Tag Archives: ows

Idaho, U.S.

New East Idaho wildfire, Little Birds busy

01 August 2012, a human caused fire northeast of Preston, in southeastern Idaho, has burned at least 268 acres (108.4 hectares), and is still active.  It’s called the Franklin County Assist 2 Fire.

Click pics to make bigger.

The Ridge Top fire is still burning, east of Blackfoot.  It’s about 70% contained, and has burned more than 16,000 acres (6,474.9 hectares). The fire started on 27 July.

EAST IDAHO WILDFIRES CONTINUE TO BURN

Fukushima

One Year Later: They survived the Tsunami, but died because of botched rescue attempts!

“I sent off all the hospital staff because I believed that SDF [Self Defense Force] troops and police would arrive at any minute to rescue us.”-Suzuki Ichiro, Futaba Hospital

On 24 July 2012, Japanese media reported that a government investigation, into the rescue efforts after the 11 March 2011 tsunami, actually caused people to die!

In one example the hospital director had the staff evacuate the damaged Futaba hospital thinking the rescue of the patients would be soon.  Their rescue was a full two days later, and four patients had died as a result.

The rescue effort at the Futaba hospital still took five days to complete and another 19 patients died!

The recently released government investigation showed that SDF units were not trained to handle such large natural disaster rescues. But to make things worse, the investigation said lack of communications and logistical coordination problems with rescuers were the main problems.

“Those in charge of a lifesaving mission should have handled their task with a stronger sense of responsibility.”-Government report, released 23 July 2012

Local governments are to blame as well. The Fukushima prefectural government had designated four hospitals to receive people from damaged hospitals, but, local government officials never notified the SDF, and they never even notified their own local disaster response task force!

 

Fukushima

One Year Later: Scientists cooking the books on radiation contamination. Now say radiation exposure was not at dangerous levels!

Reported on 13 July 2012, a group of Japanese and Russian scientists, working through the Hirosaki University’s Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine and the Institute of Radiation Hygiene in St. Petersburg, greatly lowered the official radiation exposure records for victims of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

Now they say no adult was exposed to dangerous levels, claiming the highest dose was 33 millisieverts.  Previously they said people had been exposed to as much as 87 millisieverts!

The international standard is 50 millisieverts, before you have to start taking iodide pills.

The scientists based their new claims on data for radioactive iodine concentration in thyroids taken between 12-16 April last year, then tried to extrapolate using recent radiation plume tracking and various dosimeter data.  So they’re making their claims based on one week of human thyroid gland data, then cooking their scientific books with more recent numbers from other measurements that do not look specifically at the health of a person!

Oh, the scientists did warn that children were still exposed to levels of contamination above the international 50 millisieverts range.  So why not the adults?

Fukushima

One Year Later: Japanese tsunami hit town so contaminated with radiation, officials can’t dump radioactive debris, instead they want to burn it!!!

31 July 2012, the Japanese government is considering plans to incinerate highly radioactive debris from the tsunami hit towns of Hirono and Namie.

The destroyed houses and buildings have been contaminated by fallout from the ongoing nuclear disaster at the GE designed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power factory.

The contamination is so high that local officials have been hamstrung because the debris can not be handled through usual removal methods.  A plan to build two new incinerators within the area was scrapped because of concerns about the radiation.

But wait, there’s more! In their wisdom officials have now rationalized that it’s OK to incinerate the radioactive debris as long as it’s outside of the contaminated area!

They are asking six municipalities to consider build incinerators for burning radioactive ruble from Hirono and Namie towns!

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

Where do the too big to fail Bankers get the death penalty? Iran!

While the U.S. crony capitalist system loves white collar crooks, allowing them to run corporations into the ground, and lose investor money to the tunes of billions of dollars, while still making millions of dollars in bonuses, the country of Iran issues true justice; they kill them!

On 30 July 2012, sentences were handed out for what turned out to be the biggest case of bank fraud in Iran’s history: “Of 39 defendants, whose charges were heard, the court’s judge has sentenced four to death and two others to life imprisonment. The remaining defendants received prison terms of 25 years, 20 years, 10 years, and less.”-Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, Judiciary spokesman

The convicted worked for a company called Aria Investment Development Company.  They used fake credit documents, and bribes, to steal $2.6 billion USD!  The stolen money was then used to take over government owned businesses.

But the investigation is not over; at least seven Iranian banks were involved!

China also executes white collar criminals!  Why not the U.S.?  After all when white collar crooks destroy companies and basically steal investor money they are destroying lives!  During the time of the Khans in Mongolia it was rare that a person would be executed for killing another human, however, execution was automatic for those who stole.

The reason was simple; someone who’s been killed has no more worries, but, someone who spent more than half their life building their lives, and their family’s lives, who then loses it all because of a thief, will spend the rest of their life struggling to rebuild, and in those times it was not likely that you could rebuild your life.  Therefore, a thief is worse than a killer because a thief will cause you to spend the rest of your life struggling to get out of poverty!

But don’t kid yourself by saying ‘oh that only happened in medieval times’.  Studies have shown that for most people in the United States, those who lose their life savings, or a good paying job, are not able to rebuild their lives to the point they were at before the loss, even after 20 years!!!

