Latest Disaster News About Fukushima Accident - Media Coverup?

The foaming at the mouth panic and fear mongering about Fukushima is dying down. The peanut gallery is taking their toys and heading home. The reason why you don't hear much about Fukushima is not because there is a coverup, it's because things are predictable and getting under control.


Now, the worst thing that is going to happen is how people from that area will most likely be discriminated against. I received a few excellent comments from some long time Japan expert friends who are quite knowledgable about Japan, her history and society. I'd like to share their wisdom with you.


The first is from my friend Graham Carpenter who writes:  

The big and real damage to Fukushima from this nuclear accident is how Fukushima will now be known as the radioactive prefecture, and its citizens will be discriminated around the country as if they are mutants. Sort of like how Hiroshima and Nagasaki victims were initially treated. And, of course, this is further accelerated with all the doomsday reports and predictions. 

The second is from Michael Di Stacio who runs the Rock Challenge Japan Charity who adds:

Speaking with children in Fukushima recently. Their fear of being "labelled" like lepers if they come to Tokyo is very real. The Mayor of Tsukuba a few months ago fed the ignorance. But me thinks that the past Hiroshima/Nagasaki mentality of stigma will smear Fukushima for some time ... due to an archaic education system and small, uniformed minds - both the products of an infantile media system and self-serving politicians.

THE FORTUNES - YOU'VE GOT YOUR TROUBLES, I'VE GOT MINE

So thanks to all those morons who were scaremongering and claiming doom. As if these people in Fukushima and Tohoku don't have enough problems of their own without having you clowns (who live hundreds, if not thousands of kilometers away) scaring people by writing and talking about BS.


The good news is these jerks are starting to fade away. Thank god for that.


Also, my hate mail is also decreasing.

The last mail I got (along the lines of claiming that I was a paid agent for the nuclear industry) was from a guy who was several weeks late to a party where I was blasting a guy named Arnie Gundersen for scare mongering and stating ridiculous things about Fukushima and the nuclear accident problem in Japan. The last article that I had written bashing Gundersen, entitled, "Radioactive Air Filters in Cars?" was written on June 16th, 2011 about Arnie's nonsense claims of car air filters in Tokyo being found with dangerous levels of "Hot Spot" radiation that will surely kill us all but couldn't be detected with a Geiger counter. That post was penned in mid-June.... 

The anonymous reader finally got around to reading that story (at least three weeks late) and wrote to me yesterday on July 6, 2011. His letter is funny in a conspiratorial sort of way. I laughed. I hope you get a chuckle out of it too. The guy jumps right into it when he comments:

"At this point, calling Gundersen names puts you in good company...every other nuclear official/scientist (all bought off by the industry) that said nuclear containment issues were a zero percent probability."

Ha! Ha! laughable. "Every other nuclear official/scientist"!? Oh really? EVERY!? All of them? This guy sounds just like Gundersen. They're both just like the child who begs mom for a new toy "because everyone has one!" They are also like the rest of these people (like Global warming alarmists, Swine Flu, Bird Flu, etc.) who always say the end of the world is upon us. They make these wild claims and yet fail to back them up with names or links (remember when "they" said that "2,500 of the word's top scientist agree about man-made Global Warming"? Ha!). 

OK, anonymous reader, name one of these "Every other nuclear official/scientist" (who aren't in the pocket of the nuclear industry) please. It's heartening to know that Gundersen stands like the rock of Gibraltar, alone, against the elements of evil.


Guffaw! 

Then, on top of that, he goes and make the even more idiotic claim that these unnamed nuclear official/scientist(s) were "bought off by the industry"? Oh, please.... Got any receipts?

Folks, it is truly embarrassing that our public education system graduates people who write this poorly and have such low critical thinking skills. How in the hell did the west ever win the Cold War? Seriously, this is embarrassing, no?

This argument is pure fiction out of Alice in Wonderland. 

Once again, if a writer can't name names or show links to back up claims, then it's all bullsh*t just like the "anecdotal" crap Gundersen says. Then the writer continues trying to be "cute" or "intelligent" of which he is not either...

"Oooppsy-Doopsy! Granted, a metallic taste in the mouth is NOT scientific."

