org/features1003/energy.html

2011 Chevy Volt

You can tell Volt is ready to change the world just by looking at it. Check it out for yourself. You can download images and wallpaper and share them with your friends.
(click title to entry - thank you)

The Hydrogen Fuel Cell car is going forward.

Hydrogen cars are not only the future, they are here, now. When hydrogen cars become the status quo, the U. S. can lessen its dependence upon foreign oil, achieve lower prices at the fuel pumps and cut down on the greenhouse gases that produce global warming.  (click title to entry - thank you)
















BMW Hydrogen 7 Luxury Automobile

http://www.hydrogencarsnow.com/bmw-hydrogen7.htm

...and this is the 'rant' by the Right Wing Republicans. This is solving problems or causing them?

The beginning of understanding solar energy was a good start, but, the potential in the year 2010 is incredible.

A massive switch from coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power plants to solar power plants could supply 69 percent of the U.S.’s electricity and 35 percent of its total energy by 2050. 

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=a-solar-grand-plan



Consumer Energy Tax Incentives  (click title to entry - thank you)



What the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Means to You


The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 extended many consumer tax incentives originally introduced in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT) and amended in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-343).
See the summary of the energy tax incentives included in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008....

In the previous entry, Dr. Chu speaks about 'Biomass' in regard to ethanol, biodiesel and liquid fuels. He NEVER refers to 'biomass' as a source of electricity.

This is just about the most ludicrous from of energy within the USA.  There is no reason for it to exist.

In 2002, the Bush Administration 'renamed' Wood Burning Gasification Plants to 'Biomass Plants.' 

These plants use any form of biomass including any all kinds of animal waste product as fuel.  They also use trees.  They don't say they use trees, but, they do.  The 'residue' is chipped trees.  The residue can be gotten from any all forms of wood products.  There is a gross difference when wood is used for paper and lumber than when it is used for BURNING and adding carbon dioxide to the troposphere. 

There is a gross difference between using 'annual plants' such as 'prairie grasses' and 'wood residue.'  The 'turn-around time' of carbon dioxide is one year when prairie grass is grown for the purpose of ethanol production as opposed to ten years or more for any form of tree.  Additionally, there are trees such as Hybrid Poplar that are advocated to grow for biomass.  Hybrid Poplar has pollen no different than any other Poplar, where there are Poplar Plantation Forests there is insult to the biodiversity and in introduction to artificial LAND USE and artificial 'pollen danger' to 'native forest populations.'

Dr. Chris Fields, the Co-Chair of the IPCC Working Group has already stated, the forest globally are in danger of fire within the next several decades.  We are already witnessing forests ignite for little reason other than drought.  I don't care if someone dropped a match in the forest or intentionally lite the forest on fire, the RAPID SPREAD and FURIOUS nature of the wildfires are due to profound drought that was predicted over 15 years ago.  If forests are already known to be in danger than why continue to expand their use in a way that is increasing that danger by adding huge amounts of carbon dioxide to the troposphere?

Biomass Plants pollute far worse than coal plants.  Their carbon dioxide emissions are far higher as are their particulate matter, NOX, SOX and VOCs.  None of this makes sense.  None of it. 

There is no reason to justify 'unethical' use of trees for BURNING for the production of electrical energy when every bit of biomass these plants use can be turned into ethanol, biodiesel OR  FERTILIZER. 

Biomass Plants should be banned from further production.  The industry also lies in regard to the dangers of the 'ash' from these plants.  There is radioactive waste, including Actinium, along with heavy metals, such as boron and arsenic.  Because these plants masquerade as 'natural' energy with 'natural' waste they have been used in some states as 'agricultural amendment.'  An agricultural amendment was NEVER a fertilizer, but, farmers were told it would benefit their yields.  When farmers eventually realized the 'amendment' was contaminating their ground water they no longer hauled the ash away for free to add it to their agricultural production of crops.  YES, this is in the USA !

Biomass Plants need to be banned from use in the USA.  They are a public health harzard including causing lung disease and cancers.

