Tag Archives: health

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Obama praises auto industry bailout, yet they’re to blame for latest layoffs! By the thousands, young adults quit looking for work!

“…there were 884,000 discouraged workers in August…..Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them.”-Employment Situation Summary, U.S. DoL Bureau of Labor Statistics

“I don’t think they’re more lazy. It’s that there are less opportunities for them. They have it rough.”-Heidi Shierholz, Economic Policy Institute

07 September 2012, the expected 120,000 new jobs never happened (Once again the “experts” got it wrong).  According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DoL), the official number of new jobs was only 96,000!

7,000 government jobs were lost in August, but the amazing thing is that the bailed out, and supposedly recovered, auto industry (Including parts makers) laid off 8,000 people!  That’s according to the DoL’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In fact most of the job losses were in the Manufacturing Sector (A total of 15,000 jobs lost), the very sector that President Obama was touting during his DNC speech the night before the jobs numbers were released.

Another interesting note; the official unemployment numbers fell, ever so slightly, to 8.1% (A 0.2% drop from the month before, big freakin’ whoop! By the way, it depends on which Table your looking at.  Table A-14 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics says the rate is 8.2%, and for July it was 8.6%).  But here’s the significant part; DoL admits the unemployment drop is not because people found work, it’s because tens of thousands of young adults quit looking for a job!

People who do not look for work for 4 weeks are not counted in the unemployment numbers.

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? Central government cancels payments to local governments! Too Big to Fail bank panics!

04 September 2012, the central bank is injecting massive amounts of cash into the markets, trying to preemptively hold off a market crash!  This after the central government said it can no longer make tax grant payments to local governments!

The government of Japan announced early this morning that it can not make scheduled tax grant payments to local governments.  The payments amount to $52 billion USD.

The Bank of Japan responded by injecting $23 billion USD of cash into Japanese financial institutions.  This is to try and offset the loss of the central government’s tax grants.

Local governments normally transfer the tax grants into those financial institutions, but officials with the central government of Japan said that until a bill is passed to allow the issuing of more government bonds, they can not make the tax grant payments to local governments.

The bond bill is needed to raise at least 2/5-ths of the money required to run the central government for the next year.

 

 

International, U.S.

Political Incompetence: Non Aligned Movement; proof that U.S. leadership is delusional!

“….every American can be proud that the United States is safer, the United States is stronger, and the United States is more respected in the world!”-Barack Obama, President of the United States, 31 August 2012 Fort Bragg speech

“…two third of the world countries at the highest level in Tehran and their consensus over Iran’s responsibility for coordinating the international policies of 120 world countries is a clear indication of the United States’ strategic isolation on the scene of world relations.”-Saeed Jalili, Supreme National Security Council of Iran, 31 August 2012, 16th Non Aligned Movement summit

“…Iran and Sri Lanka’s experiences show that resistance against colonialists and hegemons is possible!”-Mahinda Percy Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka, 16th Non Aligned Movement summit

“The Algerian government, along with the Islamic Republic of Iran, will use all its power to materialize NAM’s goals.”-Abdelaziz Ziari, Speaker of Algeria’s National Assembly, 16th Non Aligned Movement summit

“I am confident this is a solid foundation for building a modern system of international relations, which respects the right of every country for its own path of development, cultural and historical identity.” also “We are ready to further expand interaction with the Non Aligned Movement in the interests of peace and prosperity. I wish you every success and fruitful work.” -Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, printed greeting sent to 16th Non Aligned Movement summit

“The United States and the Western powers are accompanied by devilishness, corruption and insecurity wherever they arrive….All of us are required to feel responsible vis-à-vis the bullying and imposition of the big powers and stand against them!”-Seyed Ali Khamenei, current Ayatollah of the Islamic Revolution, 16th Non Aligned Movement summit

“Your wise ideas about unity and resistance are completely palatable to us.”-Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan, 16th Non Aligned Movement summit

