Friday, April 29, 2011

Five Things to Watch for at the Royal Wedding

You've survived the hype, and now the big day is almost here. The wedding is, of course, all about Kate Middleton and Prince William. But any self-respecting royal-watcher knows that there are a slew of subplots to be followed on April 29. Here, the top five things to look out for on the big day.

The dress: This is a biggie. Whoever is in charge of keeping the dress a secret deserves a raise. Despite the best efforts of just about every tabloid on the planet, nobody knows much about Kate's gown.

That could all change at exactly 2:51 a.m. PDT/5:51 a.m. EDT (that's 10:51 a.m. BST in London) on the day of the wedding. That's when Kate is scheduled to leave her hotel and take a car to Westminster Abbey. The odds are quite favorable that someone could catch a glimpse of the gown, though there are reports they'll sneak her out. The official reveal will be around 3 a.m. PDT/6 a.m. EDT/11 a.m. BST.

But William won't see the dress. He'll be sequestered in a backroom until the moment Kate walks down the aisle.
The guests: We know there will be some high-profile guests at the wedding. And while nobody will outshine Kate, rest assured that plenty of people will have their eyes on David and Victoria Beckham.

The two fashion icons are sure to turn heads no matter what they wear. Some even worry that Victoria may manage to upstage Kate (they don't call her Posh for nothing).

Other guests known for their fashion sense include Elton John, who was a close friend of Princess Diana, and Kanye West, the rapper with a very healthy self-image. Here's hoping he doesn't repeat his Taylor Swift move during the "I do's."

Guests start arriving around 8:15 a.m. in London (12:15 a.m. PDT/3:15 a.m. EDT), but best bets are the big stars will arrive on the fashionably later side around 9:50 a.m. in London (1:50 a.m. PDT/4:50 a.m. EDT).

The kiss: It might seem like a no-brainer. Two people get married, they kiss once the officiant says the magic words, and everybody cheers. But royal weddings aren't so simple.

When William and Kate say "I do," they won't lock lips. The rules of the Church of England prohibit it. But fear not, the two are expected to smooch from the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the ceremony. And it won't be just the guests who see the kiss. It'll be hundreds of millions of people watching the event on their TVs and computers.

Not a pair to leave things to chance, William and Kate have apparently been practicing for the moment. In an article from Us Weekly, an aide explains, "The angle that they come in at needs to be correct, otherwise they could block the shot and the world will miss out on that momentous moment." Give the people what they want. Expect to see the kiss at 1:25 p.m., London time (5:25 a.m. PDT/8:25 a.m. EDT).

Harry's date: We all know William's date, but what about his younger brother, Harry? Most sources seem to agree that the royal redhead will bring longtime ladyfriend Chelsy Davy.

Chelsy, a blond bombshell who has had an on-and-off-again relationship with Harry, has been recently spotted in London's Chelsea, perhaps looking for an outfit for the wedding.

It's hard to say when the camera might find her, but if she arrives with the "distinguished guests," that would put her in the spotlight around 1:50 a.m. PDT/4:50 a.m. EDT/9:50 a.m. BST.

The moment of matrimony: In a day full of moments, there will be one that will stand above all others. When Kate and William say "I do." Believe it or not, this moment isn't as simple as it looks. At least according to times past.

Both Princess Diana and Princess Sarah Ferguson flubbed their groom's names when the time came. According to Dickie Arbiter, former press secretary to the queen, Diana mixed up the order of Charles's names. Diana had a pretty good excuse. Charles's full name is Charles Philip Arthur George. Same deal with Fergie. She accidentally repeated Prince Andrew's middle name.

There is a chance Kate might have the same problem. William has quite a handle himself: William Arthur Philip Louis. Check her accuracy at 3 a.m. PDT/6 a.m. EDT/11 a.m. BST.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Nuclear Plant Workers Emerge as Heroes

In the midst of terror and destruction, as well as the nuclear crisis in Japan, you can easily lose the heroism of 50 emergency actions to try to prevent the complete collapse of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. It is no exaggeration to say that the safety of thousands of Japanese citizens depend on the efforts of the crew for the cleanup workers are lagging behind the rest of the plant for about 800 people were evacuated in the middle of doses of dangerous radiation. Also cultural, which can reward the self-sacrifice, these workers are very common altruistic - and could make the final sacrifice the welfare of their citizens'.

Who are these 50 workers are still a mystery. His employer, the Tokyo Electric Company, gave no address. But after another explosion at the plant this morning, his fate may be more dangerous at the moment. As nuclear energy consultant Arnold Gundersen told the New York Times, it is likely that the company has been in contact with the soles of the older retirees with an invitation to think about improving the safety equipment in the plant. Plant managers' can also ask people to volunteer to receive additional exposure, "said Gundersen of the Times Henry Fountain.

The workers' aspirations are even more striking, given the legacy of mass exposure to nuclear radiation in the recent Japanese history. Of 1945 of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan thousands of people died in a particularly horrible death from acute radiation exposure - and many of the explosion was a family affected by various forms of cancer later in life.