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: Qatar joins Saudi Arabia in buying hundreds of German Leopard tanks

29 July 2012, Germany’s Der Spiegel reporting that the Arabian Peninsula country of Qatar offered Germany’s Krauss-Maffei Wegmann $2.46 billion USD for 200 of their latest Leopard main battle tanks (MBT).

A month ago it was revealed that Saudi Arabia was buying 800 Leopard 2A7 tanks, despite many German politicians pointing out that the sale violated Germany’s constitution.  Angela Merkel’s government dismissed such claims, and some politicians said the sale was needed to support Germany’s shrinking economy.

The latest Der Spiegel article says Qatari officials made the offer weeks ago.  Qatar is supporting the invasion of Syria, and was one of the main Arab supporters of the western backed insurgency in Libya.

Angela Merkel’s secretive Federal Security Council has final say regarding such a sale to Qatar, and Der Spiegel says it’s likely it will be approved.

 

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: Prince Bandar orchestrating war on Syria, U.S. leaders know of his connections to Al Qaeda and approve!

“…Saudi Arabia is left to draw up the Middle East’s new map.”-Haaretz, 25 July 2012

Recently an Israeli newspaper (Haaretz) published an article on Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s new intelligence boss; Bandar bin Sultan.

The following quotes from the article show that the so called revolution in Syria is actually an outside invasion, and that the United States is in bed with al Qaeda (after all it was the U.S. that came up with the name al Qaeda).

“…the main reason for his appointment now is that Saudi Arabia is preparing for the next stage in Syria, after President Bashar Assad leaves the political stage one way or another and Syria becomes a battleground for influence.”

“…his [Bandar’s] wife was investigated by [U.S.] Congress a decade ago about her connections to Al-Qaida…”-Saudi Arabia is ruled by royalists who are Salafi/Wahhabi Muslims, the same Islamic group that Osama bin Laden was part of, the same Islamic group that most of the members of the U.S. named al Qaeda belong to, the same Islamic group that the 9/11 attackers belonged to.  15 of the 19 hijackers on 11 September 2001, came from Saudi Arabia, not from Afghanistan, not from Iraq, not from Libya, not from Syria and not from Iran.  In fact none of the 9/11 attackers were from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Libya or Syria!

“…Bandar is considered the CIA’s man in Riyadh.”

“Bandar is a member of the part of the royal family that opposes the revolutions in the Arab states….”-This is proof that what happened in Libya, and what is happening in Syria are not revolutions

“…Bandar supported sending troops to the small kingdom of Bahrain next door to quell the Shi’ite revolt…”-Bahrain is also the HQ of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet

“…also moved fast to support the new [military] regime in Cairo, depositing more than $3 billion as a guarantee at the Egyptian central bank.”-An attempt to stop the Egyptian Revolution from succeeding.

“…Bandar was the one behind the decision to give money to the Syrian rebels, and even to buy weapons for them. They say the Saudi demand that Assad step down is part of Bandar’s strategy, which guides the kingdom far more than the positions of the 88-year-old king, whose health is failing.”

“…Saudi policy on Syria is being closely coordinated with the United States…”

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? 8 Kmart stores closing down, 174 and counting! 13,920 people lose their jobs!

On 29 June 2012, Sears Holdings released their latest list of store closings, this time they’re all Kmart stores.

Two Kmarts in Florida, and two Kmarts in Georgia will be shut down. The other four Kmarts are located in Iowa, Virginia, Minnesota and Tennessee.

Sears Holdings pointed out that each store employs between 40 and 80 people, so this latest round of closings could result in as many as 640 people losing their jobs.

Since the beginning of 2010 Sears Holdings has closed and/or announced the closing of at least 174 stores (going by Sears Holdings estimations that could be as many as 13,920 people who lost their jobs), and more closings are planned.  The store names are Kmart, Sears, Sears Grand/Essentials, Product Repair and The Great Indoors.

Idaho, U.S.

58 wildfires in Eastern Idaho, and that’s before the official fire season began!

28 July 2012, fire fighters are still busy fighting numerous wild fires throughout eastern & southeastern Idaho. July is the official start to the wildfire season in Idaho, but so far 58 fires have raged since the beginning of the year!

27July 2012, new fire Fort Hall Reservation (east of Blackfoot), as seen from tens of miles to the southwest, looking northeast from the Simplot Don Plant.

According to the Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center (EIIFC) more acres have burned this year than in 2011, 2010 & 2009 combined!  And the official fire season is just starting!

On 27 July 2012, new fires popped up in the Fort Hall reservation northeast of Pocatello (east of Blackfoot). They’re called the Ridge Top, Stevens Peak, East Fire and Gibson Creek fires. Together they’ve burned 8,000 acres (3,237.4 hectares) in less than one day.

Fire officials blame the ongoing, 10+ years drought in Idaho, something the mainstream media seems to ignore when it comes to reporting drought conditions in the United States.

Local fire officials are concerned because most of the fires have yet to hit the tinder dry forests: “Our lower elevations right now are fairly critical. Our upper elevations in the timber, our large fuel, and the trees are drier than normal…”-Lynn Ballard, U.S. Forest Service eastern Idaho

EAST IDAHO WILDFIRES 2012: MAINTENANCE DAY FOR SKYCRANE FIRE FIGHTER @ POCATELLO AIRPORT