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Barack Obama Wins, Now The Problems Must Be Confronted

A monumental victory.  Good for America.  Good for Barack.  Heard on MSNBC this morning that already the Taliban wants to negotiate post results of this election.  Now what kind of public works would be ideal to 1) get the country going again, 2) put people back to work,  3) cure a major problem, 4) be good for the environment….?…How about a massive effort like during World War II – but instead of building war machines and weapons to thwart Hitler and Mussolini’s Nazi/fascists, what about building something to cure our energy dilemma?

After some calculation, starting with the fact that one megawatt of wind energy can supply 270 homes with electricity [fact supplied by American Wind Energy Association or awea.org], what if we started building enough 2.5 megawatt Clipper wind turbines [these already commercially exist] to power ALL of the USA’s homes?!  Yes, that would take 122,000 turbines.  It would put people to work doing something they would take great pride in, and not be pollutive.  Also, these turbines could be exported to the rest of the world, and make America the world leader in wind power.  Although most Americans don’t realize this: America right now is number two in megawattage in the world behind world leader Germany.

Where could we do this?  How about in all those closing car plants?  Retrofit or superfit them.  In 2007 Ford alone produced 2.5 MILLION vehicles.  Get into those closing or closed plants, Americans, and let’s solve our energy/electricity mui pronto!   No nuclear needed [first new nuclear  plant wouldn’t be on line til 2015 anyway; no ultimately toxic nuclear waste with over 500 different kinds of radionuclides produced every day in each of our 104 current nuclear plants to cause cancer, genetic defects, mutations, fetal loss – these are just for starters.  See more in the Chernobyl post on this site re plutonium and specific other radionuclides.]  Minimize ‘clean’ coal or dirty coal [remember that 50% of USA electricity is now generated by coal; 18.8% by nuclear; ~19% from natural gas; coming up to 2% by wind; only 2% by oil.]

Congratulations Mr. President-Elect, we can pull ourselves out of our economic mess by our bootstraps.  At least $10 billion per month we waste in Iraq.  Withdraw quickly.  Sorry thanks to Mr. Bush/Cheney/Rice/Rumsfeld and all the hawky plunderers who have helped kill about 1,000,000 Iraqis and maybe 4000 Americans by now in that unfortunate oil-rich country.  Negotiate with the Taliban.  Let’s get the world on the road to peace, instead of war and domination.  And the suppression of our own civil liberties.  Can’t we close at least half of those expensive 800 military bases overseas?  We’ve spent ourselves into fantastic debt and economic desecration by thinking we can rule the world and maintain our empire, mostly for the benefit of corporations who have no soul or commitment to anything humane or human.

Change.  Time for it to start bubbling.  The people are enthusiastic.  Let’s ride the wave, and make this country and planet a great place to live and improve upon, based on love and encouragement.

11 5 08  C  Conrad Miller M.D.

Edition III of ‘The Most Important Issues Americans THINK They Know Enough About,’ addressing the above approach to our future, is featured in Dr. Miller’s book – – available from Amazon and other sources in 2 weeks.

Best Films of 2008 Hamptons Int’l Film Festival

Another year, another great Hamptons International Film Festival.  Many different films show us how the world looks thru many different eyes and lenses in 2008.  And these films come to us, if we are able to visit the cinemas hosting this terrific festival.

‘Song of Sparrows’ – might as well start at the top.  Best film of the festival in my eyes.  Fantastic cinematography.  Maybe best I have ever seen complementing the story of a blue collar father portrayed by ?Reza Naji trying to survive.  It all starts on an ostrich farm, and that is different.  Ever watch ostriches move, and run?  Unique!  And the director, Majid Majidi, has to be one of the best directors alive.  Or even dead!  It turns out he also was the director for my two favorite films: ‘The Color of Paradise’ and ‘Children of Heaven.’

Now I have seen all three of his monumental films at the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF)  over the years!  What a credit to this festival!

Karim is the character for whom life does not flow smoothly, yet he can fix anything, has the confidence to do almost anything.  The colors in this movie make the viewing of it a visual/mental orgasm, along with all the perspectives and scenes you are blessed to see.  Whenever this movie comes close to you, go see it, along with Majidi’s other movies I mentioned above.  You will not regret it.  Remember, these are Iranian movies, so explicit political commentary would not be wise to make.  Poetic plot and visuals is the way the director has chosen to work.

