Turning away from Universal Literacy?

Turning away from Universal Literacy?

It was the AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT and it’s proponents who urged that every life is sacred, 
every human worthy of literacy, capable of its own agency, worthy to participate intelligently in its 
society.

Realizing that absent universal literacy there would be an underclass, an untouchable or “serf” peasant class 
who would continuously be put upon and victimized by an educated, empowered overclass.

I must remind the readers, this stood in full opposition to the arguments of class and monarchy, 
even the simple despotism that had crushed so many lives through the centuries. I can not argue 
that education and it’s flower literacy, especially SCIENTIFIC LITERACY- is wholly and enthusiastically 
embraced by all humanity. Looking at rates of literacy and recreational reading alone tells that sad tale.

But I would argue that dragging illiterates into an educational enrichment opportunity is a price well worth 
paying for a Society aiming at universal suffrage. A Society dependent on a bare minimum scientific literacy 
can make no claims of even simple humanity if they do not provide educational opportunities to every citizen, 
every human life. (Regardless of accidents of age, sex, race, place or conditions of birth).

Further I believe that a society turning away from universal suffrage and especially away from 
universal scientific and humane literacy will eventually find solid and compelling reasons to reduce, 
restrict and constrain literacy to a very narrow preselected class and that handful will embrace its authority 
and privilege and finally restore the monarchy and we will have returned to a new DARK AGES with its 
priest craft along with its ugly sisters ignorance and superstition. And it’s blood and brutality.

Advice to Would-be Media Influencers

Advice to Would-be Media Influencers

If you are asked to comment on the illustrious choice of the (former Bush Coup Enabler, former Ken Starr ghost writer, former Bush Administration Assistant to the Chief of Staff)
JUDGE. He who has been selected to Overturn... (that which shall go unmentioned.) [hint: starts with Roe V Wade]

Remember they (OUR GOVERNMENT, We?) are keeping track of all "media influencers" so your safest course (as a Media Influencer)  is to lavish hysterical unbridled praise on not just the judge, and it almost "goes without saying", on the Heroic and Olympian Judgment of the Golden Gift of the GOD-GIVEN Trumperium.

But I must add, that every effort must be made to - in the most ecstatic and fulsome terms, recognize such a glowing, incandescent even Promethean choice, of this the finest example of sober nonpartisan judicial leadership. ( services to W's coup in Florida, notwithstanding) , but I would think (still allowed?) that sustained histrionic and noisy groveling, and rending of garments when accompanied by slavish praise for the FEDERALIST VETTING PROCEDURE - is undoubtedly required to achieve even a minimally adequate level of sycophancy necessary to pass the TRUMPERIUM "TRUE-BELIEVER" LITMUS TEST.

STOPPING IN ANYWAY SHORT of an abject groveling genuflection, I think it probably safe to say (looking over both shoulders) absent that, there will be no federal DC judgeship for you ... my fine friend.

( passed along from an unnamed source, secreted away, at an undisclosed location, and TOTALLY off the record )


Sent from an unsecured com link

The New Good Neighbor Policy

The New Good Neighbor Policy

The corporations exist at the sufferance of civil society it was "assumed" in the past that the corner butcher 
or dry goods shop owner or car dealer who lived and prospered by the use of civic roads and infrastructure 
was compelled by native instinct to avoid shirking community norms and would not poison, or pollute 
or adulterate their products because the good city burghers would not tolerate such abuse from a 
fellow shopkeeper. (Now corporate entity) run by another villager to deal so imprudently with a neighbor 
and fellow villager.

As corporations or shop keepers got bigger so large so as to claim resources from many villagers, 
they have learned two diabolical skills - first playing fast and loose with international taxation loopholes 
(as in apple or microshaft or gargle)
"I'm not living here, for tax paying purposes" and because, playing tax bill "whack a mole" and chasing 
these international shopkeepers is a time consuming and expensive task.
(not to mention) How lobbyist cash "donations" is a strong disincentive for strict enforcement of shop keeper 
responsibility.

We can no longer afford to have these international scofflaws thrive and hide, who expect to be able 
to sell in this village, but claim to live "over there" (for tax responsibility purposes) While using all the 
infrastructure they need to do business (mail service, street lights, EMT, roads, bridges, power, police, 
all civil structures) in not just one but so many villages.

You say, These shopkeepers or corporations, or companies are people too? 

We need to say, an end to these tax responsibility scofflaws, they need to ante up in your town and mine. 
Also let me also add, when they poison our lakes, streams, rivers and air... no legal niceties should shield 
these bad shopkeepers and allow them to skirt a good neighbor's civic duty - 

You insist your four year old cleans up their mess - shouldn't these cross border shopkeepers should do less?

