Category Archives: International

Business/Economics, International, Technology

Corporate Incompetence: EU calls for saftey checks on Super Jumbo A380 airliner, cracks appearing in wing brackets

The European Aviation Safety Agency is concerned about the strength of wing brackets in the superjumbo A380 airliner.  This after routine inspections revealed that after numerous landings cracks have appeared in some of the 4,000 brackets used on the giant wings.

Safety checks have been ordered for the 68 superjumbos in use out of Europe.  Airbus officials say there is nothing to worry about, but those are famous last words if you know the history of passenger airliners.

The A380 (A for Airbus) can hold 500 to 600 people.

International, U.S.

Europe to be hit with new version of H3N2, Norway sees steady increase in cases

Norway’s Public Health Institute is warning of a possible H3N2 outbreak, after seeing an increase in cases since December 2011.

On the other side of the world, Japan is already dealing with at least 1.74 million cases!

H3N2 is an older type of “Swine Flu”, not to be confused with H1N1 swine flu (as the main stream media usually does).  However, in December 2011, U.S. health researchers warned of a possible outbreak of a new mutation of H3N2.

Back in Norway, public health officials are urging Europeans to get flu shots.

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Some Economic Recovery? Toyota will fight rising Yen, by moving Highlander production to the United States

After announcing a 75% drop in profits, due to the rising value of the Japanese Yen, Toyota announced it will move all Highlander production to the United States!

This is because the value of the dollar is so low that it’s now cheaper to make their SUV in the U.S., than in Japan.  Those U.S. made Highlanders will then be sold in the growing Russian and Australian car markets.

Toyota hopes production will begin in their Indiana factory by the middle of 2013.  It will include gasoline engined, and hybrid powered Highlanders.

 

 

International, Technology, U.S.

Government Incompetence: Electronic parts fall out of USN EA-6B Prowler as it flies over Japan

Japanese media reporting that a U.S. Navy electronic warfare aircraft, an EA-6B Prowler, began falling apart as it flew over Kanagawa Prefecture.  A car on a freeway was actually hit by some of the parts.

Video shows some parts lying on the ground.  Japan’s Defense Ministry says railroad workers witnessed the parts falling of the USN aircraft.  At least six parts have been recovered, one is a panel nearly five feet long!

The Prowler landed at the U.S. Atsugi Naval Air Station.  It had flown in from the aircraft carrier USS George Washington.

 

Business/Economics, International, Opinion, U.S.

Red Horse: Yet another study proves that stupid people become Right Wing Religious Republican NAZI Fascists, bad news considering how many people have been dumbed down in the U.S.

“Reality is complicated and messy…Ideologies get rid of the messiness and impose a simpler solution. So, it may not be surprising that people with less cognitive capacity will be attracted to simplifying ideologies.”-Brian Nosek, University of Virginia

Researchers at the Canadian Brock University confirm what past studies have implied; that a society with an overall low intelligence results in the rise of simplistic religio-fascist idealism!

“…research has revealed that individuals who more strongly endorse social conservatism have greater cognitive rigidity, less cognitive flexibility and lower integrative complexity [complicated way of saying they are mentally retarded!]. Socially conservative individuals also perform less well than liberals on standardized ability tests.”-Gordon Hodson, lead researcher

The Canadian researchers looked at two detailed studies done in the United Kingdom. Those studies followed children into adulthood, one study began in 1958, the other in 1970.  They tested verbal and nonverbal intelligence, and four cognitive abilities.  The results showed that children with low IQs leaned towards right wing religio-fascism in adulthood.

The Canadian researchers concluded that right wing extremism is the result of low intelligence, not just bad economies.

Right wing dummies also self-segregate themselves adding to their downward spiral into extremism: “This finding is consistent with recent research demonstrating that intergroup contact is mentally challenging and cognitively draining…[another complicated/academic way to say right wingers are mentally retarded]“-Gordon Hodson, lead researcher

Another study was done in the United States, and showed that people with low levels of abstract reasoning tended to be racists and homophobics.

The researchers admit their conclusions are not conclusive, as they are looking at averages: “There are multiple examples of very bright conservatives and not-so-bright liberals, and many examples of very principled conservatives and very intolerant liberals.”-Gordon Hodson, lead researcher

But it’s clear, on average the people with low intelligence make up the most intolerant part of a society.

Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other.

 

 

International, U.S.

Canadian Police State: It’s official, Canada legalizes Torture. Canadian officials are the real terrorists, by creating a Canadian culture of Fear! The Terrorists have won!

The Canadian media has revealed that in December 2010, the Canadian government essentially legalized the use of torture in the name of “public safety”!

