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Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant Debacle

This is an issue that directly affects my home community and has been waged in the media and realm of public opinion for months. I've read and listened to each side of the debate and now I'm becoming increasingly disturbed by what is being put forth, especially by supposedly learned individuals.

In a recent op-ed piece in my local newspaper there was a letter written by a Dr. Letty Goodman Lutzker, Chief, Nuclear Medicine, St. Baranabas Medical Center, Livingston, NJ. In her letter, Dr. Lutzker lauded Oyster Creek and it's record. She insists that the plant's closure would mean a loss of power and thrust the local community into economic strife which would, in turn, lead to health problems due to poverty and inability to obtain proper medical care. She goes on to state that half our electricity comes from nuclear power and most of that is from Oyster Creek.

Personally, I think that Dr. Lutzker is a complete moron, but that's just my opinion.

Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station was built on the banks of the Oyster Creek leading to the Barnegat Inlet on the southern rim of Lacey (Forked River) Township in New Jersey. It has been owned by several entities and is currently run by a company called Excelon. The plant was built in 1969 and given a 40-year operating license by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). It was thought at the time that the plant would only operate for those 40 years. It was, in fact, the first commercial nuclear plant built in the United States. Most of it's designs aren't even used or relevent anymore. Excelon has requested a 20-year license extension from the NRC to operate into 2029. They point out a stellar history at the plant and the wonders of nuclear power. Of course they would. They also warn of the threats to the economy of Lacey, the rest of Ocean County and New Jersey if the plant were to close. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that kind of sound like a threat?

In the same issue of the local paper in the editorial section, Janet Tauro wrote about NJ Governor Jon S. Corzine's unveiling of is Energy Master Plan which he hopes will increase energy independence and would address the problems with the climate by using renewable energy technologies. Noteably absent from the plan was mention of Oyster Creek. Ms. Tauro even points to similar efforts by European nations and by some of our own representatives in Congress.

To be fair, though the debate rages hot and heavy on both sides of the fence, there are pros and cons for each side.

Proponents of the plant point out the wonders and safety of nuclear power. Okay, lets start there.

A nuclear reactor is nothing more than splitting atoms to create heat to boil water which turn a turbine to create electricity. That's the dumbed-down explanation. It's true that nuclear generation produces almost no greenhouse gases, but it is a far cry from not producing harmful waste products. Oyster Creek even stores their spent fuel rods ABOVE ground and in a storage facility on the plant grounds which amounts to a tin shack. This causes significant problems in an area that has grown rapidly since the plant was built in 1969.

Nuclear power is a great source of energy and is even utilized in our modern navy. If the proposition was to build a brand spanking new, state of the art plant elsewhere in New Jersey, I think the issue would not be as problematic.

For Oyster Creek, however, it's just too old.

Despite the fact that they store potentially dangerous nuclear waste on the plant site near residents that have encroached right up the the gates of the plant, the water that is heated to steam to turn the turbines is, well, HOT. They have to dump that water back into the creek to cool it down and then bring it back into the reactor to heat up again. The problem there is that the shock of extremely hot water being injected into the aquatic environment has, on many an occasion, had a fatal effect on the native fish species. So much so that environmentalist groups are asking the state and the NRC to at the very least force Oyster Creek to install cooling towers to protect the local wildlife. Excelon won't due it because of the cost. Better to pay those fines for killing the fish.

Then there is the infamous reactor well. Shaped like an upside down light bulb and held inside the reactor assembly, it's where all the action happens. The problem is it has more holes than the swiss cheese I get at the Shop-Rite only a scant few miles from the plant. The shell is eroding and could lead to a catastrophic failure. But first we are told the reactor well is not damaged and in fact intact Then they say it is eroded but does not pose a threat. Yet.

Then there is the question of evacuation. In 1969, the NRC stated that the area and the population were such that evacuation would not be a concern should the "improbable" occur at Oyster Creek. That was close to 40 years ago! The only roadways out of the area are Rt. 9 and the Garden State Parkway. Both roadways are heavily traveled to gridlock proportions.