,,,In the United States, biomass power plants burn a variety of feedstocks, including rice hulls in Louisiana and sugar cane residues, called bagasse, in parts of Florida and Hawaii. A vast majority, though, some 90 percent, use woody residue as a feedstock, according to the Biomass Power Association. About 75 percent of biomass electricity comes from the paper and pulp companies, which collect their residues and burn them to generate power for themselves.... (click title to entry - thank you)

ETHICS. The companies of Wall Street lack the ethics that measure up to the American Standard.

Robert Redford has worked for the Petroleum Industry as a Middle Class and Working Class citizen.  While his profession has changed he understands the 'struggle' to achieve a 'standard' of Energy Ethics that brings back 'sanity of the citizen.'

How many nuclear reactors are too many nuclear reactors?

This illustration above shows that there are 448 nuclear reactors of different types currently in operation in the world. We can see their distribution in the 30 countries that possess them, and the exceptional position of France, the second largest producer of nuclear energy after the USA.



The reactors are sited mainly in western countries, the countries of the former USSR, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, which have all reached an advanced stage of development. On the other hand nuclear energy is proportionately very small in developing countries with large populations, such as China, India, Indonesia, Latin America, Pakistan etc.

http://bastiat.net/en/cercle/meetings/Future_of_nuclear_energy.htm


This is the way Secretary Chu sees the future of nuclear energy:

"We are taking action to restart the nuclear industry as part of a broad approach to cut carbon pollution and create new clean energy jobs,” said Secretary Chu. “These projects will help us develop the nuclear technologies of the future and move our domestic nuclear industry forward."

Energy Secretary Steven Chu Announces $38 Million for 42 University-Led Nuclear Research and Development Projects (click title to entry - thank you)

Fuel Cycle Research and Development



(13 projects, $11,823,154)



 
Generation IV Reactor Research and Development



(20 projects, $19,855,912)



 
Light Water Reactor Sustainability



(2 projects, $764,140)


 
Mission-Relevant Investigator-Initiated Research
 
(7 projects, $5,556,816)



 
 
A list of selected projects can be found at: http://nuclear.gov/pdfFiles/NEUP_FY10_RDAwards.pdf .
 
Additional information on the Nuclear Energy University Program is available at www.ne-up.org.
 
 
And that was MILLIONS, not billions for much needed research.  One might ask, why didn't this happen with the Cheney National Energy Policy.  Hm?

Nuclear Energy is a complex set of systems. The chart below illustrates the complexity of the science and its application. Enlarge picture with click to title to entry here.

...To contribute design and safety of advanced nuclear energy systems, The Department of Nuclear Engineering and Management has three major research fields such as design science of next generation reactors, nuclear fuel cycle engineering and ageing management of nuclear power plants....

http://www.n.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/eng/modules/contents/index.php?id=6

The Nuclear Energy issue spans more subjects in regard to international relations than anyone wants to think about.  The focus is not whether we can make nuclear energy go away, we can't.  The focus is about responsible management of nuclear technology and how it is used globally. 

Some time ago, when the atom was split and then was applied as a weapon.  Since that time benevolent use of nuclear technology has been used as an excuse to facilitate nuclear weapon technology.  Not only that, but, the two countries with the most nuclear stores literally tried to insure their 'national security' by having more nuclear warheads that exhibited hundreds of times 'overkill.' 

Is 'overkill' actually 'responsible' use of nuclear technology.  I think not.  So much for the most powerful knowing the 'best' for the use of its own ability to apply technology.

Nuclear Energy is a reality.  The 'control' of its use and disposal of its waste still escapes the modern day use of that technology. 

Is that 'responsible' use by the most powerful nations on Earth?

I think not.

But does Chu actually understand the Climate Crisis with brevity or is this just a 'Liberal Game?' I'll let him tell you about the Climate Crisis.

He not only explains the Climate Crisis in logical terms related to the Ice Age, but, he focuses on energy conservation as a real tool to attack the Climate Crisis.

Deepwater Wind Research

...It is reported to be the first Department of Energy funding commitment expressly dedicated to so-called deepwater wind power research. During a visit Friday to the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center where he was accompanied by Senator Susan Collins, US Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced a $20 million federal investment in deepwater wind energy research. Chu is an academic physicist and longtime proponent of alternate energy sources and of shifting away from fossil fuels.

