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

Melt downs: TEPCo sandbagging, with Zeolite

Tokyo Electric Power Company will try a new weapon against radiation spreading in the Pacific Ocean; sandbags.  They already tried steel and silt fencing, now they will use sandbags full of zeolite.

Zeolite is an aluminosilicate mineral, used in commercial absorbents.  It’s hoped it will absorb some of the high levels of radiation in the water.

The difficulties never stop.  Now analysis by the Atomic Energy Society says fuel rods have melted in reactors 1 and 3.  The rods dropped small pellets into the cooling water as they melted.  The pellets have built up at the bottom of the vessel.  There is concern that a large buildup of melted fuel could become a molten mass and damage the vessel, leaking huge amounts of radioactive material.

One evidence of damaged vessels is plutonium.  For the third time plutonium contamination has been found around Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Business/Economics, International, Technology

A Bread maker that uses Rice

Just as Japan’s rice production takes a hit from radiation, Sanyo makes a hit with its rice bread maker.

Sanyo is resuming production of its bread make that uses rice, called “Gopan”, because they are getting swamped with orders.

Sanyo didn’t stop production because of the March 11 disasters, they stopped because their factory just couldn’t keep up with demand.  In just the first three weeks on introducing their Gopan, orders hit 10,000 per month.  They’re now ready to meet those orders.

International

Miyako City has Tsunami height record: 127 feet, town saved by ancestor’s forethought

A team from Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, has determined that the Aneyoshi district of Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture, suffered the highest tsunami damage.

They found evidence that the surge hit 38.9 meters (127.6 feet).  This beats the 115 year old record, held by the same prefecture, of 38.2 meters.  That record was set in 1896.

Professor Akio Okayasu said despite the high surge there was little damage.  That’s because the town’s ancestors learned from the 1896 tsunami, and rebuilt most of their town on higher ground.

Fukushima

For first time, high altitude ratiation checks will be made

The Fukushima University will conduct high altitude radiation checks, using high altitude weather balloons.

On Friday they will release the balloon, it will take readings as high up as 30km (18.6 miles).  Readings will be taken at 10 meter (32.8 feet) intervals.

The jet stream blows from east to west (towards North America).  The testing will be done over a 20 day period.

International

Japanese being hit by big time Swindlers

Con artists are scoring big in Japan, using the March 11 disasters to milk people of their hard earned money.

A woman in Kure City, Hiroshima, was tricked into donating 120,000 yen to a non-existent family.

A man in the Hokuriku area reports: “Several days ago, two men in business suits came to my house and introduced themselves as workers from the city office. They requested a donation for quake relief, and trusting them, I gave 5,000 yen.” The men were con-artists.

Even legitimate businesses are ripping off consumers: A woman in the Koshinetsu region bought some King Crabs for 12,000 yen, a real bargain for how many she was getting. But she says when the order arrived the poor quality was so bad, she knew she had been ripped off.  The seller had told her it was a “Tohoku disaster” sale.

The National Consumer Affairs Center has received thousands of complaints.  The scams involve swindlers posing as government officials, charity officials, building inspectors and contractors offering to quake proof your home.  The scams also include internet swindles.

Most people who’ve been scammed say the same thing, they had a gut feeling that told them not to give their money, they should have obeyed that feeling.

International

People risk Radiation to save Man’s Best Friend, Operation Pet Rescue

“My heart trembled. They looked just like my dog. I started searching for them right away.”-Ogino, a 56-year-old volunteer

While some Japanese label evacuees ‘hibakusha’ and publicly bully them, other Japanese are risking contamination to save the animals left behind.

Many members of dog clubs around Japan, were so moved by pictures of abandoned dogs, that they demanded the media tell them how to get to them.

The first rescue team found a pack of dogs waiting at the train station: “They were waiting for their owner.”-Tamiko Nakamura, volunteer

The team was only able to get 20 dogs out, many ran away.  They left dry food for them, in the ghost town of Minami-Soma.  Volunteers say they will continue their efforts.

 

 

International

Child “Hibakusha” bullied in public by fellow students

Another example of Japanese ignorance about radiation, an elementary student, who evacuated from the radiation zone, has been labeled a ‘hibakusha’, and bullied in a public park.

No one stopped it, but an anonymous caller reported it to the Funabashi school board.  School board officials suggested that the bullying by the students was brought on by the fears of their parents.  The school board also demanded that their students be kind to the evacuees.

Hibakusha is a term originally applied to survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan, by the U.S., during World War 2.  It’s a negative term, and you’re treated like a Leper (someone with Leprosy).

International

Food Crisis: World Food prices in “Danger Zone”, creating Mass Poverty

The U.S. based World Bank says international food prices have entered the “danger zone”, and are heading towards the “tipping point”.

World Bank president, Robert Zoellick, blames in on several things.

People in countries where the economies are good, are buying more meat.  The problem is that increasing meat production means more grain crops going to ranchers, instead of food for people.  Crops used for bio-fuels, instead of food,  is also a problem.

Then there’s a supply system problem; it’s taking longer to rebuild stocks of basic food ingredients, once they are used up.  This is made worse by the fact that many countries are facing lower crop production mainly because of climate change (cold wx, flooding and drought).

Add to that oil.  Petroleum is used for fertilizers, pesticides, etc, and that is adding to the cost of food production.

One country, China, is so scared of lack of food that they’re buying up huge tracts of land in Africa for food production.

Zoellick says this is a long term problem, we’re only at the beginning of higher food prices.  Also, while countries with more money to buy food are seeing higher prices, the poorer countries are paying far more for their food.

Zoellick says just since last year the higher prices have pushed 44 million people into poverty.  He predicts another 10% increase in food prices will push another 10 million people into poverty.

Fukushima

First time search for Victims, within 10km of Nuke Melt Down Plant, begins!

Finally, after weeks, local police and firefighters are searching for victims within 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuke plant.

300 personnel from Fukushima Prefecture have begun the operation. They are wearing protective gear.  Some will dig through debris, while others monitor radiation levels.  So far 10 bodies have been found.

 

 

Fukushima

Media confusing remark made by special adviser, with Prime Minister

Prime Minister Naoto Kan, apologized for a statement he never made.  It concerned the possibility that people would not be able to return home in the radiation zones.

The statement was actually made by a special adviser to the Prime Minister, Kenichi Matsumoto, who had explained that the they were considering building what would be a refugee city, based on Germany’s eco-friendly models, just in case people could not go home.

Some people in Japan seemed to ignore the possibility of building new self sustaining committees, and were upset about not being able to go home.  Even if they “went home” they still need to rebuild, and the suggestion to follow the German model is still good.