Saturday, July 24, 2010

Sandpoint, Idaho Removes Fluoride from the Municipal Water Supply

Congratulations Sandpoint! I applaud the decision to remove fluoride from the water supply. You can read some of the public comments on water fluoridation from earlier this year and last year below or on the Sandpoint webpage.

Residents here will no longer be able to gargle with city water to get fluoride on their teeth.

The city council voted 4-2 this week to quit adding fluoride to the municipal water system, which serves communities from Kootenai to Dover, including Sandpoint.

Source: Bonner County Daily Bee

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PUBLIC FORUM (June, 2010)

Mary Baenen, 607 Cedar St., asked why the City would consider putting a product on the ballot in which the manufacturer will not fully disclose what is in their product and why the City would consider putting a substance on the ballot in which there are no toxicological studies showing this product is safe for extended use. She noted there is now a toxicological study of the class of fluoride the City of Sandpoint uses, and the results demonstrate there are higher blood lead levels in children living in communities where fluoride is used. She said the only reason the City is using fluoride is because of the claims that fluoride is safe and effective. She stressed the importance of having accountability for a specific product put into the drinking water. She noted last year she provided the City with a list of 900 signatures from the Sandpoint area requesting the removal of City fluoridation in the City’s water, and 624 of those have a Sandpoint address. She said, within a two month period, she obtained 222 signatures in favor of enacting an accountability ordinance.

Anne Wilder noted the Community Garden is not providing organic produce because the garden is irrigated with City fluoridated water. She raised concern with the amount of fluoride provided in the City’s water system. She stated some children have problems with their teeth due to too much fluoride. She felt people should have a choice of whether they want fluoride in the water, and this issue shouldn’t be on the ballot because the entire public is not aware of the side effects of fluoride.

Jennifer Ekstrom expressed disappointment that the accountability ordinance that was proposed by the Lake Pend Oreille Water Keeper was derailed at the Public Works Committee. She stated the Lake Pend Oreille Water Keeper opposed putting the fluoridation issue on the ballot at the City 2011 general election, as it is an attempt to avoid responsibility by the City of Sandpoint for drinking water additives. She noted, months ago, City Council voted to have the accountability ordinance refined by the Public Works Committee, with the intent of keeping the original ordinance intact, but that did not happen. She noted the City has discovered that the supplier of the fluoridation chemical will not disclose what is in their product, and no one is standing accountable for the safety of this product. She said it would be imprudent for voters to decide about the use of a substance that contains unknown ingredients. It would be poor policy to mandate a situation where 51% of the voters could make a decision on medicating the other 49% of those who depend on the City’s water supply. The City is scheduled to purchase a new fluoridation unit for more than $100,000 before the election takes place, which will be a huge gamble due to the current financial times. She noted City Council has the right, under State law to form a special committee to review this topic. She urged City Council to vote no on sending the fluoridation issue to an election and take immediate steps in forming a special committee to consider drinking water accountability.

Kathy Leone opposed having fluoride in the City’s water. She said there’s a choice to purchase toothpaste with or without fluoride and to choose to have it provided by a dentist. She raised concern that the public is not allowed to choose whether it should be allowed in the City’s water.

Jill White said there should be a demand for accountability, transparency and disclosure of the product. The City should demand that a chemical supplier provide the documents that they are required to submit in order to be certified to sell their product. She felt all documentation should be in the City’s hands for her to review at any time. She urged elected officials who are not for accountability to step down. She opposed having the fluoride issue on a ballot.

Shawn Larsen reported that, on November 9, 2006, the American Dental Association (ADA) advised their dentist membership to warn parents not to mix baby formula with fluoridated tap water. This was because of evidence from the December 2006 National Research Council review that described there was over exposure to fluoride. He noted Mary Baenen provided this information to the City three years ago. He asked if the City passed this warning onto its water users. He said if the City does their due diligence, they should already be aware of this study. He stressed that fluoride should not be voted on by the people, as it’s the City Council’s job to vote on this matter.

Harold Hilton distributed the book “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly” to City Council. He reported fluoride is defined as a drug by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Congress and is a hazardous waste product of the phosphate fertilizer industry. He stated it’s illegal to dump fluoride into rivers and lakes, and it should not be released into the atmosphere, but it is not subject to federal regulations when used in water fluoridation. He stressed the need for the City to have an accountability ordinance with no hazardous waste product be placed on the ballot.

Dean Stackhouse, 1141 Ridgetop Rd., Blanchard, noted one quarter of the concentration of fluoride in drinking water impacts salmon migration. He made a plea that the City needs to save the fish.

Ingri Cassel noted those who are on the City’s water system but reside outside the City limits can’t vote on the fluoride issue. She was puzzled as to why chemical suppliers are not held accountable for products used in the City’s water. She urged City Council to make a decision on the matter without spending the money to put it on the ballot.

Tom Dillin, 311 St. Clair Ave., noted that he signed the petition and opposed the use of fluoride in the City’s water. He stressed due diligence for the City to review the list of signatures of dentists who oppose fluoride, as his dentist opposes fluoridation of the City’s water. He felt there was no reason to put industrial waste in the City’s water. He urged City Council not to believe the propaganda from the ADA, as they are trying to promote a particular product. He noted the public already voted on this issue, as a group worked to defeat former Councilwoman Newton. He said he knocked on doors as precinct committeeman to make sure the rest of the current Council was elected. He stressed that if the current Council continues to deny the public the right to drink clean, pure water, he will continue to work to un-elect the Council who insist on dumping the waste into the City’s water.

Brigitte Gerlach stressed she doesn’t need more toxins that go into her body.

Heather Lewis Sebring, 605 S. Olive, board member of the Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper, urged the City to keep fluoride out of their water by not allowing the issue to go on a ballot and, instead, City Council should make a decision on this issue. If the supplier of the fluoridation chemical will not disclose what is in their product and are not accountable for the safety or effectiveness of the product, there is a good reason that they are unwilling to stand behind their product. She noted that studies show that fluoride is harmful, and if the issue of fluoridation goes to a ballot, the people will be unlikely to have the ability to accurately assess the situation. She stressed adding fluoride to public water is medicating everyone against their will. She pointed out that she voted for the new Council members based on their stances against fluoridation. A majority of the City Council agreed to have the accountability ordinance brought back to them with minor changes keeping the intentions of the original proposed ordinance intact. But, instead, a minority of City Council brought back an ordinance that was not aligned with the original intent. She stated the elected officials will be remembered as heroes when they vote to remove fluoride from the water.

PUBLIC FORUM (September, 2009)

Stacy Jenkins, 517 South First Ave., opposed fluoridation of the water on the grounds that it is a right to freedom of choice as to whether a person chose to consume fluoride.

Tammy Powell, 171 Vedelwood Drive, also owns property on Jenny Lane, opposed fluoride in the water. She raised concern that fluoride is the only chemical added to drinking water for the purpose of medication to prevent tooth decay. She said all other treatment chemicals are added to treat the water to improve the water’s quality which fluoride does not do. She noted that Europe has banned fluoridation as they feel this is a matter that should be left up to health professionals, not water districts. She asked why the City of Sandpoint would want to burden itself with the task of delivering medicine through its public water.

