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

Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency admits they screwed up!

Senior agency official Nishiyama Hidehiko, apologized for his agency’s slow response to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear crisis.

Nishiyama admitted the agency failed to address problems at the plant, as one emergency followed another.

Even the Nuclear Safety Commission, which advises the elected government of Japan, says the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency is unreliable.

The Japanese media has been complaining about uncoordinated press conferences, in which the agency’s info sometimes clashed with info given at Tokyo Electric Power Company’s press conferences.

Sounds like a case of too many arrogant agencies (too many chiefs, not enough Indians), and a total lack of communication between everyone involved.

Fukushima

Argentina tells Japan to be Honest about Nuke Disaster, If they want more help

Officials from Argentina and Japan met in Tokyo, to discuss the ongoing nuclear, and now economic, crisis in Japan.

Argentina pledged more help, but only if the Japanese government starts being honest about how bad the nuclear crisis at Fukushima Daiichi really is.  Many international observers, by their own radiation readings, believe it is much worse than what the Japanese officials say.

Fukushima

Radiation levels higher than expected, Cesium everywhere!

Several cities and towns in the Fukushima Prefecture have shown higher levels of contamination that first thought.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has been taking radiation readings around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.  Since 26 March the radiation readings went up to dangerous levels, and stayed up.

This was part of the government’s decision to expand the evacuation zone.

The International Commission on Radiological Protection recommends 1,000 microsieverts as the long-term yearly limit to radiation exposure.  In Namie Town, 30km (18.6 miles) northwest of the plant, the Ministry of Science found 14,480 microsieverts of radiation had accumulated over 17-days!  They found many more areas with similar radiation levels.

Hiroshima University Professor Shizuma Kiyoshi, says most of the radiation observed in Fukushima Prefecture is probably radioactive cesium.

Shizuma advises residents to wear masks to avoid inhaling radioactive substances mixed with dust.

 

Fukushima

Japanese government expands Nuclear Evacuation Zone!

Almost as if they intentionally timed their decision with the latest ‘big’ aftershock (two in 4 days now), the Japanese government announced that they will expand the evacuation zone.

The zone will now be 30 kilometers instead of 20km.  The expansion applies only to areas within the 30km (18.6 miles) radius that show high levels of radiation.  People living in areas that have readings that are the equivalent of 20 millisieverts per year, will be asked to leave.  The current yearly exposure standard, to naturally occuring radiation, is 2.4 millisieverts.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano Yukio, said they will work with the local governments, and residents will have one month to get out.  Edano also said that people living in the 30km area, but not currently experiencing high levels of radiation, must be prepared to leave at any time.

Fukushima

Another major Aftershock in Japan, more setbacks for Fukushima Daiichi

”…not yet a situation to be optimistic about…”-Nishiyama Hidehiko, Nuclear Safety Agency

The Japanese media reports a magnitude 7.0 quake (US Geological Survey calling 6.6), it’s the second ‘big’ aftershock in the past 4 days.

The latest aftershock halted work on the damaged nuclear plant in Fukushima Prefecture.  TEPCo is not sure how soon they can restart the work.

The two big aftershocks may have caused a new problem at the nuclear plant: ”Now we are in a dilemma because we are seeing water which is pumped in to cool down the reactors showing up as pools of [contaminated] water in other places of the plant.”-Nishiyama Hidehiko, Nuclear Safety Agency

International, U.S.

Egyptians want U.S. backed military leaders out

Egyptians want the Military leaders out of government.  The military took over after weeks of protest forced long time President Hosni Mubarak to leave.

It just so happened that Egyptian military leaders were in Washington D.C. at the time the protests started.  They helped convince Mubarak to leave, and quickly took over.

Many protesters say that the military rulers are refusing to prosecute Mubarak, and his supporters.  They also think the military is still working with the former government.  Strangely the military says these new protesters are those pro-Mubarak thugs that attacked the anti-Mubarak demonstrators back in February.

So far, in this latest protest, two people have been killed, and 11 wounded by the military and police.

U.S.

Big Fire in Big Texas, Flooding up north in North Dakota, Iowa ripped by Tornadoes, get ready for another wacky weather year

Texas is dealing with unusually dry and windy weather for this time of year, and several fires.  One fire has already burned 71,000 acres, and is out of control.

Up north, North Dakota and Minnesota are dealing with a flooding Red River, thanks to wet weather.  “This is a ferocious river. We have to continue to be careful.”-Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota

The National Weather Service reported tornado sightings by storm chasers and spotters in at least 11 towns and cities in Iowa on Saturday night.  At least three tornadoes caused major damage.  One Iowa county is now dealing with fuel fires caused by the tornadoes.  Their main concern is the high winds could blow the fires out of control.

Fukushima

TEPCo using remote controled, and lead lined heavy equipment

Tokyo Electric Power Company is using remote controlled heavy equipment to remove large radioactive debris from the compound of the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

For areas that radio signals can’t work, they are using heavy equipment that has lead lined cabs on the vehicles.

The debris is so radioactive that it will be sealed in containers, and stored on site as nuclear waste.