AP Post on Levinson disappearance

Including a report that a petition, signed by 200 former FBI agents, has been given to the United States government, and quoting Levinson’s wife Christine, as follows:

“My husband, Bob Levinson, is still missing. We, his family, have not heard from him since March 8, and the silence is unbearable,” she said.

“Right now, we are living a nightmare. We need Bob to come home to us. We are aware of all the rumors out there which have raised our hopes, only to have them crushed by the reality that we still have no information. We are asking anyone who has any information of any kind to please let us know.”

Link to AP article here.

  Via Staten Island Live.

A petition signed by 200 former agents, we guess, is one neither widely circulated nor circulated for long. The Levinson League, to coin a phrase, is both wide and  deep.

Debka claims Levinson released 1 May

In a piece dated 6 May, Debka File   reports that Bob Levinson was releasedon 1 May, and that the Iranians are miffed that some or all of the five Iranians held by the United States in Iraq.

 Link to article here.

Since we’re empiricists here at Popular Logistics, and our chief medical advisor is from a state adjacent to Missouri (the “show-me” state), we would like to believe the Debka report, but want firmer evidence.

Since Levinson owes at least one dinner to a senior editor of this blog, we’d accept Levinson’s presence at a meal in Brooklyn as sufficient evidence.

Streetwriter – from the Institute for Applied Autonomy

:

swx_webgraphic.gif

Apparently the Streetwriter has had more than one incarnation – first built into the body of a van – the more recent and advanced model being towable. From the IAA website:

The system consists of a custom built, computer controlled industrial spray painting unit that is built into an extended-body cargo van. The vehicle prints text messages onto the pavement in a manner much like a dot-matrix printer. The expanded width of StreetWriter allows for messages and simple graphics that are legible from tall buildings and low flying aircraft and is capable of rendering messages that are several hundred feet in length.

New! A radical redesign of StreetWriter has taken place. The new machine, tentatively called SWX, recently infiltrated the finish line festivities of the DARPA Grand Challenge. The earlier version of StreetWriter has been officially decomissioned [sic

].

Text and other images here.

We’d like to propose an additional use for this technology – when government signage fails in emergencies – viz. certain of New York City’s “Flood Evacuation Route” – which may be signs leading to the flood, rather than away – these machines might be put to use correcting government misinformation. Which may, we think, have been the artists’ original intent. If anyone amongst the Popular Logistics  readership has a connection to IAA – an exclusive group, from what we hear – we’d like an introduction.

 

Stuart Brand: Lessons of the 1989 San Francisco Earthquake

 We think that Stuart Brand’s account of the 1989 SF earthquake is – if anything is – a “must-read” for anyone concerned with emergency preparedness. WorldChanging has done us all the service of reprinting it here. 

From Brand’s piece:

Volunteer rescuers in San FranciscoÂ’s Marina District on the night of the 1989 earthquake outnumbered professionals three-to-one during the critical first few hours. And it still wasnÂ’’t enough. Only a small portion of the people present offered emergency help, despite the romanticized press to the contrary.

Considering the amount of money and bureaucracy spent (well spent) on preparing the Bay Area’s buildings for earthquakes, it is startling to realize how little is spent on preparing people. The widespread earthquake literature focuses on self-preservation, not on helping others, nor on the niceties of being helped. As a result, volunteer rescuers on October 17 had to make it up as they went—wasting vital time and making unnecessary mistakes.

My conclusions from Brand’s piece:

  •  Preparation and organization of citizen groups can pay off – providing critical surge capacity
  • investing in communications systems acts as a force multiplier – allowing, among other things, for the rapid reallocation of resources
  •  In addition to the need for widespread advanced first-aid training and equipment – we need lots of people with construction and engineering skills – not only for the “emergency” – but also if we intend to rebuild.

Thanks to Gregory Cohen

of NGO Consulting for giving us the Stuart Brand piece.

