A Glimmer Of Hope In Japan

Japanese news services report that the Japaese SDF had a good day of hosing the reactors:

In the ongoing battle to prevent meltdown, there may be signs of hope after a seven-hour operation by Japan's Self Defense Force to spray the damaged Unit 3 reactor at Fukushima Dai-ichi with over 40,000 gallons of water.

SDF teams spent all day Saturday desperately trying to cool the damaged reactor in Fukushima, and now say there may be signs that the dangerous situation is stabilizing. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said that conditions at Unit 3 have become "relatively stable" after the third day of hosing the plant, according to Kyodo News.

That's good news, as long as the locals don't celebrate with spinach washed down with milk.

Comments

[tim]

Great news sure hope it works out

[Frau Atomkraft]

Soon we'll be hearing about tubers with multiple eyes!

The dependable NPR news reported earlier today about the glow-in-the-dark spinach and milk. At dinner time, the same station reported that the local Japanese spinach and milk were *not* in unhealthy radiation ranges.

[clarice]

About as bad as eating a banana split with a side of brazil nuts, I think.

[narciso]

I think 'Attack of the Killer Tomatoes' is the next scare we face. I don't know if they grow any in Japan, but just in case.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

How do the radiation levels in Japan's food compare to the lead levels of MoBo's garden?

[Agent J. (formally known as "J"..]

Does Radiation cause yellow snow?

[Frau Atomkraft]

Clarice, please check out the alligator scarf I suggested at the end of the previous thread. The wolverine would love one, I'm sure. Perhaps you would, too!

[Do not, a sentence, a preposition, end with.]

Yep, AJ, don't you see how many people it scared the piss out of?
=================

[BR]

Ha, ha, ha, with, on, around, above, between, under, over, around, above, and up :)

[centralcal]

Good morning. Just read Clarice's Pieces - another great job. Saw also that bgates was highlighted on Insty. Those will have to be my bright spots, since cloud cover and rain completely obscured any moon sightings :(

[scott]

Chacos latest; Link under Name (LUN). Fileting dunces in the comments with supa-ninja alacrity.

"And still people in the US media talk about them “fleeing”, and stupid sows like you try to use them to score points."

well played sir :)

[centralcal]

oh, and Happy Purim!

[Gmax]

The story of Queen Esther. Happy Purim to any and all.

[Danube of Thought]

Loved the Pieces, Clarice--thank you for that.

[narciso]

A specially poignant Pieces, Clarice,

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/03/the_fukushima_50_and_the_white.html

[scott]

Agreed, Very well done Clarice. Keep reminding people what's important.

[anduril]

David Warren is thoughtful: We Don't Know What We Are Doing. He ends with:

Sarkozy's France has, without consulting her European allies, already recognized the rebels in apparent control of Benghazi as an alternative government. No one else knows whom they are supporting, and in point of fact, the most promising internal opponents of Gadhafi's regime are thuggish tribal chiefs and Islamist ideologues we have no reason to prefer to the monster with whom we are overfamiliar.

...

We don't know what we are doing. We only know that we have moral support for it on paper, from an international organization that is utterly corrupt, wherein members who do not wish us well are pleased to grant us permission to blunder.

[daddy]

I watched the news conference yesterday in Japan on a local Japanese channel where they discussed this spinach and Reactor Situation update, and then the head guy took questions. Translation was a little slow and difficult. Immediately after the conference, the news reporters discussed how in the stricken area around Sendai it was much colder than normal, ala no Global Warming. Hadn't seen that point mentioned about it being much colder than normal on any other channels.

I am not fluent in Japanese so I cannot get what the words that the Newsreaders are putting out without translation, but I enjoy watching the Newsreaders. They start with the respectful bow to the camera and viewers, then go into their reports without any apparent sense of self-importance or agenda that I can determine. It is refreshing to observe them and to see, at least from their facial expressions and body language, a complete lack of snark and sarcasm. Man, would I love that over here for a bit.

Also of note, switching to the BBC channel, when the head BBC Talking Head guy came on to start his program, he mentioned that his show would be on as a rerun at hour this, that and the other, and then said that in the States you could catch his show and other BBC broadcasting on PBS. It struck me, possibly because of my bias, that he was intentionally making a pitch in favor of PBS programming, and thus was subtly trying to assist PBS in keeping their Taxpayer Federal Funding. Can't swear that that was his goal, but I had not noticed that pitch of his before, so that's how it came across to me.

[clarice]

Thanks. Something's wrong with my computer..I'm using my husband
s until i can figure it out.

