Category Archives: U.S.

International, U.S.

Radioactive debris in Pacific Ocean months away from West Coast of North America

“A Russian ship discovered a small Japanese fishing boat in the waters north of Hawaii in October that was definitively tied to the tsunami, and it was about where we thought it should be, given the currents.”-Jack Barth, Oregon State University

11 months after the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunamis hit Japan, and started the worlds biggest nuclear disaster, the radioactive flotsam is still a few months away from the West Coast of North America.

According to the Yamhill Valley News, in the U.S. state of Oregon, officials and non-governmental organizations are preparing.  So when do they think the March 11 debris will begin arriving, and which way will it go when it hits the coast line?

“Much of the debris generated from the earthquake and tsunami has or will become waterlogged, weighed down with barnacles or other organisms, and sink. A large fraction of it will be diverted south into the ‘Garbage Patch’ between Hawaii and the West Coast, and may circulate in that gyre. What remains should arrive here at the end of 2012, or the beginning of 2013.  If it arrives in the fall and winter, it will get pushed up north by the currents to Washington, British Columbia and even Alaska. Debris arriving in late spring and summer will hit Oregon and be swept south into California waters.”-Jack Barth, Oregon State University

Note that the university official is talking about the debris that was instantly swept out to sea by the tsunamis.  The radiation contamination of the Pacific Ocean began days after that, and is continuing.

“The major air and water discharges of radioactive material from the Daiichi plants occurred a few days after the debris field was created by the tsunami…wind, rain and salt spray have been pummeling this material for months. The key radionuclides are composed of iodine and cesium….Most of the iodine has gone because of radioactive decay. The radioactive cesium, to a great extent, will be washed off and diluted in the surrounding ocean.”-Kathryn Higley, Oregon State University

However, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is warning people to use common sense when picking up objects found on the west coast beaches.  They even have a website for beachgoers: http://marinedebris.noaa.gov

The Japanese Consulate in Seattle, Washington, is asking anyone who finds personal possessions on the beach to please return them to Japan.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Pepsi will lay off 8,700 employees, gives axe man a $2 million bonus

PepsiCo announced that they must radically restructure if they want to stay competitive.  This comes after Pepsi fell to third place, after Diet Coke.

Pepsi will lay off 8,700 employees around the world, and then spend big bucks on advertising to get you to buy more Pepsi products. Pepsi officials declined to say exactly how many U.S. employees would lose their jobs, but did say it should not be more than 3% of their U.S. operations.

Pepsi already laid off about 3,300 people from 2008 to 2009.

But here’s the thing, the former executive who caused Pepsi’s fall, is getting a $2 million bouns!  Massimo d’Amore ran Pepsi’s Global Beverages Group until September 2011.  He ordered changes in how Pepsi was marketed.  Those changes actually hurt sales.

So, d’Amore is let go, but walks away with $3.4 million in retirement and stocks, plus $2 million in severance, while 8,700 Pepsi employees will probably get nothin’ when they get axed!  And it’s not their fault Pepsi lost sales, it’s d’Amore’s fault!  Just another argument for employees to be the owners of their own business!

International, U.S.

Red Horse & Lebanon: U.S. supported Civil War in Syria spreads to Lebanon

Lebanon used to be part of Syria, before the French separated it after World War One.  Now those who are anti-Syria (and probably backed up by the U.S., Europe or Israel) are attacking pro-Syrian Lebanese.

On February 10, fighting got so bad in Tripoli, that Lebanese troops were called in.  The gun battle lasted until February 11, leaving two dead and 20 wounded.

Some analysts say the fighting is between Lebanese Alawi Muslims and Sunni Muslims.  In Syria, most of the Ba’ath party officials are said to be Alawi Muslims.  Most Muslims in Lebanon are Shi’a (and they make up 47% of the total population).

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.

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

Pale Green Horse & H1N1: Mexico hit hard, thousands infected, 58 die

After what looked like a 2011 victory for Mexican health officials, the H1N1 virus is hitting back hard in 2012.

Already there are 2,815 reported cases of flu, 90% are confirmed to have H1N1.  At least 58 people have died.  93% of those who died were confirmed to have H1N1 (aka swine flu).

I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him.  They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

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

Pale Green Horse & H3N2, H1N1: Costa Rica reports first 2012 deaths

The Central American country of Costa Rica is reporting the first death connected to the H3N2 virus.

On January 25, 2012, a 30 year old man died from H3N2.  The man had other health issues before getting sick with H3N2.  They believe it is the new H3N2v virus.

Two other Costa Ricans died the week before, from H1N1 (aka swine flu).

I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him.  They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

Business/Economics, U.S.

U.S. CDC admits current Flu shots might not protect against H3N2v, children at risk

“The seasonal vaccine is not designed to protect against H3N2v. Limited studies show that it may boost immunity against this virus in adults, but will probably not offer protection for children.”-U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The U.S. CDC is concerned after 12 people caught H3N2v (the ‘v’ stands for “variant”) between August and December 2011.

