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NHK Shows Live Coverage Of Smoke Billowing From Fukushima Reactor 3, US Military Assistance May Be Requested

Tyler Durden's picture




 

NHK is currently broadcasting live footage from its helicopter showing white smoke from the Fukushima #3 reactor. As we reported earlier, fire was earlier observed in the 8 by 8 meter hole in the outer shell of Reactor 4,which had since extinguished itself. However, that it has been replaced with billowing smoke from a new reactor is not good. Reuters speculates that the smoke is emerging from the fuel pool which is now overheating. It is highly probable that the smoke is radioactive. In a press conference that just concluded Edano said that the area around reactor 1 is too radioactive for TEPCO workers to approach and as such all have been withdrawn. He also said the US military will likely be called in for assistance.

Coverage can be watched after the jump (click on the picture).

And for those who wish a second Geiger reading, below is a brand new live stream showing the radiation cpm in Chiba located just next to Tokyo.

 

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Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:25 | 1058675 SparkyvonBellagio
SparkyvonBellagio's picture

Now they're reporting that the other 50 workers at the plant are ordered to leave.

CNN is freaking out the world or we're in deeeeeep sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeit!

 

Maybe I'll turn it to the Daily Show.

 

LOL

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:27 | 1058681 Mae Kadoodie
Mae Kadoodie's picture

CNN reporting that possibly the last 50 workers are abandoning the plant.  They are trying to confirm this story.  FUBAR.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:29 | 1058699 jerry_theking_lawler
jerry_theking_lawler's picture

well off to bed....at least one more good nights rest before the end of the world as we know it....

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:46 | 1058734 CD
CD's picture

The live teleconference from the Japanese Chief Cabinet Minister is saying the same, personnel have been pulled back from the reactors due to elevated radiation.

Reactor 3 container vessel (whatever they EXACTLY mean by that) MAY be breached, and is presumed to be leaking the steam/smoke which is generating the plumes seen on broadcast. Interesting that the nearest video feed is coming from 30 km...

It's tough to watch, because the number of straight facts uttered can be counted on one hand. Smoke/fog/obfuscation (or genuine bewilderment). They are now in the land of "well, radiation is something you absorb when you get an X-ray, or if you fly in an airplane". OMFG.

 

PS: Is it just me, or is NHK now looping footage and commentary of the smoke plume? Same clip, same comments ("filmed 20 minutes ago") -- as they were playing 20-30 minutes ago...

 

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:57 | 1058844 smithcreek
smithcreek's picture

Interesting that the nearest video feed is coming from 30 km...

That was my thought too.  They didn't even evacuate people that far, did they?

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:30 | 1059065 IQ 145
IQ 145's picture

 translation is a huge problem; I don't think it's possible to be sure what they're referring too; May be a native Japanese speaker can figure it out and report on it.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:26 | 1058682 Dr. Porkchop
Dr. Porkchop's picture

The workers who have stayed to try to control this thing are made of tougher stuff than I. Hope there's some way they can come out the other side of this mess.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:34 | 1059085 serotonindumptruck
serotonindumptruck's picture

I would concur with your sentiments. I've responded to many different emergencies over the past 25 years, and even a couple of small radiological spills (cobalt 60, iodine 125), however I don't believe that I would be up to this task. Taking this job very likely requires that you sacrifice your life.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:27 | 1058687 kaiserhoff
kaiserhoff's picture

Not good?  Of course, it's good.  That's white smoke.  We have a new Pope;)

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:30 | 1059074 IQ 145
IQ 145's picture

 LOL. laughter, the best medicine.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:27 | 1058690 zen0
zen0's picture


March 15, 2011 More Trouble From a Crippled Nuke Plant Posted by Lew Rockwell on March 15, 2011 05:46 PM

Writes Jay Roberts:

Although I’m in the U.S. at the moment, my family remains in Osaka. FWIW, as a submarine officer, I went to the U.S. Navy’s nuclear power training and then operated naval reactors. Following this, I worked in the commercial nuclear power industry for a couple of years and then moved on to software development. While my motivations would require a long explanation, let’s just say I’m neither a booster nor an opponent of the technology but I do have a pretty clear eyed view of reactor operations and what people do in crises.

I was pretty comfortable with the Fukushima situation for the first few days. If anything, the fact that they still maintained their integrity after an epic quake and tsunami is a testament to the design margins built into western reactors. However, two recent bits of news really gave me pause.

