JAMES MADISON QUOTE - 1822

"A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives."

SCOTTSBORO WEATHER - SUN & MOON RISE

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Scottsboro City Council, Regular Session Feb. 24, 2014

 
Monday was a regular session of Scottsboro City Council.
 
AGENDA
 
VIDEO


Jackson County Commission, Public Hearing -" Dogs Gone Wild," Sheriff Defends Department

Jackson County Commission Regular Session, Feb. 24, 2014 at Scottsboro, Al.
Two part video presentation; part 1 is the Public Hearing and meeting segment; part 2 features Sheriff Chuck Phillips defending the department against a retired Deputy's allegations. 
 
AGENDA
 
Part 1 Video


                                                          Part 2 Video
 

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Cyber Attacks, Censorship, Programming Error or Protocol Failure - I'm Back, Intermittently After 6 Days of Being Taken Down

After 6 days of being taken off line, I'm back. Was it censorship, a collapse of Google Blogger due to technical difficulties or cyber warfare. Google maintains it was an error on their part, technical difficulties in a new code that had been created at Google to improve the service. Does it matter, the results of no information or a loss of the ability to disseminate information is the same? Yes it does matter. Unfortunately, we are treated as mushrooms all to often - feed crap and kept in the dark.

Protocols, in the illustration above, are one of the excuses utilized for censorship. In this case, programming and institutional protocol failures of Google. Is that the problem?

Here is the time line for the "Broken Blog Message," error code bX-3d5g2z - Monday morning early,1AM, Feb 17, 2014 off line; this lasted until Friday Morning the 21st of Feb., back on line; Saturday, Feb. 22nd off line; now Sunday morning Feb 23, 2014 back on line.

HTTP CODE ERROR?

“HTTP Status Code 505" Three main reasons for a 505 Error: 1. The request you are sending to the server from the client browser, it is not in the form which can be understand by the server. 2. A third-party product is interfering with Internet Explorer. 3. The HTTP 1.1 setting is enabled.  http://dotnetstock.com/technical/http-status-code-505-http-version-not-supported This site explains how to fix the error. For some reason it seemed Google could not figure out the fix, at least for 6 days. The question now is, will this continue and are the failures actually cyber attacks?

HTML code failure - maybe, 6 days off and on?  At first there were 5 blogs that reported the same "Broken Blog Message." After the 4th day the failures spread until it involved a large segment of Google Bloggers but not affecting all blogs. (There is the appearance that this was or is an intentional attack on Google's Blogs, it has affected blogs where there is a discussion of government in some way or fashion.) The failure rate grew and grew. How long will this intermittent problem last, who knows. Google says, be patient our engineers are working on the problem. I say, yea right; whether programming/protocol failures, censorship or cyber attack the results are the same. Censorship is nothing new. When I discussed the censorship topic on the Google "Product Forums" where postings were made about what was going on, my postings were removed. Is there something else involved in this failure? Cyber attack info below.


When researching cyber attacks I found this information: January 15-31 Cyber Attack Timelines, extensive - http://hackmageddon.com/2014/02/17/16-31-january-2014-cyber-attacks-timeline/  Operation Snow-Man: Deputy-Dog Actor Compromises US Veterans of Foreign Wars Website - http://www.fireeye.com/blog/technical/cyber-exploits/2014/02/operation-snowman-deputydog-actor-compromises-us-veterans-of-foreign-wars-website.html  "...
hackers have used smart appliances to launch a cyber attack." http://banoosh.com/blog/2014/01/18/smart-appliances-used-cyber-attacks/  Inside job - http://mashable.com/2010/01/18/attack-google-inside-job/   "...I think this is some sort of jamming..." http://syedsoutsidethebox.blogspot.com/2014/02/cyber-attack-against-kadir-jasins-blog.html

The U.S. intelligence community created Stuxnet, now the criminals and enemies of the U.S. have back engineered the attack and circumvented security protocols, This spells big trouble for the internet and all of us. This is warfare of the 21st Century. God Bless us all, we will need all of the blessings we may receive as our entire nations infra-structure, security systems, governments and financial institutions are connected via "The Web," and it is not secure.


Monday, February 17, 2014

City and County Government Reports

I will not be available to video the County Commission and City Council meetings on February 17, 2014. Posted are the agenda topics.

 
Jackson County Commission Work Session Agenda
New Business: Public Hearing on the closure of CR 61 at Pisgah High School
It is expected this road segment will be closed as it splits the Pisgah School Campus.
 
 
Scottsboro City Council Work Session Agenda
There is one item on the City Council Agenda - Consider Consulting Contract for Retail Strategies

Sunday, February 16, 2014

TVA Quarterly Meeting, February 13, 2014

A snowy day had a negative effect on citizens attending the TVA quarterly meeting.