Of course, workers remaining inside plants Daiichi will not blindly - they are experts in their field and know the health risks they face. They are also equipped with sophisticated equipment designed to protect them from exposure - but they are guaranteed low against high radiation. Radioactive particles can penetrate almost anything a man can bear - and finally, can be easily absorbed through skin or inhaled into the lungs. Gundersen also told the Times that each worker can wear a dosimeter, a device that measures radiation - and that when the device detects excessive levels of radiation present, would generally require them to leave the area.

But now, it is unclear whether a worker on the site is reasonably safe. Several reports today that radiation levels at the plant on Tuesday reached unprecedented levels after the fourth reactor of the plant overheated and reached a boiling point. This latest setback came after a hydrogen explosion caused a fire, sending radioactive material directly into the atmosphere through the smoke. Meanwhile, factory workers continued to try to cool the plant heavily damaged the second reactor by pumping water directly into the lake.

With the worsening crisis, the comparisons with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster - the worst nuclear crisis in the world has ever seen - are increasingly frequent. Unlike the installation of Daiichi, the site of the Chernobyl accident had no retaining wall, so that radiation from the collapse of the plant spread much more widely than likely be the case in the event of a collapse Daichii. But the health risks faced by workers cleaning at two episodes to make a closer comparison and more reflective. When the plant in Ukraine unhappy melted, many of the 176 workers on duty that night were exposed to large doses of radiation, with many of them die in the weeks following the disaster. collapse of the plant and environmental pollution is believed to have damaged the health of nearly half a million men and women in and around Ukraine in the quarter century since the Chernobyl accident.

Japan Faces Potential Nuclear Catastrophe

TOKYO - The international nuclear agency, said a fire at a Japanese plant was affected by the tsunami in a pool of spent nuclear fuel storage.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, says that the Japanese authorities reported that the fire was the storage pond - swimming pool, where spent nuclear fuel is kept cool -. "Radioactivity is released directly into the atmosphere" and that

The Japanese authorities later said the fire at Unit 4 of Fukushima Dai-ichi plant had been extinguished.

This update NEWS. Check back soon for more information. AP story earlier is below.

SOMA, Japan (AP) - The dangerous levels of radiation escaping from a crippled nuclear plant forced Japan to 140,000 people joined in on Tuesday after an explosion and fire dramatically escalating crisis triggered update 4-1 by a deadly tsunami.

In a statement on national television, Prime Minister Naoto Kan, said radiation has been extended from four reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Fukushima nuclear state, one of the most affected by Friday's 9.0 earthquake magnitude and tsunami that killed more than 10,000 people, has plunged millions into poverty and beaten the third largest economy in the world.

Even Will and other officials on Tuesday urged calm trends fueled a growing panic in Japan and worldwide uncertainty spread middle of what would happen.

In the worst cases, the reactor core would melt completely, a disaster that shed large amounts of radioactity in the atmosphere.

Tokyo reported low levels of radiation, but officials said the increase was too small to threaten the 39 million people in and around the capital, about 170 miles (270 km). Closer to Building Nuclear devastated in the streets of the coastal town of Soma was empty, the few people who resided there listened government warnings to stay indoors.

Officials just south of Fukushima reported up to 100 times the normal levels of radiation Tuesday morning, Kyodo news agency. Although these figures are worrying if there is prolonged exposure, they are far from dead.

Khan and other officials have warned of the risk of major bleeding and told the residents of 19 miles (30 km) and the complex Fukushima Dai-ichi to stay indoors to avoid exposure, which can make people sick.

"Do not go out. Good to stay at home. Close the windows and make your home airtight," Chief Cabinet Secretary said Yukio Edan residents in the danger zone.

"These are numbers that could affect health. No doubt about it," he said.

Fukushima has the forecast for snow and wind from the north, on the evening of Tuesday, blowing from the southwest to Tokyo, then transfer and blowing west toward the sea. This is important because it shows the direction in which the potential of nuclear power can blow a cloud.

The nuclear crisis is the worst thing Japan has faced since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the Second World War. It is also the first time such a serious nuclear threat arises in the world from a nuclear plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine exploded in 1986.

Some 70,000 people were evacuated from a 12 miles (20 kilometers) from Dai-ichi complex. About 140,000 remain in the area of the new warning.

The workers were trying desperately to stabilize the three reactors at the power plant that exploded in the wake of Friday's earthquake and tsunami, having lost their ability to cool and get some radiation. Since the earthquake, engineers have been injecting sea water into the reactor coolant as the last chance.

A fourth reactor had been stopped before the earthquake caught fire on Tuesday and more radiation was released, said Edan.

The fire was extinguished. Although the fourth reactor was closed, the fire was believed to be the source of high radiation.

"It is likely that the radiation level has greatly increased due to a fire in the unit 4" Edano said. "Now we're talking about levels that can harm human health. These readings taken near the area where we believe that the release occurs. In the distance, the levels should be lower. "

He said the second reactor with a containment building exploded Monday had not contributed significantly to increased radiation.