Is there somewhere to duck out and lie down for a bit? Ugh, sorry you're having to deal with that.

At any rate, the World Health Organization estimates that the people in living in the highly contaminated zone near Chernobyl received about 33 millisieverts (mSv) of exposure, or the equivalent of three to five cat scans. Those people's cancer rate is maybe 3 percent higher than the general population. Acute radiation syndrome, from as much as 1,000 mSv, was diagnosed in 134 people who worked at the plant and only 28 died. Most of the rest are still around today.

And made about eleven hundred square miles uninhabitable -- though people snuck back in. And of course the borders aren't magical, there are increased radiation and its accompanying issues on the other side of it. The 5,000 people who work there are strictly monitored for contamination, but obviously that isn't a fool-proof scenario. Those deaths will go on for a while.

I'm glad to hear Japan isn't in for that.

Experts are going to Japan.

Noriyuki Shikata, Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Public Relations and Director of Global Communications at Prime Minister's Office of Japan, tweeted this morning that the Japanese Government is planning to receive a team of experts from the IAEA, and on March 15, eight experts of the U.S. NRC.

"They will give technical advice to respond to Fukushima I," said Shikata. "In our utmost efforts to resolve the situation of Fukushima Daiichi, Japanese Government will closely collaborate with these U.S. experts. Japan truly appreciates the U.S. assistance of dispatching nuclear experts to Fukushima in addition to help by US Forces in Japan and USAID."

At worst, Trudy, there could be a swath of land that's contaminated with radioactive particles and it would take a lot of work to clean up. The problem is that there are some long-lived isotopes you wouldn't want to live with for years or, in particular, ingest. I don't want to downplay the magnitude of the potential problem, but the "we're all going to die" scenario coming from some media is not helping.

My boss doesn't fully seem to understand what going home sick entails, but I'm going to go lie down in my car and then go home.

Experts are going to Japan.

The experts offered when this first happened.

ita, I hope you get some relief.

but the "we're all going to die" scenario coming from some media is not helping.

this. I much prefer the interpretation we're getting on the Buffista Private Channel. With many thanks Ginger.

Get home safe ~ma ita.

I am moving glacially today. it's annoying.

Hyperventilating. I just scheduled an on-air radio interview for a roller derby event. Tomorrow at 8:15 am.

Meep.

Cash, you'll rock it!

ita, maybe take a cab and leave the car?