Another year, another great Hamptons International Film Festival.  Many different films show us how the world looks thru many different eyes and lenses in 2008.  And these films come to us, if we are able to visit the cinemas hosting this terrific festival.

‘Song of Sparrows’ – might as well start at the top.  Best film of the festival in my eyes.  Fantastic cinematography.  Maybe best I have ever seen complementing the story of a blue collar father portrayed by ?Reza Naji trying to survive.  It all starts on an ostrich farm, and that is different.  Ever watch ostriches move, and run?  Unique!  And the director, Majid Majidi, has to be one of the best directors alive.  Or even dead!  It turns out he also was the director for my two favorite films: ‘The Color of Paradise’ and ‘Children of Heaven.’

Now I have seen all three of his monumental films at the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF)  over the years!  What a credit to this festival!

Karim is the character for whom life does not flow smoothly, yet he can fix anything, has the confidence to do almost anything.  The colors in this movie make the viewing of it a visual/mental orgasm, along with all the perspectives and scenes you are blessed to see.  Whenever this movie comes close to you, go see it, along with Majidi’s other movies I mentioned above.  You will not regret it.  Remember, these are Iranian movies, so explicit political commentary would not be wise to make.  Poetic plot and visuals is the way the director has chosen to work.

Next great film:

‘Taking Root:  The Vision Of Wangari Maathai’ took the prize for me as the best documentary.  Wangari Maathai is perhaps the most important individual in modern Kenyan history.  After the English
colonialists came in and tried to make an England out of Kenya,
cutting down so many of the land’s trees, laying railroad tracks and roads, subjugating the people with the unction of missionary religion, there came two dictators, Kenyatta and Moi, who further subjugated the people.  Ms. Maathai noted how important trees were to the survival of the country, combating soil erosion and drought.  This caused her to start a tree planting movement in 1977.  This led to a confrontation with President Moi who wanted to build a towering skyscraper and a very tall statue of himself on the last piece of public parkland in Nairobi.  If this occurred there would be no place for the common citizen to freely sit and/or gather in the capital city.  Moi made fun of Maathai, in a typical man-rules macho manner.  Then the women who had had their sons arrested for various political reasons by Moi’s henchmen decided to call a hunger strike and sit in the still existing park.  After a few days, Moi tired of the embarrassment and had his forces destroy their little tent, beating the women and anyone else who tried to fight back.  Maathai was beaten unconscious, ending up in a
hospital for several days.  The world press picked up on the story.  Naturally, the Moi project had been backed by the World Bank, but with the adverse press, the Bank withdraw its approval of the project.  Maathai had won a victory, which led to Moi’s downfall after two decades.  Much of this was captured on film, which the producers Lisa Merton and Alan Dater, beautifully displayed,.  The colonial footage was particularly stunning as was one particular statistic: 100,000 Kenyans
were killed as a result of the English incursion, with only ~350 English dying.  This is almost the exact ratio we see in Iraq today: 1,000,000 Iraqis have died as a result of the Bush administration incursion there, with about 3500 American soldiers dying.  As time passed, Maathai was elected to parliament, and was the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.  Her wisdom and determination are in evidence as we hear her talk and act, starting with her Green Belt
Movement, along with many other women.  Planting trees to combat erosion and drought, leading to a political movement freeing the nation from dictatorship and the entrails of colonial thought.  Religion however remains to erase much of Kenya’s native culture unfortunately, as has occurred in so many African countries, and other colonially demeaned lands.

‘Slumdog Millionaire’ also played during the festival.  I confess I did not see it, for I heard it had already been picked up and would be shown in the USA commercially.  Subsequently I did indeed see it, and reckon that it is one of the best films of the twenty-first century.  The scene in the outhouse on the boardwalk with the younger protagonist brother has to be one of the most classic scenes ever filmed, especially in terms of comedy.  The director, Danny Boyle, is not an Indian.  He also made ‘Trainspotting’ which I had to exit from within the first ten minutes due to its graphic sensationalism of injecting heroin, the lover spitting on the needle before inserting it.  Those who dislike Slumdog object to its Boyle-istic sensationalism, and lack of Indian involvement.  However, the original creation was written by an Indian.  The colors in this movie are unbelievable, as is the cinematography.  {But not to surpass that in ‘Song of Sparrows.}  The story is very current, with plenty of tension, and some real purty faces.  Go see it is all I can say.  Despite any detractions, still, the movie overall is great. 

More comments on films will follow in the forthcoming weeks, as time permits…….

During the third and last presidential debate on Oct 15th, John McCain said “We can eliminate our dependence on foreign oil by building 45
new nuclear plants, power plants, right away.” Barack Obama did not respond to this by saying the obvious:
“But, John, only TWO percent of our electricity is produced from oil!  And by the way, 80 percent of our uranium for our nuclear plants is imported.” 