Last spring there was an incident in which a trucker foolishly failed to realize his truck did not have the clearance to pass under the Garden State Parkway overpass that allows traffic from Lacey Road east and west to cross the Parkway. He got stuck, effectively shutting down Lacey Road and the Parkway. Half of our so-called escape routes were gone. Rt. 9 was then effectively shut down due to the massive increase in traffic volume. Now this was due to a one shot traffic crash that was cleared and the damage repaired. What would happen if the plant did go critical?

And lets not get into the times the plant was unexpectedly shutdown through error or equipment malfunction.

Through all this, it seems that the case for shuttering the plant is the more sound option. Not only is the plant old, but it is run by a bunch of moron monkeys! And the final nail they will strike is the threat of economic downturn without the plant and the tax revenues it produces. I'm not certain this would be the case (just as I'm not sure that we even get any of the electricity produced in our own backyard). Despite this, the original license was for 40 years. You would think that the leaders of the township, county and state would have anticipated this and elected to try to bring in more rateables and businesses to off-set the potential loss of the plant. I guess that just goes to show how forward thinking our leaders really are.

Sadly, it seems no one will be satisfied unless we all end up glowing in the dark. Well, my mother always did say that I was meant to shine.

Veteran's Day

Veteran's Day. Armistice Day. Remembrance Day. A commeration of the end of World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year 1918 with the signing of the Armistice with Germany. This day was set forth to honor all those men and women serving in our military, past and present, for there sacrifice, honor, and service. More than just a day off of work or school, this day is a time to look at what we have in this country and remember those who fought for our rights, our values, and our beliefs. We are all one nation and one people thanks to the men and women who helped to defend it. Everyone, everywhere should take the time if they have the opportunity to thank a vet or serviceman.

Are Mormons Prudes?

Last weekend I read an article in my local newspaper written by the Associated Press. The article was about how bloggers and gay-rights activists, among others, plan to boycott Utah, the home of the mormon church. The mormons, they say, had led a campaign to defeat the gay marraige proposition that was on the ballot in California this past election. Proposition 8, as it is known, had been pushed by several celebrities and others to end the discrimination that homosexuals, gays and lesbians, have had to endure due to their sexual orientation. I'm sure that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would espouse that homosexuality is a choice and an afront to God. I guess no one at that church has read a biology, psychology or history book. Homosexuality is not a choice, no more than eye color is. It may sound ridiculous to ban or boycott the state of Utah because of it's affiliation with these people, but maybe the threat is a start. The article points that 62% of Utah residents are mormons. That may be a lot of people, but surely it wasn't the only group that defeated the proposition. Sadly, we are still a child-like people, too fearful of what is different or of what we do not understand. As such, we will gladly trample on the civil liberties and rights of others so that we can keep the familiar and the safe. What a sad commentary on the human society.

History Is Made

"History is the essence of innumerable biographies." --- Thomas Carlyle::: The first Afro-American President of the United States of America. Elected September 2008 - Barak H. Obama.

Election Day

"We'd all like to vote for the best man, but he's never a candidate." -- Kin Hubbard

Later today all of America will hit the polls to cast their ballot for the man they believe is qualified to lead this country for the next 4, possibly 8, years. Either way, the election is historic in that we will elect either the first Afro-American president or the first female vice-president. But either way, will the man we put in the oval office be able to lead us out of the war in Iraq and re-polarize our economy. So much has gone wrong in this country. It's time to set things right. Every eligible man and woman should get out and vote. Doesn't matter who they vote for, as long as they vote. Put the right man in office, whomever it may be.

The Drought is Over

"It matters not how strait the gate, How charged wih punishments the scroll; I am the master of my fate: I am captain of my soul." --- W.E. HENLEY, "Invictus"

1980 to 2008

Philadelphia Phillies win the 2008 World Series

4 Games to 1

Stellar Perfomance

Our sun has been shining on our world for 4 and a half billion years.

It has elicited wonder, fear, awe and legend.

