Tonight's Humor - Democrats Throwing Snowballs at the GOP?

Folks,

Enjoy!

PS, I have only one wish for this New Year: the defeat, destruction and ejection of Barack Hussien Obama from public office. Please, dear Lord God, make it so!

Kansas City Star - The Catholic Church Built Western Civilization

Folks,

Please take the time to read the following short article.

The Catholic Church Built Western Civilization
By THOMAS E. WOODS
The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Va.)

I for one am getting sick and tired of revisionist history from liberal progressive secularist atheist humanists and "Sola Scripture, Sola, Fide" fundamentalists alike.

Civitates Compactae Americae ad Novam Romam

Folks,

I usually don't post sales videos, but this one is quite telling in our day and age.

Ad Novus Roma: The Trailer

Brian S. Collins' book "Ad Novus Roma" (the words in the Latin title are not properly declined) may be ordered at:

http://i-proclaimbookstore.com/adnorotonewr.html

Pro-God

Folks,

The placard embedded in this post succinctly summarizes your blogmeister's position on the issues.

Pro-God: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me." Deuteronomy 5:6-7

Pro-Life: "You shall not murder." Deuteronomy 5:17

Pro-Gun: "And they said, 'Look, Lord, here are two swords.' And he said to them, 'It is enough.'" Luke 22:38

Pro-Country: "Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing right you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God. Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor." 1st Peter 2:13-17

Anti-Obama: "We will not obey the king's words by turning aside from our religion to the right hand or to the left." 1st Maccabees 2:22

Islamic Fanatics Attack Catholic Church

Folks,

AP News reports that fanatical Muslims attacked a Catholic Church on Christmas:

Nigerians fear more church attacks after 39 killed

We are in dire need of leaders like Charles Martel who turned back these testosterone-crazed fanatics at the Battle of Tours in 732 AD and Pope Pius V who organized the Holy League against the Muslim Ottoman Turks at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 AD. Christendom today is in a war against Satan's dual forces of Islamic fascism and atheistic secularism, but in the end, the Babe born in a manger 2000 years ago will return as that Rider on the great white horse to set things right. (Revelation 19:11-21)

Pope Benedict XVI's Homily for Midnight Mass Christmas Eve 2011

Scripture Readings for Christmas Eve, 2011

Isaiah 9:1-6
Psalm 96:1-13
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-14

MIDNIGHT MASS

SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

Saint Peter's Basilica
24 December 2011

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

The reading from Saint Paul’s Letter to Titus that we have just heard begins solemnly with the word “apparuit”, which then comes back again in the reading at the Dawn Mass: apparuit – “there has appeared”. This is a programmatic word, by which the Church seeks to express synthetically the essence of Christmas. Formerly, people had spoken of God and formed human images of him in all sorts of different ways. God himself had spoken in many and various ways to mankind (cf. Heb 1:1 – Mass during the Day). But now something new has happened: he has appeared. He has revealed himself. He has emerged from the inaccessible light in which he dwells. He himself has come into our midst. This was the great joy of Christmas for the early Church: God has appeared. No longer is he merely an idea, no longer do we have to form a picture of him on the basis of mere words. He has “appeared”. But now we ask: how has he appeared? Who is he in reality? The reading at the Dawn Mass goes on to say: “the kindness and love of God our Saviour for mankind were revealed” (Tit 3:4). For the people of pre-Christian times, whose response to the terrors and contradictions of the world was to fear that God himself might not be good either, that he too might well be cruel and arbitrary, this was a real “epiphany”, the great light that has appeared to us: God is pure goodness. Today too, people who are no longer able to recognize God through faith are asking whether the ultimate power that underpins and sustains the world is truly good, or whether evil is just as powerful and primordial as the good and the beautiful which we encounter in radiant moments in our world. “The kindness and love of God our Saviour for mankind were revealed”: this is the new, consoling certainty that is granted to us at Christmas.

In all three Christmas Masses, the liturgy quotes a passage from the Prophet Isaiah, which describes the epiphany that took place at Christmas in greater detail: “A child is born for us, a son given to us and dominion is laid on his shoulders; and this is the name they give him: Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace. Wide is his dominion in a peace that has no end” (Is 9:5f.). Whether the prophet had a particular child in mind, born during his own period of history, we do not know. But it seems impossible. This is the only text in the Old Testament in which it is said of a child, of a human being: his name will be Mighty-God, Eternal-Father. We are presented with a vision that extends far beyond the historical moment into the mysterious, into the future. A child, in all its weakness, is Mighty God. A child, in all its neediness and dependence, is Eternal Father. And his peace “has no end”. The prophet had previously described the child as “a great light” and had said of the peace he would usher in that the rod of the oppressor, the footgear of battle, every cloak rolled in blood would be burned (Is 9:1, 3-4).

God has appeared – as a child. It is in this guise that he pits himself against all violence and brings a message that is peace. At this hour, when the world is continually threatened by violence in so many places and in so many different ways, when over and over again there are oppressors’ rods and bloodstained cloaks, we cry out to the Lord: O mighty God, you have appeared as a child and you have revealed yourself to us as the One who loves us, the One through whom love will triumph. And you have shown us that we must be peacemakers with you. We love your childish estate, your powerlessness, but we suffer from the continuing presence of violence in the world, and so we also ask you: manifest your power, O God. In this time of ours, in this world of ours, cause the oppressors’ rods, the cloaks rolled in blood and the footgear of battle to be burned, so that your peace may triumph in this world of ours.

Christmas is an epiphany – the appearing of God and of his great light in a child that is born for us. Born in a stable in Bethlehem, not in the palaces of kings. In 1223, when Saint Francis of Assisi celebrated Christmas in Greccio with an ox and an ass and a manger full of hay, a new dimension of the mystery of Christmas came to light. Saint Francis of Assisi called Christmas “the feast of feasts” – above all other feasts – and he celebrated it with “unutterable devotion” (2 Celano 199; Fonti Francescane, 787). He kissed images of the Christ-child with great devotion and he stammered tender words such as children say, so Thomas of Celano tells us (ibid.). For the early Church, the feast of feasts was Easter: in the Resurrection Christ had flung open the doors of death and in so doing had radically changed the world: he had made a place for man in God himself. Now, Francis neither changed nor intended to change this objective order of precedence among the feasts, the inner structure of the faith centred on the Paschal Mystery. And yet through him and the character of his faith, something new took place: Francis discovered Jesus’ humanity in an entirely new depth. This human existence of God became most visible to him at the moment when God’s Son, born of the Virgin Mary, was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. The Resurrection presupposes the Incarnation. For God’s Son to take the form of a child, a truly human child, made a profound impression on the heart of the Saint of Assisi, transforming faith into love. “The kindness and love of God our Saviour for mankind were revealed” – this phrase of Saint Paul now acquired an entirely new depth. In the child born in the stable at Bethlehem, we can as it were touch and caress God. And so the liturgical year acquired a second focus in a feast that is above all a feast of the heart.

This has nothing to do with sentimentality. It is right here, in this new experience of the reality of Jesus’ humanity that the great mystery of faith is revealed. Francis loved the child Jesus, because for him it was in this childish estate that God’s humility shone forth. God became poor. His Son was born in the poverty of the stable. In the child Jesus, God made himself dependent, in need of human love, he put himself in the position of asking for human love – our love. Today Christmas has become a commercial celebration, whose bright lights hide the mystery of God’s humility, which in turn calls us to humility and simplicity. Let us ask the Lord to help us see through the superficial glitter of this season, and to discover behind it the child in the stable in Bethlehem, so as to find true joy and true light.