The first was the fire caused by low water levels in the spent fuel pool in Unit 4, which was shut down and defueled for maintenance. Normally, there would be all sorts of alarms about this, but with electricity gone, one would send people around to check on things. And with a plant defueled like Unit 4, the first thing one would want to check would be the spent fuel pool.

This is not to suggest malfeasance though — rather, that the people on site are completely overwhelmed by events to the extent that they can’t even spare somebody to go take a look at the fuel pool in Unit 4. One wonders what else may be going unnoticed.

The second item was that the staffing on site was down to 50 people. Even under normal operations, this is a small fraction, but in an emergency, where all power and indications (gauges/alarms) are lost, it is in effect throwing one’s hands up in the air. This was about 24 hours ago when I read this stuff at which point I told my wife she should tell her sister-in-law to take her kids, get out of Tokyo as a precaution. It is an excellent time to visit grandma.

My opinion was confirmed with the recent suggestion of using helicopters to dump stuff on the reactors, which is clearly well beyond the point of utter desperation in nuclear ops. If one recalls, this is what the Soviets resorted to at Chernobyl, shoveling boron out of helicopters into the smoking morass. Several days ago, discussing this incident with friends, I said that when they start talking about helicopters, that is when the situation is officially out of control.

This all being said, there are still some positive shreds of hope.

The first is that time is on everyone’s side. The more time that passes without devolution into catastrophe the less likely it is to happen. The residual fission products that cause the heat in fuel rods decay quickly, by orders of magnitude over the days following a plant shutdown.

The second is that this is not Chernobyl. Chernobyl used a graphite moderated design that was well understood in the west to be extremely dangerous and had been abandoned after the Windscale incident. Similarly, there was no containment structure. This comparison is not apt.

The third is that western reactors were built with huge design margins. Back in the 60′s, they didn’t have cheap computing power, so they would figure out the numbers on a slide rule, then multiply everything by 4 when designing a critical component. I was involved in reanalyzing a lot of reactor design in the early 90′s when we had relatively powerful PCs with which we could do a more extensive analysis; everywhere we looked we found huge, unbelievable design margins. So while things aren’t looking so great at Fukushima, one can be assured that there is a great deal of ruin in a typical western reactor.

The bad part is that this stout design is all we really have to rely on any more at the moment. With reactor buildings in shambles, high radiation levels, no power, etc., there truly is little way to figure out what is going on inside these reactors to the extent necessary to take actions. And even if this knowledge were available, the ability to take action at the moment is nearly nil — after explosions and tsunamis and fires, simply identifying which valves/systems/controls are which is probably an enormous task, and the consequences of making a mistake are dire.

This one is in the Lord’s hands. It may yet turn out well, and offering a prayer for those struggling to control this catastrophe might be a way some readers can help.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:30 | 1059073 Matte_Black
Matte_Black's picture

This one is in the Lord’s hands. It may yet turn out well, and offering a prayer for those struggling to control this catastrophe might be a way some readers can help.

Okay. When a nuclear guy suggests we pray now, you know we're jacked. Surreal.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:29 | 1058697 Fix It Again Timmy
Fix It Again Timmy's picture

Eight years later, we finally found the "weapons of mass destruction"..

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:28 | 1058703 trillion_dollar...
trillion_dollar_deficit's picture

How long before American news crews gtfo?

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:28 | 1058706 zen0
zen0's picture

Helicopters, bitchez

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 04:10 | 1059709 Yen Cross
Yen Cross's picture

Super Hueys.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:29 | 1058709 imapopulistnow
imapopulistnow's picture

Reactor 3 blew out causing the steam.  Employees were told to leave.  May come back if/when radiation levels fall.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:29 | 1058711 Boilermaker
Boilermaker's picture

Japanese spokesman just said to wear long sleeves....LMFAO, Jesus H. Fucking Christ....SERIOUSLY??!?!

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:34 | 1058731 Misean
Misean's picture

Well, it is cold out. Still winter. Sound advise.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:38 | 1058741 Boilermaker
Boilermaker's picture

I wonder if they still have some of those leather kamikaze crash helmet and white scarves??  Now, that's protection!

