Joined: 13 Aug 2009 Posts: 159 Location: france or japan Country:
Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 3:30 am Post subject:
yes I remember the Tchernobyl cloud and the rain that day ( I'm that old )
We had the family on the phone today and, veing far from the nuclear plant and from the earthquake, they don't realise very well. We had to tell them not to go to the fujiyama next week...
When I decided to donate to the relief effort the obvious organization to send money to was (for me) the red cross. You can target your donation to the effort in Japan, and you can give anything from 10 bucks to show off money. It's as easy as ordering a Dorama on the web with a credit card.
I didn't see one here, so I was thinking a list of links to the various relief organizations around the world might be a good thing. _________________
Japan Earthquake 2011: Emperor Akihito Addresses Nation
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Emperor Akihito made an unprecedented televised address to his disaster-stricken nation on Wednesday, expressing deep worry about the crisis at damaged nuclear reactors and urging people to lend each other a helping hand in difficult times.
Looking somber and stoic, the 77-year-old Akihito said the problems at Japan's nuclear-power reactors, where authorities are battling to prevent a catastrophe, were unpredictable after an earthquake he described as "unprecedented in scale."
TV stations interrupted coverage to carry the emperor's first public appearance since last week's massive earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands of people.
"I am deeply hurt by the grievous situation in the affected areas. The number of deceased and missing increases by the day and we cannot know how many victims there will be. My hope is that as many people possible are found safe," Akihito said.
"I hope from the bottom of my heart that the people will, hand in hand, treat each other with compassion and overcome these difficult times," he said, urging survivors not to "abandon hope."
Japan is reeling from what Prime Minister Naoto Kan has called its worst crisis since the end of World War Two, when the country had to rebuild from its devastating defeat.
For elderly Japanese at least, the sudden message from the emperor doubtless called to mind the August 15, 1945, radio broadcast by his father, Emperor Hirohito, announcing the country's surrender in World War Two.
That was the first time the emperor's voice had been heard on radio and his use of formal court language meant most of those listening could not understand what he was saying.
CONSOLING THE PUBLIC
"This earthquake was worse than the Great Kanto Earthquake (in 1923) ... It's never been experienced before," said Miiko Kodama, an expert in media studies. "This is a symbol of that."
She added: "Of course, nothing changes as a result of his message, but for those who believe in the emperor, they will be encouraged."
Conservative Japanese revere the emperor, others feel a fond affection, and still others find the royal family irrelevant.
The plight of hundreds of thousands left homeless by the quake and tsunami that followed worsened overnight after a cold snap brought snow to some of the worst-stricken areas. The death toll stands at 4,000, but more than 7,000 are listed as missing and the figure is expected to rise.
Akihito said he was "deeply worried" about the situation at the Daiichi nuclear plant in Fukushima, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, where workers were trying to contain the world's worst nuclear crisis since the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine in 1986.
The emperor and Empress Michiko have long played a role comforting the public in tough times, visiting the survivors of the massive quake that killed 6,400 people in the western port of Kobe in 1995.
Akihito, who ascended the throne after the death of his father in 1989, has striven to draw the imperial family closer to the people in image, if not in fact.
In a sharp break with tradition, he was the first heir to marry a commoner.
Akihito gives pre-recorded news conferences on set occasions such as his birthday and before overseas trips, but the suddenness of the message, its simultaneous airing on nationwide TV and its content were unprecedented.
The Imperial Household Agency, which manages the royals' affairs, said in a statement on Monday that the royal couple wanted to visit the quake-hit sites but felt that efforts should focus on rescue for now.
Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 8550 Location: California Country:
Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 12:15 am Post subject:
bmwracer wrote:
Watching the news: people in SoCal are rushing to pharmacies to buy Potassium Iodide tablets, fearing radiation contamination.
Fools.
That reminds me. I need to stop by Fry's Electronics to pick me up a Geiger counter. I'm going to rock it around my neck like Flavor Flav and his clocks.
That reminds me. I need to stop by Fry's Electronics to pick me up a Geiger counter. I'm going to rock it around my neck like Flavor Flav and his clocks.
LOL.
I was going to cover myself with lead grease paint like the castaways on Gilligan's Island.
Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 46182 Location: Los Skandolous, California Country:
Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 1:21 am Post subject:
dochira wrote:
That reminds me. I need to stop by Fry's Electronics to pick me up a Geiger counter. I'm going to rock it around my neck like Flavor Flav and his clocks.
Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 46182 Location: Los Skandolous, California Country:
Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 12:05 pm Post subject:
A Japanese home is seen adrift in the Pacific Ocean
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
A Japanese home is seen adrift in the Pacific Ocean. The U.S. Navy said that ships and aircraft from the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group are searching for survivors in the coastal waters near Sendai, Japan, that was hit by a powerful earthquake and tidal waves on Friday. (U.S. Navy photo)
No offence to Americans but I gloat when Obama keeps reiterating that he will do all he can to help Japan. The reality is USS Ronald Reagan seems to be drifting further away Or should i add after his promise, " but if it's a nuclear disaster , You are on your own, brother !"
Thanks BMRacer for putting that website in your signature. Very informative.
I had first hand knowledge from a relief worker in the 2004 tsunami. This is the situation she faced in Aceh, Indonesia. Floods of donations did come in through humanitarian organisations. But these donations ceased after the media stops reporting on those locations. As these organisations begin to rebuild infrastructures and homes that had been lost, they were forced to abandon halfway when funds dry up. Thanks to the foreign media because everyone thought things have returned to normal. These victims were soon forgotten.
There was another scenario I witnessed at a local hospital after the tsunami. Donations-in-kind piled from floor to ceiling. Even if a person is starving, not everyone sees peanut butter and jam as edible or wear mini-skirts.... ... That pointer written on the website is spot-on.
If it is at all possible, in the months ahead, remember the folks in Miyagi Prefecture. If there is a fund that will help them, I don't mind chipping in later. It's a long road ahead for them.
No offence to Americans but I gloat when Obama keeps reiterating that he will do all he can to help Japan. The reality is USS Ronald Reagan seems to be drifting further away Or should i add after his promise, " but if it's a nuclear disaster , You are on your own, brother !"
That's a really tough call to send people into the radiation zone.
And the USS Ronald Reagan was already subjected to a radioactive plume when they arrived...
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That is dayem funny! 
Or should i add after his promise, " but if it's a nuclear disaster , You are on your own, brother !"
