Category Archives: Technology

Business/Economics, Technology, U.S.

Voter Incompetence & Government Evil: Indiana County officials demand city leaders put fluoride in their water! Oregon mayor wants fluoridation! Study contradicts pro-fluoride claims! Arizona residents fire officials who ended fluoridation!

09 September 2012, the controversy over unnatural nuclear industry based fluoride (as opposed to the naturally occurring kind, which can also be bad in large amounts) continues in Arizona, Indiana and Oregon.

A Saint Joseph County Health Officer, in Indiana, is lambasting three cities for their ending of fluoridation of drinking water.

Walkerton town stopped fluoridation because of increased evidence that it is actually causing harm.  President of the town council, Karol Jackson, pointed out that people are already exposed to enough fluoride: “It’s also in toothpaste, and some naturally occurs in the groundwater….”

The cities of Lakeville and North Liberty cited the growing financial burden on local taxpayers.  By ending fluoridation of drinking water the two towns, combined, will save $2,000 per year: “I know it doesn’t sound like a lot, but we’re a small town and we’re trying to keep our rates low.”-Martha Tyler, Lakeville Town Council President

The Saint Joseph County Health Officer is ignorant, firstly because it turns out the local school district/corporation is still adding fluoride to the drinking water in the schools!  Secondly, the health official claims that studies show fluoride protects childrens’ teeth. Tell that to the officials who got surprising results from their own study in Oregon!

In Portland, Oregon, city officials are trying to convince the voters to accept fluoridation of their drinking water.  Portland is the largest city in the United States that, so far, refuses to fluoridate their water supply!

The dumb (and probably in the pockets of the fluoride industry) mayor, along with some city councilpersons, are trying to get residents of Portland to approve the fluoridation of their water.  They’re claiming that the children of Portland suffer from dental problems.

The problem with that claim is that a 2007 study by the Oregon Department of Human Services shows the opposite.  The study looked at dental problems of children in Portland and compared them to children outside of Portland.

The rate of urgent dental care in children outside of Portland was 1 in every 17.  What about inside Portland, where fluoride is not used in the water supply?  Only 1 in 100 needed urgent dental care!!!  “Portland has better teeth!”-Kim Kaminski, member of anti-fluoridation group

Some non-white/European residents of Portland claim the city leaders’ closed door meetings on the issue smacks of racism: “I don’t appreciate you trying to alleviate your white guilt by putting toxins in our water!”-Frances Quaempts-Miller

But despite the mountains of eveidence that fluoridation is bad (remember, it’s mainly the English speaking countries that add the radioactive chemical to water, most other industrialized countries refused after their own research) residents of one Arizona town have fired two officials for stopping the use of fluoride!

The people of Gilbert has force the Public Works director to retire, and got the Water Manager fired.  This after the officials decided to end the use of fluoride in the local water supply.

The end came when the fluoridation system was found to be so corroded that it need to be replaced.  That was in July 2011, and it still hasn’t been replaced.

Get this, the Gilbert fluoridation system had been leaking for three years prior.  It got so bad that a white powder was building up on the equipment, and Public Works employees were complaining of extreme irritation to the skin, nose and eyes.  And this is the stuff you’re drinking!

The guttsy Water Manager explained the decision that got him fired: “It was my call to stop fluoridation until the issues with the room were resolved. Fluoride comes into the plant on the raw side naturally, so it’s not like there is no fluoride in the water.”-Chris Ochs

Don’t blame city officials for the nuclear industry fluoridation of Gilbert’s water supply, the dumb voters approved it by 54%, in the 2000 elections.

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology

Uljin Reactor power line glitch.

Reactor 1 of the Uljin nuclear power plant, in Korea (south), was restarted on 28 August 2012.

Less than a week prior the reactor automatically shut itself down.  After investigating, the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company said the emergency shut down was due to a glitch in electrical lines running to the reactor.

It was the second time in August that a Korean nuclear reactor went through emergency shut down.

Korea (south) currently has 23 nuclear reactors in operation, and is building more. They hope to have 39 by the Gregorian/Western/Christian calender year 2030.

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology

Uljin Reactor update: This is second Korean reactor to shut down in past week, inspections underway

24 August 2012, inspectors with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, are trying to figure out why an Areva (Framatome) designed nuclear reactor shut itself down, after a warning alarm sounded.

But it turns out this isn’t the first time this has happened.  On 19 August 2012, a brand new reactor, the Sinwolseong-1 (aka Reactor 1 at Shin Wolsong) shut itself down as well.

Sinwolseong-1 began operation in January 2012. Officials ruled the shut down as being caused by a failure of the input controls.

According to the IAEA, Sinwolseong-1 and Uljin-1 (aka Reactor 1 at Ulchin) are both pressurized water reactors (PWR) operated by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company.

Uljin-1 was designed by a French company called Framatome, now called Areva.

Doosan Heavy Industries claims Sinwolseong-1 is a reactor based on Korea’s first indigenous pressurized light water nuclear reactor design.  They have even sold the same type of reactors to China.

Business/Economics, International, Technology

Korean Uljin Areva designed nuclear reactor shuts itself down, investigation as to why

On 23 August 2012, Reactor 1 of the Uljin (aka Ulchin) nuclear power plant in Korea, south, shut itself down.  Officials with the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company do not know why.