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 08:25 | 1059968 Bicycle Repairman
Bicycle Repairman's picture

Then you'd better wear boots and mittens as well.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:06 | 1058912 earnyermoney
earnyermoney's picture

Last night the news anchor was telling people not to run their air conditioners as this would bring in outside air! It's the middle of winter, who's running their A/C?

 

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:57 | 1059194 Canaduh
Canaduh's picture

My brother got back from 3 months in Japan last Tuesday, for which I am unbelievably grateful. One of his complaints about Japan is that they didn't use much insulation, so everyone uses their AC 'backwards' as a heat pump.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:31 | 1058718 Infinite QE
Infinite QE's picture

I think its time for Son of TAARP to come to the rescue. Throw a big ass lead taarp with Stank Paulson's pic on it over the whole bloody mess.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:31 | 1059069 Things that go bump
Things that go bump's picture

Better they should throw Hank Paulson in.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:35 | 1058722 TruthInSunshine
TruthInSunshine's picture

Expert on CNN just basically let a complete Freudian slip go saying "the explosions that will inevitably come later."

Now saying Japanese PM was recorded on phone call using extreme profanity when speaking to high level official of Tokyo Electric & Power."

Sorry for the play by play, but it looks like it's about to get worse.

 

Edit - Press conference right now in Japan. OPERATIONS HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:37 | 1058736 TruthInSunshine
TruthInSunshine's picture

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/latest-updates-on-japans-nuc...

 

10:22 P.M. |Chief Cabinet Secretary's News Conference

Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Yukio Edano, is holding a news conference that is being broadcast live on Japanese television. Mr. Edano said radiation readings started rising rapidly Wednesday morning outside the front gate of the Fukushima Daiichi plant. "All the workers there have suspended their operations. We have urged them to evacuate, and they have," he said, according to a translation by NHK television.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:38 | 1058737 bob_dabolina
bob_dabolina's picture

Workers will never return to the plant...it is inoperable and uninhabital for the next 10,000 years

Plutonium fuel rods jut blew all over that area.

This is 1000 times worse than chernobyl...at least 2 buildings full of nuclear fuel in their roofs blew the fuck up at least 1 containment pod is breached...

This is fucked

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:39 | 1058746 Boilermaker
Boilermaker's picture

US futures are UP bitch!

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:40 | 1058755 bob_dabolina
bob_dabolina's picture

You must have the delayed futures.

DOW eminis are down 22, /es minus.50 and the yen is tanking

albeit we should be down several hundred points

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:43 | 1058766 Boilermaker
Boilermaker's picture

Multiple meltdowns in the 3rd largest economy...-22 DOW.  LOL.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:50 | 1058804 bob_dabolina
bob_dabolina's picture

Green Again :)

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:53 | 1058817 Boilermaker
Boilermaker's picture

Unfucking real.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:55 | 1058825 Spalding_Smailes
Spalding_Smailes's picture

Got REIT's ???

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:58 | 1058842 bob_dabolina
bob_dabolina's picture

Oddly enough,

Red Again

/ym -30

/es - 2

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:07 | 1058907 Lord Welligton
Lord Welligton's picture

"at least 2 buildings full of nuclear fuel in their roofs blew the fuck up"

Well. Exactly the point.

No why is MSM not covering this.

One simple phone call will do it.

MSM: "Mr Honorable Prime Minister were there any spent fuel rods in Building 1 and Building 3 before they blew up. You did see the explosions on NHK didn't you?"

Mr Honorable Prime Minister: "Don't panic. Don't panic".

MSM: "Thank you for the clear and unequivocal explanation Mr Honorable Prime Minister".

 

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 00:13 | 1059245 trav7777
trav7777's picture

shut the fuck up.

If that were the case, dosimeters would be going apeshit everywhere.  You could not HIDE that. 

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 08:30 | 1059982 Bicycle Repairman
Bicycle Repairman's picture

Dude, whose dosimeters?  Who is reading the dosimeters?  Who is transmitting what the dosimeters are saying to the outside world?  Isn't there a large exclusion zone around these plants?

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:38 | 1058742 trillion_dollar...
trillion_dollar_deficit's picture

The look on Sanjay and Anderson's faces says it all. They refuse to believe ops have been suspended. Time to PANIC.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:42 | 1058761 jerry_theking_lawler
jerry_theking_lawler's picture

they are worried they will make it through their broadcast....then its off to the CNN plane, which is sitting on the runway, fueled up ready to go....

