Spent Fuel Rods

As previously mentioned and now written about directly in the Christian Science Monitor. No one is addressing the problem with our nuclear reactors. Spent fuel rods are packed far too densely at virtually all our nuclear power plants. The power companies would rather pack them more densely than build new pools to store the material. What would happen if the cooling system failed for one of these pools? Would the material would sink into the Earth, most likely to the core? And what would come up that hole? Devastation?

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0330/Fukushima-warning-US-has-utterly-failed-to-address-risk-of-spent-fuel

Labor Issues

Nice posting by Michael Moore. Need more like him who have no fear. Problem is we all need money and don't want to offend anyone and many even state support for those who wish to take more from us for fear we may lose the little we have.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/america-is-not-broke

Nuclear Crisis

Nice article explaining why a meltdown may occur in Japan. Am sure the nuclear power plants in the US are undergoing the same procedures which enhance their profits. Packing spent fuel rods too densely in water pools
due to the cost of creating additional pools or inability to deposit them elsewhere start fires when cooling systems fail.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2011/0316/Reports-Lax-oversight-greed-preceded-Japan-nuclear-crisis

Water Shortages

Florida is listed as one of 14 states most at risk for water shortages by 2050. Global warming could also play a factor by putting pressure on the Aquifer by increasing the risk of saltwater intrusion.

http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/watersustainability/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_wars_in_Florida

and some comedy from The Daily Show. Great line where the computer and birthers references occur.


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/03/09/954285/-Late-afternoon-early-evening-open-thread

Gross National Happiness

Have always been a big fan of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report". Too bad my cable subscription no longer includes it but can usually find excellent clips posted on the web.

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/375428/february-24-2011/corporate-hacker-tries-to-take-down-wikileaks

Working on an Android application now based on the Gross National Happiness Index.
http://www.grossnationalhappiness.com/
Completely different take on how to view society. In the States we focus on the Gross Domestic Product which scores security and watse cleanups as positive indices since money is spent on them. Not sure how well a 7 hour workday and 8 hours of sleep per day would go over here.

Income Inequality

Interesting graphics on income inequality in the country. We need to break up the unions! :)

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/income-inequality-in-america-chart-graph# 

Why not allow unions? Management wants all the power. Check out Germany where the employees have a 50% ownership stake and occupy 50% of the boards seats. The deciding vote is that of the CEO. Their economy is booming! When you trust one another you tend to work together better. Seems simple to me.

Education

Interesting article on best way for education system to function. I did teach for a couple years. Were a lot
of variables to consider when designing your approach to the students. One I most adhered to was high expectations similar to how many asian countries deal with their education systems. I'd work my students hard.
Rating teacher performance could have the adverse affect in that teachers just try to tow the line and not make waves. May give their students more generous grades so as not to offend parents or administrators. In doing so, students are cheated out of a superior education.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2011/0104/To-improve-schools-stop-treating-them-like-businesses