Okay. But here’s all I really want to know: has the integrity of the containment chambers in any way been breached? Because if not, the plants are working precisely as they are designed to work in the event of a “meltdown” — and they are doing so despite a 9.0 earthquake, a series of aftershocks, a volcanic eruption, and a tsunami that was able to swallow several trains without even pausing to belch.
Everything else is just noise.
So. Help a brother out?
****
update: Well. Okay, then.
(thanks to newrouter)
I can’t help but notice that your lack of fear and fearmongering is singularly unhelpful.
Fukushima Nuclear Accident – 15 March summary of situation
also
world-nuclear-news
I can’t help but winder what I’m missing here. Full throated condemnation, with absolutely no refutation. Weird.
Saw Tyler Durden whining on Fox Nation that “anything Obama does will be criticized.” It was over Obama filling out his bracket during Armageddon.
Didn’t know this about him.
“Situation Normal” don’t sell no papers, pal.
Wow. Durden really undercut that guys article. I bet that MIT guy is embarrassed.
Saw Tyler Durden whining on Fox Nation that “anything Obama does will be criticized.” I
What Obama does? I have neither criticized his golf game nor his NCAA bracket picks.
Has he done anything else?
It’s easier to count the things that Obama has done that should not be criticized. I mean a speech about civility in front of 10’s of thousands of students who boo the governor? You can’t find a more intimate setting. And it turns out to be all bullshit anyway, and you can’t criticize?
When an idiot has been elected president, it’s irresponsible and dangerous to not pour on the criticism.
Of course, I just sidetracked this thread with my Obamaboner, so I respectfully withdraw to my Obama dart board for reflection.
Can you run your column on the NCAA tournament before the radiation kicks in? I’m not going with the Big Ten if the Pacific Coast teams are breading atomic super players.
bu…buh…but… Jeff,
RAY-DEE-AY-SHUNN!
It’s bad. Bad!
Wow. The commenters there are hysterical.
But that’s only because the Man is hiding the TRUTH!
Man.
I am glad that March Madness will not be impacted by Japan’s nuke accident. Because that would be a bummer.
I added the “Dick” comment.
So all the explosions have been hydrogen?
http://www.ecoseed.org/en/hydrogen-a-fuel-cells/article/15-hydrogen-fuel-cells/9268
http://green-energy-center.blogspot.com/2008/02/hydrogen-fuel-cells.html
http://news.cnet.com/greentech/fuel-cells-and-hydrogen/
Must be a different kind of hydrogen or something.
Now I have to question whether all of zerohedge’s nattering about Economic Apocalypse are equally, oh, I don’t know… so much hysterical bullshit?
Well, naah. They’re probably right on that, though quite possibly for the wrong reasons.
I hear Shep Smith is writing the screenplay for the first ever made-for-Fox News movie.
The passengers on a bullet train trapped on the ocean floor are about to resort to cannibalism when they are rescued by dolphins mutated by the reactor melt down.
The beautiful dolphin leader is named Katrina.
Do you think there will be a part about crunching figs in an underwater cavern? That would be cool.
I have no idea what he’s talking about. Cease and desist letters? Wha…?
I do wish he wouldn’t be so coy. If he has information about me, he really should just release it. In fact, here: PATTERICO! RELEASE THIS INFORMATION ABOUT A CEASE AND DESIST LETTER! Because if there is one, it would be helpful if I knew about it. So that I could cease and desist whatever it is I’m supposed to cease and desist.
As to the rest of his comment: his “three-word link” suggesting I had RUSHED to declare anything IN ADVANCE OF THE FACTS is what it is: I hadn’t. I linked an article that I’d just read and made a short comment. Fuel rods melting and meltdowns that occur in containment chambers are part of why facilities have containment chambers. Beyond that, I have no information. And so didn’t comment further, except to point out that a natural disaster of this sort shouldn’t prevent us from developing nuclear facilities. Later, I went out for the evening. I wasn’t following blog “coverage” of the event. I certainly don’t give a fuck what Frey says about it.
