Stop Homophobia

Putin has been working (sort of) to repair his image before the Winter Olympics come to town. Since I haven't seen much U.S. news over the holidays I don't know if much is being said on this. But I did read this Al Jazeera America article that I thought I would pass on to you  Russia's Olympics losing game over gays, human rights.

As a related article in the Dallas Morning News Shades of 1936 Olympics as Sochi games approach notes "So far, much of the pushback from the international community has been tepid, diplomatically framed."

The End (of 2013) is Near

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.” 

― Henry David Thoreau, Walden: Or, Life in the Woods

Year End Not News Worthy Notes

"To subsist on air and light alone."

Valeria Lukyanova, known as the "Human Barbie" ~ her quest to become this 'perfect' doll is documented by Shine Senior Writer Sarah B. Weir. A creepy feeling went through me when Valeria was quoted as saying, "In recent weeks I have not been hungry at all; I'm hoping it's the final stage before I can subsist on air and light alone."

Defending Duck Dynasty

This Sunday's News Entertainment shows spending time defending Duck Dynasty star and patriarch Phil Robertson's right to freedom of speech and slamming AMC  A & E** for dropping the show. Bobby Jindal and Sarah Palin weighing in to remind us how our 'freedom of speech is an endangered species'.

Phil doll complete with this spiffy football uniform

Hmm, maybe we should turn Phil Robertson into a human Ken doll where he will be safe in the hands of children that can in turn speak for him, while he too will be able to subsist of air and light alone.

** Mea culpa for attributing Duck Dynasty to AMC, really a wonderful network.

Let's Make Some Noise

It's not quite New Year's Eve but let's make some noise for the whistleblowers that roam this earth. They play a love/hate role but without them so many things would go unnoticed and unchanged.

Edward Snowden fled the U.S. and was given asylum in Russia for leaking information about what the NSA was doing. That was months ago and I suppose there are still may people who want to send Snowden up before a firing squad but ironically today the news is reporting that perhaps the NSA has gone a step too far with its unwarranted snooping on American citizens. I doubt without the information leaked by Edward Snowden there would be any changes being considered to what the NSA is doing.

Another story coming out now is one involving 51 U.S. Navy sailors aboard the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan that have become ill after their exposure to radiation while helping out with the Fukushima disaster. Those of us that follow the nuclear topic are not surprised by this news. There are many stories out there, but they are just not being reported on in the mainstream news outlets.

The  Daily Kos and Aljazeera have these reports. This news really needs to be reported on.

I Got An Early Xmas Present

Sometimes the best gifts do come in small packages. Yesterday the Department of Energy passed over for the second time the Ameren-Westinghouse request for a federal grant for their SMR development.  Story link

Instead the funding will head west to NuScale Power of Portland, Oregon. Now maybe Ameren of Missouri can focus on the problem closer at hand, that being what to do with the spent fuel pools when they reach maximum capacity in just a few years.

I am so pleased with this recent development I am going to pass it forward with donations to Toys for Tots and my local St. Louis Food Bank.

Wish I could match the DOE's use of the $452 million of taxpayers funds they used in this SMR funding program. Wow, that would be a lot of toys and food this Christmas Season!

Happy Holidays Everyone!