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.
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.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Debt Limit deal screws college students, what happened to Obama’s promise?

Some government loans for college graduate students covered, or forgave, the interest payments while the student was still in school.  Not anymore: “They will be responsible for the interest while they’re going to school, beginning in the 2012/2013 academic year.”- James Martin, Idaho State University Associate Director of Financial Aid

You can thank the Debt Limit deal just signed into law by President Obama.

For some students who have to take the maximum loans, it could mean paying $207.00 per month in interest, while they’re in school.  That would mean they would have much less of their loans to live on.

Many graduate students at Idaho State said they might not be able to continue their higher education: “So I think taking away the subsidized, which most of my loans are, I don’t think I would have attended this program if they had done that.”-Chris Thurston

“You know, I know they have to make cuts somewhere, but unfortunately it’s the one that will affect me. But you just gotta do what you gotta do.”-Zach Migel

“If we don’t have the ability to pay for it, we’ll go for not the top notch schools, we’ll go for cheaper schools, cheaper programs.”-Sheila Mitchell

On top of the ending of the interest subsidies, the Debt Limit deal also ends a credit for students who make 12 on time loan payments.

Business/Economics, Idaho, Technology, U.S.

It’s official: Idaho’s internet services suck!

After decades spending millions of dollars to get Idahoan’s connected to the World Wide Web, Idaho has the slowest connection speed in the U.S.

Pando Networks surveyed 4 million internet customers across the country, and found Idaho’s average connection speed to be 318 kilobytes per second, with 83% completion rate.

Idaho’s northern neighbor, Montana, and eastern neighbor Wyoming, also made the slow connection list.  Wyoming actually has a slightly faster connection rate, than Idaho.

Two of Idaho’s other neighbors, Washington and Oregon, made the top 15 fastest rates.

So who’s number one in the United States for internet connection speed?  Tiny old Rhode Island: 894 KPbs!

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? China bans local businesses from getting loans from foreign banks

In a move that’s officially meant to tighten money supply, to counter rising inflation, China has banned all domestic businesses from taking loans from foreign banks.

The specific type of loan is called RMB (RenMinBi, a type of international currency). The People’s Bank of China, told all other banks that it would stop accepting applications for direct offshore borrowing.

An unnamed source said one of the reasons China is banning RMB loans, is because they have no control over the interest rates of those loans.

China has already tightened lending by Chinese banks, again, to try and control inflation by restricting the amount of money in the consumer market.  The RMB loans are controlled by foreign banks, and have increased their lending in China since the beginning of the year.

An official with the People’s Bank of China said they are going to come up with a system in which they can influence the lending of foreign money in China.

 

Fukushima

Government Incompetence: Japanese leaders admit their current nuclear agencies suck!

The Japanese government announced they will create a new nuclear agency, to better respond to future nuclear disasters.  This after it’s painfully obvious that the current plethora of government agencies, tasked with dealing with the Fukushima Daiichi disaster, have failed.

The latest plan to revamp nuclear regulators involves creating an agency who’s sole job is to act as first responders to any future nuclear accident.  It will be created out of the current Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, and placed under control of the Environment Ministry.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency would continue purely as a regulatory agency.

The new first responder agency would also be responsible for monitoring of radiation levels, and control of radioactive substances.

The current Nuclear Safety Commission would be placed under the Environment Ministry as well, and act as an adviser to the first responders.

Of course the Japanese government still has to vote on the plan, but seeing what’s happening in Japan right now, any politician who’d want things to stay the same is nuts.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Japanese on welfare at record numbers, the last Japanese TV factory to shut down, Japan is the second largest foreign holder of U.S. debt

The number of households getting welfare in Japan hit a record number of 1.46 million.  That’s households, not individuals.

The Japanese Welfare Ministry say it’s a rising trend, no thanks to the never ending nuclear disaster.

To make matters worse, Japan’s only domestic television maker, Hitachi, announced they will close up shop and move their factory to Taiwan.  Of course this means more Japanese out of work.  Hitachi officials say they had to make the move in order to compete with South Korean companies.

Other big name Japanese electronics makers, like Panasonic, Sony and Toshiba, all reported big loses in the past quarter. And it can’t be blamed on the nuclear disaster.  The Japanese companies are having a hard time competing with other Asian nations.

This brings us to an important, and over looked fact: Japan is the second largest foreign holder of U.S. government debt (after China).  Japan’s main market is the United States, yet has been losing out to companies from China and South Korea.

