Friday, June 28, 2013

Something to Know - 29 June

Tony Auth
1.  Much attention has been given to the decisions of the Supreme Court this past week.  Here, we have an analysis of the strategy that Chief Justice Roberts has been laying out as to how he is manipulating the court to his vision of its purpose:

2.  The latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine has an interesting article which focuses attention on the rising tides and ocean level and the city of Miami.  Of course this is all related to the melting ice sheets and glaciers, which is directly related to climate change and global warming, which is a result of a planet that is creating more greenhouse gases.  This is all part of our bombastic consumption of fossil fuels.  But, who is paying attention?:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/why-the-city-of-miami-is-doomed-to-drown-20130620

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Juan

When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Kentucky, because everything there happens 20 years after it happens anywhere else.
-- Mark Twain


Thursday, June 27, 2013

Something to Know - 28 June

Justice Thomas VRA


1.  There is jubilation for the decisions handed down by the Supreme Court on Wednesday.  However, Tuesday was a dark day for humanity as the disconnected conservatives struck down and gutted the Voters' Rights Act:


2.  The Heritage Foundation, a stellar group of conservatives, has its spokesman to respond to the Supreme's Wednesday ruling on Proposition 8 (video):

3.  Charles Blow tries to reconcile the gutting of Section 4 of the Voters' Rights Act on one hand, and the decisions rendered on the following day:

4.  David Brooks practically closes the book on Immigration Reform and declares what happened in the Senate (passing it), as to what is going to happen in the House.  He diagrams what is going to happen next.  This will drive the Tea Baggers crazy, who are intent on making the House session on a "new bill" by provoking an internal GeeOpie brawl into the Party of Stupid:


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Juan

When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Kentucky, because everything there happens 20 years after it happens anywhere else.
-- Mark Twain



Fwd: Lindsey Graham just dared us

To keep you in the perspective of political reactions which have risen the past few days, I point you to this Tea Party message I got this morning on the Immigration Reform.  Things are so bad on the right-wing of the GeeOpie, that GOP Senator Lindsey Graham is now referred to as a "prancing left-wing Republican".  It is this spirit in the bowels of the Republicans that make it easier for them to remain the Party of Stupid.  Cheer them on.

Juan

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund <newsletter@teapartypatriots.org>
Date: Thu, Jun 27, 2013 at 4:22 AM
Subject: Lindsey Graham just dared us
To: juanma2t@gmail.com


We need to stand up to big-government sell-outs like Lindsey Graham.  We need to show him that we can fight back.

Is this email not displaying correctly?
View it in your browser.

Dear Patriot,

Left-wing "Republican" Lindsey Graham has been all over national television  proclaiming that the immigration amnesty bill will get "over 70 votes."

He practically mocked conservative grassroots Americans like you and me.  He practically dared us to stop this horrible bill!

Please make a generous emergency donation of $10, $15, $20, $30 or whatever you can afford to the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund today.

We need to stand up to big-government sell-outs like Lindsey Graham.  We need to show him that we can fight back.

We need to defeat this big-government amnesty bill.

Liberal "Republicans" like Lindsey Graham believe that the only way to win elections is to sell out to the big-government Democrats.

That's why Graham and his allies are prancing around the country screaming about how taxpayers like you and me need to pay billions more in welfare, healthcare, and education spending for eleven million amnestied immigrants.

He says the Republican Party is in a "death spiral" because people like you and me won't support a practically unconditional illegal immigrant amnesty.

NONSENSE!

The Republican Party is in terrible shape because of unprincipled compromisers like Lindsey Graham!

We have to beat Lindsey Graham's amnesty bill.  We have to show him that grassroots conservatives have had enough of his left-wing treachery.

And then, after we've beaten back this latest drive for amnesty, we have to make sure Lindsey Graham doesn't win the Republican nomination for reelection!

Please make the very best donation to the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund you possibly can.

We are going all out to defeat this bill.  And then we plan to go all out to defeat Lindsey Graham!

Unfortunately though, Graham is right about one thing.

On this issue of this big-government amnesty, conservatives are losing.

That's why I need your help TODAY!

We need to ramp up our grassroots lobbying effort.  We need to recruit more and more Tea Party volunteers to call their Senators and to visit their local offices.

We need to run ads against this nearly 1,200 page amnesty monstrosity!

Please, don't let Lindsey Graham and his fellow "Republicans" win.  

Help me stand up and fight.  Help me beat this amnesty bill.

Help me show Lindsey Graham that the conservative grassroots will have their revenge!

Thank you in advance for everything you do.