"Oooppsy- Doopsy!" indeed. I think someone watches way too much American TV sitcoms. People in the real world don't talk this way. They only do on the I Love Lucy Show or Mary Tyler Moore or whatever dribble people watch these days.

"...but if all things remained consistent, and I tasted something "metallic", and I lived in Seattle during the disaster, I'd be at least mildly concerned."

You would be concerned if you "lived in Seattle during the disaster"? Oh man, I know Americans are bad at geography, but this is ridiculous. It's almost 5,000 miles from Tokyo to Seattle! You would be worried about that!? You have a 5,000 times higher chance of dying from coal or oil industry emissions and you don't worry about those, but you'd be worried if you had a metallic taste in your mouth if you lived 5,000 miles away? Seriously, you should never drink the tap water anyway either. The crap in the tap water will probably kill you much sooner than something going on 5,000 miles away.

Dude. You need help. Really.

"Especially given the government's consistent under reporting of the actual radiation releases."

Once again, proof, please. Links?

"Bad mouth him all you want, I suspect you were bad mouthing him BEFORE the accident too."

Wrong! Never heard of the guy before.  

"I guess it becomes an issue of credibility at that point, and the my money is on Gundersen." (sic)

Your money is on Gundersen? Well, you lost. Gundersen, like Michio Kaku (excepting his Saturday night Sci-Fi TV show), is no where to be seen recently. They've lost all credibility and have quietly gone back to hiding under their rocks.

But I am still here. If you bet on guys like me, you won. Here is what is really going on at Fukushima. Trust that this is boring stuff and is never anywhere near as exciting as Gundersen making up nonsense like deadly radiation that will kill you but is undetectable or Michio Kaku saying stuff like "the Yellowstone National Park was a "super volcano" that was going to"wipe out the United States as we know it."

Instead of betting on Micho Kaku or Arnie Gundersen, I'd say it's a better bet to put your money on Uncle Fester from the Addams Family.... At least he is funny.

Uncle Fester gets a charge

But enough of my complaining. Here's what's going on at Fukushima that you need to know.... Actually a lot is going on, but it is not sensational, so you won't hear about it.... 

Fukushima Reactors on Target for Stabilization Next Week (July 17, 2011)

http://www.jaif.or.jp/english/news_images/pdf/ENGNEWS01_1309166580P.pdf

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has started injecting decontaminated wastewater as a coolant. This is considered an important step to stabilize the damaged reactors. Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, says it began recycling the water around the reactors on Monday afternoon. The utility has been operating a water treatment system since June 14th and processed about 1,850 tons of radioactive water that had been accumulated at the plant. TEPCO says it will continue injecting 16 tons of water per hour into the No.1, 2 and 3 reactors. 13 tons of this will be the decontaminated water. Workers had been pouring pure water to cool the damaged reactors, but some of this ended up contaminated with radioactive substances and was leaking outside of the reactors. Cooling the reactors without increasing the volume of wastewater is the biggest challenge. With the water circulation in operation, TEPCO has made progress toward achieving its target of stabilizing the reactors by mid-July. 

Get that? Even though guys like Gundersen and many others claimed that it would take decades to get Fukushima under control or that we needed to bomb the reactors from the air with concrete and cover them up, they are on schedule to be stabilized with 10 days of this post.

That doesn't strike me as the end of the world or the apocalypse like some writers were claiming. Does it to you?

Robot Tests Radiation in Fukushima Reactor Building

http://safetyfirst.nei.org/japan/robot-tests-radiation-in-fukushima-reactor-building/

Work is continuing to reduce radiation levels at Fukushima Daiichi’s reactor 3 building. Tokyo Electric Power Co. has used robots to vacuum radioactive debris and place steel sheets on the floor to decrease the potential for radiation exposure. Pending a reduction in radiation levels, workers are scheduled to enter the building housing the reactor on July 17 to begin installing new piping to inject nitrogen gas into the reactor containment vessel. The inert gas will reduce the possibility of a hydrogen explosion in the containment building. The company already is injecting nitrogen into the containments for reactors 1 and 2.

Catch that? "Workers are scheduled to enter the building housing the reactor on July 17th." There is a second article on the same page that talks about how Japan has cleared up the contaminated water issue.