As reported by BigNews.biz, Senator Collins reflected on the potential of deepwater offshore wind, and expressed hope that the new federal funding will help the Maine researchers meet their lofty goal of building the world's first floating turbine wind facility by 2012:
"I believe that deepwater, offshore wind has enormous potential to help us meet our nation's electricity needs and to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. But, it also presents an exciting opportunity for the State of Maine to create thousands of much-needed, good-paying green jobs," Senator Collins said.

This "You Tube" segment is from 2007, long before he was Energy Secretary,  I am confident Secretary Chu, who is heading up the efforts to stop the rupture of the BP 'BOP,' never expected such a tragedy. 
 

Secretary of Energy, Dr. Steven Chu. Never before and at such a critical time for the USA have we had a better chance to 'get it right.'

From Les Prix Nobel 1997

Steven Chu receiving his Nobel Prize from the hands of His Majesty the King at the Stockholm Concert Hall 1997

It's Saturday Night

"Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zepplin

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold

And she's buying a stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven


There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misleading
Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, it makes me wonder


There's a feeling I get when I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking
and it makes me wonder
really makes me wonder


And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forest will echo with laughter


GUITAR SOLO


If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now,
It's just a spring clean from the May Queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on
Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, Ooh, it makes me wonder


Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know
The piper's calling you to join him
Dear lady, can't you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind


GUITAR SOLO


And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all is one and one is all, yeah
To be a rock and not to roll.


And she's buying the stairway to heaven

Admiral Mullens trip to the Middle East needed to recommit the Chain of Command and USA priorities in the Middle East.

US military chief Admiral Mike Mullen talks with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari (R)

That is the issue.  Whom sets the strategy?  The Taliban with Karzai's consent or the USA and NATO.  Karzai has an unrealistic view of the issue and continually demoralizes the strategy to bring about an impossible response to violence in Afghanistan.

...Karzai's emphasis on preventing civilian deaths and injuries could make it difficult for NATO to relax rules of fighting that some U.S. troops say give the battlefield advantage to the Taliban. For now, however, no changes have been proposed, said a spokesman for visiting Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.... (click title to entry - thank you)

I do not believe any American soldier is in military service to kill.  To simply kill.  They have a right to defend themselves and when fighting an insurgency, self defense is primarily the only time such military strength is needed. 

Building confidence in the military operation by the population of a country burdened with poverty and oppression is a primary tool to ridding the country of insurgency.  But, when the right to investigate reports or noted violence becomes a burden to the country, it demoralizes the military actions to stop the insurgency and costs the lives of soldiers.

NATO has a point in that there are unrealistic expectations placed on the forces in Afghanistan to protect the citizens.  The NATO casualities have gone up, along with the casualities of Americans, due to unrealistic views of the Karzai government.  In my opinion, they are corrupt standards for any military action.  Either Karzai is going to allow the presence of troops or he isn't.  In that lies the understanding any military is doing its level best to stop the killing.  But, to surrender to terms of the Taliban by Karzai and the military in Afghanistan is unrealistic.  The Talban need to surrender to Karzai, a much different paradigm to success.

In a recent radio interview with NPR, a USA soldier on the front lines in Afghanistan stated, they knew a house in the area would cause added violence, yet, due to the policies of Karzai and the acceptance of those standards they were unable to carry out necessary intervention/investigations; when the violence finally broke out there was a dead soldier that resulted.  In the opinion of 'the foot soldier' it could have been prevented if they were allowed to do their job.  That type of insight doesn't come without 'experience and commitment to purpose.'  When a soldier is defending him or herself and that of the others they rely on in their company/unit; frequently it is done in 'prevention' of violence NOT just in response to violence.

If there is to be success in the Middle East, the American military cannot be demoralized to operate in a standard that doesn't work for them.  The success of the military means the violence is stopped, not simply answered with equal or greater force to stress the power of the government over the insurgency.  Today, to the extent the current strategy has worked in reducing the civilian deaths, it has also failed in preventing soldier deaths. 

The 'idea' that an insurgent strategy can be defeated by allowing 'peacefulness' in the face of 'danger' is unrealistic and a poor example of how the 'nationalized military of Afghanistan' should  be responding.

