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

Japanese officials finally searching Radiation zone for victims!

For the first time since the 11 March disasters, police will begin searching for victims inside the original 20km (12.4 miles) radiation evac zone.

They are searching Futaba Town in Fukushima Prefecture, near the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.  Earlier this month search crews began to slowly work in towards the 20km zone.

Police say Futaba is a ghost town.  So far there are no signs of people.  Every now and then they see a dog, or cat.  They say there is evidence that people left in a hurry, like laundry still hanging on clothes lines.

 

Fukushima

Fukushima to euthanize abandoned livestock and pets!

The state government of Fukushima has responded to its resident’s calls to humanely put down animals abandoned in the 20km radiation evac zone.   Many have already died of starvation, after being left alone for several weeks.

The operation began today, 25 April.  Veterinarians will put down weakened animals, move animals that still look healthy into barns, and begin decontamination of dead animals.

Officials think it will take until the end of May to complete the operation.  They also say no animal will be put down without the owner’s knowledge.  NHK video

JAPANESE BREAK INTO 20KM EVACUATION ZONE TO BRING YOU VIDEO OF LIVESTOCK & PETS LEFT TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES!

Fukushima, U.S.

U.S. nuke plant shut down because of failed electronics, another nuke plant down because of grass

Last week reactor 1 of Plant Vogtle nuclear plant, near Waynesboro, Georgia, shut down, on 20 April 2011, without explanation.  Company officials say they are replacing a breaker and other electronic equipment.  They don’t know why the equipment failed.

In Delaware, on 21 April 2011, the Salem 1 nuclear reactor was shut down because of grass.  The Salem plant is along the Delaware river, and plants periodically grow over the water intakes of the nuke plant.  Salem 1 had to be shut down because the plant growth was blocking cooling water from coming into the reactor.  Officials say it’s back on line now.

Surprisingly, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission says unexpected shutdowns of nuclear reactors happen every year.

 

International

China accuses Japan of Cold War mentality

Chinese officials are upset over statements by Japanese officials, regarding increased military ties to the United States.

Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa said: “In order to maintain the right balance in our relationship with China, we need to also solidify the ties between Japan, the US and South Korea.”

The Chinese view this as a continuation of the Cold War, East vs West: “The Japan-US military alliance, shaped in the Cold War, should not be expanded or aimed at any third party. The expansion of the Japan-US military alliance in the sensitive area of East Asia is harmful to regional peace and stability.”-Zhou Yongsheng, China Foreign Affairs University

International

Taliban “rescue” 500+ people from Afghan Prison

Confusing reports about a jail break at the Kandahar prison.  Some say it was an attack, others say the prisoners dug their way out.  Kandahar prison had at least 1,000 prisoners.

Qari Yusuf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, says they helped more than 500 prisoners escape.  It makes the third time that the Kandahar prison was attacked, and/or prisoners escaped.  Afghan police say 476 prisoners escaped.  The Taliban say they rescued 647 ‘brothers’.

Kandahar is also the location of the second largest U.S./NATO base in Afghanistan.


Business/Economics, International

Japanese farmland useless after Tsunami, adding to food crisis

Studies of the effects of the March 11 tsunami, on the farm land that was flooded, shows there is too much salt in the soil.  Not only is radiation a concern, but now salt.

Immediately after the tsunami Japanese officials were optimistic that the flooded farm land would not have too high a level of salt.  The latest testing of the soil proved otherwise.  78% of the 2,300 hectares (5,683 acres) of farmland, in Miyagi Prefecture, cannot be planted this year.  Farmers will try flushing their fields with fresh water.

Fukushima

Reactor 4 overheating, losing water, 70% of fuel rods in Reactor 1 damaged!

Tokyo Electric Power Company says temperatures in Reactor 4 fuel pool shot up again,  this after they injected almost 200 tons of water before the weekend.  TEPCo will try injecting more water on 25 April.  Reactor 4 fuel pool seems to be losing water faster than they can put it in.  They are concerned the building is too damaged to inject anymore water.

TEPCo also says that Fukushima Daiichi’s Reactor 1 is more damaged than thought.  They believe that 70% of  Reactor 1’s fuel rods are damaged, and they are having trouble maintaining water levels.  They have been injecting water at a rate of 6 tons per hour.  TEPCo wants to try building a new heat exchanger building, to cool the water they are injecting.  In fact TEPCo is having major problems keeping all the reactors cool.

 

Business/Economics, Fukushima

Japanese bank president resigns, because they weren’t prepared for 9.0 quake

Remember the stories about Japanese who couldn’t get their money out of the banks, after the March 11 disasters?  The president of one of those banks has just resigned, because they weren’t prepared.

Satoru Nishibori, president of Mizuho Bank, will leave in June.  He failed to authorize a proposed computer update. The result was that all the ATMs in Japan shut down after the 9.0 quake.

This is not the first time Mizuho Bank had computer problems.  Back in 2002 when three banks merged under Mizuho Bank, there were problems caused by failing to integrate the three banks computer systems.  Two executives resigned over that.

But even after that officials with the bank did not see any reason to update their computer programs, which are 20 years old!  It took 10 days to restore the computer system, after the March 11 disasters.  It still does not run smoothly, because they have no manual, or personnel, to address such a problem!

There is word that action could be taken against the bank’s parent company, Mizuho Financial Group.  This is another example of how the Japanese are not prepared for disasters.

Business/Economics, International

Toyota expecting parts supply problem to last for months, cutting production in Thailand

Toyota announced that production at its factories will not return to pre-March 11 levels, until December.  Toyota expects 2011 production levels to be lower than 2009.

Production in Japan will not pick up until July.  Production at all other Toyota plants will remain low until August.  And that’s a best guess: “We don’t know how the production recovery curve will shape up.”-Atsushi Niimi, Toyota Executive Vice President

Toyota officials pointed out that in today’s car factories it only takes one missing part to shut down production.  Especially when it comes to electronic parts.

Toyota is now cutting production at its Thailand factory by 50%, starting April 25.  Honda and Nissan have announced similar cuts at their Thailand factories.

 

 

Business/Economics, International

Iran and Brazil closer together, Iranian trade center to open in Brasilia

Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota announced his country’s new President, Dilma Rousseff, will continue the policies of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in regards to Iran: “Rousseff will stay on the path of her predecessor and mentor Lula da Silva.”

Now Iran will open a trade center in Brazil.  The move is meant to increase trade between the two countries.  According to a 2009 IMF report, Brazil is Iran’s largest trade partner in South America.  Iran also has trade deals with Venezuela, Ecuador, and Cuba.