Alas, he declined to do this.  This whole nuclear option is NO option.  Nuclear power is not ‘green’ nor is it ‘safe and clean.’  We still have the tons of nuclear waste that are radioactive for 500,000 years that we cannot safely store.  Radioactivity from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident has contaminated an area north of the exploded Ukrainian plant across a 750 mile diameter for 100,000 years, according to the late Dr. Vladimir Chernousenko, the nuclear physicist in charge
of cleaning up the worst industrial accident in mankind’s history.  When the next Chernobyl happens, that will be the end of nuclear
power, but it will come too late.  For our presidential candidates are both mouthing support for the nuclear power option when its health effects should eliminate the dirtiest most-toxic technology commonly employed by mankind from the energy roundtable.  When the media should be hosting a debate on nuclear power, allowing scientists to participate
who can discuss what radioactivity can do to the human body, and the cells of all living organisms. 

Dr. Alexey Yablokov, president of the Center for Russian Environmental Policy, informs us in his 2007 book that 300,000 people prematurely died so far as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear plant explosion and fire.  Nuclear proponents continue to proclaim that only 31 people died at Chernobyl, as if there is no such thing as radioactivity, and over 500 radionuclides like plutonium-239 that are produced in our 104 nuclear plants every day as a result of the
fissioning or splitting of uranium to make heat to produce steam to turn a turbine to produce electricity.

Remember, all these radionuclides have dangerous ‘half-life’ periods during
which their radioactive beams can mutate your DNA and that of your fetus especially, to produce unsurvivability, death, genetic defects and cancer.  Plutonium-239 has a half-life of 24,000 years.  After one half life, HALF the radioactivity of plutonium-239 or any radionuclide is still present.  The danger of this radioactivity to produce ill-effects continues thru 10-20 half-lives, which scientists call a radioactive element’s ‘hazardous life.’  For plutonium-239 that means 240,000 to 480,000 years.  And only one millionth of one gram is the lung cancer causing dose for plutonium.  That means that with 454 grams in one pound, twenty pounds of plutonium could cause lung cancer in every human being on Earth if the plutonium is dispersed and spread about the planet to possibly be inhaled by each of us 6.8 billion Earthlings.

I have decided to post my new nuclear power chapter (99% completed) from the latest edition of my book ‘The Most Important Issues Americans THINK They Know About – Edition III’ on my website so that everyone can read a broad informative discussion about nuclear power from a concerned physician’s perspective, written for the layman.  It will be available in a pdf format with images and photos to make it more enjoyable and to highlight certain important concepts.

The entire book, six chapters in all, with a four part Appendicies, and nearly 1000 references, will be available from my website on October 24th 2008.  It should be available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc., by mid-November.

All books purchased from the website shall be autographed by the author, until further notice.

Contact me if you have any questions on nuclear power, the health effects of radioactivity, and what we can do with especially wind and solar power to provide ALL the electricity American homes need within a few years.  YES! we can do that starting NOW!  See
the website http://www.crestofthewave.com for more vital information…

darnoc@crestofthewave.com

On Friday Oct 10 2008 at 5 PM EST, Dr. Conrad Miller will appear on the ‘Keeler Drive Show’ on WXUR-FM 92.7 radio in Utica, in central New York.
The show can be heard anywhere in the world via the internet.
Go to http://local.bimedia.net/yn/wktv/18775369.html
and hit the red button for the 3-6 PM show.

‘Where’s The Common Sense?’ will be the subject
of the conversation. If you are not in the Utica, NY area,
and wish to hear the shows, go to the
above websites and click on the right buttons.

Expect to hear some of the subjects below
discussed:

Corporate greed and the breakdown of our governmental
regulatory system has led us to a $700 Billion bank bailout. Our common sense should be offended by what we have to put
up with: foreclosures on millions of our homes,
but the banks and their CEO’s getting federal handouts.
Ignoring re-instating a 2008 version of the 1999-repealed
Glass-Steagall Act that separated activities of
commercial and investment banks.

Energy pundits not spending our hard earned money on
alternate energy that could safely supply ALL American
homes with electricity before the first new nuclear plant
ordered in over 30 years might come on line by 2015.

Having to swallow the ridiculous claim that nuclear power is ‘green’ – while the nuclear industry sneakily attempts to get
UNLIMITED loan guarantees below the radar of media reportage.
A more detailed discussion of where the two main presidential candidates stand on nuclear power, and especially the uncompromised-scientist-rejected proposed high level radioactive waste (HLRW) disposal center
at Yucca Mountain, in Nevada. In a state that has NO nuclear power plants, yet could become the central dumping area for all of America’s nuclear waste, as unsafe as the site is, with 33
earthquake faults, ~100 miles from Las Vegas.