Unfortunately at this time TVA's video link is not working. I have sent a request to fix it via the TVA Ombudsman. Link: Video of listening session & meeting
Agenda link: Agenda
Slide presentations link: Presentation


SHORT VIDEO ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY CLAIM AND TVA DEBT 

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Whistle Blower Actions Correct TVA Flooding Issues at Watts Bar and Sequoyah - NRC Regulatory Performance Inspection Reports and Citizen Comments

 
How resilient are TVA nuclear plants? Are they susceptible to flooding which would cause a non-design basis disaster such as occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility in Japan?
This is what the recent inspections were about.  Flooding is an issue, according to the TVA and the NRC inspectors, deficiencies have been corrected.
During the Watts Bar meeting the NRC was asked about the reason we are having this issue about flooding. They were reminded that the reason the flooding issue is an issue is because an NRC whistleblower came forward. NRC Region 2 Officials deny that ever happened and stated it was their senior resident inspector at Watts Bar who brought the issue forward.
Union of Concerned Scientists on the NRC, Flooding Issue and Whistleblowers: "Dam failures are common..."  http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/nuclear_power/floods-from-dam-failure-10-19-12.pdf
 
VIDEO


                                            Dam Failure Incident Map

 
BACKGROUND ON THE ISSUE
October 2012 - "NRC Whistleblowers: Risk of Nuclear Melt-Down In U.S. Is Even HIGHER Than It Was at Fukushima...Massive Cover-Up of Risks from Flooding to Numerous U.S. Nuclear Facilities...Numerous American nuclear reactors are built within flood zones" http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2012/10/nrc-whistleblowers-higher-risk-of-nuclear-melt-down-in-u-s-than-fukushima.html
 
REACTOR MELTDOWN IS ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY
An engineer with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) … Richard Perkins, an NRC reliability and risk engineer, was the lead author on a July 2011 NRC report detailing flood preparedness. He said the NRC blocked information from the public regarding the potential for upstream dam failures to damage nuclear sites...Perkins, in a letter submitted Friday with the NRC Office of Inspector General, said that the NRC “intentionally mischaracterized relevant and noteworthy safety information as sensitive, security information in an effort to conceal the information from the public.” The Huffington Post first obtained the letter.
 
Huntsville Times, al.com - "A tornado or a ravaging flood could just as easily be like the tsunami that unleashed the final blow at Fukushima." http://blog.al.com/times-views/2011/03/editorial_mother_nature_not_ea.html

As a result of the NRC Engineer's disclosure improvements are made. What is wrong with a regulatory system where it takes brave individuals who must file complaints about their bosses supporting the nuclear industry instead of protecting the public's health and welfare?

ISSUES CORRECTED SAYS NRC -
"Regulators remove negative findings against TVA nuclear plants...TVA's nuclear power program, rated among the country's worst two years ago after regulators discovered safety problems at all three of the utility's plants, is on the mend.The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is lifting negative findings against each of TVA's operating nuclear plants this month after inspections late last year showed TVA has resolved questions over potential flood risks to the riverfront power plants."
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2014/feb/06/tva-nuclear-program-improvesregulators-remove/

SEQUOYAH


NRC Inspection Report - Public Session


Sequoyah Public Comments Make Radiation Visible


WATTS BAR
NRC Inspection Report - Public Session



Watts Bar Public Comments
 

Friday, February 7, 2014

Scottsboro City Council Work Session - Presentation on Save B.B. Comer Bridge in a 2 Part Video - Do we have VISION?

 
VIDEO of the Save the B.B. Comer Bridge - Chattanooga Times Free Press


Nesting Ospreys on B.B. comer Bridge
 
The B.B. comer Bridge as it stands today. (Photo's courtesy of the Save the B.B. Comer Bridge Group.)
 
Monday's City Council Work Session had 1 item on the agenda, A presentation by Ms. Julie Bowers of the "Workin Bridges Group" of the N. Skunk River Greenbelt Association in Grinnel, Iowa, link: http://www.skunkriverbridge.org/the-project.html
 
B.B. Comer Bridge Foundation link: http://comerbridge.org/news-updates.html
 
B.B. Comer Bridge History ( http://comerbridge.org/index.html )
The B.B. Comer Bridge was opened in 1930 as a toll bridge. The act authorizing a series of 15 memorial toll bridges, located throughout the state of Alabama, was authorized during the term of Governor Bibb Graves in 1927. The State Toll Bridge Act authorized the State of Alabama to issue bonds to finance the construction of 15 such spans on the states waterways.

The B.B. Comer Bridge officially opened on August 2, 1930. On September 29. 1936, the tolls were lifted,the bridge could be crossed without cost.

The B.B. Comer Bridge is the last of the 15 memorial toll bridges -- the other 14 have been demolished.

WWIC interview: http://radio.securenetsystems.net/radio_player_large.cfm?stationCallSign=WWIC-OD
 
"B.B. Comer Bridgein Pictures" You Tube Video by Arnold Wheeler
 
CITY COUNCIL VIDEOS
Part 1 


Part 2 VIDEO


 FIRST, THERE MUST BE VISION AND A PLAN

VISION or DESTRUCTION Is this how the community wishes to remember this great icon of progress built during the Great Depression?
 It is true, not all of our history can be saved nor should it be saved. But the real question before the community and the State of Alabama, is this piece of history worth saving and does the community and the state have the will and vision to save the bridge and turn it into a tourist attraction which can be sustained over time?

