Live Tokyo Geiger Counter

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 03/15/2011 08:07 -0400

Those who wish to bypass the media entirely and observe Tokyo radioactivity directly, and the SPEEDI site is down (as it seems to always be), here is a live webcast showing a live Tokyo Geiger counter.

Marc Faber On The Japanese Disaster, On A 20% Market Correction And On QE18

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 03/15/2011 09:26 -0400

Marc Faber appeared earlier on CNBC in response to a plunging market, and gave his latest updated outlook on QE3... and 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 (not to mention 18). "We may drop 10 to 15 percent. Then QE 2 will come, (then) QE 4, QE 5, QE 6, QE 7—whatever you want. The money printer will continue to print, that I'm sure. Actually I made a mistake. I meant to say QE 18." Faber was modestly constructive on the Japanese selloff, which at one point hit 18% down in overnight futures trading: "This huge selloff is an investment opportunity in Japanese equities, but if a meltdown occurs then all bets are off." As usual, there is no love loss between Faber and the Chairsatan (recall that today's Empire Manufacturing survey confirmed margins continue to be crushed due to surging input costs): "I think Mr. Bernanke doesn't know much about the global economy but he probably watches the S&P every day." And on Fed criticism: ""Until very recently the Feds have had very few critiques, very few people criticized the Fed's policies under Mr. Greenspan and Mr. Bernanke. Over the last few months, a lot of critical comments have come up about the Fed and its money-printing habit. The S&P drops 20 percent (and) all the critics will be silent and they will all applaud new money-printing." No fear of that here: Zero Hedge has been rather vocal in our opinion of the world's most destructive central planning buro from day one. We will continue being so, regardless how low the S&P plummets... Perhaps even to its fair value south of 500.

Rule 48 Invoked

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 03/15/2011 09:18 -0400

We’ve Taken Out All Trendlines 

 

 

 

A First Person Account From Japan's Ground Zero

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 03/15/2011 11:25 -0400

Jason Kelly, a financial writer living in Sano, Japan, shares his first person experience of the stunning events from the past several days: "The power interruptions and damage to infrastructure are leaving stores in Japan’s earthquake area sold out. Gas stations are rationing, but closing one by one as they go dry. Between a third and half of the shops in my town, Sano, are closed for various reasons, not least of which is to let society catch its breath. The following pictures were taken by mobile phone at stores in Sano" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Al Jazeera Explains What A Fukushima Meltdown Would Look Like

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 03/15/2011 10:59 -0400

Following explosions in at least two reactor cores at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant - and as the developing crisis is rated at level 6 of seven levels on the International Nuclear Events Scale (previously being 3, or below 3 Mile Island status, to keep the panic level low)- attention is turning to just what is happening inside the 40-year-old power plant in north-east Japan. Al Jazeera's Dan Nolan explains how a meltdown would happen. 

 

 

 

IAEA Reports Daini, Onagawa, And Tokai NPPs Safe And Stable, Continues To Be Concerned About Fukushima

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 03/15/2011 10:43 -0400

The IAEA Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) continues to monitor the status of the nuclear power plants in Japan that were affected by the devastating earthquake and consequent tsunami. All units at the Fukushima Daini, Onagawa, and Tokai nuclear power plants are in a safe and stable condition (i.e. cold shutdown). The IAEA remains concerned over the status of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, where sea water injections to cool the reactors in units 1, 2 and 3 are continuing. Attempts to return power to the entire Daiichi site are also continuing. 

 

 

 

China Orders Mass Evacuation Of Its Citizens From Northeast Japan

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 03/15/2011 10:33 -0400

Following reports that all major banks have pulled their employees out of Tokyo overnight, finally broad evacuations are starting to spread to the ordinary citizens, starting with China. AP reports that: "China became the first government to organize a mass evacuation of its citizens from Japan's northeast on Tuesday, while other foreigners left the country following radiation leaks at an earthquake-damaged nuclear power plant. Austria said it is moving its embassy from Tokyo to Osaka, 250 miles (400 kilometers) away, due to radiation concerns. France recommended that its citizens leave the Japanese capital, while the U.S. government advised Americans to avoid travel to Japan." And while the Chinese concern for its citizens is admirable, what is peculiar is the complete silence as to how China, which is very much downwind from Fukushima, is handling the fears of its own local citizens regarding spreading radiation. 

 

 

 

A Girl's (Latest) Best Friend - Keychain Geiger Counters?

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 03/15/2011 10:21 -0400

Probably a reasonable purchase in these uncertain times. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

US Navy Detects Radiation In Tokyo-Area Bases

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 03/15/2011 10:09 -0400

The Navy said very low levels of airborne radiation were detected Tuesday morning at greater Tokyo-area bases in Yokosuka and Atsugi, prompting commanders to direct base residents to remain indoors as a precaution. At 7 a.m., the aircraft carrier USS George Washington at Yokosuka Naval Base detected elevated radiation levels, according to a U.S. Navy 7th Fleet statement. The Navy said the elevated levels were associated with the disaster at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant, located about 200 miles to the north. A level of 0.5 millirems of radiation was detected at Atsugi with similar levels at Yokosuka, said Atsugi public affairs officer Tim McGough. The radiation was detected coming from winds blowing from the northeast, he said...“The level of 0.5 millirems, which is translated to five microsieverts, is 50 times more than the level that exits in nature,” said Masaharu Hoshi, professor of radiation physics at the Research Institute of Radiation Biology and Medicine of the University of Hiroshima.