Sincerely,

Jenny Beth Martin

 
 
PAID FOR BY TEA PARTY PATRIOTS CITIZENS FUND
NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE
www.teapartyPatriotscitizensfund.com




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Juan

Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution?
-- Groucho Marx


Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Borowitz Fix Today

The Borowitz Report

JUNE 26, 2013

SCALIA ARRESTED TRYING TO BURN DOWN SUPREME COURT

POSTED BY 

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—In a shocking end to an illustrious legal career, police arrested Justice Antonin Scalia today as he attempted to set the Supreme Court building ablaze.

Justice Scalia, who had seemed calm and composed during the announcement of two major rulings this morning, was spotted by police minutes later outside the building, carrying a book of matches and a gallon of kerosene.

After police nabbed Justice Scalia and placed him in handcuffs, the Juror appeared "at peace and resigned to his fate," a police spokesman said.

"He went quietly," the spokesman said. "He just muttered something like, 'I don't want to live in a world like this.' "

Back at the Supreme Court, Justice Scalia's colleagues said they hoped he would get the help he needed, except for Justice Clarence Thomas, who said nothing.


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Juan

Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution?
-- Groucho Marx


Today is a good day

Wendy Davis, a Texas state senator, is one of my new heroes. She filibustered day and night in order to prevent a vote to pass SB5, which would have put draconian restrictions on a woman's right to make decisions about her reproductive health. #standwithwendy trended as a Twitter hashtag throughout yesterday.

As indication of how polarizing this issue is:
and
But the filibuster was a success anyway--for now, at least:

I was surprised to see such progressivism come out of the state of Texas but Slate corrected me on this:


In other news, SCOTUS struck down Prop 8, the Defense of Marriage Act. Same-sex marriages will be recognized at the federal level. But the recognition of same-sex marriages at the state level will be contested in individual state races across the US.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Borowitz Fix

The Borowitz Report

  • JUNE 25, 2013

SUPREME COURT FREES AMERICANS FROM BURDEN OF VOTING

POSTED BY 

supreme-court-vra-580.jpg

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) — By a five-to-four vote, the Supreme Court today acted, in the words of Justice Antonin Scalia, "to relieve millions of Americans from the onerous burden of having to vote."

Writing for the majority, Justice Scalia stated, "Since 1965, citizens across the nation have lived under the tyranny of being forced to elect people to represent them. This is an important step to free them from that unfair and heinous obligation."

Justice Scalia added that the Voting Rights Act had "thrust upon the shoulders of millions of Americans the terrible and unwanted burden of exercising their rights in a democracy."

"Many of them have been forced to drive to polling places, wait in line, and then cast their vote because of the oppressive requirements of this Act," he wrote. "It is our honor and duty to free them from those hardships."

In conclusion, Justice Scalia wrote, "Our message today to the American people is simple: we are voting so you won't have to."



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Juan

Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution?
-- Groucho Marx


Monday, June 24, 2013

Something to Know - 25 June

062513-toon-luckovich-ed


1.  The stock market has gone really crazy in a downward direction lately.  Part of it, we are told, is that China is having economic problems.  Ah yes,  the global economy has its crappy influences on us.  Another part, is that our Fedmeister - Bernanke- has decided he is going to slow down trying to pump up the economy (since the GeeOpie House has done absolutely nothing about it, except tinker with abortion rights).   So, Mr. Krugman has his opinion on that:

2.  the age-old discussion about what good is a Liberal Arts education (Sociology, English, History, Philosophy, etc)...what is it good for.  There is no money at the end of that trail.  Well, here is an article about that same subject by someone who should know.  So what did you major in?:

3.  The Santa Monica news bureau turned this one on to me.  It is in regard to the new Bourgeois Mexican Middle Class, which is a large growing demographic, and it may replace some stereotypes that exist in Gringoland.
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Juan

Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution?
-- Groucho Marx


Your Daily Borowitz Fix

The Borowitz Report

JUNE 24, 2013

AGENCY BUSY SPYING ON THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE FAILED TO NOTICE ONE DUDE WORKING FOR IT

POSTED BY 

boro-snowden-busy.jpg

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—A U.S. intelligence agency was so busy spying on three hundred million Americans that it failed to notice one dude who was working for it, a spokesman for the agency acknowledged today.

"I guess we were so busy monitoring the everyday communications of every man, woman, and child in the nation that we didn't notice that a contractor working for us was downloading tons of classified documents," the agency spokesman said. "It's definitely embarrassing, for sure."

