Just the stuff the NRC put up for Browns Ferry last week (7/26/09 - 8/2/09):
U1 & Sitewide
Analysis of NRR Response to ACRS Memorandum Concerning the Browns Ferry Nuclear Station 105% Power Uprate.
Meeting Minutes of the ACRS Subcommittee on Plant Operation and License Renewal Regarding Browns Ferry Unit 1 Restart and License Renewal Application, September 21, 2005.
U2
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 2 - Request For Withholding Proprietary Information From Public Disclosure (TAC MD5263).
Browns Ferry, Unit 2 - Technical Specifications Change TS-418 - Extended Power Uprate - Unit 2 Steam Dryer Analyses.
CDI Technical Note No. 08-13NP, Rev. 1, "Limit Curve Analysis with ACM Rev. 4 for Power Ascension at Browns Ferry Nuclear Unit 2," Enclosure 6.
CDI Report No. 09-13NP, Rev. 0, "Stress Assessment of Browns Ferry Nuclear Unit 2 Steam Dryer with Steam Dam, Outer Hood and Tie-Bar Reinforcements," Page 63 through 128, Enclosure 4.
CDI Report No. 09-13NP, Rev. 0, "Stress Assessment of Browns Ferry Nuclear Unit 2 Steam Dryer with Steam Dam, Outer Hood and Tie-Bar Reinforcements," Introduction through Page 62, Enclosure 4.
CDI Report No. 08-05NP, Rev. 4, "Acoustic and Low Frequency Hydrodynamic Loads at CLTP Power Level on Browns Ferry Nuclear Unit 2 Steam Dryer to 250 Hz," Enclosure 5.
U3
Nothing additional
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Navy News Service - Eye on the Fleet
The linked picture of 2 ships side-by-side by itself is pretty run of the mill. However, when you consider the airpower present on the flight deck of the USS George Washington, the old saying 4.5 acres of freedom is reinforced. The higher resolution picture is pretty good!
Navy News Service - Eye on the Fleet
Shared via AddThis
Navy News Service - Eye on the Fleet
Shared via AddThis
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday was an extraordinarily lazy day for me...
But that's just fine! It all started after getting home from dinner (at Papou's) on Wednesday evening. I had grandiose plans of staying up and running on the treadmill and going to WallyWorld and whatever else would keep me up. For whatever reason, I just couldn't stay up. It probably had a bit to do with the big dinner at Papou's. The last place we had access to good Greek food was in upstate New York. I noticed Papou's last year and we just now got around to trying it. Dinner was going to start out with a couple of orders of tyropita, but they were out. We opted for the spanakopita. Tasty! For the main course, Suzanne ordered tilapia "Papou's style". Here's how the dinner menu describes "Papou's style":
"Oven Baked in Zesty Tomato Sauce, Topped with Feta Cheese"
Very good! I opted for the Papou-tesera (or as the waiter noted, "all four"). I'm a fan of Greek food and I wasn't disappointed with the standard foods (moussaka, dolmades, spanakopita and pastitso) that were included. Yum! The huge bowl of ice cream at my mom's (we stopped by to say hi) probably didn't help much.....
Anyway, after all of that, I couldn't stay up much past midnight. Then 6 AM rolled around and I actually woke up early. That's not normal for me. I was going to go back to sleep for several hours, but didn't end up getting back to sleep until 11 AM because of technology issues. After getting back up around three in the afternoon, I tried to deal with the same techie issues that had perplexed me earlier. Still no luck. Fixing my problem took me dealing with it on and off (interrupted by the treadmill and dinner and laundry) until 9 PM. At least I'm persistent...
I did all of the stuff I meant to do early Thursday morning THIS morning. That included an hour workout, a hot shower, a trip to WallyWorld and one more load of laundry.
Yeah, not necessarily exciting (the food was, try Papou's!), but that's life sometimes.
One thing I heard about that DOES sound interesting is an upcoming series (5) of classes put on by the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. Unfortunately, I won't have the time to check this out, but if you're interested and available for five Tuesday nights between September 8th and October 6th, here's where you register. Sounds kinda cool!
"Oven Baked in Zesty Tomato Sauce, Topped with Feta Cheese"
Very good! I opted for the Papou-tesera (or as the waiter noted, "all four"). I'm a fan of Greek food and I wasn't disappointed with the standard foods (moussaka, dolmades, spanakopita and pastitso) that were included. Yum! The huge bowl of ice cream at my mom's (we stopped by to say hi) probably didn't help much.....
Anyway, after all of that, I couldn't stay up much past midnight. Then 6 AM rolled around and I actually woke up early. That's not normal for me. I was going to go back to sleep for several hours, but didn't end up getting back to sleep until 11 AM because of technology issues. After getting back up around three in the afternoon, I tried to deal with the same techie issues that had perplexed me earlier. Still no luck. Fixing my problem took me dealing with it on and off (interrupted by the treadmill and dinner and laundry) until 9 PM. At least I'm persistent...
I did all of the stuff I meant to do early Thursday morning THIS morning. That included an hour workout, a hot shower, a trip to WallyWorld and one more load of laundry.
Yeah, not necessarily exciting (the food was, try Papou's!), but that's life sometimes.
One thing I heard about that DOES sound interesting is an upcoming series (5) of classes put on by the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. Unfortunately, I won't have the time to check this out, but if you're interested and available for five Tuesday nights between September 8th and October 6th, here's where you register. Sounds kinda cool!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Plenty of stuff here...
In starting, please feel free to check out my daddy-o's latest opus, entitled "AC, not PC":
Here's what the NRC added to their ADAMS document system about Browns Ferry last week:
U1 & sitewide
1. 08/11/2009 Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 1 - Notice of Meeting with Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) To Discuss Extended Power Uprate.
2. Browns Ferry August 2007-301 Exam Post-Exam Comments - No Comments.
3. Browns Ferry August 2007-301 Exam FINAL RO/SRO Answer Keys.
4. Browns Ferry, August 2007-301 Exam Draft RO Written Exam.
5. Browns Ferry August 2007-301 Exam Final Simulator Scenarios.
6. Browns Ferry August 2007-301 Exam Final JPMS.
7. Browns Ferry August 2007-301 Exam Draft Written Outlines & ES-401-6.
8. Browns Ferry August 2007-301 Exam DRAFT Simulator Scenarios.
9. Browns Ferry August 2007-301 Exam Draft JPMs.
10. Browns Ferry August 2007-301 Exam Administrative Documents.
11. Browns Ferry August 2007-301 Exam DRAFT SRO Written Exam.
Here are the latest CRS reports available from the Federation of American Scientists. Regarding CRS reports, a new Senate resolution has been proposed to create a public access website making most CRS reports available. The resolution was sponsored by Senator Joseph Lieberman and co-sponsored by Senators Susan M. Collins, Russell Feingold, Tom Harkin, Patrick Leahy, Richard Lugar and John McCain. What's the status? The measure was introduced (and referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration) on 4/29/2009. If you are interested in this type of information being made available to the public (your tax money makes these reports possible), consider contacting one (or more) of the Senators on the committee. Here's a list:
Senators Charles E. Schumer, Robert Bennett, Robert C. Byrd, Daniel K. Inouye, Christopher J. Dodd, Dianne Feinstein, Richard J. Durbin, E. Benjamin Nelson, Patty Murray, Mark L. Pryor, Tom Udall, Mark Warner, Mitch McConnell, Thad Cochran, Kay Bailey Hutchison, C. Saxby Chambliss, Lamar Alexander, John Ensign and Pat Roberts.