The people of Afghanistan, through their leadership in Karzai, have to understand they don't 'own' their country so long as the Taliban are carrying importance to them and the 'idea' they hold government infrastructure 'on a local' level hostage to 'allowing the Taliban' back in when they are annoyed.  That reality is simply outrageous and a battle not worth fighting.  Basically, when the Afghans hold 'their commitment' to better quality of life as a bargaining tool to their cooperation to achieve it, that is a direct insult to the commitment the USA and NATO has made to assist that goal. 

There may be too much to overcome in Afghanistan nine years after September 11, 2010 and no matter how the USA commits treasure and talent nothing is appreciated or will change.  It was and is wrong for the USA to assume Afghanistan 'wants' the USA to be safe from extremists.

I believe people in Pakistan want to stop the extremists that 'hide' within their country and 'within' their faiths, but, the corruption has been so great for so long it is difficult to overcome and is complicated by issues that presents when a broader picture includes India and Kashmir. 

Admiral Mullens has his work cut out for him and I congratulate him in taking this trip and finding the will to examine the need for the USA in the Middle East and what our mission sincerely is and should be.  It may be to prudently leave countries in their misery if that is the path they choose, but, to protect ourselves from their priorities over ours.

According to the old advertisements by BP they weren't just oil. So, I looked into it.

The Governor of Michigan has an Alternative Energy Administration. 

They want to harness the wind energy of the Great Lakes. 

Canada has an interest as well. 

If I were BP I'd be asking the Michigan Governor when she wants to begin and using the four wind turbine plants in Michigan to begin production !

BP, Dominion announce full operation of largest wind farm in Midwest (click title to entry - thank you)Release date: 14 April 2009


BP Wind Energy and Dominion announced today full commercial operation of phase one of the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm in Benton County, Indiana. The first 400 megawatts of the project will generate enough carbon-free electricity to power about 120,000 homes.


Of the 400 megawatt facility, BP and Dominion are partners on approximately 300 megawatts. The two companies could expand the facility to a total of 750 megawatts in the future.
Construction of phase one of the wind farm 90 miles northwest of Indianapolis began in early 2008. Built by RMT, Inc., phase one utilizes 182 Vestas 1.65-megawatt turbines with a hub height of 262 feet and a rotor diameter of 269 feet, and 40 Clipper 2.5-megawatt turbines with a hub height of approximately 262 feet and a rotor diameter of 314 feet....

Suggests for BP

l.  Purchase shrimp and oyster boats along the Gulf Coast that will no longer be in-service for their purpose.

2.  Offer to purchase 20 year leases on ruined shrimp and oyster beds with options to have original owner to refurbish the land for production.

3.  Continue to offer the boat and land owners opportunity to participate in the oil efforts but hire supervisors that answer to the Coast Guard Assistants to Governors and Parish Presidents to facilitate a 'purposeful' effort in their actions.

4.  If people WANT to move from their homes, it would be best if BP purchased those that don't sell within a reasonable time at fair market value.  Basically, as if people were relocated for corporate reasons the home would be purchased by the company involved.

5.  Open a Suggestion line by telephone and online as to how BP can assist and advocate the ideas with government that seem helpful.

I believe 'the support' offered by Darryl Willis is the correct message, but, BP has to make 'the support' real.  That means people get the value of their work as they state was the potential.

Basically, I see BP owning the Gulf for the time it has lost its function while hiring people to return it to its former status.

You Broke It - You Bought It !!!!!!!!!!

Capitalism at work.

This is a map of Nebraska rivers and lakes. Believe it or not a GULF COAST doesn't exist there. Click title to entry.

Tourism is Nebraska’s third largest industry and revenue source, bringing in over $3.3 billion annually. The hospitality and tourism industries provide many jobs and a large portion of the U.S. gross domestic product. International tourists spend over $90 billion in our country each year while Americans spend $1.5 billion a day. Tourism employs over 18 million Americans either directly or indirectly. The hospitality industry, including restaurants, lodging, and event planning, is a multibillion dollar industry....

http://elkhorn.unl.edu/epublic/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=1046

While the fishermen of the Gulf Coast have an important job in chasing down the oil disaster of the Gulf Coast, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

Many Americans want to know what is going on, first hand.  Take curious Americans and foreign tourists for 'Toxic Tours.'  Use appropriate protetions for passengers one would be liable to, but, if they accept the DANGER of inhalation and oil exposure, then TAKE THEM TO WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE.  Take pictures, sell post cards featuring the damage and 'the local efforts.' 

