8/3 Middle East Live Thread

Scarves might help, too. :-)

I started with a Laura Bush sort of haircut, when I first went short 2 years ago. Then I just kept going shorter.

My hair was once the color of Laura's, but now it has a whole lot more gray than red. ;-)

I'd love to talk gardens more some evening when things are quiet.

Pinz

According the the article, it was used to measure moisture (I think??? having a senior moment) or something like that. The sources I'm familiar with are used in the nuclear field to inspect welds, and they are gamma emitters (nasty). I read once of one time a subcontractor at a nuclear plant who had not obeyed the procedures had found "something" (nuclear source) and put it in his back pocket. Luckily, they caught it on his way out (you have to pass thru nuc. detectors). He only had it on his rear end for a few hours, but he was not in good shape. He recovered, BTW, after a verrryyy long recuperation. Hellooo, follow procedures, that's what they are there for.

There are a lot of other sources that have different nuclear material, not all of them gamma emitters.

The fact that whoever was driving that vehicle had left it unattended is a big no-no. Again, failure to follow procedure. Strict rules on these kinds of things.

The people who handle these things usually (??) know how to handle these things. The ones I worry about are the university types where they do research. They are clueless, for the most part (don't ask me why I know).

Now that I've left you with this cheery note, I will go back to the war!

I too worked at a national laboratory. Someone would drop a sample and traipse all over "The Hill" leaving radioactive isotopes. This isn't good, but what most don't realize is that these are "heavy metals", and usually stay on the floor. And, they are easy to find with radiation detectors. Cleaning up isn't fun, but is done all the time.

There was a silly movie a few decades ago about some antinuclear activist supposedly killed by the CIA (who, these days are mostly busy working for the Democratic National Committee or FBI). This person was drinking plutonium to be able to claim unsafe conditions. What most don't know (and she obviously did) is that this was unlikely to cause her any health problems. This was carefully planned agitprop, perhaps funded by those desiring to hinder US weapons development. I believe she had drug problems and drove her car off a road.

Yes, I remember that movie - it was "required" viewing!! Cher was in it, if I recall (she played a lesbian).

I don't recall her drinking Pu, tho'. She was concerned about the worker safety conditions when she was working in a Pu hood, and they messed her house up with rad. and then they killed her in a car crash.

With the standards we have today, she was correct! Of course, I heard a LOT of the horror stories from the old timers that worked in the 60's and 70's, and they were hairy.

To be fair, a lot was unknown about the heavy metals/contamination/airborne impact issues back then.

Madam Curie lost her arm for her experiments. I try to remember that.

Rad. contam. always is a problem, and yes, you are correct, "spills happen." My experience has been when samples are being taken by operators, usually in full gear. It happens - so clean it up and go on with life. That's what procedures are for, right? :-)

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.