We were unhappy when Mama Fu's closed its doors in Huntsville last year. It closed with little or no notice or reason given. There's a new restaurant in its place called Mei Wei. Mei Wei has just opened up in the past couple of weeks. The menu is VERY similar to that of the now defunct Mama Fu's. We ate there Saturday night and we'll be going back. I hope that this place can generate the traffic necessary to stay in business. Here's a slideshow of the menu with links to larger images of the menu on Picasa:
Here's what the NRC added to their ADAMS document system about Browns Ferry last week:
U1 & sitewide
1. 08/11/2009 Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 1 - Notice of Meeting with Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) To Discuss Extended Power Uprate.
2. Browns Ferry August 2007-301 Exam Post-Exam Comments - No Comments.
3. Browns Ferry August 2007-301 Exam FINAL RO/SRO Answer Keys.
4. Browns Ferry, August 2007-301 Exam Draft RO Written Exam.
5. Browns Ferry August 2007-301 Exam Final Simulator Scenarios.
6. Browns Ferry August 2007-301 Exam Final JPMS.
7. Browns Ferry August 2007-301 Exam Draft Written Outlines & ES-401-6.
8. Browns Ferry August 2007-301 Exam DRAFT Simulator Scenarios.
9. Browns Ferry August 2007-301 Exam Draft JPMs.
10. Browns Ferry August 2007-301 Exam Administrative Documents.
11. Browns Ferry August 2007-301 Exam DRAFT SRO Written Exam.
Here are the latest CRS reports available from the Federation of American Scientists. Regarding CRS reports, a new Senate resolution has been proposed to create a public access website making most CRS reports available. The resolution was sponsored by Senator Joseph Lieberman and co-sponsored by Senators Susan M. Collins, Russell Feingold, Tom Harkin, Patrick Leahy, Richard Lugar and John McCain. What's the status? The measure was introduced (and referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration) on 4/29/2009. If you are interested in this type of information being made available to the public (your tax money makes these reports possible), consider contacting one (or more) of the Senators on the committee. Here's a list:
Senators Charles E. Schumer, Robert Bennett, Robert C. Byrd, Daniel K. Inouye, Christopher J. Dodd, Dianne Feinstein, Richard J. Durbin, E. Benjamin Nelson, Patty Murray, Mark L. Pryor, Tom Udall, Mark Warner, Mitch McConnell, Thad Cochran, Kay Bailey Hutchison, C. Saxby Chambliss, Lamar Alexander, John Ensign and Pat Roberts.
We were unhappy when Mama Fu's closed its doors in Huntsville last year. It closed with little or no notice or reason given. There's a new restaurant in its place called Mei Wei. Mei Wei has just opened up in the past couple of weeks. The menu is VERY similar to that of the now defunct Mama Fu's. We ate there Saturday night and we'll be going back. I hope that this place can generate the traffic necessary to stay in business. Here's a slideshow of the menu with links to larger images of the menu on Picasa:
Friday, July 24, 2009
A couple of things...
As usual, the Federation of American Scientists recently posted some new CRS reports. The one that I've found most interesting in July (most are somewhat interesting anyway) is the first one at http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/2009/07/070909.html#2. CRS reports are a product of YOUR TAX MONEY, but are often limited in distribution.
Locally, the Tennessee Valley Authority is beginning a study into how best to meet the Valley's future electrical needs. To that end, a series of "scoping meetings" will be held at various venues until August 6. There are four meetings left, so if you are an interested member of the Valley public, check check out one of these meetings.
Locally, the Tennessee Valley Authority is beginning a study into how best to meet the Valley's future electrical needs. To that end, a series of "scoping meetings" will be held at various venues until August 6. There are four meetings left, so if you are an interested member of the Valley public, check check out one of these meetings.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
I can't believe I missed the chance last night.....
To give props to NASA for the 40th anniversary of man on the moon. Much of the future regarding manned space flight appears in flux at the moment, but I absolutely believe we'll continue to move forward into space. I truly love the fact that private companies have emerged in the quest to achieve more in space. Check out NASA's subsite for the 40th anniversary of the Apollo moon missions.
I missed giving props last night to go see the Huntsville Arts Council's Concert in the Park. Olde Towne Brass and the Huntsville Concert Band did a good job. And I can't fail to mention that the Greek fast food we picked up from Taziki's was great!
Not much else to say, so here's what the NRC added to their ADAMS system about my nuclear plant last week:
U1 & Sitewide
Browns Ferry, Operator Licensing Written Examination Approval 05000259/09-301, 05000260/09-301 and 05000296/09-301.
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and 3, RAI, Request For Supplemental Information Regarding Extension Of Technical Specification Completion Time For Emergency Diesel Generators.
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and 3; Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2; Watts Bar Plant, Unit 1 - Summary of Conference Calls With The Tennessee Valley Authority Regarding Decommission Funding Assurance.
IR 05000259-09-007, 05000260-09-007 and 05000296-09-007; 04/20 - 24/2009; Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2 and 3; Focused Fire Protection Baseline Inspection.
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 1, Request For Additional Information (RAI) For Extended Power Uprate - Round 25.
U2
Browns Ferry, Unit 2, Status of Decommissioning Funding Assurance.
U3
Nothing additional
I missed giving props last night to go see the Huntsville Arts Council's Concert in the Park. Olde Towne Brass and the Huntsville Concert Band did a good job. And I can't fail to mention that the Greek fast food we picked up from Taziki's was great!
Not much else to say, so here's what the NRC added to their ADAMS system about my nuclear plant last week:
U1 & Sitewide
Browns Ferry, Operator Licensing Written Examination Approval 05000259/09-301, 05000260/09-301 and 05000296/09-301.
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and 3, RAI, Request For Supplemental Information Regarding Extension Of Technical Specification Completion Time For Emergency Diesel Generators.
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and 3; Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2; Watts Bar Plant, Unit 1 - Summary of Conference Calls With The Tennessee Valley Authority Regarding Decommission Funding Assurance.
IR 05000259-09-007, 05000260-09-007 and 05000296-09-007; 04/20 - 24/2009; Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2 and 3; Focused Fire Protection Baseline Inspection.
