Meltdown Now Official

A day after the Japanese government downplayed the dangers of the damaged nuclear reactors, radiation levels have surpassed those at the Three Mile Island disaster, the second worst nuclear incident in history.

Tweet from Cody Sovis (theflyingbohunk)

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NYTimes.com Explains Nuclear Situation in Japan

Great article from The New York Times on the potential meltdown of one or more reactors in Japan heavily damaged by the 8.9 earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan on this past Friday. The Bohunk would like to thank Prof. McRivette of GVSU for his contribution to geologists in Japan; the Guy deserves some recognition for his expertise and effort over the weekend helping gather and analyze data.
NYTimes: Radioactive Releases in Japan Could Last Months, Experts Say

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Japanese Tsunami

As always, the Bohunk waits a day on major news story so that more actual information can be included in the post. By waiting these 24 hours, the events in Japan have only gotten worse and more complicated.

Tsunami wave crashes almost six miles inland over the Japanese coastline…

As an ‘virtual’ seismologist (dedicated readers will remember the online documentation) the Bohunk would like to give a quick analysis of a tsunami. In a subduction zone, the lighter, less dense continental plate ‘floats’ on top of the thicker, more dense ocean plate. As the ocean plate is subducted under the continental plate, it catches and is dragged down as well, though not far. Because the plate is far enough away from the molten mantle layer underneath the crust, it remains brittle but retains some aspects of elasticity. At some point, at a certain degree of stress, it snaps back up to its former position. We cannot say just how power this action is. The crust affected by this movement could be miles thick of rock; the amount of force needed to move anything this rigid and heavy in unthinkable. The force is so strong that it moves the ocean above it, causing a ripple with a surge of water high than the actual sea level. The result is a tsnami, which travels over 500mph toward show. The amount of force in the weight of this water is equally astounding.

The tsunami reached as far away as Chile in South America…

The effect on Japan has been unbelievable as well. Estimates are now at over 1,000 dead with over 10,000 officially listed as missing, 9,500 of them in one small coastal town. Traffic is completely stopped though some limited railways have reopened away from the coast. Cars have been deemed useless, with bike shops selling out of bikes, bought by people desperately trying to get home, if they have a home left. The USGS has measured over 89 aftershocks over a magnitude of 5 in the past 21 hours, making the rescue efforts even more dangerous. Fires still burn from broken gas lines and nuclear power plants are beginning to overheat, one already reportedly giving off radiation levels in an hour equal to that given off in an entire year. The additional aftershocks are continuing to damage and weaken the buildings still standing, causing delayed failures in buildings thought to be safe by survivors.

The wave carried cars, houses, boats and everything else it met for miles inland, dumping them far from the coastline before retreating…

Overseas, thousands of miles from the epicenter, little damage has been reported. Hawaii and Midway survived a 3-6 foot wave and the surge never quite reached the North American coast the way it was expected, measuring under two feet in height. South America fared just as well, with negligible damage. Tsunami alert systems were tested by the event and experts are impressed with the effectiveness of the systems from the US, Canada and South America as well. Buoys miles off shore measure tsunami surges and relay that information to the coast, giving warning to residents near the sea. All tsunami warnings have been cancelled in North and South America.

The tsunami rising over the coast and sweeping inland…

The 8.9 magnitude that triggered the tsunami is the fifth largest earthquake in recorded history. The epicenter was less roughly 100 miles off the coast of Japan, closest to the Sendai region onshore. The Bohunk counted 39 aftershocks over 5.0 magnitude in the first three hours after the initial quake. Much, much more on this as news comes out, with a special focus on the nuclear reactor, currently believed to be in danger of a meltdown and already leaking massive amounts of radiation relative to normal emissions…

Great Post by Good Men Blog on Fennville Death

Cody Sovis (@theflyingbohunk) has shared a Tweet with you:

"rwohan: The most tragic sports story of the year ... if not ever: http://bit.ly/h00XMU"
--http://twitter.com/rwohan/status/43701168496586752

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Tanning: Don’t Look Like A Carrot, You’ll Get Cancer

