Tag Archives: zealand

International

Food Crisis: Where’s the Beef, New Zealand? China to blame?

18 February 2016 (04:35 UTC-07 Tango 01)/29 Bahman 1394/09 Jumada al-Ula 1437/11 Geng Yin 4714

Possibly due to record exports of New Zealand beef, the people of Kiwi-Land are now suffering a beef shortage!

In the 1st quarter of the 2015-16 New Zealand beef export season a record $682-million NZD was brought in.  But that was due to a record volume of red meat leaving New Zealand and heading to Taiwan (Republic of China), not due to higher commodity prices.

The result is that local meat factories have shutdown production lines due to a lack of beef in their home country!  China owned Oamaru Meats is keeping 40 employees on a longer furlough than normal due to the beef shortage, up to 14 weeks longer.  Some employees were shifted to their lamb butchery.  Union reps revealed this was the 4th furlough in the past 12 months, which they described as “quite unusual”.

Another beef butcher, Invercargill’s Prime Range Meats (which is also China owned), shutdown without warning last week.  130 people suddenly furloughed!

However, some local politicians think its more than just a shortage of beef cows and are demanding answers.  Oamaru Meats was taken over by China’s Binxi Foods Oamaru/Binxi Cattle Industry Company in December, resulting in an immediate layoff of up to 80 employees.  Prime Range Meats was taken over by several Chinese investors in 2014, but apparently there have been legal wrangling over who is responsible to pay the debts of the company.  A manager at the Prime Range Meats facility suspects that’s the real reason for their sudden shutdown.

So, officially the new Chinese owners of New Zealand beef plants are blaming lack of beef for their shutdowns and furloughs, yet it sounds like incompetent corporate level administration could be to blame.  The result will be less beef for New Zealanders to buy, which will drive up the local retail price of red meat.  Perhaps that’s the real reason for the shutdowns?

New Zealand probably sold-out to Chinese investors after a terrible 2010 season.

U.S. Food Crisis January 2016: “We were not ready to close 10 years ago, but we’re ready now.” 

International

Food Crisis: Plastic food containers Genetically Engineer your offspring! Don’t eat that Ramen?

09 December 2015 (08:35 UTC-07 Tango 01)/18 Azar 1394/26 Safar 1437/28 Wu Zi 4713

“Plastic is a way of life; it’s hard to get around that. Every day we could be ingesting tiny amounts of these compounds which, over time, can build up in the body and cause problems.”-Asif Zia, doctor who developed new system for detecting DEHP in food

Researchers from New Zealand’s Massey University have created a detection system for a plastic chemical that could actually alter DNA.  The chemical di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, or DEHP, is classified by the UN’s World Health Organization as an endocrine-disrupter that interferes with the body’s natural hormonal system.

Skin lesions appear on a lab rat’s ear after being injected with DEHP

The biggest concern is that DEHP is found in plastic food containers and is even been used in food and drinks.  Companies in the U.S. ally Taiwan have been caught using DEHP to color mass produced beverages.  DEHP is also known as a plasticizer and some countries (like the United States) allow food makers to use plastic as a ‘filler’ in mass produced foods (it reduces their costs).

The current DEHP detection systems can take weeks to produce results, and is very expensive so it’s rarely done.  The researchers at Massey University claim their new DEHP detection system takes only a few days and is much cheaper.

In 2011, Chinese food regulators forced instant noodle companies in China, Korea and Japan to test their ramen because one brand of noodles tested positive for DEHP.   The testing was done by the companies themselves (supposedly through third party testers), and of course they claimed their results were negative.  That included  Japanese company Nissan and the Korean company NongShim, both make and sell ramen in the United States.

Effects of Maternal Exposure to Di-(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate during Fetal and/or Neonatal Periods on Atopic Dermatitis in Male Offspring

Food Crisis: Home juicing machines & soy milking machines contain carcinogens 

Food Crisis: Plasticizer melamine in milk!  U.S. FDA does not regulate!

