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, Opinion, U.S.

U.S. government debt limit increase will NOT save economy, will only provide corporations will cheap loans, perpetuate downward spiral

Claims by the main stream media, and politicians at the Federal level, that raising the government debt limit is necessary to save the economy, is a lie.

We’re being told that people will lose jobs.  People ARE losing jobs.  Since the beginning of the year dozens of companies have announced job layoffs.  The latest is British company HSBC, which says it will layoff 25,000 employees around the world, by 2013.  Raising the U.S. government debt limit will not stop that.

By raising the debt limit, the U.S. Treasury can issue more bonds (which means taking on more loans/debt).  The Treasury can then loan that money at ridiculously cheap rates to U.S. corporations.  Those corporations are not using that money to hire more people, they’re using it to pay their own debts!

We’re also being told that without a debt limit increase interest rates on our loans will go up.  So what!  Many of us little people lost our credit back in 2007/2008!  Many of us little people that still have credit saw our rates skyrocket already!  What our leaders really mean is that U.S. corporations, and the government, will finally have to pay higher rates on their loans!

The latest reports are that the debt limit increase will come with the slashing of $2.1 trillion in government spending.  That can only happen with thousands of government employee layoffs!  So how does raising the debt limit prevent job layoffs?

A debt limit increase will not stop cuts to government programs!  We’ve already seen huge cuts to social programs, and we’re going to see more cuts to government services, because you can’t cut $2.1 trillion in spending without drastically cutting funding for programs!

And don’t think you’re not going to be paying more taxes.  It’s the only way the government can pay down its increasing debt.  But our leaders are ignorant of the fact that as more people lose their jobs, that’s less people that can pay the higher taxes!

The bottom line is that a debt increase will not save the economy.  We are seeing people continue to lose jobs, and it’s clear that people will continue to lose jobs even with a debt limit increase.  There can be no economic recovery with such huge and continuing job loses!   We’re just picking up speed in our economic downward spiral.

 

 

International, U.S.

Got Swine Flu? You may become Super Immune to other diseases. Vaccines to be replaced by F16 antibodies?

A study published by Science Express, says researchers think the F16 antibody could be the cure for most influenza type A infections.

The Medical Research Council’s National Institute for Medical Research looked at more than 100,000 samples of immune cells from people who had the flu, or flu vaccines. They noticed the F16 antibody, a protein called haemagglutinin, swarmed the surfaces of all influenza A viruses.

The scientists then injected H1N1 (swine flu) infected mice with haemagglutinin.  The result was “full protection” in the mice from the effects of H1N1.

Injection of the F16 antibody is not the same as a vaccination.  More research is being done into the feasibility of using F16 injections to fight infections.

International, Technology

Israelis develop pill for PTSD, erase your memory. Can you put someone on trial for War Crimes if they can’t remember?

Israeli researchers claim to have developed a pill to prevent Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

It won’t help with existing cases.  It works by using the hormone cortisol, which scientists believe prevents the “fixing” of traumatic memories in your mind.

Essentially the pill erases traumatic memories, by preventing them from being stored in your mind.  The pill must be taken within 24 hours of a traumatic event.

Studies were done using injections, and were successful.  Israeli researchers think its main use will be on soldiers.

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? China economic data down for 4th straight month, inflation to blame, again

August 1, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing says purchases of manufactured products is down for the 4th month in a row.

The main reason is the continuing inflation in prices of basic resources, which is causing prices for manufactured goods to go up.   Despite efforts by the Chinese government to control inflation, the inflation rate is exceeding their expectations.

Currently the purchase of manufactured goods (PMI) is stagnating at 50.7.  Anything below 50 is bad.  In previous years China’s PMI was well above 50, but this year it’s been falling.


Business/Economics, International, Technology

Museum Incompetence: 1,000 year old porcelain broken, covered up

A Chinese blogger revealed that officials with the Beijing Museum (aka Forbidden City), covered up a potentially million dollar disaster.

A researcher smashed a 1,000 year old plate from the Song Dynasty.  The researcher was using a device that’s intended to protect porcelains during inspection, but instead the plate was smashed due to operator error.

Officials with the museum decided not to report the incident.  The last time a Song Dynasty plate sold at auction in New York City, it sold for $1.54 million.

Fukushima

Farmer Incompetence: Japanese planted rice in radioactive fields

In several postings (back in March) I warned that Japanese farmers should not plant their crops because of the radiation contamination…they planted their crops anyway, now it’s a mess.

Prefectural governments, and the national government of Japan, are now telling farmers not to ship their upcoming rice harvest, because of cesium contamination.

