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.
Fukushima

One Year Later: Evidence Fukushima Daiichi damaged by earthquake, BEFORE tsunami hit. Radioactive water never ending!

27 August 2012, Tokyo Electric power Company (TEPCo) officials announced they need more storage tanks for contaminated water coming from the nuclear reactors.

Since the 11 March 2011 disaster began almost 220,000 tons of contaminated water has been stored, and the GE designed disaster reactors are putting out 400 tons per day!  TEPCo says it’ll run out of storage tanks in three months.

A new order for more tanks will provide TEPCo with storage only until November 2013.  The problem now is no space for more storage tanks, unless nearby forests are felled.

So where is all the water coming from?  Ever since the 11 March 2011 disaster began it was noticed that more water is coming out compared to water being pumped in.

TEPCo officials now say it is groundwater flooding into the basements of the reactors through cracks in the basement walls.  Cracks probably caused by the 9.0 earthquake, not the tsunami.

 

U.S.

U.S. West Nile Virus update, 27 August 2012: Dozens more cases. Towns being called ‘Critical’. Indiana death. Pennsylvania death. Texas death. Kansas death. Missouri death. Military infected? Lack of mosquitoes?

“It’s a mystery right now, why we’re having this spike in West Nile virus cases. We don’t have any evidence that there are more mosquitoes around.”-Claudia Blackburn,  Sedgwick County Health Department, Kansas

“Texas is really having a problem with West Nile and it looks like it’s moving this direction. It will become more of a problem and people need to be aware and take precautions.”-Ann Mayo, Flint Hills Community Health Center, Kansas

Kansas reporting first human death, and more human cases.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services confirmed that a man who died earlier in the month, died from West Nile virus.

Texas reports 12th person has died from West Nile.  It happened in Dallas County.  Also, several military bases are reporting mosquitoes infected with West Nile, they are Joint Base San Antonio-Randolf, JBSA-Lackland, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston and JBSA-Camp Bullis.

A Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, man has died from West Nile.

A Marion County, Indiana, man died from West Nile.

New Hampshire reports first human case of West Nile.

Mississippi reporting 10 new human cases of West Nile.

Duval County, Florida, reporting four new human cases of West Nile.

New York State Health Commissioner, Nirav R. Shah, said cases of West Nile and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) are increasing. The State of New York reports 13 human cases, and the City of New York reports five human cases.  Horses are testing positive for EEE.

Massachusetts health officials have confirmed a third human case of West Nile virus.  The Town of Plympton is now considered ‘critical’ for EEE.

Mosquitoes tested positive for West Nile in Vermont, Rhode Island and Maine.  However, officials in Rhode Island are now saying that the latest batch of mosquitoes tested negative for West Nile and EEE.

Michigan health officials are also warning people to prevent mosquito bites while at outdoor sporting practice or games: “Nationwide, we are experiencing the highest number of human West Nile Virus cases since 1999. We are encouraging athletic teams, their fans, and all residents to take protective measures during sporting events such as practice and games.”-Oakland County Health Division statement

 

 

 

 

 

International, U.S.

Diplomat Incompetence: Former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan involved in hit & run accident

It has been revealed that on the night of 14 August 2012, Ryan Crocker ran into a tractor trailer, then fled the scene.  He was later arrested.  His blood alcohol was twice the legal limit in the state of Washington.  He pled ‘not guilty’ in court.

Crocker recently stepped down as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan.

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology

Uljin Reactor update: This is second Korean reactor to shut down in past week, inspections underway

24 August 2012, inspectors with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, are trying to figure out why an Areva (Framatome) designed nuclear reactor shut itself down, after a warning alarm sounded.

But it turns out this isn’t the first time this has happened.  On 19 August 2012, a brand new reactor, the Sinwolseong-1 (aka Reactor 1 at Shin Wolsong) shut itself down as well.

Sinwolseong-1 began operation in January 2012. Officials ruled the shut down as being caused by a failure of the input controls.

According to the IAEA, Sinwolseong-1 and Uljin-1 (aka Reactor 1 at Ulchin) are both pressurized water reactors (PWR) operated by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company.

Uljin-1 was designed by a French company called Framatome, now called Areva.

Doosan Heavy Industries claims Sinwolseong-1 is a reactor based on Korea’s first indigenous pressurized light water nuclear reactor design.  They have even sold the same type of reactors to China.

Fukushima

One Year Later: Workers at Fukushima Daiichi exceed 5 year radiation limit, in just one year!

24 August 2012, the Japanese Labor Ministry is sounding a warning; Japan is running out of qualified employees for the ongoing nuclear disaster at the GE designed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Since 11 March 2011, at least 3,000 people have been working (unsuccessfully) to bring Fukushima Daiichi under control.  As of March 2012, 167 workers were dismissed because they had exceeded radiation exposure limits equal to five years of contamination!!!

In Japan a nuclear industry worker can not exceed 50 millisieverts of radiation per year and 100 millisieverts in 5 years.  The 167 employees dismissed in March of this year, were exposed to more than 100 millisieverts in one year!

But wait, there’s more!  For the three months following April 2012, 79 workers were exposed to more than 20 millisieverts!

