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Nick, et al. -<br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:013801d78ad7$1a8451c0$4f8cf540$@gmail.com">
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap="">Reminds me of that period in which people were desperately looking for something to do with nuclear explosives other than kill one another. Like: "Let's blow a new hole in the Isthmus of Panama!" Project Plowshares, it was called.
Nick Thompson</pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
<p>And don't forget ( on this auspicious very day known as <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki"><i>Hiroshima
Day</i></a> ) the Soviet program ( PNE - <i><u>Peaceful
Nuclear Explosions</u></i><i>/Program 6/Program 7 </i>)
believed to be several times as large as Plowshares. The were
not only more prolific but more extravagantly diverse. <br>
</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_Explosions_for_the_National_Economy">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_Explosions_for_the_National_Economy</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>One of the myriad Soviet uses was to stop the runaway venting of
gas wells, one in particular having been venting for 3 years at
the time. FWIW (another old man story here), I grew up with a
girl who ended up marrying Red Adair's son Jimmy who followed in
his father's footsteps until his own death only a couple of years
after his father. John Wayne fans (not me) may remember his
portrayal of Red hisself in the late 60's "<a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063060/">Hellfighters</a>"
movie (never saw it).<br>
</p>
<p>I don't know if elderBush tried to prescribe nukes to put out the
Kuwait blazes left from the occupation/re-occupation/retreat, but
the Adairs ended up going straight to Congress to testify about
their own solution which ended up including using the pipeline
infrastructure built to move oil to tankers in the gulf to run
backwards, carrying 1.5b gallons of seawater to aid in quenching
the fire(s). It apparently worked.<br>
</p>
<p>Complementary to the Soviet canal projects ( I don't know that we
ever seriously considered doing something in Panama?) were their
own Artificial Harbor projects and our own Operation Chariot in
the newly beStated Alaska (1960?) which was never actually
executed, yet lead to radioactive contamination from the tests
(distributing nuclear waste from the Nevada Test Site to estimate
the environmental effects). An aluet or inuit harmed by this
contamination as a child has a significant presence in one of Neal
Stephenson's early CyberPunk books (Snow Crash?). The nuke
fracking tests (some/all?) were carried out in our backyard (4
corners). Astronomy/Bolid-Impactor fans might remember (or
appreciate) <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedan_Crater">Project Sedan</a>.<br>
</p>
<p>BTW: Happy Hiroshima Day... <br>
</p>
<p>... as long as I am on a tear... in about 1993 I was invited to
meet with a group of children (then adults) of <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki#Birth_defect_investigations">Habakusha</a>
touring the US. In spite of the studies that apparently show
low/insignificant birth-defect/long-term consequences of the type
of radiation exposure in the Hiroshima/Nagasaki context(s), this
contingent had demonstrable birth defects and claimed their
parents were definitely present near the Hiroshima blasts.
Another old-man-story detail that might be of vague interest to
someone was that I was in those days wearing the flight jacket one
of my uncles (both were WWII pilots) bequeathed me. Complementing
the fur collar, it had the silk lining with a map of the western
Pacific (in case of ditching and needing to catch a current back
to friendly territory?) which fascinated them, something they were
unfamiliar with. I was the only person at the gathering from
LANL, though <a
href="https://www.santafenewmexican.com/pasatiempo/art/dreaming-his-dreams-painter-jerry-west/article_92b6f2b6-b79d-11e8-b2b0-436e7843d668.html">Jerry
West</a> (nod to Frank's NM roots/generation) told a fascinating
story about his own family being displaced from the Los Alamos
Area for the Manhattan Project and his father joining many other
out-of-work cowboy-homesteaders who became guards at the Japanese
Internment Camp in Santa Fe (W. Alameda where the Solana shopping
center now stands). According to West, the Santa Fe camp was
designated to receive the "religious leaders" (Buddhist Monks) as
well as other highly educated and trained individuals (also
members of the Samurai class/tradition?) from around the country
from each Japanese Community Interned (near home) to undermine any
"uprising" having such leaders in place might yield. It
backfired a bit, as these spiritual (rather than religious)
leaders were important for helping these displaced/interned
communities maintain their spiritual sanity and removing them
likely lead to a lot more unrest. As a side effect (anecdotally)
these monks brought their myriad skills to Santa Fe, including,
especially not only gardening skills but also seedstocks.
Apparently there are myriad garden-plant species found in Santa Fe
which are acclimated/habituated to our bioregion from them.
According to West, the "camp" had no perimeter sections that were
more than 3 strand barbed wire around the perimeter and while his
father and other guards were armed (six-shooters on their hips),
they quickly became quite enamored of these monks and became
friends (as much as one can in such a situation?). He did NOT
discuss the uprising that happened there near the end of the
internment period (lead/carried by several hundred recent
arrivals?). <br>
</p>
<p>Others here may have a much more complete/grounded understanding
of this period (Carl?).</p>
<p>oh wait, and there's more! <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat_bomb">Project X-Ray</a>
acutely inhumane to bats and to humans, had the weapon been
deployed, was also a product of NM. There has been speculation
that the project was declined to be deployed in favor of the more
spectacular nuclear weapons. Bat-carried incendiaries were a
serious threat to the paper and bamboo cities of Japan, but not so
much for the Soviet cities we apparently thought we needed to
telegraph our military supremacy to at the time. Holy Bat Caves!<br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>mumble/ramble/grumble</p>
<p>- Steve<br>
</p>
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