TEPCO said debris may have clogged a hose, temporarily reducing the flow of cooling water into reactor 1 at Fukushima Daiichi by about one-quarter of normal volume. Normally, the cooling system injects 3.7 metric tons of water an hour into the reactors, but the flow was reduced Monday to about 3 metric tons per hour, setting off an alarm. Workers began injecting more water, restoring normal flow in less than an hour. 

The last part of this non-news is "Workers began injecting more water, restoring normal flow in less than an hour." That's "normal" as in "nothing special," "OK," "regular," "not newsworthy." That's why recent news shows things like the Yahoo News top stories for this very moment:

 Let me close up on the top news stories that I highlighted in blue for you:

• Court orders immediate halt to gay military service ban
• CNN cancels Eliot Spitzer's show, promotes Anderson Cooper
• Grizzly bear kills man hiking with wife in Yellowstone
• Jail prepares secret exit for possible Casey Anthony release
• Doctor for A-Rod, Tiger brought unapproved drugs to U.S.
• 24-year-old congressional candidate raises $420,000
• Final Defendant Acquitted in Deutsche Bank Fire- N.Y. Times
• Cops accused of rape also accused of…- New York Dai…
• Hip hop mogul hit with new charges- New York Post

"Court orders immediate halt to gay military service ban"? CNN cancels some TV show? Grizzly bear kills man? Jail prepares secret exit? Wow! That's some news! From reading in between the lines and knowing about the government cover up, one can definitely conclude from these news stories that the world is ending soon and Fukushima is at the cause. (HEAVY SARCASM AGAIN!) 


As Fukushima fades the prophets of doom become more and more discredited.  These clowns who prophesied total disaster and idiocy like "the entire 1/3 of Japan will be depopulated" will go back and crawl into their holes in the ground from whence they came (I've always wanted to use the word, "whence"!)


Of course, they will also conveniently claim that they knew it all along and try to change the subject whenever the BS they said or wrote about Fukushima comes up.


There is a Chinese curse that goes like this: "May you live in interesting times." This year has been very interesting so far. 


I hope it doesn't become more interesting... I don't expect that it will. 

Suicide Blogger

People create blogs because they have something that they want to say. The best bloggers, I think, are those, like musicians, who make their songs for themselves and don't care what others think. 

Tokyo has had some pretty bad sh*t happen 

to it before yet we're still here.

The best bloggers don't blog because they want to get high numbers of readers daily, they write what they want and as they please.


Someday, when I grow up, and am fully able to suppress my inner child, I want to completely say and write what I want. 


The music example above is a good one, I think. The best music comes from people who have a message they want to say to the world and don't care if it sells or not. If it does sell, great. If it doesn't, well, that's too bad. 


The best musicians are not going to change their music to Top 40 style just to get fans. Although, unfortunately, this happens far too often and that's why Pop music sucks so much. 


Of course, like selling many CDs or downloads, for bloggers it is also gratifying to get lots of readers.

2012 is supposed to be the end of the world. 

Hope you have your bags packed. 

When a musician sells out and gives up on his music for sales, then he "sells out" as the term goes. Selling out is a sort of lie. It is not telling the truth and it is doing something purely for money (though I cannot slag off anyone who wants to make money).


Like being truthful to your music, writing the truth on a blog is not a good way to make "sales." What I mean by that is it is not a good way to garner many readers.


Sensationalism sells.


Just look at the news rack at your favorite grocery store upon checkout next time; Gossip and rumor magazines galore. Gossip and rumor and innuendo sell. They are all a form of sensationalism. 


If you want many readers, then writing sensationalism sells. You needn't believe me. Just look at all the media. Sensationalism sells and that is a fact of life.


Newspapers, TV, magazines and the Internet do not sell well when they write boring stuff, like the truth. They need sensationalism to garner readers.


I don't know about you but I don't want the kind of readers who enjoy gossip tabloid publications. I probably couldn't can't get them anyway. I want to write the truth on this blog. That's also why there are no advertisements on this blog either.


Telling the truth is not as good as sensationalism to get readers. Sensationalist nonsense makes waves. Just look at the recent remarks from Keith Harmon Snow, Arnie Gundersen and Michio Kaku. 


These guys make outrageous unfounded claims. People actually listen to them and print up their absurd remarks.