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 1, Request For Additional Information (RAI) For Extended Power Uprate - Round 25.
U2
Browns Ferry, Unit 2, Status of Decommissioning Funding Assurance.
U3
Nothing additional
Monday, July 13, 2009
It's Monday night!
The Huntsville Arts Council's Concert in the Park was pretty good and I had a chance to sweat it up kickin' the hacky sack for well over an hour. The Abstract Band and Toy Shop were good. Next week, it's Olde Towne Brass and the Huntsville Concert Band.
Not a whole lot else, so here's the weekly (and perhaps geeky, in a nuclear sense) roundup of what was put into the NRC's ADAMS system about Browns Ferry last week. Actually, the stuff about the Browns Ferry fire in 1975 is kind of interesting:
U1 & Site
1. CEB-75-12,"Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Units 1 & 2 Approximate Temperature Zones Derived From a Review of Physical Evidence Produced by the March 22, 1975, Fire."
2. "Fire at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant on March 22, 1975."
3. Tennessee Valley Authority - Submittal of Report in Accordance with 10 CFR 26.719 (c)(1) for Drug and Alcohol Testing Errors.
U2&3
4. ACRS Meeting with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, - June 4, 2009, Slides.
Not a whole lot else, so here's the weekly (and perhaps geeky, in a nuclear sense) roundup of what was put into the NRC's ADAMS system about Browns Ferry last week. Actually, the stuff about the Browns Ferry fire in 1975 is kind of interesting:
U1 & Site
1. CEB-75-12,"Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Units 1 & 2 Approximate Temperature Zones Derived From a Review of Physical Evidence Produced by the March 22, 1975, Fire."
2. "Fire at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant on March 22, 1975."
3. Tennessee Valley Authority - Submittal of Report in Accordance with 10 CFR 26.719 (c)(1) for Drug and Alcohol Testing Errors.
U2&3
4. ACRS Meeting with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, - June 4, 2009, Slides.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
These are a few of my favorite things....
• Enjoyed Mongolian grill-style food for a long time now. A new Mongolian grill joint recently opened in Huntsville and it's pretty good: Stir Fry Mongolian Grill
• CHOCOLATE! Found a new one at Wally World made by Chuao Chocolatier: Chuao Chocolate
• Liberty! Ask anyone who knows me and they'll probably tell you that I was not a fan of the last group of people to hold the reins of power in DC. Some things they did were right (in my view) or right-minded but plenty of others were not. Some of the things that Obama and company are currently doing are right or right-minded but, again, some are not. I enjoy reading a lot of the material from cato.org. They discuss plenty of things that seem right to me and do it far more eloquently than I could ever hope to: The Cato Institute
• Funny cats! 'nuff said: ICanHasCheezburger
• Concerts in big Spring Park: Huntsville Arts Council's Conerts in the Park
• CHOCOLATE! Found a new one at Wally World made by Chuao Chocolatier: Chuao Chocolate
• Liberty! Ask anyone who knows me and they'll probably tell you that I was not a fan of the last group of people to hold the reins of power in DC. Some things they did were right (in my view) or right-minded but plenty of others were not. Some of the things that Obama and company are currently doing are right or right-minded but, again, some are not. I enjoy reading a lot of the material from cato.org. They discuss plenty of things that seem right to me and do it far more eloquently than I could ever hope to: The Cato Institute
• Funny cats! 'nuff said: ICanHasCheezburger
• Concerts in big Spring Park: Huntsville Arts Council's Conerts in the Park
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
I'm a little slow this week...
I didn't figure that I had a great deal to say. The following are documents that were added to the NRC's ADAMS system for the week of 6/29/09-7/05/09:
Browns Ferry Unit 1 & site
1. Forwards TVA documents to be released to PDR.
2. Request encl N Markisohn 890821 & J Donohew 891106 ltrs be placed in PDR.
3. Forwards order modifying licenses to require preservation of integrity of original unexpurgated records,prohibiting removal of records & providing NRC access to original records for insp & copying.
4. Notification of rescheduled 860512 meeting w/util in Bethesda,MD to discuss util inspector general interaction w/employee concern program.Meeting rescheduled from morning to afternoon.
5. Notification of 851218 meeting w/TVA in Chattanooga,TN to discuss TVA proposed responses to questions raised by NRC 850917 ltr re 10CFR50.54(f).
6. Forwards transcript of 851212 meeting w/TVA in Bethesda,MD re progress on concerns described in NRC 10CFR50.54(f) ltr.
7. Order modifying licenses to prohibit removal of unexpurgated original records from employee concern program & providing notice of 5 working days before control of unexpurgated records relinquished.
8. Forwards encls to rept to Commission on status of staff actions re TVA.Staff actions will be discussed at next Commission meeting on 860207.
9. Meeting Announcement - Category 2 Public Meeting, 2009 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Initial Examination Development Workshop.
10. Browns Ferry, Initial Exam 2008-302 Post Exam Comments.
11. Letter from F. Godwin, TVA to NRC on Browns Ferry Proposed Request for Exemption from 10 CFR 50, Appendix R. Paragraph lll.G.2, Fire Protection of Safe Shutdown Capacity.
12. Browns Ferry, Units 1, 2, and 3, Corrections to Amendment Nos. 274, 301, and 260 Regarding Control Rod Notch Test Frequency.
13. Browns Ferry, Units 1, 2, and 3 - Technical Specifications (TS) Change TS-466-T - Request for One-time Extensions of TS 3.8.1 Condition B Required Action B.4 Completion Time - Emergency Diesel Generators (EDGs) A, B, C, D, 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D.
14. Browns Ferry, Initial Exam 2008-302 Final Administrative Documents.
15. Browns Ferry Initial Exam 2008-302 Final Simulator Scenarios.
16. Browns Ferry Initial Exam 2008-302 Final SIM/In-Plant JPMs.
17. Browns Ferry Initial Exam 2008-302 Final Administrative JPMs.
18. Browns Ferry Initial Exam 2008-302 Draft SRO Written Exam.
19. Browns Ferry Initial Exam 2008-302 Draft Simulator Scenarios.
20. Browns Ferry Initial Exam 2008-302 Draft Sim/In-Plant JPMs.
21. Browns Ferry Initial Exam 2008-302 Draft RO Written Exam.
22. Browns Ferry Initial Exam 2008-302 Draft Administrative JPMs.
23. Browns Ferry Initial Exam 2008-302 Draft Administrative Documents.
Browns Ferry Unit 2
10. Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Unit 2 - Withdrawal of Relief Request (2-ISI-22) For Repair of Classes 1, 2, and 3 Austenitic Stainless Steel Piping (TAC No. ME1320).