“Iran enjoys an ancient human civilization and a long historical antecedent and as one of the founders of the UN is famous for pursuing its key role in its initiative, specially creating a Middle East region free from any type of nuclear weapons and the dialogue among civilizations.”-Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary General, 16th Non Aligned Movement summit

“Viet Nam shares the view of other NAM member countries, as contained in the Draft Final Document, that the present global scenario largely derives from the continuing unequal terms of trade, lack of cooperation from developed countries, coercive and unilateral measures imposed by some of them and the use of force or threat of use of force.”-Pham Binh Minh, Foreign Minister of Viet Nam, 31 August 2012, 16th Non Aligned Movement summit

“….the construction of a multipolar and multicentric world, for which it’s necessary to unite forces and break political ties that have trapped us in neocolonial systems for years.”-Nicolas Maduro, Foreign Minister of Venezuela, 16th Non Aligned Movement summit

“…to make sure America is still a place where tomorrow is always better than yesterday, that is what our politics should be about. And that is what we are deciding this election.”-Marco Rubio, U.S. Senator from Florida, 30 August 2012, Republican National Convention

“I believe in an America where millions of Americans believe in an America that’s the America millions of Americans believe in. That’s the America I love.” –Mitt Romney, U.S. republican presidential candidate, January 2012

U.S.

Obamacare, Romneycare: More proof the Republicans and Democrats are just two sides of the same coin!

From Robert I. Field, PhD, JD, MPH www.philly.com:

Mitt Romney says his Massachusetts health reform plan is much better than Obama’s. He claims it’s different in important ways.

If there are big differences, it’s difficult to find them.

In an interview last week with a Denver TV station, Romney cited the key features that differentiate his reform approach from Obama’s.

He declared, “My healthcare plan I put in place in my state has everyone insured, but we didn’t go out and raise taxes on people and have a unelected board tell people what kind of healthcare they can have.”

Let’s do some quick fact checking.

Does Romneycare have everyone insured? Close, but not fully there. The plan cut the state’s rate of uninsurance by almost half. As of 2010, the rate was just over 6% for the nonelderly population, the lowest of any state. That’s a huge accomplishment, but there is still a ways to go before everyone has coverage.

Did Romneycare raise taxes? No, but the state didn’t need to. It covered the cost of reform with larger payments that it negotiated from the federal government for its Medicaid program. [In other words, Massachusetts’ Romneycare is actually a huge burden on all taxpayers throughout the United States!]

Does Romneycare have an unelected board that tells people what kinds of healthcare they can have? It does. The Massachusetts Connector Authority serves as the state’s insurance exchange. It sets standards for the types of plans that may be sold, thereby determining the kind of access residents will have to healthcare services.

Is Obamacare any different? Not really.

 It will extend coverage to 30 million more people, which will reduce the country’s rate of uninsurance by about half to roughly 8 percent. Not too different from Romneycare.

 It does raise taxes in a number of ways, including new levies on tanning salons, medical devices, and high-end insurance policies. But, unlike Massachusetts, it doesn’t have a higher level of government to turn to for help, so it needs a new source of revenue to cover the cost.

 It does let unelected officials determine what kind of insurance people can receive by setting standards for coverage under the state exchanges that will sell it. Just like Romneycare.

 Romney’s comment about an unelected board was probably also a reference to a new board that Obamacare created called the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). It recommends cost-cutting measures under Medicare. Romney, along with several fellow Republicans, has complained about the scope of its power. But Romneycare is a state-based program while Medicare is purely federal. It couldn’t have included an IPAB or any other measure concerning Medicare, even if Romney had wanted it to.

 After all is said and done, these aspects of the plans are relatively minor, anyway. In their underlying structure, Obamacare and Romneycare are almost identical.

 Both expand coverage in the same three ways. They reform the market for individual insurance by creating exchanges to sell it, subsidizing those with low incomes, and mandating that everyone maintain coverage in some form. They expand Medicaid to cover more people. And they penalize employers who don’t offer coverage to their workers.