Food Crisis: Remnant of Soviet Union driving minimum wage through the floor, blames hyper deflation! 

U.S. Food Crisis: Farmers told to “dispose” of crops if hit by floods! Against the law to sell flooded vegetables! 

Fukushima

More Fukushima WIPP Fallout: More throwaway workers contaminated, and more lies about it from TEPCo! Special teams finally enter WIPP! Investigator says WIPP operators incompetent! New Zealand hit with radiation?

27 March 2014 (11:56 UTC-07 Tango)/25 Jumada l-Ula 1435/07 Farvardin 1393/27 Ding-Mao 4712

Japan’s Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry says Tokyo Electric Power Company deliberately hid that 142 throwaway workers suffered internal radiation exposure immediately after the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster began.

The 142 victims were exposed to at least 5.86 millisieverts of radiation.  One worker suffered 180.10 mSv!  The government limit, for nuke industry workers, is 100 mSv over a five year period!  To make things even worse for the poor guy, TEPCo forced him to continue working even after the massive dose of radiation!

Once again, TEPCo says they made a mistake; they read the exposure readings wrong!  They’ve used that excused continually ever since the disaster bagean!  It also turns out that many employees never got the required iodide pills, that TEPCo first claimed were handed out.

Because TEPCo has continually said they’ve misread radiation measuring instruments, Japan’s Atomic Energy Agency and National Institute of Radiological Science decided to investigate all the radiation data TEPCo submitted since the disaster began.  Their conclusions will (supposedly) be announced in April.

Now for more news of newly discovered gross incompetence at the Fukushima Daiichi: 15-hundred water control valves are flowing water that nobody knows from what, where or if the water is contaminated!

The valves are important to regulating which pipes or equipment are connected to pumps and contaminated water storage tanks. It was just revealed that throwaway workers have no idea what the 15-hundred valves are connected to!  TEPCo officials admitted that they decided to start labeling the valves in Autumn 2013, in order to “…lower the risk of erroneous operations.”  It took them three years to realize that?!

Scientists with New Zealand’s University of Auckland are monitoring muttonbirds (a shearwater sea bird) for exposure to radiation.   Muttonbirds migrate to Japan, then return to New Zealand.  They are part of the food chain in Kiwiland, and scientists are concerned they could spread radiation, specifically cesium 134.  The scientists say the cesium will show up in the bird’s feathers: “…..detection of gamma rays would tell us whether the birds spend sufficient time near Fukushima to accumulate cesium-134 from nuclear fission. Obviously the issue would then become whether that radioactivity is being absorbed into local ecosystems or the food chain.”-David Krofcheck

In Carslbad, New Mexico, special Department of Energy/Environmental Protection Agency teams have finally entered the shutdown U.S. Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

The team must descend 609 meters (2-thousand feet) to begin their radiological testing.  At least 17 WIPP workers were contaminated.

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) reported to the U.S. Senate that safe operations at WIPP are questionable, saying reactions to the fire and radiation releases “…were not performed with the rigor necessary for a hazard category 2 defense nuclear facility. Both the federal and contractor workforce proved unprepared for emergency response.”

The DNFSB told senators they issued four warnings about operations at WIPP, since 2010.  The investigators also blasted the timing of the public alarms: “Shelter in place instructions were not given until 10 hours after the first indication of a problem, and over four hours after a release had been confirmed by local readings. As a result, the internal contamination level of workers, although minor, was nevertheless greater than necessary.”

Influenza

Influenza: H1N1 still kickin’, still killin’! “Better than dead!” Thousands of new cases in just a couple of months! Blame globalization!

26 March 2014 (22:04 UTC-07 Tango 25 March 2014)/24 Jumada l-Ula 1435/06 Farvardin 1393/26 Ding-Mao 4712

Australia:  Heath officials are panicking and demanding people get vaccinated.  Queensland reporting double the influenza cases compared to last year.  New South Wales warning residents to protect themselves from H1N1 this coming winter, after an “unusually high” amount of summer time flu.  (Remember: In the Southern Hemisphere the seasons are reversed from the Northern Hemisphere.)

