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.
International, U.S.

Pakistan orders U.S. out, tired of drone attacks and claims the U.S. is not helping to pay for War on Terror

“We have told them (US officials) to leave the air base.”-Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar, Pakistan Defense Minister

June 29, Mukhtar orders the CIA to vacate the once secret Shamsi air base.  That’s where the Central Intelligence Agency has been launching drone attacks against supposed terrorists in Pakistan.  The reality is that many hundreds of civilians have been killed instead.

Another reason the Pakistan government wants the U.S. to get out; they claim the United States has not been forthcoming with promised payments from a War on Terror coalition fund.  Pakistani officials are now re-thinking their relationship with the U.S., in regards to the War on Terror.

In 2009, The times of London revealed that the CIA was using Shamis air base to launch drone attacks.  The Times used Google Earth to spot drones parked on the runway.

 

Fukushima

Government Incompetence: Nuclear agency spokesman fired for creating a sex scandal during Japan’s nuclear crisis

Nishiyama Hidehiko, spokesman for Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, has been removed from his job.  It turns out that while the Japanese people were looking to the government for information on the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, Nishiyama was having an affair with a young woman.

A Japanese magazine broke the story.  The woman said Nishiyama was worried about loosing his hair and thought “vigorous sex” would prevent it.  He apologized for the media finding out about his affar, and said: “I am sorry if this gave any misperceptions or concerns that I have been laying down on the job.”

I think he should have said something other than “…laying down on the job”.  Talk about ‘fiddling’ while Rome burns!

 

Fukushima

Radiation evacuations expanded!

About 90 households have been told they need to leave, because of increasing radiation levels.  The evacuation affects three districts in the city of Date.  The city is 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The Japanese government is trying to minimize mass evacuations by testing each residential property when radiation levels near unsafe limits.  The government explained the new evacuation determination to about 400 people in the affected districts.  If a residential property is determined unsafe then the people living there will evacuate, the government promises to provide support to them.

Most of the people at the meeting basically said they think they should just mass evacuate all the families, after all what if you live in a house next to another house that’s just been evacuated, but you’re told you’re going to stay?  The increasing, and spreading radiation levels shows that Fukushima Daiichi is still spewing radiation into the air.

International

Pacific Ring of Fire: Japanese volcano erupts, again & again & again

Mount Shinmoe has erupted again, June 29.  It’s been erupting since January 2011.  Another ash cloud has been blasted one kilometer (0.6 miles) into the sky.

Shinmoe is on the island of Kyushu, at the south end of Japan.  If you’re a Sean Connery/James Bond fan you can see it in the movie “You Only Live Twice”.

In January 2011, it had its largest eruption since 1959.  Then in February it had an even bigger eruption.  People were evacuated because heavy rains threatened landslides made of the fresh ash buildup on the mountains.  In March another eruption that caused more evacuations. Another eruption in April sent an ash cloud two kilometers (1.2 miles) into the sky.  The volcano took a break in May.

 

Technology, U.S.

What Global Warming? Late melting snowpacks shut down Oregon wind power

Bonneville Power Administration has been shutting down their Oregon wind power farms, because of the late melting snowpacks in the local mountains.

Rivers that power hydroelectric dams have been full thanks to a wet winter and spring.  Now the late melting of snow in the mountains is keeping the rivers fuller than normal, keeping the hydroelectric dams generating plenty of electricity, reducing the need for wind power.

 

Idaho, U.S.

What Global Warming? Idaho has record snowpack levels, and it’s summer! Guarantees more flooding

According to surveyors from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, June 1 had Idaho breaking record snowpack levels.   Normally most of Idaho’s mountain snowpack melts off by the end of May.  This year’s cold wet spring has delayed that, and actually added to some the mountain snowpacks.

In eastern Idaho, Two Ocean Plateau’s snowpack is at 113% of peak average, as of June 28.  What global warming?

The concern now is that temperatures are finally warming up to what is normal for the time of the year, which means all that snow is gonna melt and just continue the flooding that’s already taking place.