Jill White owns property at 805 Main Street, noted fluoridation of municipal water has occurred since the 1940s. She said the public has been told that fluoride is good for them and dentists have been taught that fluoride is a benefit. She pointed out the vast majority are unaware that much of the fluoride added to drinking water is actually an industrial waste product. She felt fluoride information was similar to the fables regarding lead, tobacco and asbestos in which medical accomplices helped industry to hide the truth about these substances for generations. She said endless studies, that assured workers that their factories and mines were safe, concealed the truth that thousands of people were being poisoned and dying painful early deaths from these chemicals. She noted that the same professionals and institutions who told the public that fluoride was safe provided the same regarding lead, asbestos and DDT or persuaded the public to smoke more tobacco. She begged the council to take fluoride out of Sandpoint’s water.

Richard Neuder, D.D.S., 1109 Birch St., stated when he started his dental practice 45 years ago, he witnessed in young adults and older patients extensive tooth decay, repair and partial or full replacements. He said when he retired three years ago, he noticed in high school students, there was minimal decay with no necessity of tooth repair. He was convinced that fluoride was a contributor to this and is safe in the city’s water.

Jennifer Ekstrom announced she was representing the organization, Lake Pend Oreille Water Keeper. She noted that the type of fluoride in the city’s water system is not a pharmaceutical grade but a toxic waste product from the phosphorate fertilizer industry and is a widely known contaminant such as lead, arsenic, mercury and other heavy metals that have toxic effects on human bodies. She noted that based on new compelling scientific evidence, the National Academy of Sciences is calling for additional studies about the effects of fluoride that can be connected to ailments such as Alzheimer’s, cancers, diabetes and other ailments. She stated according to the American Dental Association and the Center of Disease Control report, fluoride is most effective if it’s applied topically. She noted pharmaceutical grade fluoride recommended for tooth decay prevention is available at no charge for all children 12 years old and younger through a community health program. She said there’s no reason to spend taxpayer’s money on an unnecessary and questionable additive to the city’s water supply. She urged council to err on the side of caution and stop the use of fluoride.

Laura Bry, 313 Pine St., stated she was the Chairman of the Bonner County Democrats and the President of the Human Rights Task Force but spoke as an individual. She said in 1992 she joined her fellow citizens in opposing fluoride in the City of Bellingham, Washington. When she moved to Sandpoint in 1998, she was surprised that the city had fluoride in its water and took steps to not drink Sandpoint water. She urged council to stop fluoridation in the city’s water system immediately. She also respectfully requested that city council apply the precautionary principle. She said if council had doubt, to leave fluoride out. She stressed that most European countries have done this already.

Heather Lewis Sebring, 605 S. Olive Ave., announced that she represented the Sandpoint Mothers for Safe Water which consists of 350 concerned parents. She stated there was clear overwhelming evidence that fluoride can be effective but research showed that there were dangers when taken as a drink. She said the American Dental Association has warned that it’s dangerous for infants to drink fluoride in their formula. She felt there was no reason to drink fluoride and had concerns that families were medicated against their will. She asked for the right to choose and that parents should decide how to take care of their children. She urged city council to vote to discontinue fluoridation in the city’s water.

John Ukich, D.D.S., 1310 Ponderosa Drive, reported that the American Dental Association declared fluoridation of community water supply as the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay and since its introduction of fluoride over 60 years ago, it has dramatically improved dental health in millions of Americans. The Center of Disease Control and Prevention proclaims community water fluoridation as one of the ten great public health achievements of the 20th Century. He said fluoride is nature’s cavity fighter with small amounts already present in all water sources. He noted that the addition of fluoride is like adding vitamins to milk and cereals. He said currently approximately 70% of United States residents consume fluoride through community water systems. He said in the past 8 years, more than 302 communities in 41 states have adopted fluoridation. He noted that studies have confirmed that water fluoridation reduced the amount of cavities in the young by 60%. He said there has been more than 60 years of scientific research with evidence that fluoride is safe.

According to the National Cancer Institute, fluoride in drinking water does not impose cancer risk to humans. He reported that every dollar invested in community water
fluoridation, results in $38.00 saved in dental treatment costs. He said the American Dental Association, United States Public Health Service, American Medical Association and the World Health Organization support fluoridation of water communities. He said he has been a practicing dentist for over 31 years with overwhelming evidence that it benefits children’s teeth. He pointed out that dentists would profit more if fluoride was removed from the water.

Brad Webb, 1120 Superior, Apt B, noted that in 1992, the New Jersey Department of Health Studies demonstrated that osteosarcoma rates are higher among males in fluoridated regions and bone defects were detected in fluoridated water in Newborough, New York with Newborough being the home of the first human health fluoridation experiment conducted in 1945. Over 7,000 environmental and public health professionals called for a moratorium on fluoridation programs across the country and asked that EPA recognize that fluoride imposes a serious risk of cancer in humans.

Jay Mock, 248 Flume Creek, Sandpoint, questioned whether science was ever settled. He commented that Socrates was not a wise man because of what he knew but what he didn’t know. He stated if the city council of Sandpoint would allow the citizens to chose for themselves how much fluoride they receive, they would be wise.

Art Webb, 1804 W. Poplar, stated he has been on the city’s water system for 40 years and encouraged council to do research on the internet which demonstrates overwhelming evidence that the city should not use fluoride at all. He said there has been negative input with little research on the benefits. He urged council to weigh in on both sides with the need to do more research before a decision was made.

Bryce Powell stated that he conducted research with very little evidence that fluoride taken through water is beneficial and there was considerable knowledge that the consumption of fluoride in water is harmful. He said there is evidence that fluoride in water doesn’t decrease tooth decay. He noted the vast majority of Western Europe has rejected water fluoridation and tooth decay rates are just as low as or lower than those rates in the United States. He raised concern that his young son has a white chalk film on his teeth and has been advised that it’s flourocis which is a sign of toxic exposure to fluoride where he obtained this through the city’s water system. He stated evidence does not support the continued fluoridation within the city.

Tom Dillin, 311 St. Clair Ave., opposed fluoride in the city’s water. His main concern was the mass medication of the entire population was a bad idea. He urged council to respect individual freedom, freedom of choice, and urged council to vote to eliminate fluoride from the city’s water. He said if the vote fails, council should send this matter out for public vote.

Mary Baenen stated that she presented a petition with over 1000 signatures to the Public Works Committee and noted that some of the people signed the petition twice but that it demonstrated there were a significant amount of people who want pure safe drinking water without fluoride. She said she was a representative of North Idaho Citizens for Safe Drinking Water which is affiliated with the National Citizens for Safe Drinking Water. She noted that when crops are watered with fluoridated water, it boosts fluoride in food even higher. She said the nature of fluoride is different from chlorine as fluoride does not dissipate when water is boiled. She said since people are consuming too much fluoride by too many sources, fluoridation is not required by law, and was not voted by the people, the North Idaho Citizens for Safe Drinking Water asks city council to stop adding fluoride to the city’s water system.

Harold Hilton, 300 McGhee Rd., Sandpoint, stressed that fluoride (sodium fluorosilicate) had been added to the city’s water without the approval of the citizenry. He said since city council has been informed at previous meetings of the potential dangers of mass fluoridation of the population through city water treatment, each city council member is risking personal liability for any harm that came to any citizen as a result of drinking fluoride in the city’s water. He noted the warning on toothpaste reads “Warning: Keep out of the reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional help or call a poison control center immediately.” He said the same warning does not exist on unfluoridated toothpaste. He referred to Councilwoman Logan’s comment that scientific evidence and information provided by citizens at the last council meeting was antidotal. He said many left the meeting with the impression that several of the council members were non-responsive to the citizen’s plea for safe drinking water. He demanded that city council allow the health professionals to provide the fluoride and urged the city to eliminate fluoride from the city’s water system.

