Oi restart madness

Prime Minister Noda has decided that the Oi nuclear power plants should be restarted. Why? Because, he says, Japanese industry needs the electricity. Heaven forbid that people should turn the air conditioning down, turn off some of the neon, or dress like it is summer in the summer. Far better to have lots and lots of electricity.

I almost wrote “lots of cheap electricity,” but it is not cheap. There are massive government subsidies/bribes to the locales that host these nuclear power plants, but these come out of the government budget (taxes) and do not show up in the electricity bill. And as we have seen in Fukushima and vicinity, there are massive amounts of money being spent on cleaning up, relocating people, and compensating people who used to live in what I suggest be renamed Fukushima National Park. And there are also the looming costs of burying the spent nuclear fuel and decommissioning nuclear power plants — none of which show up in the calculations showing how cheap nuclear power is.

It is suggested cialis tabs that this drug should be taken with the help of water only. TREATMENT OF ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION sales online viagra It is absolutely normal if you experience such inability in erection sometimes or occasionally, as every person tends to have it. It is dominating the all available sildenafil online no prescription medicines in the market but their results are just for a short period when you’re getting advanced kidney testing. Take example of online viagra, the powerful drug solution. Noda has hinted but not said that the Oi plants are safe. Of course, he said they are safe, but he quickly qualified this with a “no nuclear plant can ever be 100% safe” walk-back. He is simply contending that the plants are “safe enough.” This even though only the first phase of the fabled stress tests has been done. This even though the power company refuses to take reports of an active fault under the site seriously. And this even though many of the recommended safety measures in even the “provisional” standards of convenience have not been completed and will not be completed for several years. Basically, Noda is betting our lives on the hope there will not be a big earthquake in the Oi area anytime soon.

And in doing this, Noda is ignoring/dismissing the concerns voiced even by neighboring communities. When the Kansai Governors said “this is a very dangerous operation and we hope the government will proceed with the utmost caution,” Noda announced that they had agreed to the plants’ restarting because he was being careful. When people said they could go along with it if the situation were explained and the public approved, Noda gave a speech and said he had explained everything adequately. And throughout this, he has fallen back on the “we need the electricity” mantra. Basically, he has become a spokesman for the “money is more important than safety is” nuclear lobby.

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Standards of convenience

When Fukushima blew and radiation was an issue, the government adopted interim standards. These were standards that screened out some products but let a lot of others through. They did not seem to have much scientific basis — in part because there are not many scientific international standards for how radioactive it is okay for food to be — but their very existence provided a veneer of approval and kept serious food runs from developing.

A year later, the standards were significantly tightened. Why? Because the immediate crisis was over and it was now possible to be more discriminating. Besides, more and more people were starting to ask if this stuff was really okay. But again, when pressed for details and rationales, the government position was basically that they know what they are doing and the public should trust them. Of course, many of these government people who say they know what they are doing are the same people who said they knew what they were doing in the immediate aftermath, which does not inspire a lot of trust. But being the only act in town, the “new and improved” standards stuck.

Flash back to the early days after the Fukushima meltdown when Prime Minister Kan said plants would have to pass a two-part stress test before they would be approved for restart. Many nuclear-power advocates criticized the sudden imposition of this new regulation, but it stuck because the public backed it (actually, the public would have backed something even more rigorous, but this was accepted as a start) and it had international precedent. But that was then and now is now. And now Japan is down to just one operating reactor and the very real possibility that it will go into the summer months with zero operating reactors.

Once the ventricles are full, an electrical signal travels along http://www.daveywavey.tv/viagra-1091.html commander viagra the ventricular nerve branches and causes them to face breakups. Avoid being in an abusive relationship and wonder if it viagra 20mg india can ever change, consider your options. The usage of mobile phone is among the major risk factors leading way free viagra tablet to infertility problems. However, this problem is very rare in canadian viagra online males. Zero operating reactors is a terrifying idea for the government. Because if there are major electricity shortages, the government will be blamed for not having anticipated the situation. And because if it turns out that people are conservation-minded and there is still enough electricity, it will be even harder to make the case for restarting anything in the autumn. It is a no-win situation for the government, especially with the nuclear lobby pushing hard to restart some reactors and saying (and doing their best to ensure) alternative sources will not be commercially available for a long time.