It arose from a swirling cauldron of gas spinning in a lonely part of the Orion Arm of the Milky Way. Billions of years ago that's all that occupied this section of space. As the gases spun around they started to condense and coalesce. As the gases came together and the mass got greater, it began to form the sphere we see today. Gravity, the most pervasive force in the universe, gave it this form as it has for almost every star and planet we see. The force of gravity pulled the edges of the sun inward from all directions making the sun the ball shape we are familiar with.

Not all of the gas went into the sun. Some of the left overs went into making the surrounding planets that would make up our solar system, and the Earth. The early sun was composed of primarily one element --- hydrogen. Hydrogen is the most abundant element found in the universe. It is the simplest element found on the periodic table of elements. And when the immense force of gravity inside the new sun started to compress these atoms of hydrogen a spark was lit. The fire of thermonuclear fusion began. The sun began to give off the light and heat that would make life on Earth possible and provide the enormous amounts of energy it does today. But the immense pressures did more than just provide light and heat. A bi-product of crushing hydrogen atoms gave rise to all the elements we see today. As they hydrogen atoms were compressed together, they began to form new, more complex, elements: helium, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. With these elements the planets, asteroids and everything in existence was created. Essentially, everything we see today was created by stardust. Today, the sun (Sol, the latin word for sun) is categorized as a G-Type main sequence star. It stands as the lone master of the solar system. But this is not the norm with stars. Scientists have found that most stars in the universe actually are paired. The majority of star systems are 2 (binary) or more stars. These stars exert a gravitational force on each other, sometimes with drastic consequences. Our solitary star will continue to burn for another 4-5 billion years. Life will continue to change until the last of the hydrogen is burned away and the sun continues to burn off the heavier elements beginning with helium. This will continue until the star can burn no more of itself and fusion will cease. At that time one of two things will happen. Either the sun will inflate and engulf the inner planets of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars before shrinking to a dwarf; or it will explode in a massive supernova. Until that time, we will continue to reap the rewards of this miracle of the universe and enjoy the warm, energetic life-giving rays of the sun.

A Day At Popcorn Park Zoo

Horses and Camels.

Peacocks. The gators scared Emily.

Mommy and Emily watching the tiger.

Yes, Emily liked the lions, tigers and goats!

And after a long day at the zoo, Emily helps mommy make some Halloween cookies.

Jasmin Does It Again

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Phillies Clinch NL East

Great Win!

The Best Feeling

My daughter is learning how to sleep in a "big girl" bed. She gets scared very easily so I have had to lie on large foot rest next to her bed so she will be able to sleep. The last few nights I put my head down on her bed next to her and pretended to sleep. Then I felt my little girl tracing my face with her finger and running her hand through my hair.

It's a good feeling being a daddy. Especially with a little girl. Makes you feel really special.

Restless

Been kind of tired lately. Legs are bothering me a lot. I am kicking in my sleep which maakes me wake feeling like I haven't slept well at all. I feel drugged all through the day. Just want to sleep. Hope to get out of this cycle soon. Feels terrible to feel as if you want to do so much but do not have the energy.

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!!

My Birds are 1-0 coming out of the gate! Coming out strong at the beginning! Can't expect a 16-0 season, but can expect a big year! Fly, Eagles, Fly!

My Sisters

Happy 21st Birthday!! Have a drink on me!

Can You See The Real Me?

What do you see when you look at me? Do you see someone of good character? Someone of value? Someone you can trust? When you look into my eyes, do you see my will? Do you see me as a man? Do you see the fire that burns in my soul? Or do you see something else? It is hard to guage myself at times. I must rely on the vision in your eyes. See myself reflected in your interpretation of me. Can you see the real me? Can ya?

Me and My Cousins

It has been decades since I last saw my cousin, Laura. We were just kids then. When I found her it was like a dream come true. I had found a missing piece of our family. Tonight we met for the first time in all those many years. I was with our cousins Carolyn and Michele. We almost didn't recognize her as she came into the yard. She seemed not to recognize us, either. But there was a connection there that only exists with the bonds of close family ties. When I hugged her it was like a compulsion had overwhelmed me, telling me not to let her go for fear of losing her again. She seemed close to tears when she saw all of us. I have to say I felt the same.