 Romney and his fellow Republicans should be proud that Obama copied their health reform approach. Instead of drawing false distinctions between the two plans, they should boast of leading on health reform and leaving Obama and Democrats to follow.

 Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Let’s not forget that Romneycare also penalizes those who can’t afford insurance, just like Obamacare does. Romneycare has also destroyed mom & pop businesses.

Watch the Need to Know report, The Massachusetts mandate, here.

Watch the PBS Newshour report, Four Years After Health Reform, an Update on Care in Massachusetts, here.

There are other similar reports, but for some reason the videos don’t work, or you get a 404 error message.

 

 

Fukushima, International

Eating in Japan: Beware disease & radiation. International standards don’t exist! Are you worse off in the United States?

For the past few years Japan has been struggling with food problems, from diseases to radiation contamination.

The latest problem is an outbreak of E Coli in imported Chinese pickled cabbage. At least six people have died, 100 people are sick. The outbreak seams to be contained to northern Japan.

Since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster rice from northern Honshu has been found to be contaminated with radiation.  However, 28 August 2012, Fukushima Prefecture has cleared this year’s rice crop for sale.  The rice was harvested last week.  The Prefecture claims it will check all 360,000 tons of harvested rice for radiation contamination.

However, news is not good for fish.  Just in the past 24 hours the Japanese government banned the sale of Pacific cod.  The fish were caught 300 kilometers (186 miles) from the GE designed reactors in Fukushima.  When the fish were tested in port, they were found to be contaminated with twice the Japanese government’s current safe levels for cesium.

A week ago Tokyo Electric Power Company said they found fish near the nuclear plant that had a record 258 times the safe levels for cesium!

An even bigger concern is fresh water fish.  It’s been discovered that on average Japanese fresh water fish, caught in northern Honshu, are far more radioactive than salt water fish.

Recently, and sneakily, the central government of Japan changed the radiation safe limits for food, so that foods that were considered unsafe, are now safe.  Prior to the change the maximum safe limit was 370 becquerels per kilogram of cesium, now the maximum safe limit is 600 becquerels!  So even if you’re told the food is officially safe…..

Many other Asian countries, that rely on food from Japan, are crying foul.

Just two weeks ago Hong Kong’s Center for Food Safety (CFS) discovered that oatmeal from Japan was contaminated with cesium 137.  CFS officials stated the amount of cesium was less than that of a chest x-ray, but made the announcement as part of their daily Food Surveillance Program of food coming from Japan.

But get this, Japan’s new radiation safety standards are still more strict than the Codex Alimentarius.

Codex Alimentarius is the United Nations’ World Health Organization’s, and Food & Agricultural Organization’s, international food safety standards.  According to reports in the Hong Kong media, the Codex Alimentarius allows up to 1,000 becquerels per kilogram of cesium in your food!   (I’ve tried to read the PDF’s from Codex Alimentarius, it’s as if it was written for extraterrestrials, no average human could understand the info!)

By the way, Codex Alimentarius just changed their international food safety rules at the beginning of August 2012.  One suggestion, by participating countries, is that the Codex Alimentarius logo will be displayed on food considered safe.

Vietnam’s Department of Food Hygiene and Safety announced they will start testing baby formula from Japan.  This is because Hong Kong officials reported finding radioactive iodine in Japanese baby formulas.  Hong Kong officials said the amounts were below the Codex Alimentarius limits.

Another interesting development is that six months after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster began, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approved a new International Basic Safety Standards (aka BSS).  Most of what I found on the internet is the old 1996 version.  It is a complicated publication that seems to say a lot without really saying much (see my comment about Codex Alimentarius above)!  Basically the IAEA tells governments to set their own standards!

Oh, and don’t try using a Geiger Counter on your food, it doesn’t work.

So when it comes to radiation contamination in the food we eat, it’s a crap shoot, whether we’re in the United States or Japan.

For cattle raised in southern Japan it seems everything is OK. Radiation hasn’t affected the cows that far south, and, last week U.S. and Japanese officials declared the two year foot & mouth disease of no more concern. Japan is set to resume exporting their beef to the U.S.