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:39 | 1058743 Dyler Turden II Esq
Dyler Turden II Esq's picture

This is all the ridiculous concoction of leftwing commie treehuggers and enviro-hippies, if you ask me.  Trying to scare us away from our God-given Constitutional right to drive SUVs wherever we freaking please. Damn them all to hell!

 

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:39 | 1058744 gwar5
gwar5's picture

Pretty much looks like we're on our way to having multiple meltdowns. I can appreciate what the nuclear crews are doing and they are fully aware how high the stakes are. Lets hope for the best.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:40 | 1058749 Odd Ball
Odd Ball's picture

Just heard on news: all workers have been evacuated after sudden rise in radiation.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:47 | 1058772 bob_dabolina
bob_dabolina's picture

They've been gone for a while as I reported earlier on another thread...the fact they were reporting workers were still there was for hope and to make people think this situation was salvageable.

It very much is not

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:56 | 1058831 Boilermaker
Boilermaker's picture

It's just a coffee break.  Relax.  Fred had to take a dump also, so they might need a few extra minutes.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:45 | 1059147 buzzsaw99
buzzsaw99's picture

fred has bloody diarrhea.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:48 | 1059154 serotonindumptruck
serotonindumptruck's picture

Let's hope that Fred doesn't slough off the inner lining of his lower digestive tract in the process.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 08:33 | 1059994 Bicycle Repairman
Bicycle Repairman's picture

Someone should tell Fred that there is radiation in coffee.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 00:15 | 1059262 davepowers
davepowers's picture

I remember you saying that.

I was hoping you'd turn out wrong.

 

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:50 | 1058750 Spalding_Smailes
Spalding_Smailes's picture

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:39 | 1058753 jerry_theking_lawler
jerry_theking_lawler's picture

so, every talking head from day 1 has been saying A-OK, nothing to see here, move along.....while the *hit storm has been building.

now, plant is abandoned, all systems shot to hell, i'm sure the 'fire pumps' can be run remotely...so they have the fuel in them and then they are down....then a complete meltdown.

where is everyone tonight talking about A-OK?? now the MSM is starting to get the big picture. talking heads saying, I can't believe they abanoned the plant....its either abandon or die....get the picture.

oh yeah, nikkei up 5%

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:47 | 1058787 Spalding_Smailes
Spalding_Smailes's picture

But , but, but ...... Trav7777 said it was all overblown.

 

Can someone page spritzer that goof ....

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:25 | 1059033 trav7777
trav7777's picture

no, i didn't...

I'm not going along with your lemming ZHeeple hysteria, so in your binary minds that means I am saying it's all sunshine and picnics.

In fact, I have outlined all the outcomes, given updates from NHK, radiation levels, descriptions of all kinds of things.

Just DEAL with it, bitch

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:34 | 1059084 bob_dabolina
bob_dabolina's picture

You have been trying to compare this to flying/bananas/granate and you have some love affair with the idea of dosimeters and how people will be reporting...

There are no fucking people close to that plant who are going to tell you shit. They might lie to you, and you might believe them but tha'ts all you're getting bud.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 00:14 | 1059259 trav7777
trav7777's picture

meanwhile your hysterical ass is saying this is "1000 times worse" than Chernobyl.

You stupid motherfucker, chernobyl was sniffed out by radiation alarms all over fucking Europe.

You go on claiming Pu is blown all over the area; THEY COULD NOT HIDE THIS.  Anyone within a gigantic radius would note it immediately.  The government does NOT control all the effing news sources.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 08:37 | 1060006 Bicycle Repairman
Bicycle Repairman's picture

"The government does NOT control all the effing news sources."

Does Article 15 ring a bell?

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 00:17 | 1059265 zaphod
zaphod's picture

No,

He said that in response to someone who stated they don't want to be exposed to any radiation, ever.

Trav was simply pointing out that we are all exposed to a little natural amount.

Bob, Stop mixing different posts to create false impressions

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 08:10 | 1059919 BigJim
BigJim's picture

No, "the someone" had said they wanted to keep their radiation as close to zero as possible. Not the same thing as saying they didn't "want to be exposed to any rediation, ever."

Are you and trav a tag team?

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:31 | 1059071 Ahmeexnal
Ahmeexnal's picture

Somebody ought to put a baseball bat to trav & spitzer's heads.