Francis arranged for Mass to be celebrated on the manger that stood between the ox and the ass (cf. 1 Celano 85; Fonti 469). Later, an altar was built over this manger, so that where animals had once fed on hay, men could now receive the flesh of the spotless lamb Jesus Christ, for the salvation of soul and body, as Thomas of Celano tells us (cf. 1 Celano 87; Fonti 471). Francis himself, as a deacon, had sung the Christmas Gospel on the holy night in Greccio with resounding voice. Through the friars’ radiant Christmas singing, the whole celebration seemed to be a great outburst of joy (1 Celano 85.86; Fonti 469, 470). It was the encounter with God’s humility that caused this joy – his goodness creates the true feast.

Today, anyone wishing to enter the Church of Jesus’ Nativity in Bethlehem will find that the doorway five and a half metres high, through which emperors and caliphs used to enter the building, is now largely walled up. Only a low opening of one and a half metres has remained. The intention was probably to provide the church with better protection from attack, but above all to prevent people from entering God’s house on horseback. Anyone wishing to enter the place of Jesus’ birth has to bend down. It seems to me that a deeper truth is revealed here, which should touch our hearts on this holy night: if we want to find the God who appeared as a child, then we must dismount from the high horse of our “enlightened” reason. We must set aside our false certainties, our intellectual pride, which prevents us from recognizing God’s closeness. We must follow the interior path of Saint Francis – the path leading to that ultimate outward and inward simplicity which enables the heart to see. We must bend down, spiritually we must as it were go on foot, in order to pass through the portal of faith and encounter the God who is so different from our prejudices and opinions – the God who conceals himself in the humility of a newborn baby. In this spirit let us celebrate the liturgy of the holy night, let us strip away our fixation on what is material, on what can be measured and grasped. Let us allow ourselves to be made simple by the God who reveals himself to the simple of heart. And let us also pray especially at this hour for all who have to celebrate Christmas in poverty, in suffering, as migrants, that a ray of God’s kindness may shine upon them, that they – and we – may be touched by the kindness that God chose to bring into the world through the birth of his Son in a stable. Amen.

Merry Christmas

I only just realised I was able to post in the blog itself rather than just comment. If this is inappropriate then please remove this Ioannes (no hard feelings).

I just wanted to use this opportunity to wish all the readers of this blog a very happy Christmas!

Let's rejoice and praise Jesus on the anniversary of his birth.

God be with all of you.

(Also, as a side note, for anyone who will be 'making merry' this festive season be sure to have a designated driver or alternative means of transport. It is a sad fact that too many people try their luck and the effects this can have are devastating. Be safe everyone.)

Baby with a History by Canon Tom Gordon

Folks,

'Baby with a History' is a message preached by Canon Tom Gordon+ at St Philip the Evangelist Anglican Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, on December 25, AD 2011.

Archbishop Vigneron Forbids Real Catholic TV to Use the Name "Catholic"

Folks,

Archbishop Allen Vigneron of the Archdiocese of Detroit (whose photograph is at the left) forbids Michael Voris of Real Catholic TV to use the name Catholic:

Statement Regarding Real Catholic TV and Its Name

In the meantime, so-called Catholic politicians who support the murder of the unborn and the sanctfication of homosexual sodomy can parade themselves up for Holy Communion with impunity.

We need another St. Athanasius to punch that heretic Arius straight in the face once again, knocking him flat on his proverbial behind. As St. Athanasius once said, "The floor of hell is paved with the skulls of bishops." More commentary is here:

Let's All Play the Diocesan Two Step

PS, I have zero tolerance for liberal Democrat effeminate clerics enamored with the sense of authority that they think they can wield against the conservative orthodox faithful.

Atheist Advent and Christmas

Folks,

Today's news article shows the end result of the mindless materialism that today's godless atheism has resulted in.

Slide Show - Mall Rioters

Black Eye Friday: Shoppers throw punches over new Air Jordans

"'They almost took the door off the hinges,' one shopper who didn't want to be identified said, 'there were women with babies in their hands and they on their backs.' Shoppers were in line waiting for the re-release of the Air Jordan XI Concord tennis shoe at Foot Locker, Finish Line and Downtown Locker Room."

The news article reports that this kind of rioting took place at Northlake Mall, Southpark Mall and Carolina Place Mall in Charlotte, NC. With our descent into the abyss of anti-Christianity, people have forgotten that the reason for the season is NOT gift exchange or buying and selling. The reason is the birth of our Most Holy Lord and Savior of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary.

Until atheism and secularism are defeated and relegated into the dustbin of history, incidents like this will get worse and worse, and thus do we make our Lord weep tears of sadness.

Filth in Our Navy

Update: Folks, I am sorry for being so vehement in my disgust, but I simply don't want the nation I love - once a Christian Constitutional Republic - turned into a moral cesspool and a breeding ground for all manner of wickedness and vice. I pray for God's mercy on our country, and for the repentance of Barack Hussein Obama, but I truly mean every word that I write below. Yes, I know that St. Paul concludes his diatribe in Romans 1:18-32 (that I quote below) with the injunction in Romans 2:1:

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, whoever you are, when you judge another; for in passing judgment upon him you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.

However, I still love my country and I don't want to see its people lost to atheism and paganism as the picture embedded within this entry portrays. Yes, I too am in need of daily repentance, for we all are sinners, some "saved by grace" as our Protestant brethren describe it, and some bound for hell. Thus, I find the open display of lesbianism offensive, disgusting and perverted, because lesbianism (as with any evil) bounds a person in the shackles of slavery to sin, sending the victim to hell and that is most regrettable. Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison, Kyrie Eleison.

Folks,

The LA Times reports "Kiss heard 'round the world: Lesbians chosen for Navy tradition." This heinous sexual perversion is beyond description. Those women in this photograph and all like them are godless, filthy, dirty perverts who should be banned from polite and civilized society, but instead that wicked man of sin in the Oval Office glorifies in this to his eternal damnation (should he fail to repent in time). St. Paul explains this well in Romans 1:18-32:

18* For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20* Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse; 21* for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23* and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct. 29 They were filled with all manner of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity, they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them but approve those who practice them.

Hannukah - The Festival of Lights - 2011

Folks,

Hannukah is celebrated from December 20th till the 28th this year. Let us recall from 1st Maccabees 4:36-61 the event in history which led to this celebration, and let us pray for more men of God like Judas Maccabeus and his brethren, that we may stand fast against the Obamination of Desolation as they stood fast against Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