Canada:  Since 14 March, Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, women’s ward, has been hit with an H1N1 outbreak.

European Union:  In warm and economically destitute (no thanks to the Trilateral Commission) Cyprus, a third person has died from H1N1. At least 26 cases.

In warm and economically destitute (no thanks to the Trilateral Commission) Greece, the European Center for Disease Prevention reports 106 flu deaths, mainly H1N1.

Scotland reporting H1N1 outbreaks, spread from Mexico!  Recently six people tested positive for H1N1 at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Prior to that six kids were H1N1 infected and sent to Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill.  Prior to that a man died of H1N1 at Glasgow’s Victoria Infirmary, on 03 February.  Health Protection Scotland says H1N1 was brought in by two people returning from vacation in Mexico.

In warm and economically destitute (no thanks to the Trilateral Commission) Spain, 155 people have died from influenza, mainly H1N1.

Mexico: As of 24 March, 704 people died from influenza.  627 specifically from H1N1.   More than 6-thousand infections, despite a massive vaccination program.  The state of Jalisco is still the place to avoid.

New Zealand:  Health officials say the flu season has started early in the Southern Hemisphere, and H1N1 is leading the way.   An H1N1  patient in Hawke’s Bay Hospital is now in critical condition.

Qatar: The Hamad General Hospital reports two cases.  They say people who travel to other countries are bringing H1N1 into Qatar when they return.

Thailand:  Health officials report 18 deaths caused by H1N1.  Ministry of Public Health’s Bureau of Epidemiology reports 18,290 cases were reported between 01 Jan to 17 March!

United States: In Arkansas, a 48 year old River Valley man died from H1N1.  He died on 24 March, a little more than two weeks after his 5th wedding anniversary.  His wife said it took him down fast: “By Monday he started turning kind of gray and he got really weak. He was hallucinating and I couldn`t figure out what was going on.”-Ashley Cass

In California, more than 302 people have died from H1N1.  In Roseville, doctors are calling a woman’s recovery a “miracle”.  After ten weeks in the hospital the family decided to take the 61 years old woman off life support, and she suddenly recovered!  She said she felt “Better than dead!”

Vietnam: A teenaged girl died after a month of battling H1N1.  She was in the hospital until 23 March, when her parents said it was time to bring her home, where she died.  The National Tropical Diseases Hospital in Hanoi reported that they were seeing three to five people everyday, infected with H1N1.  The majority of cases involve entire families.

There are increasing reports of people coming down with Guillain-Barre syndrome, after being vaccinated with the flu shot.

A new report says unAmerican Corporate America is to blame for spreading diseases, including H1N1. It’s all part of the Trilateral Commission’s globalization plans.

Business/Economics, International

Postal service cuts delivery days by half!

24 October 2013 (11:53 UTC-07 Tango)/19 Dhu’l-Hijja 1434/02 Aban 1391/20 Ren-Xu (9th month) 4711

While package volume is up, letter volume has crashed so low (30% drop), government officials have decided to drastically cut delivery service.

In the British empire country of New Zealand the government announced they are cutting New Zealand Post delivery from six days per week down to as few as three!  At least 1-thousand people will lose their jobs!

Postal Worker’s Union blames the 1997 law that allowed private companies to collect and delivery letters.  The government Post service is limited to standardized service and rates, but private companies are not. The PWU says in a way the 1997 law is actually subsidizing the private postal companies, but even with that the private companies are handling only 10% of the mail.

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing union has pointed out that cost cutting within the New Zealand Post have already been made, and moving to three day a week delivery is unnecessary.

It’s also been pointed out that moving to three day a week delivery will result in massive backlog in postal centers as packages and letters will pile up.  The three day a week delivery schedule begins in 2015.

 

 

 

International, U.S.

Vietnam hell continues: New Zealand proves U.S. made Agent Orange causes nasty cancers!

