THE Max Havoc ‘Curse of the Dragon’ issue is again in the news, perhaps leading to a settlement. It’s been a while since our politicians and GEDA were duped into guaranteeing an $800,000 loan.

I’m sure that if a settlement does occur it will be for pennies on the dollar, and we taxpayers will be left holding the bag for our public officials’ fly-by-night excursion into the realm of extraordinarily bad movie-making.

Pursuing that line of thought – on Valentine’s Day, the Variety ran a story about a press conference and presentation by Dr. Jay W. Khim of Annandale, Va., who explained and extolled a new and potentially world-changing way to generate “green” nuclear power. Khim explained: “We’ve been working with the U.S. Navy for about 22 years and the basic science phase is now over. Now we’re going into commercial development, which the Navy is not going to do.” According to CCU member Eloy Hara, who says he is "spearheading" the project , those in attendance were “awed.”

I found no evidence to support Mr. Khim’s claim of a 22-year association with the U.S. Navy and Department of Energy on development of the GeNiE process. It’s no surprise that the Navy isn’t planning on commercial development of Mr. Khim’s technology, but we wonder why the U.S. military hasn’t considered it for defense purposes. Maybe it’s because a peek at Global Energy Corporation’s (GEC’s) list of publications in support of its “new” technology reveals little more than multiple references to cold fusion, a concept as enticing and elusive as perpetual motion. The military reportedly pursued several blind leads on that and abandoned it some time ago.

Mr. Khim’s GEC lists three employees and sales of $200,000, and appears to be a subsidiary of International Trade & Inventory Corp in Annandale; a private company listed under the Investment Securities category, established in 1977. It has a staff of two and estimated revenue of $160,000. Mr. Khim is president.

Mr. Khim is a busy guy. He’s variously identified as CEO of TWK Corporation, JWK Corporation, GEC Corporation, JWK International Corporation, JWK Corporation Services, and Afghanistan Resources Corporation. He’s also president of International Trade Company, listed as “Nuclear Consultants” with no website information. He may be involved in other ventures as well. In 1995, Mr. Khim filed – and later abandoned – a U.S. trademark for “Microsuper,” related to computers and computer operating software.

He's an extremely active contributor to political causes and campaigns and variously describes himself – when contributing – as self-employed, an economist, and/or CEO of various corporations. From 2002 to 2012, he made political contributions totaling $68,000, including a $10,000 contribution to the National Democratic Party in 2010. There’s also a curious 2012 $2,000 contribution to Delegate Eni Faleomavaega of American Samoa. Nuclear power for them too, perhaps?

According to the Variety, Mr. Khim assured us that “since there is no nuclear chain reaction involved, no nuclear meltdown is possible.” From one GEC website we learn, somewhat contradictorily, that “the GeNiE Reactor greatly reduces the possibility of a meltdown,” and from another GEC website: “The GeNiE Reactor is not prone to meltdown.”

And P. T. Barnum? He noted: “There’s a sucker born every minute.” I suspect that it happens far more frequently than that.