goingtoshopping comments

According to other news sources, the situation is far dicier than either TEPCO or the domestic media are reporting (or not reporting.) People who live here and get all their 'information' only from sources like JT or NHK are seriously under-informed in my opinion.

For example, the NYTs has interactive maps that show people living as far away as Fukushima City (more than 30Km away from the government's own 30Km evacuation zone) receiving radiation equivalent to a chest X-ray every THREE DAYS! And some cities just beyond the border of the gov's 30Km evacuation zone will see the maximum annual limit for radioactive exposure the US allows for its nuclear workers EVERY THREE MONTHS at present levels of emission!

I mention US nuclear workers, since their maximum limit of exposure used to be only a third as much allowed their Japanese counterparts before the disaster (the limits have since been more than doubled by the Japanese government to 250 msv. annually vs. 50msv for the US.)

Meanwhile, inside Japan, Kyodo is reporting that even though TEPCO has recorded more than 2000 radiation dispersal estimates since the disaster (on the public's yen), only TWO have yet been made public. Why?

As for TEPCO and the business side of things, I'm surprised not to see here a report going around in the US (NYTs) that says someone in Hong Kong bought more than $600 million in TEPCO shares a few weeks ago (when investors panicked and the stock price plunged to a fraction of the company's previous value.) By doing this, the investors circumvented domestic Japanese law that requires purchasers of more than 5% of a public utility to disclose who they are: as it stands, no one knows yet...

As for the LDP and their anemic, opportunistic leader Tanigaki (who for me puts the value of a Tokyo University education into perspective): shame on all of them for using a national catastrophe to score cheap political points! Although I have to say it's just more of the same from the usual dandruff-shouldered dinosaurs over in Kasumigaseki!

People of Japan: now is absolutely the right time to Question Authority! Demand answers and get angry, already!

I just saw on AlJazeera that Uniquo is posting record profits, making the richest man in Japan, well, even richer. So not ALL bad...

Me, me, me. These folks can't get enough of themselves. It's good to get out of the country, so you can...visit Japanese students, look at Japanese flag waving Japanese, oh and visit a tree you yourself planted? <yawn> Talk about hitting the town!

Hey, they didn't make itto the playoffs last year and probably won't this year either. I'm a Chiba fan, but in the US this guy would be fair game for the cut.

I agree with the first poster, though. Another team will scoop him up. He's been holding out for a call from the Majors, but they have washed their hands of the manager who snuck back into the dugout (in a disguise!) after being ejected from the game. No respect!

Yeah, he's a noble person. Whatever.

His brother is in jail for four years for bribery, his wife and son admitted they burned receipts for "gifts" of $100,000 watches (!), his family bought a luxury apartment in midtown Manhattan with corrupt money, and as of last week prosecutors had enough evidence to physically arrest him for corruption.

But, yeah, he's a noble person.

The West is the Best, Baby... Get here, and we'll do the rest.

Ah, Jim Morrison had it right. Plenty of sun in SoCal. Smart move.

You know you're in trouble when you get advice from former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori!!

Remember when he greeted President Bill Clinton with this gem?:

Mori: Who are you? Clinton: I'm Hillary's husband! Mori: Me, too. Clinton: (...)

Throw the bums out!

Why not compromise?

Get rid of the actual provision, and then actually only spend the stimulus money on American-made goods!

How would that be different from Japan's rice policy? Or the EU's CAP? They don't say they won't buy American, they just don't (or won't even let it in.)

If the US wants to dig itself into debt and eventual bankruptcy, shouldn't it be able to choose from where it buys the shovel?