All posts by Hutchins AAron

Born in Deutschland 1965, hometown was Bütthart, parents were not U.S. government employees. However, when father was tricked into joining the U.S. Air Force Civil Service, in 1969, with the promise that we could remain in Germany, we were promptly shipped off to Iran. Due to one of my Iranian educators being disappeared, along with her husband, by the U.S. ally Shah of Iran's Israeli & U.S. created Savak (for the then official terrorist act of promoting the idea that women can vote), and due to my U.S. citizen mother being placed on Savak's Terrorist Arrest List (for supporting the idea that women should vote, at that time the U.S. ally Shah of Iran did not allow women to vote, now they can) we left Iran for the United States in 1973, literally in the middle of the night. At the U.S. Embassy airbase the CIA operated Gooney Bird (C-47) was so packed with other U.S. citizens fleeing our ally Iran (because the Shah gave the OK to arrest any U.S. citizen for such terrorist acts as promoting the concept of voting) that we were turned away by the Loadmaster and had to take a chance on a civilian flight out of Tehran's airport. My father told me he and my mother had three culture shocks; first when they arrived in Germany as civilians, then after being shipped off to Iran as U.S. government employees, then again returning to the United States as unemployed civilians (because so much had changed in the U.S. while they were gone, their only news source was the U.S. Armed Forces Radio & Television Service which heavily censored information about the home front). Since I graduated high school in 1982 I've worked for U.S. government contractors and state & local government agencies (in California), convenience store manager in California, retail/property management in Georgia, California and Idaho. Spent the 1990s in the TV news business producing number one rated local news programs in California, Arizona and Idaho. 14+ years with California and Idaho Army National Guard and the U.S. Air Force. Obtained a BA degree in International Studies from Idaho State University at the age of 42. Unemployed since 2015, so don't tell me the economy has recovered.
International, Opinion, U.S.

Germany throws wrench into NATO taking lead role against Libya

Germany, a member of NATO, pulled out of Mediterranean operations against Libya.

Germany, along with Turkey,  are reasons why NATO can not take the lead in actions against Libya. NATO must have all members on board, which it does not. It’s sure looks like Obama (U.S.), Sarkozy (France) and Cameron (U.K.) fail when it comes to coalition building.

This is why Obama will not keep his promise to Congress.  He stated that the U.S. would relinquish its role in the attacks on Libya in “days”.  It now looks like it could be weeks.

Sarkozy is such an idiot his people think the “coalition” can not only carry on without the U.S., but without any unified command and control. In other words, everyone in the coalition does their own thing.

This is looking more and more like a literal circus of war mongering clowns!

Oh, Germany says it’ll increase its presence in Afghanistan so other NATO countries can pull their troops out of Afghanistan to fight the Libyans. Kind of a roundabout way of supporting the attacks on Libya, while denouncing the attacks at the same time.

International, U.S.

Russian Duma Demands Attacks against Libya Stop

The majority of the lower house of the Russian Duma (Parliament) approved a resolution condemning the military action against Libya, and demanding it be stopped.

“The State Duma expresses concern over the scale and form in which the military force is used against Libya and calls for parliaments of France, Great Britain, United States, Italy, Canada and other states that are conducting the military operation to assist the immediate end of combat that damages the peaceful Libyan infrastructure and most importantly causes new casualties among civilian population.”

Russian politicians point out that UNSCR 1973 does not have specific limits on military action. Also, each of the UN coalition members are interpreting it differently, which is why the operation looks so haphazard.

This lack of specifics in the UN resolution is partly why President Obama is still trying to work out who will take the lead from the U.S., days after he told Congress that the U.S. involvement would end in a few days.


International, U.S.

U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty to Murdering Afghans

Trying to provide the accused soldier with an “out”, the military officials asked Army Specialist, Jeremy Morlock, if his unit was just trying to scare the locals, and it “got out of hand.” Morlock’s reply: “The plan was to kill people.”

Morlock pleaded guilty to murder. Four other soldiers face murder charges as well.  All together 12 U. S. soldiers are charged with murder and conspiracy to cover it up.  Charges also include drug use, mutilating bodies, keeping body parts as trophies and taking photos of dead bodies.

Fukushima, International, Technology

Radiation NOT an IMMEDIATE Threat? What do they mean?

The Japanese government has told people not to eat the vegetables, and not to drink the water, because of radiation contamination.  At the same time they say “There is no immediate threat.”

What they mean by that is, that the levels, and types, of radiation contamination is such that you will not notice any bad effects “immediately”.  However, if you continue to eat, drink, or expose yourself to even the lowest levels of contamination, over time you will suffer bad effects.

For example: Iodine-131 is a short life span radioactive isotope. It collects on your thyroid glands (just like iodide), and if it builds up will cause cancer. Even low levels of iodine-131 will build up on your thyroid if you keep eating, drinking, or exposing yourself to the contamination.  This is why the Japanese government is telling people to stop eating the vegetables, and stop drinking the water, even though there is no “immediate” threat.

