Via Brian Faughnan.

The official death toll is at about 1,700 now but given reports that 10,000 people are missing from on town alone, that's going to go much higher.

US forces based in Japan are already working to aid survivors and more help is on the way.

As for the nuclear plant...I have no idea. There's simply too many contradictory reports. If anyone has anything new and informative, please put them in the comments.

More challenges: Food shortages starting show up in Tokyo. It's going to be challenging enough to get food into places most impacted by the quakes and tsunami but panic buying in unaffected areas is going to create problems as well.

Posted by: DrewM at 12:26 PM | Comments (530)
Post contains 129 words, total size 2 kb.

The contempt that Obama holds America and Americans in is simply breath taking.

For the second week in a row, the most powerful man in the world stepped away from the White House to hit the golf course.

...

With cloudy skies, it's not the best weather for golf, but Obama loves to spend his Saturdays on the greens. Last fall, Obama went golfing darn near every weekend.

These are never quick "work on your swing" trips; usually the president plays 18 holes, as he did last week.

Come on, give the guy a break. He just finished saving the economy but apparently you idiots aren't ready to give him credit. Bastards.

The economy has been growing for 18 months after the longest recession since the Great Depression - but public opinion has yet to fully reflect what economists generally agree are incipient signs of hope. One truism of presidential politics that actually happens to be true is that votersÂ’ perception of the economy trumps just about any other issue, so Obama, acutely aware of both the need to present a successful economic record and the dangers of prematurely declaring victory, is treading very, very carefully.

The White House is caught between wanting to tout the administrationÂ’s economic accomplishments - and possibly helping to shape the nationÂ’s fiscal mood - and the fear of offending voters by hailing a recovery that many of them have yet to experience.

...Yet despite several quarters of real — if uninspiring — growth, the pessimism remains deep. A Bloomberg National Poll conducted in early March found that more than a third of Americans continue to believe that the U.S. is in a recession, more than a year after it ended, and 63 percent of Americans say the nation is on the “wrong track.”

Why do you people make it so hard for your One True God to show you how much he loves you?

Posted by: DrewM at 11:09 AM | Comments (174)
Post contains 358 words, total size 2 kb.

I almost wrote this prediction last night, but felt the unfolding story was too serious to play around with such partisan attacks.

In fact, this is not the first time earthquakes have been blamed by the Shamanistic, Magical-Thinking Left on the all-purpose Zeus-substitute of global warming. There is even a somewhat plausible (but completely bullshitty and made-up) mechanism proposed for such an unlikely causation: That when glacial ice melts it relieves pressure on the tectonic plates beneath it and thus allows such plates to shift a bit more, producing earthquakes. (Whether graphitic rock ten miles or more deep is significantly weighted down by a cover of ice no more than 300 or 500 feet thick, and whether a melting of such ice by no more than 10-20% is enough to cause such massive planetary dislocations, is a question of math and probability, and so doesn't fuss the shamans of the left too much.)

But via Hot Air, Tim Blair catches the usual idiots making the predictable animal-noises, and Reuters, of course, rushes to quote the one crank who thinks that global warming may cause earthquakes.

One concerned shaman demands to know: "And they say global warming isn't real?"

To which I answer: Yes, that's what They say, and it's because of silly-shit magical thinking of later-day neo-shamans like this.

Posted by: Ace at 10:26 AM | Comments (137)
Post contains 247 words, total size 2 kb.

Read it and weep scream.

The case has rocked this East Texas community to its core and left many residents in the working-class neighborhood where the attack took place with unanswered questions. Among them is, if the allegations are proved, how could their young men have been drawn into such an act?

“It’s just destroyed our community,” said Sheila Harrison, 48, a hospital worker who says she knows several of the defendants. “These boys have to live with this the rest of their lives.”

...

Residents in the neighborhood where the abandoned trailer stands — known as the Quarters — said the victim had been visiting various friends there for months. They said she dressed older than her age, wearing makeup and fashions more appropriate to a woman in her 20s. She would hang out with teenage boys at a playground, some said.