We have, my Dear Readers, all seen it; a white girl tanned to a carrot-orange with black lines around her eyes from the goofy eye protection pieces in the indoor tanning bed. It looks terrible, but thousands of young women aspiring to be the next Snooki (yes, they are a misguided youth) duck into tanning beds each day. What parents and teens do not understand is the unnatural concentration of ultraviolet rays at such a young age almost assures tanners to develop melanoma. While the effects may not arise as tumors until years later, the damage done to skin during the teen years leaves melanoma extra time to develop and to spread as cancer to other parts of the body. Compared to natural midday sunlight, tanning beds are 10 to 15 times more powerful than the sun. To combat the risk, state legislators in Virginia are working to ban tanning by minors, in addition to the 10% tax levied on tanning salons last year. Around the country, state governments are looking at the health risks of tanning and over-tanning by young people. Many states have laws stipulating a specific age, usually 14 or 16, in order to tan without adult consent. By tanning once a week, the risk of contracting melanoma rises. At the very least, teens age their skin by tanning once a week 10-20 years faster. The Indoor Tanning Association, obviously, says all these proven facts are speculation. They are idiots. Don’t tan, and if you do, do not tan more than twice a week. You don’t want to look like Snooki.

You don’t really want to look like this.

Shameless Plug

Allendale, Michigan is not known for wide varieties of food choices. If you don't like pizza or Applebees, you are quite screwed. The bastion of flavor is Las Aztecas, a Mexican restaurant replete with a borderline authentic menu and generous portions. The Bohunk has a hidden talent for eating, and even I am occasionally full after a meal. The prices are great for the amount of food you get and you get to see Spanish television via Telemundo at no additional charge. It's heart wrenching to see you middle age waiter toss an old napkin on the floor when Cruz Azul lets in a goal. The Bohunk returns to hard hitting news whenever my classes aren't all on the same due date cycle as they are this week.

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New Zealand Earthquake

BBC News - New Zealand: Hundreds missing after Christchurch quake Here is a link to a very well written article by the BBC on the New Zealand quakes yesterday. NZL was shaken by four quakes over 5.0 magnitude in under two hours....

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Vintage Cycling Ads

Just a quick shot from back in the day. The next time you see a stock, cheesy photo in your local dealer of some guy coasting along on a bike path, remember; they used to sell bikes the right way, as shown here. We need to go back to that.

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Cadenza

Just taking a very short moment to note the longevity of the bike pictured here. This Fuji Cadenza slightly predates the Bohunk by some years, and yet, with almost no repairs save some new tires, still rolls along quite nicely. After the Bohunks car was totalled, and before it was aptly replaced, this faithful steed became the sole means of timely transportation for an exceedingy punctual Bohunk. There is a very specific and happy joy in riding a bike anywhere, but perhaps more so when considering the alternative, which is uniformily by being locked into a loud and noisy bus or car. Pick a day and go by bike, Dear Readers. You will not regret it.

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Proof: World Going To Hell Via Handbasket

IIn Mexico, there are four pending patents on the tortilla. The tortilla has been around in central and south America since at least 5,000 years ago, and probably existed for thousands of years before first records of its use. These patents are seeking monetary recompense for the production of any item identifiable as a tortilla, from private to corporate use. Will any of these patents get stamped? No. But the sheer audacity and ballsy attitude of these patent attempts is a tribute to modern insanity and selfishness.

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America: Quite Fat

In an effort to get ‘Murica to back out of the groceries and to get the US off the podium for fattest country in the world, the government released a new guideline of what we should and should not be eating. One in three American children are obese (not just overweight, obese) and well over half adults are committed porkers themselves. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said, “…this is a crisis we can no longer ignore.” One tip they offered was that consumers (that’s you and me) switched to low fat or, preferably, skim milk. The switch to skim milk from even 2% can result in consuming roughly 7 pounds of fat worth of calories less per year, or the equivalent to one fat roll in your midsection. The guideline also stressed that switching to water in the stead of soda or juice could help children’s blood sugar and weight. Also, the Bohunk recommends skipping that drunken double cheeseburger you long for after an evening of binge drinking. Saves you a ton of calories.

If this is you, reevaluate your dietary habits; and if this is literally a picture of you, I apologize.