Bulwark of the Law

I interviewed a state attorney on this question (the 4th Amendment)  and asked "what is the constitutional basis 
for this behavior? 

Since we ostensibly have enshrined in the CONSTITUTION protection from UNREASONABLE SEARCHES 
AND SEIZURES?"

He laughed and said "the war on drugs!" (He winked here, because he thought I liked his joke) I was thinking 
about all those people, who's lives were stolen)

I said "regardless, when was the Constitution modified? I never heard anything about it. 
Did it happen while America wasn't looking? When our back was turned?" In W's felicitous phrase, 
"you gotta catapult the propaganda".

He laughed again, well he said in candor, "the forces of law&disorder (tm) profit by it TREMENDOUSLY! "
I said, "yes I realize all those goods (stolen from citizens) enrich law enforcement" but I continued,
 "you are an officer of the court, sworn to (hold up) uphold, the law, you're not supposed to sway
 in the political wind. You represent the citizens' protection, you are our bulwark of the law!"
He laughed and said, "you see. it's never been successfully challenged that's why!"

Sessions wants to increase seizures 7/18/17

PNN - Marty Baum Special - Water Is Life

Marty Baum, the Indian River Water Keeper  has asked us to help him mobilize
our WATER IS LIFE ACTIVISTS!

Marty is leading the Effort to Bring the LIGHT BRIGADE to the Roosevelt Bridge Friday  JUNE 28th, from 7:30-9pm

We need to get our WATER IS LIFE PEOPLE OUT ON THE BRIDGE Friday 6/28/18

The damage in Lake Okeechobee has spread out - out - out to the east and west and has spread its poison literally to the beach lining the shores of FLORIDA.

Mart has recorded a message that you must hear, and hearing that clarion call -
he wants us to JOIN HIM ON THE ROOSEVELT BRIDGE FRIDAY NIGHT

HE IS BRINGING HIS MESSAGE IN LIGHT! -

TUNE IN on PNN WEDNESDAY THURSDAY and FRIDAY
and Join Us on the Bridge Friday 6/28/18 at dark!

TUNE IN SPREAD THE WORD!

Solidarity & Peace
Rick Spisak New Director PNN

PNN - Exiles from Justice

PNN - Exiles from Justice (6/24/18)

PNN- Exiles from Justice - from border to border from the country side to the heart of the city
PNN Welcomes two marvelous guests who treat of Justice and inJustice from the RIO GRANDE to Pennsylvania.

Courtney Horne a Technologist and System analyst discusses the issues facing America's search for Justice.

Veverly Gary Attorney and ACLU Chapter Chair from the Treasure Coast Chapter discusses her perspective on the problems in Florida and makes suggestions on how we might improve the Justice available to all peoples in Florida Black, Brown and beige.
Brook Hines brings us her insight from the campaign trail and beyond.  Also bring Fred Barr.

Host and producer Rick Spisak discusses the danger of the presidents attack on the DIAPER DESPERADOES.
TUNE IN Live Sunday 7pm East / 6pm Central / 4pm Pacific

PNN - Listen Now

LETS LOOK AT SOME OTHER ISSUES of the Day:
* Science in Exile
* Plans to reduce Social Security
* Plans to allow more pollution in our air and water
* Plans to house more immigrants on Military bases
* Continued increases in suicides in the general population
* PLANS further our breaks with our allies in Europe and Canada
* The Terrible costs of the Trade War
* The Increases in deficits by the debt mesmerized republicans
* Dumpfster launches a trial balloon to dispense with hearings for asylum seekers?
* These immigrants are animals, the democrats care more about MS 13 than about Americans
* Its up to Congress LEGISLATION is the only Selection,
   then TRUMPTATION undercuts Congressional Action

Report: Up to 110 Million Americans Could Have PFAS-Contaminated Drinking Water
PFAS Tap Water Data Was Funded By Taxpayers But Kept Secret
Are PFAS chemicals in my water?
The EPA has not compiled and released all the information on PFAS contamination. You can use EWG’s Tap Water Database to search your zip code and learn if you rely on one of the approximately 200 water systems with contamination levels above the EPA’s reporting limit. But keep in mind, the EPA’s reporting limit is higher than a health-protective level. The EPA or the labs that did the water analysis have either discarded or are withholding the results of tests that indicate contamination, but are below the EPA reporting limits, so some data is NOT reflected in EWG’s Tap Water Database. Join EWG in calling on the EPA to release ALL the data..
What can I do if PFAS chemicals are found in my water?

To reduce or eliminate PFAS chemicals from your water, use either a reverse osmosis or activated carbon filter. Activated carbon filters will be less effective at removing the shorter chain replacement PFAS chemicals, but we don't know the extent of water contamination from replacement chemicals. You can access our water filter guide here.