Browns Ferry Unit 3
Nothing additional
Browns Ferry Unit 1 & site
1. Forwards TVA documents to be released to PDR.
2. Request encl N Markisohn 890821 & J Donohew 891106 ltrs be placed in PDR.
3. Forwards order modifying licenses to require preservation of integrity of original unexpurgated records,prohibiting removal of records & providing NRC access to original records for insp & copying.
4. Notification of rescheduled 860512 meeting w/util in Bethesda,MD to discuss util inspector general interaction w/employee concern program.Meeting rescheduled from morning to afternoon.
5. Notification of 851218 meeting w/TVA in Chattanooga,TN to discuss TVA proposed responses to questions raised by NRC 850917 ltr re 10CFR50.54(f).
6. Forwards transcript of 851212 meeting w/TVA in Bethesda,MD re progress on concerns described in NRC 10CFR50.54(f) ltr.
7. Order modifying licenses to prohibit removal of unexpurgated original records from employee concern program & providing notice of 5 working days before control of unexpurgated records relinquished.
8. Forwards encls to rept to Commission on status of staff actions re TVA.Staff actions will be discussed at next Commission meeting on 860207.
9. Meeting Announcement - Category 2 Public Meeting, 2009 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Initial Examination Development Workshop.
10. Browns Ferry, Initial Exam 2008-302 Post Exam Comments.
11. Letter from F. Godwin, TVA to NRC on Browns Ferry Proposed Request for Exemption from 10 CFR 50, Appendix R. Paragraph lll.G.2, Fire Protection of Safe Shutdown Capacity.
12. Browns Ferry, Units 1, 2, and 3, Corrections to Amendment Nos. 274, 301, and 260 Regarding Control Rod Notch Test Frequency.
13. Browns Ferry, Units 1, 2, and 3 - Technical Specifications (TS) Change TS-466-T - Request for One-time Extensions of TS 3.8.1 Condition B Required Action B.4 Completion Time - Emergency Diesel Generators (EDGs) A, B, C, D, 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D.
14. Browns Ferry, Initial Exam 2008-302 Final Administrative Documents.
15. Browns Ferry Initial Exam 2008-302 Final Simulator Scenarios.
16. Browns Ferry Initial Exam 2008-302 Final SIM/In-Plant JPMs.
17. Browns Ferry Initial Exam 2008-302 Final Administrative JPMs.
18. Browns Ferry Initial Exam 2008-302 Draft SRO Written Exam.
19. Browns Ferry Initial Exam 2008-302 Draft Simulator Scenarios.
20. Browns Ferry Initial Exam 2008-302 Draft Sim/In-Plant JPMs.
21. Browns Ferry Initial Exam 2008-302 Draft RO Written Exam.
22. Browns Ferry Initial Exam 2008-302 Draft Administrative JPMs.
23. Browns Ferry Initial Exam 2008-302 Draft Administrative Documents.
Browns Ferry Unit 2
10. Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Unit 2 - Withdrawal of Relief Request (2-ISI-22) For Repair of Classes 1, 2, and 3 Austenitic Stainless Steel Piping (TAC No. ME1320).
Browns Ferry Unit 3
Nothing additional
Saturday, July 04, 2009
233 years ago.....
we held some truths to be self-evident! As we enjoy the holiday (and I guarantee that I definitely will), let's remember the blood, sweat and tears of those who have helped protect our freedom....
Here's a resource from the Library of Congress with more on the Declaration of Independence.
Happy Independence Day!
Here's a resource from the Library of Congress with more on the Declaration of Independence.
Happy Independence Day!
Friday, July 03, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Happy Iraqi Sovereignty Day...
Let's hope they're ready to take care of business!
Check out the latest edition of Secrecy News from the Federation of American Scientists. If that's not exactly your cup of tea, check out Issue #91 of Improvijazzation Nation.
And last, but not least, here's what the NRC posted about Browns Ferry last week...
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Unit 1 - Status of Decommissioning Funding Assurance.
Notification of Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant - Component Design Bases Inspection - NRC Inspection Report 0500259-09-008, 05000260-09-008, and 05000296-09-008.
Browns Ferry Nuclear Pant - Notification of Triennial Fire Protection Baseline Inspection While Transition to 10 CFR Part 50.48(c) is in Progress (NRC Inspection Report No. 05000259-09-009, 05000260-09-009, and 05000296-09-009.
06/29/2009 Cancellation of Meeting Notice, Meeting with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to Discuss Extended Power Uprate at Browns Ferry.
Browns Ferry, Unit 2 - Core Operating Limits Report (COLR) for Cycle 16 Operation.
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 3 - Status of Decommissioning Funding Assurance.
Check out the latest edition of Secrecy News from the Federation of American Scientists. If that's not exactly your cup of tea, check out Issue #91 of Improvijazzation Nation.
And last, but not least, here's what the NRC posted about Browns Ferry last week...
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Unit 1 - Status of Decommissioning Funding Assurance.
Notification of Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant - Component Design Bases Inspection - NRC Inspection Report 0500259-09-008, 05000260-09-008, and 05000296-09-008.
Browns Ferry Nuclear Pant - Notification of Triennial Fire Protection Baseline Inspection While Transition to 10 CFR Part 50.48(c) is in Progress (NRC Inspection Report No. 05000259-09-009, 05000260-09-009, and 05000296-09-009.
06/29/2009 Cancellation of Meeting Notice, Meeting with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to Discuss Extended Power Uprate at Browns Ferry.
Browns Ferry, Unit 2 - Core Operating Limits Report (COLR) for Cycle 16 Operation.
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 3 - Status of Decommissioning Funding Assurance.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
If the recent political scandals prove anything...
It's that members of any political party can make mistakes. John Ensign, Slick Willy, John Edwards, Mark Sanford....
Heck, I'm willing to bet that Socialists and Libertarians (and some members of all other parties) can do and have done the same stuff. The errors that folks make don't necessarily negate the views they have. They just prove that we're all human.
Check out the latest CRS reports available from the Federation of American Scientists Secrecy News newsletter. Topics include an analysis of selected Sotomayor opinions, the recent Iranian elections, and the FY2010 appropriations request for homeland security...
Speaking of the Iranian elections...
Much of the coverage we see has a western orientation to it. Unfortunately, it appears that the official mouthpiece of the Iranian state isn't currently serving up an English version. Here's Al Jazeera's Iran section. How about the Mousavi page on Facebook? Or Google's translation of Mousavi's news site? To end the streak, check out Mousavi on Twitter...
In closing, RIP to Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson!
Heck, I'm willing to bet that Socialists and Libertarians (and some members of all other parties) can do and have done the same stuff. The errors that folks make don't necessarily negate the views they have. They just prove that we're all human.
Check out the latest CRS reports available from the Federation of American Scientists Secrecy News newsletter. Topics include an analysis of selected Sotomayor opinions, the recent Iranian elections, and the FY2010 appropriations request for homeland security...
Speaking of the Iranian elections...
