A nuclear reactor at a northern Illinois plant shut down Monday after losing power, and steam was being vented to reduce pressure, according to officials from Exelon Nuclear and federal regulators. . .

. . . The steam contains low levels of tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen, but federal and plant officials insisted the levels were safe for workers and the public. . .

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9SJK6RO0.htm

Why was smoke seen at Illinois nuke plant, but no fire?

and this is really weird -

Rare quake hits near troubled Illinois nuke plant releasing radioactive steam

According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Earthquake Information Center, the 2.4-magnitude earthquake hit at 9:54 p.m. about two miles east of McHenry, Ill.

and earlier we wrote about this nuke co. and big fat contributions to Obama and his chief political strategist David Axelrod worked for Exelon and, OH!, they covered up a big tritium spill back then too!

Quakes, Exelon, Tritium! Oh, My!

LINK – http://youtu.be/1xp8pfK6tM4

found on Reality Check

Rescuers permanently call off search for bodies on Costa Concordia

TODAY it is burning ferociously and a new ‘side fire’ that is smaller is buring to the right side of the big ‘bon-fire’.

We took a screengrab in case it all dies down or TEPCO shuts off the camera – -

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE

#1 the Bon-Fire, extra large today      #2 smaller, new side fire

NOTE: The timestamp is at the top.

Related: Ene-News says the spraying of saltwater on the meltdown is creating extra distributable radiation. The ease of moving increases with the chemical changes wrought by the saltwater. It sounds a lot like the sham ‘dispersents’ used by BP in the Gulf of Mexico to hide their massive oil slick. The private mixture just sent the oil to the bottom, out of sight, so they could have ‘clean’ looking photos of the surface. The double-toxic mix is getting pushed inland killing the vital marshes along the Gulf.  Details are on Florida Oil Spill Law’s blog.

Time Zone page:   http://www.timeanddate.com

North America’s largest cruise lines are not answering questions about whether they allow captains to take ships close to shore in so-called ‘sail-by salutes’ — a practice that some are blaming for this month’s Costa Concordia disaster.

USA TODAY’s Cruise Log sent questions on the topic Tuesday to spokespeople for the six major U.S.-based lines that account for the majority of all cruises taken by North Americans, and by Wednesday afternoon none had answered the questions. . . . (more)

http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2012/01/cruise-lines-ship-sail-by-salute/612784/1

LINK – http://youtu.be/dOI-wpMlq28

M4.3 quake hits near Fukushima within past hour — Strongest intensity felt at monitoring post 14km from plant

Our favorite COMMENT:

I’m no rocket scientist, nor nuclear engineer, but is it possible all this earthquake activity isn’t really earthquakes in the sense we are use to but perhaps underground criticalities and reactions due to China Syndrome?

Some of the crazy activity at Fukushima is caught on the LIVE CAM – alluded to in the above article.

Jan.25 -  From Fukushima Diary:  Radiation level increased around when M5.7 hit Fukushima

Huge amount of quakes, many shallow, right at Fukushima, Japan. See more.

The Third Officer Describes Panic on the Bridge – Costa Concordia captain ‘was distracted by guests on bridge’

Captain Coward claims bosses knew about sail-by salutes years before cruise ship tragedy

“There could be a number of unregistered people aboard, illegally” - (like the girlfriends! – F.C.)

His newest explanation

Costa Concordia Mess Widens With Salvage Team, Criminal Probe

Costa’s ‘insulting’ cruise offer to survivors  &  Will Costa refund airfares for future cruises?

World’s CHEAPEST Cruise Operators Offer NO Future Discounts for Terrorized Survivors of Costa Concordia

“Costa Cruises North America said it has not offered future discounts to passengers on board the cruise that ran aground off the coast of a small island near Italy despite ‘unfounded’ news reports indicating that passengers were offered up to 30 percent off future voyages.”

Duh-Oh!   American Express Promotes Trip On Costa Concordia To Florida Residents

Costa Concordia captain not solely to blame: prosecutor

Beniamino Deidda, the chief prosecutor of Tuscany, said in an interview carried by several Italian newspapers on Tuesday: “For the moment, attention is generally concentrated on the responsibility of the captain, who showed himself to be tragically inadequate. But who chooses the captain?“

ALSO -

From Ireland comes detailed information about the rush to lifeboats and the problems with launching them – Neale man tells of Italian cruise ship horror

Earlier news on the runaway captain

It is best stated in this editorial from the Mexican newspaper Vanguardia :

. . . . At the household level, business or firm, how many of those who are supposed to withdraw the authority with the greatest audacity leaving others confused by not addressing small or large problems? 
At government level, examples are numerous. 