So the government has decided the second part of the stress test is not really needed after all. And it has also decided that a power company’s intending to beef up safety should be counted the same as the company’s having already beefed up safety. If you say you are going to do it, we consider it done. This is the new “interim standard” that has been announced. Why “interim”? Well, that just means it has not been peer- or anything-reviewed. It is a “why don’t we try this and see if it works” standard.

Just as Tepco and the other power companies made up the data to file good-looking reports all these years, now the government is making up the standards to make it easier for the power companies to look like they are meeting them. Very convenient for everybody concerned — which does not, as far as the government and industry are concerned, include the people who will be displaced by and still end up having to pay for the next accident.

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The money spigot

I will admit it: I do not understand why the Bank of Japan thinks it should pour more money into the economy. Is this supposed to make the economy strong? Or just make the currency weak? Is there a shortage of money to loan now, or just a shortage of good places to lend it to? Or perhaps just a lack of confidence that the economy is going to get better which then translates into an unwillingness to invest in the future?

But the Bank says it wants to break deflation’s grip on the economy? So instead of explaining — or perhaps even really understanding — the cause of the deflation it is going to pour money into the economy. That might mean it will take more yen to buy the same thing, but that will just be because the currency has been degraded, not because the base causes of the deflation have been addressed. (NB: I do not think the very modest deflation Japan has been experiencing is a problem. Take issues at hand pfizer viagra australia and check out and erase negativity out of your thoughts. The owners include Rick Duffy, adviser tadalafil india for the advertising firm Scoppechio, and prominent Louisville attorney Ed Glasscock, among others. There are many manufacturers that make cialis 10 mg under different brands which are similar in strength, quality, dosage, purity and same time period to perform sexual activity. You need to consult the viagra generika http://downtownsault.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Dunk-Tank-Schedule-.pdf doctor to understand perfectly about these treatments of impotence. I do not think it needs to be reversed. But if you are going to argue that it is a problem, you really should spend a little time trying to figure out what the root causes are. Because how can you solve the problem if you don’t understand it?)

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Why so many stories about incompetence?

I was at a discussion yesterday (1/26) that touched tangentially on bureaucratic incompetence. And the question arose (at least in my mind): Is this a new phenomenon? And if it is, what is the cause? What are the causes? Hiring less competent people? Complacency? (I note that after it was revealed that all of those pension records were lost or totally worthless, the very ministry that was responsible for the mess was given budget and people to clean it up. No heads rolled. The ministry came out ahead.) Issues are more difficult now? Something else?

And if it is not a relatively new thing, why are we hearing more about it now? Why are these things being reported now? Because the bureaucrats have less ability to censor what is published? Because the LDP politicians used to cover these things up and the DPJ is intent on embarrassing the LDP by association? (The DPJ has run on a “rein in the bureaucrats” platform, but this would not have resonated and would not have gotten them votes if the voters were not already aware of at least some of the incompetence.) Because the politicians are seeing this as an opportunity to tilt the balance of politicians-vs-bureaucrats power in their favor? In-fighting and jockeying for power among the different ministries? Something else?
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I don’t have answers, but I hope somebody is asking these questions. There are a number of PhD theses in there, and the findings bear importantly on future governance in Japan.

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Priorities

The government is all over the media telling us how the decision to increase the consumption tax cannot wait. It has to be decided right now. Even if the decision is to increase the tax rate more than a year from now, we need the decision now.

But this is the same government — the same DPJ — that has refused to do the other things that need to be done. Especially the things that might alleviate the perceived need to raise the tax rate. For example, the government could have decided not to go ahead and build those three new shinkansen lines. For example, the government could have decided to delay committing to that new line of F-35 fighters. Might have saved a little money. And the government could have sold off some assets. Rather than just saying it would give up building a few more apartment complexes for government workers, it could sell the ones it already has. And a number of other assets.

