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

Chernobyl clean up still a work in progress, 25 years later! Nuke disasters never end!

Japanese media recently listened intently to officials describing their plans to deal with the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.  If the Japanese are expecting a specific time line, they shouldn’t hold their breath.  Clean up of the Chernobyl nuke plant, in Ukraine, is still ongoing, 25 years later.

The current phase of clean up, for Chernobyl, involves building a new radiation proof containment building for the damaged reactor.   The graphite fueled reactor is still emitting high levels of radiation.

In 1986 the Soviets (Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union then) buried the reactor in sand, lead, concrete and boric acid.  Then they built a concrete tomb around the building.   But that’s not enough, over time the tomb is breaking down.

The new containment building is an 18,000 ton metal arch, 110 meters (360 feet) high, 200 meters (656 feet) long and 257 meters (843 feet) wide.  They have recently laid the concrete pad for the building, it’s more than one meter (3.2 feet) thick.

The lesson is that when you’re dealing with a nuclear disaster, it’s never ending.

 

Fukushima

What really matters is how long you’re exposed to Radiation, one Japanese town hit with 17,000 millisieverts!

Cumulative exposure to radiation is a real killer.  The Japanese town of Namie has a cumulative (build up over time) of radiation at 17,000 millisieverts.

The official acceptable exposure rate, for people in Japan, is 1,000 microsieverts, per year.  A millisievert is 1,000 times more than a microsievert, and Namie has hit 17,000 millisieverts since the reactor buildings exploded, in about four weeks.

Cumulative exposure refers to how many times you’ve been exposed to radiation, or, how long you are continuously exposed.  Certain radioactive isotopes build up in your body over time, they don’t go away, so the more times you’re exposed the worse it is.

Fukushima

Smoke from Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear complex

More problems for Tokyo Electric Power Company.  Another one of their nuke plants, in Niigata Prefecture, started smoking.  The smoke came from a control panel.

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant is located on the west side of Honshu, opposite where the 11 March 2011, 9.0 quake hit.

TEPCo officials say the control panel started smoking when they were checking water purification equipment.  At this point, they don’t know why.

Fukushima

U.S. offers Unmanned Helicopter to remove Nuclear Fuel Rods

The K-Max has been offered to help remove spent fuel rods from damaged fuel pools at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.  The helicopter is remote controlled.

The helicopter will help set up large cranes, that will be used to remove the fuel rods.

The offer was made by Admiral Robert Willard, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, in late March.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

U.S. housing contractors may profit from Japan disaster

The Japanese government announced that in order to build enough temp homes, fast enough, they will have to use foreign contractors.

The temporary homes are needed for survivors of the March 11 disasters, and people who have, and others who still might have to, evacuate from radiation danger zones.

The Land and Infrastructure Ministry said foreign contractors must meet certain conditions. They must have the capacity to build more than 100 units in 2 months, and they must meet Japanese electrical codes. On top of that they must form joint partnerships with Japanese contractors.

Local governments will be taking bids.

U.S.

3 Days, 185 Tornadoes, 18 Deaths

The United States has been hit with 185 tornadoes, in the past three days.  18 people have been killed.

Seven people died in Alabama.  Four people died in North Carolina.  Another seven died in Arkansas.  Officials say the death toll could go higher.  Many people were killed by falling debris.

 

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.