Next great film:

‘Taking Root:  The Vision Of Wangari Maathai’ took the prize for me as the best documentary.  Wangari Maathai is perhaps the most important individual in modern Kenyan history.  After the English
colonialists came in and tried to make an England out of Kenya,
cutting down so many of the land’s trees, laying railroad tracks and roads, subjugating the people with the unction of missionary religion, there came two dictators, Kenyatta and Moi, who further subjugated the people.  Ms. Maathai noted how important trees were to the survival of the country, combating soil erosion and drought.  This caused her to start a tree planting movement in 1977.  This led to a confrontation with President Moi who wanted to build a towering skyscraper and a very tall statue of himself on the last piece of public parkland in Nairobi.  If this occurred there would be no place for the common citizen to freely sit and/or gather in the capital city.  Moi made fun of Maathai, in a typical man-rules macho manner.  Then the women who had had their sons arrested for various political reasons by Moi’s henchmen decided to call a hunger strike and sit in the still existing park.  After a few days, Moi tired of the embarrassment and had his forces destroy their little tent, beating the women and anyone else who tried to fight back.  Maathai was beaten unconscious, ending up in a
hospital for several days.  The world press picked up on the story.  Naturally, the Moi project had been backed by the World Bank, but with the adverse press, the Bank withdraw its approval of the project.  Maathai had won a victory, which led to Moi’s downfall after two decades.  Much of this was captured on film, which the producers Lisa Merton and Alan Dater, beautifully displayed,.  The colonial footage was particularly stunning as was one particular statistic: 100,000 Kenyans
were killed as a result of the English incursion, with only ~350 English dying.  This is almost the exact ratio we see in Iraq today: 1,000,000 Iraqis have died as a result of the Bush administration incursion there, with about 3500 American soldiers dying.  As time passed, Maathai was elected to parliament, and was the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.  Her wisdom and determination are in evidence as we hear her talk and act, starting with her Green Belt
Movement, along with many other women.  Planting trees to combat erosion and drought, leading to a political movement freeing the nation from dictatorship and the entrails of colonial thought.  Religion however remains to erase much of Kenya’s native culture unfortunately, as has occurred in so many African countries, and other colonially demeaned lands.

‘Slumdog Millionaire’ also played during the festival.  I confess I did not see it, for I heard it had already been picked up and would be shown in the USA commercially.  Subsequently I did indeed see it, and reckon that it is one of the best films of the twenty-first century.  The scene in the outhouse on the boardwalk with the younger protagonist brother has to be one of the most classic scenes ever filmed, especially in terms of comedy.  The director, Danny Boyle, is not an Indian.  He also made ‘Trainspotting’ which I had to exit from within the first ten minutes due to its graphic sensationalism of injecting heroin, the lover spitting on the needle before inserting it.  Those who dislike Slumdog object to its Boyle-istic sensationalism, and lack of Indian involvement.  However, the original creation was written by an Indian.  The colors in this movie are unbelievable, as is the cinematography.  {But not to surpass that in ‘Song of Sparrows.}  The story is very current, with plenty of tension, and some real purty faces.  Go see it is all I can say.  Despite any detractions, still, the movie overall is great. 

More comments on films will follow in the forthcoming weeks, as time permits…….

Presidential Debate #3 Nuclear Power Option Unrebuked

During the third and last presidential debate on Oct 15th, John McCain said “We can eliminate our dependence on foreign oil by building 45
new nuclear plants, power plants, right away.” Barack Obama did not respond to this by saying the obvious:
“But, John, only TWO percent of our electricity is produced from oil!  And by the way, 80 percent of our uranium for our nuclear plants is imported.” 

Alas, he declined to do this.  This whole nuclear option is NO option.  Nuclear power is not ‘green’ nor is it ‘safe and clean.’  We still have the tons of nuclear waste that are radioactive for 500,000 years that we cannot safely store.  Radioactivity from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident has contaminated an area north of the exploded Ukrainian plant across a 750 mile diameter for 100,000 years, according to the late Dr. Vladimir Chernousenko, the nuclear physicist in charge
of cleaning up the worst industrial accident in mankind’s history.  When the next Chernobyl happens, that will be the end of nuclear
power, but it will come too late.  For our presidential candidates are both mouthing support for the nuclear power option when its health effects should eliminate the dirtiest most-toxic technology commonly employed by mankind from the energy roundtable.  When the media should be hosting a debate on nuclear power, allowing scientists to participate
who can discuss what radioactivity can do to the human body, and the cells of all living organisms. 

Dr. Alexey Yablokov, president of the Center for Russian Environmental Policy, informs us in his 2007 book that 300,000 people prematurely died so far as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear plant explosion and fire.  Nuclear proponents continue to proclaim that only 31 people died at Chernobyl, as if there is no such thing as radioactivity, and over 500 radionuclides like plutonium-239 that are produced in our 104 nuclear plants every day as a result of the
fissioning or splitting of uranium to make heat to produce steam to turn a turbine to produce electricity.