36 Then said Judas and his brothers, "Behold, our enemies are crushed; let us go up to cleanse the sanctuary and dedicate it." 37 So all the army assembled and they went up to Mount Zion. 38 And they saw the sanctuary desolate, the altar profaned, and the gates burned. In the courts they saw bushes sprung up as in a thicket, or as on one of the mountains. They saw also the chambers of the priests in ruins. 39 Then they rent their clothes, and mourned with great lamentation, and sprinkled themselves with ashes. 40 They fell face down on the ground, and sounded the signal on the trumpets, and cried out to Heaven. 41 Then Judas detailed men to fight against those in the citadel until he had cleansed the sanctuary. 42 He chose blameless priests devoted to the law, 43 and they cleansed the sanctuary and removed the defiled stones to an unclean place. 44 They deliberated what to do about the altar of burnt offering, which had been profaned. 45 And they thought it best to tear it down, lest it bring reproach upon them, for the Gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down the altar, 46 and stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple hill until there should come a prophet to tell what to do with them. 47 Then they took unhewn * stones, as the law directs, and built a new altar like the former one. 48 They also rebuilt the sanctuary and the interior of the temple, and consecrated the courts. 49 They made new holy vessels, and brought the lampstand, the altar of incense, and the table into the temple. 50 Then they burned incense on the altar and lighted the lamps on the lampstand, and these gave light in the temple. 51 They placed the bread on the table and hung up the curtains. Thus they finished all the work they had undertaken. 52 Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, which is the month of Chislev, in the one hundred and forty-eighth year, * 53 they rose and offered sacrifice, as the law directs, on the new altar of burnt offering which they had built. 54 At the very season and on the very day that the Gentiles had profaned it, it was dedicated with songs and harps and lutes and cymbals. 55 All the people fell on their faces and worshiped and blessed Heaven, who had prospered them. 56 So they celebrated the dedication of the altar for eight days, and offered burnt offerings with gladness; they offered a sacrifice of deliverance and praise. 57 They decorated the front of the temple with golden crowns and small shields; they restored the gates and the chambers for the priests, and furnished them with doors. 58 There was very great gladness among the people, and the reproach of the Gentiles was removed. 59 Then Judas and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel determined that every year at that season the days of dedication of the altar should be observed with gladness and joy for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev. 60 At that time they fortified Mount Zion with high walls and strong towers round about, to keep the Gentiles from coming and trampling them down as they had done before. 61 And he stationed a garrison there to hold it. He also * fortified Beth-zur, so that the people might have a stronghold that faced Idumea.

Obama's War on Catholics - and All Christians

Folks,

The following is an announcement from Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life. Time grows short and the Devil and his minions are fighting tooth and nail to take every life, every soul that they can. Obama is in the forefront of that fight.

Father Frank's Alerts

How Obama’s War on Catholics is Also a War on the Unborn!
This is a fast-breaking story that requires your immediate attention and action. New developments are coming out every day.

Furthermore, it’s a time-sensitive issue that could help STOP an insidious threat that would otherwise open the floodgates of abortion in the United States like never before.

Here’s what it’s all about…

As you probably know, the so-called “healthcare reform” legislation known as “ObamaCare” – which was narrowly passed by Congress (and only after intense pressure tactics from the White House) – is now facing its toughest challenge ever.

It’s being challenged in court over the constitutionality of its key provision of requiring every U.S. citizen to purchase health insurance or else face a penalty.

What’s more, from a pro-life standpoint, Obamacare is an atrocity because it requires health insurance plans to PAY FOR ABORTION! That means YOU would be paying for abortion coverage whether you want to or not every time you pay your insurance premium.

This alone is unconscionable. But as you know, the abortion industry desperately WANTS and NEEDS Obamacare because it would flood their coffers with untold millions of dollars -- paid by you and me, of course – at a time when the entire abortion industry is in danger of closing down because of the work of so many good pro-lifers like you.

It’s true. The number of abortion mills in America keeps shrinking – almost on a daily basis. They’re feeling the onslaught of heavy fines, lawsuits, new regulations, criminal investigations, as well as convictions and prison sentences for the baby butchers.

Bottom line? The abortion industry is hurting – BIG TIME.

And that’s why they NEED Obamacare. It will keep them afloat. It will be a source of unrestricted funding for abortion – the likes of which we’ve never seen. It will make the federal government’s subsidies to Planned Parenthood (a million dollars a day) look like chicken feed.

And even though the Obama Administration is quick to deny that Obamacare will force taxpayers to buy insurance policies that cover abortifacient drugs (mistakenly called “contraception”), we now know that this is patently untrue.

Consider this recent disturbing development that’s come straight out of the Obama Administration: In a little-known amendment, the Department of Health and Human Services (under the “Catholic” pro-abortion leader, Kathleen Sebelius) is now going to require Catholic hospitals, schools, and charities to buy health insurance for their employees that cover abortifacients and sterilization – even though these are repugnant to the Catholic conscience, and a clear violation of religious rights.

The Obama Administration doesn’t care. Their goal is to force abortion – in every form – down our throats, no matter what. And Obamacare is the tool they plan to use to achieve their diabolical goals.

So this brings us to the current state of affairs – and the reason I’m writing to you today…

Right now, with the constitutionality of Obamacare soon to be ruled upon by the U.S. Supreme Court, we have a chance to STOP this abortion free-for-all legislation in its tracks.

How? It’s very simple: You see, right now the Supreme Court is fairly evenly-divided on Obamacare. Just one “swing vote” would make the difference between Obamacare getting the Court’s seal of approval, or being shot down entirely.

Now, it’s unfortunately true that the average U.S. citizen has little or no direct influence (other than prayer and fasting) over how the Court rules on any given case. We could write letters to the Justices until our hands fell off, and it wouldn’t do any good – because the Court does not “represent” the people like Congress does, and therefore isn’t receptive to voter input.

Therefore, in this case, we have to take stock of what influence we can exert over the Court and how it will vote on Obamacare.

Frankly, there seems to be only one way available to us right now – and that is to have Justice Elena Kagan recuse herself from the Obamacare case.

Everybody already knows where she stands and how she will vote. She’s strongly pro-abortion. After all, she’s an Obama appointee, AND she argued for Obamacare when she was the Solicitor General of the United States. Newly revealed documents even show that she was intimately involved in creating the legislation.

Simply put, she should not participate in any case if she worked on it as a lawyer.

And that’s her Achilles heel.

The way our justice system works, any judge who is pre-biased in any way on any case because of prior work on the case (particularly as a government official) is legally and ethically required to not to rule on that case. The judge must “recuse” himself (or herself) and step down, or “sit it out.”

This clearly applies to Justice Kagan when it comes to Obamacare. She should have already recused herself on this particular case because of her work on behalf of Obamacare when she was Solicitor General. But… she admitted in her Senate confirmation hearings that she wouldn’t.

After all, as we know too well, the “normal rules” don’t apply when it comes to abortion.

We call it “The Abortion Distortion” for a reason!

Pro-aborts simply do not play by the rules when something threatens abortion, even in the slightest way. Their hypocrisy and virulence abounds all the more, in fact.

Such is the case here.

Mind you, Justice Kagan has already recused herself on no less than THIRTY different cases that have come before the Supreme Court since she took her seat on the bench. And in each one, it was because she had previously argued for or against one side of the case while she was Solicitor General.

That means she did the right thing on those 30 previous cases.

However, because the Obamacare case involves abortion – and, most importantly, the “blank check” that will save the abortion industry from total financial collapse in the next few years – Justice Kagan is being told by the Obama Administration NOT to recuse herself.They need her vote on the Supreme Court. Because without her, the Court will almost surely vote against the constitutionality of Obamacare.

This would be bad news for the abortion industry and bad news for President Obama – because his Obamacare is basically the only accomplishment he has achieved since he entered the White House. And now it’s in BIG danger – right during the coming election season.

This is why the pro-life movement is now calling for Justice Kagan to do the right thing and recuse herself from the Obamacare case – just as she’s done on the previous 30 cases where she had a “pre-existing condition” biasing her.

But… surprise, surprise… the Obama Administration – in the form of the U.S. Attorney General’s office – is digging its heels in and refusing to demand that Justice Kagan recuse herself.

Attorney General Eric Holder, who is the one responsible for making sure there’s no conflict-of-interest on the Supreme Court, is completely “stonewalling” Congress on this matter.

