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.
U.S.

South Carolina Prison Christian Crusaders ban all books but Bible

In an obvious act of religious discrimination, a South Carolina prison has banned all books, except the Bible, from being read by prisoners.  The ban went into effect in 2008.  The Bible is the only religious book allowed.

The book ban is taking place at the Berkeley County prison.  The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit.

Prison officials claim that only books and magazines with staples in them are banned.  But several book publishers, and individuals, say all books (except the Bible) sent to prisoners are being returned by the prison officials.  Also, in an email response, a prison staff member admitted that only Bibles are allowed: “…our inmates are only allowed soft black Bibles in the mail directly from the publisher.”

The ACLU also discovered that legal pads of paper, with staples in them, are being sold to prisoners.  The ACLU says the Berkeley County prison has obviously implemented a Bible only policy, despite officials trying to dodge the claims of the lawsuit.

 

Business/Economics, International

Japanese car makers lose Billions since March 11

Japanese vehicle makers announced they’ve lost billions since the March 11 disasters.

Toyota was the biggest loser at $1.3 billion. Honda lost $900 million and Nissan almost $500 million.

The biggest problem for the Japanese car makers is the loss of production, due to lack of parts.  The lack of parts is due to the “just in time” supply model that most of Japan’s industries rely on.  This model means that the big producers do not make their own parts, and they don’t keep a lot of spare parts on hand.  Instead they rely on smaller producers to supply those parts.  Also, the smaller producers can not keep a stockpile of parts on hand, because they can’t afford to.

The March 11 disasters resulted in 60% of Japan’s nuclear plants going off line. Japan’s industries are almost totally reliant on electricity from the nuclear power plants.  The result was factories all over Japan shut down.

Japanese car makers didn’t even try to forecast their performance for the next year, because the lack of electrical power will continue, at least ’till the end of the year.

Fukushima

Japan official: Flooding Reactor 1 with more water is a wasted effort, due to total melt down?

Officials with Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency say it’s too late now that fuel rods in Fukushima Daiichi Reactor 1 have melted down!  Tokyo Electric Power Company officials wanted to pump more water into the reactor, in the hopes of stopping the meltdown.

Nuclear Safety officials think the melted rods have cooled enough in the water at the bottom of the reactor, that there might not be too much concern.  However, TEPCo believes that holes in the reactor vessel have been created by the meltdown, which is causing large amounts of radioactive water to pour into the Pacific Ocean.

The Agency suggested that TEPCo should inject water only to the point of keeping the bottom of the reactor filled.

Fukushima

Cesium spreading across Japan!

Two prefectures bordering Fukushima Prefecture, have discovered that plants are contaminated with cesium.

Tochigi and Ibaraki Prefectures have cesium contamination well about safe limits.  As much as 3,600 becquerels of cesium has contaminated pasture land, and crops!  The government’s safe limit is 300 bequerels.

Farmers are being told not to feed their animals the grass.  Crops are so contaminated that farmers are being told not to harvest, or ship their crops.  Some contaminated parsley had already been shipped to market.

 

 

 

 

Fukushima

Fukishima Daiichi Reactor 1 officially in Meltdown

13 March 2011, Tokyo Electric Power Company has announced that fuel rods in reactor 1 have melted.  Government officials think this might be the cause of holes where highly contaminated water is pouring from.

TEPCo officials say that most of the fuel rods have melted and are now melting through the bottom of the reactor.  Officials think the melted rods are cooling down at the bottom of the reactor because there is still water there.

TEPCo is now trying to find out how much water is actually in the reactor, and come up with a new plan to address the meltdown.

International, Opinion, U.S.

NATO says it will occupy Libya

“In a post-Gaddafi era, I think we will still have a role to play in assisting a new Libyan government in a transition to a sustainable democracy.”-Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO Secretary General

Rasmussen explained that NATO will focus on rebuilding Libya’s security and military units.

Basically what Rasmussen is saying is that U.S. led NATO plans on setting up shop in Libya, after they kill off Gaddafi.  What was that Obama said about this not being a long term adventure?

 

International, Opinion, U.S.

Another U.S. soldier killed by Afghan Cop

Another case of Afghan government forces shooting U.S. forces.  This time a National Police officer shot four U.S. soldier, killing one of them.  Very little details are available. The shooting happened in Lashkar Gah.  Witnesses say it was an all out scuffle.

This is not the first time Afghan government employees turned their guns on U.S. forces.  Last month a career military pilot killed several U.S. personnel, before being killed himself.

As for police forces, this is one of several incidents involving police officers; In April 2011, a total of 11 U.S. personnel were killed by Afghan police. In January 2011, a U.S. Marine killed a police officer. In November 2010, an Afghan border police officer killed six U.S./NATO troops.

Not only do U.S. forces have to deal with the Taliban’s spring offensive, but they have to watch their back for fear of Afghan government police attacking them.

International, U.S.

U.S. Congress to increase President’s “War Powers”

“The President has the authority to use all necessary and appropriate force during the current armed conflict with al Qaeda, Taliban, and associated forces pursuant to the authorization of the use of military force.”-2012 Defense Authorization Bill

U.S. Congressman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, from California, has submitted the fiscal year 2012 defense bill (aka Authorization for the Use of Military Force).  The bill expands the powers of the President to wage war, in the name of fighting terrorism.

The American Civil Liberties Union says the bill gives the President too much war making powers, and does not provide a clear end game policy.

 

 

International, U.S.

Another reason to stay in Iraq: U.S. has begun training troops to attack Iran

A U.S. base in Iraq is being used to train Iranian dissidents for attacks on Iran.

The base is called Camp Taji Contracting Center.  Iranian Arab separatists known as Khalq-e Arab, are given military training there.  The Iranian government learned of the training after arresting five members of the group after they tried to assassinate Iranian police.

The Khalq-e Arab separatists are trying to take control of Iran’s southwestern oil fields in Khuzestan.  Khuzestan has a large Arab population, and has been fought over in the past, by Iraq and Iran.