Despite having an annual budget in the neighborhood of ten billion dollars, the agency had no idea that a dude who was working for it five days a week was getting ready to send those classified documents to a journalist who would then tell everybody in the world.

"Maybe if we hadn't been so busy keeping our eye on those other three hundred million people, we would have noticed that this one guy who was working right under our noses was up to something totally fishy," the spokesman said. "But you know what they say about hindsight."

As for where that guy who leaked the documents was planning to go next, the spokesman admitted, "We don't have a clue."

"I know what you're thinking—an intelligence agency probably should know that Hong Kong has an international airport and that its departures board lists flights to Moscow and whatnot," the spokesman said. "I don't know what to say. Maybe we need a bigger budget or something."


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Juan

Man does not control his own fate. The women in his life do that for him.
-- Groucho Marx


Saturday, June 22, 2013

Something to Know - 23 June

Ben Sargent
1.  Hispanic.  Much discussion is based on this ethnic subject.  But, do we really know what that means in the context of our political dialogue in public policy.   I am Hispanic, but what does that really mean?  Ask anyone of Hispanic origin, or ethnicity, and you will get as many different responses as you have those being questioned.  This article makes an attempt to clarify the term:

2.  We have probably heard, seen, and read enough about our loss of liberty and intrusion into our lives by all the reports of security agencies snooping on us.  Max Frankel, a distinguished former editor of the NY Times back in the days following the Pentagon Papers, has the experience and the knowledge to write well about this subject:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/opinion/sunday/where-did-our-inalienable-rights-go.html?emc=eta1&pagewanted=print

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Juan

Man does not control his own fate. The women in his life do that for him.
-- Groucho Marx


Borowitz

  • The Borowitz Report

    JUNE 22, 2013

    U.S. SEEMINGLY UNAWARE OF IRONY IN ACCUSING SNOWDEN OF SPYING

    POSTED BY 

borowitz-snoowden-580.jpg

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—The United States government charged former intelligence analyst Edward Snowden with spying on Friday, apparently unaware that in doing so it had created a situation dripping with irony.

At a press conference to discuss the accusations, an N.S.A. spokesman surprised observers by announcing the spying charges against Mr. Snowden with a totally straight face.

"These charges send a clear message," the spokesman said. "In the United States, you can't spy on people."

Seemingly not kidding, the spokesman went on to discuss another charge against Mr. Snowden—the theft of government documents: "The American people have the right to assume that their private documents will remain private and won't be collected by someone in the government for his own purposes."

"Only by bringing Mr. Snowden to justice can we safeguard the most precious of American rights: privacy," added the spokesman, apparently serious.


----Juan

All people are born alike - except Republicans and Democrats.
-- Groucho Marx


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Juan


Thursday, June 20, 2013

Something to Know - 21 June

062013-toon-luckovich-ed


    1.  David Brooks attempts to explain the decline in "Humanities" courses or majors among students involved in higher education.  Is it because of economic reasons, or is it that the humanities are not as in vogue as they were a few decades ago.  Who knows?   All I know is that familiarity on the worldly subjects that are involved in "humanities" is what is wrong with a lot of right-wing extremists who are directing the GeeOpie:

    2.  What are known as profitable companies in our national economy today, as opposed to what what were profitable corporations 50 years ago, are quite different.   Paul Krugman leads us through this sadness:

    -- 
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Juan

"All people are born alike - except Republicans and Democrats."
-- Groucho Marx"

x

Borowitz

Wonder if they hire all part-timers to avoid covering their employees with Obama Care?

The Borowitz Report

JUNE 20, 2013

TALIBAN NAMED BEST PLACE TO WORK 2013

POSTED BY 

taliban-ribbon-cutting-580.jpg

DOHA, QATAR (The Borowitz Report)—In the latest publicity coup for the Afghan insurgent group, the Taliban today finished first in a newly released survey of the "Best Places to Work 2013."

For the Taliban, who had just opened their office in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, the honor was "totally unexpected and incredibly humbling," a spokesman for the group said.

"This is the first office we've ever opened, so naturally we wanted it to be nice and all," he said. "But to be named a better place to work than Apple and Google and the other amazing places on this list–whoa."

Cited in the poll was the atmosphere at Taliban headquarters, which numerous employees described as "relaxed" and "fun."

"People think that just because we observe Sharia law, we walk around with frowny faces all day," the spokesman said. "The fact is, we have a lot of laughs here."

One person not amused by the survey results, however, was the Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who threatened to break off peace talks with the Taliban if they do not immediately admit that the poll was a "total fraud."