A warning signal went off, but there is no radiation leak, according to officials.  Korean media says the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is not concerned.

Uljin-1 began operations in 1988 and is a French Framatome (company is now called Areva) type pressurized water reactor (PWR).  The Uljin nuclear plant is considered the 13th largest electricity generating facility in the world, producing nearly 5,900 megawatts.

 

International, Technology

Breaking news: Korea, South, nuclear reactor automatically shuts down, reason unknown at this time

Korea media reporting that Reactor 1 at Ulchin nuclear power plant, in North Kyongsang province of South Korea, ceased operations for unknown reasons.

Ulchin is the World’s 13th largest electric power generating plant, with a 5,900 megawatt capacity.

Ulchin-1 began operations in 1988 and is a PWR – Framatome type reactor.

Business/Economics, International, Technology

What Economic Recovery? Sony cuts 1,000 jobs in cell phone division!

23 August 2012, after buying back control of its Swedish cell phone operation, Sony announced it will lay off 15% of the employees.

Sony will also move most of the Mobile Communication division back to Japan.

Until Sony’s buyback, the Mobil Communication division was a joint venture with Sweden’s Ericsson.  The cuts are on top of planned lay offs in Sony’s television division.

Business/Economics, Idaho, International, Technology, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Hoku continues downward spiral. Pocatello plant mothballed! Micron dead! Emmett fails! Idaho State government conspiracy?

Famous last words: “Sustainable, renewable energy is going to play a big role in Idaho’s future.”-Butch Otter, current Governor of Idaho, 2011 statement

Reality check: “New projects are non-existent. There’s no support for renewables in this state.”-Peter Richardson, Boise attorney

As of 21 August 2012, Hoku Corporation stock was worth only 9 cents per share!

According to a recent Associated Press (AP) report, all of the promises of support for renewable energy related companies in Idaho, were false.

Pocatello’s Hoku Materials polysilicon factory for solar power panels is now officially mothballed. Boise’s Micron Technology’s energy venture is dead, and Emmett’s biomass power project failed.

Large scale wind power in Idaho is also being targeted.

The AP says the reasons range from federal tax breaks ending for the alternative energy industry, to economic war between China and the United States, to the fact that electricity rates in Idaho are already the second lowest in the country.

But what happened to all those promises of support from the State?  The bottom line is that the government of Idaho does not want to throw money at new alternative energy companies, state officials are all talk, no walk (but they love to take the credit for companies moving to Idaho, Butch Otter did with Hoku in his 2007 State of the State speech).  After all, Idaho’s main source of electricity already comes from decades old renewable and reliable hydroelectric dams (maybe that’s what Governor Otter was referring to in his 2011 statement).

Another thing, state lawmakers have not required local utility companies to buy into these new energy companies, as have the states of Oregon and Washington.  In fact many of these new companies were required to buy their electricity from Idaho Power, Rocky Mountain Power and Avista!

“LIQUIDATE HOKU MATERIALS”

Business/Economics, Idaho, Technology, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Hewlett Packard to report record loss, gives half a million dollars worth of stuff to Idaho university!

“…HP carries so much weight in the area, when they do something, when HP sneezes, you know, there is a ripple effect.”-Matt Rissell, Idaho Technology Council’s Software Alliance, interview with Boise State Public Radio

22 August 2012, Hewlett Packard (HP) is expected to report a record quarterly loss of almost $9 billion USD.  It’s the largest loss for HP ever!

HP is already in the process of laying off 27,000 employees.  People in Idaho are worried because HP has a huge campus in Boise, and any layoffs there will definitely hit other Boise area businesses: “For every hundred workers you lose, you’re going to lose at least another fifty.”-Don Holley, economics professor Boise State University

But despite all this doom and gloom, HP is actually benefiting Boise State University, in fact it’s benefiting another chip/computer maker, Idaho’s own Micron.

On 21 August 2012, it was announced that Hewlett Packard donated half a million U.S. dollars worth of equipment to the new Micron Business and Economics Building, located on the Boise State campus.

“We are working with Boise State to provide key technology that will enhance the student experience and help build future business and community leaders.”-Von Hansen, HP Boise

Notice Hansen didn’t say anything about employment, the focus is on “business and community leaders”.  Most leaders actually have a poor history of new job creation.

 

 

Technology, U.S.

U.S. Education front for child porn industry? Idaho education official admits to producing more than a terabyte of child porn!

A 45 year old Meridian Middle School counselor (in Idaho) admitted to police that he had more than one terabyte of child pornography on dozens of computers in his house.  According to Ada County prosecutor, the school counselor also told cops he produced some of the porn.

A boy was found in his home and claimed to have been molested many times by the school official.

The counselor was arrested 18 August 2012, after police spent most of Friday night searching his home. He was arraigned in an Idaho court on 20 August.  He faces 10 counts of sexual exploitation and is being held on a $1 million USD bond.

The counselor says he is part of an internet group that produces and trades child porn. Despite his admissions to police, the Meridian School District continues to employ him, he is currently on administrative leave (although it appears they have removed his name from their website).