02 September 2013 (12:29 UTC-07 Tango)/26 Shawwal 1434/11 Shahrivar 1391/27 Xin-You (7th month) 4711

The University of Otago’s Department of Preventive and Social Medicine studied health records of more than half of New Zealand’s Vietnam war vets, specifically those that served in areas sprayed with Agent Orange, and discovered massive cancer rates.

Chronic lymphatic leukemia among vets is at twice the rate of the general population.  Other cancers affect the head, neck, as well as pharynx and larynx, but :“Lung cancer contributed the greatest burden of deaths in both New Zealand and Australian veterans.”-David McBride, University of Otago  

The researchers discovered that cancer rates among Australian Vietnam vets were identical to New Zealand Vietnam vets.  The researchers said the health records of vets were sealed by the evil government forces until 1988.

Most Kiwi and Digger Vietnam war vets were deployed in the Nui Dat area of Phuoc Tuy province from 1962 to 1971.  That area was heavily sprayed by U.S. forces with 2, 4, 5-T and 2, 4-D herbicides (aka Agent Orange).  Many of the Kiwi and Digger vets have died from their cancers.

International, U.S.

World War 3, Asian Front-Afghanistan, 16-17 August 2013: U.S. General says U.S. is a big fail! More corruption on the occupier’s side!

A retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General criticized how the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan has been handled: “By my count right now, we’ve had 11 overall U.S. commanders in Afghanistan during 12 years of war.  No university and no business could survive that kind of turnover and remain successful.  We’re doing this in the middle of a war where the enemy is actively trying to make you fail.”-David Barno

 In Kandahar Province, Kandahar airbase, a suicide bomber attacked a U.S./NATO military convoy.  22 NATO and Afghan military personnel wounded, three civilians wounded.  The suicide bomber was wearing a bomb vest.

In Herat Province, Karkh District, local police say nine construction workers, who were working on a nearby bridge project, were killed while staying at a police checkpoint.  One cop was killed, another wounded during the Mujahideen attack.  Mujahideen say everyone at the checkpoint was armed and shooting, including those the police say were construction workers.  One Mujahid was killed.  Mujahideen say they also captured weapons.

Mujahideen reported many attacks on police checkpoints across Afghanistan.

In Kabul Province, Kabul city, a magnetic ‘sticky’ bomb was placed on a parked vehicle.  The explosion did not kill or wound anybody, according to local police.

In Helmand Province, Marjah District, a family of eight drove over a landmine.  Five killed, three wounded.  The Stars and Stripes reports another waste of taxpayer money in the contractor operated Helmand Regional Distribution Center.  It is literally a privately run FOB (Forward Operating Base).  It was built and is operated by controversial Swiss based Supreme Group.  That contractor has come under fire before, accused of ripping off taxpayers.  The U.S. Congress supposedly is investigating the $4.2 billion USD mega-FOB over billing disputes.

According to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) military contractors now outnumber actual military personnel by two to one.

In Balkh Province, Mazar-e-Sharif city, a fire destroyed at least 200 businesses.  No official reason for the fire, but some witnesses say there was an explosion before the fire.

In Farah Province, Farah Rod District, a NATO supply convoy was ambushed on the Herat HWY.  Ten fueler trucks were torched, eight security guards killed, five wounded.  Three Mujahideen wounded, two killed.    Also, in the same district, a religious leader in Takht Manzar area was kidnapped by U.S./Afghan National Army personnel during a helicopter raid.  And a local government military commander was assassinated, along with his bodyguards.  It was done by a suicide bomber wearing a bomb vest.  Locals say it was about time the A-hole commander died: “Auz Khan was notorious in the area for his brutally and utter loyalty to foreign invaders and was the one that also martyred a 60 year old…”

NATO member Poland announced they are pulling out, or are they?  Polish officials said in October about 600 troops will return home, but that still leaves 1-thousand Polish troops incountry.