Remember, all these radionuclides have dangerous ‘half-life’ periods during
which their radioactive beams can mutate your DNA and that of your fetus especially, to produce unsurvivability, death, genetic defects and cancer.  Plutonium-239 has a half-life of 24,000 years.  After one half life, HALF the radioactivity of plutonium-239 or any radionuclide is still present.  The danger of this radioactivity to produce ill-effects continues thru 10-20 half-lives, which scientists call a radioactive element’s ‘hazardous life.’  For plutonium-239 that means 240,000 to 480,000 years.  And only one millionth of one gram is the lung cancer causing dose for plutonium.  That means that with 454 grams in one pound, twenty pounds of plutonium could cause lung cancer in every human being on Earth if the plutonium is dispersed and spread about the planet to possibly be inhaled by each of us 6.8 billion Earthlings.

I have decided to post my new nuclear power chapter (99% completed) from the latest edition of my book ‘The Most Important Issues Americans THINK They Know About – Edition III’ on my website so that everyone can read a broad informative discussion about nuclear power from a concerned physician’s perspective, written for the layman.  It will be available in a pdf format with images and photos to make it more enjoyable and to highlight certain important concepts.

The entire book, six chapters in all, with a four part Appendicies, and nearly 1000 references, will be available from my website on October 24th 2008.  It should be available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc., by mid-November.

All books purchased from the website shall be autographed by the author, until further notice.

Contact me if you have any questions on nuclear power, the health effects of radioactivity, and what we can do with especially wind and solar power to provide ALL the electricity American homes need within a few years.  YES! we can do that starting NOW!  See
the website http://www.crestofthewave.com for more vital information…

darnoc@crestofthewave.com

On Friday Oct 10 2008 at 5 PM EST, Dr. Conrad Miller will appear on the ‘Keeler Drive Show’ on WXUR-FM 92.7 radio in Utica, in central New York.
The show can be heard anywhere in the world via the internet.
Go to http://local.bimedia.net/yn/wktv/18775369.html
and hit the red button for the 3-6 PM show.

‘Where’s The Common Sense?’ will be the subject
of the conversation. If you are not in the Utica, NY area,
and wish to hear the shows, go to the
above websites and click on the right buttons.

Expect to hear some of the subjects below
discussed:

Corporate greed and the breakdown of our governmental
regulatory system has led us to a $700 Billion bank bailout. Our common sense should be offended by what we have to put
up with: foreclosures on millions of our homes,
but the banks and their CEO’s getting federal handouts.
Ignoring re-instating a 2008 version of the 1999-repealed
Glass-Steagall Act that separated activities of
commercial and investment banks.

Energy pundits not spending our hard earned money on
alternate energy that could safely supply ALL American
homes with electricity before the first new nuclear plant
ordered in over 30 years might come on line by 2015.

Having to swallow the ridiculous claim that nuclear power is ‘green’ – while the nuclear industry sneakily attempts to get
UNLIMITED loan guarantees below the radar of media reportage.
A more detailed discussion of where the two main presidential candidates stand on nuclear power, and especially the uncompromised-scientist-rejected proposed high level radioactive waste (HLRW) disposal center
at Yucca Mountain, in Nevada. In a state that has NO nuclear power plants, yet could become the central dumping area for all of America’s nuclear waste, as unsafe as the site is, with 33
earthquake faults, ~100 miles from Las Vegas.

The media failing to report news like HALF of all
non-organic sugar will be of the genetically modified
(GMO) variety by the end of 2008. Not hearing that
GMO-fed rats developed smaller brains, testicles, and
livers when compared to control study rats. Europeans aware
of GMO dangers, hardly having any GMO products on their
supermarket shelves today, while the overwhelming majority
of Americans remain totally ignorant of GMO foods’ dangers.

Corporations gaining too much influence over
our govt and media for us to even know this has happened, and is happening, as our country is lead in so many wrong directions.

Dr. Conrad Miller’s latest book ‘The Most Important Issues
Americans THINK They Know Enough About – Edition III’
discusses this overall picture.

Dr. Miller On World Internet NY and Texas Radio Oct 7 & 10th 2008

Dr. Conrad Miller will appear on the ‘Morning Big Show with
Mike Cope and James Williams’ on KXYL-Radio 96.9 FM
Tues 8:45 AM EST Oct 7 2008. The station is based
in Brownwood, Texas.
website: http://www.wendleebroadcasting.com/NTMRN.html#audio
We are unsure at this time if you can hear the show
realtime via the internet. However, we will be checking & update you ASAP.
You can go to the website to try to hear the show on Tuesday.

On Friday Oct 10 2008 at 5 PM EST, Dr. Miller will appear
on the ‘Keeler Drive Show’ on WXUR-FM 92.7 radio in Utica,
in central New York.
The show CAN be heard anywhere in the world via the internet.
Go to http://local.bimedia.net/yn/wktv/18775369.html
and hit the red button for the 3-6 PM show.