Much of the coverage we see has a western orientation to it. Unfortunately, it appears that the official mouthpiece of the Iranian state isn't currently serving up an English version. Here's Al Jazeera's Iran section. How about the Mousavi page on Facebook? Or Google's translation of Mousavi's news site? To end the streak, check out Mousavi on Twitter...
In closing, RIP to Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
This past Monday night...
We tried a new recipe from a Better Homes & Gardens special recipe magazine. Tonight, the wife unit decided to head out with the girls. That left me with the decision of what to make myself for dinner. Having enjoyed the "Greek-style quesadillas" (from the other night), I decided to experiment. I had actually decided what I would make well before I got home from work. Please pardon me for not including all the measurements of ingredients. I am HORRIBLE at measuring when conducting experiments. Here's what I made:
Mediterranean style tuna quesadillas
About 5 tbsp. kalamata olives
1 11 oz. foil package of tuna
3 tbsp. bottled Greek vinaigrette salad dressing
Diced tomatoes (to your taste/visual appeal)
Chopped red onions (to your taste/visual appeal)
3 oz. of Athenos basil & tomato crumbkled feta cheese
Two Toufayan wheat wraps
Olive oil
Combine all ingredients, mix well and marinate for at least one hour. Cover one half of each wrap with the tuna/veggie/dressing mixture. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in skillet (or grill) to about medium. Brush each side of wrap with oil (I used Hain's garlic infused oil). Heat for 6-8 minutes (flipping halfway through) until both sides are browned. Enjoy!
I only made two wraps and I think there's enough filling left for at least eight more. I believe I'll carry some more to work tomorrow or Friday. What would I do different? I'd probably add a bit more feta cheese. I definitely feel I had the wrong ratio of fish to feta. All in all, this experiment turned out to be fairly tasty. I'll be making this again (and maybe I'll measure better)!
In closing, there's some interesting reading below. I've included links to 20 recently added reports from opencrs.com.
Canada-U.S. Relations
Latin America and the Caribbean
U.S.-Iraq Withdrawal/Status of Forces Agreement: Issues for Congressional Oversight
Strategic Arms Control After START: Issues and Options
U.S. Military Stop Loss Program
Ocean Acidification
Department of Homeland Security Assistance to States and Localities: A Summary and Issues for the 111th Congress
Senate Rejections and Committee Votes Other Than to Report Favorably, 1939-2009
State, Foreign Operations Appropriations: A Guide to Component Accounts
Cars and Climate: What Can EPA Do to Control Greenhouse Gases from Mobile Sources?
Tax Credit Bonds: Overview and Analysis
Cuban Migration to the United States: Policy and Trends
Airport Improvement Program (AIP): Reauthorization Issues for Congress
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Updated "Safeguards" and Net Assessments
Oversight and Related Issues Concerning International Security Agreements Concluded by the United States
Access to Broadband Networks: The Net Neutrality Debate
The Role of the Department of Defense During A Flu Pandemic
Military Installation Real Property and Services: Proposed Legislation in the 111th Congress
Greeenhouse Gas Legislation: Summary and Analysis of H.R. 2454 as Reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce
Military Aircraft, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Program: Background and Issues for Congress
Mediterranean style tuna quesadillas
About 5 tbsp. kalamata olives
1 11 oz. foil package of tuna
3 tbsp. bottled Greek vinaigrette salad dressing
Diced tomatoes (to your taste/visual appeal)
Chopped red onions (to your taste/visual appeal)
3 oz. of Athenos basil & tomato crumbkled feta cheese
Two Toufayan wheat wraps
Olive oil
Combine all ingredients, mix well and marinate for at least one hour. Cover one half of each wrap with the tuna/veggie/dressing mixture. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in skillet (or grill) to about medium. Brush each side of wrap with oil (I used Hain's garlic infused oil). Heat for 6-8 minutes (flipping halfway through) until both sides are browned. Enjoy!
I only made two wraps and I think there's enough filling left for at least eight more. I believe I'll carry some more to work tomorrow or Friday. What would I do different? I'd probably add a bit more feta cheese. I definitely feel I had the wrong ratio of fish to feta. All in all, this experiment turned out to be fairly tasty. I'll be making this again (and maybe I'll measure better)!
In closing, there's some interesting reading below. I've included links to 20 recently added reports from opencrs.com.
Canada-U.S. Relations
Latin America and the Caribbean
U.S.-Iraq Withdrawal/Status of Forces Agreement: Issues for Congressional Oversight
Strategic Arms Control After START: Issues and Options
U.S. Military Stop Loss Program
Ocean Acidification
Department of Homeland Security Assistance to States and Localities: A Summary and Issues for the 111th Congress
Senate Rejections and Committee Votes Other Than to Report Favorably, 1939-2009
State, Foreign Operations Appropriations: A Guide to Component Accounts
Cars and Climate: What Can EPA Do to Control Greenhouse Gases from Mobile Sources?
Tax Credit Bonds: Overview and Analysis
Cuban Migration to the United States: Policy and Trends
Airport Improvement Program (AIP): Reauthorization Issues for Congress
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Updated "Safeguards" and Net Assessments
Oversight and Related Issues Concerning International Security Agreements Concluded by the United States
Access to Broadband Networks: The Net Neutrality Debate
The Role of the Department of Defense During A Flu Pandemic
Military Installation Real Property and Services: Proposed Legislation in the 111th Congress
Greeenhouse Gas Legislation: Summary and Analysis of H.R. 2454 as Reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce
Military Aircraft, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Program: Background and Issues for Congress
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
OK, this morning I tweeted a link to the Campaign for Liberty's petition drive to audit the Federal Reserve...
Here's the petition link and here's the tweet.
You might ask "What's the big deal?" The best explanation I have found so far is the short speech that Ron Paul gave when introducing H.R. 1207 just this past February. I will include the full text and a link to the GPO's pdf file. To read the full text of Dr. Paul's introduction speech (and the rest of this post), click "Read more!" below...
H.R. 1207 introductory remarks made by Dr. Ron Paul on 2-26-09
"THE FEDERAL RESERVE TRANSPARENCY ACT
HON. RON PAUL OF TEXAS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Mr. PAUL. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the Federal Reserve Transparency Act. Throughout its nearly 100-year history, the Federal Reserve has presided over the near complete destruction of the United States dollar. Since 1913 the dollar has lost over 95% of its purchasing power, aided and abetted by the Federal Reserve’s loose monetary policy. How long will we as a Congress stand idly by while hard-working Americans see their savings eaten away by inflation? Only big-spending politicians and politically favored bankers benefit from inflation.
Serious discussion of proposals to oversee the Federal Reserve is long overdue. I have been a longtime proponent of more effective oversight and auditing of the Fed, but I was far from the first Congressman to advocate these types of proposals. Esteemed former members of the Banking Committee such as Chairmen Wright Patman and Henry B. Gonzales were outspoken critics of the Fed and its lack of transparency.