Documentary filmmakers in New Zealand have revealed the truth about Kiwi military operations in Afghanistan.  Officially New Zealand Defence Forces were supposed to be involved in reconstruction projects, but the journalists found they spent most of their time on military patrols.  Also, the New Zealand Special Air Service was supposed to be conducting training of Afghan troops, instead there is evidence they were actually conducting Israeli style home invasions.

A U.S. Marine from Florida admitted to local news media that he loved killing people in Afghanistan: “I like the way people look up to us as Marines. That enforces the way we carry ourselves. I like being a warrior. Very few people can do it and I’m proud to be one who can.”-Charles Legido

Legido bragged about the 70 firefights he was in.  To give a clue where the U.S. might be attacking next, Legido’s next deployment is to Yemen.

International, U.S.

Norovirus update, 14 April 2013: Test takers taken out by throwing up! Bioquell to the rescue?

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says one in 15 residents of the United States will get infected every year.

In North Carolina U.S.A., health officials are warning people that they could get norovirus by taking a hike!  Reports say that many hikers who’ve walked the Appalachian Trail near Hot Springs have become sick.  Officials say you should avoid the shelters along that stretch of the trail.

Officials with the Jerome Harrison Elementary school in Connecticut U.S.A.,  are pleading with parents to keep their sick children at home, after an outbreak hit the school.

In Florida U.S.A., schools in Alachua County are preparing to get hit after an outbreak at a local nursing home. The schools are sending flyers home to parents with tips to try and prevent spreading norovirus.

Outbreaks continue to hit Muskegon County, Michigan U.S.A. Classes were canceled on Thursday and Friday for the North Muskegon Public Schools. At least 100 elementary students were sick by Wednesday.  Clean up is bigger than you think: “If someone vomits in the room, you pretty much have to sanitize all the surfaces in the room.”-Ken Kraus, Public Health – Muskegon County

More outbreaks in the U.S. state of Alaska. Anchorage School District officials say the norovirus actually struck in the middle of standardized state exams, with several students suddenly throwing up.  State Health and Social Services workers confirmed it’s a norovirus outbreak, however they can not find the source.

In Denmark, the restaurant with the World’s longest reservation waiting list, is now having all shellfish tested for contamination before being cooked.  Elite restaurant Noma, which was the site of a norovirus outbreak recently, also provides a direct link to recent health inspection results on their website.

In New Zealand, Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton has imposed visitor restrictions due to an outbreak.   Apparently the Kiwis think they’ve come up with a way to kill norovirus bugs: Hydrogen Peroxide.

The Auckland hospital has been testing a new robot janitor, but this one cleans up little nasties that make you sick (and if you’re not careful it’ll clean your clock). It’s called Bioquell, and it sprays hydrogen peroxide.  It’s not for use around humans, the rooms have to be sealed off before it goes to work: “It basically kills every bug known to man, including the little spores of the nastiest bugs. This is a game changer. This is not just a better way of cleaning, this is fundamentally different.”-Mary Seddon, director for quality improvement

Several British hospitals have given the all clear, but many other hospitals are getting hit.  Poole Hospital, Dorset U.K., reported an outbreak last week. Two wards closed to visitors.  And in West Midlands the Sandwell General hospital closed two wards due to outbreaks. The Grantham Hospital in Lincolnshire also restricted visitation. In Cheshire, the Warrington Hospital closed ward A2 to visitors. In York, the York Hospital getting hit with a large outbreak, they blame the visitors: “We have had instances recently where visitors have vomited whilst on our wards, placing patients and staff at risk and causing us to close further ward areas at a time when the hospital is particularly busy.”-Libby McManus, chief nurse

Also in United Kingdom, a norovirus infection triggered a potentially deadly genetic condition in an nine years old girl.  Just hours after getting sick, she became confused. Somehow the stomach bug caused a condition where ammonia builds up in the blood.  She recovered despite doctors telling her parents she had only 72 hours to live, but now she must attend physical therapy sessions.

In Canada, Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit reporting two outbreaks in nursing homes:  “We hope to lift visitor restrictions by Sunday. The problem started about three weeks ago.”-Lorrie Hornick, public health inspector