‘Where’s The Common Sense?’ will be the subject
of the conversation. If you
are not in the Brownwood, Texas or Utica, NY areas,
and wish to hear the shows, go to the
above websites and click on the right buttons.

Expect to hear some of the subjects below
discussed:

Corporate greed and the breakdown of our governmental
regulatory system has led us
to a $700 Billion bank bailout. Our common sense
should be offended by what we have to put
up with: foreclosures on millions of our homes,
but the banks and their CEO’s getting federal handouts.
Ignoring re-instating a 2008 version of the 1999-repealed
Glass-Steagall Act that separated activities of
commercial and investment banks.

Energy pundits not spending our hard earned money on
alternate energy that could safely supply ALL American
homes with electricity before the first new nuclear plant
ordered in over 30 years might come on line by 2015.

Having to swallow
the ridiculous claim that nuclear power is ‘green’ – while
the nuclear industry sneakily attempts to get
UNLIMITED loan guarantees below the radar of media reportage.
How the two main presidential candidates stand on nuclear power,
and especially the uncompromised-scientist-rejected proposed
high level radioactive waste (HLRW) disposal center
at Yucca Mountain, in Nevada. In a state that
has NO nuclear power plants, yet could
become the central dumping area for all of America’s
nuclear waste, as unsafe as the site is, with 33
earthquake faults.

The media failing to report news like HALF of all
non-organic sugar will be of the genetically modified
(GMO) variety by the end of 2008. Not hearing that
GMO-fed rats developed smaller brains, testicles, and
livers when compared to control study rats. Europeans aware
of GMO dangers, hardly having any GMO products on their
supermarket shelves today, while the overwhelming majority
of Americans remain totally ignorant of GMO foods’ dangers.

Corporations gaining too much influence over
our govt and media for us to even know this has happened,
leading our country in so many wrong directions.

Dr. Conrad Miller’s latest book ‘The Most Important Issues
Americans THINK They Know Enough About – Edition III’
discusses this overall picture.

Dr. Miller on WCCC Hartford (& Internet) Radio Oct 1 9:35 AM

Dr. Conrad Miller will appear on the ‘Sebastian In
The Morning’ Radio Show Weds 9:35 AM Oct 1 2008
on WCCC 106.9 FM radio out of Hartford, Conn. 
‘Where’s The Common Sense?’ will be the subject
of the conversation. If you
are not in the Hartford, Connecticut area, you
can hear the show at http://www.wccc.com via
the internet.

Expect to hear some of the subjects below
discussed:

Corporate greed and the breakdown of our governmental
regulatory system has led us
to a $700 Billion bank bailout.  Our common sense
should be offended by what we have to put
up with: foreclosures on millions of our homes,
but only the banks getting federal handouts.  Ignoring
re-instating the 1999-repealed Glass-Steagall Act that
separated activities of commercial and investment banks. 
Energy pundits not spending our hard earned money on
alternate energy that could safely supply ALL American
homes with electricity before the first new nuclear plant
in 40 years might come on line by 2015.  Having to swallow
the ridiculous claim that nuclear power is ‘green’ – while
the nuclear industry sneakily attempts to get
UNLIMITED loan guarantees below the radar of media reportage. 
The media failing to report news like HALF of all
non-organic sugar will be of the genetically modified
(GMO) variety by the end of 2008.  Not hearing that
GMO-fed rats developed smaller brains, testicles, and
livers when compared to control study rats.  Corporations
gaining too much influence over our govt and media for us to
even know this has happened, leading our country in so many
wrong directions.  Dr. Conrad Miller’s latest book ‘The Most
Important Issues Americans THINK They Know Enough About – Edition III’
discusses this overall picture.  
 

Dr. Miller On World Internet & Canada Radio Sept 21 2008 on Barry Shainbaum Show 

Dr. Conrad Miller will be on your radio and internet radio
Sunday Sept 21 2008 at both 11 AM and 10 PM Eastern Standard Time
on the Perspectives with Barry Shainbaum show.  The third edition
of Dr. Miller’s book The Most Important Issues Americans THINK They Know Enough About, which
will be available October 1st 2008, will hold many details of the
issues discussed during the show [link for you two
paragraphs below].  
 
Topics Of Interest Addressed On The Show
        
Is nuclear power really possibly green? 
Can we produce all the electricity for America's homes with wind or solar?
[The answer is yes, for both]
 
50% of USA non-organic sugar likely will become of the genetically
modified variety in 2008 if consumers don’t call Kellogg’s and all the
other potential mass users of this patented-sugar-beet-half of the granulated
sugar market to demand labelling.  You can go
to http://www.organicconsumers.org to perform your civic duty on this issue,
and see and/or download a colorful one page pamphlet facilitating awareness
and citizen activism.   
 