The numerous contractors working for Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCo) say they can not find enough new workers to replace the volume of workers leaving due to contamination.

But some contractors have set their own stricter radiation exposure standards, they are concerned with their employees health and maintaining their employability.

Business/Economics, International, Technology

Korean Uljin Areva designed nuclear reactor shuts itself down, investigation as to why

On 23 August 2012, Reactor 1 of the Uljin (aka Ulchin) nuclear power plant in Korea, south, shut itself down.  Officials with the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company do not know why.

A warning signal went off, but there is no radiation leak, according to officials.  Korean media says the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is not concerned.

Uljin-1 began operations in 1988 and is a French Framatome (company is now called Areva) type pressurized water reactor (PWR).  The Uljin nuclear plant is considered the 13th largest electricity generating facility in the world, producing nearly 5,900 megawatts.

 

International, Technology

Breaking news: Korea, South, nuclear reactor automatically shuts down, reason unknown at this time

Korea media reporting that Reactor 1 at Ulchin nuclear power plant, in North Kyongsang province of South Korea, ceased operations for unknown reasons.

Ulchin is the World’s 13th largest electric power generating plant, with a 5,900 megawatt capacity.

Ulchin-1 began operations in 1988 and is a PWR – Framatome type reactor.

International, U.S.

World War 3: USS Stennis sets sail for Persian Gulf, 4 months early. U.S. says “world calls” for war with Syria & Iran

“…we are not in the habit of repeating a warning and we warn only once.”-Major General Ataollah Salehi, Iranian Army, 03 January 2012 threat against USS Stennis

“We’re asking an awful lot of each of you.  And frankly, you are the best I have, and when the world calls we have to respond.”-Leon Panetta, U.S. Secretary of Defense, 22 August 2012 statement regarding early deployment of USS Stennis

22 August, the aircraft carrier USS Stennis will set sail for the Persian Gulf.  Back in July it was announced the USS Stennis would return to the Persian Gulf four months earlier than planned.  The aircraft carrier will also stay in the region for eight months, four months longer than originally planned.

The Pentagon wants to keep at least two aircraft carrier groups on station in the Persian Gulf at all times. Panetta said it was to fight threats and “Obviously Iran is one of those threats that we have to, we have to be able to focus on……Secondly, it is the turmoil in Syria….”

Back in January 2012, Iranian officials singled out the USS Stennis, threatening military action against that specific aircraft carrier if it ever returned to the Persian Gulf.  They claimed the aircraft carrier deliberately sailed through Iranian naval war games in December 2011.  They also accuse the U.S. Navy of sailing ships dangerously close to Iranian oil platforms.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Class Warfare: Quantitative Easing benefits top 5% of the rich, neutral or negative effect for everyone else! More proof it’s the fault of the Too Big to Fails!

23 August 2012, the Bank of England tried to make it look as though flooding the markets with cash is benefiting everyone. But their own words revealed the truth: “…asset purchases have boosted the value of households’ financial wealth held outside pension funds, although holdings are heavily skewed, with the top 5% of households holding 40% of these assets.”

Quantitative easing is a monetary policy that tries to stimulate the economy by buying up privately held financial assets.  But as the Bank of England (BoE) pointed out, 40% of those assets are owned by only 5% of the people in the United Kingdom!  You can be sure it’s a similar situation in the United States.

The BoE also admitted that traditional ‘savers’ are the ones who’re losing, as interest rates on traditional savings accounts are at record lows.  So much for trying to get people to put money away for a rainy day.

One British company, that offers financial services for people over 50 years of age, pointed out that retirees are the big losers in all this quantitative easing (QE): “…the 21 million over 50s…have been negatively impacted……It is asserted, but not proven, that pension savers are no worse off due to QE gilt buying [gilt is a British term for government bonds], because the value of their pension savings has gone up to offset the fall in the annuity income they will receive when converting their pension fund into a pension income. This assertion is simply not correct and the reality is very different for those recently or soon to be retired.”-Ros Altmann, Saga

The BoE tried to smooth things over by saying the worst that could happen to retirement funds is nothing: “….QE is estimated to have had a broadly neutral impact on the value of the annuity income that can be purchased from a typical personal pension pot invested in a mixture of bonds and equities.”

The British National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) responded by pointing out that if pension funds were already in trouble before the QE started in 2009, and the QE has a neutral impact, then nothing has been improved (except for the rich).  The NAPF states that what has actually happened is that retirement funds are worse off as a result of QE: “…schemes that were already in substantial deficit before the financial crisis are likely to have seen those deficits increased.”

Essentially; quantitative easing only helps the 5% of the people (elites) holding financial assets (such as bonds), it is doing nothing, or actually making things worse, for 95% of the people!!!

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Australia’s Quantas reports first loss ever! Will hurt U.S. economy; no more Boeing orders!

23 August 2012, Australia’s Quantas Airways reported its first yearly loss since it was privatized 17 years ago.

Quantas lost $250 million USD from June 2011 to June 2012.  The airline blames the high cost of fuel, coupled with flight cancellations and employee strikes.

The loss means that Quantas will now put on hold a huge order (35 aircraft) for the latest 787 airliners made by U.S. company Boeing.