I was making my way through the mall last night and it was almost empty. A couple people here and there. Odd to be in a high traffic area with no traffic.
The Crows were having a ball
Month: December 2017
The Thrill of Standing Underneath an Atomic Explosion
When the US entered the nuclear age, it did so recklessly. New research suggests that the hidden cost of developing nuclear weapons were far larger than previous estimates, with radioactive fallout responsible for 340,000 to 690,000 American deaths from 1951 to 1973.
The study, performed by University of Arizona economist Keith Meyers, uses a novel method (pdf) to trace the deadly effects of this radiation, which was often consumed by Americans drinking milk far from the site of atomic tests.
From 1951 to 1963, the US tested nuclear weapons above ground in Nevada. Weapons researchers, not understanding the risks—or simply ignoring them—exposed thousands of workers to radioactive fallout. The emissions from nuclear reactions are deadly to humans in high doses, and can cause cancer even in low doses. At one point, researchers had volunteers stand underneath an airburst nuclear weapon to prove how safe it was:
“It was just Beautiful”.
Quartz.com
The Queen’s 2017 Christmas Day Message
Looking back over 2017, the Queen reflected fondly on her relationship with Prince Philip amid his decision to “slow down a little”.
She said: “I don’t know that anyone had invented the term ‘platinum’ for a 70th wedding anniversary when I was born. You weren’t expected to be around that long.”
This summer Prince Philip retired from his programme of public engagements, although he has continued to attend some events involving the Queen.
In the broadcast, the Queen also praised her husband’s “unique sense of humour”.
Oh, That Golden Money!
President Trump told friends at his pricey Mar-a-Lago club they “all just got a lot richer” after the passage of new tax overhaul legislation, CBS News reported Sunday. Trump reportedly made the remarks to friends dining at the exclusive club on Friday night, shortly after he signed the controversial bill into law. The president has repeatedly assured that the GOP bill would bring tax relief to the middle class, though critics say parts of the legislation would disproportionately benefit the wealthy. The White House on Saturday stood by its assertion that the legislation would help the middle class, despite the president’s reported comments at Mar-a-Lago, where members pay $200,000 in initiation fees and $14,000 in annual dues.
Cops ‘Bust’ Abominable Snowman
Authorities in the Oregon city of St. Helens made a rather high profile ‘arrest’ earlier this week when they nabbed the Abominable Snowman as he was driving under the influence.
The elaborate apprehension was announced by the city’s police department in a press release announcing the start of a ‘high visibility enforcement’ campaign over the holidays aimed at cracking down on impaired drivers.
In an effort to ensure that residents were aware of the program, the department staged a rather clever publicity stunt involving a man dressed as the Abominable Snowman as seen in the classic Christmas special.
According to the announcement by police, this yeti may have been even more dangerous that his cartoon counterpart as he was said to have been nabbed while driving with a blood alcohol level that is double the state limit.
As such, the creature was taken into custody by arresting officer Santa Claus, of course, and his sad downfall put on display for the world to see, including an awesome image of the ‘snowman’ sitting forlornly in a jail cell.
Hopefully residents of St. Helens got the message and do not wind up following the same path as the snowman this holiday season.
Unending Fireplace
Frame is a TV channel that is commercial free and shows great scenery. The scenery images and videos are from all over the world. An example is a drone over Venice, outstanding visuals. Very satisfying channel to watch. However, as December arrives, the channel puts on a bloody unending fireplace. They play this fireplace continously for 7 straight weeks.
I know the holiday season goes to some peoples heads, but lets take a deep breath and get real. Who the hell wants to look at the same fireplace 24/7 for 7 weeks?
The MarkoZen Blog 