[narciso]

Yeah, daddy, birds of a feather, are they still trying to boil Tony Blair in aspic,

[anduril]

Oh, and happy Purim! Read all about it here: We planned the Purim party, then my partner actually read the Book of Esther… Let's hope no one decides to celebrate Purim the way Baruch Goldstein did, or the way those who venerate his memory still do:

In 2010, Jewish settlers were criticized that during celebrations of Purim they sang songs praising Baruch Goldstein's massacre demonstratively in front of their Arab neighbours. A phrase from the song reads "Dr. Goldstein, there is none other like you in the world. Dr. Goldstein, we all love you… he aimed at terrorists' heads, squeezed the trigger hard, and shot bullets, and shot, and shot."

Those "terrorists" were 29 Muslims praying in the Cave of the Patriarchs. I don't want them here, but I oppose killing innocent people anywhere.

[clarice]

Insty also links to bgates bit which I blogged at the Tatler..Next thing you know they'll be setting a star in the cement in Hollywood for him.

[anduril]

Peter Hitchens makes sense to me: Why can't we just let the Libyans fight it out (...and then make friends with the winners)

Before we know where we are, we are taking sides in quarrels we don’t understand. Who are the Libyan rebels? What do they want? Why do we love them so?

Solid information on that score has been notably lacking during the last two weeks.

[caro]

this infantile, narcissistic, piece of tripe, utterly lacking in empathy or dignity...

from Pieces. It bears repeating. Well done,indeed.

[Captain Hate]

Next thing you know they'll be setting a star in the cement in Hollywood for him.

Um, no.

[Gmax]

One correction Clarice. Tripe being the intestine wall, I think you meant the contents of the intestine, not the wall itself!

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Andurill, the problem with the make friends with the winners is this ... the rebels are well aware that we've let them be sitting ducks for slaughter and turned a deaf ear to their pleading for a month, so how much do you think they would want to be friends with us, if we continued to do nothing? OTOH, I really don't think anyone wants to be friends with Daffy and I think most are agreed we want him out one way or the other and I'm pretty sure we don't really want to be friends with those sons of his either.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Oh and Andurill, why not post your Libya comments on the Libya thread and leave the Japan thread for that crisis?

[Gmax]

Moe Lane goes medieval on the anti war left:

People like Andrew Sullivan were dumb rubes to actually believe that any functional candidate for President would actually believe in the progressive anti-war strategy (let alone implement it, once they were in office), and you told them so. Heck, I told them so – admittedly, when I wrote that it was before the financial meltdown turned what had been a moderately tough election campaign cycle for the GOP into an impossible one, thus making it unnecessary at the time for the then-Senator to actually address his mendacious pandering to the anti-war movement with regard to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. But the Right blogosphere knew that “All Barack Obama Statements Come With an Expiration Date. All Of Them” right from the start, and we were not shy about saying so. If the rubes over on the anti-war Left are now upset about that, well, they should try voting sober next time.

[Danube of Thought]

"I'm using my husband until i can figure it out."

As it has been down through the millenia.

[anduril]

Steve Sailer today reminds us of the Goldberg Principle. Or was that the Ledeen Principle?

In April 2002, in "Baghdad Delenda Est, Part Two," Jonah Goldberg declared:

“Every ten years or so, the United States needs to pick up some small crappy little country and throw it against the wall, just to show the world we mean business.”

Goldberg attributed this to a speech by his friend Michael Ledeen.

How's that workin' out?

[centralcal]

Sara: most of us installed Grease Monkey and Narcisolator and haven't seen or read Anduril in weeks and weeks and weeks.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

If the rubes over on the anti-war Left are now upset about that, well, they should try voting sober next time.

LOL, you tell 'em Gmax.

I do think that once a candidate actually arrives at the Oval Office, he gets a dose of reality and that reality is a far cry from the easy fixes they pontificate about in a campaign when the weighty decisions aren't their responsibility. We've seen that it is those very daily decisions that a president must make that has caused this president to show himself as not prepared for the job ideologically, in experience, or in temperament.

[narciso]

The problem of course, is similar to what happened with Kadima, when it took power, it
was if not antiwar, was anti-engagement, so what happens when circumstances force it into
a prolonged conflict, they show they cannot
follow it through.

[anduril]

Yeah, and Bushie followed "it" through, and look where that got us.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Sara: most of us installed Grease Monkey and Narcisolator and haven't seen or read Anduril in weeks and weeks and weeks.