The same is true of snowpacks in the Rockies, and other western U.S. mountain ranges.  This is why officials have warned the flooding from the Missouri River could last through the month of August.

International

Sweden gets deadly E Coli, can’t trace it

Swedish officials announced that they have at least one case of the deadly e.coli that can not be connected to Germany or France.  Sweden does have 53 cases where a link has been established.

The problem with this latest case is that they can’t trace it.  The Swedish Institute for Communicable Disease Control says there are no signs that the infected individual got the e.coli from Germany or France.

So far 47 people have died in Germany, and one in Sweden.  There are almost 4,000 cases in Germany.

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, International, Opinion, Technology

Japan not number one when it comes to computer skills, girls better at digital reading, computer use at school of little value, Idaho needs to get their act together

A survey by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development shows which countries are the top for computer/internet skills among teenagers.

Japan did not come in first.  South Korean teenagers are number one in computer/internet skills, followed by New Zealand, Australia, then Japan and Hong Kong/China.

The OECD study looked at the digital reading comprehension and computer operating skills of 15 year olds.  16 countries were involved with the study, the United States did not take part.   It turns out that girls are better at digital reading than boys (studies show that girls are better at print reading as well).

A surprising find was that use of computers in schools showed little benefit.  It could be because they aren’t used at school as much as at home.  The study showed that most teenagers learn their computer skills at home, not at school.

“But computer use at school had little impact on results, while using a computer at home had a more marked impact on results. To help students at school, computer use should be integrated into curricula and more invested in training teachers to use them for teaching and to help students learn, says the OECD.”

I can attest to that.  Almost every year here in Idaho, the Albertsons Foundation gives our schools new computers.  One year, right before the start of the school year, I was visiting Chubbuck Elementary school to meet one of my daughters teachers.  The teacher was busy trying to set up some of the new computers, she was also complaining about it.  She admitted that she didn’t “understand the things” and tried “not using them at all”.   Over their elementary school years, my daughters, and my son, confirmed that most of the teachers did not allow them to use the donated computers.  My kids learned their computer skills from me and their mother (passed away).   We did so well that I have to go to my now adult kids for help with any computer problems.

The state of Idaho is pushing a new computer system on our schools, they hope to give high school students their own laptops.  I’ve already read stories of how other states have done the same thing, then actually used those laptops to spy on the kids while they where at home.  This new study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development blows holes in the argument by some education officials that pushing more computers in schools is the answer for our country’s educational disaster.  In fact the study proves that kids learn better at home.  It’s too bad most parents don’t have the luxury of home schooling.

International

Iran launches ballistic missiles, reveals underground silos, admits targets are Israel and U.S. bases

“The silos are a part of the swift reaction unit of the [IRGC] missile brigade; missiles are stored vertically, ready to be launched against pre-determined targets.”-General Asghar Qelich-Khani

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps officials revealed, on June 27, that not only does Iran have underground missile silos, but they’ve had underground silos for 15 years.

The “pre-determined” targets are Israel, and U.S. bases in the Middle East.  Iranian military officials say they have no reason to build missiles with longer range than being able to hit Israel.   Iran says the only countries that threaten them is Israel and the United States.  They don’t need ballistic missiles that can hit the U.S., because there are so many U.S. targets in the Middle East.

Iran also successfully launched 14 missiles on June 28, including long range ballistic missiles.

Video which starts out with missile launches, and then shows underground silos.

 

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? China is a paper tiger, reveals $1.65 trillion in debt, get ready for Global Great Depression

A surprise announcement, China says local governments (cities, provinces and autonomous regions) have racked up $1.65 trillion in debt, threatening a new credit crisis.

The revelation came after the Chinese government conducted audits of local governments.  It seems the local governments are playing the same financing games that got the United States (and Europe) into its own credit crisis, which led to one of its worst recessions.

The local governments were using loan after loan on infrastructure projects and real estate development.  The audit by the Chinese government came as national leaders expressed concern over evidence of the skyrocketing number of potentially bad loans being held by Chinese banks (sound familiar?).

Is this the real reason China is dumping U.S. bonds, to raise cash to pay its debts?