JUST  DO  IT !!!!!!!

Take all precautions, always. 

Hire people to assist with the oil efforts, make a business of it. 

Disaster Response "R" Us.

Bobby Jindal needs to change his evil ways. Oil is killing his citizens. I know the politics of 'both sides of the street, but, there is one AMERICAN side that matters.

Profound distress of CITIZENS 'overrides' any apparent distress of corporations.  End of discussion.  The people of the Gulf don't need to hear about oil, they need to hear how they are going to be alright. 

If Flint, Michigan can be abandoned, Wall Street can go bankrupt and the USA can find a way with Local Economies and Green Energy; then we need to continue to seek those venues. 

9.5 percent unemployment rate nationally is NOTHING compared to how catastrophic the 'Wall Street Abuse' could have been without a President that cares about US(A).

...Allen Kruse had been a charter fishing boat captain for more than two decades -- long enough that people called him by his boat's name, Rookie, as if they were one and the same. But then, two months ago, the leaking BP oil well began pouring crude into the waters where he took families fishing for snapper and amberjack....(click title to entry - thank you)

Sympathies to all those in the Gulf States facing this disaster.  I have many, many friends along the Gulf Coast I write on a regular basis to keep them from 'thinking' about 'going over the edge.'  A life's work is a serious subject and those close to those 'at risk' are more mindful of this tragedy than anyone else. 

There will be lives for everyone in this and we all have to keep our oars in the water and keep going no matter how hopeless it seems. 

Everyday is a day of purpose and tomorrow holds promise, it is up to us to pursue 'the promise' and keep going. 

It is important to be 'in the world' to pursue 'the promise' otherwise 'the promise' will disappear.

OA - Oil Anonymopus - 12 Twelve Step Program for Bobby Jindal

"We don't want unemployment checks.  We don't want BP checks.  We want to drill for oil"  Jindal

It's a political thing.  The only reason Jindal is carrying on like a child, over the demand for investigation by the White House, is because that is the 'state of play' in Louisiana.

Jindal and his oil cronies are doing nothing to solve the problems in regard to investigating the disaster.  They are simply 'crying' like babies over their oil bonuses.  If one looks at the history of the "Jindal Inititative' he has done nothing but complain.  The complaining started after he established his Twitter Account then taking the complaints he received, NO MATTER THE LACK OF FACTUAL BASIS, and simply churned out a PR campaign.

...Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the government's point-man in the response, has taken it a step further, suggesting that it might be worth requiring oil companies to drill relief wells in tandem with the main well. He said the idea "would be a legitimate point to be raised" and put in front of a commission investigating drilling regulations.
That would be a considerable expense to oil companies - relief wells can cost $100 million....  (click title to entry)

There is enough 'oil boom' in the Gulf of Mexico to circle Earth's Equator over 108 times.  Adm. Thad Allen is doing everything humanly possible to contend with the defective blow out preventer. 
 
His latest news confenence sounded like something out of an engineer's design room.  It was highly technical and he is demanding the next 'top hat' placed on the current well head over extends the need of the rate of release of oil and methane.
 
In other words, he is demanding that collection mechanisms happens in redundancy.  The next 'top hat' will be one that can have four collection lines to four secparate 'ships/rigs.'  The new capacity of the next collection device will be to a maximum of 160 million barrels per day. 
 
And yes the income from the PB victims compensation fund is taxable.  It IS wages.  There isn't anything else to call it.  Unemployment funds are taxable and so is the 'wage compensation' from BP.
 
TAXES
The IRS said payments for lost wages from BP's $20 billion victims compensation fund are taxable just like regular income. Payments for physical injuries or property loss are generally tax-free.
 
