DO GOOD THINGS

• I got a call from a media outlet last night just after 11:00 pm as I was climbing into bed.  They said something about a nuclear device that had fallen off a truck somewhere in West Virginia and wanted my comment.  I told them it was late and to call back in the morning.  I knew they wouldn't.  This morning I did some searching on the Internet and found the story.  Yes, indeed do call if you find it!  Here it is:  

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is searching for a nuclear gauge that apparently fell off a truck on Interstate 81 near the Pennsylvania/West Virginia line. The device is yellow and about the size of a shoe box. DEP officials said the device, which was lost on May 3, contains a small amount of radioactive material. If tampered with, the device could release radiation. The device is used to measure the density of soil or concrete. Anyone who finds it should call the Nuclear Regulatory Commission at 301-816-5100.

• I have begun thinking about my court proceedings due to my arrest at Hancock Air Field drone base near Syracuse, New York.  I saw a list yesterday of 56 activists from three recent civil resistance actions at the base that are now facing trial.  It appears that the small town court of Dewitt, NY that has to handle these cases is backed-up.  God only knows when my trial will happen.  This morning I emailed a lawyer friend in Maine to ask his help with preparing me for the process since I don't qualify for a court appointed attorney.  He called and we talked about some of the first steps I should take to get ready.  He used to be an oil corporation attorney but left that job because he could not stomach the work on behalf of Mr. Big.  He once told me that his job, as part of a large stable of ambitious young attorneys, was to bury any opposing attorney in paperwork that dared represent some aggrieved person who had a legitimate claim against the corporation.  The goal was to drive up the cost of the legal case to the point the solo lawyer and his client would either drop the case or settle for a small amount of money. He now tries to put his life energies toward a greater purpose.

• The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that the U.S. requires $3.6 trillion in infrastructure investment by 2020 to bring our current D+ grade to safe standards. The only way we could ever come up with that kind of money is to end the wars and cut military spending in a dramatic way.  We should be fixing bridges, repairing railroad tracks, replacing aging water and sewer lines, and be building rail systems through every state rather than wasting our $$$ on more weapons for war.
• With that in mind we are holding a meeting of the Maine Bring Our War $$ Home campaign on Sunday, May 19 from noon to 3:00 pm at the Addams-Melman House in Bath.  We will be discussing our anti-drone efforts here in Maine as well as ways to expand public outrage against war spending.  Power concedes nothing without a demand and organizing to back it up. All who are interested are welcome to attend the meeting.