He refuses to even take up the issue – stalling for as long as he can until it’s “too late” for Justice Kagan to recuse herself. Delay-and-stall tactics are the hallmark of someone who doesn’t have a leg to stand on.

Suffice it to say that something has to be done NOW to get Justice Kagan to recuse herself from the Obamacare case when it’s heard by the Supreme Court.

Fortunately, there IS something YOU can do!

Right now, an effort is being led by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith – a pro-life Texas Republican – to investigate Justice Kagan’s conflict-of-interest on the ObamaCare legislation.

In fact, Congressman Smith wrote to Attorney General Eric Holder to inform him of the investigation. In his letter, Smith states…

“I write to request relevant documents and witness interviews in order to properly understand U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Elena Kagan’s involvement in health care legislation or litigation while serving as United States Solicitor General.

“In recent weeks, questions have been raised about whether Justice Kagan’s prior work on what became the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) while serving as Solicitor General should disqualify her from hearing challenges to its constitutionality… All parties agree the critical question is the extent of her involvement, as Solicitor General, in formulating the Administration’s legal position on PPACA, which was signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010.”

Congressman Smith is being backed by at least 50 other representatives in the House – as well as by pro-life leaders around the country.

In fact, I recently signed a petition spearheaded by the Judicial Action Group – co-signed by more than 85 pro-life and citizens’ group leaders – to ensure that a proper investigation is conducted into Kagan’s qualifications (or lack thereof) to judge the Obamacare case.

Click here to read the full letter!

Likewise, I urge you to take action now and send your own e-mail to Congressman Lamar Smith so that he knows he has the full support of concerned pro-lifers like you.

You can do this quickly and easily by clicking here for the automatic e-mail we’ve already prepared for you. It takes just a few seconds, but it will be worth more than you can imagine if we’re able to get Justice Kagan to recuse herself from the Obamacare hearings when they come before the Supreme Court.

Click here to send the automatic e-mail.

I thank you, in advance, for your willingness to help with this vital and time-sensitive effort.

Wishing you a Blessed Advent,

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

Tonight's Humor - Merry Christmas!

The Coming of the Christ

Folks,

Once again after opening comments up to moderation, an atheist comes along with his garbage (which I promptly deleted). Some will say, "Oh, but that's a chance to witness to him!" Perhaps, but most likely not. Every atheist who has come here to comment has received not a word said, but rather reviled, condemned, ridiculed, and castigated the only civilizing influence on human history for the past 2000 years. As Jesus Himself commanded:

"Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you." Matthew 7:6

Atheists have had the whole of the 20th century to have had their say, and by so saying have fulfilled what Jesus said: "...lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you." Under their heroes, Vladimir Lenin, Josef Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Mao Tse Tung, Pol Pot, Kim Il Sung and Kim Il Jung, Fidel Castro, and innumerable others, they murdered upwards of 100 million people. Over the past 40 years they have murdered upwards of 60 million unborn babies in these United States. Everytime they get power, they murder just as their father the Devil has taught them. Robespierre was perhaps the first modern test case run by Lucifer, proving once again the old adage that a rabid dog cannot be cured. Some will say that's harsh of me. Really? Hundreds of millions of corpses say otherwise.

This is the ending of the Season of Advent and the time of the celebration of Jesus' First Coming into this world when He arrived as an innocent baby some 2000 years ago to save sinners from damnation - a damnation embraced by today's atheists. Now is the time to repent (and that is the only word to be given to them), for His Second Coming will be entirely different:

"Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name inscribed which no one knows but himself. He is clad in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, followed him on white horses. From his mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, King of kings and Lord of lords. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly in midheaven, 'Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.' And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who sits upon the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had worked the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur. And the rest were slain by the sword of him who sits upon the horse, the sword that issues from his mouth; and all the birds were gorged with their flesh." Revelation 19:11-21.

How Many Nuclear Power Plants to Make the Image on the Shroud of Turin?

Folks,

Michael Voris this evening reports on the results of research that the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (otherwise known as "ENEA") conducted on the Shroud of Turin over the space of five years:

34 Thousand Billion Watts
Proceedings of the International Workshop on the Scientific Approach to the Acheiropoietos Images

According to Mr. Voris' report, the scientists involved in this study have concluded that a power source of some 34 thousand billion watts of ultraviolet radiation would have been required to make the image of the crucified man that appears on the Shroud of Turin.

Assuming that I have worked out the arithmetic correctly, 34 thousand billion watts is 34 trillion watts. That is equivalent to the output of 34 thousand nuclear power plants each having an electrical power production capacity of 1000 MWe. In contrast, there are only about 433 nuclear power plants on the planet, most with capacities below the 1000 MWe figure, and none above 2000 MWe. So the question is this: if the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead did not create the image imprinted on the Shroud of Turin, then what exactly did? There were no nuclear power plants (or any other electrical generating plants, for that matter) during New Testament times. Atheism again runs into the stone wall of reality.

Generation 4 Nuclear Reactor Designs

Folks,

This is a continuation in our series on nuclear reactors. We have already discussed current nuclear reactor designs, new nuclear reactor designs and advanced nuclear reactor designs. In this post we will discuss Generation IV nuclear reactor designs. Material from the US DOE and Wikipedia has been freely used.

The reason for this focus on nuclear energy (aside from the fact that the reader's blogmeister works in the nuclear power industry) is to emphasize that we do not have an energy crisis nor a lack of obtaining fuel to provide electrical power and to generate hydrogen that can replace fossil fuel in motor vehicles. Rather, we have a crisis of human greed run amuk - fossil fuel companies in bed with government politicians in an orgy of profit seeking and power mongering via corporate socialism (also called croney capitalism). Corporate executive and government politician alike conspire in tightening the strangle-hold of addiction to coal, oil and "natural" gas while holding up the false promise of deliverance by shiney tin-foil solar cells or the twirling blade of wind mills, both of which by the nature of the inconstancy of weather necessitate spinning reserve from power plants that combust solid mineral rock (i.e., coal), liquid slime (i.e., oil) or the gaseous refuse of million-year old plant decay (i.e., "natural" gas). God has endowed enough thorium and uranium in Earth's crust to fuel all seven billion people on the planet at a level required to meet the consumption needs of the average American for tens of thousands of years. With access to low cost, non-polluting energy, no human being need ever starve, be homeless, or suffer from cold or excessive heat again. The reason why we do not do this is quite simply because of the love of money which St. Paul tells us in 1st Timothy 6:10 is the root of all evil. God has given us all the tools we need, and all we need is a sense of ethics and morality to use them. Nevertheless, before I am distracted onto another side-track, let us continue with the main thrust to today's entry on nuclear energy.
The evolution to Generation IV reactor designs is depicted in the diagram below.

Generation I in the 1950s and 60s in the US consisted of the Shippingport PWR and the Dresden BWR, and in Great Britain consisted of the Magnox gas cooled reactors.

Generation II in the 1970s to the present consisted of PWRs by Westinghouse, Combustion Engineering and Babcock and Wilcox, BWRs by GE and heavy water reactors in Canada called Candus.

Generation III reactor designs consisted of the Westinghouse AP600 PWR, the Combustion Engineering System 80+ PWR and advanced Candu heavy water reactors.

Generation III+ reactors designs include the GE-Hitachi ABWR and ESBWR, the Westinghouse AP1000, the Areva EPR and the Mitsubishi APWR, all of which are in various stages of design apporval before the US NRC.