And somebody ought to send all TEPCO head honchos to a spent rod pool jacuzzi.

Whoever is calling the shots at TEPCO ain't Japanese.

No Japanese would leave the site unattended. Even if all attempts were futile, as seems to be the case.  This is an act of war.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 01:53 | 1059527 sushi
sushi's picture

Somebody ought to put a baseball bat to trav & spitzer's heads.

 

Why?

No opinion on the Spitzer but Trav777 is more accurate on this issue than 99% of the other nit-wit posts. That includes yours.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 02:43 | 1059623 Chupacabra
Chupacabra's picture

yup

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 03:52 | 1059697 Ahmeexnal
Ahmeexnal's picture

Trav and the MSM only say what you want to listen. "There's nothing wrong. Everything is under control. TEPCO is not lying. They're doing an A+++ job out there."

 

Let's see him go skinny dipping on those exposed SFP and then tell us again you get more radiaton exposure on a flight from L. A. to Las Fucking Vegas!

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 08:39 | 1060015 Bicycle Repairman
Bicycle Repairman's picture

"Trav" is clearly a trifler.  He keeps back pedaling and back filling.  His primary concerns appear to be winning debate points and insulting people.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 09:20 | 1060161 SubjectivObject
SubjectivObject's picture

I'm not with you on that thought.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:40 | 1058757 Caviar Emptor
Caviar Emptor's picture

Latest: 

Containment Vessels of #1 and #3 reactors may be damaged. 

TEPCO can't check smoke at Fukushima plant. 

Support from US forces may be necessary (!)

TEPCO stock goes bidless

Japan government asks public to stop panic fuel buying

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:23 | 1059020 Head for the Hills
Head for the Hills's picture

Obama:  US? They mean us?

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:56 | 1059199 Ahmeexnal
Ahmeexnal's picture

On the intergalactic stock market, where millions of backward civilizations are listed -as companies are on our stock markets- mankind has been a "penny stock" since the GOM disaster.

The advanced civilizations who do the trading are not allowed to intervene...unless an unavoidable extinction level event has been set in motion. Just like the one we are facing. In such cases, their stock market allows them to intervene.

For them dealing with nuclear disasters is child's play. They could take care of it in 5 minutes. But if they do it will only be in order to spare them the additional cost of decontaminating their food: us.

Once a civilization has failed the test of being considered intelligent and is on a clear path to destruction, it is allowed to considered them as...food.

Fresh humans on the menu!

 

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 00:40 | 1059329 SME MOFO
SME MOFO's picture

+4.99 all you can eat buffet

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 01:22 | 1059435 New World Chaos
New World Chaos's picture

OTOH, if this whole planet is a giant reality show, the producer's stock just rose considerably.  The aliens might even see TEPCO execs commit ritual seppuku on intergalactic television.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:42 | 1058762 TruthInSunshine
TruthInSunshine's picture

FUBAR

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:42 | 1058768 Caviar Emptor
Caviar Emptor's picture

Too late with shares at zero (officially stopped by Nikkei at limit down)

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:46 | 1058776 TruthInSunshine
TruthInSunshine's picture

That last comment of mine (shorting TEPCO) was in bad taste.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:47 | 1058789 Misean
Misean's picture

Not so bad. A little gallows humor at a time like this...

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:53 | 1058811 Caviar Emptor
Caviar Emptor's picture

:-) Nothing like some 50s sci fi jokes to lighten it up

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 02:51 | 1059640 ebworthen
ebworthen's picture

 

Exactly.

The artists of Japan tried to warn the populace about the dangers of nuclear power in the Godzilla series and other movies.

Unfortunately, the nation listened to GE and other U.S. corporations, ooops.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 04:15 | 1059713 Yen Cross
Yen Cross's picture

You are the consummate optimaste. There is an old world way of spelling as well.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:44 | 1058771 Misean
Misean's picture

Push a falling knife?

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 02:50 | 1059637 Yen Cross
Yen Cross's picture

You are getting close. I love you my friend.b.,f  ( you fall on blades) Damn I'm proud of your strength.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:41 | 1058763 jmc8888
jmc8888's picture

Since they stopped whatever they were doing, all the reactors could get worse.  Including 5 and 6. 