Interesting that Japan is resuming beef exports to the U.S., while Australia is now beating out the U.S. as the main supplier of beef to Japan.  In 2003 Japan banned U.S. beef because of Mad Cow (bovine spongiform encephalopathy/BSE).  Since 2006 only U.S. beef from cows younger than 20 months are allowed into Japan.

This year the Japanese government is considering further relaxing the restrictions on U.S. beef imports.

Australia has some of the strictest health standards for their meat industries, and is one reason they’ve escaped problems with Mad Cow.  It’s also why their beef exports are booming.  From July 2011 to July 2012, Australian beef exports to Japan increased 4%, Japanese are now the number one consumers of Australian beef.  But here’s really interesting news, Australian beef exports to the United States, for the same time period, went up 40.2%!

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. overall beef exports to the world have dropped by 15.4% from last year.  Mmm, wonder what’s wrong with the U.S. beef?

Foodborne illness, in Japan, is a more immediate threat (than radiation), according to a memo published on the U.S. Embassy (Tokyo) website.  The memo says the top two reasons for foodborne illness in Japan are improper handling, and improper storing of food.  The third reason is improper cooking of food.

A 2010 study that compared Korea (south) to Japan, showed that Japan had a high rate of foodborne disease (FBD).  The causes are basically the same as stated by the U.S. Embassy memo.

To put it in perspective, how high is the FBD rate in the United States?   According to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) numbers, about one in every six people (or 48 million!) get sick with FBD every year in the U.S.

Don’t rely on the central government of Japan for help in determining where to eat.  The discoveries of radiation contaminated food, last year, was made by prefectural and local governments, as well as by businesses, and individuals who paid for the tests out of their own pockets. Most Prefectures, local governments, and even local Japanese businesses, have taken matters into their own hands, providing information on radiation contamination and other health issues regarding food.  So check with the locals when seeking safe food in Japan. It’s a clear example of how a central government is useless.

For U.S. citizens traveling to Japan, who are concerned about being able to get safe food, and who think U.S. food products exported to Japan are safer, the USDA provides information about U.S. food suppliers doing business in other countries, so you might check that out.  But just because it’s from the United States doesn’t mean it’s safe.  Remember the drop in U.S. beef exports?

You can also check out the website Where Food Comes From.

 

Fukushima

One Year Later: Evidence Fukushima Daiichi damaged by earthquake, BEFORE tsunami hit. Radioactive water never ending!

27 August 2012, Tokyo Electric power Company (TEPCo) officials announced they need more storage tanks for contaminated water coming from the nuclear reactors.

Since the 11 March 2011 disaster began almost 220,000 tons of contaminated water has been stored, and the GE designed disaster reactors are putting out 400 tons per day!  TEPCo says it’ll run out of storage tanks in three months.

A new order for more tanks will provide TEPCo with storage only until November 2013.  The problem now is no space for more storage tanks, unless nearby forests are felled.

So where is all the water coming from?  Ever since the 11 March 2011 disaster began it was noticed that more water is coming out compared to water being pumped in.

TEPCo officials now say it is groundwater flooding into the basements of the reactors through cracks in the basement walls.  Cracks probably caused by the 9.0 earthquake, not the tsunami.

 

U.S.

U.S. West Nile Virus update, 27 August 2012: Dozens more cases. Towns being called ‘Critical’. Indiana death. Pennsylvania death. Texas death. Kansas death. Missouri death. Military infected? Lack of mosquitoes?

“It’s a mystery right now, why we’re having this spike in West Nile virus cases. We don’t have any evidence that there are more mosquitoes around.”-Claudia Blackburn,  Sedgwick County Health Department, Kansas

“Texas is really having a problem with West Nile and it looks like it’s moving this direction. It will become more of a problem and people need to be aware and take precautions.”-Ann Mayo, Flint Hills Community Health Center, Kansas

Kansas reporting first human death, and more human cases.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services confirmed that a man who died earlier in the month, died from West Nile virus.