The evolution to and a description of the designs for Generation IV reactors may be found in the slide show at the following hyperlinked title:

Introduction to Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems and the International Forum

A brief description of each design follows:

Gas-cooled fast reactor features a fast-neutron-spectrum, helium-cooled reactor and closed fuel cycle

The high outlet temperature of the helium coolant used in the GFR system makes it possible to deliver electricity, hydrogen, or process heat with high efficiency. The reference reactor is a 1200-MWe helium-cooled system operating with an outlet temperature of 850 degrees Celsius using a direct Brayton cycle gas turbine for high thermal efficiency.

Several fuel forms are candidates that hold the potential to operate at very high temperatures and to ensure an excellent retention of fission products: composite ceramic fuel, advanced fuel particles, or ceramic-clad elements of actinide compounds. Core configurations may be based on prismatic blocks, pin- or plate-based assemblies. The GFR reference has an integrated, on-site spent fuel treatment and refabrication plant.

The GFR uses a direct-cycle helium turbine for electricity generation, or can optionally use its process heat for thermochemical production of hydrogen. Through the combination of a fast spectrum and full recycle of actinides, the GFR minimizes the production of long-lived radioactive waste. The GFR's fast spectrum also makes it possible to use available fissile and fertile materials (including depleted uranium) considerably more efficiently than thermal spectrum gas reactors with once-through fuel cycles.

It is anticipated that GFR systems will minimise the production of long-lived radioactive waste and make it possible to utilize fissile and fertile materials (including depleted uranium) two orders of magnitude more efficiently than thermal spectrum systems. The key challenges associated with this system concern the development of new fuels and materials capable of operating at temperatures of 850°C, the core design and helium turbine. The innovative GFR technologies and design features are intended to overcome the consequences of using a high-pressure gas with poor thermal characteristics to cool down a core with a low thermal inertia during depressurization events.

Very-high-temperature reactor (VHTR) is a graphite-moderated, helium-cooled reactor with a once-through uranium fuel cycle.

The VHTR is designed to be a high-efficiency system, which can supply electricity and process heat to a broad spectrum of high-temperature and energy-intensive processes.

The reference reactor is a 600 MWth core connected to an intermediate heat exchanger to deliver process heat. The reactor core can be a prismatic block core or a pebble-bed core according to the fuel particles assembly. Fuel particles are coated with successive material layers, high temperature resistant, then formed either into fuel compacts embedded in graphite block for the prismatic block-type core reactor, or formed into graphite coated pebbles. The reactor supplies heat with core outlet temperatures up to 1,000 degrees Celsius, which enables such applications as hydrogen production or process heat for the petrochemical industry. As a nuclear heat application, hydrogen can be efficiently produced from only heat and water by using thermochemical iodine-sulfur process, or high temperature electrolysis process or with additional natural gas by applying the steam reformer technology.

Thus, the VHTR offers a high-efficiency electricity production and a broad range of process heat applications, while retaining the desirable safety characteristics in normal as well as off-normal events. Solutions to adequate waste management will be developed. The basic technology for the VHTR has been well established in former High Temperature Gas Reactors plants, such as the US Fort Saint Vrain and Peach Bottom prototypes, and the German AVR and THTR prototypes. The technology is being advanced through near- or medium-term projects lead by several plant vendors and national laboratories, such as: PBMR, GT-HTR300C, ANTARES, NHDD, GT-MHR and NGNP in South Africa, Japan, France, Republic of Korea and the United States. Experimental reactors: HTTR (Japan, 30 MWth) and HTR-10 (China, 10 MWth) support the advanced concept development, and the cogeneration of electricity and nuclear heat application.

The VHTR offers the potential for the cogeneration of electricity and hydrogen, alongside process heat applications. As the basic technology for VHTR systems has already been established in high temperature gas reactor plants, the design is an evolutionary development. However, the system’s aim of operating above 1000°C presents significant challenges in terms of fuel and materials development, as well as safety under transient conditions.

Supercritical-water-cooled reactor (SCWR) is a high-temperature, high-pressure, water-cooled reactor that operates above the thermodynamic critical point of water.

The supercritical water coolant enables a thermal efficiency about one-third higher than current light-water reactors, as well as simplification in the balance of plant. The balance of plant is considerably simplified because the coolant does not change phase in the reactor and is directly coupled to the energy conversion equipment. The reference system is 1,700 MWe with an operating pressure of 25 MPa, and a reactor outlet temperature of 510 degrees Celsius, possibly ranging up to 550 degrees Celsius. The fuel is uranium oxide. Passive safety features are incorporated similar to those of simplified boiling water reactors.

The SCWR system is primarily designed for efficient electricity production, with an option for actinide management based on two options in the core design: the SCWR may have a thermal or fast-spectrum reactor; the second is a closed cycle with a fast-spectrum reactor and full actinide recycle based on advanced aqueous processing at a central location.

As the system uses existing light water reactor technology, there is already extensive worldwide experience in constructing and operating this sort of reactor. Proposed designs are likely to enjoy high thermal efficiency and a simplified system configuration. A SCWR design could be developed with a fast neutron spectrum. Using fast neutrons with higher kinetic energies would enable the system to produce at least as much fissile material as it consumes (thereby fulfilling the sustainability goal as set out in the Generation IV roadmap). This concept’s tendency to have a positive void reactivity coefficient together with the potential for design basis loss-of-coolant accidents are likely to make this difficult to develop. The other major challenges for the SCWR are to develop a viable core design, accurately estimate the heat transfer coefficient and develop materials for the fuel and core structure that will be sufficiently corrosion-resistant to withstand SCWR conditions.

Sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) features a fast-spectrum, sodium-cooled reactor and closed fuel cycle for efficient management of actinides and conversion of fertile uranium.

The SFR is designed for management of high-level wastes and, in particular, management of plutonium and other actinides. Important safety features of the system include a long thermal response time, a large margin to coolant boiling, a primary system that operates near atmospheric pressure, and intermediate sodium system between the radioactive sodium in the primary system and the power conversion system. Water/steam and carbon-dioxide are being considered as the working fluids for the power conversion system in order to achieve high-level performances in thermal efficiency, safety and reliability. With innovations to reduce capital cost, the SFR can serve markets for electricity.

The fuel cycle employs a full actinide recycle with three major options. The first option is a large size (600 to 1,500 MWe) loop-type sodium-cooled reactor using mixed uranium-plutonium oxide fuel, supported by a fuel cycle based upon advanced aqueous processing at a central location serving a number of reactors. The second option is an intermediate size (300 to 600 MWe) pool-type reactor and the third a small size (50 to 150MWe) modular-type sodium-cooled reactor employing uranium-plutonium-minor-actinide-zirconium metal alloy fuel, supported by a fuel cycle based on pyrometallurgical processing in facilities integrated with the reactor. The outlet temperature is approximately 550 degrees celsius for all the three concepts.

The SFR's fast spectrum also makes it possible to use available fissile and fertile materials (including depleted uranium) considerably more efficiently than thermal spectrum reactors with once-through fuel cycles.

The SFR system already benefits from considerable technological experience, but also offers the potential to operate with a high conversion fast spectrum core, with the resulting benefit of increasing the utilization of fuel resources. The envisaged SFR capability to efficiently and nearly completely consume trans-uranium as fuel would reduce the actinide loadings in the high-level radioactive waste it produces. Such reductions would bring benefits in the radioactive waste disposal requirements associated with the system and enhance its non-proliferation attributes. Reducing the capital cost and improving passive safety, especially under transient conditions, are the major challenges for the SFR system.

Lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) features a fast-spectrum, lead/bismuth eutectic liquid-metal-cooled reactor and a closed fuel cycle for efficient conversion of fertile uranium and management of actinides.

The LFR system has excellent materials management capabilities since it operates in the fast-neutron spectrum and uses a closed fuel cycle for efficient conversion of fertile uranium. It can also be used as a burner to consume actinides from spent LWR fuel and as a burner/breeder with thorium matrices. An important feature of the LFR is the enhanced safety that results from the choice of molten lead as a relatively inert coolant. In terms of sustainability, lead is abundant and hence available, even in case of deployment of a large number of reactors. More importantly, as with other fast systems, fuel sustainability is greatly enhanced by the conversion capabilities of the LFR fuel cycle.

The LFR was primarily envisioned for missions in electricity and hydrogen production, and actinide management. Given its R and D needs in the areas of fuels, materials, and corrosion control, a two step process leading to industrial deployment of the LFR system has been envisioned: by 2025 for reactors operating with relatively low primary coolant temperature and low power density; and by 2035 for more advanced designs. The preliminary evaluation of the LFR concepts considered by the LFR Provisional System Steering Committee (PSSC) covers their performance in the areas of sustainability, economics, safety and reliability and proliferation resistance and physical protection.

The LFR concepts that are currently being designed are two pool-type reactors:

(1) the Small Secure Transportable Autonomous Reactor (SSTAR), developed in the USA and
(2) the European Lead-cooled System (ELSY), developed by the EC.

The main advantages of the LFR system are its expected fuel efficiency, its capabilities in terms of nuclear materials management (thereby mitigating proliferation risks) and the reduced production of high-level radioactive waste and actinides.

Molten salt reactor (MSR) produces fission power in a circulating molten salt fuel mixture with an epithermal-spectrum reactor and a full actinide recycling fuel cycle.

In a Molten Salt Reactor (MSR), the fuel is dissolved in a fluoride salt coolant. Prior MSRs were mainly considered as thermal-neutron-spectrum graphite-moderated concepts. Since 2005 R&D has focused on the development of fast-spectrum MSR concepts (MSFR) combining the generic assets of fast neutron reactors (extended resource utilization, waste minimization) to those relating to molten salt fluorides as fluid fuel and coolant (favourable thermal-hydraulic properties, high boiling temperature, optical transparency). In addition, MSFRs exhibit large negative temperature and void reactivity coefficients, a unique safety characteristic not found in solid-fuel fast reactors. MSFR systems have been recognized as a long term alternative to solid-fuelled fast neutron systems with unique potential (negative feedback coefficients, smaller fissile inventory, easy in-service inspection, simplified fuel cycle, etc.).

Apart from MSR systems, other advanced reactor concepts are being studied employing liquid salt technology as primary coolant in Fluoride-cooled High-temperature Reactor (FHR), or intermediate coolant as an alternative to secondary sodium in Sodium Fast Reactors (SFR) and to intermediate helium in Very High Temperature Reactors (VHTR).

More generally speaking, the development of higher temperature salts as coolants could bring new nuclear and non-nuclear applications. These salts could facilitate heat transfer for nuclear hydrogen production concepts, concentrated solar electricity generation, oil refineries and shale oil processing facilities amongst other applications.

Fluoride-cooled High-temperature Reactors (FHRs) combine the use of liquid fluoride salt coolants (like MSRs), pool type cores and vessel configurations in common with many sodium reactor designs, and coated particle fuels similar to high temperature gas-cooled reactors (Forsberg et al., 2008). The two most developed FHR designs are the 1200 MWe Advanced High Temperature Reactor (AHTR) that employs prismatic fuel elements and the 410MWe Pebble Bed Advanced High Temperature Reactor (PB-AHTR). The better fluoride salt heat transport characteristics, as compared to helium, enable power densities 4 to 8 times greater as well as power levels over 4000 MWt with passive safety systems. Fuel cycle characteristics are essentially identical to those of the VHTR, while intermediate heat transport, power conversion and balance of plant are essentially identical to those of the “reference” MSR.

Fourth Advent Propers (1928 BCP)

Fourth Advent Propers (1928 BCP)

No More Abortion - No More Liberalism!

Folks,

We MUST win this next election in November of 2012. That godless man of depravity and perversion - Barack Hussein Obama - MUST be defeated.

No gay marriage.
No abortion.
No force redistribution of wealth.
Yes, nuclear energy.
Yes, an overwhelmingly strong military.
Yes, a manned space program.
Yes, the obliteration of militant atheism and fascist Islam.
Yes, an overwhelmingly strong Israel.

Liberals must be shoved back into the closet from which they came. If that means I have to hold my nose as I vote for a Republican candidate whom I would not otherwise choose, then so be it.

Four Republican presidential candidates -- Minnesota U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum -- on Dec. 14 attended the Iowa screening of the anti-abortion documentary, The Gift of Life, at Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines.

The Gift of Life screening with Bachmann, Gingrich, Perry and Santorum

What You Believe Makes a Difference

Folks,

Father Robert Barron has issued a new video entitled, "What You Believe Makes a Difference." I encourage the interested reader to take the nine plus minutes to listen to this important discussion. The atheist dictators of the 20th century - Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, etc. - have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that what someone believes does make a difference, to the tune of one hundred million murdered under the cry, "There is no God but me." This is exactly why today's liberal Democrat movement of force wealth redistribution, abortion on demand and militant homosexuality is so dangerous. My advice remains the same as always: atheist dictators fear nothing so much as an armed and free people.

The Pink Swastika: Homosexuality and the Nazi Party

Folks,

A commenter at this blogsite - Scotju - has kindly pointed out, in response to our recent post "Homosexual Hate Speech," a work written by Scott Lively and Kevin Abrams entitled, "The Pink Swastika: Homosexuality and the Nazi Party." Admittedly your blogmeister here at Commentarius de Prognosticis knows little about this book except what the web site accessed at the aforementioned hyperlinked title reveals. But the book's thesis is reasonable, "... that the Nazi Party was conceived, organized and controlled throughout its short history by masculine-oriented male homosexuals who hid their sexual proclivities from the public, in part by publicly persecuting one group of their political enemies: out-of-the-closet effeminate-oriented homosexuals aligned with the German Communist Party."

Now Adolph Hitler himself seems to have been a heterosexual, but not without the usual set of sexual perversions that afflict the godlessly reprobate. But the glorification of the Nordic male physique for which Nazism is well known is shared by today's filthy dirty sodomite perverts overrunning our society. Thus, the similarities between yesterday's National Socialist Worker's Party and today's national socialist liberal democracy cannot be denied. However, what is so ironic is that today's Adolph Hitler - Barck Hussein Obama - is a man whose mixed racial heritage would have sadly ensured his incineration in the Nazi stalags. But the devil doesn't care how he murders, so long as he murders, hence the demonism of militant homosexual sodomy.

Advanced Nuclear Reactor Designs

Folks,

In continuing our series of posts on nuclear energy (Current Nuclear Reactor Designs and New Nuclear Reactor Designs), this post concerns Advanced Nuclear Reactor Designs proposed to the US NRC. Our next post will be on Generation IV Nuclear Reactor Designs. Again, the information below has been taken from the web sites of the US NRC itself, Wikipedia or those of the companies proposing the designs.