Here’s a thought for a presidential campaign plank – from either party:

  1. A commitment to a citizen reserve corps
  2. decommissioned military and law enforcement communications equipment given to citizen groups -especially the non-encrypted systems, which government agencies now think obsolete
  3. Lots of free training in first aid, search-and-rescue, and construction techniques.

None of this is expensive; we’ll try to do the number later. We think it costs – done well – less than a month in Iraq.

President Bush emulates Mark Twain

Kris Alexander of the grossly misnamed Alexander the Average   had, some months ago, proposed a Civilian Reserve Corps.

Link to his PowerPoint presentation here. 

We’re not sure how much this would vary from the original national CERT concept – in which (1) CERT teams would be encouraged to have advanced training, and (2) teams in non-affected areas would be transported to assist in affected areas.

Apparently, the President likes this idea – so much that he proposed it in his State of the Union address. Which – we must admit – we missed. Alexander suspects, in a piece entitled “The President Stole My Idea”), what Mark Twain called “unconscious appropriation.”

Nothing is ours but our language, our phrasing. If a man takes that from me (knowingly, purposely) he is a thief. If he takes it unconsciously–snaking it out of some old secluded corner of his memory, and mistaking it for a new birth instead of a mummy — he is no thief, and no man has a case against him.

Unconscious appropriation is utterly common; it is not plagiarism and is no crime; but conscious appropriation, i. e., plagiarism, is as rare as parricide. Of course there are plagiarists in the world–I am not disputing that–but bless you, they are few and far between. These notions of mine are not guesses; they are the outcome of twenty years of thought and observation upon this subject.
– Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), Letter to Robert Burdette, circa 4/19/1890. Link here.

Our question – and forgive us – we haven’t finished the first cup of coffee yet – is – what’s happening with this fine idea?

In the meantime – Popular Logistics takes this opportunity to, once again, encourage those just beginning to think of these issues to do the following:

If you’ve concluded you need to act, go to Three Steps.

If you still need a little bit of persuasion,  read Irwin Redlener’s book (cover in our left sidebar, if the CSS code is still working), and Stuart Brand’s account of the aftermath of the 1989 San Francisco earthquake. Link here. 

Via WorldChanging.

From Symbology (2006) – Trevor Paglen

We’d like to see the rest of  – here’s Paglen’s description:

Military culture is filled with a totemic visual language consisting of symbols and insignia that signify everything from various unit and command affiliations to significant events, and noteworthy programs. A typical uniform will sport patches identifying its wearer’s job, program affiliation, achievements and place within the military hierarchy. These markers of identity and program heraldry begin to create a peculiar symbolic regime when they depict one’s affiliation with what defense-industry insiders call the “black world†– the world of classified programs, projects, and places, whose outlines, even existence, are deeply-held secrets. Nonetheless, the Pentagon’s “black world†is replete with the rich symbolic language that characterizes other, less obscure, military activities.

Paglen’s onto something. In our (limited) experience of this culture – some of this culture actually has some humor – in the choice of cover names, for instance, which are inside jokes. (We have a couple in mind that we think are pretty clever, but are hard-pressed to think of one we can discuss publicly and responsibly). This doesn’t, of course, detract in the slightest from the coolness of what Paglen has done

;

2006-noyfb-patch-lg.jpg

Via Trevor Paglen.

Iranian Foreign Minister pleads ignorance regarding Levinson whereabouts

The Associated Press, in a report dated May 4, 8:22 P.M. from Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, at the end of a multinational conference about Iraq, that Iranian Foreign Minister

Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters at the end of an international conference on Iraq held in Egypt that the Iranian investigation on Robert Levinson, which has been going on for over a month, would continue.

Mottaki also said that “Iran has asked for more details about the missing American.” 

More news Robert Levinson (Bobby Levinson) release

Rodger Morrow reports that Bobby Levinson has been released to American officials in Iraqi Kurdistan.  We’ll try to update later with references to Morrow’s sources.

Our thanks again to Morrow for being ahead of the ‘sphere on this story.

We won’t actually be entirely relieved until we hear direct confirmation that he’s back with his family, friends and admirers -  who are sufficiently numerous to populate a medium-sized island.

