Japan hit by 8.9 quake and following tsunami

[dps]

Well there are 10 000+ dead, about half a million people displaced, thousands of people still unaccounted for, a significant dip in the electricity production for the country, a massive amount of infrastructure to be rebuilt, potential long term health risk for the population of a major metropolis; it's the biggest disaster in the country since it was bombed into rubble by the Americans at the end of World War II.

Seems reasonable to me that they have constant rolling news, to be honest.

Yeah, makes sense for them, perfectly understandable. Annoys me though.

So, are you being forced to watch at gunpoint or something?

[Neil]

Americans have no conception of how to deal with a nuclear incident, other than to panic and start looting.  It would be wise to take the advice of the US government with a grain of salt.

[MadImmortalMan]

Duck and cover.

[Ed Anger]

I wish I went to the Vitamin Shoppe and got all their iodine pills to sell on ebay.

[Josephus]

What's with the iodine pills? From what I hear they help stave off thryroid cancer, which is but one symptom of radiation exposure.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

What's with the iodine pills? From what I hear they help stave off thryroid cancer, which is but one symptom of radiation exposure.

Thyroid cancer and other affects or radioactive iodine are the only long-term, non-localized effects observed from Chernobyl.

[Josquius]

So, are you being forced to watch at gunpoint or something?

No. Like to watch some of their usual programming sometimes though.

What's with the iodine pills? From what I hear they help stave off thryroid cancer, which is but one symptom of radiation exposure.

They're magic 'stop you turning into a flesh eating mutant if you breath some radiation' pills.

[Monoriu]

In Korea witch doctors (shamans, traditional healers, whatever) used to fly reverse swastika flags.

It has been a Buddhist symbol for hundreds, if not thousands of years.  Hitler stole it 

[katmai]

Oh sure make Hitler the bad guy!

[Barrister]

What's with the iodine pills? From what I hear they help stave off thryroid cancer, which is but one symptom of radiation exposure.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/954256--explainer-how-iodine-pills-protect-against-radiation

[Monoriu]

Oh sure make Hitler the bad guy!

Dead people can't fight back 

[MadImmortalMan]

My brother's ship is headed there to provide aid.

Today they had to flush the ship's whole water supply because the water had radiation in it. I'm not sure exactly how that works, but hey. Bottom's up.

[Monoriu]

People are spreading crazy rumours in Hong Kong and China.  The latest theory is that consuming large quantities of salt helps to combat radiation.  Because salt contains iodine.  And since sea water is being contaminated, salt supply will be affected.  I see people lining up to buy salt in the markets 

[Jacob]

Probably spread by a salt distributor....

[Monoriu]

I thought HK people are smarter than that