CNN An 8.8-magnitude earthquake has struck Japan

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Polnut, note that I did not call for the evacuation of Tokyo. Where you got that I don't know. The reason I did not call for it is because it is physically impossible. What I said is that "it's going to get it", which it probably is, because the wind is moving at 14 km/h. That means it will be there in less than a day.

I should acknowledge, that I am not suggesting you suggested that.

But I am hearing the eternal pessimists (the end is nigh crowd) who are basically repeating your concerns, then expanding that to suggest evacuating Tokyo... which is unnecessary, not just logistically difficult.

[Marokai Backbeat]

This thread has become unreadable.

Please, grace us with your presence more often so that the thread can once again be readable for all.

Here's the thing: No one in this thread knows a goddamn thing about what's going on. Not really. We can all take the news and we can speculate, but let's be serious here, you actually think this thread is informative? It's essentially been taken over entirely by J.J., Jmfcst, and Beet, the last two being completely out of their minds panicking over the situation. Beet is essentially playing pretend Japanese Prime Minister here. There's no point to that.

Seriously, I'm the cocky pretentious one? Beet just laid out a four-point plan as if he could influence the Japanese government.

This thread isn't informative anymore. At best it's disaster porn and at worst it's a collection of panicked disaster-hypochondriacs. I keep clicking on it only because it's basically the only discussion of it on this site but it's basically all "Japan is doomed! Japan is doomed!" It's a nightmare (an indefensible one, though you can continue trying) and I'm tired of reading it. (But if I want to see anything about this site's take on it, I have to.)

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

3. Kan needs to suspend the stock market. This is no time to be thinking about trading! For anyone. After 9/11, the stock market was suspended for a week, and this is more serious than that.

yo, do you know where Wall Street is in relation to the WTC?  they stopped trading for a week because they were UNABLE to trade.

[Beet]

Marokai, it's human nature to think about what you would do in a situation like this. I never claimed my comments will influence anything. What kind of comments would you like to see? Serious question.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

It's essentially been taken over entirely by J.J., Jmfcst, and Beet, the last two being completely out of their minds panicking over the situation.

jmfcst is panicing?!  dude...I'm sitting here munching on raw carrots dipped in ranch dressing and watching music videos of the 60's 70's and 80's.

[Marokai Backbeat]

What kind of comments would you like to see? Serious question.

I don't honestly know. I don't really know if there's much more to say but to sit, hope, and wait to see what happens. But I really think you're working yourself up far more than you need to. Whatever this discussion should be, I don't think shouting doomsday is productive.

(I guess if anything comes to mind about what to talk about taking away from this disaster is Japan's infrastructure, specifically in relation to ours. The merits and potential dangers of nuclear energy, and should we continue using it? The need for tsunami warning and protecting systems to be in place and continue to be fully funded. I don't know if here is the perfect avenue for those discussions, but at a certain point, this thread is just wallowing in misery.)

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Ew..... ranch dressing... too heavy.

[J. J.]

Marokai, it's human nature to think about what you would do in a situation like this. I never claimed my comments will influence anything. What kind of comments would you like to see? Serious question.

I generally read this thread, and post on it, for news.

I kinda think a tsunami and three reactors on the verge of meltdownare news.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

3. Kan needs to suspend the stock market. This is no time to be thinking about trading! For anyone. After 9/11, the stock market was suspended for a week, and this is more serious than that.

I don't know why they opened it.  Sure, not opening it would have bad consequences, but they wouldn't be having 13% drops like they are right now.  Although it's a little late to stop trading.  That was a huge economic mistake.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

3. Kan needs to suspend the stock market. This is no time to be thinking about trading! For anyone. After 9/11, the stock market was suspended for a week, and this is more serious than that.

yo, do you know where Wall Street is in relation to the WTC?  they stopped trading for a week because they were UNABLE to trade.

There are other stock exchanges though.

[J. J.]

3. Kan needs to suspend the stock market. This is no time to be thinking about trading! For anyone. After 9/11, the stock market was suspended for a week, and this is more serious than that.

I don't know why they opened it.  Sure, not opening it would have bad consequences, but they wouldn't be having 13% drops like they are right now.  Although it's a little late to stop trading.  That was a huge economic mistake.

I have to agree that they should suspend trading.

They are not evacuating a 30 km radius.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

3. Kan needs to suspend the stock market. This is no time to be thinking about trading! For anyone. After 9/11, the stock market was suspended for a week, and this is more serious than that.