My cousins are all older than I am. Michele and Laura only by a few months. It was almost like an older sister coming home.

Usually at these yearly meetings, we lament on those who are no longer with us. This year we got to celebrate one of us coming home.

Laura came with her boyfriend. He seems to make her genuinely happy. It is good to see family happy. And she seemed happy to be with us.

I wish I had more time to spend with her tonight. Unfortunately, other familial duties took precedence. Still, I wish that she and I and Carolyn and Michele could have sat together, just the cousins by the light of the bonfire that Michele's husband Tony usually sets ablaze after the sun goes down and talked.

I've always wanted a sense of closeness to my family. I think I'm getting it. Michele is great. We grew up interested in some of the same things. I think of us as close. She and Tony are very good together. Because of them, we have a venue to meet with each other at least once a year. A time when I am once again "Little Bobby". A time to be with family. People I care about greatly.

Carolyn lives close to her sister. Her husband, John, is a great guy. Many a time it has been Tony, John and I trying to keep out of trouble from our significant others during the times we are together. They have a bright and energetic little boy who will grow and now the love of family around him.

But the highpoint of tonight was Laura. No one knows how much I had been waiting for this. I love my family, even though sometimes I don't show it very well. I hate being apart from them. Maybe it's because growing up I didn't feel like I had that close family structure. Now I yearn for it. It felt so good to hold and touch and talk to my cousin again. Relive old memories and the hopes of making new ones. I hope she doesn't stay along that long again. She is family, a part of who I am. She has added to the person I have become. I hope she likes this me. I hope the next time we get together is not too far off.

Love you, Laura, Carolyn and Michele.

Bobby

She Did It!

Yesterday, Kelley earned lifetime achievement at Weight Watchers. She met her goal weight. Took it off and kept it off! Way to go Kel!

It's Coming!

STAR TREK X

SUMMER 2009

Rob's Red-Hot Fajitas

What you'll need:

1 pound or more (0.5 kg) sirloin, round, brisket or favorite steak (or use chicken).

Salt

Ground black pepper

Ground cyan pepper

Ground chili pepper or chili powder

Ground cumin

Garlic clove

Steak sauce (like A1)

1/2 onion

1 bell pepper

If you want to marinade the meat for a few hours before cooking, mix some soy sauce in with the steak sauce and let the meat marinate in the mix.

Cut the meat into small pieces or cubes. Coat the bottom of a pan with a sprinkling of salt and start the meat in the pan with the burner on low to medium. As the meat begins to cook, sprinkle on some ground black pepper. There are no exact measurements; it's all to taste. Let the meat cook some more and absorb the salt and pepper. You may notice a dark brine forming from the salt and pepper. It would be good to use as lean a piece of meat as you can to avoid all the fat that may also get in there. While the beef (or chicken) is still cooking and browning, sprinkle on the cyan pepper and then the chili powder, letting the meat some time to absorb the peppers in as it cooks. Sprinkle on some cumin. Cut up a clove of garlic into small pieces and then stir them into the mix. Make sure to stir the pan often, especially after each ingredient added to make sure that it's mixed well.

Pour in a generous amount of steak sauce. This will add a zing and cut the spice a little.

Once the meat is close to browned and coated with the steak sauce, chop up half an onion and mix it into the pan. Before you cut the onion, try running cold water over it to keep your eyes from watering when you cut it. It is probably a good idea to have the exhaust fan above your stove on, too, as the peppers will be opening the ole sinuses.

Let the onions get brown and coated in the sauce. Cut a bell pepper into strips. Remove the pan from the heat and add the peppers.

You can also chop up a fresh tomato and shred some cheese as a topping. Warm up some flat tortillas.

Wrap and enjoy! Just have some water nearby.

. . . And Then There Was Me . . .

