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.
Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World high tech economies tied to Japan, “…can’t do high tech without Japan.”

“There are a huge number of little bits of the high-tech food chain which are done nowhere but in Japan. Nobody else has the quality or the consistency, and in some cases the technology to do it.”-Sam Perry, senior investment manager of Pictet Japanese Equity Selection Fund.

Canon Inc has suspended all of its domestic camera production. One of the problems was a lack of gas which was affecting distribution, and stopping employees from getting to work where train services are minimal.

Nikon warned that power cuts, and shortages of parts, will make full production difficult.

Renesas Electronics Corp, the world’s No.5 chipmaker, started operations at one semiconductor plant.  Six of the company’s 22 factories remain closed.

 

Business/Economics, Fukushima

Sony has to shut down more plants, better get your Playstation gear while you can

Sony has announced that it will close 5 more plants, due to a lack of parts.  That brings the number of Sony plants affected by the 9.0 quake/tsunami to 14.

Sony officials say they might be forced to move production away from Japan.

“If the shortage of parts and materials supplied to these plants continues, we will consider necessary measures, including a temporary shift of production overseas.”

Fukushima

Japanese Fire Fighters Forced to work at failed nuclear plant

Japanese Industry Minister Banri Kaieda apologized over reports that he threatened to ‘‘punish’’ firefighters if they did not work at the quake-hit nuclear plant in Fukushima Prefecture.

The apology came after Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara protested to Prime Minister Naoto Kan over the ‘‘forcing’’ of Tokyo Fire Department to engage in an hours-long water-spraying mission, saying they were threatened with ‘‘punishment’’ if they refused.

International

Two faced Obama wants Gaddafi out, but says we’re not trying to bomb him, after we try to bomb him

Almost from day one of the so called revolution in Libya, President Obama said “It’s time for Gaddafi to go.”   He didn’t say that about Mubarak, not for several weeks of the Egyptian Revolution anyway.

Obama has said many times he wanted Gaddafi out.  Then Gaddafi’s compound is bombed by coalition forces, and the official statement from coalition leaders is that they were not trying to bomb Gaddafi. That’s one dumb smart bomb then.

Here is what Obama said today: “Now, I also have stated that it is U.S. policy that Gadhafi needs to go.” President Obama has basically admitted that trying to get rid of Gaddafi IS what he’s trying to do.   Obama then goes on to admit that UNSCR 1973 does not allow him to do that: “But when it comes to the military action, we are doing so in support of U.N. Resolution 1973 that specifically talks about humanitarian efforts, and we are going to make sure we stick to that mandate.”

Obama also says he’s hoping that other “tools” will be used to allow the Libyan people to kick Gaddafi out.  Remember, UNSCR 1973 is supposed to be about protecting peaceful civilians, not regime change.   Lies. lies and more lies!

International, U.S.

More Congressman want Obama to explain what the hell is he doing with Libya

Democrat AND Republican Congressman are demanding that Obama explain himself, regarding the military action against Libya.

Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton: “We’re not coordinating with the rebels. Are we going to leave them surrounded, and with the mercy of Gadhafi? I’ve never seen anything so confused in my life.”

Republican Candice Miller: “The president should come home and call the Congress back into session and to make his case. He needs to define what the United States’ vital mission is here, what is our vital interest, how does he see the potential cost unfolding here.”

Democrat Mark Begich: “Specifically, Congress needs to understand the risk involved to the lives of our service members, how long the administration anticipates U.S. involvement, the impact of our involvement on our other national security priorities like Afghanistan, and what the ultimate objective is.”

Republican Richard Lugar: “I do not understand the mission because as far as I can tell in the United States there is no mission and there are no guidelines for success.”

International, U.S.

U.S. Media attacking each other over Libya

Fox news said that CNN journalists were used as human shields to prevent any attack on Gaddafi’s compound.

CNN reporter Nic Robertson basically said Fox news was full of sh*t.  Robertson called the Fox news claims “…outrageous and hypocritical,” adding, “If they wanted to use us as human shields … they would have kept us there longer. That’s not what happened.”

International, U.S.

U.S. prepares for Mandatory evacuations of Japan

I have relatives in the U.S. Navy Reserve, and they’ve been told to prepare to ship out for Japan.  They thought it’s to help with disaster relief but now it looks like it might be to evacuate U.S. military personnel and their families.

The U.S. Pacific Command has been making plans for mandatory evacuations, just in case.  If things got bad enough they would use large military air transports (C-17, C-5) to fly out as many personnel and families as they could, as fast as they could.

Currently the evacuations of military families are voluntary.  On Saturday 230 people voluntarily left, on Monday 154 people left Japan.

Fukushima

Pacific Ocean contaminated with Radiation

TEPCO officials say they have tested water from the ocean, where water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant runs off, and it tested positive for radiation.

Iodine 131 was 126.7 times higher than the legal level, cesium 134 was 24.8 higher, and cesium 137 was 16.5 times higher. Cobalt 58 was below the legal limit.

This was the first time the Tokyo Electric Power Company tested the ocean water. They say they will conduct more tests, over a wider area.