Thanks to everyone who has sent me greetings here by the way. Lea I did check for your email and it was a worthy read, made me feel that much better.

I would being spewing more about the reactor, but the authorities admit they don't even know where the likely rupture is in the "sustaining pool", it could be leaking liquid or air, depending on where the likely rupture is. No word on which is worse. They also haven't been able to do any more measurements just yet. So the news has little to add and they have moved on to the tsunami/earthquake disaster and scheduled blackouts.

Thanks for keeping us updated. I couldn't imagine going through all that How old is your son?

The international news seems to have put this one above 3 Mile Island now, second to Chernobyl. We are nowhere near Chernobyl, knock on wood (no, I mean it, please knock on wood wherever you are), but the situation is precarious.

I have seen online comments that Wolf Blitzer couldn't get Chernobyl out of his mouth fast enough.

My son is 11. He is at school. He really doesn't grasp the gravity of the situation, and I don't think he should have to. He knows I am very worried, and the news is pretty sobering even for an 11 year old.

A radioactivity measurements has been released, 8000 microsieverts. This is exponentially higher than normal and several times higher than previously during this accident. Something that looks like steam has been filmed rising from the reactor. People within a several kilometer area are advised not to go outside unless they must, to remove and wash clothing when they come in, not to eat any food that could have been exposed, and avoid drinking any non bottled water.

The electric company also said that they is a good chance that the rods are no longer being cooled. They are still looking into that. Still no word on what happens or what they will do if the rods can't be cooled.

They give these advisories for people within several kilometers of the reactor, but I find this strange as everyone within a 20 kilo circle was evacuated as a precaution 2 days ago. Only the bare essential staff should be anywhere near that mess.

Scary times to be in Japan, that's for sure.

Your son is the same age as mine. I couldn't imagine having to explain the danger to him.

They have raised the measurement language to a new term, from microsieverts to milliseverts b/c of the new level of radiation.

Millisieverts are a thousand times more powerful than micros. I was hearing 8000 microsieverts before and am now hearing 400 millisieverts.

These kinds of numbers will have near immediate effects on the body of any living thing in proximity.

And there has been a fire at the fourth reactor - again a reactor that was not much in the news before. They think it is largely what is causing the high radiation. This is the first time I have heard anything I can remember about no. 4

No. 2 (with the probable leaking pool)is being cooled again according to the electric company.



They clarified what they said before, and people outside the 20 km evacuated radius, but within a 30 km radius should not go outside and should do all the things I wrote above. The risk goes down precipitiously the further away you are.

There are as far as I heard, some 50 workers in close proximity to the reactors in order to continue the cooling process, and now to put out this fire.

And we thought Katrina was bad. OK, it was. Very bad. But the magnitude of this, the number of people lost, the reactors and not knowing . . . I think I'd rather go through Katrina. Your posts are fascinating and scary. I've had a knot in my stomach all day, even before we finally heard from you. I finally turned off LeTube when they began to describe the thousands of dead that had washed back in from sea.

I am so beyond the Heavy Sigh. Again, though, very relieved knowing you and yours are OK. So, ever think about moving back state side? (<----- Really inappropriate stab at levity. Sorry.)

I decided to check out CNN again - they are talking about no. 2 having another explosion. The Japanese news is way ahead. Anderson Cooper is asking whether there is a chance radiation is being released at dangerous levels - watch the Jap news guys! It is being released. And I have heard of no explosion from no. 2 - no. 4 is on fire. I never realized before how much of a difference there was between the English and the Japanese. A huge info gap.

Well, Anderson Cooper and Sanji Gupta are in Sendai, closer to the nuke plants, so likely getting more of a micro dose than I am, that's about the only "news" I am seeing here.