Rob Harrison, D.D.S., 530 S. Florence, stated he is a dentist and supports fluoride in the water. He said in Europe they use a different method of providing fluoride. He reported fluoride is most efficient and is a safe way to provide to those who don’t get regular dental care. He noted there is a natural amount of fluoride in the water and asked whether those who oppose want to filter all the fluoride out or to leave the fluoride at the level in its natural state. He maintained fluoridation in the municipal water system is a benefit to the community and supported it wholeheartedly.

Rick Ballard, D.D.S., 501 Creekside Lane, noted the American Dental Association represents 155,500 dentists who support fluoridation with their expertise behind the research. He said the American Dental Association is not in the business to harm people. He urged council to look at the literature that’s available.

Brigitte Gerlach, 311 St. Clair Ave, felt fluoride was an industrial toxic waste. She said if she wanted fluoride, she can obtain it from her dentist or from the use of
toothpaste. She liked the freedom to choose what she wanted to drink.

Rose Chaney announced that she has lived in Sandpoint for 50 years. She said she has been involved in the dental profession and has witnessed the tremendous improvement for dental health in the children in Sandpoint after fluoridation was added to the city’s water. She noted there are 50% of the children in Sandpoint who never see a dentist and felt it was important that the city continue using this public health measure in the city’s water supply.

Toby McNeal stated there was reputable information on both sides of the issue. He said there are clear indications that there are adverse health effects of fluoride in the water. He suspected when fluoride was started, there were no other valid options to provide fluoride treatment but that dental hygiene has changed with many other resources to obtain fluoride. He stated that removing fluoride from water is extremely difficult and is costly to remove. He felt council would be setting a precedent and urged them to give people the choice of safe clean water.

Allen Banks stated he has a PhD in chemistry and has had 40 years experience in biological and chemical research with emphasis on pharmaceutical development and cancer treatment. He reported through his studies of water fluoridation, that fluoride added to water is harmful for most people and is classified as a pharmaceutical. He referred to testimony from the dentists this evening, that there is a benefit in small children but that small children are not the only people who drink the water. He stated pharmaceuticals should be used for individual treatment only, not for mass treatment. He pointed out there were over 70 scientific articles that demonstrate the harmful effects of fluoride in drinking water. He stated there was a statement from a Nobel Prize winner in medicine, opposition to fluoride by 1500 scientists of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and a scientific survey he conducted himself. He distributed this documentation which was provided to the city clerk for the record. He noted those who live in Bonner County are also impacted by fluoride in the city’s water. He stressed that children should not be medicated without parental consent.

Matt D. Hathaway stressed that the people should have the right to make their own decisions on how they medically treat themselves. He said he contacted the District Attorney’s office but had not received a response to find out what class the “drug” falls under and whether the State provides the right for the city to mass drug the entire population. He stated he recently received a prescription from his dentist for his daughter with a warning that if she consumed a specific amount of fluoride, she would become ill.

Phil Gervais, D.D.S stated he has been a dentist for 29 years in Sandpoint and supported fluoridation of the city water. He said his father was a dentist in a small town in Minnesota which did not have fluoride but added fluoride later with his father witnessing the evidence that fluoride improved dental care in his young patients. He noted that dentists appear to be the only ones who support fluoride this evening but that there was a lot of research, studies and journals over the last 29 years supporting the safety of fluoride. He appreciated the concern of those who opposed fluoride but was in favor of retaining fluoride in the city’s water.

Nikki Salfeld opposed fluoride and didn’t trust all scientific information as its constantly changing. She didn’t think fluoride should be in the water system. She stressed that parents should take the responsibility for their children and that different drugs have a different effect on different people.

Pierre Bordenave, 813 McGhee Rd., stated that he owned an environmental service business in Sandpoint for 26 years. He asked why the city did not make an effort to remove the chemical complex Di Hydrogen Monoxide or DHMO from its water. He noted that drinking large quantities of DHMO can cause serious sometimes fatal electrolyte imbalance and can be fatal if inhaled. In solid form, it can cause tissue damage in a half hour of exposure and is the primary constituent of acid rain. Researchers found nearly 90% of people were willing to sign a petition to ban this universal solvent in the United States. He stressed that DHMO will never be removed from our water supply because it is our water supply. The other chemical name for Di Hydrogen Monoxide is H2O. He stressed to council that it was their responsibility to make decisions and not shirk that responsibility by saying the council was not intelligent or informed enough so you should leave it up to “the people to decide.” He said the people did decide by voting for them and that for the past 55 years, 99% of Sandpoint has not taken issue with this matter. He asked how the AMA, ADA, CDC, EPA, FDA, and the American Academy of Sciences are all in a huge conspiracy to poison the water when not a single legitimate scientific analysis comes to that conclusion. He said the FDA does not define nor regulate fluoride as a drug because it’s not a drug or medication. He reported you would need 800% more fluoride to exceed the EPA limits and even that would not be defined as toxic. He stressed if a person drank 800% more distilled water than recommended in a day, it would be fatal. The real conspiracy would be if dentists said not to use fluoride because it would increase their business. He urged council to table this issue and leave it tabled for another 55 years or until there was some reason for not reducing cavities and dental disease in our children. He said let’s not create a future where we subject ourselves to the joke of saying the best way to compliment a young child in Sandpoint was by saying “nice tooth.”



Rep. Charlie Rangel's Universal National Service Act (H.R. 5741 Says Mandatory National Service for All Persons Between Ages 18-42)

With the current ethics charges against you, Mr. Rangel, I hope you resign and this proposed H.R. 5741 law disappears forever.

Have you ever read the 13th Amendment of the Constitution? I will quote the Amendment for you here:


Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation

Reading the language of that 13th Amendment, any type of mandatory, non-consensual, non-military service requirement that is not a punishment for a crime is unconstitutional.

While the Supreme Court has ruled Congress' power to compel military service is constitutional in
Selective Draft Law Cases, 245 U.S. 366 (1918), this proposed H.R. 5741 Act requires mandatory national service. Under the proposed Act, the term 'national service' means military service or service in a civilian capacity that, as determined by the President, promotes the national defense, including national or community service and service related to homeland security. The military service aspect is constitutional, but I do not see how the civilian service aspect is constitutional especially if the requirement is mandatory.

H.R. 5741 follows below. Under the proposed Act if you are a conscientious objector, then you must serve in the alternative civilian service areas and some "local board" determines whether the status is legitimate (see Section 109). I do not see where "local board" is defined. Who are its members? What are its rules regarding conscientious objector status determination? How can one present evidence to this local board? To whom can one appeal its decisions? If anyone knows what this "local board" will be, then please enlighten me. Thanks.


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H.R.5741 -- Universal National Service Act (Introduced in House - IH)

HR 5741 IH

111th CONGRESS
2d Session

H. R. 5741

To require all persons in the United States between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform national service, either as a member of the uniformed services or in civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, to authorize the induction of persons in the uniformed services during wartime to meet end-strength requirements of the uniformed services, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 15, 2010

Mr. RANGEL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services


A BILL

To require all persons in the United States between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform national service, either as a member of the uniformed services or in civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, to authorize the induction of persons in the uniformed services during wartime to meet end-strength requirements of the uniformed services, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title- This Act may be cited as the `Universal National Service Act'.
    (b) Table of Contents- The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
      Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

TITLE I--NATIONAL SERVICE

      Sec. 101. Definitions.
      Sec. 102. National service obligation.
      Sec. 103. Induction to perform national service.
      Sec. 104. Two-year period of national service.
      Sec. 105. Implementation by the President.
      Sec. 106. Examination and classification of persons.
      Sec. 107. Deferments and postponements.
      Sec. 108. Induction exemptions.
      Sec. 109. Conscientious objection.
      Sec. 110. Discharge following national service.