Only those of us who have gone through it can really understand it. Depression is one of those things you have to experience to fully appreciate.
What kills you is the ultimate feeling of loneliness. Like you are the only person in the world. Or that no one cares about you. It is a feeling of total seperation from people around you; friends, family, co-workers. You feel worthless or you undervalue yourself. You doubt your abilities and how much you might mean to others.
You try so hard to reach out for some type of human contact. Some indication that there is a someone there to catch you when you feel unsteady. You know there is someone, but still you doubt.
Doubt. Another way to sum up what depression is like. Never ending doubt. Doubt and lonliness. Twin killers.
Depression isn't a momentary moment of sadness. It is a condition that needs to be treated. Those of us who suffer from depression know it is an uphill struggle each day. We mostly hide in the shadows that something is wrong. We fight a silent battle against an enemy that exists only in our own minds.
A battle I intend to ultimately win.

The Great Bird of the Galaxy (Aug. 19)

Happy Birthday, Gene. I never met you in person, but your creation has spawned such wonder in my life.

Birthday Wishes

I know I don't tell her often enough, but I'm glad Iulia is my friend. She has always been there with a kind word and a vote of confidence. Ocassionally she has been there with a swift kick in the rear when I've needed it.

Saturday Iulia turned 23 years. Happy Birthday my friend! Best wishes and the hope that your birthday dreams come true.

Love,

Rob

IN MEMORIA

It has been 20 years. Twenty long years. Everyone loses someone at some time. But there are always those that cut you to the core. This is one of those.

She has always been my beacon and my guide. She was my protector, my mentor and my role model. She lived through the depression, WWII, raised 7 children in a home smaller than one built for a family of 3. She helped raise over a dozen grandchildren (me among them) and did it all with only one arm.

My grandmother was a person you didn't cross, but also someone you looked up to. She seemed to have all the answers.

When she got sick, all she wanted was to come home. To be with her family. Sadly, this was not to be.

But for nearly all of those 20 years on this date, I go to visit her and tell her what has been happening in my life. Twenty years and I am still trying to earn her approval. I hope that I can measure up to her memory. Not that I need try. I am my grandmother's grandson. That's important to me. Her blood runs through my veins and, hopefully, a piece of her.



We all need someone like that. Someone we build up to almost mythic proportions. A person to aspire to be like for the altruistic qualities you remember them for.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Yesterday, August 8th, was my wife's 30th birthday. She looks pretty good, doesn't she? Now I can joke and call her old. They grey hairs will come and I will probably giver her most of them! Guarantee that I will probably give her every one! Thirty is a milestone. You're not too old, but you are old enough to use some of those life experiences to help you make those increasingly big decisions. But, as they say, life is like a rollercoaster. We're all just on for the ride!
Well, Happy Birthday, Honey! Like fine wine and cheese, you get better and better with age!

The Facts of Life

This is our home. It has existed for 4.5 billion years. Born by fire and the gases of our forming parent star. It has changed dramatically. It changed from a hellfire to world of blue oceans and tectonically active land masses.

It took some time before life invaded this tiny world. After being bombarded by comets and asteroids and debris from the forming solar system, amino acids came together to form protiens and the first beginings of life. Single celled organisms became bacteria and evolved further still. Most life thrived in the premordial oceans and left to dwell on the changing land.

Most of us remember the dinosaur. The Great Lizard who ruled the Earth 3.5 million years ago. A footnote in the annals of the univers. There was life before them. There was life after them. Their reign was brief.

Just over 1 million years ago, creatures that would one day evolve to become us emerged onto the landscape. As is the way with things, the strong survived. They adapted to the challenges they faced and their changing environment. They migrated from what is now central africa to populate the globe. We are them.

No matter if you are black, white or Latino. Whether you are American, Romanian, Italian or Irish. Whether male, female, transgendered; heterosexual, homosexual, metrosexual or bisexual. We are all human. We now have the capacity to shape our environment instead of our environment shaping us. We have the power to make dramatic changes; for good and for ill. We remain the only creature known to have existed ever on this planet capable of killing one of our own kind without purpose.

We war for land and power. We dehumanize those who are different. We fear what we do not understand. In the end we fear ourselves. We war against our brothers and sisters. We create chaos.

We have only lived on this blue/green orb a short time. We have accomplished much in our short history. There is much that we still can accomplish. We are all one race and one community. And we are not alone.