Are you aware of the North American Union and its being quietly laid
upon the foundation of NAFTA to override many safeguards and laws of
our three countries’ democracies [USA, Mexico, Canada] without any voting?  
 
If you’ve watched the Republican convention and heard John McCain, you know
about the urge to DRILL! BABY, DRILL! for oil offshore.  However,
the so-called ‘Gang of 10’ Senators in the US Senate who will be bringing
a New Energy Reform Act of 2008 bill/amendment up later this week (9-18/19-08) that
will back drilling for offshore oil, also have included provision(s) for
unlimited loan guarantees for nuclear power!  This is not being publicized.  
Wednesday Sept 17, 2008 is being organized as a ‘call-in day’ by
http://www.nirs.org for Americans to call their Senators at 1-202-224-3121
to say “no taxpayer loan guarantees for nuclear power.” [See NIRS alert 
on this issue right here on this website's home page.   Remember that in
June 2008 Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut tried to engineer
through $544 BILLION with a ‘B’ in subsidies for nuclear power.  USA budget
total is ~3 trillion dollars, or 3,000 (three thousand) billion dollars.
 
To listen to the one hour show on Sunday starting at 11 AM Sept 21 2008,
if you are not in the Toronto area, go to http://www.barryshainbaum.com  
and click on the ‘Radio Show’ words in the list on the left on the home page.  
Then click on the Hope FM link

for the 11 AM to noon re-broadcast.  

For the 10-11 PM Sept 21 2008 re-broadcast, same same but

click on the Grace FM link.  And you will hear Dr. Miller and Mr. Shainbaum.

 

The Sept 21 2008 11 AM to Noon re-broadcast show can be heard on

Hope Radio CJFH 94.3 FM on your terrestrial radio in your car and

home and boat and RV – coming to you out of Woodstock, Ontario, Canada.

 

The Sept 21 2008 10-11 PM show can be heard on

Grace Radio CHJX 105.9 FM beamed out from London, Ontario, Canada.

 

Mr. Shainbaum’s website states:

*Note: You will need Windows Media Player in order to listen to the internet broadcast. If you do not have Windows Media Player, you can download it here.

Look for Dr. Miller’s book on http://www.amazon.com or via this http://www.crestofthewave.com website.



 







		


			STOP Sneaky UNLIMITED Nuclear Loan Guarantees Call-In Day 9/17/08
	
	

	
CALL  Your  Senators Today 1-202-224-3121


 Tell them each “No unlimited nuclear loan guarantees as proposed in  the


New Energy Reform Act of 2008.”  which will be introduced during this week.  May come as a bill in itself, or as an amendment to some bill, unknown as yet.  A very sneaky act to follow, not even a number on it yet, nor any publicity about it.


Here is more from the Nuclear Information & Resource Service (NIRS) – The main organizer of this ALL – important Call-In Day Sept 17, 2008.


GANG  OF 10 BILL:


 BIGGEST  GIVEAWAY TO NUCLEAR POWER INDUSTRY EVER


 


NATIONAL  CALL-IN DAY: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17


 


This is it. In the mainstream media, the Gang of 10  (actually, now it’s the Gang of 20) energy bill is all about offshore oil  drilling. And, to be sure, there’s lots of that in the bill, which is expected  to come up in the Senate this week. But the bill would also be the  biggest giveaway to the nuclear power industry ever.


 


Unlimited loan guarantees for construction of new  atomic reactors. That’s right, unlimited. As much money—hundreds of billions  of dollars–as everyone in the nuclear industry wants, when it wants, for as  long as it wants.


 


I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how that would absolutely  destroy our ability to effectively address the climate crisis and what a  disaster that would be for our economy, for our nation, for our planet.  Plus, more radioactivity to leak into the environment, increase the likelihood of a nuclear accident, increase the amount of nuclear waste that we still do not know how to store safely.  Remember,  just one millionth of a gram of plutonium-239 can cause lung cancer.  With 454 grams in one pound, that means just one pound of plutonium-239 can cause 454 million lung cancers, and 20 pounds could lead to cancer occurring in every human being on Earth.  Each of our 104 nuclear plants produces 400-1000 pounds of plutonium each year.


 


How do these Senators think they can get away with this?  Because they’re not hearing from enough of us, often enough. They think  this is a popular stand. We all need to stand up now and be counted.


 


That’s why NIRS, Physicians for Social Responsibility and  other national groups are putting out the word for a National Call-In Day to the  Senate on Wednesday, September 17. We need at least 10,000 phone calls to the  Senate on Wednesday. We need the phones there to be ringing non-stop from dawn  to dusk. Will you help?


 


Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121


 


*Please call both of your Senators that day with a very  simple message: Take taxpayer loan guarantees for nuclear power out of the  Gang of 20 energy bill. (note: the bill does not yet have a number. It’s called  the New Energy Reform Act of 2008, but everyone will know what you are talking  about if you just say “Gang of 20 energy bill.”)