Why on earth would I need to issue a correction? Is there going to be a Godzilla vs Mothra battle? Am I suddenly opposed to developing nuclear energy? What’s to correct?
Actually, I’m not doing any such thing. I’m busy not thinking about Patterico. Or at least I was, until he yet again decided to drag me into his ongoing obsessions. I passed along what a couple of nuclear experts said yesterday on Hannity’s show. They noted that the hysteria was helping the cause of the anti-nuke enviros, who were pushing the doomsday scenarios. IN ADVANCE OF ALL THE FACTS! I happened to agree. Am I wrong? If so, why?
But the real question is, why is he spending so much time in my comments? Why does he presume he has sources who can tell him anything about me? Why does he care?
He really should try to get me out of his head. His comments read like he’s trying to convince himself of his own bullshit, even as he tries to convince everyone else simultaneously. It’s remarkable. It’s sad. He’s obsessed with me.
You can quote me, too, if you want to.
The thread involved Worthing, not Patterico, I think. It’s very hard to discern the truth because of the Kultursmog as Tyrell dubbed it, which insists on hyping the radiation, while missing the Tunguska
level earthquake and tsunami. TEPCO has had some problems in the past, notably the reactor that had to be temporarily shut down in the past, but it doesn’t rise to BP level travails
“There was a time when I was the baddest bad ass in all the land. I had people screaming ‘END TIMES!!’ at just the mention of my name. Now it’s like I don’t even exist.”
— Gulf Coast Tar Ball, March 2011
“Wow. The commenters there are hysterical.
But that’s only because the Man is hiding the TRUTH!”
Ya know, I can kinda relate. I don’t really trust anything they say either.
It’s a worrisome situation, but there is no sense in panicking.
which linked to an article that said there had been a partial meltdown
Never trust the press when there’s a need to make critical scientific (or even common-sense) distinctions. Remember the I-35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis? To this day, reporters cite a “design flaw” as the cause of the collapse.
Bushwah.
My BIL, a bridge inspector, explained it to me thus: There was nothing wrong with the design. Nada. Nil. Zip. What happened is that during construction, some MENSA genius decided to install 1/2-inch thick gusset plates where the design called for a full inch. The wiki article helpfully provides an illustration of just that bridge’s gusset plates.
Even then, at the time of construction, the half-inch plates were sufficient. But then they built additional lanes on the bridge, added surfacing, and at the time of the collapse there was all kinds of heavy construction equipment sitting on it. So doy: the thing collapsed.
Trouble is, the inspectors don’t have the original designs in hand when they go to look at the bridge, so they can’t evaluate whether some moron put in half-inch plate when the design specified a full inch.
Naturally, the government is now going to make sure that every damn gusset plate in the country is inspected and perhaps even load-tested, which is extremely labor-intensive. My BIL inspects bridges up in the mountains behind Boise, bridges that may be 100 years old but hardly get any traffic at all. They’re obviously fine.
So he’s going to pocket all kinds of taxpayer money to ease the anxiety of idjit politicians who don’t know a gusset plate from their own sphincter.
Reporters always say “meltdown” when talking about nuclear power-plant accidents: doesn’t mean a blasted thing.
Patterico: “they decided to have a full meltdown of their own and attack me”
In response to the perceived allegation that he was overstating the situation.
Irony.
The man really is a drama queen.
[…] just posted this in the comments, and since it is both patently false and alludes to things about me that […]
http://www.jaif.or.jp/english/news_images/pdf/ENGNEWS01_1300189582P.pdf
Re: Fukushima situation
Be suspicious of glowing reports.
Joe – My cousin is currently in Japan and after assuring us that he was fine asked me about the NCAA playoffs. What an uncaring bastard. I informed him that all activities that provided any fun were almost certain to be canceled. It’s the only way to teach earthquakes a lesson.