Sensationalism sells.


I blast these clowns out of the water whenever I can. If I wrote more wild nonsense about Fukushima and how people in Japan were being born with extra limbs or animals were deformed or birds were dropping from the skies and joined in with the scare-tactics of the sensationalist crowds, I'd probably have a large increase in readers everyday.


But, as it is, I don't. I want to write the truth and expose the charlatans as best I can. Writing the truth and telling people that no one has died from Fukushima or that rabbits are probably not being born deformed, or that deadly radiation is most probably not being secretly bombed on the Tokyo populace, or that 1/3 of Japan is most likely not to be evacuated and will be quite inhabitable for the next few hundred years at least, thank you, is not exciting stuff. 


If I can, I just want to get the truth out. What I write is not exciting. So my blog readership, as with all truthful blogs on Japan, has declined.

When the truth is that things aren't as bad as all the doomsayers claim, then he truth is boring. The truth being boring doesn't capture the folks who like gossip or sensationalism (or watch American Idol on TV).


The truth doesn't attract so many readers. The truth can be quite boring. Boring will cause a drop in readership. Continued drops in readership may kill off the motivation of a blogger. No motivation, no blog posts. No blog posts, no blog.


Doing something that kills you could be suicidal.


That is what a suicide blogger is.


So, make a choice; are you true to yourself and your "music" or do you want to sell out?  

Critical and Analytical Thinking are Lost Arts Amongst Many of Today's Adult Population

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein


We live in a world whereby well over 85% of adults fail miserably when it comes to critical thinking abilities. Let me give you examples of why I believe this to be true.

JAMES KOCHALKA - MONKEY VERSUS ROBOT

I receive daily updates from the Seth Godin Blog. It's always a short but interesting read. Yesterday's blog was entitled, "What's high school for?" It had several excellent points that Seth hoped that high school of the future could be teaching students. I agree. You can see the list here.


I enjoyed all the points on Seth's "Wish List". My favorite two points that I think must be taught immediately are:


1) How to read critically
2) An understanding of the extraordinary power of the Scientific Method, in just about any situation or endeavor.


There is one more point that I always strive for and that point is:


3) An insatiable desire (and the ability) to learn more. Forever.


There are few people, I hope, who would disagree with the three I have taken from Seth's list. Unfortunately, there are many, even "successful" parents and businessmen who are sorely lacking in item #1. I believe that is irrefutable logic that if you fail at #1 then you will not be able to successfully conduct items #2 and #3.

Most unfortunately, I'm getting the impression that, judging from the comments I often hear and from reading comments on Social Media websites, at least 85% of the adult population are incapable of well-executed critical analysis and reading. We lives in a society today whereby far too many people have lost the ability to perform even the most basic levels of critical/analytical thinking when it comes to what they see or hear on TV or what they read in print. This is a very sad situation. People are not able to extract facts from conjecture. They seem to be incapable of deeply considering the motivations of the people they see/hear or read on the mass media. 


Proper critical analysis will always examine a person's possible motivations for what they say or write. Too few adults today seem able to exercise this most basic ability.


Let me give you three recent cases in point with real-life examples; 


Recently, amongst a plethora of panic concerning the Fukushima nuclear disaster, I often read comments from people whereby they stated things like, "I don't believe the government. I only want the truth." 


Great. First off, I think the part about not believing the government is good. But let me restate that; being skeptical of government pronouncements is healthy. 


The second part about wanting the truth is a given. So does everyone else (hopefully). But do people really want the truth when they make these sorts of statement's, then link these claims to anothers writings (often filled with outlandish claims) when they haven't taken even a minute to do a basic background check on the person that they are linking to and quoting from?


Of course, I have an advantage here. Thirty years in broadcasting teaches you why and how to do backgrounds checks first as a matter of course (actually being taught to do background checks in news is taught on the first day of new broadcasting courses in any college or university in the world). 


A person who claims that they only want to find the truth and while attempting to to post or comment about a subject (see #2 above about Scientific Method) and then linking to or quoting from a "quack" - whose background hasn't been properly checked or vetted by that person - only makes a mockery of that supposed "search for truth" and that person's claims... It makes that person who is claiming to be the searcher look a fool. (I reckon that the search for truth will require a bit more than a two-minute effort and consume a lot more time than a quick read and rehashing some ill-researched column from the quoted "quackster.")