Texas reports 12th person has died from West Nile.  It happened in Dallas County.  Also, several military bases are reporting mosquitoes infected with West Nile, they are Joint Base San Antonio-Randolf, JBSA-Lackland, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston and JBSA-Camp Bullis.

A Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, man has died from West Nile.

A Marion County, Indiana, man died from West Nile.

New Hampshire reports first human case of West Nile.

Mississippi reporting 10 new human cases of West Nile.

Duval County, Florida, reporting four new human cases of West Nile.

New York State Health Commissioner, Nirav R. Shah, said cases of West Nile and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) are increasing. The State of New York reports 13 human cases, and the City of New York reports five human cases.  Horses are testing positive for EEE.

Massachusetts health officials have confirmed a third human case of West Nile virus.  The Town of Plympton is now considered ‘critical’ for EEE.

Mosquitoes tested positive for West Nile in Vermont, Rhode Island and Maine.  However, officials in Rhode Island are now saying that the latest batch of mosquitoes tested negative for West Nile and EEE.

Michigan health officials are also warning people to prevent mosquito bites while at outdoor sporting practice or games: “Nationwide, we are experiencing the highest number of human West Nile Virus cases since 1999. We are encouraging athletic teams, their fans, and all residents to take protective measures during sporting events such as practice and games.”-Oakland County Health Division statement

 

 

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology

Uljin Reactor update: This is second Korean reactor to shut down in past week, inspections underway

24 August 2012, inspectors with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, are trying to figure out why an Areva (Framatome) designed nuclear reactor shut itself down, after a warning alarm sounded.

But it turns out this isn’t the first time this has happened.  On 19 August 2012, a brand new reactor, the Sinwolseong-1 (aka Reactor 1 at Shin Wolsong) shut itself down as well.

Sinwolseong-1 began operation in January 2012. Officials ruled the shut down as being caused by a failure of the input controls.

According to the IAEA, Sinwolseong-1 and Uljin-1 (aka Reactor 1 at Ulchin) are both pressurized water reactors (PWR) operated by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company.

Uljin-1 was designed by a French company called Framatome, now called Areva.

Doosan Heavy Industries claims Sinwolseong-1 is a reactor based on Korea’s first indigenous pressurized light water nuclear reactor design.  They have even sold the same type of reactors to China.

Fukushima

One Year Later: Workers at Fukushima Daiichi exceed 5 year radiation limit, in just one year!

24 August 2012, the Japanese Labor Ministry is sounding a warning; Japan is running out of qualified employees for the ongoing nuclear disaster at the GE designed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Since 11 March 2011, at least 3,000 people have been working (unsuccessfully) to bring Fukushima Daiichi under control.  As of March 2012, 167 workers were dismissed because they had exceeded radiation exposure limits equal to five years of contamination!!!

In Japan a nuclear industry worker can not exceed 50 millisieverts of radiation per year and 100 millisieverts in 5 years.  The 167 employees dismissed in March of this year, were exposed to more than 100 millisieverts in one year!

But wait, there’s more!  For the three months following April 2012, 79 workers were exposed to more than 20 millisieverts!

The numerous contractors working for Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCo) say they can not find enough new workers to replace the volume of workers leaving due to contamination.

But some contractors have set their own stricter radiation exposure standards, they are concerned with their employees health and maintaining their employability.

Business/Economics, International, Technology

Korean Uljin Areva designed nuclear reactor shuts itself down, investigation as to why

On 23 August 2012, Reactor 1 of the Uljin (aka Ulchin) nuclear power plant in Korea, south, shut itself down.  Officials with the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company do not know why.

A warning signal went off, but there is no radiation leak, according to officials.  Korean media says the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is not concerned.

Uljin-1 began operations in 1988 and is a French Framatome (company is now called Areva) type pressurized water reactor (PWR).  The Uljin nuclear plant is considered the 13th largest electricity generating facility in the world, producing nearly 5,900 megawatts.