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

Corporate & Government Incompetence: Local governments demand TEPCo end the nuclear disaster now!

Not only is Tokyo Electric Popwer Company being targeted, but other nuclear plants in other parts of Japan are getting hit by demands to get outa town.

A meeting in Tokyo, of local community leaders from around Japan, demanded a quick end to the ongoing crisis at Fukushima Daiichi.  They also demanded a complete redo of Japan’s nuclear power policies.

Those local officials with nuclear power plants in their area are extremely worried, because it’s become obvious that no one can trust the plant operators, or national government agencies that are supposed to be regulating the plant operators.

International, U.S.

Proof that the U.S. military is controlled by Christian Crusaders: USAF “ethics” course is an in your face course on Christianity

30 U.S. Air Force officers revealed that a nuclear “ethics” course they were required to attend was nothing more than a promotion of Christianity, and a bad one at that.

The course constantly referred to biblical quotes, and quotes from Christian saints.  Most of the justification is based on versus from the Old Testament. I like to point out that there were no “Christians” in the Old Testament.  Also, the course uses Saint Augustine’s “Christian” justification of war.  Augustine was born more than 3oo years after the death of Jesus of Nazareth.  Augustine made the statements in order to justify the continued war mongering of the newly Christianized Roman Empire.

One part of the ethics course even stated that Christians view nuclear war as a good thing.

I’d like to remind people that no Hebrew official can speak for Moses, just as no Imam can speak for Mohammad.  And definitely no Saint can speak for Jesus of Nazareth.  Here’s a quote from the New Testament: Mathew 5:39; “But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”-attributed to Jesus of Nazareth, New American Standard 1984 edition

Amazingly (well, from my experience, maybe it’s not so amazing) USAF officials claim they never realized there was anything “Christian” about the ethics course.  The U.S. Air Force has been teaching the officer ethics course for nearly 20 years.

The USAF says they’ve stopped teaching the course.  There is a detailed report at truth-out.org.  Also the original USAF powerpoint presentation was made available online, you can find it at the Washington Post website.  It was after the presentation hit the internet that the USAF stopped their nuclear “ethics” course.

 

International, U.S.

The Young Indiana Jones got his start in Mexico, turns out the fictional story may have some truth to it

The popularity of the Indiana Jones movie character lead to the short lived TV show, Young Indiana Jones.  The character spent a lot of time doing rogue archeology in Mexico, at the time of the First World War.

If you remember (oh well, most people don’t) the United States actually invaded Mexico at that time (it wasn’t the first time).  It was to try to capture the revolutionary Fransisco “Poncho” Villa.  Turns out the U.S. Army did a little archeological research as well.

Now Mexican officials are reporting that they found 11 (out of 13) mound sites, that were previously explored by U.S. Army soldiers.  The sites are located near San Joaquin, Chihuahua, where 50 U.S. soldiers spent their off duty time digging around.

The testimonies of two U.S. officers are kept in the National Archives of Anthropology at the Smithsonian Museum, in Washington DC.  Mexican archeologists spent time reading those testimonies.  The documents include photographs, maps, sketches and drawings of the sites.

Mexican archeologists say the maps of the U.S. officers were very accurate.  It turns out that a path indicated on the map was actually a major transport route in ancient times.  However, only 11 of the 13 mound sites on the maps have been found, so far.

The U.S. soldiers estimated the sites to be 800 years old, about the time of the Middle Paquimé period (between 1200 and 1450 AD).

No details have been given about what was found.  I guess we have to go to the National Archives of Anthropology in Washington DC, and beg them to let us read those documents.

 

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International

Argentina has so much wheat they’ve released 450,000 tons from their surplus stockpile

The Argentine officials announced that they have plenty of wheat.  As a result of predicted high crop yields from upcoming harvests, the government decided to issue 450,000 tons of surplus wheat.

The surplus wheat will be split up among three provences of Argentina.  Those provences can then sell the wheat on the export market.  The action was encouraged by the Argentine Interior Commerce Secretary, Guillermo Moreno.

Argentina has a policy of maintaining large wheat surpluses, for food security.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery, What Global Warming? It’s summer time and Crops in Mexico are being threatened by Frost, yet more reasons why food prices will go up

“The involvement is significant, because they are threatening more than 7 million hectares of crops planted in the spring-summer 2011, which are at risk for losing a harvest of 20 million tons of basic grains as well as lost income and liquidity of more 3.5 million basic grain producers.”-Salazar Arriaga, National Confederation of Corn Producers

To be sure Mexico’s agriculture industry is dealing with severe drought, but also flooding and…frost.

23 of Mexico’s 32 states are dealing with drought, but, now that the rainy season is about to start it looks like they’ll get hit with severe flooding, neither of which are conducive to growing crops.

In northern Mexico, winter is predicted to come on colder than normal, resulting in frost damage to many struggling crops.

Some of the worst hit states in Mexico are Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Durango, Sonora, Chihuahua, Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, Colima, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatán and Zacatecas.  Farmers in those states have lost too much of the growing year, which means it’s too late to plant anything.

Fukushima

Government Incompetence: Top Japanese nuclear officials fired!

In a hastily arranged press conference, on 04 August 2011, it was announced that the top three officials, in charge of nuclear power operations were fired.

More than four months after the nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi, and with no end in sight, the Japanese government decided it was time for new blood.

Who’s being fired? Vice Minister of the Economy, Trade, and Industry Ministry, Matsunaga Kazuo.  Director General of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, Terasaka Nobuaki.  Director General of the Natural Resources and Energy Agency, Hosono Tetsuhiro.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, and the Natural Resources and Energy Agency are controlled by the Economy, Trade, and Industry Ministry.