It’s not just rice that’s contaminated.  For months now tea crops have been coming up with radiation, and what’s amazing is that the Japanese tea industry has spent money promoting their tea around the world, even holding tea drinking demonstrations.  Many vegetables are contaminated, and even compost is proving to be contaminated.  And, they’re still dealing with the massive beef cesium contamination.

Did anybody learn anything from Chernobyl?

Fukushima

Corporate Incompetence: TEPCo announces reduction in contamination, then finds more contamination!

01 August 2011, Tokyo Electric Power Company announced a drop in cesium and iodine flooding into the Pacific Ocean, from Fukushima Daiichi.

TEPCo claims cesium 134 and 137, in water leaking from reactor 3, have remained steady since Friday.  Iodine 131, in water leaking from reactor 2, has stopped.

At the height of contaminated water emission, cesium 134 hit 20,000 becquerels per cubic centimeter, while cesium 137 was 17 times the official safe limit.

Iodine 131, from reactor 2, had hit 7.5 million times the official safe limit.

But along with TEPCo’s announcment that radioactive water was dropping, they discovered a building flooded with highly radioactive water.

A storage building was found to be flooded with 700 tons of water.  That water contains 19,000 becquerels of cesium 134 per cubic centimeter, and 22,000 becquerels of cesium 137.  And, not surprisingly, TEPCo officials say they’re trying to figure out where it came from.

Idaho, International, U.S.

Dengue & West Nile influenced by temperature changes, flooding

“Traditional explanations for the seasonal increase in dengue are not consistent with my experience in Thailand, Peru, and Puerto Rico.”-Doctor Thomas Scott

A recent study shows that long hot seasonal temperatures help the spread of Dengue.  The areas of the world, where Dengue is becoming more prevalent, are areas that are not cooling off as they used to, and are subject to radical swings in warmer temps.

The study, “Impact of Daily Temperature Fluctuations on Dengue Virus Transmission by Aedes aegypti”, shows that without the usual cold seasons the mosquitoes, that spread the disease, stay alive much longer increasing their chances of catching Dengue from humans, and spreading it.

The study also showed that mosquitoes are less likely to spread disease during cooler temperatures, and more likely during hot weather: “…whereas transmission probability is estimated to be 0.11 at a constant mean temperature of 14 °C, it shows a 2.7-fold increase with a DTR [diurnal temperature range] of 20 °C.”

While many parts of the World are experiencing warmer than normal weather, here in Idaho our weather is much cooler than normal.  That is keeping cases of West Nile virus way down, so far.

The big concern in Idaho is protecting horses.  Horses are more susceptible to dieing from West Nile, than humans.

Local mosquito eradication officials are reporting that, so far, there’s a drop in West Nile infected mosquitoes, possibly due to the cooler weather.  However, they pointed out that mosquitoes with West Nile usually show up in the later half of Idaho summers.

Another factor in favor of mosquitoes is flooding.  Parts of Idaho have been hit with increased seasonal flooding, and the cooler weather (resulting in less evaporation) means there are large areas of standing water, perfect for mosquitoes.

Officials are already taking action by spraying insecticides on ponds, and asking property owners to drain standing water.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that Idaho, Oregon and Washington state are free of any West Nile cases (as of 26 July 2011).  It could be due to the cooler than normal weather.

The CDC reports human cases of West Nile in the following U.S. states: Arizona, California, Georgia, Mississippi, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, and Wyoming.

According to the most recent CDC Dengue HealthMap, there are no cases of domestically acquired Dengue fever within the United States.

Business/Economics, Opinion, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? U.S. GDP continues to stagnate, leaders continue to sell it as “growth”

U.S. GDP for the second quarter of 2011 is stagnating at 1.3%.   U.S. leaders and main stream media continue to call it “growth”.  What’s really sad is that the “experts” expected the GDP to be higher.

On top of that, the first quarter results were revised, no surprise, downward from 1.9% to 0.4%!  It’s amazing how for the past few years economic reports have been revised downward a month or more after they’ve been released.  So is the second quarter GDP of 1.3% going to be revised downward?  I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s revised downward to a negative percent.

 

 

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? British Prime Minister claims 0.2% GDP is positive growth

The United Kingdom is reporting 0.2% GDP for the last quarter, many officials calling it a sign of economic “growth”.  Prime Minister David Cameron calls it “positive news” for the U.K.

0.2% is not “growth”!  It’s stagnation!  Anything from zero to 3% is stagnation.  The U.S. and U.K. mainstream media, and politicians, keep trying to trick people into thinking that proof of economic stagnation is really economic “growth”.

A country needs to see more than 3% GDP (over so many quarters) before it can be called “growth”.   If David Cameron thinks 0.2% is so great then we’re really in trouble!