"Who was behind this so-called poll? The Taliban, that's who," an angry Karzai told reporters. "When they did their little ribbon-cutting for their office on Tuesday, I thought they were publicity whores, but they are really taking it to a new sick level."

Hours later, the Taliban spokesman offered this response: "Hamid Karzai doesn't sound very chill. He'd really have to dial it back if he wanted to fit in at a workplace like this."



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Juan

"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five."
-- Groucho Marx"


Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Borowitz Explains the New Middle-East Foreign Policy Norm

The Borowitz Report

JUNE 19, 2013

U.S. PROMISES SMOOTH TRANSFER OF QUAGMIRE FROM AFGHANISTAN TO SYRIA

POSTED BY 

105198464-580.jpg

DAMASCUS (The Borowitz Report)—Supporters of the United States' twelve-year quagmire in Afghanistan cheered the news today that the U.S. would strive to achieve a seamless transfer of that quagmire to Syria, effective immediately.

Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sought to reassure those who were concerned that the U.S. withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan signalled a wavering of the nation's commitment to being mired in open-ended military muddles.

"I can tell you, right here and right now, that the U.S. is every bit as determined to engage in an ill-defined, ill-advised and seemingly interminable mission in Syria as we were in Afghanistan," Gen. Dempsey said. "All that's changing is the Zip Code."

General Dempsey said that the same tribal hatreds, sectarian violence, and untrustworthy alliances that made Afghanistan a quicksand-like morass are very much in evidence in Syria: "I am confident that we could be involved in Syria for many, many years before figuring out why we are there."

Harland Dorrinson, executive director of the National Quagmire Institute, a think tank dedicated to promoting the United States' involvement in intractable conflicts around the globe, said he found General Dempsey's words about Syria reassuring: "I felt a lot better after hearing what he had to say, and I know a lot of defense contractors felt the same way."

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Juan

A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five."
-- Groucho Marx
 


Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The Borowitz Report for Today

The Borowitz Report

JUNE 18, 2013

OBAMA, PUTIN AGREE NEVER TO SPEAK TO EACH OTHER AGAIN

POSTED BY 

obama-putin-g8-580.jpg

LOUGH ERNE, NORTHERN IRELAND (The Borowitz Report)—The G8 summit ended today on a constructive note, with President Obama and Russia's Vladimir Putin reaching a broad agreement never to speak to each other again.

"It's better this way," said Mr. Obama, frostily standing in the general vicinity of Mr. Putin for the last time ever. "We truly despise each other."

"I couldn't agree more," said Mr. Putin, looking as though he had just smelled something bad. "My hatred of this man knows no bounds."

According to the agreement, economic coöperation, cyber security, human rights, the war in Syria, and the New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's missing Super Bowl ring are among thirty-seven different topics that the two men will never again discuss.

Additionally, at all future summits, if either Mr. Obama or Mr. Putin enters a room the other man will be obligated to leave immediately.

The two men reached agreement on an unprecedented number of points, including never contacting each other via telephone or e-mail and keeping a minimum of five hundred feet away from each other's residences.

After signing the agreement, the two men shook hands for the final time and scowled bitterly for photographers.



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Juan

""We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be."
-- Kurt Vonnegut

Monday, June 17, 2013

Something to Know - 18 June

Rob Rogers
1.  Unbelievable.  The Republicans, the Party of Stupid, just does not seem to want to reform itself.  There are real problems to be solved in the pit of our legislative body known as the House of Representatives.  Immigration Reform, Jobs Programs, etc.....none of that is of their concern.  Instead, they are dragging out the same stupid and idiotic theme known as the "assault on women":

2.  The gradual erosion of much of our privacy goes along with our reluctant acceptance of technology to keep things safer.  Some of us accept it more than others, and some of us reject any form.  There is no consistency in what we accept, or not accept.  The problem is that technology has far out-paced our understanding of what is going on, and we have not been able to put a leash on it:

3.  I don't often inject stuff that is not political or lacking in debate.  So, with all the crap that is making noise and filling the digital stage, just click on this and enjoy the beautiful photography, and take a rest, courtesy of the Walteria news bureau:
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=gXDMoiEkyuQ&vq=medium

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Juan

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies. "
-- Groucho Marx

Borowitz

The Borowitz Report

JUNE 17, 2013

AMERICANS SENT OVER A HUNDRED MILLION FATHER'S DAY MESSAGES, SAYS N.S.A.

POSTED BY 

nsa-fathers-day-post.jpg

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Americans sent over a hundred million Father's Day messages on Sunday, the National Security Agency reported today.

