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

Japanese Stock Markets Crashing, Implications for World Markets

Trading in Japan’s stock markets fell for a second day.  This is due to announcements that not only are Japan’s industries going to be shut down for longer than thought, but that Japanese consumers are pulling back on spending big time (especially now that they can’t get out because of the radiation).

For those of use dealing with high fuel prices, the fact that Japan’s industry is shut down, and Japan’s consumers are holding back, is resulting in dropping oil prices.  The situation in Japan means demand for oil there could drop enough to counter the predicted increase in world demand for oil.

Another reason for the drop in oil prices is that investors are shifting to liquid assets, meaning CASH.  This is an indicator that investors feel it is not worth putting their money into stocks or commodities, due to what looks like a looming world economic collapse.

Fukushima

Spent Nuclear Fuel Rod Pond On Fire, Chernobyl on Steroids

Reuters is reporting that the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) has been told that a spent fuel rod pound is on fire.  Spent fuel rods are still highly radioactive, and the pools contain years worth of rods.

At the Fukushima plant 1, the spent fuel pools are on top of reactors. The problem is that reactors 1 & 3 exploded, literally blowing their tops. So where did the spent fuel rods that were on top of the buildings go?

Arnie Gundersen, a nuclear engineer at Fairewinds Associates, said a spent fuel rod fire “…would be like Chernobyl on steroids.” Gundersen is also a member of the public oversight panel for the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant.

Fukushima plant 1 might have as many as 7 spent fuel pools, with 20 years worth of rods.

Gundersen pointed out that the design of the Fukushima nuclear reactors are based on a General Electric plan, and that plan put the spent fuel rod pools on above of the reactors.  Can you say “dumb & dumber”?  What’s GE’s slogan, “We bring good things to life”?  Yeah buddy!

Fukushima

Emergency Drills Not Enough to Save Japanese City

Survivors in one city say all their years of emergency drills did not prepare them for what happened.  Their city is totally wiped out.

The five story hospital is one of a handful of buildings that are still standing.  It now has a fishing boat on its 2nd story.  The hospital staff said they were only able to get patients out of the 4th floor.  People on the lower floors were swept away by the tsunami.

 

Fukushima

Nuclear Wind to Reach Tokyo

Reuters is reporting that the French Embassy in Tokyo, is expecting a radioactive wind to hit Tokyo within 10 hours.  The wind shifted to the south, and is expected to shift to the west later in the day.

Fire in reactor 4 is being reported as out, by the plant officials.  Official say there is evidence of a hydrogen explosion in reactor 4.

Wildfires continue spreading across Japan.  Firefighters in one area had to use emergency drinking water to fight a fire.  A JSDF sergeant told reporters that his rescue unit is without food and water.

 

Fukushima

Reactor 2 Exploded

NHK reporting that reactor 2, Fukushima plant 1, exploded when workers tried to open closed valves.  Plant officials say highly possible that fuel rods are melting.

RT reporting that the fire in reactor 4 was a result of an explosion.  Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says probably caused by hydrogen gas build up.

More reasons for confusing radiation level reporting.  Officials are giving readings for each reactor, not for the whole plant.  The problem is that there are 6 reactors at Fukushima plant 1.  4 reactors are now spewing radiation.

Radiation levels from just one reactor has reached levels that cause immediate and noticeable damage to humans. There are reports of people showing signs of radiation sickness.

Prefectures more than 240km from Fukushima plant 1, have reported increases in radiation readings.

Nuclear plant officials say they were successful in replacing pump motors on other reactors, which is resulting in dropping temperatures.