Although, there was a great piece on Global news last night about the *volunteer* firefighters from Tokyo who are heading up to help with the reactor.

You know the workers at the plant are being monitored for radiation building, rotated through, and scrubbed down regularly; every precaution is being taken to keep them safe... but it's still a really risky job and you know that even with the best precautions, working that close to the radioactivity for extended periods, there are almost certain long-term health effects. Regular firefighting duties are dangerous, but generally, if you don't burn, you're going to be going home in the same condition you went to work; there's not usually a lot that will slowly kill you...

Having a 'herd mentality' comes from being human.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/...20043554.shtml

brave folks

greatful for their hard work and perseverance in order to keep japan safe.

Students in Beijing have put together this collection of images, showing messages of support for Japan from people of various nationalities:

-
And something kinda interesting.

Japanese culture, yakuza to thank for no looting in Japan

In the wake of the earthquake and tsunami, Japan has been noticeably absent of looting and crime. Naturally, we all assume that the Japanese are just that orderly, polite and all those other enviable traits.
These things are true, but Slate and Jake Adelstein added a little more depth to why these traits exist.


Slate points out something I was never really aware of: there's a well-built punishment and reward system for following the rules, especially when it comes to losing items.
Oftentimes, a reward of 5-20% of the objects worth will be given to the finder, and if nobody claims it, then the finder gets it after six months.
If you went ahead and just took it? The police would be a lot harsher to you.


A more interesting angle, courtesy of Jake Adelstein: the yakuza.
According to Adelstein, the major yakuza families have squads formed that walk the streets, just like the police officers do, to make sure that crime doesn't happen during this crisis.
According to one yakuza boss: "In times of crisis, there are not Yakuza and civilians or foreigners. There are only human beings and we should help each other."
It's good to know that everyone is pitching in to help out in Japan, from the top of the government to the furthest outskirts of the law.

Source: http://www.japanator.com/japanese-cu...an-18946.phtml

http://www.news1130.com/news/local/a...oring-stations

im not sure if that sets the message they want (not needing to be concerned)
I mean anyone who is scared is going to feel their fears are confirmed/justified

People whine that the government isn't doing enough, and start to get paranoid.

Government does something to placate them.

People whine that the government is freaking out and making them paranoid.

not sure if this is a repost

Japan driver films his car being engulfed by tsunami
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...y-tsunami.html

From CKNW

The best part about the KI pills, is people don't realize that you can't take it for longer than 7 days.

Lets do the math.

Reactor melts down tommorow. You have been on the pills for 4 days already. Radiation takes 4-5 days to cross pacific ocean = you're not going to make a difference either way.

You're supposed to take the pills an hour or so before exposure and no later than half an hour AFTER exposure.

People have already been emitted to poison control centers. Lol..

How Japan is teaching their kids. Thought some people in this thread needed a bit of clarification. lol

Well, or the thinking is that then they can SHOW the numbers proving there's not a problem.

Arash, anyone?

Of course... they'll just assume the meters are "rigged" and showing false low numbers...

Video of the Tsunami/Wave at sea.

http://video.godlikeproductions.com/...ed9ad80f328e6c

That is scary as hell.. I wish Japan a swift recovery.

loved the video.
Whoever disliked that video can go fuck himself
amazes me how heartless some people can be.

Videos like this should NOT have any dislikes at all

apparently the Yakuza have been helping with relief efforts. crazy...........


http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-a...lief-efforts/#

wow ... just more proof that everyone's got a heart .. i think the people disliking ("thumbs down-ing") these kinda videos (as mentioned a few posts ago) on youtube are just doing it to try and get a rise out of people. No sane human being can in any way shape or form justify what's happened there.

It's very likely that one day we'll be in their same position ... definitely hits close to home.

Off topic but here is a little something I find online about the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster

Broken into 6parts. Not for the weak.


part1 Part2 Part3 PART4 Part5 Part6

You should get points for unrelated to topic, but for now I'll just let everyone fail you

I am not very good at reading chinese but according to Yahoo.hk it seems Japan is going to tomb their nuclear power plant/

http://hk.news.yahoo.com/article/110318/3/nbg7.html

Maybe someone can read it and explain it full details?

they just had Michio Kaku on CNN

and he says he's been suggesting that Japan prepare the military for an "entombment" operation but they're not interested and feel its too extreme to prepare for one at the moment (according to Michio)
you can watch it here http://inthearena.blogs.cnn.com/2011...rnobyl-option/

you can read an LATimes article that speaks about entombment here http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...7.story?page=2
starts on paragraph 7 of page 2

Clearly the situation isn't too dire if they're putting off this entombment operation.

I came across this article at BBC of all places, that reminds people that instead of worrying about what they think COULD happen, or something they are IMAGINING to happen, they should consider that thousands of people HAVE lost their homes, and thousands HAVE died from something that really DID happen.

Even something worst than the worst case scenario isn't nearly as bad as the effects of the tsunami itself. Instead of needlessly worrying about what would happen if they had to entomb the cores (basically, the land becomes useless), how about chipping in and helping out these people who already did lose their homes and families? As stated in another thread, Japan isn't getting nearly as many donations as the previous disasters have raised, yet people are spending way more time talking about goofy things like nuclear fallout and whether they'll be able to buy sushi imported from Japan again.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,4078181.story

I dont think this was posted... checked couldnt see

reporters recording from the ground as the tsunami comes and they rush for cover in a building; while in the building they notice people trapped on a fence, in a tree, etc
and they use a fire hose to rescue the people stranded

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12778552

bbc video only shows a lady, and a father and his 2 children being rescued


edit: oh better video



both these videos didnt show them attempting to save the father and kids; they tried a bunch of times but couldnt get close enough to them and it took until it was dark to finally get them