TITLE II--AMENDMENTS TO MILITARY SELECTIVE SERVICE ACT

      Sec. 201. Registration of females.
      Sec. 202. Registration and induction authority.

TITLE I--NATIONAL SERVICE

SEC. 101. DEFINITIONS.

    In this title:
      (1) The term `contingency operation' has the meaning given that term in section 101(a)(13) of title 10, United States Code.
      (2) The term `military service' means service performed as a member of an active or reserve component of the uniformed services.
      (3) The term `national service' means military service or service in a civilian capacity that, as determined by the President, promotes the national defense, including national or community service and service related to homeland security.
      (4) The term `Secretary concerned' means the Secretary of Defense with respect to the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard, the Secretary of Commerce, with respect to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, with respect to the Public Health Service.
      (5) The term `United States', when used in a geographical sense, means the several States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam.
      (6) The term `uniformed services' means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and commissioned corps of the Public Health Service.

SEC. 102. NATIONAL SERVICE OBLIGATION.

    (a) Obligation for Service- It is the obligation of every citizen of the United States, and every other person residing in the United States, who is between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform a period of national service as prescribed in this title unless exempted under the provisions of this title.
    (b) Forms of National Service- The national service obligation under this title shall be performed either--
      (1) as a member of an active or reserve component of the uniformed services; or
      (2) in a civilian capacity that, as determined by the President, promotes the national defense, including national or community service and service related to homeland security.
    (c) Age Limits- A person may be inducted under this title only if the person has attained the age of 18 and has not attained the age of 42.

SEC. 103. INDUCTION TO PERFORM NATIONAL SERVICE.

    (a) Induction Requirements- The President shall provide for the induction of persons described in section 102(a) to perform their national service obligation.
    (b) Limitation on Induction for Military Service- Persons described in section 102(a) may be inducted to perform military service only if--
      (1) a declaration of war is in effect;
      (2) the President declares a national emergency, which the President determines necessitates the induction of persons to perform military service, and immediately informs Congress of the reasons for the declaration and the need to induct persons for military service; or
      (3) members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps are engaged in a contingency operation pursuant to a congressional authorization for the use of military force.
    (c) Limitation on Number of Persons Inducted for Military Service- When the induction of persons for military service is authorized by subsection (b), the President shall determine the number of persons described in section 102(a) whose national service obligation is to be satisfied through military service based on--
      (1) the authorized end strengths of the uniformed services;
      (2) the feasibility of the uniformed services to recruit sufficient volunteers to achieve such end-strength levels; and
      (3) provide a mechanism for the random selection of persons to be inducted to perform military service.
    (d) Selection for Induction-
      (1) RANDOM SELECTION FOR MILITARY SERVICE- When the induction of persons for military service is authorized by subsection (b), the President shall utilize a mechanism for the random selection of persons to be inducted to perform military service.
      (2) CIVILIAN SERVICE- Persons described in section 102(a) who do not volunteer to perform military service or are not inducted for military service shall perform their national service obligation in a civilian capacity pursuant to section 102(b)(2).
    (e) Voluntary Service- A person subject to induction under this title may--
      (1) volunteer to perform national service in lieu of being inducted; or
      (2) request permission to be inducted at a time other than the time at which the person is otherwise called for induction.

SEC. 104. TWO-YEAR PERIOD OF NATIONAL SERVICE.

    (a) General Rule- Except as otherwise provided in this section, the period of national service performed by a person under this title shall be two years.
    (b) Grounds for Extension- At the discretion of the President, the period of military service for a member of the uniformed services under this title may be extended--
      (1) with the consent of the member, for the purpose of furnishing hospitalization, medical, or surgical care for injury or illness incurred in line of duty; or
      (2) for the purpose of requiring the member to compensate for any time lost to training for any cause.
    (c) Early Termination- The period of national service for a person under this title shall be terminated before the end of such period under the following circumstances:
      (1) The voluntary enlistment and active service of the person in an active or reserve component of the uniformed services for a period of at least two years, in which case the period of basic military training and education actually served by the person shall be counted toward the term of enlistment.
      (2) The admission and service of the person as a cadet or midshipman at the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, the Coast Guard Academy, or the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
      (3) The enrollment and service of the person in an officer candidate program, if the person has signed an agreement to accept a Reserve commission in the appropriate service with an obligation to serve on active duty if such a commission is offered upon completion of the program.
      (4) Such other grounds as the President may establish.

SEC. 105. IMPLEMENTATION BY THE PRESIDENT.

    (a) In General- The President shall prescribe such regulations as are necessary to carry out this title.
    (b) Matter To Be Covered by Regulations- Such regulations shall include specification of the following:
      (1) The types of civilian service that may be performed in order for a person to satisfy the person's national service obligation under this title.
      (2) Standards for satisfactory performance of civilian service and of penalties for failure to perform civilian service satisfactorily.
      (3) The manner in which persons shall be selected for induction under this title, including the manner in which those selected will be notified of such selection.
      (4) All other administrative matters in connection with the induction of persons under this title and the registration, examination, and classification of such persons.
      (5) A means to determine questions or claims with respect to inclusion for, or exemption or deferment from induction under this title, including questions of conscientious objection.
      (6) Standards for compensation and benefits for persons performing their national service obligation under this title through civilian service.
      (7) Such other matters as the President determines necessary to carry out this title.
    (c) Use of Prior Act- To the extent determined appropriate by the President, the President may use for purposes of this title the procedures provided in the Military Selective Service Act (50 U.S.C. App. 451 et seq.), including procedures for registration, selection, and induction.

SEC. 106. EXAMINATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF PERSONS.

    (a) Examination- Every person subject to induction under this title shall, before induction, be physically and mentally examined and shall be classified as to fitness to perform national service.
    (b) Different Classification Standards- The President may apply different classification standards for fitness for military service and fitness for civilian service.

SEC. 107. DEFERMENTS AND POSTPONEMENTS.

    (a) High School Students- A person who is pursuing a standard course of study, on a full-time basis, in a secondary school or similar institution of learning shall be entitled to have induction under this title postponed until the person--
      (1) obtains a high school diploma;
      (2) ceases to pursue satisfactorily such course of study; or
      (3) attains the age of 20.
    (b) Hardship and Disability- Deferments from national service under this title may be made for--
      (1) extreme hardship; or
      (2) physical or mental disability.
    (c) Training Capacity- The President may postpone or suspend the induction of persons for military service under this title as necessary to limit the number of persons receiving basic military training and education to the maximum number that can be adequately trained.
    (d) Termination- No deferment or postponement of induction under this title shall continue after the cause of such deferment or postponement ceases.

SEC. 108. INDUCTION EXEMPTIONS.

    (a) Qualifications- No person may be inducted for military service under this title unless the person is acceptable to the Secretary concerned for training and meets the same health and physical qualifications applicable under section 505 of title 10, United States Code, to persons seeking original enlistment in a regular component of the Armed Forces.
    (b) Other Military Service- No person shall be liable for induction under this title who--
      (1) is serving, or has served honorably for at least six months, in any component of the uniformed services on active duty; or
      (2) is or becomes a cadet or midshipman at the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, the Coast Guard Academy, the United States Merchant Marine Academy, a midshipman of a Navy accredited State maritime academy, a member of the Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, or the naval aviation college program, so long as that person satisfactorily continues in and completes at least two years training therein.

