Having grown up with the threat of nuclear war, I’ve always been fascinated by nuclear bombs. I almost became a nuclear weapons technician in my abortive attempt to be in the USAF. And in my college days, I took a couple of aerial/satellite imaging courses so I love the new version of Google Earth. It’s really unbelievable for what you can see.
Here a link to quite a view. You’ll have to use Chrome (and maybe some other internet providers) to see it right.
This is Sedan crater, one of the tests to see if nukes could be use for civilian purposes. Here’s a good article on a handful of notable craters.
And here is a view of a *lot* of craters. Sedan is the one in the lower right corner.
Yep, humans are essentially insane a lot of the time. If you continue to hit the “-” button on the view in google earth, you’ll see just how close these sites are to major cities. there’s also a little compass at the bottom so you can change which way is north on the image you are looking at. To find scale, click on the ruler looking icon on the left frame, and click two spots to find out the distance between them. For example, the Sedan crater is around 425 meters across.
This is a major time waster 🙂 so don’t say I didn’t warn you
Club Schadenfreude 
Oh my gawd! A classic fav of mine, since first I saw it in 1964 (or 65) at the Base Theater on a SAC base in Texas.
In later years I was a B-52 Radar Navigator (aka bombardier) and eventually the Wing Weapons Officer (nuclear and conventional bombs) on Guam (early 80s). One of my many favorite lines from the movie:
“Well, boys, this is it. Nuclearcombat, toe to toe with the Rooskies.” (Slim Pickens – Maj. ‘King’ Kong)
Yes, insane indeed. That’s why we called it MAD. How I saw the world back then (and now?)…at least I could laugh. I need to do more of that.
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it’s one of my absolute favorite movies. I love the scene with Mandrake and the Coke machine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry2n4v9G4_k
I have to say I’m rather shocked that this was shown on a base theater. Anymore I would guess it would never be.
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Especially a Strategic Air Command base with B-52s, as that one was. Maybe that’s why I recall it so well. I was surprised too, but that was then. The old gang: http://wewerecrewdogs.homestead.com/Home.html
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neat website, thanks! So, Bill, is the ” B-52 aircraft – the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat Fellow) somewhat expurgated in what the FF stood for? 🙂
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Indeed, but like so many acronyms and initialisms, “buff” took on it’s own meaning. I flew the D-model, or old dog, like in the Dale Brown book, ‘Flight of the Old Dog.’
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oh I had to get one of these stickers from the website: http://wewerecrewdogs.homestead.com/NoveltyDecals.html of course I got the Burpleson AFB one.
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I flew with most of those guys and know the book editor, Tommy T. (aka T-squared). I wrote a piece for book five (V). He used to have a video from the movie on the web page, but it got removed for copyright or something. I want one of the stickers too.
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I got my sticker from Tommy. Can’t wait to put it on my car.
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Cool. I should contact him and offer up a poem or two if he is creating another anthology. He may have stopped doing that. Maybe I should get the ‘launch codes’ one. 🙂
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