 


*Please forward this Alert to any and all of your mailing  lists.


 


*Please print this Alert and take it to any public  meetings and gather places you go to between now and Wednesday. Post it at food  co-ops and other central locations.


 


*Please talk to your friends and colleagues,  congregations this Sunday, PTAs next week. Spread the word.


 


*If you want to e-mail your Senators, please do (you  can do so from this link;  NIRS’ new e-mail-from-our-Alerts set-up still has some bugs, so we can’t quite  offer that yet). But also call! It is important to keep those phones ringing all  day long!


 


*Call even if you think your Senator(s) are hopeless.  Everyone walking in the halls of the Senate should hear phones ringing  everywhere, all day long.


 


We can’t let the nuclear industry get away with this. All  that can stop it now are your actions. If we all just sit back and wait for  someone else to take action, we will lose. If we all make those two calls—one to  each Senator, and ask each of our friends and colleagues to make those two  calls, we can show the Senate what the American people really think. And we can  win.


 


It is up to each of us. It’s that simple, and that stark.


 


Please take five minutes to make two phone calls Wednesday.  And please drop us an e-mail and let us know you called (we’ll be looking for  10,000 e-mails in our inbox by Thursday morning!).


 


Thank you for all that you do.


 


Michael Mariotte


Executive Director


Nuclear Information and Resource Service


nirsnet@nirs.org, www.nirs.org


301-270-6477


September 12, 2008


 


P.S. For those who want more  information:


 


You can read a Physicians for Social Responsibility analysis  of the nuclear provisions in the Gang of 20 energy bill here. The  bill includes not just loan guarantees, but also more “risk insurance” for new  nukes, construction of a reprocessing plant, and much more.


 


You can read a longer article on the issue I wrote for  DailyKos here.


 


———————————————————  —————————————————————-


You can help  support the Nuclear Pushback Campaign on our secure website here. Your  tax-deductible contributions will help us take action to turn around the current  energy debate! Please make a donation of $5, $10, $25 or any amount you  choose—your donations will be put to good use!


 


And if you  haven’t done so yet, don’t forget to sign the statement on nuclear power and  climate at www.nirs.org (but please  don’t sign more than once!). If you’ve already signed, please ask your friends  and colleagues to sign! 


 


We’ve passed  7750 7830 7930 8,130 8,330, 8400,  8,630 signatures, let’s get to 10,000! And just let  us know at nirsnet@nirs.org if you want  more paper copies of the statement to gather signers at events, concerts,  conferences, etc. We’re adding paper signers as fast as we can (but seem to be  always a few hundred behind….).


 


———————————————————————————————————-


This is the NIRS E-Mail Alert  list. You are on this list because you signed up on our website, at a NIRS table  at a concert, on a petition, or directly to NIRS. Your name and address are  never sold, rented, or traded with anyone for any reason.


 


For address changes or to  unsubscribe, just send an e-mail to nirsnet@nirs.org.  If you have friends or colleagues who would like to be on this list, have them  send a note to nirsnet@nirs.org


 







		


			Dr. Miller On Internet and Canada Radio Noon Sept 14 2008 on Barry Shainbaum Show
	
	

	
Dr. Conrad Miller will be on your radio and internet radio


Sunday Sept 14 2008 at noon Eastern Standard Time until 1 PM


on the Perspectives with Barry Shainbaum show.  The third edition


of Dr. Miller’s book


The Most Important Issues Americans THINK They Know Enough About, which


will be available within the next 10 days, will hold many details of the


issues that likely will be discussed during the show [link for you two


paragraphs below].  The one hour show will also be rebroadcast the


following Sunday Sept 21, 2008 at 11 AM and 10 PM and also be available


on the internet [See below.]


 


Likely topics to be discussed:


        


Is nuclear power really possibly green?  


 


50% of USA non-organic sugar likely will become of the genetically


modified variety in 2008 if consumers don’t call Kellogg’s and all the


other potential mass users of this patented-sugar-beet-half of the granulated


sugar market to demand labelling.  You can go


to http://www.organicconsumers.org to perform your civic duty on this issue,


and see and/or download a colorful one page pamphlet facilitating awareness


and citizen activism.   


 


Are you aware of the North American Union and its being quietly laid


upon the foundation of NAFTA to override many safeguards and laws of


our three countries’ democracies [USA, Mexico, Canada] without any voting?  


 


If you’ve watched the Republican convention and heard John McCain, you know


about the urge to DRILL! BABY, DRILL! for oil offshore.  However,


the so-called ‘Gang of 10’ Senators in the US Senate who will be bringing


a New Energy Reform Act of 2008 bill/amendment up next week (9-15-08) that


will back drilling for offshore oil, also have included provision(s) for


unlimited loan guarantees for nuclear power!  This is not being publicized.  