 

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:44 | 1058769 Boilermaker
Boilermaker's picture

3,4,5 or 6...it's mega fucked.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:45 | 1058778 Misean
Misean's picture

The word "could" is not appropriate for that sentence.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:43 | 1058764 mynhair
mynhair's picture

So, this is bullish?

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 04:20 | 1059716 Yen Cross
Yen Cross's picture

I'll take mid week bullish. Think about the wealth of knowledge (including yours) @ this moment! It's intoxicating!!! I live for it!

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:44 | 1058770 TruthInSunshine
TruthInSunshine's picture

All 6 reactors have problems, according to breaking comments.

 

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:49 | 1058792 Boilermaker
Boilermaker's picture

Yea, I heard that MIT spokesman say that also. 

Well, here comes a real life Jurrasic Park with complimentary Godzilla's.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:48 | 1058798 Spalding_Smailes
Spalding_Smailes's picture

Don't worry, Trav said it was all hubris ....

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 04:31 | 1059725 Bay of Pigs
Bay of Pigs's picture

You've been a great help asshole...

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:44 | 1058773 avonaltendorf
avonaltendorf's picture

Ask the US military to do what? Drop cement bombs from 30,000 ft?

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:47 | 1058783 jerry_theking_lawler
jerry_theking_lawler's picture

maybe those may 21st'ers were right???

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:48 | 1058794 TruthInSunshine
TruthInSunshine's picture

hmmm...interesting...6 days away.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:46 | 1058784 sangell
sangell's picture

I want some of those light blue coveralls Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano wears. Industrial chic, so much more authoritative than a suit and tie.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:47 | 1058785 mynhair
mynhair's picture

Why do all these reports bring to mind Linda McDowell and John Homes?

Suk the big one?

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:47 | 1058793 Papasmurf
Papasmurf's picture

Goldman Sachs missed out on selling radiation credits.... priced retroactively of course.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:51 | 1058806 TruthInSunshine
TruthInSunshine's picture

Lloyd Blankfien and Jamie Dimon are furiously scrambling to pay off insiders at insurance companies to buy back-dated property loss insurance policies on the reactors.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:51 | 1059172 buzzsaw99
buzzsaw99's picture

AIG using whiteout on policy numbers and accounting books.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:50 | 1058799 Caviar Emptor
Caviar Emptor's picture

More Japan news: 

Fuel rod damage estimated at 70% at reactor #1, 33% at #2

Tokyo rolling blackouts continue, train service resumed

 

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:50 | 1058802 Yen Cross
Yen Cross's picture

Sanford and Son on this one. I want some Pork Butt!

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:51 | 1058807 mynhair
mynhair's picture

What is the military gonna shoot?  Just asking.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:54 | 1058826 Misean
Misean's picture

Perhaps DU?

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:57 | 1058835 mynhair
mynhair's picture

After jew......

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:58 | 1058849 TwoShortPlanks
TwoShortPlanks's picture

Pass-the-parcel at a Belfast Pub mentality.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 04:13 | 1059712 No Hedge
No Hedge's picture

tey need to nuke that thing....

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 04:25 | 1058820 Yen Cross
Yen Cross's picture

The Reagan repositioned. (sp) Nothing!  I'm sure those shipmates are a bit concerned about potential fallout.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:54 | 1058821 mynhair
mynhair's picture

Where do I get to sue Adobe or Java?  None of my YouBoob vids play anymore.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 00:25 | 1059292 Michael
Michael's picture

It was a cyber attack from the thought police. Happened to me too.

Delete prefetch file, use Revo uninstaller for Java and flash, turn off system restore, run CCleaner and its registry cleaner, reboot, reinstall java and adobie flash player. Not necessarily in that order.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 03:38 | 1059682 RichardP
RichardP's picture

Faster, short-term fix:  Bottom right of video are the full-screen and expand icons.  Just to the left of the expand icon is a third icon.  Hover over it and it should say Pop out.  Click on that and a new window will launch with the video playing in it.  At least it works that way on my WinXP, Mozilla setup.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:54 | 1058828 TheMerryPrankster
TheMerryPrankster's picture

I'm going long potassium iodide.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:57 | 1058852 mynhair
mynhair's picture

I'm long hydrogen-, ....never mind.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:58 | 1058856 Yen Cross
Yen Cross's picture

Side effects far outweigh benefits. Iodine is not a good thing for adults. Kids rebound better.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:00 | 1058879 Misean
Misean's picture

That's flat false.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 00:48 | 1059352 Yen Cross
Yen Cross's picture

Explain Misean. I trust your thoughts. Thank you. We have certainly conjured a few?