The hundred-million number, while robust, falls short of the hundred and twenty million Mother's Day messages collected by the N.S.A. in May.

The difference between the two figures is "not surprising," said N.S.A. director General Keith B. Alexander. He added, "On the whole, mothers take Mother's Day more seriously—if the e-mails we read by mothers whose children forgot are any indication."

General Alexander said that the agency collected in the neighborhood of two to three million such e-mails from angry mothers this year.

The N.S.A. director added that the agency had not foiled any terror plots over the weekend but did uncover between thirty and forty thousand extramarital relationships.

***
Juan

""We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be."
-- Kurt Vonnegut


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Sunday, June 16, 2013

Something to Know - 17 June

Tom Toles
1.  The NY Times has now come forth to advise the annoying yahoo GeeOpie running the House investigation on the IRS "scandal" to put up or shut up.  Mr. Issa has spent too much time wasting our time and money on his little political game, and he's run out of stuff.  The Party of Stupid need not keep proving itself on our dime:

2.  Gentrification is the term used when adventuresome (usually the young) take it upon themselves to break away from the usual housing and neighborhood patterns and venture into old, stale, or even blighted areas and give new life and vitality to a formerly abandoned or neglected community.   The trouble is, the nouveau riche come in later and drive up the prices and spoil it all for everybody.   All you urban planners will find this interesting.   The Lexington bureau has found this gem for you to read:

3.  To prove the point that Syria presents the USA with difficult situation, here are two pieces on why it seems like a hopeless situation.   Where there are those who think that the NSA intrusion into our lives is the big-ticket issue, I am of the opinion that we really do not have all the information as yet as to how big, how serious, and how invasive it is, because we do not know what the balance is between actual national security and lack of privacy has done to us.  What I do find disturbing is that the president has placed himself into a real messy place, by his own doing, and not getting in front and leading.  He has John McCain and Bill Clinton formulating foreign policy, and none of it works well for Obama:  Here are two opinions which display the mess:


http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/16/opinion/sunday/dowd-bill-schools-barry-on-syria.html?emc=eta1

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Juan

"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be."
-- Kurt Vonnegut

Friday, June 14, 2013

Something to Know - 15 June

Mike Luckovich
1.  The Affordable Care Act (aka Obama Care) is about to start its engine and go on-line.  I for one can't wait to see it take hold and see it flourish over time, and get better and better, over time.   It is with the same feeling that I have for the gun issue, but there is nothing as of now that can overcome the conspiracy theorists that some dark force is going to take all the guns away and enslave us all.  Obama Care does have a legal platform to go out and multiply its benefits:

2.  Gail Collins would like those of us who are fence-sitters on this phenomena of NSA intrusion to be aware of a past example of a real invasion of privacy occurred, and where it went very wrong and was clumsy and costly:

3.  When I moved back to California from Atlanta, over two years ago, some Peach Staters questioned why it was that I wanted to move to a state that was in big debt, full of liberal mismanagement, and was going nowhere but back.   Well, as I see it now, Georgia is in deep poop, and is running on its austerity programs, and cutting back.    California is now a model for how the federal government (the Congress).  It has a super-majority of both the state senate and assembly, and has a prudent and experienced governor.  The state is in full control by Democrats, and the Republicans are just a party in name only.  Read this LA TImes article on how the Golden State is coming back very strong:
xhttp://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-state-budget-20130615,0,1711006,print.story

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Juan

"The universe is a big place, perhaps the biggest. "
-- Kurt Vonnegut



Thursday, June 13, 2013

Something to Know - 14 June

Jeff Danziger
1.  So Mr. Issa stuck his nose far into something that he probably feels flummoxed.  So, since this link is a bit old ( a day or so ), maybe it is not on the front burner any more.  Issa has been upstaged by a guy named Edward Snowden:

2.  From the Albany bureau, this San Francisco Chronicle article briefly points out two components of the ever-changing battle field.  The way we used to regard enemies, and how we waged "war" is a bit different (mucho different), than how it was done back in the early 40's (1940's, that is).  We are forever mired in conflicted activities that challenge our understanding of our Constitution and our ethics:

3.  Remember Todd Akin?   You woulda thunk that the GeeOpie would have wised up by now.  Nope !.  The Party of Stupid just keeps on chugging along:

4.  Nuclear Power.   As much as it works against the grain of environmentalists, here is a presentation of some who have changed minds (their own), and present a case for continuing on with this energy platform:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2013/06/time-to-go-nuclear.html?mobify=0

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Juan

"The year was 2081, and everyone was finally equal."
-- Kurt Vonnegut