I know many of you do this, but it isn't something I want to do. I can understand why many of you prefer to block certain posters, and I agree some are very tiresome, but I'm always looking for good links and discussion and finding out what the daily marching orders are for the lefty trolls. I enjoy the camaraderie here, but in addition I have respect for the incredible knowledge base we have available to us thru those who comment at JOM. It is a great tool for any of us who have our own blogs so I'm reading from a slightly different point of view and jumping off point.

[clarice]

DoT the apostrophe seemed to have been lost in the ether and the s is on the next line down. Oh, I wish cathy were here. She could fix the computer problem in a second..drat..

[Danube of Thought]

Sara, I opted not to block the leftist trolls, only the two intrusive, long-winded morons. It is a far, far better place just for having got rid of those two. Give it a try.

[Janet]

I love this sentiment from Esther 4:14 "...And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?"

bold mine. An instrument for a great purpose in God's plans...that's a lovely thought to me.

[anduril]

Via FR:

India's Thorium cycle catches world's eye post Japanese nuke disaster:

"Pioneering Indian technology using thorium rather than uranium generated new interest around the world. Thorium is considered less efficient but certainly is much safer. In the light of what has happened in Japan, critics are less inclined to dismiss thorium than they were before."

Nothing about whether existing reactors could be converted.

[anduril]

Here's another beautiful thought re Esther and how she attained royal dignity:

"In search of a new queen, officials gather beautiful young virgins from throughout the kingdom. Esther is among the chosen. On Mordecai's advice, she doesn't disclose her ethnicity. After the women complete a year-long course of cosmetic treatments under the supervision of a royal eunuch, Ahasuerus tries them out, one by one, in bed, and ends up choosing Esther to be his queen."

[What, Me, Engineer?]

Doubt it, anduril.
=======

[Bring Bush.]

Anduril, what 'it' got us was relief from the looming threat of Saddam Hussein. What it got Iraq was a functioning democracy. What it got the world was inspiration for freedom lovers everywhere.

I'm sorry you are unable to appreciate all this.
============

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Janet: Did you ever see that link I posted a few days ago about the latest NIV revision of the Bible. Political correctness for the Bible. It is being rewritten to be gender neutral. No more he or him, except for God, who is still a him, all others will be changed to him and her, he and she or man and woman. When the original NIV came out, I bought one to use for a Bible research class I was taking and I really liked it, but I'm not a supporter of making the Bible politically correct. For instance, Mark 8:36 would now read: What good does it do a man or a woman to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his or her soul? There must be thousands of those kinds of references. I was curious what you thought. Sorry I don't have the link handy.

[Frau Lispelt]

Ah, thorium -
And, ith's thor-ly needed... thath's why we better thtay friendly with India and Brathil. Of courth, Turkey hath the mosth. Bummer.

[Actually, your flaw fascinates me.]

Suppose, Anduril, Esther had disclosed her ethnicity. Follow that chain of reasoning out.
===========

[Danube of Thought]

I infer that one of the gasbag buffoons is cavorting about.

[DebinNC]

Another enjoyable Pieces today. If anyone but Clarice had written that BHO Elementary failed, despite spending an astounding $36,000 per pupil, I wouldn't believe it.

[glasater]

You are one sick dude Andy!

[centralcal]

The only name in my Narcisolator is that of the sick puppy. Like, DoT, I don't bother with the lefty trolls - they usually get bopped around here pretty good :)

Also, Sara, the owner of THIS blog, Tom Maguire, finally said he had enough and asked Anduril to take his comments home to his own blog. Which he, of course, refuses to do. Better to trash up someone else's home than one's own.

[centralcal]

lol, Frau!

[centralcal]

From some drooling, fawning AP reporter we get this "glimpse" into the Obama family vacation:

With his whole family in tow on the second day of a Latin American tour meant to knit economic and cultural ties, the president visited the City of God shantytown that gained fame after a movie by the same name was nominated for four Oscars. At a community center in the heart of the jostling slum, the president plunged into the lives of children there, playing soccer with kids and watching enthralled at a dazzling martial arts display.

The president shed his coat and tie, rolled up his sleeves and dribbled one-on-one soccer with one surprised boy. Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia got involved, too, kicking a ball around with the kids.

Then the president walked out into the streets and waved to throngs of residents who cheered him from rooftops and balconies. Dozens of young children pressed up against a chainlink fence trying to get a look.

On the metal roofs of the poor shantybuildings armed guards stood by. It was a short visit but the president got a glimpse of the poverty of the slum, visceral scenes of jumbled dwellings, and people lining the streets.

Bold is mine. A short visit, but he plunged, plunged, I tell you, into the lives of these poor children. ::famous Sue eyeroll::

[Janet]

Sara,
Thanks, I saw the article around the net. The insanity is overwhelming at this point, so I just won't ever buy a NIV translated Bible again. I'm sure most normal people understood the concept of mankind....