Since its inception, the Federal Reserve has always operated in the shadows, without sufficient scrutiny or oversight of its operations. While the conventional excuse is that this is intended to reduce the Fed’s susceptibility to political pressures, the reality is that the Fed acts as a foil for the government. Whenever you question the Fed about the strength of the dollar, they will refer you to the Treasury, and vice versa. The Federal Reserve has, on the one hand, many of the privileges of government agencies, while retaining benefits of private organizations, such as being insulated from Freedom of Information Act requests.
The Federal Reserve can enter into agreements with foreign central banks and foreign governments, and the GAO is prohibited from auditing or even seeing these agreements. Why should a government-established agency, whose police force has federal law enforcement powers, and whose notes have legal tender status in this country, be allowed to enter into agreements with foreign powers and foreign banking institutions with no oversight? Particularly when hundreds of billions of dollars of currency swaps have been announced and implemented, the Fed’s negotiations with the European Central Bank, the Bank of International Settlements, and other institutions should face increased scrutiny, most especially because of their significant effect on foreign policy. If the State Department were able to do this, it would be characterized as a rogue agency and brought to heel, and if a private individual did this he might face prosecution under the Logan Act, yet the Fed avoids both fates.
More importantly, the Fed’s funding facilities and its agreements with the Treasury should be reviewed. The Treasury’s supplementary financing accounts that fund Fed facilities allow the Treasury to funnel money to Wall Street without GAO or Congressional oversight. Additional funding facilities, such as the Primary Dealer Credit Facility and the Term Securities Lending Facility, allow the Fed to keep financial asset prices artificially inflated and subsidize poorly performing financial firms.
The Federal Reserve Transparency Act would eliminate restrictions on GAO audits of the Federal Reserve and open Fed operations to enhanced scrutiny. We hear officials constantly lauding the benefits of transparency and especially bemoaning the opacity of the Fed, its monetary policy, and its funding facilities. By opening all Fed operations to a GAO audit and calling for such an audit to be completed by the end of 2010, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act would achieve much needed transparency of the Federal Reserve. I urge my colleagues to support this bill."
That pretty much sums it up. For more understanding of exactly what the Federal Reserve does, here's the Wikipedia article about the Federal Reserve System and here's a 6 page report from the Congressional Research Service (from 2005) entitled "Structure and Functions of The Federal Reserve System". OK, enough about that. If you feel that this bill has some merit, please sign the petition and contact your Congressman (particularly if they don't support HR 1207).
Want an interesting read? Check out what the Congressional Budget Office had to say about Obama's FY2010 budget just last week. I was never a fan of the last administration, but allowing the public debt (not the total debt) to reach over 80% of GDP (as estimated in the CBO post) is irresponsible.
Last but not least...
What kind of documents regarding my nuclear plant were added to the NRC's website last week?
Browns Ferry Unit 2 - Safety Evaluation For Relief Request 2-ISI-18R1 Associated With Inservice Inspection Examination Coverage.
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Unit 2 - Verbal Relief Related to Instrument Line Weld Overlay (TAC No. ME1319) (2-ISI-21).
You might ask "What's the big deal?" The best explanation I have found so far is the short speech that Ron Paul gave when introducing H.R. 1207 just this past February. I will include the full text and a link to the GPO's pdf file. To read the full text of Dr. Paul's introduction speech (and the rest of this post), click "Read more!" below...
H.R. 1207 introductory remarks made by Dr. Ron Paul on 2-26-09
"THE FEDERAL RESERVE TRANSPARENCY ACT
HON. RON PAUL OF TEXAS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Mr. PAUL. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the Federal Reserve Transparency Act. Throughout its nearly 100-year history, the Federal Reserve has presided over the near complete destruction of the United States dollar. Since 1913 the dollar has lost over 95% of its purchasing power, aided and abetted by the Federal Reserve’s loose monetary policy. How long will we as a Congress stand idly by while hard-working Americans see their savings eaten away by inflation? Only big-spending politicians and politically favored bankers benefit from inflation.
Serious discussion of proposals to oversee the Federal Reserve is long overdue. I have been a longtime proponent of more effective oversight and auditing of the Fed, but I was far from the first Congressman to advocate these types of proposals. Esteemed former members of the Banking Committee such as Chairmen Wright Patman and Henry B. Gonzales were outspoken critics of the Fed and its lack of transparency.
Since its inception, the Federal Reserve has always operated in the shadows, without sufficient scrutiny or oversight of its operations. While the conventional excuse is that this is intended to reduce the Fed’s susceptibility to political pressures, the reality is that the Fed acts as a foil for the government. Whenever you question the Fed about the strength of the dollar, they will refer you to the Treasury, and vice versa. The Federal Reserve has, on the one hand, many of the privileges of government agencies, while retaining benefits of private organizations, such as being insulated from Freedom of Information Act requests.
The Federal Reserve can enter into agreements with foreign central banks and foreign governments, and the GAO is prohibited from auditing or even seeing these agreements. Why should a government-established agency, whose police force has federal law enforcement powers, and whose notes have legal tender status in this country, be allowed to enter into agreements with foreign powers and foreign banking institutions with no oversight? Particularly when hundreds of billions of dollars of currency swaps have been announced and implemented, the Fed’s negotiations with the European Central Bank, the Bank of International Settlements, and other institutions should face increased scrutiny, most especially because of their significant effect on foreign policy. If the State Department were able to do this, it would be characterized as a rogue agency and brought to heel, and if a private individual did this he might face prosecution under the Logan Act, yet the Fed avoids both fates.
More importantly, the Fed’s funding facilities and its agreements with the Treasury should be reviewed. The Treasury’s supplementary financing accounts that fund Fed facilities allow the Treasury to funnel money to Wall Street without GAO or Congressional oversight. Additional funding facilities, such as the Primary Dealer Credit Facility and the Term Securities Lending Facility, allow the Fed to keep financial asset prices artificially inflated and subsidize poorly performing financial firms.
The Federal Reserve Transparency Act would eliminate restrictions on GAO audits of the Federal Reserve and open Fed operations to enhanced scrutiny. We hear officials constantly lauding the benefits of transparency and especially bemoaning the opacity of the Fed, its monetary policy, and its funding facilities. By opening all Fed operations to a GAO audit and calling for such an audit to be completed by the end of 2010, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act would achieve much needed transparency of the Federal Reserve. I urge my colleagues to support this bill."
That pretty much sums it up. For more understanding of exactly what the Federal Reserve does, here's the Wikipedia article about the Federal Reserve System and here's a 6 page report from the Congressional Research Service (from 2005) entitled "Structure and Functions of The Federal Reserve System". OK, enough about that. If you feel that this bill has some merit, please sign the petition and contact your Congressman (particularly if they don't support HR 1207).
