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, Opinion

Lesson from Japan; you can never prepare for Mother Earth

Not only can you never be prepared enough for Mother Earth, but you can not rely on your government for help.  Time after time, natural disasters through out history proves this.

It is clear that any disaster preparations in Japan, prior to the 9.0 quake/tsunami, were not enough.  In several coastal towns the sea barrier walls did not stand up to the tsunami.   Previous ideas of how long people would have before a tsunami would hit, after an earthquake, were shattered.  There are coastal towns that have signs demarcating where the expected limits of any tsunami would be, but it’s now clear the tsunami blew past those expected limits.

It is also clear that the national government is not prepared for something like this, but we have to remember it is dealing with the nuclear disaster as well.  As a result, local governments are being burdened with dealing with the natural disasters, and many local officials are saying they are not equipped to do so. Local governments had expected the national government to handle such large natural disasters.  This is not a good sign for the rest of the world because Japan had always been looked up to as a shining example of disaster preparedness.

The residents of coastal towns and cities, that can be considered the ground zeros of the tsunami, could have never prepared enough.  Stocking up on food and water,  medical supplies, or any other item considered essential for survival, is a waste of time because it was all swept away by the floods.  Everything was destroyed.  However, in the periphery of the disaster, where many of the emergency shelters are, it is clear that preparations were not enough, as they have started running out of food, water, heating fuel and medical supplies.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t prepare.  People outside the disaster areas are now dealing with food, water and fuel shortages.  This is an example of why everyone, everywhere should have a stockpile of food, water and fuel.  You never know, you might just survive that big disaster, and that’s when you’ll need the basic necessities.

Clearly disaster preparedness in Japan shows signs of underestimating potential disasters, overestimating the effectiveness of preparations, and overestimating any government assistance.

Fukushima

U.S. Military ready to evacuate military families from Japan

There are dozens of U.S. military bases on Honshu, with thousands of dependents.  At this point the evacuation order is voluntary, it’s called “military-assisted voluntary departure.”

The plan involves taking military dependents to Korea.  Because the it is a voluntary evacuation, commercial flights would be used.  There is a potential for thousands of people wanting out, in that case they will start using military transports.

Potassium Iodide pills are being shipping in, mainly for JSDF troops, and U.S. personnel involved in fighting to keep Fukushima Daiichi plant cool.

Technology

Russia to Create Multi-Use Cards: ID, passport, debit, insurance all in one

President Medvedev has ordered the creation of a multi-use card, that will act as ID, passport, insurance, drivers license and debit card.

The cards will contain micro-chips.  It’s part of a plan for a “…better digital culture…”.  A new national payment system will be created, so people can use the IDs for bill payments.

The system could cost Russia $5 billion, and it’s hoped to get it up and running by January 2012.

Fukushima

Hospitals in Tsunami area need Help, Shelters not prepared

Believe it or not, there are still hospitals full of patients, in the tsunami hit areas.

A doctor at one hospital said he is physically exhausted.  After struggling to survive the tsunami, he has been working non stop at the local hospital.  The first floor of his hospital is useless, being covered in mud.  Medications are running out.  Only now are rescue volunteers reaching his hospital.

In other areas, where people had to be taken out of their hospitals, there have been deaths, due to hypothermia.  Elderly patients, who were soaking wet from the flood, and cold, died in an emergency shelter (2 one the evacuation bus, 12 in the shelter).  Shelter officials say they could not keep them warm.  A chronic problem with the emergency shelters is that they do not have sufficient heating. It is apparent that they were relying on outside electrical power, which is gone. This is another example that contradicts the international belief in Japan being the best prepared for natural disaster.  Other “shelters” are nothing more than schools.

Shelter officials, and hospital personnel, say the most critical problem now is lack of medication, especially for people with chronic medical problems, like diabetes.

 

Business/Economics, International

Japanese Stock Markets Down Again, more volatility to come

Stock markets in Japan closed down again. Blame being put on the increase in the Yen’s value.  Bank of Japan injected more cash, for the 4th day.  Japanese investors are becoming disheartened with what seems like futile efforts to stop a nuclear disaster.   It is predicted that trading in Japanese stock markets will become more volatile in the days to come.  There are signs that Japanese authorities will intervene in the currency market.

International

While some people try to get out, others are trying to get in, to Japan’s disaster area

There have been reports of many people trying to get away from Japan’s disaster area. But, there are others who’re trying to get to the disaster area, volunteers.

Japanese are volunteering to help clean up the quake/tsunami stricken areas.  Also, many Japanese small businesses are helping out as well. A Japanese ski resort is giving all its rental ski wear to survivors who are stuck in shelters, many of which are low on heating oil.  Outside temperatures are freezing in northern Honshu.

Local governments are frustrated by the national government response. Not only are local governments dealing with the aftermath of the quake/tsunami, they are also struggling to find ways to deal with the nuclear disaster.

Fukushima

Reactor 3 at its Limits, Sea Water Damaged Pumps, Reactors 5 & 6 Pools heating

Earlier press conference it was disclosed that reactor 3, Fukushima Daiichi plant, had reached its “limits”.  Gamma radiation detected.

Officials have also stated that the use of sea water had damaged cooling pumps, which is why they had to replace them.

Reactors 5 & 6 spent fuel rod pools are showing increasing temperature. At the current rate of heat build up, they believe the pools could hit boiling within a week.  This is why they are trying to connect new power lines to the plant, in order to restart coolant pumps.