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:57 | 1058836 imapopulistnow
imapopulistnow's picture

On a positive note, the massive migration of Japanese refugees to the USA will solve our housing crisis...

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:58 | 1058857 jerry_theking_lawler
jerry_theking_lawler's picture

glad i held onto my acerage.....i can put 2 high rises and house 3000 people, i'm going to be a zillionaire in benny bucks....where that, and a quarter, will get me a gumball.....

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 00:51 | 1058838 Yen Cross
Yen Cross's picture

P.S. Yes jetstreams are 4-7 miles above the sealevel flow. Think about tornadoes. They manipulate low level flows. In various ways. Rain on the west coast Saturday!

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:56 | 1058840 Caviar Emptor
Caviar Emptor's picture

Can we nuke the nuke? 

 

Just like during the height of the GOM crisis, the nuke solution needs to be discussed!

But who's nuke would Japan allow? If you think it could be a US nuke then Shirley you must be joking. 

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:00 | 1058875 mynhair
mynhair's picture

Well, I've always advocated glassing the ME, see where that has got me.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:51 | 1059163 Yen Cross
Yen Cross's picture

I realize you hate me . I literally got off an aircraft 8 hours ago. I'm going for a run.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:58 | 1058851 FischerBlack
FischerBlack's picture

This woman put together a website of her travels to the ghost world around Chernobyl. It's amazing, and gives you an idea of how bad this really might be for Japan.

 

http://www.kiddofspeed.com/chernobyl-land-of-the-wolves/author.html

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:44 | 1059138 IQ 145
IQ 145's picture

 It's a very interesting website. I like it a lot.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 00:15 | 1059257 Fernley Girl
Fernley Girl's picture

Not certain I should have looked at all the photos.  Nightmares tonight.  Can't help but imagine northern Honshu looking like that very soon.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 08:49 | 1060046 BigJim
BigJim's picture

Amazing. Thanks.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 22:59 | 1058855 f16hoser
f16hoser's picture

So what, send in the US Marines? What can the US military do other than absorb all the radioactivity.....? I think the politicians should go onsite and look things over first.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:55 | 1059187 Michael
Michael's picture

They're already radio active from the DU.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:01 | 1058867 Stu
Stu's picture

closeup twitpic of reactor :

 

http://epcan.us/jlab-ep/s/ep88140.jpg

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:07 | 1058915 Rusty Shorts
Rusty Shorts's picture

Damn, are those fuel rods on top of the rubble?

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:01 | 1058872 Plumplechook
Plumplechook's picture

Remember this is a GE design.  So having the spent fuel rods stored in pools directly above the reactor was probably someone's  'Six Sigma' project.  They probably got a promotion and pay rise as a result. 

Six Sigma = cutting corners to save dollars, and damn the human consequences.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:17 | 1058978 trav7777
trav7777's picture

What the fuck?

DUDE THIS REACTOR COMPLEX IS FORTY YEARS OLD.

Do you even have a VAGUE grasp of how long ago that was?

Next you will condemn the Romans for not just using PVC for their pipes and causing all that lead poisoning as part of NWO conspiracy.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:26 | 1059049 EvlTheCat
EvlTheCat's picture

ROFL... Now that is some funny shit!

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:30 | 1059072 Plumplechook
Plumplechook's picture

ahh - it was gallows humour Trav. Relax.  Having said that,  was the on-site storage pools for the spent fuel rods part of the original design?  I hear there have been various upgrades retro-fits to the GE Mark 1 over the years.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 08:47 | 1060042 Bicycle Repairman
Bicycle Repairman's picture

Are the protocols for operating the reactor also 40 years old?

Should we shutter all 40 year old reactors?

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:37 | 1059061 TruthInSunshine
TruthInSunshine's picture
by Plumplechook
on Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:01
#1058872


Remember this is a GE design.  So having the spent fuel rods stored in pools directly above the reactor was probably someone's  'Six Sigma' project.  They probably got a promotion and pay rise as a result. 

 

 

Six Sigma = cutting corners to save dollars, and damn the human consequences.