If things get bad enough for Japan, they will be forced to off load their U.S. bonds in order to make some money for their struggling systems.  This could be why the U.S. has given Japan so much help battling the nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi.

 

Fukushima

Government Incompetence: More proof radiation spreading across Japan, rice feed for cows 440 miles away contaminated!

Yet another prefectural government announced they will begin radiation checks of their cows, after they discovered their cattle feed is contaminated with cesium.

That prefecture is Shimane, and it’s 708 kilometers (440 miles) south west of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant!

Shimane officials say they will begin blanket tests of their cattle starting next week.

Tests of cattle feed, at the end of July, came back showing high levels of contamination.  As a result prices for cows from Shimane crashed.  Officials are hoping their cows are not contaminated, because cattle farming is an important business for them.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? China blames the United States for creating runaway inflation, the dollar will continue to lose value despite debt limit deal, China looking for other currencies to do business with

“If the unemployment rate continues to rise, it will further damage investor confidence and force them to move away from U.S. Treasury securities, leaving the U.S. government no choice but to print money and depreciate its currency.”-Lu Zhengwei, Industrial Bank Co Ltd

Chinese officials say the U.S. Debt Limit Deal is not enough, mainly because it will not stop job loses, and it doesn’t cut enough government spending.

Zhu Baoliang, chief economist at the State Information Center, says U.S. government debt is too large to be resolved through normal measures such as tax increases and deficit reductions.  Also, it is highly unlikely the U.S. government will significantly reduce entitlements like Social Security and Medicare, or significantly draw down troops overseas.  All that means is at the very least the U.S. dollar will continue to lose value.

The Chinese are blaming their runaway inflation on the falling U.S. dollar.  In June inflation hit 6.4% in China.  The increase in costs is causing a drop in factory orders, which hits China where it hurts.

Chen Kexin, chief analyst at the Distribution Productivity Promotion Center of China Commerce, says no matter what happens now, inflation will pick up speed.  He predicts oil prices will go back up to more than $100.00 per barrel, and copper could hit $10,000 per ton.

According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, China is the largest foreign holder of U.S. government debt (the overall largest holder of U.S. debt is…the U.S. taxpayer via the U.S. Treasury).  Many analysts in the United States think China has no choice but to keep buying U.S. debt, creating a false sense of security among U.S. leaders.  But one analysts admits China is cutting back: “Beijing is probably not buying Treasuries as intensely as it did last year.”-Derek Scissors, The Heritage Foundation

Chinese analysts are pushing for their government to diversify their U.S. debt holdings, because the debt limit deal won’t help: “The debt crisis may have a negative impact on the fiscal spending of the U.S. government, which may drag down the U.S. economy for the rest of the year.”-Hou Zhenhai, Investment bank China International Capital Corp

It’s not just U.S. government bonds China has, but something called foreign exchange reserves.  These bonds can come from corporations, like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  The problem for China is most of its foreign exchange reserves are in U.S. dollars.  Chinese analysts are warning of the “all your eggs in one basket” scenario; they think China will be dragged down when the United States finally sinks.

In fact, one analysts thinks the situation is so bad that China should stop investing into all foreign operations: “Because of the lack of mature overseas investment projects, the scale of China’s overseas investment is not big enough to absorb massive foreign exchange reserves in the short term. Therefore, to invest overseas is not realistic.”-Zhang Yi, Institute of Foreign Economy, the National Development and Reform Commission

 

Fukushima

Government Incompetence: Japan government cannot logistically conduct radiation monitoring, must rely on local governments and NGOs

Another example of the lack of preparedness of the Japanese government; promised increases in radiation monitoring have not materialized, because the government can’t handle it logistically.

02 August 2011, the Japanese government announced that in order to increase radiation monitoring they will now rely on non governmental groups, many of which have already been conducting their own radiation monitoring.

Many of Japan’s citizens have complained about the lack of response from the national government.  Official government reports concerning radiation levels have been contradicted, and even proven wrong, by local governments, as well as the NGOs.

Many of the national government reports relied on data from Tokyo Electric Power Company, and it’s obvious TEPCo is totally unreliable.

Agencies of the Japanese government are now going to work with the NGOs, and local governments, to set up a large network of 250 radiation monitoring sites, which will include schools and libraries.  They will check air, ground, water, plants and food for radiation contamination.  The government hopes to have a web site set up by mid August, so that everyone in Japan can see the results.