What the NYPD and NYFD might be thinking of in a flood

If and when they find out that some of the planned “flood reception centers” are surrounded by non-functioning storm drains. Mere speculation on our part, of course.

Original post at Hemmings Blog here.

concept-acc-e-land.jpgconcept-acc-r-land.jpgconcept-acc-e-water.jpg

These and other models are manufactured by Gibbs Amphibian -  either part of, or a collaboration with, Lockheed Martin.

For our household – we’re thinking pontoon boats.

Amory Lovins, An American Prometheus

Amory Lovins

, of the Rocky Mountain Institute

, lives in a solar powered and super-insulated home in Colorado. He coined the term “Negawatts” for energy saved via conservation and has been working for the last 30 / 35 years for sustainable and intelligent energy policy.

I met Lovins 31 years ago, in Albany, NY, in 1976. I was an energy intern for the New York Public Interest Research Group, NYPIRG, studying nuclear power, nuclear economics, and clean energy alternatives under Dr. Marvin Resnikoff at SUNY – Buffalo.

We were in Albany to testify before the New York State Legislature’s Committee on Energy, the Economy, and the Environment. And argue:

  1. Their priorities were wrong. As shown by their title, they put energy first, the economy second, and the environment came last.
  2. Rather than nuclear power, we should be looking at clean renewable energy. “Theoretically,” we argued, “we could power the New York City Subways with wind turbines positioned off-shore of Long Island.

Little has changed. However, I wouldn’t use the term “Theoretically” today. Look at the Arklow Bank wind farm, (built by GE and Airtricity) and the 11.6 gigawatt of wind power generating capacity in the United States today.

We can power our cities, towns, suburbs with solar panels on the roofs, geothermal in the basement or the backyard, and wind turbines on the mountains and off-shore. The people / nations / economies who do this first will leap far beyond those who try to play catch-up.

Prometheus Revisited – Dr. Hermann Scheer

 

Dr. Scheer

Dr. Hermann Scheer, on the Eurosolar page.

The mythical Prometheus was banished from Mount Olympus for giving control over fire – technology – to man. Dr. Hermann Scheer, a contemporary Prometheus, an economist, and member of the German Parliment, and board member of Eurosolar

, says “A Solar global economy will enable the total demand for energy and raw materials to be met. … By the systematic use of solar … all material needs of humanity can be satisfied on a permanent basis.” (For the text of the article, click here.)

President Kennedy once said “Ich bin Ein Berliner.” To paraphrase Kennedy, “Ich bin ein Scheermench.”

President Kennedy in Berlin. Curtesy American Rhetoric . com

Communications Interoperability – "it's just too hard"

I remember saying this when, in school, I was trying to get the hang of adding and multiplying polynomials. (Full disclosure: I passed Calculus I, but apparently by virtue of lax standards and/or divine intervention). So when you hear government officials testifying about how difficult – how nearly impossible it is to make communications systems interoperable – be skeptical.

If you’re mystifed by how government agencies could manage voice/data wireless interoperability – take a look at Communications Applied Technology.

While the company is based in Virginia (for my nearby neighbors, Virginia is a state just south of Washington, D.C.; very scenic; for everyone else, just remember that New Yorkers are very provincial and ignorant of geography outside of the tri-state area), the intellectual engine behind this firm comes from the borough that brought you Jackie Robinson, Al Capone (yes, from Brooklyn, not Chicago), abolitionism, the Broooklyn Dodgers, Coney Island, Olmsted and Vaux’s masterpiece Prospect Park. and Stanley Kaplan – the man who put the lie to the notion that the SAT was a test of good breeding.

You don’t need to be a big gearhead to see that C-AT has already designed solutions that directly address comms interoperability problems. If we’d had this gear in the hands of the NYPD and NYFD on 9/11 our hearts might be a bit less broken.

icrinextel.gifThis is just one model in a series of “Incident Commanders’ Radio Interface(s)” – it can connect one wireless telephone – and, according to C-AT, “provides a rugged, highly-portable, radio cross-band (VHF, UHF, 800MHz), cross platform (digital/analog, trunked/talk-around, AM/FM) capability for mutual aid operations.”