Fore, Poor Folk!: Boehner vs. Obama In the Whitest Sport Not On Ice

In his commitment to bipartisan dealing and a mutual feeling of respect, Rep. John Boehner has challenged, er, offered to share a round of golf with President Barack Obama. But the House Crier (Speaker) had to add a jibe in there, because, if he didn’t, he may lose his reputation as Top Republican Ass Hole. Boehner said he would “have to give <Obama> a few strokes” if they were to play. To be fair, this is very true. Boehner, (your paid representative Ohio) played 18 holes roughly 120 times last year; Obama played approximately half that. David Axelrod, advisor to Obama, said the match-up could take place, serving as a way to get Boehner to engage in talks, potentially even on the debt ceiling, healthcare reform and other issues. The Bohunk offers this scenario; one round of golf, a one-on-one basketball game (Obama would kill Boehner) with both competitions aired nationally. Everyone would nap through the golf game, then shout and holler like a Rucker Park And1 special while Obama dunked of John till he cried. Wouldn’t you tune in to see that?

An ad from the campaign trail…And this asshole won…

State of the Union: Iffy

In case you missed it, the Bohunk has dug up a highlight reel, if you will, of the 2011 State of the Union address which aired last night. (Jersey Shore was on, so many youngsters did not tune it, I’m told) The video included here is just one-sixth of the one hour and two minute speech that hopped from the economy, the Tucson shootings, Iran, North Korea, the Super Bowl, education and most of the other problems facing the US today. Below are some notes I took (I didn’t really take notes) of the speech as it touched on certain points. Also, look at my timeline on Twitter for minute by minute tweets as the SOTU happened. Yes, the Bohunk has that little going on.

No one yelled “You Lie!” but Biden did call for “Free Bird”…

 

~Note: Boehner must have turned his tanning bed up to eleven…He looks like a leather chair.

~Obama encouraged Americans to become teachers; every unemployed, underpaid teacher moaned.

~Boehner, constantly on camera, looked inattentive and full of burning hate, though, in his defense, the burning was a result of a male Polynesian prostitute he slapped in the men’s room a few weeks ago.

~If you look closely, Biden has a woman’s name and phone number written on his left hand. Way to go, Joe.

~John McCain has aged terribly in the past two years…but so has Obama.

~It took an hour, but yes, Boehner did, finally, cry, with just eight minutes left in the speech. You almost faked some dignity! Hard to be a hard-ass when you tear up just by being mentioned by the President, the man you vehemently oppose.

Smart Bacteria

Scientists in Tel Aviv have discovered how to measure the intelligence of bacteria. A similar team in the US is working on similar tests for George W. Bush. The microbiologists, however, are successfully measuring the social and communicative abilities of bacteria in an effort to develop ways of manipulating the little rascals into helping fight disease, work in agriculture and many other areas. First, scientists have proven some theories that have long been held on the intelligence of bacteria. The Bohunk cautions the reader; do not confuse intelligence of bacteria to the intelligence of man. In the situation, the intelligence is really the ability to adapt to changes in their environment and utilize new or altered sources of nutrition. The proof is in the rotting pudding; bacteria is one of the top three causes of death in Western hospitals. Their ability to change and communicate resistant traits among types of bacteria is the reason even the most modern antibiotics become obsolete with repeated use. Second, scientists have found that there are varying levels of intelligence and social contact. Most bacteria make up what scientist call the 'average' intelligence, an amount that actually encompasses roughly 60% of known types of bacterium. The top 20%, however, is comprised of highly advanced Vortex bacteria which, if it could be translated to a human IQ, would score higher than the average human IQ of 100. This genius bacteria, if understood and manipulated, could be used in soils, medicines and a range of other products to make us safer and healthier.

Caffeine: Friend or Foe?

While sitting in Shakespeare class and shaking (literally) off a caffeine buzz, the Bohunk wondered just how much coffee would kill you. Turns out it would take roughly 5 to ten grams to kill a man, or, about 40 cups of coffee. A rather common occurance is actually caffeine poisoning; enough caffeine in a day can actually produce a toxin in your blood, enough to make a jittery person quite ill. About four thousand 'Mericans are hospitalized each year for caffeine poisoning, the majority from coffee or energy drink consumption. The next time you reach for a cup of joe, try to have less than forty two to avoid overdosing on caffeine. Two cups a day should be enough, my friends.

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