In other words, it’s still bad, bad, bad!

Fukushima

Do NOT boil radioactive water, update

Japanese have been told that tap water is contaminated. They’ve also been told not to feed the water to their babies.

The level of contamination is too high for infants.  The contamination is mainly short life span Iodine-131.  Iodine-131 collects on your thyroid gland, and can cause cancer.

The Japanese government will be issuing clean water to parents with infants, who are, I believe they said, 12 months and younger.

Some people think they can boil the water. The problem is that the radioactive isotopes in the water then become air born in the steam rising from the boiling water, and you breath them in.  Also, if you boil for a only a short time there will still be contamination in the water.

The Consumer’s Guide has a web page that explains how to make water safe to drink. Scroll down until you get to the title “More Rigorous Purification Methods”. This section talks about distilling to get rid of radiation fallout in water.  It’s more complicated than just boiling.  When you distill you’re basically capturing the steam rising off the boiling water, then funneling it into a cup, or pot, to collect it.  The article then suggests you filter the water as well. 

Business/Economics, International, Opinion, U.S.

BBC beggars U.S. for money, while U.S. Congress mulls cutting PBS

More proof that the British Empire (aka British Commonwealth) is taking over the United States.

BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is asking for money from the U.S. taxpayer (Department of State). This while Congress debates cutting major funding from our own PBS (Public Broadcasting Service).

BBC is dealing with huge cuts from the government of United Kingdom (aka Britain).  U.S. State Department likes the BBC because of it’s world wide audience. It’s possible that the BBC might be used to spread U.S. propaganda (isn’t that what Voice of America is for?).

Is this what Hillary Clinton meant when she asked Congress to increase funding for a stronger “American” media presence around the world?

Britain taking over U.S. oil industry. Britain taking over U.S. municipal water systems. Now Britain taking over U.S. public television!  Our founding fathers would commit suicide if they were alive today!

Fukushima

Airborne Radiation levels based on computer assumptions

Japanese Cabinet Secretary, Edano Yukio, explained that the atmospheric radiation levels being published are based on air samples not taken near the nuclear plant, and a computer model.

Edano said the radiation levels at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, are too high to take air samples there.  Air samples have been taken in surrounding areas. Then a computer program is used to make radiation level assumptions, based on the samples and possible wind speed and direction.

In other words, it’s a best computer guess.

Fukushima, International

Ring of Fire Seismic Events part 4 Largest Deadliest

The United States Geological Survey has vast data on earthquakes.  I looked at their “Largest and Deadliest Earthquake” list, which spans 1990 to 2011.

I looked at just those quakes on the Pacific Ring of Fire. I was looking to see if there was an increase in frequency and/or magnitude over the past 21 years.

There were a total of 31 “largest/deadliest” earthquakes on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The magnitudes ranged from 6.3 to 9.1 Richter scale. It looks like the amount of activity is spread evenly over the past 21 years, but it’s deceptive.  From year to year the pattern of activity is interesting.

1990 one,  1991 two, 1992 one, 1993 one, 1994 two, 1995 three, 1996 one, 1997 two, 1998 one, 1999 one.  At this point it looks like there is a loose pattern; 1/2/1/1/2/3/1/2/1/1.

2000 two, 2001 one, 2002 one, 2003 one, 2004 two, 2005 one, 2006 two, 2007 two, 2008 zero, 2009 two, 2010 one, 2011 two.  The pattern is different; 2/1/1/1/2/1/2/2/0/2/1/2.

Where the most quakes hit changes as well.  In the 1990s Japan was hit by one large/deadly quake.  From 2000 to 2011, Japan has been hit by two large/deadly quakes.  But check out Indonesia. In the 1990s the Indonesian islands were hit with two large/deadly quakes.  From 2000 to 2010 the Indonesian islands suffered six large/deadly quakes.  On the Americas side of the Pacific Ring it looks like quakes are more evenly spread out over the years.  From 1990 to 2011 a total of eight large/deadly earthquakes were spread from Alaska to Chile.

What is clear is that the activity is more frequent, and stronger, on the Asian side of the Pacific Ring (probably because that’s where the Pacific plate slams under the Eurasian plate).  But that’s no reason not to prepare, if you don’t live on the Asian side.

Note: The Japanese islands and the Indonesia islands are affected by several plates. Japan sits on the Eurasian plate, which is being hit by the Pacific plate and Philippine plate.  Indonesia straddles the Eurasian and Philippine plates, which are getting hit by the Pacific plate.

 

 

U.S.

Bicentennial of New Madrid Quakes

Throughout 2011 and 2012, in the central U.S., there will be events held for the 200th Anniversary of the great 1811 and 1812 New Madrid earthquakes.

The New Madrid Seismic Zone stretches from west of Memphis, Tennessee into southern Illinois.  The 1811 and 1812 earthquakes were between magnitude 7-8 (Richter scale), with hundreds of aftershocks. They were felt down to the Gulf of Mexico, and north to Canada.

http://newmadrid2011.org/