 

FTW! LULzzz.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 00:54 | 1059372 Yen Cross
Yen Cross's picture

I liKe you truth in sunshine. You know I do! You are going to be pissed off. I'm back long ge. Notice the small g. Tell me I'm wrong?

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:49 | 1059160 Convolved Man
Convolved Man's picture

Well, it looked good on paper.

Back to the ol' drawing board.

Oh, wait.

Back to the ol' AutoCAD program.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 00:17 | 1059272 trav7777
trav7777's picture

dipshit...they didn't even have CALCULATORS when this fuckin reactor was being constructed.

Why the fuck didn't they do a CAT scan on Mozart?  They just let him die from that head injury.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 08:56 | 1060082 BigJim
BigJim's picture

Yup... though I don't recall the nuclear engineers at the time explaining how little they knew.

Wake up trav. We learn by our mistakes but some mistakes are too costly to risk making. Nuclear is one of them.

http://www.kiddofspeed.com/chernobyl-land-of-the-wolves/author.html

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 00:08 | 1059235 IQ 145
IQ 145's picture

 Well, they didn't say damn the consequence; but it was approved by the NRC, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, some professional group of Nuclear Engineers asked them in writing to re-consider and not approve it; but they didn't re-consider. As soon as you look at the drawing you see that the basic safety concept of a nuclear power plant has been discarded. The highly engineered reactor vessel is contained in its very strong concrete egg; protecting the nuclear fuel; many times stronger than the building. But then you put 5 or 6 reactor loads of fuel in a third floor "water closet", which is merely part of the building fabric. There's no longer any defense in depth; the building fabric is it. You make a big crack in the building, the water runs out, your screwed. It 's just not acceptable. Why everyone did this, I don't know. I suppose they sell the cheaper operating cycle on to the plant owners. Once again, a federal regulating agency that doesn't regulate anything.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 02:01 | 1059546 sushi
sushi's picture

Somebody conceived you.

They also made serious errors.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:02 | 1058881 Rusty Shorts
Rusty Shorts's picture

Paging Trav777, paging Trav777

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:15 | 1058970 trav7777
trav7777's picture

right here, watching NHK live as we speak

would like to see wtf the dosimeters downwind are reading.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 01:00 | 1059379 Yen Cross
Yen Cross's picture

Can I rent some bullet holes? Gotta hunch I'm going to need some. KEEP em' BLOOD Red brutha! Smiling in envy.

Wed, 03/16/2011 - 08:51 | 1060056 Bicycle Repairman
Bicycle Repairman's picture

"would like to see wtf the dosimeters downwind are reading."

Unless the dosimeters give an "approved" reading, I doubt you'll see them.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:02 | 1058887 chindit13
chindit13's picture

Six nuclear reactors within feet of each other, with the spent fuel stored on the roof of the buildings, with the entire facility sitting on top of the second most active tectonic zone on Earth, next to a body of water where the geological historical record indicates has been a site of tsunamis for the last few hundred thousand years...and this facility located twelve miles to the north AND twelve miles to the south of two other nuclear plants built with approximately the same technology---all of which are a mere 150 miles from the capital of a country that is the world's third largest economy and the home to some 30 million people in the greater metropolitan area.

I'm not sure what we were thinking in the 1960-70's, and I don't know why we did not reconsider things in the subsequent forty years.

If this all works out somehow---and I certainly hope it does---we will have to reassess our view of Darwinian natural selection, because we simply got lucky rather than being the fittest.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:16 | 1058982 subqtaneous
subqtaneous's picture

Darwin certainly seems to be at the tiller now.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:27 | 1059038 Head for the Hills
Head for the Hills's picture

"History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men..."

 

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:27 | 1059040 Head for the Hills
Head for the Hills's picture

"History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men..."

 

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:27 | 1059042 Head for the Hills
Head for the Hills's picture

"History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men..."

 

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:56 | 1059198 reader2010
reader2010's picture

This was a design that ensures Japan keeps buying US treasury papers.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:02 | 1058889 Dangertime
Dangertime's picture

Well at least they have a lot of experience in nuclear explosions.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:06 | 1058904 Misean
Misean's picture

TruthInSunshine, THAT is an example of bad taste.

Tue, 03/15/2011 - 23:02 | 1058891 mynhair
mynhair's picture

Is it time for Jeff to change his last name to Immelt-ing?

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