DOE Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP)

The Department of Energy’s Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP), using gas-cooled reactor technology with a prismatic or pebble bed fuel design, is intended provide the blueprint for the commercial industry to manage the heat from the next generation of advanced nuclear plants for energy production and industrial processing. This high temperature gas-cooled reactor could provide heat for industrial process at temperatures from 700 to 950°C, thus enabling catalytic production of hydrogen gas for transportation fuel. This reactor could open the door for a wider range of other commercial applications than possible with the current light water reactor technology that operates near 300°C. NGNP is based on the safety of the high temperature gas-cooled reactor and would make improvements beyond the already demonstrated safety of commercial light water reactors. The high temperature gas-cooled reactor would meet and exceed current nuclear standards in reliability, proliferation resistance, waste management and security capabilities.

NuScale Reactor

NuScale is an integral pressurized-water reactor (iPWR), designed by NuScale Power, Inc. The design is based on MASLWR (Multi-Application Small Light Water Reactor) developed at Oregon State University in the early 2000s. NuScale is a natural circulation light water reactor with the reactor core and helical coil steam generator located in a common reactor vessel in a cylindrical steel containment. The reactor vessel/containment module is submerged in water in the reactor building safety related pool. The reactor building is located below grade. The reactor building is designed to hold 12 SMRs. Each NuScale SMR has a rated thermal output of 160 MWt and electrical output of 45 MWe, yielding a total capacity of 540 MWe for 12 SMRs.









Babcock and Wilcox mPower Reactor

The mPower reactor is an integral pressurized-water reactor (iPWR), designed by the Babcock and Wilcox Company. It is a light water reactor with the reactor and steam generator located in a single reactor vessel located in an underground containment. The mPower reactor has a rated thermal output of 400 MWt and electrical output of 125 MWe.













GE-Hitachi Power Reactor Innovation Small Module (PRISM)

S-PRISM, also called PRISM (Power Reactor Innovative Small Module), is the name of a nuclear power plant design by GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) based on a sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor. The design utilizes reactor modules, each having a power output of 311 MWe, to enable factory fabrication at low cost. The design is based on the Integral Fast Reactor. The Integral Fast Reactor was developed at the West Campus of the Argonne National Laboratory in Idaho Falls, Idaho and was the intended successor to the Experimental Breeder Reactor II. The Integral Fast Reactor project was shut down by the U.S. Congress in 1994. The S-PRISM represents GEH's Generation IV reactor solution to closing the nuclear fuel cycle and is also part of its Advanced Recycling Center proposition to U.S. Congress to deal with nuclear waste. In October 2010, GEH signed a memorandum of understanding with the operators of the Department of Energy's Savannah River site, which should allow the construction of a demonstration reactor prior to the design receiving full NRC licensing approval.

Hyperion Power Module

The HPM is a next generation design that uses a liquid metal cooled, uranium nitride fueled, fast-spectrum reactor that employs control rods for reactivity control. The reactor has been designed to deliver 70 MW of heat (25 MW of electricity) for a 10-year lifetime, without refueling. Key advantages of the HPM design are:

(1) Advanced reactor design – Use of advanced reactor concepts provides for a safer and simpler reactor, elimination of many potential accident scenarios that affect LWRs, and elimination of complex reactor systems.
(2) Small reactor – A smaller reactor is more appropriately sized for smaller generation requirements, can directly replace existing diesel fueled generators, and requires no upgrade to existing small electricity distribution systems.
(3) 10-year power module replacement – The HPM provides 25 MW(e) continuously for 10 years on its initial fuel load (compared to an 18 to 24 month cycle for current light water reactors). No on-site refueling is required. After 10 years the entire reactor module is replaced.
(4) Underground containment vault – The reactor is sited in an underground containment vault to provide isolation from the environment, prevent intrusion or tampering, and avoid harm from natural disasters.
(5) Factory-assembled transportable power modules – Factory assembly allows for standard designs, superior quality control, and faster construction and on-site deployment.

Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBWR)

The Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) is a particular design of pebble bed reactor under development by South African company PBMR (Pty) Ltd since 1994. The pebble bed reactor (PBR) is a graphite-moderated, gas-cooled, nuclear reactor. It is a type of very high temperature reactor (VHTR), one of the six classes of nuclear reactors in the Generation IV initiative. Like other VHTR designs, the PBR uses TRISO fuel particles, which allows for high outlet temperatures and passive safety. The base of the PBR's design is the spherical fuel elements called pebbles. These tennis ball-sized pebbles are made of pyrolytic graphite (which acts as the moderator), and they contain thousands of micro fuel particles called TRISO particles. These TRISO fuel particles consist of a fissile material (such as 235U) surrounded by a coated ceramic layer of silicon carbide for structural integrity and fission product containment. In the PBR, thousands of pebbles are amassed to create a reactor core, and are cooled by an inert or semi-inert gas such as helium, nitrogen or carbon dioxide. This type of reactor is passively safe; that is, it removes the need for redundant, active safety systems. Because the reactor is designed to handle high temperatures, it can cool by natural circulation and still survive in accident scenarios, which may raise the temperature of the reactor to 1,600 °C. Because of its design, its high temperatures allow higher thermal efficiencies than possible in traditional nuclear power plants (up to 50%) and has the additional feature that the gases do not dissolve contaminants or absorb neutrons as water does, so the core has less in the way of radioactive fluids. A number of prototypes have been built. Active development continued in South Africa until 2010 as the PBMR design, and in China whose HTR-10 is the only prototype currently operating.

Homosexual Hate Speech

"The hate speech of the homosexual agenda is becoming ever prevalent in today's society ... as activists in the movement step up to attack not only marriage, but the Saints of the Catholic Church." Michael Voris' video on this may be found at the following hyperlinked title or at the You Tube video embedded below.

Homsexual Hate Speech

And just as the militant homosexuals are attacking the Catholic Church, so they will any other Christian denomination that believes in the inerrancy of Scripture, especially Scripture condeming homosexual filth. There can be no religious freedom in a society that allows, even promotes the militant homosexual agenda.

Update

A reader made the following observation which I think constitutes a good question, "How is there no such thing as a transgender person? Michael Voris states that 'they don't exist'"

My response follows:

I am not certain what Voris meant by "there's no such thing as a transgender person." On first glance, some humans (a vanishingly small number) are born androgenous or as hermaphrodites (both mutations). Are they "transgender"? And for those born as one gender, are they "transgender" when they undergo sex-change operations? I don't know.

Nevertheless, I am opposed to "sex change" operations EXCEPT in the extreme cases of androgeny or hermaphroditism. There are also unique but rare cases when one has the sex organs of one gender and the chromosomes of the other. These are very difficult ones to deal with.

But maybe when Voris says there is no such thing as transgender, he isn't referring to those. Maybe he means that transvestitism (wearing the clothes of the other gender) doesn't make one the other gender (which is absolutely correct). He could be a bit more nuanced. And that's one of the several reasons why I haven't been posting his videos for the past few months. To his defense, though, a six minute video leaves little room for nuancing.

Christmas - from Canon Paul Castellano of the Orthodox Anglican Communion

Christmas - from Canon Paul Castellano of the Orthodox Anglican Communion

Something to ponder in this Advent season:

CHRISTMAS

Christmas is not about presents, and gifts and parties. None of which are wrong in and of themselves. What has happened, unfortunately, is that THAT has BECOME the meaning and focus of Christmas. Everyone begins to anticipate, not its true meaning, but the parties, presents and gifts. This makes Christmas no more than an excuse to have another party.

