This project is inspired (in part) by Carroll Quigley's 1966 book: Tragedy and Hope: A History of the World in Our Time. A .pdf version of this book can be found here.
Showing posts with label Freedom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Freedom. Show all posts
Friday, November 18, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
"Phonehenge West" Documentary by Devin Schiro
Alan Kimble "Kim" Fahey has spent more than twenty years working, mostly single-handedly, to turn his Acton, California property into the wonderland of habitable sculpture he has named "Phonehenge West." He is retired from a 30-year career as a phone service technician.
Hundreds of people have visited the property and admired the wonderful invention and solid construction of Kim's buildings...even the unfinished segments are beautiful. Now the County of Los Angeles has declared its intent to condemn not only his work, but the man himself to a jail term longer than those handed out for some violent crimes against actual victims.
I encourage you to judge for yourself whether the County's obstructive hard line is reasonable and just, or a gross miscarriage of justice.
You are invited to join a growing community of people who protest what we consider the senseless persecution of a man whose only "offense" is taking a stand on behalf of beauty, creativity, and the inalienable right of free expression.
Become a Friend of Save Phonehenge West on Facebook, share links to this page with your contacts, and find out how you can speak out to preserve both an artistic landmark and a decent man's freedom.
To join the fight:
facebook.com/PhonehengeW
To donate:
SavePhonehengeWest.org
An excellent article on the housing injustices occurring in the Antelope Valley, Phonehenge included:
laweekly.com/2011-06-23/news/l-a-county-s-private-property-war/
Kim's book, "Hollywood Unlisted"
Feel free to call Kim & Pat Fahey at 661-269-0605. They're extremely friendly people, and would love to talk to you about what's going on.
Saturday, June 04, 2011
Help Kim Fahey Save "Phonehenge West"
www.savephonehengewest.org
This site was built specifically to have a place for a DONATE button so people can contribute to Kim Fahey's legal expenses, as well as potentially helping to finance code requirements that he may be stuck with.
It's important for you to know that Save Phonehenge West is not a non-profit organization, so you can not claim your donation as tax-exempt, and neither can Kim. We can't achieve non-profit status quickly and Kim needs your help now. You can email Kim at kim@savephonehengewest.org.
Thank you for your support!
This site was built specifically to have a place for a DONATE button so people can contribute to Kim Fahey's legal expenses, as well as potentially helping to finance code requirements that he may be stuck with.
It's important for you to know that Save Phonehenge West is not a non-profit organization, so you can not claim your donation as tax-exempt, and neither can Kim. We can't achieve non-profit status quickly and Kim needs your help now. You can email Kim at kim@savephonehengewest.org.
Thank you for your support!
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Alan Kimble Fahey, creator of 'Phonehenge West' to testify in code enforcement case
Acton man faces possible time behind bars if convicted in the trial over his home, built partly of utility poles.
Lawyers for an Acton property owner accused of building code violations will seek to defend his elaborate home expansion project as a work of art in a trial in Lancaster slated to wrap up this week.
Alan Kimble Fahey, 59, spent almost three decades constructing the 20,000-square-foot labyrinth of interconnected buildings — including a 70-foot tower — he calls Phonehenge West. In 2008, Los Angeles County code enforcement officials ordered him to stop. They have demanded that he tear the structure down.
Alan Kimble Fahey, 59, spent almost three decades constructing the 20,000-square-foot labyrinth of interconnected buildings — including a 70-foot tower — he calls Phonehenge West. In 2008, Los Angeles County code enforcement officials ordered him to stop. They have demanded that he tear the structure down.
Photos: 'Phonehenge West'
Fahey's lawyer, Jerry Lennon, said that his client's creation was unique and that regulators should demonstrate some flexibility.
"There should be room in the world of administrative regulations where they account for people like Fahey," Lennon said. "He's not hurting anyone; and I don't think there's a mechanical or structural problem he can't resolve."
Lennon also argued that building code officials were lax in tracking the case over many years and missed opportunities to find an equitable solution.
But in opening arguments last week, Los Angeles County deputy Dist. Atty. Patrick David Campbell told jurors that Fahey flouted building code regulations because he considered himself above the law and that he set his own standards for construction.
"Fahey doesn't believe the rules apply to him," Campbell said. "He has set up his own arrogant interpretation of the law."
Speaking before Superior Court Judge Daviann L. Mitchell, Campbell said the foundations of several of Fahey's structures were built with telephone poles and were "inherently unsafe" and could hurt people. He summed up the case as "Never-Never Land."
The prosecutor called on building code and zoning enforcement officials, who detailed the process for applying for building permits and the history of the agency's dealings with Fahey.