SEC. 109. CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION.

    (a) Claims as Conscientious Objector- Nothing in this title shall be construed to require a person to be subject to combatant training and service in the uniformed services, if that person, by reason of sincerely held moral, ethical, or religious beliefs, is conscientiously opposed to participation in war in any form.
    (b) Alternative Noncombatant or Civilian Service- A person who claims exemption from combatant training and service under subsection (a) and whose claim is sustained by the local board shall--
      (1) be assigned to noncombatant service (as defined by the President), if the person is inducted into the uniformed services; or
      (2) be ordered by the local board, if found to be conscientiously opposed to participation in such noncombatant service, to perform national civilian service for the period specified in section 104(a) and subject to such regulations as the President may prescribe.

SEC. 110. DISCHARGE FOLLOWING NATIONAL SERVICE.

    (a) Discharge- Upon completion or termination of the obligation to perform national service under this title, a person shall be discharged from the uniformed services or from civilian service, as the case may be, and shall not be subject to any further service under this title.
    (b) Coordination With Other Authorities- Nothing in this section shall limit or prohibit the call to active service in the uniformed services of any person who is a member of a regular or reserve component of the uniformed services.

TITLE II--AMENDMENTS TO MILITARY SELECTIVE SERVICE ACT

SEC. 201. REGISTRATION OF FEMALES.

    (a) Registration Required- Section 3(a) of the Military Selective Service Act (50 U.S.C. 453(a)) is amended--
      (1) by striking `male' both places it appears;
      (2) by inserting `or herself' after `himself'; and
      (3) by striking `he' and inserting `the person'.
    (b) Conforming Amendment- Section 16(a) of the Military Selective Service Act (50 U.S.C. App. 466(a)) is amended by striking `men' and inserting `persons'.

SEC. 202. REGISTRATION AND INDUCTION AUTHORITY.

    (a) Registration- Section 4 of the Military Selective Service Act (50 U.S.C. App. 454) is amended by inserting after subsection (g) the following new subsection:
    `(h) This section does not apply with respect to the induction of persons into the Armed Forces pursuant to the Universal National Service Act.'.
    (b) Induction- Section 17(c) of the Military Selective Service Act (50 U.S.C. App. 467(c)) is amended by striking `now or hereafter' and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting `inducted pursuant to the Universal National Service Act.'.

Is a Toxic Corexit-Oil Rain Killing Plants in Iowa?


This video is similar to other stories I've posted on here about a potentially toxic oil rain. I will post more videos as they become available.

Unverified Reports That It Is Raining Oil in Florida

Could Mystery Crop Damage in Millington, TN Be Caused by Lucite International Chemical Leak on May 25, 2010? - However, a chemical may have caused this crop damage.


Autonomous Unmanned Vehicles Currently Driving from Italy to China to Improve Driver Assistance Technology

Once you have an automated vehicle, then you can just sit back and enjoy the ride. VisLab developed this technology.

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VIAC presented in San Diego
21-2-2010 08:06

The VisLab Intercontinental Autonomous Challenge was presented in San Diego, CA.

San Diego, California, February 20, 2010 --- The official presentation of the experiment that University of Parma’s VisLab will start next July 10th has just ended; it demonstrates a big step forward in the driver assistance technology developed in the last 15 years by the Italian research laboratory.

VisLab, thanks to an important grant received from ERC (European Research Council) is performing research aimed at providing vehicles with perception capabilities in order to reduce the number of road accidents and –as an ultimate goal- even for completely autonomous driving. VisLab’s project was further selected by ERC to represent European research at an international level; the presentation was held at the European Community booth at AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) at the presence of Dr. Pablo Amor, Head of ERC grand management Department, and VisLab’s coordinator Prof. Alberto Broggi.

As one of the project’s intermediate steps (the project runs from Dec 2008 to Nov 2013) VisLab is going to test the results with a 13,000 km trip from Italy to China. “Besides moving autonomously –project coordinator Alberto Broggi explains- the vehicles will record all data throughout the trip (7 cameras, 6 laserscanners, GPS, IMU, and complete vehicle odometry) creating a unique database that will allow us to virtually travel the whole trip a number of times; the experience obtained on such a long and extreme trip will allow us to validate the systems that we develop with respect to both software (we will have to face very different situations and road scenarios) and hardware (the systems will be continuously stressed for 3 months in extreme road and environmental conditions).”

The event will also have a remarkable strategic importance from an industrial point of view: the vehicles (Porter Piaggio), conveniently chosen of reduced size and electrical, will be ready to be used to automate goods handling in last mile urban areas.

The energetic supply from renewable sources will make this kind of mobility sustainable and environment friendly. In particular, the automatic driving system will be energy-autonomous, being powered by a solar panel installed on the vehicle roof.

Moreover VisLab’s technologies tested from Italy to China may be transferred to other vehicles and applied to other fields as agriculture, earth moving, constructions, in extreme environments, … where the employment of a vehicle able to move without any driver will bring remarkable economical as well as social advantages.

The driverless vehicles that will traverse Europe and Asia towards Shanghai are two, implementing different technological solutions: “boosted” the former, bringing scientific experiments to the limit; more conservative the latter, ready to be industrially exploited.

The adventure will start from Italy on July 10, 2010 and will end in Shanghai, China, on October 10, 2010 at the 2010 World Expo, where the vehicles will be displayed. Media coverage and logistics will be dealt with by an exceptional partner: Overland, with a longtime experience on adventurous trips and extreme challenges.

Besides stopping in the main cities reached during the 3 months trip in order to offer technical demonstrations and explanatory presentations, the experiment will be considered as finished once that some Italian goods, loaded in Italy on one of the automatic vehicles, will have, first time in history, reached their destination after a 13,000 km ground trip with no human driver.

“I’m particularly proud that ERC selected my project –concludes Alberto Broggi- as it gives us the opportunity to push our research towards topics that usually companies in this field avoid to consider, since they don’t offer a short term applicability. This fact will provide clear advantages to us in the near future, when autonomous vehicles will be of direct interest to vehicle companies.”


Jamaica Prepares for Dengue Fever Outbreak

###

Ministry of Health


Ministry of Health Prepared for Dengue Outbreak
KINGSTON (JIS)

Friday, July 23, 2010


Director, Disease Prevention and Control in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Sonia Copeland, and the Ministry's Director of Environmental Health, William Broughton, discuss the contents of a flier being circulated as part of the Dengue Prevention and Control Public Education Programme. They were guests at Thursday's (July 22) JIS Think Tank Session.


Director, Disease Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Sonia Copeland, says that the Ministry is in a high state of preparedness to detect and treat Dengue Fever, should there be an outbreak.


Her statement follows the reported increase in Dengue Fever cases in a number of Caribbean territories, which has prompted the Ministryof Health (MOH), with the assistance of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), to roll out a Dengue Prevention and Control Public Education programme to heighten awareness of the prevention measures.


Speaking Thursday (July 22) at a JIS Think Tank session, Dr. Copeland noted that the Ministry has heightened surveillance activities across the island. Health facilities, she states, are equipped with medication for symptomatic treatment and will be able to deal with possible complications.

Director, Disease Prevention and Control in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Sonia Copeland, highlights components of the Dengue Prevention and Control Public Education Programme, as she addressed a Think Tank Session, Thursday (July 22) at the JIS Head Office, Kingston.

