Thursday, March 17, 2011

Japan's Nuclear Crisis: Is the U.S. in Danger?

Quick Timeline (Summary):

In Yamagata, Japan, The Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant was severely damaged by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011.  The natural disaster triggered a series of destructive explosions which compromised the nuclear reactors and spent fuel storage tanks.

On Friday, March 11th, Japanese Engineers worked to restore a power cable to the crippled nuclear power plant in the hope of restarting pumps desperately needed to pour cold water on overheating fuel rods and avert a catastrophic release of radiation.

Today, emergency workers tried everything they could think of to douse one of the plant's dangerously overheated nuclear reactors: helicopters, heavy-duty fire trucks, even water cannons normally used to quell rioters. But they couldn't be sure any of it was easing the peril at the tsunami-ravaged facility. Three reactors have already had partial meltdowns and it looks like they are in for another.

Low levels of radiation have been detected well beyond Tokyo, which is 140 miles (220 kilometers) south of the plant, thousands have evacuated so far.

A senior official with the U.N.'s nuclear safety agency said there had been "no significant worsening" at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant but that the situation remained "very serious."

What are the concerns of Americans?

The pools used to store spent nuclear fuel: Some of the pools are dry or nearly empty and the rods could heat up and spew radiation.

The nuclear fuel rods in two reactors were only about half covered with water, and in a third they were also not completely submerged. (So basically, dry = hot = radiation = danger)

If the fuel is not fully covered, rising temperatures and pressure will increase the chances of complete meltdowns that would release much larger amounts of radioactive material than the failing plant has emitted so far. (See told ya)

"So I want to be very clear:" says, President Barack Obama"We do not expect harmful levels of radiation to reach the United States, whether it’s the West Coast, Hawaii, Alaska, or U.S. territories in the Pacific.  Let me repeat that:  We do not expect harmful levels of radiation to reach the West Coast, Hawaii, Alaska, or U.S. territories in the Pacific." You don't believe me, watch it here.

The chief of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission states that we have "nothing to worry about" that that based on "facts and science" there is not a threat of the radioactivity reaching the U.S. You don't believe me, watch it here.

What is the U.S. suggesting and offering to Japan?

U.S. is recommending a 50-mile evacuation zone for its citizens, a much stronger measure than Japan has taken.

To calm our panicked souls, President Barack Obama is asking for a comprehensive review of U.S. nuclear plant safety.

How do any of you feel? Scared? Safe? Do you think this disaster will have any other affect on Americans?

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Birthday Time! One for My Baby, Two more for the Road

Today was Nu-Nu baby's birthday, her 2nd birthday. I told myself that we would keep is small this year. Last year for her 1st birthday we had a large party with lots of people, food, bounce house, games and music. You know the whole enchilada. But not this time. We were thinking we may make a big deal for the milestone birthdays; 5, 10, 16, 18... It's just too much stress and money having the big party every single year.

This year she will have pizza party at her school with her friends. She will also have story time and puppet show at the historic Los Angeles Central Public Library with family. Every Saturday the downtown L.A. grand library has this, it's free and fabulous!

I think that may be enough. I know all this and I have decided all this for a few months now, so why do I still feel guilty. I get angry with my inner guilt bug because I don't know what else I can tell myself.

I think it's a non stop internal struggle, but that's parenthood for you.

Skip to the after show:


The puppet show was incredible. We ended up getting a private room at Panda Express (yes, they have a private room) which is Jolie's favorite, and chowed down on Chinese junk food and cupcakes. The kids got hyped up on sugar and ran a muck it was great!

Nunu enjoyed the day minus a few toddler meltdowns but what do you expect with 2-5 year olds listening to books being read for 2 hours?

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Secret Message From an Insider, Toddler "Rape" Post Rises Again

On February 26, 2010, My post entitled "2yr old Toddler is Raped by Family Friend at Seaworld" was written as all of my posts are with the intent on informing others about the legal news that can possibly affect the safety and health of our American families. My goal is to spread information that may not be readily available to others in hopes that it may help someone. Of course my posts have a comical side which is all in jest but every now and then, I find a piece of news that upsets my core. Sometimes makes me want to scream the news from the rooftops if it could possibly mean it doesn't happen again. This post was one of those. This evening when I logged in to find this super long comment from "Someone on the Inside" I was at first disturbed that this person would be possibly defending a rapist. Then I decided that that would be close-minded of me. I also decided that I created this blog as a forum. A place for working mothers and fathers to discuss the real issues out there that could affect us as a whole. So, I am reposting the shocking comment below. Do you think this is a real person that may possibly know the mother of the allegedly raped toddler? What do you think of her comment?