[clarice]

Sara might invite him to her place where they can have long, soulful chats.

[Janet]

A short visit, but he plunged, plunged, I tell you, into the lives of these poor children.

Hahahaha, centralcal! Too funny!

[sbw]

Sara, I can agree with your view but have to set it against another equally important consideration.

When a commenter demonstrates such lack of seriousness -- or demonstrates such seriousness -- that responses are a game to tie up and obstruct those who are trying to come to better understanding, then to engage them helps them succeed at destroying community.

They become a disease that hijacks the social immune system and have to be addressed differently than by engaging them.

[sbw]

Sara: Mark 8:36 would now read: What good does it do a man or a woman to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his or her soul?

I could tolerate "What good does it do one to gain the whole world, yet forfeit one's soul?"

But I find the temptation to gender neuter to be an admission of historical ignorance that deserves a kick in the butt. Ah! The hupersonity!

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

centracal: I'm not defending anyone or anything like that. I hope that came across. All I was saying is when I participate I do so for the info I pick up from so many experts around here, the camaraderie, and as a tool for finding links to things I wouldn't come upon on my own.

For instance, I find links I think might generate discussion or that I know are on subjects where interest has been shown in the past, or just because I think something is cool and I want to share. And often, I think you did it just the other day, there is an update to my link and someone will post it. I really appreciate that, since there have been times when the update completely negates whatever was claimed in the earlier link. When they say that blogs can't be relied on because there is no roundtable of editors vetting stories, I laugh. Not around here. Over the last six years, there have been numerous times I've posted a link or comment here on a subject I want to blog about but have nagging doubts about the reliability of the original story. Posting the link without comment is a good way to judge first impressions and is a good way to generate discussion which I find extremely helpful for me in making a decision whether something is bunk or reliable. I have a pretty good BS meter, but collectively JOMers are the champs.

[DebinNC]

I wonder if today's photo op included the Obamas giving the Brazilian slum children the same useful gifts they gave the Indian street urchins...WH M&Ms and stationery?

[Janet]

More pictures from Rio....sorta looks like the last one I posted. Do Brazilians usually walk on their hands? Lots of pictures have Brazilians walking on their hands...

[clarice]

Michelle Obama's Mirror has this morning's winner:
Man, if you’ve lost Michael Moore, you’ve lost, what? 400 - 500 pounds?

[Janet]

WH M&Ms and stationery?

Hopefully they didn't bring shoes as gifts!

[narciso]

That maybe a capoeira stance, the preferred martial arts , over there,

[Janet]

The next PC inclusive Bible will have to say , "What good does it do a man or a woman or a hand walker to gain the whole world,..."

[Jane]

Why is it the Obama kids always look miserable?

[Janet]

Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy admire Brazil's Mayora Tavares

I forgot she was from Brazil!

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Apparently the word of the day to the WH press corps is that the president can walk and chew gum at the same time ... well, that he can take phone calls about the situation in Libya and do his Rio thing, whatever that is.

[centralcal]

A lot of good lines come from MOTUS, I agree, Clarice!

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Why is it the Obama kids always look miserable?

Imagine what it must be liked to constantly have to live with so much narcissistic ego.

Has anyone ever laid eyes on the mother-in-law who moved into the WH with the Obamas? I heard she is along on the Rio trip, but I don't think I've ever seen her in a picture with the family or even just the kids.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

liked = like

Okay, I'm outta here for a couple hours. They are racing at Bristol this week and I've got to gather up my goodies so I can curl up and watch the race.

[centralcal]

There were some pictures of Marion (the mother), yesterday, Sara, during an outdoor performance in Brazil. She was looking just as sour as her daughter and granddaughters (at least when the photos were snapped).

[centralcal]

Here you go - via MOTUS. The happy women of the Obama family:

Smile!

[Melinda Romanoff]

Syria undergoing mass protests:

"BreakingNews: Palace of Justice, Revolutionary Union, Youth Union building on fire as thousands of protesters march on Daraa, Syria - NBC News"- Twitter

Not seeing it anywhere else, yet.

[clarice]

I saw something about it last night, Mel, but not much..That is most interesting. I assume it's Saudi instigated.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Operator of Japan's leaking nuclear plant says two of the six reactors are now at a safe temperature

Two down, four to go. I think these were the easier ones to get under control IIRC.

[anduril]

what 'it' got us was relief from the looming threat of Saddam Hussein. What it got Iraq was a functioning democracy. What it got the world was inspiration for freedom lovers everywhere.

