[Falling Down]

I was up just before 6am this morning and switched on the TV after I heard about it on the radio and watched it all happening live.  The helicopter flying over the shoreline as the massive Tsunami just motored in from the ocean was just jaw dropping... the LPG explosion was terrifying...



Horrible watching it all unfold.

[slackline]

Yeah, jaw dropping is about all you can say about that tsunami wave.  Incredibly destructive 

On a lighter note...

I've got a plan so cunning, you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel!

[Duma]

Wave energy

Not entirely clear from the bbc live ticker, but it seems they've got  the coolant  going again at the nuke that has issues - though not before they had to vent some radioactive steam to reduce pressure.

[DaveC]

Mrs got an e-mail from a colleague who is in Tokyo this morning. Apparently being on the 35th floor of a big tower during a strong earthquake is NOT an enjoyable experience! Who'd have thought it.

[DaveC]

A seriously bad opinion piece by a supposed "expert" who patently isn't! I think the general tone of the comments below the piece sums it up.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/richard-gordon-what-happened-to-japans-early-warning-systems-2239750.html

[slackline]

Reactor 1 at Fukushima blowing up

[slackline]

Excellent piece on why those explosions are nothing to worry about

[Jaspersharpe]

Was Freddy Patel constantly pissed or something?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/mar/14/freddy-patel-condemned-gmc

 

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Insane local jap tv footage of rising waters and crazy shit. Get a lot worse over the course of 6min. Apols for the FB link, not sure where else it's available
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1605260179420#&comments

[Jaspersharpe]

Amazing video. It's all over Twitter. Can find a link if anyone can't see that one....

[slackline]

Can't see it, but is it the one with the black river over-flowing and boats get crushed under bridges or the one with the guy stood on some steps watching the water levels rise, and rise before buildings start getting washed away?

[Jaspersharpe]

bit.ly/fXTxcd

The latter.

Incidentally, how come I can see the link that Obi-Wan posted when I'm not on Facebook? 

[slackline]

Someone signed you up without you knowing?

Perhaps someone else has used the computer and left themselves logged in?

The ghosts in the machine?

[Jaspersharpe]

Not only am I not signed in to it, I don't have an account (have checked and it doesn't recognise any of my email addresses) and nobody else has used this pc today. Nobody else ever uses it in fact!
 

[slackline]

Must be the ghosts then. 

[slackline]

The real problems facing Japan (i.e. not the nuclear power plant, see previous link on why this isn't a problem)



Interesting piece on why the "Robin Hood Tax" may not be such a great idea

[kilgore1080]

The real problems facing Japan (i.e. not the nuclear power plant, see previous link on why this isn't a problem)

 

But then scaremongoring is what gets them viewers/readers. The human side of this tragedy is being downplayed or ignored in favour of cheap headline grabbing soundbites and dropping in "Chernobyl" at every opportunity. Its worrying how easily and quickly the media switches from factual reporting to sensationalist speculation dragging various "experts" in front of the camera all of whom have entirely different views on what's going on.

[Falling Down]

Interesting piece on why the "Robin Hood Tax" may not be such a great idea

No sh*t sherlock... (Modify - directed at the author not you Slackers)

The Tobin tax is just a fig leaf to appease the left and people offended by the notion large profits. The more serious issue is to address the extent of moral hazard in the financial system. The phrase 'too big to fail' caused and will continue to cause more problems for the taxpayer than big bonuses and profits by banks.  I note no-one decided that BP was too big to fail when they went very close to collapsing even though a massive chunk of our pensions are dependent on their financial performance.

[RAK Punter]

Was Freddy Patel constantly pissed or something?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/mar/14/freddy-patel-condemned-gmc

Of just incompetent?  He has form for fucking up at his job on a regular basis,  GMC UB40

[slackline]

Excellent piece on why those explosions are nothing to worry about

This has moved to MIT NSE Nuclear Information Hub

[slackline]

Nice bit of perspective...

[DaveC]

Nice bit of perspective...

Who says the cores are all still contained? I'm hearing this morning (our time) that the fuel rods in reactor 4 at Fukushima are completely exposed and judging by the risks Japanese technician are taking to try and stem the problems, there is a distinct possibility of this getting worse.

On a broader note, the earthquake was never the biggest problem, it was some distance off shore and all Japanese reactors can deal with them OK anyway. The problem is making sure back up cooling systems are safe from large tsunamis generated by off-shore quakes like the one on Friday (which are inevitable along much of the Japanese coast at some point.) In this regard the Japanese have made a basic error in not putting the back-up pumps on the same high ground as they put the reactors themselves.

[slackline]

Nice bit of perspective...

Who says the cores are all still contained? I'm hearing this morning (our time) that the fuel rods in reactor 4 at Fukushima are completely exposed and judging by the risks Japanese technician are taking to try and stem the problems, there is a distinct possibility of this getting worse.

They were contained at the time that was written, but obviously the situation has changed.

[DaveC]

Sorry Slackers, I do forget the time difference at times. I am getting hacked off at the "it's really not that bad" bullshit being spread around the www. Not sure if it's just ignorant twats or whether there is a deliberate campaign being orchestrated from somewhere - something that has definitely been happening in the Australian press for the last couple of days, although recent events may have killed it off!
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/17/3166838.htm
Just got to hope they can get the power back on!

[slackline]

The MIT blog I linked above seems to be exceptionally knowledgeable about the implications of the unfolding events.