"The Ministry has been scaling up surveillance to detect undifferentiated fever, which they cannot attribute to any specific cause, and the Ministry of Health has been sampling specimen for patients to check for Dengue," she informed.


She noted that new clinicians in the public health system have been trained to identify signs and symptoms of Dengue and treatment protocols. The MOH Official has also highlighted the pivotal role that community participation must play in preventing the spread of the fever.


"Vector Control activity is very expensive and it is labour intensive, and that's why in many countries the shift is to intensify community participation. It is much more cost effective and sustainable to have persons take care of their immediate environment and reduce the breeding sites," Dr. Copeland noted.


The Environmental Health Department of the Ministry is working assiduously to ensure control of the breeding sites of the Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes. Reiterating the call for increased community participation, MOH Director of Environmental Health, William Broughton, appealed to persons to regularly inspect their surroundings and destroy any apparent breeding sites.


"People in their homes have a better idea of whats happening on the premises than somebody coming in, so we are encouraging them to search for all the possible places where mosquitoes can breed," he stated.


Mr. Broughton called on persons to practice preventive measures, such as proper storage of water and garbage disposal measures.


"If you have to store water, store it properly; cover the containers and get rid of solid wastes, especially the tyres, so we won't have any place for water to collect or mosquitoes to breed," he said.


He added that fogging of mosquitoes by the Health Departments only "gets rid of mosquitoes on wings." Persons should therefore assist the health department in finding and destroying breeding sites.


Dengue Fever is caused by a virus transmitted from the aedes aegypti mosquitoes to humans. According to the Director of Disease Prevention and Control, symptoms of the virus vary and include the sudden onset of a very high fever, headache and pain behind the eyes. Persons may also experience non-specific symptoms, such as muscle ache, joint pains and nausea.


Persons who are experiencing such symptoms are advised to visit their health care provider, so that they can be accurately diagnosed.


"When Dengue starts its like any other flu- like illness, so we have to be sure that you are not in danger or that you are not already exhibiting signs of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever," Dr. Copeland cautioned.


Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever and Dengue Shock syndrome are two complications of the illness.


The Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever may present with additional symptoms such as bleeding from the gum, nostrils or gastrointestinal bleeding. In the case of Dengue Shock symptoms the patient goes into shock.


"There are two countries very close to Jamaica that are seeing the more severe cases of Dengue- the Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever. They are reporting deaths and they have the highest case fatality rate in the region and they are close to us, so we really have to step up our game and get the community participation that we are asking for," Dr. Copeland appealed.



Thursday, July 22, 2010

Michigan Tech Professor Creates Invisibility Cloak Made of Glass!

One of the very first posts I ever wrote on Remixx World! way back in 2006 was called "BEST THING EVER (Invisibility)..." It was about the creation of invisibility cloaks. Four (4) years later, these cloaks are becoming closer to reality.

###

Now You See It, Now You Don’t — an Invisibility Cloak Made of Glass

jbdonova@mtu.edu
By Jennifer Donovan

July 21, 2010—

From Tolkien’s ring of power in The Lord of the Rings to Star Trek’s Romulans, who could make their warships disappear from view, from Harry Potter’s magical cloak to the garment that makes players vanish in the video game classic “Dungeons and Dragons, the power to turn someone or something invisible has fascinated mankind. But who ever thought that a scientist at Michigan Technological University would be serious about building a working invisibility cloak?

That’s exactly what Elena Semouchkina, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Michigan Tech, is doing. She has found ways to use magnetic resonance to capture rays of visible light and route them around objects, rendering those objects invisible to the human eye.

Semouchkina and colleagues at the Pennsylvania State University, where she is also an adjunct professor, recently reported on their research in the journal Applied Physics Letters, published by the American Institute of Physics. Her co-authors were Douglas Werner and Carlo Pantano of Penn State and George Semouchkin, who works at Michigan Tech and Penn State.

They describe developing a nonmetallic cloak that uses identical glass resonators made of chalcogenide glass, a type of dielectric material (one that does not conduct electricity). In computer simulations, the cloak made objects hit by infrared waves—approximately one micron or one-millionth of a meter long—disappear from view.

Earlier attempts by other researchers used metal rings and wires. “Ours is the first to do the cloaking of cylindrical objects with glass,” Semouchkina said.

Her invisibility cloak uses metamaterials, which are artificial materials having properties that do not exist in nature, made of tiny glass resonators arranged in a concentric pattern in the shape of a cylinder. The “spokes” of the concentric configuration produce the magnetic resonance required to bend light waves around an object, making it invisible.

Metamaterials, which use small resonators instead of atoms or molecules of natural materials, straddle the boundary between materials science and electrical engineering. They were named one of the top three physics discoveries of the decade by the American Physical Society. A new researcher specializing in metamaterials is joining Michigan Tech’s faculty this fall.

Semouchkina and her team now are testing an invisibility cloak re-scaled to work at microwave frequencies and made of ceramic resonators. They’re using Michigan Tech’s anechoic chamber, a cave-like compartment in an Electrical Energy Resources Center lab, lined with highly absorbent charcoal-gray foam cones. There, antennas transmit and receive microwaves, which are much longer than infrared light, up to several centimeters long. They have cloaked metal cylinders two to three inches in diameter and three to four inches high.

“Starting from these experiments, we want to move to higher frequencies and smaller wavelengths,” the researcher said. “The most exciting applications will be at the frequencies of visible light.”

So one day, could the police cloak a swat team or the Army, a tank? “It is possible in principle, but not at this time,” Semouchkina said.

Her work is supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Michigan Technological University (mtu.edu) is a leading public research university developing new technologies and preparing students to create the future for a prosperous and sustainable world. Michigan Tech offers more than 130 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering; forest resources; computing; technology; business; economics; natural, physical and environmental sciences; arts; humanities; and social sciences.


Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Three (3) People Contract Pneumonic Plague in Trujillo, Peru as Fears of an Outbreak Increase

I happened to catch this plague outbreak in Trujillo, Peru story right before I was about to go to bed. Apparently, the pneumonic plague develops from bubonic plague where the bacteria enters the bloodstream and is transported to the lungs. You will have to trust the Google translator for this one, because the original article is not in English.

An outbreak of pneumonic plague, virulent disease with high mortality rate, was detected in Trujillo. Three patients, including a resident doctor and a medical student, whose health is serious, so the doctors are striving to save their lives.

This evil is a complication of bubonic plague, that is, that when a patient is not treated properly or promptly, it creates a generalized infection in humans and the bacterium Yersinia pestis (causing bubonic plague) spreads through blood and infects the lungs, causing pneumonic plague.



University of Tennessee Researchers Discover Water on the Moon is Widespread

Where there's water, there's bound to be life.

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UT Researchers Discover Water on the Moon is Widespread, Similar to Earth’s

KNOXVILLE — Researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, are once again turning what scientists thought they knew about the moon on its head.

Thin slice of lunar basalt with a petrographic (geologic) microscope in plane-polarized light.Last fall, researchers, including Larry Taylor, a distinguished professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, discovered “lunar dew” on the moon’s surface — absorbed “water” in the uppermost layers of lunar soil. This discovery of water debunked beliefs held since the return of the first Apollo rocks that the moon was bone-dry.

Now, scientists, including Taylor and Yang Liu, research assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, have discovered that water on the moon is more widespread — on the outside and inside of the moon — with some similarities to water in volcanic systems on Earth.