“This virus is related to human flu viruses from the 1990s, so adults should have some immunity, but young children probably do not. Early steps to make a vaccine against H3N2v have been taken, but no decision to mass produce such a vaccine has been made. Public health authorities are watching closely.”-U.S. CDC

 

U.S.

Fear of H3N2 has New Jersey politicians trying to make a law that forces you to get a Flu shot.

Lawmakers in New Jersey are considering a bill that would make it mandatory for health care workers to get flu shots every year.

It could be because of the growing concern over new flu viruses, like the H3N2v.  However, Canadian and Greek studies have shown that current vaccines have no effect on the new flu viruses!

New Jersey lawmakers are expected to vote on the bill next week.

International, U.S.

Taiwan’s CDC says H3N2 outbreak possible in the United States

“The whole world is keeping a watch for possible mutation of the virus. We are now screening local patients who have come down with serious flu symptoms or complications of H3N2v.”-Chou Jih-haw, Taiwan CDC

On February 10, Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced they are concerned of a possible outbreak of H3N2, after 12 people in the U.S. got infected at the end of 2011.

H3N2 is already hitting Japan, and parts of Europe, hard.  The new version of H3N2 is called H3N2v, and it contains genes from the H1N1 virus.

So far there are no confirmed H3N2v cases in Taiwan, but health officials there are stepping up efforts to head H3N2v off at the pass, by closely monitoring anyone who reports being sick.

 

International, Technology, U.S.

Pacific Ring of Fire Seismic Events: 2012 already shaping up to be big?

In past postings I reported on what appears to be the average number of magnitude 6.5 or greater earthquakes that hit the Pacific Ring of Fire.

In going through the USGS’s Significant Earthquakes of the World, all the way back to 1999, it seems the Pacific Ring of Fire has about 50 per year.

The Pacific Ring of Fire involves not only the Pacific Plate, but the Nazca Plate, the Antarctic Plate, Cocos Plate, Juan de Fuca Plate, North American Plate, South American Plate, Scotia Plate, Filipino Plate, Eurasian Plate and Australian Plate, whew!

Well, from January 1 to February 12, 2012, there have already been seven “significant” earthquakes involving the plates of the Pacific Ring of Fire.  In fact, so far, the only significant quakes for 2012 have been the seven around the Pacific Ring of Fire!

What about earthquakes in general?  If you look at the USGS’s list of quakes from January 13 to February 4, 2012, the overwhelming majority are around the Pacific Ring of Fire.  I counted at least 453 reported earthquakes around the Pacific Ring.

Most of the quakes are hitting Japan (with the most), California, Alaska, Mexico, Chile, countries on the Filipino Plate (like Indonesian islands getting hit almost as much as Japan), New Zealand and Vanuatu.

Vanuatu is a Southwestern Pacific Island north of New Zealand.  Since the beginning of February it’s getting hit almost daily with quakes ranging from magnitude 4 to 5.

Business/Economics, U.S.

Conservative Reganomics Economist says Republican supporters are Stupid when it comes to Taxes and the Economy

Bruce Bartlett, former Reagan and Bush Sr official, has published a new book called The Benefit and the Burden: Tax Reform – Why We Need It and What It Will Take.  But guess what? He says the wealthy have been getting huge tax cuts for decades, and that’s part of what put the federal government into record debt!

He also says, in an interview with Bill Moyers, that right wing Republicans are stupid when it comes to understanding how much taxes they really pay, and how taxes really work:  “Back when the Tea Party first came into existence, back in 2009 they had a big demonstration in Washington. And we went around and we surveyed…You know, questions of just straight factual knowledge, not opinion. And it turned out that these people all thought taxes were vastly higher than they really are, and that they were paying exorbitantly high tax rates that would be impossible for them to pay.”

Bartlett also says the right wingers are stupid religious nuts: “…it’s very much like religion. And I think that it’s not a surprise that so many very, you know, devout Christians are a part of the Republican Party and accept a lot of this. Because the nature of deep religious belief is faith, which means you accept things for which there is no proof. And so, I think it’s not that hard to shift that faith over to believe …That if you cut taxes, revenues will go up…That all tax cuts are good and all spending cuts are good, and all government is bad.”

He blames Right Wing radio and Fox News: “You hear the same idea over and over again. Or you can call it propaganda if you like. It’s broadly believed and people just keep saying these things all the time, that ‘Rich people create jobs.’ ‘Yes, rich people create jobs.’ ‘They’re motivated primarily by taxation.’ ‘Yes, they’re motivated by taxation.’ ‘We must cut their taxes.’ ‘Yes, we must cut their taxes.’”

“Year after year after year of people watching Fox News and listening to talk radio, had conditioned them in advance to believe that the government is responsible for all of our problems.”

Bartlett says once enough stupid Tea Party members realize it’s their own Republican officials who are doing them in, they’ll Join the Occupy Movement: “…once they start to realize that the Republicans really do want to not just cut Medicare, but essentially abolish it, you know, I just think those people are not going to be part of the Tea Party. They’re going to be over with the Occupy Wall Street.”