Want an interesting read? Check out what the Congressional Budget Office had to say about Obama's FY2010 budget just last week. I was never a fan of the last administration, but allowing the public debt (not the total debt) to reach over 80% of GDP (as estimated in the CBO post) is irresponsible.
Last but not least...
What kind of documents regarding my nuclear plant were added to the NRC's website last week?
Browns Ferry Unit 2 - Safety Evaluation For Relief Request 2-ISI-18R1 Associated With Inservice Inspection Examination Coverage.
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Unit 2 - Verbal Relief Related to Instrument Line Weld Overlay (TAC No. ME1319) (2-ISI-21).
Sunday, June 21, 2009
First and foremost...
To all you dads out there (particularly mine):
Happy Father's Day!
Today was a fun day. It started off with 17 miles on a bicycle riding with my long-time best friend. Then we met the rest of our family for breakfast. After breakfast, we picked up our various cars and bicycles and took a drive to and through the Harmony Park Safari. It's kind of trippy having rams and emus and the occasional bison come up to your window wanting food. If you're in Huntsville and you haven't checked out Harmony Park Safari, you're definitely missing out. Especially if you have kids...
Happy Father's Day!
Today was a fun day. It started off with 17 miles on a bicycle riding with my long-time best friend. Then we met the rest of our family for breakfast. After breakfast, we picked up our various cars and bicycles and took a drive to and through the Harmony Park Safari. It's kind of trippy having rams and emus and the occasional bison come up to your window wanting food. If you're in Huntsville and you haven't checked out Harmony Park Safari, you're definitely missing out. Especially if you have kids...
Friday, June 19, 2009
As we're continuing to hear from Iran....
Many folks are questioning the outcome of the election and protests are indeed happening. I'm not at all fond of the individual who was "elected" or the "fundies" that back him. Personally, I don't think they are playing with a full set of marbles given the statements they often make. Anyway, I wish those who are protesting the best of luck in trying to implement change. I mentioned a site called The Reagan Files a few posts back. Having glanced through a couple of the documents there, it certainly appears that Reagan and company were all complicit in and knowledgeable of (whether Reagan forgot or outright lied) the arms deals known as Iran-Contra. The current crisis in Iran reminds me of why I consider myself a Libertarian....
Entangling Alliances
Thomas Jefferson's first Inaugural address in 1801 contains the following passage:
"Equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political; peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none; the support of the State governments in all their rights, as the most competent administrations for our domestic concerns and the surest bulwarks against antirepublican tendencies; the preservation of the General Government in its whole constitutional vigor, as the sheet anchor of our peace at home and safety abroad; a jealous care of the right of election by the people—a mild and safe corrective of abuses which are lopped by the sword of revolution where peaceable remedies are unprovided; absolute acquiescence in the decisions of the majority, the vital principle of republics, from which is no appeal but to force, the vital principle and immediate parent of despotism; a well disciplined militia, our best reliance in peace and for the first moments of war, till regulars may relieve them; the supremacy of the civil over the military authority; economy in the public expense, that labor may be lightly burthened; the honest payment of our debts and sacred preservation of the public faith; encouragement of agriculture, and of commerce as its handmaid; the diffusion of information and arraignment of all abuses at the bar of the public reason; freedom of religion; freedom of the press, and freedom of person under the protection of the habeas corpus, and trial by juries impartially selected. These principles form the bright constellation which has gone before us and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation. The wisdom of our sages and blood of our heroes have been devoted to their attainment. They should be the creed of our political faith, the text of civic instruction, the touchstone by which to try the services of those we trust; and should we wander from them in moments of error or of alarm, let us hasten to retrace our steps and to regain the road which alone leads to peace, liberty, and safety."
Many folks seem to believe that general non-interventionism means complete isolationism. There ARE those who would build a wall around the country and let whatever goes on outside the wall go on. My view (and that of most Libertarian-minded folks that I know) is that business dealings are absolutely fine and to be encouraged. However, the amount of government dealings with other countries should be drawn back immensely. There are times when it would become necessary to intervene even if not directly threatened. Egregious violations of basic human rights by a country poised to take over one continent and establish a base of power with the potential to threaten us merit strong consideration for intervention. Yes, I am talking about Nazi Germany and Japan and World War II. Afghanistan was absolutely the right thing to do. I still feel that Iraq was a diversion from the main "war on terror". We should have devoted as many troops as possible to deal with the Afghan problem and provide a limited amount of help to keep the situation under control and not engage in nation-building.
Back to Iran...
The US has a history of relations with Iran that goes back a couple hundred years. The past hundred years have included the hostage situation, Iran-Contra, a CIA sponsored coup and the Shah and SAVAK. One item that is particularly interesting about Iran-Contra is that not two years before it occurred, we favored Iraq. That and the fact of US hostages held for 444 days not 7 years prior... It seems questionable at best to have provided shady arms to a country like Iran (or Iraq for that matter). Some of the justification Reaganites used was "to provide assistance to potentially US friendly factions in Iran" should they come to power, further promoting democracy. That worked well, didn't it? Our checkered history of attempting manipulation of the foreign policy (or business or other policy) of other sovereign nations stands as a reminder (to me at least) that such gyrations often fail and, at times, even blow up in our face. What does that mean for Ahmadinejad and crew? We keep a VERY close eye on them... and that's all we do for now. The ever-sprawling tentacles of US government manipulation and foreign aid need to be surgically removed to a more manageable and sensible length. Bush wouldn't have done that and Obama surely won't.
Other links of interest:
Congressional Research Service Reports on the Middle East
The Iran Documentation Project @ The National Security Archive
Entangling Alliances
Thomas Jefferson's first Inaugural address in 1801 contains the following passage:
"Equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political; peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none; the support of the State governments in all their rights, as the most competent administrations for our domestic concerns and the surest bulwarks against antirepublican tendencies; the preservation of the General Government in its whole constitutional vigor, as the sheet anchor of our peace at home and safety abroad; a jealous care of the right of election by the people—a mild and safe corrective of abuses which are lopped by the sword of revolution where peaceable remedies are unprovided; absolute acquiescence in the decisions of the majority, the vital principle of republics, from which is no appeal but to force, the vital principle and immediate parent of despotism; a well disciplined militia, our best reliance in peace and for the first moments of war, till regulars may relieve them; the supremacy of the civil over the military authority; economy in the public expense, that labor may be lightly burthened; the honest payment of our debts and sacred preservation of the public faith; encouragement of agriculture, and of commerce as its handmaid; the diffusion of information and arraignment of all abuses at the bar of the public reason; freedom of religion; freedom of the press, and freedom of person under the protection of the habeas corpus, and trial by juries impartially selected. These principles form the bright constellation which has gone before us and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation. The wisdom of our sages and blood of our heroes have been devoted to their attainment. They should be the creed of our political faith, the text of civic instruction, the touchstone by which to try the services of those we trust; and should we wander from them in moments of error or of alarm, let us hasten to retrace our steps and to regain the road which alone leads to peace, liberty, and safety."