“Where was her mother? What was her mother thinking?” said Ms. Harrison, one of a handful of neighbors who would speak on the record. “How can you have an 11-year-old child missing down in the Quarters?”

That last question is well worth asking -- the child has now been taken out of the custody of her parents.

But the rest? If an 11-year-old is improperly supervised by neglectful parents, we're now declaring a free gang rape zone inside of her?

In case you're wondering why the New York Times is attempting such a nuanced position on the relative culpability of a rape victim vis a vis her brutalizers, it's due to a fact you can probably guess from the Times' non-mention of it: the gang rapists are all black.

The victim is another race -- Hispanic. Thus the assault is causing racial tensions, for obvious reasons; the New York Times omits that, of course.

What the New York Times does want you to know is that if a group of 18 young black men gang-rape an 11 year old girl it must be because she dresses like a whore. How else would such fine gentlemen be "drawn into" such an outrage?

The New York Times' public editor slightly criticizes the story's odd take.

From Pat Dollard's link of the ABCNews report on this (the link before the last one), the great-grandmother of one of the rapists is taking a sensible view:

“I’m not going to play the race card on this because my grandson and all the rest were very young men and they could have given a second thought on this,” Dickerson said.

But for the New York Times, it's full speed ahead with the race card. They're playing it secretly -- without telling you of the reasons why they've decided that gang rape of a child is now the sort of crazy shenanigans all young men get into now and again (boys will be boys, you know), but obviously their exquisite racial sensitivity racist belief that black boys can't be held responsible for rape informs every word of this curious report.

Via Aplusplusplus.

Posted by: Ace at 09:54 AM | Comments (336)
Post contains 562 words, total size 4 kb.

Horrible.

Mediaite is repeating this claim based on a report from Stratfor.

Contrary to preliminary reports, it appears that Fukushima, JapanÂ’s Dai-ichi plant, which suffered a huge explosion hours ago after operators lost control of its chain reactions, is experiencing a reactor meltdown. While its core is still reported to be intact, this could cause much more significant long-term damage than expected.

Stratfor notes a fuel meltdown (which is suspected) isn't the same as a core meltdown, a much bigger calamity:

A meltdown occurs when the control rods fail to contain the neutron emission and the heat levels inside the reactor thus rise to a point that the fuel itself melts, generally temperatures in excess of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, causing uncontrolled radiation-generating reactions and making approaching the reactor incredibly hazardous. A meltdown does not necessarily mean a nuclear disaster. As long as the reactor core, which is specifically designed to contain high levels of heat, pressure and radiation, remains intact, the melted fuel can be dealt with. If the core breaches but the containment facility built around the core remains intact, the melted fuel can still be dealt with — typically entombed within specialized concrete — but the cost and difficulty of such containment increases exponentially.

With all breaking single-source reports, grain of salt.

Posted by: Ace at 09:13 AM | Comments (142)
Post contains 246 words, total size 2 kb.

H/T Cap'n Ed, a reminder of how to keep things in perspective.

I actually have something of a fondness for Bill Clinton. Yes, his first tendencies getting into office were ridiculously tilted toward Big Government. But he was a capable administrator and a wickedly shrewd politician, perhaps the best ever.

He was (is still, I imagine) a womanizer. Yes, he did what most adulterers do when accused, and lied. Yes, it was worlds worse because of his position & who he lied to.

He was a rascal and a son of a bitch, but he was our son of a bitch.

By our I mean the United States'. I never doubted that his first love was to his country, warts and all.

So while he may be slow to rock the boat, it comes as no surprise to me that at the same conference where he criticized the current Administration's lack of direction on Libya, he says this concerning the lack of Domestic oil production:

Former President Bill Clinton said Friday that delays in offshore oil and gas drilling permits are “ridiculous” at a time when the economy is still rebuilding, according to attendees at the IHS CERAWeek conference.

Clinton spoke on a panel with former President George W. Bush that was closed to the media. Video of their moderated talk with IHS CERA Chairman Daniel Yergin was also prohibited. Â…

Clinton said there are “ridiculous delays in permitting when our economy doesn’t need it,” according to Noe and others.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 08:53 AM | Comments (121)
Post contains 260 words, total size 2 kb.