Personally, I think many governments have abandoned us and left us Mexicans a true wreck in seas of all kinds: social and educational backwardness, lack of economic and financial liquidity, inequality in the distribution of opportunities and access to jobs, insecurity and terror, among others. . . .

original in Spanish – http://www.vanguardia.com.mx/%C2%A1vadaabordocazzo!-1198501-columna.html

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE

More on the nexus of the meme - Vada a bordo, cazzo! MANIA SWEEPS EUROPE

Translate this page > traduzir > vertalen > kääntää > traduire >>>   http://babelfish.yahoo.com/

Lipsiadesign gets the credit for this T-shirt with ‘ Vada a bordo, cazzo! ‘ emblazoned on the front.

To quote the designer’s website (translated):

“Go on board, shit!” Is the phrase uttered by the captain of the Coast Guard, Gregory De Falco, the evening of the tragedy of the Costa Concordia.  It is not just that. 
These are the words that each of us, at least once in your life, you ever want to yell in someone’s face. And now more than ever, in a country and in Europe that seem to drift without a guide to some, become topical.
“Go on board, shit!” Is a commandment to be spit in the face to those who do not pay taxes, to whom it is offering holiday homes and without their knowledge.  For those who prefer the cynicism solidarity.  The cunning honesty.

 Buy the shirt.

 Vada a bordo, cazzo! REMIX song on YouTube

 Original designer site in Italian

 T-shirt is selling like hotcakes

 You can buy the T-shirt in Australia

 From the [UK] Daily Mail:

 Harbour master Gregorio De Falco – the man who told the cowardly Costa Concordia captain to ‘Get Back on Board for xxxx’s sake’ -  today woke up to find himself a national hero.
Headlines in Italian newspapers roared ‘De Falco Idol’ and ‘Thank you Captain’ as De Falco tried to play down the infamous four minute recording berating Francesco Schettino.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2088411/Costa-Concordia-T-shirt-harbour-masters-tirade-Captain-Schettino-sell-online-12.html

From TVNZ:

The Italian word De Falco used, “cazzo” in Italian, is slang for the male sexual organ but it is commonly used to emphasise something, equivalent to “Go on board, damn it”.

Worldwide sympathy for the t-shirt designer’s analogy of “Vada a bordo, cazzo” to larger international simmering rage at political and economic break downs is shown in this editorial from Mexico. (translated)

Austrian Times:  Damned Fine T Shirt

Get on Board: Italian Cruise Ship Meme Goes Viral

Coastguard official’s harangue of ship’s captain strikes a chord with Italians

Italians show anger at the Costa Concordia cruise ship captain, Francesco Schettino, with t-shirts screaming “Get back on board, for —-’s sake!”  and the creation of Facebook pages and Twitter hashtags

Vada a bordo, cazzo! already a brand [translated]

Italy enthralled by tale of two captains

Italy’s Latest Fashion Statement

Cafe Press (US)   Vada a Bordo t-shirts

Essay by Aldo Grasso - [translated] :

That phrase “Go on board, shit!” (“Get on Board, Damn it!” So translated in the American news) is more than a cry of pain, a motivational anthem, a signal of recovery.The wreck is one of the archetypes of all literature because it illustrates the risks of human existence in the “Navigation of life.”  It refers to the fundamental attitudes that they take to the world: for the safety or risk, or involvement in the events of alienation, the role of one who sinks and who is watching from the mainland. . . .

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.corriere.it%2Feditoriali%2F12_gennaio_18%2Fgrasso-grazie-capitano_5e27d752-419a-11e1-9408-1d8705f8e70e.shtmlhttp://

Many blogs etc. prasing the sound off.       Twitter hash tag is -   # vadaabordocazzo

[Translated] More on Twitter & Facebook popularity of the phrase.

Also (updated as needed) – our earlier post:  Move Over William Bligh and Philip Queeq! WORST CAPTAIN EVER in charge of Costa Concordia Cruise Ship

Italy cries ‘Vadaabordocazzo!’ at Concordia captain

shortlink to this page-  http://wp.me/pA5vn-1eH