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, International

List of countries banning food from Japan grows

Most Asian countries have banned food from specific Japanese prefectures, some Asian countries banned all food from Japan.

The United States has banned products from radiation zones.

The European Union is the latest group of countries to announce testing and bans of foods from 12 Japanese prefectures.

The food ban will probably not affect Japan’s export business, unlike electronics and cars, because food products make up only 1% of Japan’s exports.  Where it will hurt most for Japan, is domestically.  Japan will now have to import more food to make up for any loss at home.

Fukushima

Now using fresh water at Nuclear Plant, USN involved

Tokyo Electric Power Co is now using fresh water, pumped in from fire truck water tankers.

It turns out that many problems at the Fukushima Daiichi plant were being caused by salty sea water. Experts had been warning TEPCo officials to stop using sea water.

The U.S. Navy is also sending a tanker ship full of fresh water.

Fukushima

All possibilities explored, still don’t know where radiation leak is coming from

Japanese Cabinet Secretary, Edano Yukio, says they have “…explored all possibilities…” regarding the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.  So far officials are at a loss as to where the radiation leak is coming from.

At this point they can’t tell if the leaking radiation is coming from spent fuel pools, or reactor cores.  This is why, earlier in the day, officials announced that they have no way to stop radiation leakage in the short term, and asked people to voluntarily evacuate.

Fukushima

World’s Biggest Anime event cancelled due to Japan disaster

Thousands of anime (Japanese animation) fans hoping to hit one of the world’s biggest anime conventions will have to wait another year.  The event in Tokyo, Japan, was canceled after the 9.0 quake/tsunami.  The event center is now being used to house survivors of the disaster.

Convention officials are now working to refund money to those who already bought tickets, and to more than 190 vendors.

International

Two weeks after 9.0 Quake, there are still towns that have NOT been helped

NHK reporters made their way to several towns that have NOT received any, or very little, help after the 9.0 quake/tsunami.

What they found is what you’d expect to see after a devastating war.  Only a few dozen people in each town working together to survive. In most towns people find food by scavenging through the destroyed buildings.  They say the Japanese military came and went, leaving hardly any supplies for them, it’s like they were forgotten by the rescue crews.  In one town the people are so angry with the government that they made it clear to the reporters, in a loud way, that the government has done nothing for them.  In another town the people made a steam house to keep warm. They used parts they scavenged from their destroyed town, and when asked how they were heating it, one man said he’s burning what’s left of his house.

Something interesting that reporters and rescue crews are finding, most of the survivors are older people, no kids, no young adults.

Fukushima

Tokyo Electric admits they are not sure how to “proceed” at this time

In response to a reporter’s question, of how they are going to proceed with reactor 3 (with possible core damage), the TEPCo official said they do not know at this time.

This might be another reason why voluntary evacuation has been announced.

Business/Economics

Tokyo Electric speculates that reactor core is leaking

TEPCo officials speculate that the contaminated water in the basement of reactor 3, might have come from the reactor core.

It might have been caused by high pressure inside the reactor core.  It could have been caused by valves, or the core was “compromised”.

International

Pregnant & Breast feeding woman do NOT drink contaminated water

Reporters doing “man on the street” reactions about the radioactive water warnings for infants in Japan, got hit with a common question from mothers, “If I’m breast feeding should I stop drinking the water?”

In an NHK interview a medical expert said that pregnant and breast feeding woman should not drink the contaminated water, even though the levels are deemed safe for adults.

Fukushima

Tokyo Electric joins with Government calling for evacuation preparations

TEPCo officials are echoing the Japanese government’s calls for people to prepare to evacuate.  TEPCo officials now say there is no short term chance that they can stop the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant from emitting radiation.

Also, some media are reporting that work on reactor’s 1 & 2 has been stopped because of highly contaminated water, however TEPCo officials say that is not so.  Yesterday, 3 workers were sent to the hospital with Beta Burns, caused by highly contaminated water in reactor 3.  The water has 10,000 times the radiation levels that are considered normal for the reactor.