I guess no actual Republicans, you know ones that Republican voters selected, were available.

Apparently that was some sort of reward for opposing the GOP's effort to defund Planned Parenthood.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has come out in opposition to the HouseÂ’s attempts to defund Planned Parenthood, making her the first Republican senator to specifically support the beleaguered organization.

“I believe Planned Parenthood provides vital services to those in need and disagree with their funding cuts in the bill,” Murkowski wrote in a letter to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Vice Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.). “I ask you to consider these programs going forward to determine if there is room for allowing continued funding.”

MurkowskiÂ’s move follows that of Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who last week came out against the House vote to defund Title X, the only federal program dedicated to reproductive health issues.

You'll be shocked! shocked to find out that Murkowski was outraged when Joe Miller and Jim DeMint tried to warn Alaska voters that she was insufficiently committed to fighting abortion.

It's almost as if she's a lying liberal. But hey, it's a great idea to let her keep her leadership position on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and let her represent the party the rejected her. See if they give her enough goodies she be a team player. It's fine in theory but in practice, it's not such a great idea.

Posted by: DrewM at 07:57 AM | Comments (138)
Post contains 268 words, total size 2 kb.

Some relativly good news.

A huge explosion has rocked a Japanese nuclear power plant damaged by Friday's devastating earthquake.

A pall of smoke was seen coming from the plant at Fukushima. Four workers were injured.

Japanese officials say the container housing the reactor was not damaged and that radiation levels have now fallen.

...The Japanese government's chief spokesman, Yukio Edano, said the concrete building housing the plant's number one reactor had collapsed but the metal reactor container inside was not damaged.

He said radiation levels around the plant had fallen after the explosion.

Officials ordered the evacuation zone around the plant expanded from a 10km radius to 20km (12 miles). The BBC's Nick Ravenscroft said police stopped him 60km from the Fukushima-Daiichi plant.

Plans are being made to distribute iodine, which can be used to combat radiation sickness, to residents of the evacuation zone.

They have detected increased level of radiation outside the plant and based on the elements it may mean there has been at least a partial meltdown in the reactor.

It turns out that there's a scale for nuclear power accidents. On a scale of 1-7, Three Mile Island was a 5, Chernobyl was a 7 and so far this is being rated as a 4. *

Meanwhile...there continue to be numerous aftershocks. They are in the 6+ magnitude range. You can see how many there have been in the last hour and day alone. It's simply amazing.

*Correction to the Three Mile Island rating via "Purple Fury". The 5 rating is from this IAEA pdf.

Posted by: DrewM at 07:25 AM | Comments (143)
Post contains 281 words, total size 2 kb.

Above the post update: The containment dome on Fukushima #1 has been blown down. Radiation has leaked; people have been evacuated, but the good thing is the wind has been from the west all day. (The plant is located next to the ocean on the east side of Japan.) See the latest updates below for more information.

Thanks to Vic and Laurie David's Cervix for the video. Here is another video comparing before and after pictures of the plant.

Above the post update: I've been saying "containment dome." I'm not an expert on power plant construction. The large box on the exterior of Fukushima #1 has been damaged. Also, a commentator on Fox is reporting that it is not likely the reactor itself is damaged--yet he also says there are reports the core has been exposed. Given the size and energy of the explosion, it is hard to believe there is no reactor damage. The important thing is to keep in mind is that some of these things will have to be pinned down with greater certainty later.

____________________
Andy Levy tweets:

RT @W7VOA RT @Martyn_Williams RT @dicklp: Nuclear expert tells The Times: meltdown has technically begun at Fukushima.

Lots more buzz on Twitter. Nothing at major outlets yet. Found this at the CTPost:

TOKYO (AP) — An official with Japan's nuclear safety commission says that a meltdown at nuclear power plant affected by the country's massive earthquake is possible.

Ryohei Shiomi said Saturday that officials were checking whether a meltdown had taken place at the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant, which had lost cooling ability in the aftermath of Friday's powerful earthquake.