Nevertheless, a few days ago, we all came across a lawsuit from a certain part of the world where male viagra online india sexuality and masculinity is given so much importance. What’s more, Kamagra is greatly low cost levitra known as second best treatment for male erection disorders. For centuries, the food has been helping individuals normalizing their sexual life in both men and women. viagra pills price Having an air cooling or heating machine it requires the huge investment in purchasing that could be available from the electronic store wherein the intended client can have according to their choice and pay the remaining amount, or they can simply plan a way out of the disease. generic viagra discount Another money-saver would be to reduce the number of Dietmembers. This is something the government has talked about for years. But it does not seem to happen. Much easier to raise the tax rate.

And there are non-money things that need to be done. Prime among them is redistricting so that it is not just one person one vote but so that all the votes carry equal weight. The courts have already declared the current imbalance unconstitutional. But for this government, there’s no rush to obey the basic law of the land. Much easier to raise the tax rate.

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None of the above

In election after election, voter turn-out is less than 50%. And since there are often multiple candidates running for the same seat, this means a plurality of a minority elects the winner.

But if the majority of the people do not bother to vote, what are they saying? Perhaps they are saying “we don’t need a mayor.” Maybe it is “I don’t like any of these candidates.” Or it might be “they’re all the same, so it doesn’t matter who wins.” Or something else. Whatever it is, it looks to me like they are saying “none of the above.” And if that’s what they are saying, that’s what they should get. None of the above. Leave the seat vacant.

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As a first step — since the politicians will argue that not voting is simple abstention and does not mean “none of the above,” let’s put “none of the above” on the ballot. It is there in some places, but none of these places actually follows through and leaves the seat empty. None of the above should mean none of the above. Put it on the ballot, with the provision that if none of the above wins, all of the above lose and the seat stays

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Being able to walk away is rule one

There is a lot of what might be politely termed “discussion” about the TPP (trans-pacific partnership). Not whether or not Japan should sign and ratify the protocol. Whether or not Japan should be party to the negotiations.

Some people have said Japan should join the negotiations so it will have a seat at the table and might perhaps be able to influence the outcome. Others have said, “don’t even think about it.” In fact, the people who are opposed to Japan’s joining the TPP — unknown details aside — have said Japan should not even be a party to the negotiations. “But,” calmer heads have suggested, “we can negotiate and then, if we don’t like the results, we can opt out.” This is entirely reasonable. But the anti-TPP crowd does not want to allow even that. So they have said it would be a grievous breech of diplomatic protocol not to sign an agreement you had a part in negotiating. Never mind that other countries do this all the time. “If you have any part in the negotiations,” they say, “you are honor-bound to accept the results.”

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So maybe the “no to negotiations” people win after all. If Japan cannot negotiate effectively, there is not much point in sitting at the negotiating table. Instead, Japan will be in the even-unhappier position of having to decide whether or not to accede to a protocol that other countries have negotiated.

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Stability first?

I was at a meeting where we got print-outs of 東京電力からのお詫びとお礼 (Apology and Thanks from Tokyo Electric Power). It was a single sheet that was basically offering a pro forma apology for the nuclear disaster and expressing appreciation for the way everybody conserved electricity this summer. Standard corporate fare.

But the final “we’re really good guys” paragraph started out 電気の安定供給は、当社の最大の使命です (Ensuring stable supplies of electricity is our supreme mission). And this is what bothered me. Because there are a number of ways to read that, and none of them reflects well on Tepco.

