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.

Texas Wildfires turn Deadly

As of Saturday, more than 700,000 acres (283,279 hectares) of land has burned, more than 30 homes destroyed, and now a volunteer firefighter was killed by the Texas sized wildfires.

Many fires combined and are continuing their rage across the state.  One fire was started, accidentally, by a welder’s torch.

Gregory Simmons was killed fighting the 3,000 acre (1214 hectares) Eastland County fire.

Fire officials say ten new fires started on Saturday.  Because of the severe drought, officials fear the fires could rage for two more months.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Idaho Silver Mine Collapse, Miner Trapped

“We are doing every effort possible to expedite this in a safe manner. It is a rescue mission.”-Melanie Hennessey, Hecla Mining Compnay

The Lucky Friday Mine, in northern Idaho, collapsed Friday afternoon, trapping  one employee.  News of the collapse didn’t hit the media until Saturday.

There were two miners in the area when the tunnel caved in, one got out, the other is trapped.  The trapped miner’s condition is not known. Equipment is being flown in to help with rescue efforts.

The collapse happened near the end of a 1,874 meter (6,150 feet) deep tunnel.

“This is something people are used to feeling, because when the rock burst happens, you can feel it all over town.”-Glen Gotcher, veteran miner

The mine is located near Mullan, Idaho, a town of about 840 residents.  Hecla Mining is expanding its silver mining operation, thanks to the higher prices for silver.  They have a good safety record at the mine, but did get fined for water contamination in 2009.

Kit Bashing, Reviews

Kit Bashing: PJ Production has new figure kits

Image

PJ Production has released three new figure kits. Two in 1/72 scale, and one in 1/48 scale.  The kits are polyurethane resin, so you’ll have to use cyanoacrylate (super type) glue.

F-16/F-18 Pilots Sitting

F-16/F-18 Pilots Standing

 

 

 

 

 

Philippe Jacques (PJ) has issued two 1/72 scale “F-16/F-18” pilots, one set sitting, the other set standing/boarding.  They’re basically present day U.S./NATO/European pilots, so if you want up to date pilots for your present day ‘western’ aircraft better get ’em while they’re hot out the silicon mold.

USN Bomb Crew

The other set is 1/48 scale World War 2 U.S. Navy bomb loading crew.  It comes with four figures and a little bomb dolly.

The figures have nice detail, unfortunately the pics don’t show it.

 

Little Bomb Cart

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International

Common Visa for people of Iran, Iraq, Syria & Turkey

It might be soon that the people of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran will have a common visa, that will allow unhindered travel between the countries.

The visa (international travel document) is being called Shamgen, similar to the European Union’s Schengen visa.  Sham is the ancient name for Syria.

Shahbaz Yazdani, Deputy Head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, said the four countries are still hammering out details of the visa plan.  Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran are working for a economic union similar to the EU.

 

International, U.S.

Iran building border fence, to stop drug trafficking and terrorists

Iran is building a fence along its Pakistani border.  They say since the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan drug trafficking has increased, along with anti-Iranian terrorists.

Iran has spent U.S.$700 million, in the last two years,  fighting drug trafficking and U.S. supported terrorist.  They also claim that a Pakistani based group known as Jundollah, has been conducting terrorist operations against Iran for years.

The new fence will be built in the mountainous regions, where it is difficult to maintain a sizable border patrol force.

 

International, Technology

Iranian Navy missiles using Laser tracking

In a confusing report, Iranian media says the Iranian navy has just upgraded their missiles with laser guidance.

The reports call the missiles “hawk” or “cruse missiles” which is incorrect.  Iran does still use the old U.S. designed Hawk anti-aircraft missile, with upgraded tracking systems, but it is not a cruse missile (they actually make their own Hawks).

Also, what the video shows looks more like a anti-ship missile.  Actually I’ve seen videos of two sizes of missiles, which would explain the Iranian media giving two range limits for supposedly one missile.  One has a range of 45 km (28 miles), the other 300 km (186 miles).

It looks to me that they are talking about a new anti-aircraft missile, for their naval ships, and a new ship launched anti-ship missile.  The missiles aren’t actually new, but the adaption of laser guidance is.

Having laser guidance means that you can get more accurate hits, and not have to worry about radar jamming.

International, U.S.

Iraq says Gates lied about Iraq asking U.S. to stay

“Mr. Maliki rejected Gates’ demand, saying that Iraq will deal with the issue based on the security pact (signed between Washington and Baghdad).”-Ali al-Dabbagh, Iraqi Government Spokesman

Iraqi officials say they did not ask the United States to keep troops past the 2011 withdraw date, in fact they say U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates “demanded” that U.S. troops stay.  According to Iraqis Gates made the demand directly to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

On April 7, Gates went to Iraq and made comments to U.S. troops that made it sound like the Iraqis wanted U.S. forces to stay.  Gates even made it sound like the Iraqis needed to hurry up and decide: “If folks here are going to want us to have a presence, we’re going to need to get on with it pretty quickly in terms of our planning.”

Iraqi officials now say that Gates’ visit was solely to push them to ask for the U.S. troops to stay.  There are reports that Kurds in northern Iraq asked U.S. forces to stay, but under the current U.S. security pact with Iraq, only the Iraqi parliament can ask U.S. forces to stay.  Even Kurdish officials agree with that: “It is not related to Iraq’s Kurdish officials and they have no role in the US forces’ stay or exit. It is up to the central government to decide on the issue.”-Sabah Barzandi, member of the parliament of Iraq’s Kurdistan region

Since Robert Gates made his statements, Iraqis have been demonstrating against the U.S., and direct attacks on U.S. bases have increased.  Today, April 16, thousands of Iraqis protested in Baghdad.  There were so many that officials had to open up sports stadiums to the protesters: “We have specified Al-Shaab, Kashafa and Zawraa stadiums as permitted sites for demonstrations in Baghdad…”-Major General Qassim Atta

Fukushima, Technology

Germany will dump nuke plants ASAP

The German government announced that they will end the use of nuclear power plants as soon as possible.

Germany is prepared to spend the money necessary to make renewable clean energy sources their main power supply by 2020.  Germany will keep its coal and natural gas fire electrical plants in operation.

Idaho, U.S.

Yellowstone Magma expanding?

In a National Geographic article, researchers say the magma under Yellow National Park, is even bigger than before.

The latest scans of the super volcanic plume under Yellowstone, measured electrical conductivity, and is described as being like a giant medical CT scan.

Scientists now say the super volcanic plume extends 643km (400 miles), that’s increased from the 241km (150 miles) detected in 2009.  Back then scientist predicted that the plume was actually larger, and the new scanning technique proved them correct.

They also discovered that hot, salty water surrounds and is mixed in with the plume.

 

Fukushima, Technology

Geiger Counters don’t work on Food!

“Just pointing a measuring device at your food before dinner is pretty much meaningless.”-Katayama Atsushi, Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry.

The Japanese Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry says you should use scintillation counters to detect iodine-131 in milk and vegetables.  Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers should be used to trace uranium.  Nitric acid and dehydrated samples are turned to ash over a 24-hour period in temperatures exceeding 400 degrees Celsius, in order to detect strontium.

“Just to know what the radiation levels are in your home, it’s relatively straightforward, but when you get to measuring it in food, milk and soil it gets much more complicated.”-Joseph Rotunda, Thermo Fisher Scientific

You could spend $400.00 on a Geiger counter just to measure radiation in and around your home, but lots of things can affect the reading.  Things like concrete walls and driveways, granite counter tops and even cell phones.

To save some money, if you don’t think it’s safe to eat, don’t eat it.