In lay terms, this means that, in an emergency in, say, a tunnel, an incident commander can get the EMS, NYPD, Red Cross, and one or two federal agencies working together in two “talk groups.” I suppose the phone interface is best used to relay messages to entities not on radio nets (elected officials arranging photo ops; utility contractors like Con Ed whose radio frequencies might not be immediately available).

The interoperability problem is – we’re repeating ourselves here – not a technical problem – and, given the scale of our economy, neither is it a problem of cost.

The model above measures 10″x3″x7″ – and weights 3.5 lbs. By way of comparison – a single hand-held radio (the Vertex 920) weighs 13.0 oz with battery, antenna and clip.

Seeour earlier post on the Justice Department’s IG report on interoperability between DOJ,DHS and Treasury law enforcement units here.

We’ve finished readng the IG’s report. As we’d expect, given the recent work of the DOJ IG under Glenn Fine – it’s well-written, and to the point. It’s redolent of pre-9/11 interagency sniping and foot-dragging, and a very crass joke, well-known in law enforcement circles, involving three dogs – each a search dog working for a different law enforcement agency. If  you’re not familiar with this joke – and know someone in federal law enforcement or intelligence circles – ask them. If you’re really curious, e-mail me privately – with the understanding that’s it’s told for historical/allegorical purposes. I tell jokes badly in person – worse via e-mail.

Is Sunpower the Next Microsoft?

Sunpower Corp, which trades using the symbol SPWR, makes photovoltaic “modules” that turn sunlight into electricity. These can be small enough to power a calculator and large enough, when linked together, to power homes, stores, warehouses and office buildings. Johnson & Johnson uses solar power at its Cordis facility in Warren, NJ. As does Whole Foods in Princeton, NJ. and Timberland in various factories around the world.

Sunpower, through its Powerlight

subsidiary ‘designs, deploys, operates and maintains the largest solar power systems in the world.’ Other publicly traded solar energy companies include Akeena

, Evergreen Solar, First Solar, World Water and Power. They compete with BP Solar, a subsidiary of British Petroleum, Kyocera, Nanosolar, Sanyo, Sharp. Home Depot sells BP Solar’s best panels.

Microsoft Corp, which trades using the symbol MSFT, is a software company. It writes computer programs such as Microsoft Windows, Office, Exchange, SQL Server, etc.

The question is not will Sunpower start writing software, but will Sunpower’s stock price, or that of any of their competitors, follow a tragectory like Microsoft’s. What trajectory? A $3 Thousand investment in Microsoft stock at their IPO March 1986, would be worth something like $1 Million today. Each share of stock purchased in 1986 is worth 288 shares today, after splitting 9 times. (Click Here and Here) Because Microsoft, along with Intel, Apple, Sun, Oracle, Compaq, and other companies, changed the way we work, play, learn, and, think. They shifted the paridigm.
Solar panels turn sunlight into electricity without pollution, toxic wastes, radioactive wastes, mercury, greenhouse gases. There is no fuel, so there are no fuel costs, fuel spills, etc. There are no greenhouse gases as there are with fossil fuels and no security ramifications, as with nuclear power.
And Clean Energy costs less. Solar power costs about $7 per watt not counting any tax breaks or government subsidies. Wind is $3 per watt for offshore turbines, less for land based turbines, altho the maintenance costs are higher. Nuclear is hard to price because it relies so heavily on government subisdies. When you factor in the “externalities,” the time required to build, the fuel costs, nuclear power is probably on the order of $20 to $50 per watt.

So as Otis said, ‘Sittin in the mornin’ sun. …’ I can feel the paradigm shifting.

*
In the intrests of disclosure,. I am not a licensed financial advisor and I do not currently work in the financial industry. I do, however, own stock in some of these and other companies.