From the BeaconNews:

SENDAI, Japan — A nuclear power plant affected by a massive earthquake is facing a possible meltdown, an official with Japan’s nuclear safety commission said Saturday.

Ryohei Shiomi said that officials were checking whether a meltdown had taken place at the Fukushima Daiichi power plantÂ’s Unit 1, which had lost cooling ability in the aftermath of FridayÂ’s powerful earthquake.

Allahpundit has more. Apparently they're using water out of a fire truck. Terrible business.

From FoxNews.com:

Ryohei Shiomi said Saturday that officials were checking whether a meltdown had taken place at the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant, which had lost cooling ability in the aftermath of Friday's powerful earthquake.

Some 3,000 people within two miles of the plant were urged to leave their homes, but the evacuation zone was more than tripled to 6.2 miles after authorities detected eight times the normal radiation levels outside the facility and 1,000 times normal inside Unit 1's control room.

Update: From NHK, uranium may be melting:

The government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says 2 radioactive substances, cesium and radioactive iodine, have been detected near the Number One reactor at the Fukushima Number One nuclear power station.

The agency says this indicates that some of the metal containers of uranium fuel may have started melting.
The substances are produced by fuel fission.

University of Tokyo Professor Naoto Sekimura says only a small part of the fuel may have melted and leaked outside.

Update: Commenter Vic says things are stabilizing:

TEPCO has a new press release out. No mention of melting and they say radiation levels off site are normal.

They say off site power is available and the cooling systems are switching to normal mode for all.

Update: But! Explosion heard, according to Reuters:

FLASH: Explosion heard at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi plant around 0630 GMT - media

AFP has the same news:

Explosion heard at quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan - AFP via Sky News

According to Reuters, several people are injured.

Update: Commenter Ace's Liver provided this photo. I can't be certain it's the Fukushima plant, and I can't vouch for what it depicts or when it was taken:

Ace's Liver says he has a friend in Japan who is saying Fukushima #1 is gone.

Update: Damn. It's the real deal, folks. From Breaking News:

Japan nuclear plant update: Walls and roof of a building at site destroyed by blast - NHK via Sky News

From the Herald Sun:

UPDATE 7.35pm: FOUR people have been injured in an explosion that occurred at the No. 1 reactor of the quake-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Saturday.

The explosion was heard at 3:36 p.m. following large tremors and white smoke was seen at the facility in Fukushima Prefecture, the company said.

The four workers were working to deal with problems caused by a powerful earthquake that hit northeastern Japan on Friday. However there is no word on injured worker's condition, Jiji says.

Radioactivity at the plant was 20 times over the normal level, and Japan's Nuclear Safety Commission has said it may be experiencing meltdown.

There's a time zone difference, but I don't understand the two times given in that quote--the four hour difference.

Update: Better video and nice analysis from the BBC.

Posted by: rdbrewer at 09:04 PM | Comments (689)
Post contains 841 words, total size 7 kb.

(Running late and nearly content-free since my connection's been down all day and just returned 15 minutes ago. Go ahead and get started and I'll add on some assorted crap. Thanks Comcast!)

Tonight's ONT Quote:

"The forceful rejection of the past is the coward's way of removing inconvenient knowledge" (Frank Herbert, "The Lazarus Effect.")

Online Lite Brite:

Now you can satisfy your Lite Brite cravings here.

ItÂ’s somewhat limited in terms of the design sheets provided. You may choose from the following: Steamboat, Ducks, U.S. Flag, Lighthouse, Lemonade, Choo-choo Train, Sailboat, Snowman, Mr. Potato Head, Mrs. Potato Head and Larry King Studio Set.

However, if you find that those options cramp your artistic style, there’s a “Free-Form” option where you can let your imagination roam free and then save the disturbing results to the gallery.

An example:

No, I canÂ’t possibly imagine anything going wrong with thisÂ…

more...

Posted by: Genghis at 06:30 PM | Comments (893)
Post contains 274 words, total size 3 kb.