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The Environmental Cost of the Cold War
In a way, the Cold War never ended, for we are left with its toxic legacy: millions and millions of gallons of highly radioactive waste, in Hanford's leaky tanks.
The Hanford Site is in southeastern Washington State (see the map at the right). It played a critical role in the Manhattan Project, for that was where plutonium for the bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki was produced.
Hanford is considered to be one of the most severely contaminated sites in the United States. When plutonium was being produced at such a frantic pace back in the 1950s and 1960s, the waste from its isolation from reactor fission products was stored in hastily constructed single-wall tanks. 400 million liters of liquid waste were deliberately discharged into open trenches and pits; a total of 4 million liters of liquid waste has leaked into the ground from the tanks. The radioactive elements in the waste include both alpha- beta- and gamma-emitting elements, including (radioactive) isotopes of plutonium, americium, uranium, strontium, and cesium. There are about 87 million liters of salt cake/sludge left in the tanks
In a way, the Cold War never ended, for we are left with its toxic legacy: millions and millions of gallons of highly radioactive wast... more -
And you thought the Cold War was over ...
Russia will be forced into a military response if the US pushes ahead with constructing a missile defence system in the Czech Republic, the Russian foreign ministry warned tonight.
The statement came within hours of US and Czech officials reaching initial agreement on putting a radar system in the eastern European country.
Russian officials have said a missile shield would severely undermine European security balances by weakening Russia's missile capacity.
If the agreement is ratified "we will be forced to react not with diplomatic but with military-technical methods", the ministry said, without giving specifics. Russia will be forced into a military response if the US pushes ahead with constructing a missile defence system in the Czech Republic... more -
Russia issue's military warning to US
Russia has said it will be forced to react with military means if the US and Czech Republic go ahead with plans for a missile shield.
,,,,,,Could it be we see the end of the first cold war and the start of the second in our lifetimes. Russia has said it will be forced to react with military means if the US and Czech Republic go ahead with plans for a missile shield. ... more -
Living Dog’s Head
Soviet scientists in the mid-20th century keep the severed head of a dog alive via an “autojector,” a primitive heart and lung machine. Ugh, if this is another viral marketing scheme, I will scream. Otherwise, it’s pretty cool. Soviet scientists in the mid-20th century keep the severed head of a dog alive via an “autojector,” a primitive heart and lung machine... more
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Sacrifice For My Sons
John from Secondhand Serenade has been deeply impacted by the love and sacrifice of his father. MySpace.com/SecondhandSerenade
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ThinkWhatIThink.com reviews Indy IV.
Top 9 reasons that “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is a HORRIBLE movie. Nice.
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Titanic discovery was Cold War cover-up
The man who located the wreck of the Titanic has revealed that the discovery was a cover-up for the real mission of inspecting the wrecks of two Cold War nuclear submarines.
When Bob Ballard led a team that pinpointed the wreckage of the liner in 1985, he had already completed his main task of finding out what happened to USS Thresher and USS Scorpion.
Both of the U.S. Navy vessels sank during the 1960s, killing more than 200 men and giving rise to fears that at least one of them, Scorpion, had been sunk by the Soviet Union.
Ballard, an oceanographer, has admitted that he located and inspected the wrecks for the U.S. Navy in top secret missions before he was allowed to search for the Titanic.
A robotic underwater craft, which Ballard developed in the early 1980s, mapped the submarine wreck sites. Then, he was able to use it to crisscross the North Atlantic seabed to pinpoint the final resting place of the luxury liner. He had only 12 days to do so.
Ballard said what he had seen during the inspection of the submarine wrecks gave him the idea of finding a trail of debris that would lead to the main sections of the Titanic. Thresher, had imploded deep beneath the surface and had broken up into thousands of pieces and Scorpion was almost as completely destroyed.
“It was as though it had been put through a shredding machine," Ballard said. "There was a long debris trail.”
Ballard's mission for the U.S. Navy took place in 1982. The Titanic sunk in 1912 after hitting an iceberg, killing 1,500 people.
“I couldn’t tell anybody,” he said. “There was a lot of pressure on me. It was a secret mission. I felt it was a fair exchange for getting a chance to look for the Titanic.
The man who located the wreck of the Titanic has revealed that the discovery was a cover-up for the real mission of inspecting the wre... more -
New Indiana Jones starring Harrison Ford angers Russian Communists
One even threatens us with a New Cold War!
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A Song About War And Hope
As a Billy Joel fan I wanted to share this song, "Leningrad" about a circus clown he met during a tour that lived through the Cold War. The lines in this song, "Haven't they heard we won the war... what do they keep on fighting for" ring so true even today. I remember air raid drills in grammar school in the sixties when we all had to get down under our desks because they actually tried to make us believe a bomb was going to be dropped on us by the Russian "Commies." To this day governments still make boogeymen to keep people from around the world from knowing that despite any differences we may have, our similarities are much more prevalent and what we should concentrate on to truly have a peaceful world. For me this is one of the best songs Billy Joel ever wrote and it always touches me when I hear it.