The media failing to report news like HALF of all
non-organic sugar will be of the genetically modified
(GMO) variety by the end of 2008. Not hearing that
GMO-fed rats developed smaller brains, testicles, and
livers when compared to control study rats. Europeans aware
of GMO dangers, hardly having any GMO products on their
supermarket shelves today, while the overwhelming majority
of Americans remain totally ignorant of GMO foods’ dangers.

Corporations gaining too much influence over
our govt and media for us to even know this has happened, and is happening, as our country is lead in so many wrong directions.

Dr. Conrad Miller’s latest book ‘The Most Important Issues
Americans THINK They Know Enough About – Edition III’
discusses this overall picture.

Dr. Conrad Miller will appear on the ‘Morning Big Show with
Mike Cope and James Williams’ on KXYL-Radio 96.9 FM
Tues 8:45 AM EST Oct 7 2008. The station is based
in Brownwood, Texas.
website: http://www.wendleebroadcasting.com/NTMRN.html#audio
We are unsure at this time if you can hear the show
realtime via the internet. However, we will be checking & update you ASAP.
You can go to the website to try to hear the show on Tuesday.

On Friday Oct 10 2008 at 5 PM EST, Dr. Miller will appear
on the ‘Keeler Drive Show’ on WXUR-FM 92.7 radio in Utica,
in central New York.
The show CAN be heard anywhere in the world via the internet.
Go to http://local.bimedia.net/yn/wktv/18775369.html
and hit the red button for the 3-6 PM show.

‘Where’s The Common Sense?’ will be the subject
of the conversation. If you
are not in the Brownwood, Texas or Utica, NY areas,
and wish to hear the shows, go to the
above websites and click on the right buttons.

Expect to hear some of the subjects below
discussed:

Corporate greed and the breakdown of our governmental
regulatory system has led us
to a $700 Billion bank bailout. Our common sense
should be offended by what we have to put
up with: foreclosures on millions of our homes,
but the banks and their CEO’s getting federal handouts.
Ignoring re-instating a 2008 version of the 1999-repealed
Glass-Steagall Act that separated activities of
commercial and investment banks.

Energy pundits not spending our hard earned money on
alternate energy that could safely supply ALL American
homes with electricity before the first new nuclear plant
ordered in over 30 years might come on line by 2015.

Having to swallow
the ridiculous claim that nuclear power is ‘green’ – while
the nuclear industry sneakily attempts to get
UNLIMITED loan guarantees below the radar of media reportage.
How the two main presidential candidates stand on nuclear power,
and especially the uncompromised-scientist-rejected proposed
high level radioactive waste (HLRW) disposal center
at Yucca Mountain, in Nevada. In a state that
has NO nuclear power plants, yet could
become the central dumping area for all of America’s
nuclear waste, as unsafe as the site is, with 33
earthquake faults.

The media failing to report news like HALF of all
non-organic sugar will be of the genetically modified
(GMO) variety by the end of 2008. Not hearing that
GMO-fed rats developed smaller brains, testicles, and
livers when compared to control study rats. Europeans aware
of GMO dangers, hardly having any GMO products on their
supermarket shelves today, while the overwhelming majority
of Americans remain totally ignorant of GMO foods’ dangers.

Corporations gaining too much influence over
our govt and media for us to even know this has happened,
leading our country in so many wrong directions.

Dr. Conrad Miller’s latest book ‘The Most Important Issues
Americans THINK They Know Enough About – Edition III’
discusses this overall picture.

Dr. Conrad Miller will appear on the ‘Sebastian In
The Morning’ Radio Show Weds 9:35 AM Oct 1 2008
on WCCC 106.9 FM radio out of Hartford, Conn. 
‘Where’s The Common Sense?’ will be the subject
of the conversation. If you
are not in the Hartford, Connecticut area, you
can hear the show at http://www.wccc.com via
the internet.

Expect to hear some of the subjects below
discussed:

Corporate greed and the breakdown of our governmental
regulatory system has led us
to a $700 Billion bank bailout.  Our common sense
should be offended by what we have to put
up with: foreclosures on millions of our homes,
but only the banks getting federal handouts.  Ignoring
re-instating the 1999-repealed Glass-Steagall Act that
separated activities of commercial and investment banks. 
Energy pundits not spending our hard earned money on
alternate energy that could safely supply ALL American
homes with electricity before the first new nuclear plant
in 40 years might come on line by 2015.  Having to swallow
the ridiculous claim that nuclear power is ‘green’ – while
the nuclear industry sneakily attempts to get
UNLIMITED loan guarantees below the radar of media reportage. 
The media failing to report news like HALF of all
non-organic sugar will be of the genetically modified
(GMO) variety by the end of 2008.  Not hearing that
GMO-fed rats developed smaller brains, testicles, and
livers when compared to control study rats.  Corporations
gaining too much influence over our govt and media for us to
even know this has happened, leading our country in so many
wrong directions.  Dr. Conrad Miller’s latest book ‘The Most
Important Issues Americans THINK They Know Enough About – Edition III’
discusses this overall picture.