Canadian media sources obtained the info by using Canada’s freedom of information law.  In other words the legalization of torture was not made public by public officials!

The December 2010 approval of the use of torture directly contradicts a 2009 directive, which forbade Canadian courts, and law enforcers, from using statements made by people subjected to torture.

This new directive allows Canadian Security Intelligence Service to use statements from people who’ve been tortured.  A statement by Canada’s Public Safety Minister, Vic Toews, shows how fearful Canadian leaders have become: “Information obtained by torture is always discounted, but the problem is, can one safely ignore it if Canadian lives and property are at stake?”

What’s the definition of terrorism?  It is to spread terror, fear, throughout a society, to cause radical change in that society.  Looks like the terrorist (who ever they are) have won!

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Kit Bashing & What Economic Recovery? United States to help Japan’s economy by dropping illegal tariffs, pay back Japan $26 million in illegal tariffs

“We have finally put these burdensome and potentially damaging trade disputes behind us.”-Ron Kirk, U.S. Trade Representative

For decades the U.S. has imposed high tariffs on imports (so much for free trade), claiming the tariffs were “anti-dumping” fines.   The problem is that some of the foreign products affected by those U.S. tariffs were actually cheaper in the country of origin (like plastic model kits from Japan, and some from Europe).

Even after the U.S. created World Trade Organization ruled against the U.S. (five years ago!), regarding the anti-dumping tariffs, the United States continued the unfair trade policy.

Now, in an effort to help Japan’s, and Europe’s, ailing economy, and because Japan was about to levy a similar tariff on U.S. products, the United States will end those tariffs.  The U.S. has also agreed to pay back $26 million in illegal tariffs collected on Japanese products.

The end of the anti-dumping duties also affects European countries.

Unfortunately for us model kit builders, the ending of the tariff might not help our wallets, as the Yen and Euro have gained in value against the U.S. dollar.  The Euro now worth more than the U.S. dollar, but, the Yen is still far cheaper so lets hope those prices come down on Tamiya, Fujimi, Hasegawa and coveted Fine Molds kits.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Toyota has 72% drop in profits, Japanese Yen to blame

Toyota is reporting a huge drop in profits for the last nine months of 2011.  Profits fell by 72%!

But don’t blame the drop in profit on lack of sales. Sales for the same time fell by 10%.

Toyota says the increasing value of the Yen caused the huge drop in profits, and production halts due to natural disasters, in Japan and Thailand, caused the drop in sales.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

White Horse & World War 3: U.S. imposes sanction after sanction against Iran, Acts of War

I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

February 6, 2012, Nobel Peace prize winner, U.S. President Barack Obama, has issued an executive order blocking all Iranian government assets held in U.S. banks.  An executive order means he did this without involving Congress.

This move follows additional sanctions made in January, which effectively cut off Iran’s private banking sector from doing business with the West.

The sanctioning of Iran’s banks come after it was clear that oil embargoes won’t work, since Iran is itself working on a bill to end oil shipments to Europe.

If you study military science you’ll realize that sanctions are indeed acts of war (it’s what caused the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor): “When you put on strong sanctions, those are acts of war.”-Ron Paul, Texas Republican

 

International, U.S.

White Horse, Red Horse & World War 3: U.S. shuts down embassy in Syria, U.K. withdraws ambassador, Russia sends their own observers

I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other.

Russia is sending their own observer team to Syria, after joining China in blocking the U.S. backed UNSC resolution.  Russian officials say they tried to get the U.S. to wait for a report from Russian observers, before voting on the resolution: “Certain Western states are trying to obscure the developments with hysterical statements on Russia’s veto of the Syria resolution. To put the Syria resolution to a vote despite our request to wait for Russia’s report after its visit to Damascus is disrespectful.”-Sergei Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia  

Russia also insists the so called democracy movement is an insurrection by the U.S., and Arab countries not friendly with Syria: “The Russian establishment and public opinion don’t buy the picture of a peaceful pro-democracy movement suppressed by dictatorship. Well trained and heavily armed rebel groups have support from the outside, primarily from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.”-Fyodor Lukyanov, Russian foreign policy analyst

Also today, the Nobel Peace prize winning U.S. President Barack Obama ordered the closing of the U.S. embassy in Syria.  Even though Obama makes statements saying foreign military intervention should not occur, closing your embassy is usually associated with an expected increase in warlike violence.

The United Kingdom has recalled its ambassador to Syria. Again, another move usually associated with war.  U.K. Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has also made a formal complaint with the Syrian ambassador in London.

Hague has also accused Russia and China of “betraying the Syrian people”.