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.
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.

International, U.S.

NATO shoots down Rebel MiG 23 over Libya

NATO admits they shot down a Libyan rebel MiG 23.  This is causing more problems between rebels and NATO.  NATO has bombed rebel ground troops several times now.

NATO says the downing of the rebel aircraft shows that they are enforcing the UN “no-fly zone”.  NATO says the no-fly zone applies to any Libyan aircraft.

The reason for NATO suddenly attacking a rebel aircraft, could be that the Libyan government has complained that rebel helicopters are being allowed to fly, despite the UN resolution stating that ALL military aircraft would be shot down by the coalition.

International, U.S.

African Union says Libyan government accepts ceasfire, African Union asks NATO to honor ceasfire

“We have completed our mission with the brother leader, and the brother leader’s delegation has accepted the road map as presented by us.”-South African President Jacob Zuma

African Union officials say Moammar Gadhafi accepted their “road map” for a cease-fire with rebels, and will meet with rebel leaders on Monday, April 11.

South African President Zuma also asked NATO to stop their airstrikes, to honor the ceasefire.  Details will not be released until after the Libyan government, and Libyan rebels meet.

Most member countries of the African Union opposed UNSCR 1973, and are upset that Western leaders did not consult with them about attacking one of their African Union members (Libya).

Fukushima

Fukushima Governor Disses TEPCo President, again!

For the second time Fukushima Governor Sato Yuhei refused to meet with Tokyo Electric Power Company’s President Shimizu Masataka.

Shimizu went to the governor’s office to apologize for the nuclear disaster that’s contaminating the land. He did the same last month, and just like today, Governor Sato refused to meet Shimizu.

TEPCo President Shimizu is set to make a public appearance, for the first time since 13 March.

Fukushima

Report shows that TEPCo pays contracted employees the same wage as McDonald’s!

A Bloomberg article shows that some contracted employees, at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, were paid the same as part time workers in Tokyo’s McDonald’s restaurants; about U.S.$11.00 per hour.

The article suggests that the reason the Fukushima Daiichi was built in that area, was to improve the local economy.  Now, the nuclear disaster has destroyed more than just the local economy.  Estimates, in U.S. dollars, to rebuild the area is at least $295 billion.  More than what was invested before the nuclear disaster.

 

Fukushima

Employees say No Way to government’s, and TEPCo’s, request to work in higher radiation conditions

A Kyodo News/Associated Press report, says contracted employees are refusing to work in the higher radiation limits recently set by the government.  This is another reason work is going slow.

Prior to the nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi, the legal limits for employee safety at nuclear plants was set at 100 millisieverts per hour. After the disaster, the Japanese government raised the limit to 250 millisieverts.

Many contracted employees have revealed how bad their working conditions are at nuclear plants, and that’s before the disaster.

In an article in The New York Times, contracted employees said the lowest paid workers are not even given protective gear.  They simply rotate workers in and out of radioactive areas by timing them.  Some contracted employees say this is standard practice, and not because of the disaster.

The article pointed out that it is the business culture of Japan to contract out as much work as possible.  The contractors at the bottom of the ladder are treated the worst.  The article said that at least 89% of employees at Fukushima Daiichi are contracted workers.  Many workers are simply temp workers, getting low pay and no benefits.

When contracted workers tried to leave the Fukushima Daiichi plant, because they could see the tsunami coming, the guards refused to let them out.  The guards wanted to see ID, and get the OK from the workers’ supervisors.

So this is the secret world of corporate controlled nuclear power plants!  At this point all I can say is that they (corporate officials) deserve what they get.

Fukushima

Local government can’t trust TEPCo, will do their own Radiation Readings!

Officials of Fukushima Prefecture (where the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant is) will now carry out their own radiation readings at 2,700 locations.

Residents demanded more information, and more accurate information, than what Tokyo Electric Power Company has provided.  The Japanese central government has criticized TEPCo for faulty reports, several times now.

The radiation testing will include soil samples. The testing will be done this week, the results will be publicly announced.