[Warning: I didn't spell check I thought I would keep it authentic.]

"He's actually a really nice guy who I want to believe is innoccent. There is so much more to this story the media doesn't know. First off was not a stranger. He was a co-worker and family friend. They planned this trip together to the park. So don't blame the parents for leaving the child with him. I even trust him enough I wouldn't have thought twice about it. The media also fails to mention the 2 year old's older brother was also left with him. So he wasn't alone with the child. They were in a public place, so anything that happened could have been viewed by others. The mom comments "my son said he was watching a lizard and the park wasn't crowded." It's still hard for me to understand how nothing would have been notcied. Everywhere on the internet and news it says he raped her. The mother of the child has told me that supposedly he only took pictures of her child. There was no apparent physical harm done to the child. The parents of the girl didn't notice anything wrong. The only reason this was brought up to the attention of the authority and the parents is because his wife "discovered" the images on the phone. She usually has his phone, so why would he put/keep pictures on his phone if he were sick enough to take them? Maybe he did take them and intended to delete them after he e-mailed them, but if that were so why would he wait until later to email them? Photoshop can create anything. Changing the time in the phone then taking a picture of a picture would give the illusion they were taken earlier. I'm not saying he is for sure innocent, but only opening your eyes to other possible explainations. His wife reported it to a cop who happens to be living in their home. A cop she also happens to be having sexual relations with. I can see both sides- if he's guilty, then who else would she trust to tell her discovery to besides not only an officer, but a family friend and love interest? However it makes you wonder is there a huge scandal going on? The mom's boyfriend is also the father of the child, and her recent ex-husband as of few weeks past. So everyone that has bashed her on other blogs for not being with the father and with a new boyfiend is wrong. They are still together, in some way that doesn't make sense to me, because she hated him a month ago and talked about how excited she was to get a divorse. Yet they now suddenly hang out together all the time? Irrelavant for the most part, though interesting when you know the flirtations that went on between the mother and the accused. I personally thought they had something going on behind the scenes. Basically to sum it up, there are many twists and unknown points to this that make you question. Just reading the news report gives a horrible one-demention view. I personally know everyone invoved in this. Regardless of how this ends it's a shame because now many lives are screwed forever. Two families will never be friends anymore. A marraige is over. Childrens' lives are tarnished. Guilty or not, the reports will remain on the internet and his record, even if just as dismissed or dropped. Who's more hurt, a two year old that will never remember what did or didn't happen unless told, or his children who share the same last name and may have to explain where their dad is one day to classmates? Type his name into any search engine and you can only guess the horror that may come."

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Who will Survive the Medical Marijuana Dispensary Crackdown?

January 28, 2010 - The Los Angeles City Clerk amended the Ordinance which is the only law mandating the opening, re-opening and operation of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city. The city addressed the concern of the 1000's of applications they have received for approval of new marijuana dispensaries.

Opposers are worried that the amount of dispensaries creates an "threat to public welfare" environment and allows for "drug dealers and recreational users to hijack California's medical marijuana legislation for their own benefit"

Changes being made in Los Angeles for Marijuana dispensaries:

The amendment to the Ordinance No. 181530 enacts a very important Grandfather Clause. (I personally am not a fan because I remember another time when the Grandfather Clause was used.) Only dispensaries that we registered with the clerk's office on or before 09/14/2007 and has at least one of it's original members from that date, at the same location since then.

Basically, if you own a collective or dispensary and you opened after 9/14/2007, you have to now close.

The city can no longer ask for the Names, Addresses and Telephone numbers of those that are patients of medical marijuana dispensaries.

Basically, patients in need of medical marijuana who fear that their names will be released to the press, their employers or some government list no longer holds any ground. This will not happen with the new ordinance.

So what about the dispensaries that DO meet all the requirements? The City Council devised a lottery that will allow the remaining businesses to apply to remain open.

How many will be chosen?    Only 100

The lottery strategy was based on the advice of the city attorney’s office to decide which dispensaries will be allowed to operate legally and to make it easier for the city’s lawyers and police to shut down hundreds of other dispensaries.

The Los Angeles City Clerk released a list of 228 medical marijuana collectives that applied meeting all the requirements to enter the lottery. Bottom line: In the entire city of Los Angeles, only 100 dispensaries will be allowed, and everyone is fighting for the chance to survive.