Look to the skies once in a while. Think of the countless worlds circling the countless stars that twinkle above the horizon. Ask yourself, "What is out there?" Remind yourself that the accomplishments we make and the discoveries we make are there for all mankind. Only together can we find balance and the peace for which everyone longs for.

Sharing

Want me to post your pics? Want me to send a shout out on you b-day or commemorate a special moment in your life? Let me know. I try not to post photos or personal information about my friends without their consent. Just email me!

My Own Hero

Growing up, as most of us do, I wondered what kind of adult I would grow up to be. I had my hopes and dreams. I knew I would never have superpowers or anything like that.

But I did feel like I had a purpose. An altogether altruistic purpose. I had to stand for the oppressed and those in need. Treat everyone as an equal, a fellow Terran on this green/blue globe. To unite people with common goals for the common good.

I don't know if I have, or ever will, succeed in these lofty goals. Sometimes I feel like failure; and somtimes I feel like a success. I try to keep my sanity in an insane world. I see the future as a bright place full of hope. No matter how grim things get, I know I can always hold onto that.

I decided long ago to be my own kind of hero. I decided not to fashion my actions and thoughts on what I felt others expected of me. I don't live my life in the hopes of some immortal salvation. I live by one rule: Live as well as you can and help when you can; lead a good and honorable life. If this is unexceptable, then I will live with the ramifications. At least I know I gave it my all and did my best.

Blogging, Friends and Friends

I have had this account for some time. I just never really knew what to put in it. I have a friend who also has a blog here that gave me some inspiration and the nerve to put thoughts into words. Thanks, Iulia.
Anyone who knows me knows that I have a very vivid imagination, apt mind and lots of emotion. This space gives me the chance to try to put into words how I am feeling, points I want to make and ideas I want to share. It is a chance to express myself in an open forum. This is especially important as there are family and friends that I do not get a chance to see as often as I would like. And sometimes it is easier to write down my thoughts than saying them in person.
I have a great family. I love my family. I have a great wife who loves me no matter what and a little girl who amazes me each and every day. I try to devote as much as I can to my family, including my mother, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins. Sometimes I don't succeed. They are always in my heart, though, even if I don't express it as much as I should. My father-in-law is someone I especially wish I could express myself better to. I think he and I share so many things and interests in common. Just like fathers and sons, though, it's hard to get into talks about how much we mean to each other. Ever since my dad passed, he has been like my own dad. He has always been there no matter what. I look forward to spending Super Bowl Sunday and our yearly Father's Day Phillies game together.
I miss my dad. I wish he was around to see what I have done and am doing. I think there is quite a bit of him in me. I feel that I never really appreciated him until he was gone and I didn't have his influence anymore. I think it's important to tell people how you feel about them while we have the chance.
My friends are like family to me. I don't really think I can make anyone realize how much my friends mean to me. I don't throw that word around casually. I have acquaintances and people I associate with. But I think when I label a person my friend, it means something. And I don't play favorites as I know that sometimes some people may not get along. I love each of my friends for who they are. I appreciate them for how they make me feel, not for what they do for me. Laura & Walter, Ryan & Steph, Ralph, Steve, Jen & John. These are people I count on. And I try to make friends whenever I can. Lory, Iulia, Claire, PJ, Chris, Deea, Irina, Simona, Maria, Elena, Ocky, Mary, Rose, Iris, Dave, Anna, Lily, Anela, Kim, Lu, Diana, Magdalena, Mona (awesome artist!), Catalina, Noemi and more. If I invite you to read this blog, I hold a special place for you in my heart.
I hope to cover many things here. Anything my mind dreams up. I may write about my day. Give a shout out to someone. I will definitely post lots of science, especially if I read about something that peaks my interest. I am a huge Philadelphia sports fan so be prepared for my ravings on the Eagles (Go Birds!), Phillies, Sixers and Flyers. Even though I was not privileged to serve, I am big on the United States Navy (thanks Dad). I also have a fondness for the United States Marine Corp. (Semper Fi, Little Brother). I may even bring in my love of Star Trek. I hope this helps me express myself better. I hope people understand me better. I also hope that I can bring some smiles or knowledge to my friends and family.
We'll see.