Here's to peace someday. As a Billy Joel fan I wanted to share this song, "Leningrad" about a circus clown he met during a tour that lived through the Cold War... more -
US and Russia in sandwich battle
The US may have won the Cold War, but its culinary skills are sadly behind.
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Demise of the Green Berets?
For those interested in the History of the military, here is an interesting side effect of the cold war and iraq war combined. I wanted to be a GB as a kid, but I couldn't run 6 min miles until they said stop. Anyfoo, enjoy, and GB's really are in the front lines, you just do not see or hear about them, which is a good thing for their safety. I will never forget the first Storm, when they showed Seals coming up the beach and camera crews where right there to capture it all. Fascinating journalism at its worst.
Sounds like a topic for Kaj to explore further. ;) For those interested in the History of the military, here is an interesting side effect of the cold war and iraq war combined. I want... more -
Britain in danger of 'ethnic cold war'
The race watchdog chief Trevor Phillips has warned that the UK is in danger of a 'cold war' between ethnic communities.
He went onto to say that now was the time to hold a debate on immigration without people being accused of racism. In response to the 'cold war' claims, Immigration Minister Liam Byrne yesterday suggested that "the biggest changes for 45 years, including a points system, a single border force and reintroduction of a system to count people in and out," all needed to be introduced.
Phillips explained that the country has seen 'the emergence of a kind of cold war in some areas where very separate communities exist side by side with poor communication across racial or religious lines."
He believes that the country's uncontrolled immigration has encouraged racism. The race watchdog chief Trevor Phillips has warned that the UK is in danger of a 'cold war' between ethnic communities. ... more -
The Eastern Bloc Remembered
Many East Germans disappeared trying to cross to the West over Bulgaria's southern border. This is the story of some who made it, and some who didn't. Many East Germans disappeared trying to cross to the West over Bulgaria's southern border. This is the story of some who made it, and... more
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Cold War Redux
...forecast calls for more action between now and November's presidential elections.
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communist party usa comments on fidel's resignation
Who even knew there was a Communist Party USA? And not only that, but that they've got the organizational power to create and edit a video about Fidel's resignation the day Fidel resigns? Who even knew there was a Communist Party USA? And not only that, but that they've got the organizational power to create and edit a v... more
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Russian and American war games
Two countries not exactly notorious for their budding relationship are once again up to their old tricks; muscle flexing. The United States recently confirmed that it had received the go ahead to build a missile facility in Poland - Russia's vocal protests at the proximity of the missile base does not seem to have had much effect on the American plans. Russia, as expected is somewhat disgruntled at the plans.
In what some would perceive as a response, Russia has been flying it's bomber planes as close to American military targets as it dares, drawing the Americans into a response. In a process known as "buzzing" Russian bombers flew over the USS-Nimitz in the Pacific, the first time a Russian bomber has done so since 2004. The act caused four F-18 fighters to be scrambled to "escort" the bombers away.
Putin has recently been quoted as saying that he does not want to get drawn into a new global arms race, but does it appear that this is precisely what is happening? Two countries not exactly notorious for their budding relationship are once again up to their old tricks; muscle flexing. The United S... more -
Brrrrr...... It's cold in here...
In a statement that hints at Cold War era rhetoric, Russian President Vladimir Putin reinforced his opposition to the West increasing the number of weapons installations near the Russian border, labeling it a new "arms race," and vowed to keep up by developing "new weapons that are qualitatively the same or better than those of other countries."
Mr. Putin also says the West should mind its own business and has long been opposed to other nations interfering with his country's policies. He denounced both the U.S. and NATO for putting political pressure on Russia, calling interference in domestic political fights both immoral and illegal. In a statement that hints at Cold War era rhetoric, Russian President Vladimir Putin reinforced his opposition to the West increasing ... more -
Cold War victims compensated
Former British servicemen who were guinea pigs in chemical weapons' trials during the Cold War won £3 million in compensation and an apology from the government on Thursday.
The 360 surviving ex-military personnel were subjected to tests at the Porton Down chemical warfare facility. The Ministry of Defense said they will get about £8,000 each.
In a parliamentary statement, defense minister Derek Twigg said it was a "full and final settlement" to those who had participated in the trials during the 1950s and 1960s. Former British servicemen who were guinea pigs in chemical weapons' trials during the Cold War won £3 million in compensation and an a... more -
According to McCain: Vladimir Putin is the President of Germany?!
And he wants to be the President of the USA ?
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Chess Master, Bobby Fischer Died at 64
"Mr. Fischer, the most powerful American player in history, had moved to Iceland in 2005. He had emerged briefly in 1992 from a mysterious seclusion that had lasted two decades and defied an American ban on conducting business in wartorn Yugoslavia to play a $5 million match against his old nemesis, the Russian-born grandmaster Boris Spassky." "Mr. Fischer, the most powerful American player in history, had moved to Iceland in 2005. He had emerged briefly in 1992 from a myster... more
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Cold War