The announcement was made by the Minister of the Economy, Trade, and Industry Ministry, Kaieda Banri.  Along with the dismissals, there will be a major reshuffling of all personnel within the Economy, Trade, and Industry Ministry.

 

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? Japan’s biggest paper maker closing down, Hitachi & Mitsubishi merging

Japan’s biggest paper maker, Nippon Paper Group, will lay off at least 1,300 workers and close at least five factories.

Part of the blame is on the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which damaged three factories.  Company officials say it’s not worth it to rebuild the damaged factories.

In fact business is so bad that Nippon Paper says it will close down factories, and lay off employees, as part of plans to cut production by 800,000 tons of paper.

And two industrial giants in Japan are merging in an attempt to save themselves.  Hitachi and Mitsubishi will merge some of their businesses that are involved with energy and environment, to create a new company.

This continues a trend between the two companies.  They’ve already created a joint rail transportation company.  Analysts say eventually the two companies will fully merge.

Technology

Chemical Weapons Primer

Chemical weapons have been in use ever since recorded history.  The substances used in chemical warfare are known as agents.  Agents used for concealment or signaling, such as smoke, or for causing fires, called incendiaries, or those producing odors, have been used for ages prior to the 20th Century.  No thanks to the industrial revolution of the 19th Century, much more lethal chemical agents have been created.

The first use of modern chemical weapons took place during World War 1.  Two types of agents were used; chlorine, a choking agent, and mustard, a blister agent.  Mustard gas is what Iraq used during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, and it’s what is currently leaking out of a storage site in Colorado.

Prior to World War 2, the Germans developed an even more potent gas while searching for a better way to kill insects.  Most people know it as bug spray, or Raid.  For military purposes it is known as nerve agent.

After WW2, advanced chemical agents were developed, produced, and stockpiled by various countries, with the United States and the Soviet Union leading the way.  The irony is that many of those countries, including the U.S.A., and the USSR, signed agreements not to develop chemical weapons.

There is plenty of evidence that the U.S. used chemical weapons in Vietnam, and the Soviets used chemicals in Afghanistan.

Choking agents work by inflaming the bronchial tubes and lungs.  In severe cases the lungs fill with fluid and you drown.  Chlorine and phosgene are types of chocking agents.  Many people have accidentally made a chocking agent by mixing bleach and other cleaning chemicals together.  Many people actually die from this mistake.  If exposure is not severe some allergy medications can help counter the effects.

Blister agents have no immediate effect, but produce inflammation (blisters), burns and destroy mucus membranes.  The most famous type is Mustard.  If you look at the video of the victims of Iraq’s Mustard gas attacks you’ll notice a grey white substance around their mouth and nose.  It is their destroyed mucus membranes.  You must wear a gas mask with a proper filter, and a protective suit.  The most serious effect of Blister on your skin is incredibly large blisters. You can not wear a wet cloth for protection, because moisture actually attracts the chemical.  There is little that can be done for a victim of blister agent.  If it is not severe the victim will have permanent injuries.

Riot control agent, aka tear gas, irritates the mucus membranes causing watery eyes, runny nose and difficulty breathing.  My experience with it only caused pain in my eyes, while others around me suffered from the most extreme case of runny nose I’ve ever seen.  People who have respiratory problems can die, as well as anyone who inhales huge amounts of the agent.  Unlike Blister agents, a wet cloth is your best defense with Riot agents.  Fresh air is the best treatment.

Blood agents are inhaled, and kill or injure by preventing your red blood cells from carrying oxygen.  The most common type is carbon monoxide.  Many people who kill themselves use this method by breathing in the exhaust of gas powered cars (it’s actually difficult to kill yourself with the exhaust of diesel powered cars).  Fresh air is the best treatment, but if not soon enough permanent brain damage occurs.

Nerve agent, aka bug spray, destroys your ability to control your muscles by blocking the enzyme cholinsterase.  A small amount can blur your vision, cause headaches and chest tightening.  A moderate amount causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and muscular convulsions.  Heavy exposure causes severe convulsions, coma and death.  Next time you spray a bug with insecticide pay attention to how it dies, because it’s basically how you’ll die when hit with nerve agent.  The only protection is a gas mask with proper filter, and a full protective suit (nerve agent can be absorbed by your skin).  The only treatment for nerve agent is also deadly.  Atropine can be taken no more than three times after heavy exposure to nerve agent, more than three times and you could die from the atropine.  Atropine taken at any other time can kill you.  Atropine is also used in medicine, mainly to treat certain poisonings, but, atropine is also a poison derived from the Deadly Nightshade plant.

Chemical weapons have proven to be inefficient weapons.  That’s why they’re not really used that much.  The main reason is that wind and rain can totally cancel out their affects on the battlefield.  Chemical weapons work well only in confined areas, like valleys protected from high winds, or city streets surrounded by tall buildings, or gas chambers.

Also, studies show that well trained troops have a 98% survival rate when hit with chemical weapons.  There are studies that suggest that governments might be keeping chemical weapons because they work well on civilians.  One study says that a civilian population hit with chemical weapons, and with the right atmospheric conditions, would suffer 80% fatalities.

Other studies show that the most likely cause of civilian deaths would be from an accident involving the transport, or storage, of chemical weapons.

 

 

U.S.

Military Incompetence: Mustard Gas leak at Army facility in Colorado

On Tuesday, August 2, the U.S. Army reported a mustard gas leak at their chemical storage site in Pueblo, Colorado.  They also claim no one has been affected.

Today, August 3, personnel at the site are trying to find out where the leak is coming from.  One official thinks it’s one or two old artillery shells that are leaking.

The Pueblo site is one of five U.S. Army chemical stockpile sites in the United States.  Those sites are in the states of Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Kentucky and Alabama.  A factory designed to destroy the chemical weapons is scheduled for construction in 2013, and it’s hoped it will be ready by 2017.