I'll give you an excellent example. Recently, during the outrageous and excessively over-blown panic about the Fukushima nuclear accident and its effects on Tokyo and southern and western Japan, several people wrote ridiculous nonsense on blogs and on Facebook, etc., quoting a very well-known and sensationalist "scientist" named Michio Kaku. 

"Babies have big heads and big eyes, and 

tiny little bodies with tiny little arms and legs... So did the 

aliens at Roswell! I rest my case." - William Shatner 

When the subject is something of critical importance like nuclear radiation and the dangers to you and your family, why is quoting people like Michio Kaku nonsense? Because listening to people like him is like asking William Shatner (played Captain Kirk in Star Trek) about space travel....Well, don't believe me, your honor. You be the judge. Here's the evidence; Michio Kaku he may be billed as a "scientist" but he is heavily involved in all sorts of "entertainment" such as writing Science Fiction for TV and books. 


As of this very moment, Michio Kaku's Wikipedia shows him to be a Theoretical Physicist. If you look through his bio, you'll see that most of his academic qualifications all list "Citation needed" (which means they are not verified). If you check his edit history on Wikipedia, you'll see that this is a very controversial figure with tens of thousands of re-edits. Before the Fukushima disaster, I saw Kaku was listed as an "Astrophysicist." Astrophysicist is defined as someone who studies the stars and the universe. It is also sometimes used as the description for someone who is involved with the zodiac for fortune telling purposes.  


Finally, a short check of Michio Kaku's work and list of books shows that his latest book is entitled, Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100 (I wonder if this book has George Jetson walking his dog on the cover?) This (ahem), hardcore peer-reviewed scientific document follows his other "scientific works" such as, "Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the 10th Dimension" and, "Physics of the Impossible." 


"Physics of the Impossible" is described on Kaku's own Wikipedia sites as, "an exploration into the science people dream about. Kaku explores things that people think are quite impossible. This book is divided into three sections: Class I, Class II, and Class III, according to the time that the things he talks about might happen." 


"Exploration into the science people dream about"? "Impossible"? "The things he talks about might happen"? Indeed.


Kaku finds the time to write these books when he's not hosting his Saturday night TV show on Channel 10, "Sci-Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible." And, if you loved those, you'll surely enjoy Kaku in, "Obessed & Scientific" That's a film about the possibility of time travel and the people who dream about it. 


Oh and all of the above is derived from a very enthusiastic following (fans) who describe him on Wikipedia. Whenever doing a proper background check, it's always best to check sources that are not so positive. This is part of the critical and analytical process. One of many other sources reveals that Michio Kaku, as recently as January 27, 2011, was quoted as saying, "All you can do is run" to people who live near Yellowstone National Park. You might remember a while back when Old Faithful was acting funny. That was when Kaku said in an article that was quoted in the "End Times Are Here" that the volcano under the Yellowstone National Park was a "super volcano" that was going to"wipe out the United States as we know it." 

Michio Kaku (middle) holding a "real light saber" (they described it 

that way, not me) in this shot from his hard-hitting science fiction TV 

series, "Sci-Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible."

Now, after I have completely destroyed this guy's scientific credibility (all within two whole minutes) I ask again, 'who is Michio Kaku?' Is he an Astrophysicist? Maybe. Is he a Theoretical Physicist? Possibly. Is he a Physicist (as we understand the typical usage of the term)? Most probably not.  


Continuing with the question of 'who is Michio Kaku'? Is he a Science Fiction writer and host of Science Fiction TV programming dealing with possibilities and the far-flung future and a writer who needs to sell books? Most definitely, "Yes!" Is appearing on TV and mass media and internet sites spewing fantastic Science Fiction the best way to get Star Wars fans and Trekkies to know your name and the best way to promote and sell your books? Most definitely "Yes."


Is Michio Kaku someone you'd rely on to tell you the truth about conditions at a nuclear accident site and to give you the facts you need to make a logical, rational decision on what's best for your life and your families future? Unless you are just plain stupid or nuts, most definitely not. That many people actually took this guy seriously shows that the premise of this post is true.