Many folks seem to believe that general non-interventionism means complete isolationism. There ARE those who would build a wall around the country and let whatever goes on outside the wall go on. My view (and that of most Libertarian-minded folks that I know) is that business dealings are absolutely fine and to be encouraged. However, the amount of government dealings with other countries should be drawn back immensely. There are times when it would become necessary to intervene even if not directly threatened. Egregious violations of basic human rights by a country poised to take over one continent and establish a base of power with the potential to threaten us merit strong consideration for intervention. Yes, I am talking about Nazi Germany and Japan and World War II. Afghanistan was absolutely the right thing to do. I still feel that Iraq was a diversion from the main "war on terror". We should have devoted as many troops as possible to deal with the Afghan problem and provide a limited amount of help to keep the situation under control and not engage in nation-building.
Back to Iran...
The US has a history of relations with Iran that goes back a couple hundred years. The past hundred years have included the hostage situation, Iran-Contra, a CIA sponsored coup and the Shah and SAVAK. One item that is particularly interesting about Iran-Contra is that not two years before it occurred, we favored Iraq. That and the fact of US hostages held for 444 days not 7 years prior... It seems questionable at best to have provided shady arms to a country like Iran (or Iraq for that matter). Some of the justification Reaganites used was "to provide assistance to potentially US friendly factions in Iran" should they come to power, further promoting democracy. That worked well, didn't it? Our checkered history of attempting manipulation of the foreign policy (or business or other policy) of other sovereign nations stands as a reminder (to me at least) that such gyrations often fail and, at times, even blow up in our face. What does that mean for Ahmadinejad and crew? We keep a VERY close eye on them... and that's all we do for now. The ever-sprawling tentacles of US government manipulation and foreign aid need to be surgically removed to a more manageable and sensible length. Bush wouldn't have done that and Obama surely won't.
Other links of interest:
Congressional Research Service Reports on the Middle East
The Iran Documentation Project @ The National Security Archive
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Nothing OVERLY interesting on the NRC site regarding Browns Ferry last week....
But here's what they added to their ADAMS system:
Relaxation of Order for Compensatory Measures Related to Fitness-for-Duty Enhancements Applicable to Nuclear Facility Security Force Personnel.
Browns Ferry, Units 1, 2, and 3 - Letter of Intent to Adopt National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 805, Performance-Based Standard for Fire Protection for Light Water Reactor Generating Plants, 2001 Edition.
Browns Ferry, Units 1, 2, & 3, Withdrawal of Proposed Request for Exemption from 10 CFR 50, Appendix R, Paragraph III.G2, Fire Protection of Safe Shutdown Capacity.
G20090158/EDATS: OEDO-2009-0133 - March 18, 2009, ACRS Ltr on Using Containment Accident Pressure in Determining Available Net Positive Suction Head of Emergency Core Cooling System and Containment Heat Removal System Pumps.
Browns Ferry, Units 1, 2 & 3 - Response to Request for Additional Information Regarding Technical Specifications Change 444 - Adoption of Changes to Standard Technical Specifications Under Technical Specification Task Force Change Number - 448, Rev. 3...
Browns Ferry, Units 1, 2 & 3 - Technical Specifications Changes TS-431 and TS-418 - Extended Power Uprate - Results of Revised Containment Overpressure Analyses for Appendix R - Drywell Coolers Operating.
Browns Ferry Units 1, 2 & 3 - Technical Specifications Changes TS-418 and TS-431 - Extended Power Uprate (EPU) - Response to Round 24 Request for Additional Information (RAI) EMCB.209 Regarding Steam Dryer Analyses (TAC Nos. MD5262, MD5263, and MD5264).
Brown Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN), Units 1, 2, and 3, Technical Specifications (TS) Changes TS-431 and TS-418 - Extended Power Uprate (EPU) - Results of Revised Analyses for Short-Term Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) and Appendix R Regarding.....
On a different note, here are two links to the RSS feeds of some Libertarian oriented folks on Twitter:
LibEverywhere
Mises Institute
Enjoy!
Relaxation of Order for Compensatory Measures Related to Fitness-for-Duty Enhancements Applicable to Nuclear Facility Security Force Personnel.
Browns Ferry, Units 1, 2, and 3 - Letter of Intent to Adopt National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 805, Performance-Based Standard for Fire Protection for Light Water Reactor Generating Plants, 2001 Edition.
Browns Ferry, Units 1, 2, & 3, Withdrawal of Proposed Request for Exemption from 10 CFR 50, Appendix R, Paragraph III.G2, Fire Protection of Safe Shutdown Capacity.
G20090158/EDATS: OEDO-2009-0133 - March 18, 2009, ACRS Ltr on Using Containment Accident Pressure in Determining Available Net Positive Suction Head of Emergency Core Cooling System and Containment Heat Removal System Pumps.
Browns Ferry, Units 1, 2 & 3 - Response to Request for Additional Information Regarding Technical Specifications Change 444 - Adoption of Changes to Standard Technical Specifications Under Technical Specification Task Force Change Number - 448, Rev. 3...
Browns Ferry, Units 1, 2 & 3 - Technical Specifications Changes TS-431 and TS-418 - Extended Power Uprate - Results of Revised Containment Overpressure Analyses for Appendix R - Drywell Coolers Operating.
Browns Ferry Units 1, 2 & 3 - Technical Specifications Changes TS-418 and TS-431 - Extended Power Uprate (EPU) - Response to Round 24 Request for Additional Information (RAI) EMCB.209 Regarding Steam Dryer Analyses (TAC Nos. MD5262, MD5263, and MD5264).
Brown Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN), Units 1, 2, and 3, Technical Specifications (TS) Changes TS-431 and TS-418 - Extended Power Uprate (EPU) - Results of Revised Analyses for Short-Term Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) and Appendix R Regarding.....
On a different note, here are two links to the RSS feeds of some Libertarian oriented folks on Twitter:
LibEverywhere
Mises Institute
Enjoy!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Hopefully interesting tidbits...
The Reagan Files website
The map on this page shows greenways/trails in and around Huntsville as of 2006. I hope that the greenways that are shown as "proposed" come to fruition. There are already a fair amount of outdoor activities to enjoy in Huntsville and this would just add that much more...
Don't forget, two new episodes of Gene Simmons Family Jewels tonight.
The map on this page shows greenways/trails in and around Huntsville as of 2006. I hope that the greenways that are shown as "proposed" come to fruition. There are already a fair amount of outdoor activities to enjoy in Huntsville and this would just add that much more...
Don't forget, two new episodes of Gene Simmons Family Jewels tonight.
Friday, June 12, 2009
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