Take action
It is outrageous that the public does not know the extent of PFAS contamination of drinking water. Stand with EWG and demand that the EPA immediately collects contamination data and releases it to the public.


More than 1,500 drinking water systems across the country may be contaminated with the nonstick chemicals PFOA and PFOS, and similar fluorine-based chemicals, a new EWG analysis shows. This groundbreaking finding comes the same day the Environmental Protection Agency is convening a summit to address PFAS chemicals – a class of toxic chemicals that includes PFOA and PFOS, and that are linked to cancer, thyroid disease, weakened immunity and other health problems.
From 2013 to 2015, the EPA mandated national testing for PFAS chemicals in public water systems, yet the full results of this testing, funded by taxpayers, were never made public. Water utilities with the highest concentrations of PFAS chemicals have been publicly identified. But the names of utilities with detectable PFAS contamination below the so-called reporting levels of 10 to 90 parts per trillion, or ppt, were not released. Millions of people were not informed that their water supply is contaminated with these chemicals.

The additional water systems with PFAS contamination likely serve tens of millions of people, and it is essential for people in those communities to be informed of this hazard. Eurofins Eaton Analytical, which analyzed a third of the nationwide water samples, found that 28 percent of the water utilities it tested contained PFAS chemicals at concentrations at or above 5 ppt. The percentage of samples with PFAS detections nearly doubled when the laboratory analyzed down to 2.5 ppt. Based on this data, EWG’s analysis suggests that up to 110 million Americans could have PFAS in their water.
This new research greatly exceeds EWG’s previous estimate of 16 million Americans being exposed to PFAS-contaminated water, as reported in the EWG’s national Tap Water Database.

Independent scientific assessments find that the safe level of exposure to PFAS chemicals is about 1 ppt – significantly below the reporting level set by the EPA.

Just over a week ago, Inside EPA and Politico broke news that the White House and the EPA attempted to bury a proposal from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry that suggested exposure to Teflon and Scotchgard chemicals may be harmful at levels 10 times lower than what the EPA has publicly called safe. The full ATSDR proposal has not been made public, but the available information indicates the lower level was proposed because ATSDR accounted for harm to the immune system. This mirrors the more health protective approach New Jersey took in drafting its drinking water limits of 13 ppt for PFOS and 14 ppt for PFOA.
The full implications a lower safe exposure level would have are uncertain because the extent of national drinking water contamination is unknown. The uncertainty is largely due to the reporting value the EPA has previously used. PFAS detections below the reporting limits were kept secret, and may have never been recorded.

Today’s EPA summit on the PFAS contamination crisis carries no indication that the agency will take action. In fact, the public might expect the opposite result, given internal EPA emails showing that top aides to Administrator Scott Pruitt and White House officials attempted to suppress the ATSDR proposal, worrying the release of the study would be “a public relations nightmare” for the Trump administration.

EWG calls on the EPA, testing laboratories and drinking water utilities across that country that have PFAS testing results to make the information public immediately. Knowing the locations and extent of contamination is critical for cleaning up water supplies and making the case for regulation.
Secret PFAS contamination data

In the water testing mandated by the EPA under the third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, or UCMR, 198 different water utilities had recorded detections of PFAS chemicals in amounts above the EPA reporting limit. But the reporting limits were very high, using 40 ppt for PFOS and 20 ppt for PFOA, though many labs have much more sensitive detection limits. Some analytical labs are able to detect amounts as small 2 ppt of PFAS chemicals in water.

Based on a reanalysis of the national dataset by Eurofins Eaton Analytical, a water testing lab that processed more than 30 percent of nationwide water samples, EWG estimated how many utilities would likely have contaminated water if the reporting values had been set lower. At a reporting limit of 5 ppt, an estimated 1,046 utilities could have tested positive. If all results down to 2.5 ppt were reported, we estimate that over 1,900 of the 4,920 water utilities tested in the United States would have reported contamination.

Using maps generated by Eurofins Eaton Analytical and the public UCMR results, we calculated the number of water utilities that the lab identified as having PFOA or PFOS in their water, without results being reported to the EPA. Some states such as New Jersey have done additionally water testing and have likely identified some, if not all, of the utilities that have PFAS chemicals in their water.

https://www.ewg.org/research/report-110-million-americans-could-have-pfas-contaminated-drinking-water#.WzASn_ZFyUl

Creative political activist Ms Emine Dilek has begun a new project to support the fine work of Progressive Press  with a new product for earth conscious women a product of Feminine Hygiene products - They are natural and biodegradable, and CRUELTY FREE!

Enjoy the worry free BIODEGRADE-ABLE Products

Rick