Folks, I am a pretty open-minded guy. I don't care about things like gay marriage or abortion. These are not my business and I think people should do as they please. I like to have fun too! Incredibly, I even work with the biggest women's magazine in Japan in a project concerning astrology. Really! I think Astrology and books and Science Fiction about the future are fun and entertaining. But, I do understand that these are not generally or universally recognized as a good way to plan your families future (unless you believe in zombies). Only an fool or incredibly irresponsible person would even consider for a second that they are.

On Sept. 2 (1929) a reporter checked in with (famous) astrologer 

Evangeline Adams to ask about the future of stock prices. 

Her answer, "The Dow Jones could climb to heaven." 

The very next day, the stock market hit its all-time high...

(By the way, It now it seems in Japan that the discussion has turned to the Tokai and Hamaoka nuclear power plant. This is logical and makes sense. After the Great Hanshin earthquake knocked down above ground expressways in Kobe that were manufactured by the same company that made the expressway above 246 in Tokyo, the local government has spent years upgrading those roads. This is prudent and understandable. I am not saying that I want the Hamaoka or Tokai plants shut down. I am saying that I think we must do a full examination of these facilities using the scientific method and, if their safety is found to be lacking, I would be more than sympathetic to either shutting them down (they are, after all, very old) or strongly reinforced (including, of course, being shut down until all improvements are made).... Actually, at 40-years-old, I cannot imagine that it is financially viable to upgrade these facilities. I also believe that since these plants are privately owned that the share-holders will be dead-set against shutting down these facilities.) 


I have written before in Open Letter to All Sensationalist Reporters and Bloggers on April 3, 2011 that people (especially in Tokyo) should worry about Tokai or Hamaoka nuclear reactors. Those reactors are upwind from Tokyo. Fukushima is downwind:


Not to downplay the suffering of those affected, but the disaster in Miyagi and surrounding areas is bad, but, in the long term view of things, merely a blip on the screen of Japan. Had this accident happened in Tokyo where 65 million people live (as opposed to the 750,000 in Miyagi), near the Tokai or Hamaoka reactor – that might result in a real catastrophe.


But I digress.


Another recent example showing a lack of critical thinking or reading skills by Joe Sixpack involved the film about the dolphin slaughter in Japan, The Cove. In an article I wrote last year that was published in several international online sites, Japan's Bans the Cove and Other Atrocities I had suspicions on the motivations of that film's producers. The producers of that film claimed that their motivations were pure and sincere. They said something to the effect of "If the Japanese people could see the movie, then they'd rise up and stop the senseless killing of these dolphins." (I'm paraphrasing here.)


From being a person who works in Marketing, the mass media and is initimately familiar with hype, I smelled a rat. I wrote:

"...if the makers of The Cove were truly sincere about their motivations in protecting the whales and dolphins, and how, if they truly believed that if the Japanese saw the movie, they'd demand the end of this whaling and dolphin killing, then they'd make the entire movie free on Youtube. Other people with a message have made theirs free, why doesn't the makers of The Cove do the same? Trust that Youtube has hundreds of millions more viewers than the movie theaters in Japan ever could hope to have. But, you know what? The Cove is not available on Youtube; only trailers for sales promotion are available. There goes their credibility.

And don't tell me that they can't give the movie away for free because then they won't make any money; just look at Google. Google gives away almost everything for free and they are one of the biggest money making companies in the world.

So just keep that in mind when you think about this problem and are bursting veins in your neck screaming about how evil these Japanese fishermen are." 

Of course, lots of people jumped on me for that question (Another example of what this post is about: the inability of a huge percentage of the adult population being unable to analyze and think critically). I am not talking about the pros and cons of killing those dolphins. I am completely attacking the claims of that film's producers. If we are to take what they say at 100% face value, that their motivations are purely to protect those dolphins and stop the killing (instead of controversy and making money producing films), then why isn't this film available for free on YouTube? 


The fact of the matter is that The Cove is not available for free on Youtube. Anyone could place The Cove on Youtube, the fact that this film's makers do not shows that their claims are false. Their primary motivations are not saving the dolphins, their primary motivations are money. If you don't believe me, place the film on YouTube and see how quickly a right's claim come to you and that film being removed by the right's owners.