I don't know why they opened it.  Sure, not opening it would have bad consequences, but they wouldn't be having 13% drops like they are right now.  Although it's a little late to stop trading.  That was a huge economic mistake.

I have to agree that they should suspend trading.

They are not evacuating a 30 km radius.

But the Tuesday after?  That just seems even worse... like the government is indicisive.  I think it never should've opened on Monday, but I don't know that I agree that now is still a good time to suspend it.

[bullmoose88]

Fire at a 4th reactor? (cnn)

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Fire at a 4th reactor? (cnn)

I'm guessing it must not be too serious yet.  They're on commercial and FOX and MSNBC are on reruns still.

[J. J.]

3. Kan needs to suspend the stock market. This is no time to be thinking about trading! For anyone. After 9/11, the stock market was suspended for a week, and this is more serious than that.

I don't know why they opened it.  Sure, not opening it would have bad consequences, but they wouldn't be having 13% drops like they are right now.  Although it's a little late to stop trading.  That was a huge economic mistake.

I have to agree that they should suspend trading.

They are not evacuating a 30 km radius.

But the Tuesday after?  That just seems even worse... like the government is indicisive.  I think it never should've opened on Monday, but I don't know that I agree that now is still a good time to suspend it.

Yets, simply say that the conditions have gotten worse (they have).

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

when is this nightmare going to end for these people?!  talk about having a Job complex!!!

[bullmoose88]

Fire at a 4th reactor? (cnn)

looks like Japs and anything nuclear, whether it be bombs or reactors, just don't mix.  nor do earthquakes and Japs.  nor do waves and Japs....ENOUGH ALREADY....they should just start Kamikaze-ing themselves into these reactors, might as well die with some dignity instead of just looking helpless while your whole country unravels around you in front of the whole world.

And all you had recently was carrots with ranch dressing eh?

[GMantis]

Apparently, they've managed a cold shutdown of units 1, 2 and 3 and extinguished the fire at unit 4. Of course, if the integrity of unit 2 is compromised (as most likely it is) this will not prevent further leak of radiation, which in the immediate vicinity of the plant has reached 400 millisievert per hour. 500 millisievert can cause radiation sickness.

[minionofmidas]

The winds are blowing WSW inland/towards Tokyo for the next 2-3 days. Jezus, they can't catch a break.

Plus a possibility of rain.

[Middle-aged Europe]

French nuclear agency disagrees with Japan's assessment that Fukushima is a level 4 incident on the INES scale and says that it is rather a 5 or 6. This would make it as bad or worse than Three Mile Island without reaching Chernobyl levels.

Merci, Capitain Obvieux.

French nuclear agency now says that it is definitely a level 6.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/world/japans-fukushima-six-seven-point-scale-gravity-watchdog-335

If so, Fukushima would be the second or third worst nuclear accident in history, I suppose. (Considering that were was only one level 7 and one level 6 before.)

[Lief 🗽]

I agree with Beet, for what it's worth, regarding the stock exchange. The Nikkei has fallen something like 16% in the last two days and there's no reason for it to rebound in the short term. They need to close it until next week.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

I agree with Beet, for what it's worth, regarding the stock exchange. The Nikkei has fallen something like 16% in the last two days and there's no reason for it to rebound in the short term. They need to close it until next week.

so, sure, halting liquidity is the proper response 

[J. J.]

I agree with Beet, for what it's worth, regarding the stock exchange. The Nikkei has fallen something like 16% in the last two days and there's no reason for it to rebound in the short term. They need to close it until next week.

so, sure, halting liquidity is the proper response 

Stopping devalualuation for a week may help liquidity long term.

[Хahar 🤔]

Fire at a 4th reactor? (cnn)

looks like Japs and anything nuclear, whether it be bombs or reactors, just don't mix.  nor do earthquakes and Japs.  nor do waves and Japs....ENOUGH ALREADY....they should just start Kamikaze-ing themselves into these reactors, might as well die with some dignity instead of just looking helpless while your whole country unravels around you in front of the whole world.

Ethnic slurs are very not okay here, unless I missed some change to the rules.

[J. J.]

Fire at a 4th reactor? (cnn)

they should just start Kamikaze-ing themselves into these reactors, might as well die with some dignity instead of just looking helpless while your whole country unravels around you in front of the whole world.

Ethnic slurs are very not okay here, unless I missed some change to the rules.

Just for the record, there are 50 very brave (and probably soon to be dead), employees of the power company that are still on site, getting radiation, while trying to prevent the meltdown.  Is that Kamikaze enough for everyone?