Their research will be featured in the article, “Lunar Apatite with Terrestrial Volatile Abundances” in the July 22 edition of the scientific journal, Nature.

Unlike lunar dew which is believed to come from an outside source such as solar wind which brings hydrogen into contact with the Moon’s oxygen, the water discovered by Taylor and Liu is internal, arising from an entirely different origin. How it got there is not yet known. The water may have been added by impacting comets, which contain ice, during or after the formation of the moon and Earth.

Thin slice of lunar basalt with a petrographic (geologic) microscope. This is the same view with crossed polarizers, revealing the complicated chemistry of the lunar minerals.The existence of volcanoes on the moon more than 4 billion years ago gave the researchers a clue that water might exist inside the body, since the dynamics of volcanoes on Earth are mostly driven by water. Therefore, the scientists made their novel discovery by examining a lunar basalt brought back from the 1971 Apollo 14 mission. Using secondary ion mass spectrometry at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., scientists determined volatile elements in a calcium phosphate mineral are very similar in the same mineral found on Earth.

The scientists said this provides “robust evidence for the presence of water in the interior of the moon from where some lunar rocks were derived. This demonstrates a closer chemical and geologic relationship between the Earth and moon than previously known. We must now re-evaluate the volatile inventories of the moon, relative to the Earth.”

The finding of volatiles on the moon has deep implications for how it, and the Earth, formed. It is generally believed that the moon was created when the early Earth was hit by a Mars-sized proto-planet called Theia, melting and vaporizing itself and a large chunk of the Earth. The cloud of particles created by the impact later congealed to form the moon, which supposedly was devoid of highly volatile elements such as hydrogen and chlorine. However, the researchers’ discovery of these volatiles challenges this theory.

“If water in the Moon was residue water kept during the giant impact, it is surprising that water survived the impact at all because less volatile elements, such as sodium and potassium, are strongly depleted. The details of the impact theory need to be re-examined,” Liu said.

The discovery of abundant and ubiquitous water on the moon could mean a human settlement on the moon is not so far-fetched. Currently, the endeavour would be very expensive. For example, it costs $25,000 to take one pint of water to the moon. However, if scientists devise processes to easily recover this water from the lunar rocks for drinking water and fuel, a human settlement is not out of reach.

“Now we have ready sources of water that can be consumed by plants and humans but also electrolyzed into liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to develop rocket fuel,” Taylor said. “Until the recent discovery of water in and on the moon, it was going to be a very energy-intensive endeavor to separate these elements from the lunar rocks and soil.”

Taylor and Liu collaborated with George Rossman, Yunbin Guan, John Eiler and Edward Stolper at CalTech, as well as Jeremy Boyce at CalTech and the University of California, Los Angeles. Their research was funded by NASA Cosmochemistry, the National Science Foundation and the Moore Foundation for Support of the Caltech Microanalysis Center.

CONTACT:

Whitney Holmes (865-974-5460, wholmes7@utk.edu)

Daily RFID Launches New RFID Wristband with Standardized Microchips to Control Entry Access at Facilities Open to Public

People can now order these RFID wristbands in bulk directly from China. One such use of these bracelets is when conducting triage in an emergency situation (RFID Medical Bracelets Using Pentagon Technology Now Available (Produced by Global Emergency Resources)). I imagine that these devices could also be used for nefarious purposes. The company that produces these devices says the devices is used as an entry ticket to stadiums, amusement parks, swimming pools and hospitals.

The press release follows:


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RFID Wristband is Available with Various Standard Chips

DAILY RFID has launched new RFID wristband operating in 125KHz or 13.56MHz. The reusable RFID wristband is available with various standard chips such as EM4102, EM4001, Hitag-S, or mifare family, I-Code, TI 256, etc.


The RFID wristband is waterproof and heat-resistant. By using silicone material, it can reusable after high-temperature sterilization. This RFID wrist band can be read and written more than 100,000 times, and logo printing and number printing are available.


The RFID wristband use RFID technology to uniquely identify the wearer. It can be used as an entry ticket, enabling a easy controlling entry to different parts of the festival, such as backstage or VIP areas. Besides, the silicone wrist band can be designed in different fun shapes according to requirements.


Constructed of hygienic silicone, the wristband is commonly used for access control in the fields of amusement parks, swimming pools and hospitals, etc. Additionally, the wristband does not need a battery and can be reused for many years.


Please visit http://www.rfid-in-china.net/category-30-b0-RFID+Wristbands.html for more information about RFID Wristband.


About DAILY RFID CO., LIMITED


DAILY RFID CO., LIMITED (http://www.rfid-in-china.net), which belongs to PAN Group Co., ltd, is the leading company focusing on the research and development of EPC & RFID technology in China.


DAILY RFID specialize in producing arguably the world's most extensive line of RFID Tag, RFID Label, Smart Card and RFID Reader, which are suitable for any vertical markets, and have obtained the National Integrated Circuit Card Register Certificate, IC Card Manufacture License and ISO9001 Quality Management System Certification. Also, we own a factory covering an area of 26,000 square meters.


DAILY’s products are designed and manufactured with recognized industry standards relevant to RFID and its markets but most notably for use in the demanding environments to recognize and understand your business's RFID needs.



Anglers Catch Huge 130-Pound Catfish in a Missouri River (May Be World Record)

Click the picture above to watch the video or here if you cannot see the catfish video above.


James Grant Suggests U.S. Dollar Is a Faith-Based Currency of Non-Intrinsic Value Manipulated by the Federal Reserve


James Grant says the incoming Federal Reserve Governors (Janet Yellen, Peter A. Diamond & Sarah Bloom Raskin) are unlikely to oppose novel solutions to our fundamental monetary dilemma that the U.S. dollar is a faith-based currency of non-intrinsic value manipulated by the Federal Reserve. This key point begins around the 2:40 mark.


Will the Government Use a False Flag Cyberattack to Disable the Internet?

The above screen capture is from Google Trends at 2:45pm Pacific Time on July 21, 2010.

This blog has been saying the same thing for the last year or so - that a false flag attack on the Internet will be used to usher in new draconian controls on privacy and usage. You can read some of the articles in the Remixx World! archives.

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False Flag Cyberattack Could Takedown Internet

Billion dollar cybersecurity industry at the forefront of ‘Top Secret America’ complex

Steve Watson
Prisonplanet.com
Wednesday, Jul 21st, 2010

False Flag Cyber Attack Could Takedown The Internet 210710cybersecurityAn increasing clamour to restrict and control the internet on behalf of the government, the Pentagon, the intelligence community and their private corporate arms, could result in a staged cyber attack being used as justification.

Over recent months we have seen a great increase in media coverage of inflated fears over a possible “electronic Pearl Harbor” event, with reports claiming that the U.S. could be “felled within 15 minutes”.

Vastly over-hyped (and in some cases completely asinine) claims that the power grids and other key infrastructure such as rail networks and water sources are wired up to the public internet have permeated such coverage.

Threats against computer networks in the United States are grossly exaggerated. Dire reports issued by the Defense Science Board and the Center for Strategic and International Studies “are usually richer in vivid metaphor — with fears of ‘digital Pearl Harbors’ and ‘cyber-Katrinas’ — than in factual foundation,” writes Evgeny Morozov, a respected researcher and blogger who writes on the political effects of the internet.

Morozov notes that much of the data on the supposed cyber threat “are gathered by ultra-secretive government agencies — which need to justify their own existence — and cyber-security companies — which derive commercial benefits from popular anxiety.”