Daniel Geringer, a county regional planning assistant, told the court that Fahey had been notified that he was in violation on several fronts. The infractions included maintaining a structure that exceeds the maximum height limit of 35 feet and possession of two noncommercial wind turbines.
Copyright 2011 Los Angeles Times
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Keep your Internet searches private with IXQUICK
THE SCOOP ON IXQUICK
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Ixquick search results are more comprehensive and more accurate. Ixquick's unique capabilities include a Universal Power Search, a global search and power refinement.
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An Ixquick result is awarded one star ( ) for every search engine that chooses it as one of the ten best results for your search. So a five star () result means that five search engines agreed on the result. |
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Global Search
Ixquick searches the world:
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Use Ixquick's Result Honing to pinpoint the results that you want: Notice the check mark ( ) and X mark ( ) that appear near some results. If a result is especially good, click on to find results that are similar, and if a result is not what you are looking for, click the X to remove results that are like it. |
| This principle is also called Subject Clustering. |
Search from Anywhere
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Saturday, January 19, 2008
CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN' - State backs off demand to run home thermostats
'It is of utmost importance that consumers make their own energy decisions'
© 2008 WorldNetDaily.com
The state of California has halted, at least for now, a plan that would have allowed utilities to control the thermostats inside residents' homes remotely, instead making plans to work on a "voluntary" program.
The plan as outlined just days ago would have targeted rolling blackouts and freed up electric and natural gas resources by requiring every new heating or cooling system to include a "non-removable" FM receiver, under the threat of withholding building permits for nonparticipation.
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Such thermostats would have been wired to control heating and cooling systems as well as other appliances in the house, such as electric water waters, refrigerators, pool pumps, computers and lights, in response to signals from utility companies.
However, in a new statement on the website of the California Energy Commission, officials are admitting that residents actually should be the ones to make decisions regarding their energy usage.
"Technology can be a powerful tool in managing our energy use. However, it is of utmost importance that consumers make their own energy decisions," the statement said.
Officials confirmed it was the "considerable discussion" about the programmable communicating thermostats and the state proposal that required their installation in any new construction that triggered the change.
"On Jan. 15, 2008, the Energy Commission's Efficiency Committee … directed that PCTs be removed from the proposed 2008 energy efficiency building standards," the state announced.
"The Committee also asked that the value and concerns related to the potential application of PCTs be considered with other demand response technologies in the Energy Commission's Load Management proceeding that began recently," the announcement continued. "It is important that consumers have the ability to opt out of or into demand response programs, such as those involving the PCT."
The website continued to describe the devices as a "valuable tool to dampen peak electricity use" and such strategies are an alternative to "costly new power plants."
"While more needs to be done to keep up with the needs of our ever-increasing population, it's not the job of the (state) to go into peoples' homes and control their thermostats," Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys and the head of the state Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce, told the San Francisco Chronicle.
The proposal was set to be considered by the commission Jan. 30, and would have required each thermostat to be equipped with a radio communication device to send "price signals" and automatically adjust temperature up or down four degrees for cooling and heating, as California's public and private utility organizations deem necessary.
Claudia Chandler, assistant executive director for the California Energy Commission, had told WND how beneficial to residents the system would be.
"From the Energy Commission's perspective, all we're doing is ensuring that this new technology is included in new homes instead of the older programmable technology," she said.
She said the plan was for utilities to step in and change home and business thermostat settings when "utilities need to implement rolling blackouts and drop load in order to be able to meet their supplies because the integrity of the grid is being jeopardized."
She explained residents would be able to manually override controls in all cases, but the 2008 Building Efficiency Standards (Page 64), known as Title 24, specifically stated: "The PCT shall not allow customer changes to thermostat settings during emergency events."
Michael Shames, executive director of California's Utility Consumers' Action Network, said denying consumers control over their own appliances is a highly problematic concept.
"The implications of this language are far-reaching and Orwellian," he said. "For the government and utility company to say, 'We're going to control the devices in your house, and you have no choice in that matter,' that's where the line is drawn. That sentence must be removed."
But Jim Gunshinan, managing editor of Home Energy, based in Berkley, Calif., advocated for the plan, citing consumer benefits, such as controlling a thermostat via the Internet.
"That means someone can turn on the air conditioning before they leave work for home and have the house comfortable when they walk in the door. Or if they forgot before leaving home for a ski trip, they can remotely lower the thermostat at home and save money."
Related special offers:
"Global Warming or Global Governance?" DVD
"HYSTERIA: Exposing the secret agenda behind today's obsession with global warming"
Previous stories:
Big Brother to control thermostats in homes?
Warning: Vacate room when CFL bulb breaks
Congress bans incandescent bulbs
Fluorescent vs. incandescent? Environmentalists can't decide
Light-bulb ban craze exceeds disposal plans
Gore home's energy use: 20 times average
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