Wednesday Sept 17, 2008 is being organized as a ‘call-in day’ by


http://www.nirs.org for Americans to call their Senators at 1-202-224-3121


to say “no taxpayer loan guarantees for nuclear power.”  Remember that in


June 2008 Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut tried to engineer


through $544 BILLION with a ‘B’ subsidies for nuclear power.  USA budget


total is ~3 trillion dollars, or 3,000 (three thousand) billion dollars.


 


To listen to the one hour show on Sunday starting at noon Sept 14 2008,


if you are not in the Toronto area, go to http://www.barryshainbaum.com  


and click on the ‘Radio Show’ words in the list on the left on the home page.  


Then hit the ‘Faith FM’ link and you can listen to what Dr. Miller will share


with Mr. Shainbaum and you, as a part of the audience.  


 


If you reside in Canada north of Toronto you can hear the live


Sept 14 2008 show on your regular FM radio at Faith Radio CJTW 94.3,


out of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.  The station should be pickup-able


within a 60 mile radius of Kitchener.


 


The one-hour show will be re-broadcast twice on


Sunday Sept 21, 2008 - at 11 AM and 10 PM via the same website.  


Again, for internet broadcast, go to http://www.barryshainbaum.com


and click on ‘Radio Show’ but this time click on the Hope FM link


for the 11 AM to noon re-broadcast.  


For the 10-11 PM Sept 21 2008 re-broadcast, same same but


click on the Grace FM link.  And you will hear Dr. Miller and Mr. Shainbaum.


 


The Sept 21 2008 11 AM to Noon re-broadcast show can be heard on


Hope Radio CJFH 94.3 FM on your terrestrial radio in your car and


home and boat and RV – coming to you out of Woodstock, Ontario, Canada.


 


The Sept 21 2008 10-11 PM show can be heard on


Grace Radio CHJX 105.9 FM beamed out from London, Ontario, Canada.


 


Mr. Shainbaum’s website states:


 


*Note: You will need Windows Media Player in order to listen to the internet broadcast. If you do not have Windows Media Player, you can download it here.


Look for Dr. Miller’s book on http://www.amazon.com or via this http://www.crestofthewave.com website. 







		


			Rickie Lee Jones Performs Fantastically At the Talkhouse Summer 2008
	
	

	
Rickie Lee Jones, the ‘legend’ as it says on the plastic paste-on to her 2003 release

‘The Evening Of My Best Day,’ visited the Stephen Talkhouse for the first time on the

first full day of summer, June 21 2008. She used to be gay and cool, actually gave

herself the title ‘Duchess of Coolsville’ for her triple Rhino CD compilation, but this

nite she was very diva. Very strict. Someone talked in the front row and she commented on

it in the middle of one of her songs very acidly. That was in the middle of the show.

When she was at the piano playing a song she said she seldom does in concert ‘Pirates’ some

bobo’s cellphone went off several times in a row. She didn’t say anything because she

was too into singing lyrics like “I’m just tryin to have some fun/until the Pirates come/and

take me//and I won’t need a pilot/got a pirate who might sail/somewhere I heard far away/

you answer me/so I’m holding on/to your rainbow sleeves//well, goodbye boys, oh my buddy

boys/oh my sad-eyed Sinatras/it’s a a cold globe around the sea/you keep the shirt that I

bought ya/and I know you’ll get the chance to make it/and nothin’s gonna stop you/you just

reach out and take it/You say – So Long, Lonely Avenue/So Long, Lonely Avenue.”


(Rickie Lee probably loved and repeatedly listened to David ‘Fathead’ Newman’s great jazz

version of ‘Lonely Avenue’ released in 1972, of which its composer, Doc Pomus, said

“‘Lonely Avenue’ has been recorded many many times, but I can’t think of a version that

I find more satisfying.” ‘Pirates’ is actually the title cut of Ms. Jones’ 1981 Warner Bros.

release.)


Yes! The Duchess, the legend, expects to be treated appropriate to her talent, which is immense and amazing. Thaint no one on this Earth that can sing, or would sing like Rickie Lee. She can purr and raise her voice to the rafters and still hit every note. She does this continuous sustaining of her voice, especially near the end of songs, where other bands might be doing an electric guitar or maybe a flute solo. On one song she used the pocket and curve and flexion and opening of her right hand to change the flow of her vocal sounds to the microphone.


This was an experience of a lifetime to see where she has progressed to in the

performance and composition of her music. Especially sitting about nine feet away from

her, in the fantastic Talkhouse, where I’ve been lucky enough to see musicians from

Buddy Guy to Diblo Dibala to Jesse Colin Young to a super-hot Los Lobos one magic

night several years ago.