When the Cybersecurity Act was introduced by Senator John Rockefeller last year, he made similar claims about the threat of cyber attacks, adding “Would it have been better if we’d have never invented the Internet?”.

Rockefeller’s legislation gives the president the ability to “declare a cybersecurity emergency” and shut down or limit Internet traffic in any “critical” information network “in the interest of national security.” The bill does not define a critical information network or a cybersecurity emergency. That definition would be left to the president, according to a Mother Jones report.

Provisions in the bill would allow the federal government, via the DHS and the NSA, to tap into any digital aspect of every citizen’s information without a warrant. Banking, business and medical records would be wide open to inspection, as well as personal instant message and e mail communications – all in the name of heading off cyber attacks on the nation.

Enhancements of such provisions are contained in the more recent “Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act”, which is being pushed hard by Senator Joe Lieberman. The bill would hand absolute power to the federal government to close down networks, and block incoming Internet traffic from certain countries under a declared national emergency.

An accompanying cybersecurity control grid would only create greater risk according to experts who note that it would essentially “establish a path for the bad guys to skip down.” Other countries, such as Australia and the UK are following suit.

The program dovetails with the Pentagon’s newly created Cyber Command, headed by Keith B Alexander, the acting head of the NSA and the man behind the massive program of illegal dragnet surveillance of domestic communications since at least 2001.

During the Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing, Alexander said the Pentagon’s Cyber Command would enjoy “significant synergy” with the NSA. “We have to show what we’re doing to ensure that we comport, comply with the laws,” said Alexander, perversely claiming the agency is respecting and protecting the privacy of the American people.

The Pentagon considers cyberspace a warfighting domain equal to land, sea, air and space. In 2003, the Pentagon classified the internet as an enemy “weapons system” requiring a “robust offensive suite of capabilities to include full-range electronic and computer network attack.” It has spent Billions of dollars building a super secret “National Cyber Range” in order to prepare for “Dominant Cyber Offensive Engagement”, which translates as control over “any and all” computers. The program has been dubbed “The Electronic Manhattan Project”.

The enemy is never specifically named, it is merely whoever uses the net, because the enemy IS the net. The enemy is the freedom the net provides to billions around the globe and the threat to militaristic dominance of information and the ultimate power that affords.

These initiatives represent a continuation of the so called “Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative”, created via a secret presidential order in 2008 under the Bush administration. former National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell announced that the NSA’s warrantless wiretaps would “be a walk in the park compared to this,”.

“This is going to be a goat rope on the Hill” McConnell said. My prediction is that we’re going to screw around with this until something horrendous happens.”

As we have previously reported, large corporations such as Google, AT&T, Facebook and Yahoo to name but a few are intimately involved in the overarching program. Those corporations have specific government arms that are supplying the software, hardware and tech support to US intelligence agencies in the process of creating a vast closed source database for global spy networks to share information.

Clearly the implications of this program for the open and free internet, and for liberty in general are very worrying, this has been reflected in the resistance and criticism from groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

In light of this, there is a real danger of a hyped or completely staged cyber attack being propagated in order to bring the issue to public attention and counter the critics who have exposed it as a part of the agenda to restrict the Internet.

In 2008 Stanford Law professor Lawrence Lessig detailed such ongoing government plans for overhaul and restriction.

Lessig told attendees of a high profile Tech conference that “There’s going to be an i-9/11 event” which will act as a catalyst for a radical reworking of the law pertaining to the internet.

Lessig said that he came to that conclusion following a conversation with former government Counter Terrorism Czar Richard Clarke, who informed him that there is already in existence a cyber equivalent of the Patriot Act, an “i-Patriot Act” if you will, and that the Justice Department is just waiting for a cyber terrorism event in order to implement its provisions.

Lessig is the founder of Stanford Law School’s Center for Internet and Society. He is founding board member of Creative Commons and is a board member of the Software Freedom Law Center. He is best known as a proponent of reduced legal restrictions on copyright, trademark and radio frequency spectrum, particularly in technology applications.

These are clearly not the ravings of some paranoid cyber geek.

Though Richard Clarke advocates an enhancement of cyber security, even he has stated that it would be a terrible idea to allow the government to regulate and filter the internet.

We have also recently seen multiple mock attacks conducted by the government, via private outsourcing, on it’s own infrastructure systems. On such exercise, called “We Were Warned: Cyber Shockwave”, involved Former Department of Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff and former CIA deputy director John McLaughlin taking the roles of government leaders. CNN broadcast the entire simulation on prime time television.

Alex Jones recently discussed this issue on Russia Today news programming:

Journalist Webster Tarpley also lays out the hyping of cyber threats as a pretext to takedown the internet:


U.S. Energy Department Is Undecided on Where to Dispose Thirteen (13) Metric Tons of Plutonium

I hope that the Energy Department has tight control over this material. Otherwise, a couple of tons of this plutonium might go missing like the nuclear bomb at Barksdale Air Force.

The U.S. Energy Department is re-evaluating its options for how to get rid of 13 metric tons of plutonium that wasn't included in the 34 metric tons designated for processing through the MOX plant under construction at Savannah River Site.

The additional plutonium -- enough for about 1,625 nuclear bombs -- will be evaluated through a series of modifications to the existing Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the government's plutonium disposition program.


Source: The Augusta Chronicle


Tuesday, July 20, 2010

West Dam Collapses at Tempe Lake, Arizona as Water Drains into Salt River at 40,000 Cubic Feet Per Second


Wow, a dam breaking is huge news, especially in the desert during the summertime. I imagine that many low-lying areas will flood and many people may lose their lives. If you cannot view the video above, please click here for original source link at Fox.

Tempe Town Lake is draining into the riverbed Tuesday night, as an inflatable bladder filled with water collapses.

There are several bladders, or thick rubber water balloons, on the west side dam of Tempe Town Lake. One of several bladders popped about 10 p.m. and is pouring water into the Salt River...

A large rush of water is now flowing down the Salt River and could be dangerous for people swimming or on the banks of the river.

Source: KSAZ Fox 10 (Phoenix)


Scrooge McDuck Explains the Dangers of Hyperinflation on "Duck Tales"


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Excess Levels of Uranium Found in Wales, Alaska Water Supply

I certainly don't want uranium in my water and I am sure that the people of Wales, Alaska don't want uranium in their water either.

Routine tests over the past year of the main water source used by the school, the clinic and villagers report uranium levels that slightly exceed federal standards.

The numbers bewildered Department of Environmental Conservation officials, who say excess uranium levels are unheard of in Alaska water supplies.

"We said, 'Wow this has never happened before,' " said Marci Irwin, compliance and monitoring program coordinator for the Drinking Water Program in Fairbanks.


Source: Anchorage Daily News


USDA Temporarily Bans Importation of Tomatoes & Peppers from Canada Due to Tomato Leaf Miner & False Codling Moth

My first ever real job was as a grocery sacker and then later as a produce clerk. Therefore, I always try to stay on top on the happenings in the produce world. The latest news. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection reportedly states that the USDA has restricted importation from Canada of two of my favorite produce items - tomatoes & peppers.

Canada imports peppers from countries known to have been affected by the so-called false codling moth and tomatoes from countries known to be dealing with the tomato leaf miner. Those pests can cause severe economic damage to American agriculture.

Bringing the tomatoes and peppers across the border in passenger bags and vehicles is prohibited. Sliced tomatoes and peppers entering from Canada may be imported following Customs and Border Protection agriculture inspection.


Source: Watertown Daily News