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14 Mar 2011 23:40

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World: UPDATE: What does “400 times annual legal limit” mean?

  • 400 the amount of radiation in the air, in milli-sieverts per hour, according to the given estimate
  • 40 the amount of radiation that is, in roentgen per hour – which, don’t get us wrong, is very high
  • 30k the amount of radiation in Chernnobyl had – which Fukushima doesn’t touch source
  • » This is an extremely large jump: One milli-sievert per hour is the legal annual limit for radiation in a year. Our earlier estimate showed a level of 8,217 micro-sieverts. 1,000 micro-sieverts equals 1 milli-sievert. So we went from 8,000 to 400,000 in a couple of hours. This is still no Chernobyl, but this is a huge jump. If it jumps to 1,000,000 micro-sieverts, it leads to radiation sickness – and then we’re in trouble.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Mar 2011 22:34

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Politics: Wisconsin Senator leaves wife for mistress; wife supports recalling him

  • plan Some protesters in Wisconsin marched to the house of GOP State Sen. Randy Hopper, a Walker ally who will likely face a recall, to confront him about his anti-union policies.
  • surprise! Upon arrival, Hopper’s wife informed them that the Senator had left her for and was now living with his 25 year-old mistress. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she also supports his recall. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Mar 2011 21:30

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U.S.: DNC Chair Tim Kaine nears decision on Senate run

  • YES Tim Kaine will (probably) run for the Senate source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Mar 2011 21:13

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World: Some quick math: How does Fukushima compare to Chernobyl?

  • » To explain: This number comparison is to emphasize the difference between an actual going-to-kill-us-all meltdown and what’s happening in Fukushima. While things could get worse from here, right now, the worst of what’s happening in Fukushima is 0.002739 percent as bad as the worst of the Chernobyl disaster. 400 rontgen is enough radiation to kill you. 10,000 micro-sievert equals 1 rontgen. Chernobyl was pushing out 30,000 rontgen per hour at its core – enough to kill someone in 48 seconds. This is an important point to make – while levels are higher than normal, this is extremely minor on the scale of a real disaster. Oh, and one more thing – Fukushima only hit its 8,217 micro-sievert peak for a very short period. Chernobyl’s level was sustained.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Mar 2011 15:47

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World: Libyan rebels to face crucial fight for survival against Gaddafi forces

  • Crucial hours for Libya: A video from euronews that is, how shall we say, rather grim in its assessment of Libya’s rebellion. Reports have been coming out the last couple days that Muammar Gaddafi’s loyalists in the military can, and it seems increasingly likely will, be victorious over the uprising, absent international support. As we mentioned earlier, though, with France on board for a no-fly zone, and the Arab League endorsing the idea to the U.N. Security Council, it seems more and more likely that the international community will converge on Gaddafi- the question is, when? source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Mar 2011 15:22

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World: Protesters fired upon and teargassed, Governor stabbed in Yemen

  • yemen, boiling over: The vehement protests against Yemeni President Ali Abudullah Saleh have racheted up in recent days, culminating in live rounds being fired on citizens, and the attack of a provincial governor. Naji al-Zaidi was stabbed in the neck with a dagger, as were four of his bodyguards, and was rushed to a hospital from where no further information has been announced. Government forces have deployed teargas against the protesters, and all told about sixty people were injured across Yemen, part of a violent crackdown that President Saleh is employing in a bid to maintain control (h/t pantslessprogressive). source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Mar 2011 15:00

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World: Donations flood in for Japan’s earthquake relief effort

  • $7.75
    million     the amount donated to the Red Cross specifically for the Japan quake
  • $1.1
    million     the amount donated to the Red Cross via text messaging alone source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

14 Mar 2011 14:38

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Politics: Ira Glass is having none of this left-wing NPR talk

  • …people on the right are going around trying to basically re-brand us, saying that it’s biased news, it’s left wing news, when I feel like anybody who listens to the shows knows that it’s not. And we are not fighting back, we are not saying anything back. I find it completely annoying, and I don’t understand it.
  • “This American Life” host Ira Glass • Talking to NPR’s “On The Media,” which, well, focuses on the media. Glass, who actually works for Public Radio International, nonetheless knows the meaning of solidarity, and he seems none too pleased with NPR’s rather tepid defense of itself. On the heels of James O’Keefe’s candid video of NPR fundraiser Ron Schiller (which, it bears mentioning, was not on the level, like basically everything O’Keefe has done) NPR does seems to be pretty willing to let its enemies define it. Our take? It’s just not in the rhetorical DNA of NPR to engage in full-throated argument against it’s critics the way, say, a cable news channel or politician might, so Glass’s frustrations may not abate anytime soon. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Mar 2011 14:04

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World: Full extent of Japan’s humanitarian crisis yet too early to predict

  • Not much to add: The pervasive, terrible damage done to the Japanese port town of Rikuzentakata, In Iwate Prefecture. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Mar 2011 13:53

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World: As Japan’s post-quake realities worsen, U.S. commits military aid

  • U.S. warships join Japanese relief effort: This is the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, which is currently aiding in relief efforts in Japan, serving as a fueling station for helicopters. The U.S. has several warships in position, with more to arrive in the coming days. This is welcome news, as the picture in Japan looks increasingly grim by the day; as we mentioned earlier, the government now believes a horrific 9,500 may have died in Otsuchi. This is a horrible reminder that for many Japanese citizens, what’s happening with the country’s nuclear reactors is yet a more abstract concern in the face of the massive, physical devastation that’s racked the land. We sincerely hope that our military can be of any and all assistance to the people of Japan. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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