Where was Joe Wilson.....

in the wrangling over the "Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act" (MMA)? We were discussing the "health care reform" at work today and I pointed out that I didn't recall financial conservatives being as rabid in 2003 (regarding the aforementioned MMA) as they have been this go-around. There was definite debate over MMA, but it didn't seem like this. Add to that the fact that some folks in the Bush Administration covered the true costs up to appease the financial conservatives. The conservatives came around when promised that the 10-year costs of the measure wouldn't exceed $400 billion. At last glance, that number was nearer to $1.2 trillion.

My silence is deafening.....

Hmmm, where to start?

In starting, I'd like to recall and remember the victims and families and generally the United States on the approaching 8th anniversary of 9/11.

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Zzaj recently posted Issue 94 of Improvijazzation Nation. I don't remember if I posted the link to Issue 93 up here, so here it is.

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I've been somewhat silent about politics here this year. My views still haven't changed (I'm still a raging Libertarian), but it really doesn't matter which of the two big parties holds power. They'll both still find a way to screw things up. That being said, I didn't vote for the individual in office right now. However, I find it sad that the right and left are so polarized that an innocuous "Do well in school!" message caused such an uproar. I find it sad that some parents were considering (and probably did) holding their kids out of school over THIS! This country is going to be consumed by extreme partisan politics....

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The Secrecy News section of the Federation of American Scientists site had some new and interesting CRS reports on 9/1 and 9/10.

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Not my video, but here's "Techno Viking vs. Feindflug":

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In closing, I'll include the NRC postings to ADAMS for 8/31/09 to 9/6/09. If you're interested, click "read more" below to see this information. I'm including that info in the full post only so the main page you are reading isn't as cluttered.



NRC info added to ADAMS regarding Browns Ferry during the week of 8/31/09 to 9/6/09:

U1 & sitewide

1. Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and 3 - Withdrawal of an Amendment Request Concerning Extension of Emergency Diesel Generator Allowed Out of Service Time (TAC Nos. ME1515, ME1516, and ME1517).

2. Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 1 - Request for Additional Information for Extended Power Uprate - Round 26 (TAC No. MD5262) (TS-431).

3. LER 09-003-00 for Browns Ferry, Unit 1 Regarding A Train Standby Gas Treatment System Inoperable Longer Than Allowed By The Technical Specifications.

4. IR 05000259-06-016 on 09/25-29/2006 for Tennessee Valley Authority, Browns Ferry, Unit 1, Recovery Special Program for Fire Protection.

5. Browns Ferry Inspection/Activity Plan 09/01/2009 - 12/31/2010.

6. Mid-Cycle Performance Review and Inspection Plan - Browns Ferry Nuclear Station Units 1, 2 and 3.

7. Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 1 - Extended Power Uprate Steam Dryer August 7, 2009, Conference Call (TAC No. MD5262).

8. Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant - NRC Security Inspection Report 05000259-09-403, 05000260-09-403 & 05000296-09-403.

9. Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and 3 - Request for Withholding Information From Public Disclosure for Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (TAC Nos. MD5262, MD5263, and MD5264).

10. 08/07/2009 TVA Conference Call Presentation Slides on Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 1 Steam Dryer Analysis.

U2 & U3

Nothing additional

Been a bit of silence here, eh?

I'll start with the material added to the NRC's ADAMS site concerning Browns Ferry over that past TWO weeks:

U1 & sitewide

Letter from R. M. Krich Regarding New Point of Contact for Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant.

Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and 3 - License Amendment, The Amendments Revise the Technical Specifications (TSs) to Adopt the Content of Technical Specification Task Force (TSTF) Change Traveler TSTF-448, Revision 3, Control Room Habitability.

Browns Ferry, Units 1, 2, and 3 - Technical Specifications Changes TS-431 and TS-418 - Extended Power Uprate - Response to Round 25 - Request for Additional Information - SCVB-82 Through SCVB-86 and Replacement Documentation.

IR 05000259-09-006, 05000260-09-006 and 05000296-09-006; 5/29/2009 - 6/17/2009; Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2 and 3; Biennial Inspection of the Identification and Resolution of Problems.

Browns Ferry Units 1, 2 & 3, Technical Specifications Changes TS-431 and TS-418 - Extended Power Uprate - Response to Round 25 - Request for Additional Information - SCVB-82 Through SCVB-86 and Replacement Documentation.

Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and 3, Technical Specifications Changes TS-431 and TS-418 - Extended Power Uprate - Response to Round 25 - Request for Additional Information - SCVB-82 Through SCVB-86 and Replacement Documentation.

Browns Ferry, Unit 1, Second 10-Year Interval Inservice Inspection Program Related to the Examination of Piping Weld Overlays.

Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 1, Relief, The Second Ten-Year Interval Inservice Inspection Program Relate to ASME Code Case N-504-3, Alternative Rules for Repair Of Classes 1, 2, and 3 Austenitic Stainless Steel Piping ME0155.

Browns Ferry, Units 1, 2, and 3 - Response to NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2009-11, Preparation and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations.

Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and 3, RAI, Generic Letter 2008-01, "Managing Gas Accumulation in Emergency Core Cooling, Decay Heat Removal, and Containment Spray Systems".

08/11-12/2009-Summary of Meeting re 2009 US NRC Initial Exam Development Workshop.

U2

Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 2 - Relief Request 2-ISI-21 for the Third Ten-Year Interval Inservice Inspection Program Relate to the Examination of Piping Weld Overlays (TAC NO. ME1319).

