Saturday, June 20, 2009

Fireworks



Aloha!


Welcome to Tranquil Waikiki


Click on photos to enlargeNormally, Hawaii Skies are Gentle and Pretty


In November 1962
a nuclear test on Johnston Island, 717 miles away,
lit up the skies over Honolulu.


This is the SBX / Sea Band Radar.
A few days ago it was seen leaving Pearl Harbor.
We call it "The Golf Ball."
(Can't really see the dimples in this shot from the Honolulu Star Bulletin)
It can reportedly track a golf ball-sized object several hundreds of miles away; It is used in missile defense.




Around July fourth our neighbors in North Korea will be sending one of their Taepodong Missiles over Japan and the Pacific towards
Hawaii.



Hello!



Sec Def (Secretary of Defense) Gates has ordered the positioning of the SBX and other assets to protect our islands which are reportedly within range.



No one thinks the missile is aimed at us
or will make it anywhere close.
My hubby, a former military intelligence officer,
points out that a hit on US soil
would provoke a hellacious response.



Say what you will about Obama,
War Hawks,
But he grew up here
and might resent having his
childhood home
toasted.



So, all in all I'm not too worried.
As you can see above, Honolulu has had
her baptism of fire
into the ballistic age.



Taepodong?
Sounds like some
Type - O - Dong to me!
Nevertheless,
as a child of the "Duck and Cover" generation,
I shall be prepared with all that the Cold War taught me.
In the event of attack
I shall crouch under my desk. . .
And kiss my ass goodbye.

Now it's time to watch Howdy Doody. . . .

ALOHA! Cloudia





19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Aren't we being direct, frank, and feisty for today's post! Love it! I'd never heard about the '62 Johnston Island blast. That's alot of light in the sky for so far away. What all received damage from that "experiment?" WHAT is the golf ball sitting on? Where was it stationed? Has it been sent out before? I'm betting some bloggers don't know about "air raid" drills in the '50s and '60s at schools across the country. But I was taught to duck, and cover my head and not worry about about my ass, 'cause the desk and my hands would save my brain. Remember Civil Defense signs on telephone poles, directing where a stockpile and safety basement was located? I'm sure the Hawaiians don't want any unwelcome flying objects. Cheers, DrumMajor

Dina said...

Welcome to the club.
Your photos are very scary.
You have your nuclear crazies to the west, and we in Israel have them to the east.
Speaking of Iran, please, Cloudia, pray for our dear young blogger friend who will soon be down on the street protesting. Her post at http://portlanddailyphotos.blogspot.com/2009/06/end-protests-or-risk-bloodshed.html
is like a suicide note. God help them. And you. And us. And all the sane world.

Akelamalu said...

That's rather worrying Cloudia :(

Anonymous said...

A sobering post. Aloha Cloudia.

Anonymous said...

IF North Korea chooses to do this I can't see how even China could say anything against our immediate retaliation. I love the people that think that Obama would actually do nothing about this.

There is no way in this world we could be attacked, this time by an enemy that we can actually point our finger at without any doubt and say, "That's the guy", and not immediately respond with full force. Even the dastardly Democrats, of which I am one, do not lay down or "negotiate" in these instances.

There is a time for talking and then there's a time for action. I sincerely hope they don't force us to the latter.

Wil Harrison.com

Daryl said...

So many crazy people 'running' countries ... I remember all too well the Cuban Missile Crisis .. a truck backfired on Second Avenue and all the kids in 5th period lunch at the High School of Art & Design ducked under the tables.. me included .. we were sure we were being bombed ...

Feisty Crone said...

Thanks for the history lesson, Cloudia. I heard about the North Korean missile.

Scary.

The Golf Ball looks like something out of a sci fi movie.

Enjoy Howdy Doody. Cowabunga!

Charles Gramlich said...

The golf ball certainly isn't built for speed eh?

Teresa said...

Wow, Cloudia! The 1962 nuclear fireworks display was amazing. I had not heard of it. I hope you don't get a reprise in 2009. I'm thinking duck and cover your head isn't enough. Do wet suits protect against nuclear fall out?

Elizabeth Bradley said...

OMG! What a world.

Deborah Godin said...

OMG, remember those awful b/w "films" we saw in school?!? Seriously, I hope all goes well, and that the Little Leasder thinks better of his plans. Not that they ever amount to much, but still...

Junosmom said...

We have a ball like that in the sky up the road - but it is looking for tornados. Have a good day - and your cloud picture is just totally showing off :-)

Anonymous said...

should be on huffington post!!!

Anonymous said...

kinda scary

Rufus said...

I'm not leaving town ;-)

Gemma Wiseman said...

This is incredible! I had no idea about any of this! I fail to understand why all this missile testing must be done if the majority of citizens in the world are so against missiles!

the walking man said...

Cloudia...there is only one response.

"Fuck it"

Kim Ill Dong has been making crazy move after crazy move following the same pattern his old man Kim Little Dong started.

I doubt that when he fires his little missile it will be allowed to hit much more than water but it just may provoke more than "An International Outcry" especially from the Chinese who can't afford to see America get into another war because it would destabilize their American debt holdings even more.

My feeling is this, if the North Koreans will not solve their own internal problems because they are afraid of their government that much then they deserve the tyranny within which they live. The next action of the world will be even more sanctions and all that is currently left is the food we have been sending them, if we can't negotiate them into peace we can starve them into death.

The Grandpa said...

It's a scarry world we live in. Aloha, Cloudia.

Bubblewench said...

WOW! Um.. yeah. Isn't that kind of scary?