Checking in for Dagny’s take she has some frilliant considerations – (IamDagny AKA. Ann Barnhardt) The internet is not 100% evil. One of the confirmations of this has been the amount of information posted all over the web by retired nuclear physicists, engineers and military personnel, purely voluntarily and solely for the public good. Almost all of them are doing this under anonymous handles, but I still feel compelled to offer my personal thanks. Here is what I have gleaned from reading several of these expert threads.

The earthquake in Japan was devastating beyond description. It may be the worst earthquake ever given its strength coupled with its proximity to densely populated areas. (more…)

(DailyMail) The sound of a baby’s cry amid the rubble seemed so impossible that soldiers searching a tsunami-smashed village dismissed it as a mistake.  But it came again. And they realised they had not been hearing things.  They pulled away wood and slate, dug back thick oozing mud – and there was the child they were to describe as a ‘tiny miracle’.  The four-month-old girl had been swept from her parents’ arms in the shattered village of Ishinomaki when the deadly wave crashed into the family home.  (more…)

Shameful..…  (Daily Mail) A TV and radio host shocked viewers when he said the human toll caused by the widespread death and destruction of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami was worse than the toll on the economy ‘and we can be grateful for that’. In the wake of devastation which has seen thousands lose their lives following the 9.0 magnitude quake, CNBC’s Larry Kudlow said: ‘The human toll here looks to be much worse than the economic toll, and we can be grateful for that.’   The pundit had been discussing the U.S. markets when the rolling screen graphic signalled the death toll was likely to be more than 1,000. (more…)

* Breaking news*  Fox and CNN are reporting #2 Reactor has exploded with possible breach to core containment shell…    #1 and #3 previously exploded but maintained containment shell.   Ongoing….  An explosion was heard Tuesday morning at the Japanese nuclear reactor that has been of greatest concern in the wake of the country’s devastating earthquake and tsunami, which damaged the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant.  (Read more)  TV reports are stating that half of the fuel rods remain exposed (without coolant), and at several times thoughout the prior days the pressure within the containment unit grew so large that coolant was unable to be pumped in to the chamber.    Link to FOX – Link to CNN   (more…)

• The US Navy’s 7th Fleet says 17 crewmembers have been exposed to low-level radioactivity released from a stricken nuclear power plant. The crew was aboard helicopters flying in relief missions in a quake-affected area of Japan. The 17 were on 3 helicopters from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, flying in rescue operations outside Sendai City. (more…)

Hat Tip YTZ4Me – I’ve got some personal notes after the article – (Reuters) Positioning for this could send the dollar plummeting versus the yen on Monday and lead to a sharp slide in Treasuries since U.S. government bonds are a favorite asset of Japanese investors, market analysts said.  Stocks also are likely to come under pressure.   (more…)

When you watch this video from start to finish you really get an idea of how fast the Tsunami hit and in a matter of minutes EVERYTHING was:

Magnitude Raised – (NHK World News Japan) Japan’s Meteorological Agency says the magnitude of Friday’s earthquake that hit the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan was 9.0 instead of 8.8/8.9 as earlier announced. The agency made the correction on Sunday morning after analyzing seismic waves and other data. (more…)

*update 10:00pm*  It is very difficult to find hard accurate news of what is occurring at this reactor.  Therefore consider this disclaimer – I would highly advise anyone to research the conflicting stories yourself.   Having visited numerous sites with technical professionals discussing the events and what facts they know,  it is safe to say the vast majority of professionals are calling “BullS**t” on the official statements.  Including numerous retired IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) officials in various industrial trade chat rooms.  The verbage from the Japanese officials is frustratingly “guarded”, while it is understandable they do not want to worsen the fears and overwhelm the citizenry with panic, the lack of clarity is  not providing room for any optimism.   First a hard print article:  (more…)

h/t Wendy Ann: JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — One of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes has erupted, sending lava and searing gas clouds tumbling down its slopes. Volcanology official Agus Budianto said Friday that authorities were still trying to evacuate residents living along the slopes of Mount Karangetang. There were no immediate reports of injuries or serious damage. The 5,853-foot mountain is located on Siau, part of the Sulawesi island chain. It last erupted in August [see story below], killing four people. (more…)