This film being "banned" in Japan is the best promotion these folks could have ever asked for. You couldn't buy promotion that good. Think, "Sex Pistols" hype and media manipulation in 1976 for a brief course on how it's done. I know, I've done it myself too. My name was Nigel Nitro in 1978 and I was in a one-hit wonder band named "the Rotters."   


Global Warming gave us ten years of scare-mongering and panic. The first example, for me, was how the melting of the Arctic ice was going to flood low lying countries and territories creating in 2005, many publications warned, "50 Million Environmental Refugees by 2010!"  Of course, it hasn't happened. Then the UN tried to drop that asinine claim down the memory hole. But they got caught. Read: The UN "disappears" 50 million climate refugees, then botches the disappearing attempt." 


But, actually, folks, you didn't need to wait 6 years for this to happen to prove to you that this could never happen. Just a little analytical process and critical thinking were needed. Add those two with the Scientific Method and you could have proven to yourself, at home, in 30 minutes, that the melting of the ice caps could never increase the water level in the oceans. 


Place some ice in a glass. Fill with water. Watch to see if when the ice melts the water flows over or not. Nope. It doesn't. Simple, isn't it? That's an example of the Scientific Method.


The Scientific Method is virtually an unknown ability amongst the public at large. There are tons of examples showing how people are fast losing the ability to think analytically or critically. The old examples are many and there are new examples popping up everyday. These examples are just too numerous to state.


One recent example that just astounded me was the claim that the US government finally killed Osama Bin Laden. I chuckled when I first heard this claim. Then I laughed even more when the so-called photos came out and looked obviously Photoshopped (I'm pretty good at Photoshop and use it nearly everyday for work). It became a real screamer when the US government changed their story, and still continues to do so, everyday after the murder (of what is in most likelihood some old Pakistani guy) ....  Read more here on a complete destruction of that nonsense about Osama... I don't which sensationalism is worse, this Osama Bin Laden assassination joke or how some "scientists" claimed that Fukushima was going to make 1/3 of Japan uninhabitable! 


The technical publication, the Register had a good article on TV news going Hollywood here. It still applies today and will apply tomorrow even though most people may be too dim to remember that far by then.


Even so, the Osama Bin Laden assassination story became a real head scratcher for me when I saw all those dimwit American people in front of the White House celebrating the death. "USA! USA! We're number one!" Is it possible that these people still believe anything the US government says? What? Are they so brain-dead? I guess American Idol wasn't on TV that night. (Bet you a half a donut that these people spend way too much time in front of their TV sets and never read books.)


Then all I could do was shake my head. I find it incredible that all these people actually believe this stuff. Need anymore evidence that neanderthal man never really went extinct and their relatives still stalk this earth or that man did indeed evolve from apes? 


Of course, I make these comments in jest....


Judging from that, the panic in Tokyo (and all over the world) concerning Fukushima, the dolphins, AGW and a host of other nonsense just shows me that I am completely correct when I say that we live in a world whereby over 85% of adults fail miserably when it comes to critical thinking abilities.


People should try not to be in that 85%. 


How to learn critical thinking and analytical skills? There's lots of books on the subject.  So start reading books... Oh, and I don't mean Science Fiction books by guys like Michio Kaku or, even though my seven-year-old loves them, children's books by J.K. Rowling.


I'd recommend "The Lady or the Tiger" or "The Power of Logical Thinking: Easy Lessons in the Art of Reasoning...and Hard Facts About Its Absence in Our Lives."

Osama Bin Photoshopped. On left, Bin Laden in 2001. The guy in the middle was killed three years ago and this photo has been all over the Internet since. The guy on the right is supposedly Osama Bin Laden... Gee, the background is the same as the middle photo. So is the bandage on the left shoulder... The eyes... And hey! Bin Laden's mouth must be frozen in time and he has less gray hair in his beard than 10 years ago. The real question should be: "What's the secret to this guy's youth?" 


NOTE: I can think of at least eight people who might think that I am writing about them in this article. I am not writing about any one person...Don't flatter yourselves, there's millions of people who are well educated yet have problems when they require critical thinking or the ability to perform basic analytical process. This article is about all of them and this serious problem in society today.