Ms. Jones’ music can be very jazzy, innocent, rocky (as in rock and roll), feminine,

slinky, sunny, funky, full of the grandeur of falling in love, or the pain of a life

lived for celebration, but sometimes falling into deep holes. She says in her latest

release (2006) liner notes that the inspiration for its songs came from a book

called ‘The Words’ by Lee Cantelon, which she states is “a modern rendering of the

words of Christ.” She did the song ‘Nobody Know My Name’ from that CD amidst a very

clean guitar framework, building and stalwart, around her incredible vocal. When

you heard a song start this night, the beat, the rhythm, the melody, might seem

one way, but then, when Rickie Lee came in…who knew it could go in this direction that

she was taking it. By the way, the CD, the latest one, is called ‘The Sermon On

Exposition Boulevard.’ Just checking it out actually, but all the vocals are

wondrous.


Rickie Lee was telling us that these last eight years have been terrible. She went to

say how you couldn’t write straight plain songs about the Bush administration’s

mal-doings because then you might not be able to get a job. But, with a devilish smile,

she revealed that she had created ‘Ugly Man,’ obviously about our current and

worst president evah. It’s a sort of jazzy sad tune, where she does mention his father.

It’s the first cut on her 2003 CD, by the way, where she also has a tune

called ‘Tell Somebody (Repeal The Patriot Act)’ so don’t think Rickie Lee has

gone totally inner and indulgent in her middle age.


And her guitar playing led the way, including a very unique wah-wah solo on a song

called ‘Scary Chinese Movie’ which sounded totally different from her recorded version,

and at least a thousand times more interesting and rocky and searing.


Seeing her in person again, and understanding the lyrics, allowed some songs to be

appreciated in a different way. Here, I would give you ‘The Horses’ as one example,

where she is singing about her daughter going through heroin problems, as she had,

but she can listen, hoping her daughter will talk to her about it all, and she’d

‘Pick You Up, Pick You Up, Pick You Up….if you fall.’ Of course, that verse is

what stands out when you listen to ‘The Horses.’ But, with different listenings

different words can be heard, as when we were present this night at the Talkhouse.

But basically she is trying to be there for her daughter and singing to us “Don’t

you worry ’bout a thing little girl/Because I was young myself not so long ago/

And when I was young/And when I was young, oh I was a wild, wild one.”

(‘The Horses’ is from a 1989 release ‘Flying Cowboys.’)


Rickie Lee sang one of her more haunting ballads, probably one every Rickie Lee

Jones fan loves: ‘The Last Chance Texaco’ off her 1979 self-titled first vinyl album.

It has California based/placed lyrics like “A long stretch of headlights/Bends into

I-9/Tiptoe into truck stops/And sleepy diesel eyes/Volcanoes rumble in the taxi/

And glow in the dark/Camels in the driver’s seat/A slow, easy mark…Well, he

tried to be Standard/He tried to be Mobil/He tried living in a World/And in a

Shell/There was this block-busted blonde/He lover her – – free parts and

labor/But she broke down and died/And threw all the rods he gave her/But

this one ain’t fuel-injected/Her plug’s disconnected/She gets scared and she

stalls/She just needs a man, that’s all.”


That was her solution back then, when she was young and bouncy and beautiful

and wild and crazy. Her audience has aged with her. It is always interesting to

see the crowd any performer draws into the Talkhouse. This one was semi-hippie,

not too many folk under 40, everyone very respectful, except for a few talkers that

Rickie reprimanded. But then they must’ve been a bit dipsy-doodled too, as the one

feller who called out in request “Play Last Chance Texaco” about five songs after

she had already done it. Many of us reminded him how out of it he was, though,

it should be said that most songs were performed in unusual styles and arrangements

as compared to their recorded, commonly expected versions.


For her first encore Rickie Lee happily did ‘Chuck E.’s In Love’ which was very

popular for her back in 1979. That was the very first cut on side one (vinyl albums

have two sides for you too young to know) of ‘Rickie Lee Jones.’ The lyrics are

very jivey, like: “He sure has acquired a cool and inspired sorta jazz when he

walk/Where’s his jacket and his old blue jeans?/If this ain’t healthy it is some kinda

clean?…I think that Chuck E.’s in love/Chuck E.’s in love/With the little girl who’s

singin’ this song….”


There’s a lot of joy and mischief and poetry in Ms. Jones’ music. Lately, add religion

to the mix, or maybe spirituality. She’s not had it easy with problems with cocaine and

heroin and who knows what else. But she still can sing and perform with the

best of our living musicians today. I am very grateful to have seen her again, in

still top form and irascible as she is. By the way, she did apologize to the audience

as she finally walked off the stage saying “I hope I didn’t scare you too much.”

Rickie Lee…Rickie Lee….