Christmas, the TRUE meaning of Christmas is, 2,000 years ago, in a small barn, amidst hay, dirt, urine, manure and freezing cold, God graciously and sacrificially gave the greatest gift of all time. That gift was the answer to man's most serious and difficult problem - man's alienation from God due to sin. The gift was the birth of a baby; a tiny little infant, in whose existence rested man's ultimate Joy, Hope and Security. That baby, that tiny little child, was born King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He, the second person of the Triune Godhead, being perfect with God the Father and The Spirit, left Heavens perfection and Glory and took upon Himself the humiliation of human flesh; the degradation of soiling Himself in a dirty, smelly diaper, in order to GIVE TO US God’s greatest gift - salvation. Salvation from God's judgment and wrath; salvation from sin. It is HE upon whom we should focus on Christmas Day - not picking out the perfect gift, the best CD, the most expensive sweater. Not sharing gifts - no matter how noble that may APPEAR to be. That only cheapens His Birth and, eventual sacrifice for us if that is our focus. It distracts our focus from Him. And it is upon Him, and because of Him, and for Him we should celebrate Christmas.

Merry Christmas my friends - Truly

New Nuclear Reactor Designs

Folks,

Continuing with yesterday’s post on Current Nuclear Reactor Designs, today’s is on New Nuclear Reactor Designs. These are the ones currently under review by or proposed to the US NRC, and are usually called “Generation III” to differentiate them from the “Generation II” designs currently in use. These new designs are built on lessons learned from the current fleet of nuclear reactors, and often they employ passive safety features which rely on natural circulation cooling and gravity-driven core and / or containment flooding in the event of an improbable but hypothetical accident. These reactor designs are equipped with provisions and measures against the type of accident that occurred at Fukushima Daiichi in the aftermath of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in March, 2011. The information provided below has been extracted from the web sites that the US NRC maintains for Design Certification of New Reactors, from Wikipedia, or from the web sites maintained by the corporations proposing the new design.

GE-Hitachi ABWR

The NRC certified the U.S. ABWR design in May 1997. The ABWR is a single-cycle, force-circulation, boiling-water reactor (BWR), with a rated power of 3926 MWt, designed by GE Nuclear Energy. The design incorporates features of the BWR designs in Europe, Japan, and the United States, and uses improved electronics, computer, turbine, and fuel technology. Improvements include the use of internal recirculation pumps, control rod drives that can be controlled by a screw mechanism (rather than a step process), microprocessor-based digital control and logic systems, and digital safety systems. The design also includes safety enhancements, such as protection against overpressurizing the containment, passive core debris flooding capability, an independent water makeup system, three emergency diesels, and a combustion turbine as an alternative power source. The U.S. ABWR design is similar to the international ABWR design, which was built at the Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Generation Station, Units 6 and 7 (K-6/7), by the Tokyo Electric Power Company, Inc.

Westinghouse AP1000 

The AP1000 is a two-loop PWR planned to produce a net 1154 MWe. The design is less expensive to build than other Generation III plants partly because it uses existing technology. The design also decreases the number of components, including pipes, wires, and valves. Standardization and type-licensing should also help reduce the time and cost of construction. Because of its simplified design compared to a Westinghouse generation II PWR, the AP1000 has:

50% fewer safety-related valves
35% fewer pumps
80% less safety related piping
85% less control cable
45% less seismic building volume

The design is considerably more compact in land usage than most existing PWRs, and uses under a fifth of the concrete and rebar reinforcing of older designs. In December 2005, the NRC approved the final design certification for the AP1000. This means that prospective builders can apply for a Combined Construction and Operating License (COL) before construction starts, whose validity is conditional upon the plant being built as designed, and that each AP1000 should be virtually identical.

GE-Hitachi ESBWR

The Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR) is a passively safe generation III+ reactor derived from the predecessor Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (SBWR) and the Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR). The passive safety systems in an ESBWR operate without using pumps whatsoever, thereby further increasing design safety integrity and reliability, while simultaneously reducing overall reactor cost. It also uses natural circulation for coolant recirculation within the reactor pressure vessel (RPV); there are no recirculation pumps and none of the associated piping, power supplies, heat exchangers and instrumentation & controls. ESBWR’s passive safety systems include a combination of three systems that allow for the efficient transfer of decay heat from the reactor to pools of water outside of containment – the Isolation Condenser System, the Gravity Driven Cooling System, and the Passive Containment Cooling System. These systems utilize natural circulation based on simple laws of physics to transfer the decay heat outside of containment while maintaining water inventory inside the reactor keeping the nuclear fuel submerged in water and adequately cooled.

Areva US EPR 

The U.S. EPR is an evolutionary pressurized-water reactor (PWR), designed by AREVA Nuclear Power. It is a four-loop plant with a rated thermal output of 4,500 MWt. The U.S. EPR design features four redundant trains of emergency cooling equipment, and a containment and shield building for added protection. The main design objectives of the EPR design are increased safety while providing enhanced economic competitiveness through improvements to previous PWR designs scaled up to an electrical power output of around 1650 MWe (net) with thermal power 4500 MWt. The reactor can use 5% enriched uranium oxide fuel, reprocessed uranium fuel and 100% mixed uranium plutonium oxide fuel. The EPR is the evolutionary descendant of the Framatome N4 and Siemens Power Generation Division KONVOI reactors. The EPR design has several active and passive protection measures against accidents:

(1) Four independent emergency cooling systems, providing the required cooling of the decay heat that continues for 1 to 3 years after the reactor's initial shutdown (i.e. 300% redundancy)
(2) Leaktight containment around the reactor
(3) An extra container and cooling area if a molten core manages to escape the reactor (see containment building)
(4) Two-layer concrete wall with total thickness 2.6 meters, designed to withstand impact by airplanes and internal overpressure

Mitsubishi US APWR

The Mitsubishi Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor (APWR) is a generation III nuclear reactor developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries based on pressurized water reactor technology. It features several design enhancements including a neutron reflector, improved efficiency and improved safety systems. It has safety features advanced over the last generation, including a combination of passive and active systems. The standard APWR is going through the licensing process in Japan and two (of 1538 MWe) are being constructed at the Tsuruga plant. The next APWR+ will be of a 1700 MWe power and have full Mox core abilities. The US-APWR has several design features to improve plant economics. The core is surrounded by a steel neutron reflector which increases reactivity and saves ~0.1wt% U-235 enrichment. In addition, the US-APWR uses more advanced steam generators (compared to the APWR) which creates drier steam allowing for the use of higher efficiency (and more delicate) turbines. This leads to a ~10% efficiency increase compared to the APWR. Several safety improvements are also notable. The safety systems have enhanced redundancy, utilizing 4 trains each capable of supplying 50% of the needed makeup water instead of 2 trains capable of 100%. Also, more reliance is placed on the accumulators which have been redesigned and increased in size. The improvements in this passive system have led to the elimination of the Safety Injection system, an active system.

Letters from NRC Commissioners about Chairman Jackzo

Folks,

At the following web link (http://oversight.house.gov/images/stories/Letters/Letter_To_Daley.pdf) is a PDF file containing three letters that document the misbehavior of Obama's bully, NRC Chairman Jackzo:

• The first from Representative Issa to the Whitehouse Chief of Staff
• The second from the remaining four NRC Commissioners themselves to the Whitehouse Chief of Staff
• The third from the four NRC Commissioners to the NRC Chairman

Again, this problem exists because of liberal Democrat pro-nuclear power activists who aided, abetted and supported that godless man of iniquity, Barack Hussein Obama. You can't play with a rattlesnake without getting bit.