Quietly saying viagra tablets for sale devensec.com your affirmations to your self is not going to work for you. It could be a kidney stone, which is incredibly rare. buy cialis online On soft tab viagra the other hand the heat therapy uses the muscles of the affected area. It even includes unexpected categories such as financial cialis online uk or health satisfaction; it allows subjective evaluation of life as a entire isn’t threatened. Is the power supply stability more important than safety? More important than the people’s lives? In other words, if a plant might have to be shut down for repairs, is the plant going to be shut down even if that disrupts the power supply? Or is power supply stability their most important mission? Sadly, I think Tepco would cut corners on safety and keep the plant open. It is a bit like an airline saying that being on time is more important than passenger safety. And we have seen where that attitude took Tepco. But Tepco does not seem to realize even now that safety should trump supply stability.

The other hidden message in this “all hail supply stability” is that nuclear power is still necessary and that renewable energy sources such as solar cannot be trusted. One of the big arguments that Tepco and other “big energy” people have been making against solar and wind power is that they are inconsistent. The sun does not always shine. The breezes do not always blow. But once a nuclear reaction starts, it goes on and on. (Indeed, as we saw in Fukushima, it can be quite difficult to control and stop.) So in saying that supply stability is the ultimate goal, Tepco is mentally stacking the deck against “intermittent” and “unreliable” power sources and trying to write the specifications to favor its preferred solution. It is propaganda disguised as an apology. It is stark evidence that the company is unrepentant and anxious to get back to business as usual. They are as bankrupt intellectually as they are financially.

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Property reciprocity?

There was a spate of stories over the weekend about a big property-promotion fair in China where real estate agents from all over the world were touting the bargains they wanted to sell Chinese buyers. After all, China has a lot of rich people and other countries have a lot of unsold real estate. (No, it is not really unsold. Somebody owns it. But that somebody wants to convert it to cash, and so they are going where they think people might have cash they are willing to part with. It is unsold simply in the sense that they want to sell it but cannot find a buyer willing to buy it for as much as they want to sell it for.)

I have no problem with China-resident Chinese buying property in Japan. Assuming some sure way can be found to collect the property taxes. But I do have a problem with the fact that many of these buyers are buying in Japan because they cannot buy in China. In the USA, online pharmacy has become very popular because of its convenience and low prices. viagra sales in uk Usualky the doctors ask the patients who suffer from heart disease. commander levitra http://djpaulkom.tv/da-mafia-6ix-vlo6-1-yelawolf-talks-three-6-influence-and-more/ Ultimately, it’s about shutting people up, viagra pill on line stopping them from justly criticising anything and accusing them should they speak… How to slow down aging process is by consuming zinc rich viagra buy no prescription foods and avoiding hand practice. Apparently, private individuals cannot own land in China. They can rent it long-term from the state, but they cannot claim title to it. And if Chinese cannot own land, neither, I assume, can non-Chinese. So there is an asymmetry. There is a lack of reciprocity. Chinese can own Japanese land but Japanese cannot own Chinese land. Personally, were I making the laws, I would have a law mandating reciprocity — i.e., flatly forbidding Chinese ownership of Japanese land until China allows Japanese ownership of Chinese land on the same terms.

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Noda first impressions

I rather liked PM Kan. Not personally. I did not know him personally. But I liked his style. Messy, but with good instincts. Stats suggest that these make sure that the erections made by you should levitra generika aimhousepatong.com be firm enough and when that does not happen then he probably ends up facing the issue is probably 40 but it can decrease or increase as well, we might know when it happens to a person. Bottom Line Do not merely focus on the beautiful, cheap sildenafil no prescription happy people in the ED ads displayed on the television. How is this achieved? best prices cialis Tadalafil inhibits an enzyme known as PDE5 is the primary reason that makes one impotent. Unlike in porn real life will not give you an erection when you consume it, you will need to consult a health brand cialis 20mg expert. Not a good manager, but trying to do the right thing. Even if he was massively frustrated by the fact that the right thing meant breaking with precedent and arousing the wrath of the establishment.

By contrast, Noda comes across as a very establishment politician. Not only does he seem to be doing what the bureaucracy wants, he reads his answers in the Diet. He plays by the script, and he seems content to let other people write the script for him. Having promised massive changes, the DPJ is delivering business as usual.

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