OT: Japan on the edge of nuclear catastrophe.

[Guest24]

Sill guys it is a massive amount of energy.

[PFFOG]

Originally Posted by Nail24

Sill guys it is a massive amount of energy.

Gravity is a very powerful force, keeps us from being flung into space, like mud off a knobby, daily.

[pvr]

"So more likely what happened was the tsunami inundated the lower floors of the service buildings knocking out the diesels. *I also expect that the tsunami flooded the main pump motors for the seawater cooling to the main condensers (6000 HP motors!). *These motors are above grade at Quad Cities, but would have been submerged by a 25+ foot wall of water covering the site. *The Japanese probably faired no better."

hey moybin,
i'm not sure if i understand this correctly. i was under the impression that the plant was NOT submerged, based in part on satellite pics. doesn't look like the area was washed out. if it wasn't, what would have led to the failure of backup power? iwould think that it wouldn't be too much of a challenge to make sure diesel ge nerators remained functional after an earthquake.

[jduke]

Here are some great before and after shots. I just saw some numbers about the damage, they're guestimating it to be in the $200 Billion range.....
ABC News - Japan Earthquake: before and after

[roger albert]

Wrong again... China is one of the leading nations in green energy.

Maybe their motivation is not as "noble" as it is in some of the other industrial nations, but they are working fervently. Out of necessity, actually. Simple concept... they have a need for more energy, long term, that what they can "buy in".

They are just as aware as anyone else about the situation with natural resources.

You need to get your facts straight, before you post.

Exactly correct - it's not noble, but rather economic, but nevertheless, they're investing way more in it than we are. THAT is what all the chicken-little ought to be worrying about long term (obviously, the radiation is a more immediate concern)

[Guest24]

Yeah, the Chinese are investing the interest we're paying them on our debit.

[jduke]

American companies can't compete in the world arena. We need to dump the minimum wage and pay the average American worker $100 a month like they do in China.
The companies need to make the profit, the worker should be as cheap as necessary.
At least that's what some Republicans are calling for....

[signit98]

A good first step would be getting rid of unions and pay performance based ACROSS THE BOARD.

Japanese companies are not paying dumping wages and they are competitive... they make GOOD products!

[Bob Hancock]

Originally Posted by signit98

A good first step would be getting rid of unions and pay performance based ACROSS THE BOARD.

Japanese companies are not paying dumping wages and they are competitive... they make GOOD products!

Hear hear.

[Sofatester]

Originally Posted by signit98

Japanese companies are not paying dumping wages and they are competitive... they make GOOD products!

........ and now they are even "shining" !

[GotRoad?]

Originally Posted by Bob Hancock

Hear hear.

Don't you mean: here, here!

[wswartzwel]

Originally Posted by signit98

A good first step would be getting rid of unions and pay performance based ACROSS THE BOARD.

Japanese companies are not paying dumping wages and they are competitive... they make GOOD products!

A friend of mine who is now a nurse here in the US. told me stories of how she worked for Nike as a kid... Not pleasant.

[signit98]

Talking nowadays, Bill.

Sofatester, not shining... glowing!

Die leuchten jetzt im Dunkeln!

[Bob Hancock]

Originally Posted by GotRoad?

Don't you mean: here, here!

Maybe. But I checked here and I may be right. Hear?

Dear Straight Dope:

When you agree with someone, do you say "Here Here!" or "Hear Hear" ? And what does it mean? What is the origin of "Here Here" or "Hear Hear"?

— Tymoma195

The correct term is, "hear, hear!" It is an abbreviation for "hear, all ye good people, hear what this brilliant and eloquent speaker has to say!"

Of course, if the speaker is actually asking a question, such as "and just where do you think we should open the new strip club?" it's not hard to imagine that at least one yahoo in attendance might yell, "here, here!" But this would be the exception that proves the rule.

— Veg

[JonyRR]

for sale:

2011 GSXR100

as new, in crate

extras: cesium 137 contamination, all magneisum components irradiated for strength

delivery FOB bottom-of-ocean

level 4 tyvek suit recommended

[1100s nut]

Originally Posted by Nail24

Moybin, it's the 30 foot wave moving at 500mph that is incomprehensible. Can you imagine that kind of energy?

I know you did not mean that the crash in to shore at 500 mph. The interesting thing about the distance these things can travel is that they do nothing on the way to the target. Its more like a shock wave. You can be swimming and it will pass through/by you and all is well until the shore starts to rise and then it over. Chile got a little action like 17 hours later. I good basic under standing of science...but I can`t grasp this one.

Lane

[PFFOG]

Originally Posted by signit98

A good first step would be getting rid of unions and pay performance based ACROSS THE BOARD.

Japanese companies are not paying dumping wages and they are competitive... they make GOOD products!

Yes unions have outlived their usefulness for the most part, but like all things there is a pendulum swing, now corporations and big business are starting to abuse their profits and if unchecked, unions may be needed again. But performance pay and elimination of the seniority clauses should be the standard.

Many unions will be a thing of the past unless they learn to let go of the things that turn public support against them. Case in point, was the Wisconsin mess, the collective bargaining process was requiring school districts (tax payers) to provide insurance administered by the union, at a reported cost of $68 million/ year, ABOVE what the same coverage would have cost from a commercial carrier. These millions paid a lot of union officials big salaries and swelled the coffers of the union to fund political action on the backs of the taxpayers, so good riddance to them. They failed to adapt, and legally stole from the citizens, so now they will pay the price.

[GotRoad?]

Originally Posted by Bob Hancock

Maybe. But I checked here and I may be right. Hear?

Dear Straight Dope:

When you agree with someone, do you say "Here Here!" or "Hear Hear" ? And what does it mean? What is the origin of "Here Here" or "Hear Hear"?

— Tymoma195

The correct term is, "hear, hear!" It is an abbreviation for "hear, all ye good people, hear what this brilliant and eloquent speaker has to say!"

Of course, if the speaker is actually asking a question, such as "and just where do you think we should open the new strip club?" it's not hard to imagine that at least one yahoo in attendance might yell, "here, here!" But this would be the exception that proves the rule.

— Veg

Whoa there scholar, I was trying to make a pun off your post. If I understood your original comment you were endorsing a prior post regarding meritocracy in the workplace. You said: "hear, hear" as an endorsement. My sad little joke was that you meant to say (I want those ideas to be implemented HERE). I'm guilty again for making obtuse & oblique comments. Sorry for the confusion.

[Moybin]

Wow, from tsunamis and nuclear destruction to unions got to go... That's one heck of a hyperlink!

Those plants have "corner rooms" if they are set up anything like Quad Cities is. They go down into the ground about 50 feet. I know they have the torus because I've seen it in the diagrams. Those rooms flooded with seawater, and shorted out all the electricals in those rooms. That in turn shorts out or grounds the rest of the electrical distribution system.

Get enough water in the basement and the Torus will try to float, which is BAD! It all depends on staying dry, and the tsunami took care of that. I'm sure it flooded the main seawater cooling motors, thus no bulk cooling. Those motors weight tons, they are 6k HP, 10 feet tall AND wide. They were built at ground level, I can see the pump houses for each plant in the satellite photos.

[ckcarr]

Originally Posted by GotRoad?

Whoa there scholar, I was trying to make a pun off your post. If I understood your original comment you were endorsing a prior post regarding meritocracy in the workplace. You said: "here, here" as an endorsement. My sad little joke was that you meant to say (I want those ideas to be implemented HERE). I'm guilty again for making obtuse & oblique comments. Sorry for the confusion.

I got the pun, even though it was way up in rarified air.

You guys are already starting to eat each other, wait a few more weeks..