Maybe the greatest question for our community - do we have VISION?  Without vision, our community begins to die. Look around the square in Scottsboro, there is a distinct lack of vision. This was not always true as there was a wonderful plan for the revitalization of the downtown area. The vision was lost, planning was cast aside for immediate gratification. Now the downtown area suffers from urban blight. It does not have to be this way!

Planners and those responsible for economic development have lost their vision.  Instead, our economic developers have depended on projects such as the TVA nuclear plant at Bellefonte for our future. They have became complacent and short sighted. Our industrial parks remain empty, no vision except for personal gain of a very few.

If the bridge is to be saved there must be a definitive business/financial plan brought forward demonstrating the sustainability of the bridge preservation effort over time. A developer or the state government must come forward to "save the bridge" if it is to be saved. The local county and city government cannot afford the project. Unfortunately, some politicians are not being honest with local citizens wanting to save the bridge, some politicians are obviously more concerned about their reelection and their personal vanity.  What is the answer? Vision - Planning and Financing, vision must come first.

                                      Or is this the VISION?
 
 
 
 
These are the possibilities if there is VISION for our future.
 
 

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Jackson County Discretionary Fund Committee Meeting, February 3, 2014 or "Mak'em Beg" for Adequate Funding

6 Videos in the "Mak'em Beg" Series of unconstitutional actions in violation of the separation of powers portion of our state's constitution.

The Jackson County Discretionary fund Committee met at the Legislative Delegation Office Monday morning at 10AM. This is a multiple part video report.

 Disbursal of funds should be limited to public safety (fire, police, sheriff, rescue squad), public health & welfare and education/schools.

The distribution methodology is being challenged as an unconstitutional act. Meanwhile, after several years of a secretive deliberative process, the Legislators opened the deliberative process to public scrutiny and placed 2 Jackson County Commission members on the committee.

Meanwhile the Delegation & Discretionary Committee authorized $225,000 for their office space while saying no or delaying funding for computers for schools, nursing funding and Sheriff's computers for vehicles which very well may be life saving regarding criminal and-or warrants information.

Disbursal of funds should be limited to public safety (fire, police, sheriff, rescue squad), public health and welfare and education/schools.

Discretionary Committee annual funding requests list. This is not all of the funding request. This reflects annual disbursements.


Part 1 Intro and funds discussion.

Part 2 Save B.B. Comer Bridge funding request.

Part 3 Save B.B. Comer Bridge final & Ms. Sheila Washington, Scottsboro Boys Museum makes fund request.

The Legislative Delegation Staff revealed there is no business plan that they have received for the Save the B.B. Comer Bridge project.

Make Them Beg for Educational Funds - This is the process that was started by those who care more for their personal re-election than they do for the citizens. IT IS RIDICULOUS, AND IS REFLECTIVE OF THE BROKEN STATE OF ALABAMA GOVERNMENT. The current Democrat and Republican ultra conservatives continue to support the Alabama process of post-civil war, 19th Century Alabama Government in a 21st Century United States of America.

Bravo to the Sand Mountain Concerned Citizens non-profit group and Mr. Cummings.


More on schools funding - ball field crushed brick before school nursing needs. Why is this unconstitutional legislative body making decisions on the distribution and disbursal of education money? Why do citizens have to BEG for money from this unconstitutional organization created for personal reelection of politicians?

Of course, the legislative delegations office expenditures before the needs of citizens. They approved a disbursal of $225K for their plush and elaborate office space last month instead of funding critical needs.Welcome to the dysfunctional government of Alabama!


Part 6, end of the "Make Them Beg Series"

Monday, February 3, 2014

NRC Regulatory Performance Report on the 3 TVA GE Mark 1 Nuclear Reactors at Browns Ferry Alabama, Video Report in 4 Parts, January 30, 2014



World Association of Nuclear Operators, WANO Browns Ferry Risk Assessment Report, Jan. 29, 2013 quote from Mr. Jones: "...Warned, a combination of human performance and safety systems weaknesses results in a high potential for a significant plant event."

Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant 'red finding' removed, but plant still under intensive inspection status. http://blog.al.com/breaking/2014/01/tva.html  "Federal regulators have removed a critical "red" finding from TVA's Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, but the plant remains in a state of heightened inspections due to other problems...The announcement that Browns Ferry had completed work related to the 2011 red finding that identified a significant safety problem, was made during a public meeting hosted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Athens,[ Al.]" on January 30, 2014.

NRC Regulatory Performance Meeting regarding the 3 TVA Browns Ferry GE Mark 1 nuclear reactors. This is Part 1, NRC and TVA input.

Part 2, Citizen Comments


Part 3, Citizen Comments