LER 09-003-00 for Browns Ferry Unit 2 re: Main Steam Relief Valve As Found Setpoint Exceeded Technical Specification Lift Pressure.

LER 09-004-00 for Browns Ferry, Unit 2, Regarding Technical Specification Shutdown Due to Rise in Unidentified Drywell Leakage.

Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 2 - Request For Additional Information For Second 10-Year Interval Inservice Inspection Program Plan Relief Request 2-ISI-19 Revision 1 (TAC NO. ME0764).

Browns Ferry, Units 2 & 3 - Specifications (TS) Change TS-418 - Extended Power Uprate (EPU) - Supplemental Response to Request for Additional Information (RAI) Round 3 & 18 & Response to Round 20 Fuels Methods RAIs.

U3

Nothing additional

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As noted, there wasn't anything additional for Browns Ferry Unit 3 over the past couple of weeks. However, Unit 3 did go offline a week ago. I was there when the unit went down. We were back up and running at the end of last week.

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This past weekend was great. In addition to the standard exercising and hanging/dining out with friends and family, we went to a get-together with some friends in Tennessee. I'd like to say THANKS to them in this forum. We had a lot of fun. One takeaway:
When climbing a tree, it's best to make sure that the limb you are going to use is alive BEFORE you use it! No harm done. It was more shocking than painful. Plus, it'll make for good laughs years from now! Snap, THUD!!!

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Speaking of laughs...

I got some out of the "Techno Viking" site. I'm closing with a video that I recently found. Totally cool!

If you're on Facebook and from the Huntsville,AL area...

check out this FB group!!!

Where to start?

I'll start with the mundane and usual stuff this evening. Here's what the NRC placed in its ADAMS system for Browns Ferry for the week of 8/10/09-8/16/09:

U1 & sitewide

Technical Specifications Change Request TS-466-T - Request for One-Time Extension of Completion Time for Emergency Diesel Generators; Extension of Time to Respond to NRC Request for Supplemental Information (NRC TAC Nos. ME1515, ME1516 and ME1517).

Browns Ferry, Units 1, 2, & 3, Technical Specifications Change TS-466-T - Request for One-Time Extension of Completion Time for Emergency Diesel Generators; Withdrawal of Request.

Plants Transitioning to NFPA 805.

Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, & 3; Sequoyah, Units 1 & 2, and Watts Bar, Unit 1 - Decommissioning Funding Assurance.

U2

LER 09-002-00 for Browns Ferry, Unit 2 Regarding Leak In An ASME Class I Code Reactor Pressure Boundary Pipe.

U3

Nothing additional

Now for the real stuff!

My best friend told me about the HiWAAY Huntsville Sprint Triathlon in late June. It was a very miniature version of a triathlon but that made it that much more tempting to take part. We ended up participating in it this past weekend (8/15). I would have liked to beat the one hour mark, but this wasn't a bad start. I ended up being 160 out of 449 folks who finished. It was fun to run!

We tried a new recipe for dinner this evening. It was called "Thai Barbecued Salmon".

Thai Barbecued Salmon Recipe | Taste of Home Recipes

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Another friend of mine started a Facebook discussion (wishful) about the dinner fairy yesterday. Someone suggested that she order pizza for her family. As I understand it, she did, but she couldn't partake due to a wheat allergy. For those of y'all out there who fight that kind of problem, take a look around for these products...

One last bit of entertainment and food for thought. Check out Beloit College's Mindset List for the Class of 2013.

Peace y'all!

I just have to rave about a new recipe we tried for dinner this evening...

We recently tried quinoa for the first time. The first time we had it, we just boiled it in stock and added a bit of seasoning. It was good but somewhat bland. The second time, I just cooked it in water. After it was ready, I added minced garlic, salt, pepper and a confetti salad mix of radish, broccoli, cauliflower and red cabbage. The second attempt was definitely more flavorful. I did some more digging and found a "Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts" recipe from Food Network. Tonight, we did that up with an old standard and the results were GREAT. I highly recommend the quinoa pilaf! If you're interested in quinoa, a few more recipes can be found here and/or here.

Items about Browns Ferry added to the NRC's ADAMS site last week (8/3/09-8/9/09):

U1 & sitewide

1. FRN: General Notice. Biweekly Notice Applications and Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses Involving No Significant Hazard Condersidations.

2. Browns Ferry, Sequoyah, Watts Bar, Change to Primary Correspondence Addressee.

3. IR 05000259-09-003, 05000260-09-003 and 05000296-09-003, on 04/01/2009 - 06/30/2009, Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2 and 3, Maintenance Risk Assessment, Access Control to Radiologically Significant Areas, and Event Followup.

4. Ack receipt of 961011 request for approval to change QAP description & informs that based on current review schedule, review will be completed within 60 days.

5. Forwards repts prepared by regions for Employee Concerns Program,per Temporary Instruction 2500/038.

6. Forwards policy endorsed by Commission,establishing expectations for NRC staff & licensee to have open & professional communication,due to alleged inappropriate regulatory actions taken by NRC staff against licensees.

U2 & U3

Nothing additional

Ending on a funny note (not my kitty):


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Quickie here....

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

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

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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!

Plenty of stuff here...

In starting, please feel free to check out my daddy-o's latest opus, entitled "AC, not PC":

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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.

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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.

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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:

View all

Get your own

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.

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

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.

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

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

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!

Video of pictures from a nice little walk this afternoon...

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.

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!

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