NO SHRIMP
Vicki Guillot has served her last seafood po-boy. The local bounty of fresh shrimp and oysters that once kept things bustling in the only restaurant in the rural Louisiana town of Gheens can no longer be harvested from the Gulf of Mexico because of the massive oil spill that has fouled the water. All her distributors can offer her now is imported shrimp at twice the price she was paying 10 weeks ago.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i-yfHJzPLDeBIhG5JDEF6VbaPR8QD9GIJJSO5

Oysters, a tasty treat to many, are also one of the most important inhabitants of our estuaries. They filter pollutants and the reefs they form are habitat to many important species of sea life. And, yes, oysters are a valuable commercial and recreational fishery. These values are often referred to as the three “F's:” food, filter and fish habitat. Our native eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) provide these vital functions free of charge.

•Food – Oysters support a viable commercial and recreational fishery that is an important part of North Carolina’s cultural heritage. Oyster reefs support the production of more crabs and finfish valued at $62 million annually.

•Filter – As filter feeders, oysters remove harmful pollutants, sediment and excess algae from the water. An adult is capable of filtering between 15-35 gallons of water a day.


•Fish Habitat – Oyster reefs provide essential habitat for a diverse collection of aquatic animals, including many important commercial and recreational fish species. One healthy oyster reef can be home to more than an estimated 300 different adult and juvenile organisms including southern flounder, shrimp, clams and blue crabs.

http://www.nccoast.org/restoration-education/oyster-habitat.asp


Millions upon millions of dollars of taxpayer dollars was spend to return THE NATIVE OYSTER to North Carolina.  It was a success thanks to Duke University's Marine Biology Department and the state's Marine Fisheries administration.

With the collapse of the Gulf oyster beds, the North Carolina oyster industry has increased in value, yet, the 'idea' oil and oysters can live together 'with risk to the oysters' in the same waters continues.



...Gov. Bev Perdue, a Democrat, is traveling in Germany this week and unable to comment directly, but a spokesman said on her behalf that the incident points to the need to ensure safety for drilling operations.

“It emphasizes the importance of making sure that any drilling off our coast would be safe, which is why the Governor put together an advisory panel of experts to review these issues and make recommendations,” said Tim Crowley, a spokesman for Perdue....

http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/04/29/article/gulf_oil_spill_doesn_t_change_nc_posture


CHASM: Spill reinforces N.C. drilling views


JOURNAL REPORTER
Published: May 1, 2010
The massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has deepened the divide between those who support and those who oppose drilling for oil and natural gas off of North Carolina's coast.
Opponents of drilling are using the spill as evidence of what could happen to the state's coastline.
Backers say that even though the spill is cause for concern, the economic benefits outweigh the potential for a disaster such as the one now playing out in the Gulf.
The spill does underscore the risks inherent in offshore drilling, said Orrin Pilkey, a professor emeritus of geology at Duke University in Durham.
"The fact is, drilling in deep water is always a hazard," Pilkey said. "Even with tremendous technology, we haven't solved it, and we probably never will. If we drill off the coast of North Carolina, we have to accept the fact that a spill could happen. It's not a high possibility by means, but it is a possibility."...

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2010/may/01/chasm-spill-reinforces-nc-drilling-views/news-regional/

What this all boils down to is that the 'money of oil' is more important than the livlihoods of citizens.  The citizen doesn't have a chance against the plutocracy.

Currently the tropical wave organizing near the Yucatan Peninsula is in oscillation with the circulation center east of Antigua

UNISYS GOES East Satellite

The land fall at this point is Baytown, Texas.  HOWEVER, the actual direction of the developing Tropical System at the Yucatan will be effected by the oscillation.  AND.  It will recieve less and less 'water vapor' support as it travels north. 

It is 'picking up' significant water vapor today, that may be enough to carry enough velocity, torque and calorie 'heat content' to higher hurricane strength past the Gulf of Mexico to landfall.

More later.

Is there a bonus for being the most corrupt judge in Louisiana? A $20 billion escrow account and there is irreparable harm? I don't think so.

There is pickle puss himself.

Pfc. Montrell Baker of the Louisiana National Guard's 1022 Engineer Company, pulls out a 50 foot section of tiger dam to protect the beach at Grand Isle, Louisiana, USA, 21 June 2010. EPA/ERIK S. LESSER



When is there going to be an investigation into Feldman's holdings and conduct in this case?

None of what he is stating has any basis in fact.  Every business effected by the moritorium and BP's disaster is receiving compensation.  Feldman is in gross misconduct of his power.