I'm sorry you are unable to appreciate all this.

Oh, I appreciated it, all right. I LMAO.

[Rob Crawford]

You have to feel sorry for the Obama kids. They didn't ask for this, and has anyone ever heard of their parents taking them someplace kids their age would actually enjoy?

[Melinda Romanoff]

Clarice-

Just surprised it was allowed to advance to building fires, it indicates, to me at least, that the opthamologist has less vision than his father.

Excellent pieces, by the way, when will a successful newspaper be published with just letters to the editor, instead of columnists?

[Saddam must really make you roar with laughter.]

Why, anduril, your mirth reveals much.
=====================

[anduril]

Suppose, Anduril, Esther had disclosed her ethnicity. Follow that chain of reasoning out.

To the best of my recollection Ahasuerus had no problems with Jews. So disclosure or non-disclosure would seem to have been irrelevant--a personal preference sort of thing. Feel free to explain where you think your chain of "reasoning" would have led.

I just won't ever buy a NIV translated Bible again.

A good idea--it's an inferior translation. Try this for the NT: The New Testament: St. Paul Catholic Edition.

[clarice]

Thanks, Mel.

[anduril]

Why, anduril, your mirth reveals much.

How much?

[daddy]

Very fine Pieces Clarice.

Up here I can't seem to find any of the Japanese broadcasts on our few hundred channels. Wish we could, because it really is a contrast to watch their news readers simply read the news. (What a novel idea!)

Do you by chance get them on your DC area cablebox?

[anduril]

For the Israelite scriptures (OT) I recommend the JPS Tanakh in the 1985 translation, which you can find here. Worth a try is The Jerusalem Bible or the New English Bible, which you can probably only get used.

[clarice]

daddy, thanks. I assume we do get the Japanese broadcasts but I never watch tv so I can't be sure

[daddy]

"but I never watch tv"

Well that explains why you're so smart:)

[The Endarkenment Looms.]

A nice word at Watts Up from a German physicist about the destructiveness of all this hysteria about nuclear power.

At the L!ink U!nder N!ame.
==============

[clarice]

I don't know about smart..But it lets me spend my time learning instead of watching grossly overpaid dopes emote while spreading misinformation.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Sara might invite him to her place where they can have long, soulful chats.

What the hell is this supposed to mean, especially since the last thing I'm inclined to is long soulful chats? I'm not sure I even know how to make a chat soulful.

Must be a snark fix.

[Maybe Snunky or Farky.]

Forget soulful. What you want is funky.
===================

[Ignatz]

--To the best of my recollection Ahasuerus had no problems with Jews. So disclosure or non-disclosure would seem to have been irrelevant--a personal preference sort of thing.--

IIRC, Mordecai advised Esther not to reveal her heritage and since he also was the one who learned of Haman's plans for the Jews it was not, as it turned out, irrelevant.
Whether Mordecai had been informed of Haman's and others intentions or was merely suspicious and cautious I don't recall being disclosed, but clearly he had a reason beyond mere personal preference.

[Rocco]

cc

That picture reminds me of an old favorite song. Just change the name from Sherry Darling to Michelle Darling

Your mamma's yappin' in the back seat
Tell her to push over and move them big feet
Every Monday morning I gotta drive her down to the unemployment agency
Well this morning I ain't fighting tell her I give up
Tell her she wins if she'll just shut up
But it's the last time that she's gonna be ridin' with me

(Chorus)
You can tell her there's a hot sun beatin' on the blacktop
She keeps talkin' she'll be walkin' that last block
She can take a subway back to the ghetto tonight
Well I got some beer and the highway's free
And I got you, and baby you've got me.
Hey, hey, hey whataya say Michelle Darlin'

Now there's girls melting on the beach
And they're so fine but so far out of reach
Cause I'm stuck in traffic down here on 53rd street
Now Michelle my love for you is real
But I didn't count on this package deal
And baby this car just aint big enough for her and me

(Chorus)
So you can tell her there's a hot sun beatin' on the blacktop
She keeps talkin' she'll be walkin' that last block
She can take a subway back to the ghetto tonight
Well I got some beer and the highway's free
And I got you, and baby you've got me.
Hey, hey, hey whataya say Michelle Darlin'

Well let there be sunlight, let there be rain
Let the brokenhearted love again
Michelle we can run with our arms open before the tide
To all the girls down at Sacred Heart
And all you operators back in the Park
Say hey, hey, hey whataya say Michelle Darlin'
Hey, hey, hey, whataya say Michelle Darlin'