CR as a Haven during WWIII (was Subject: nice)

[Sam Wilson]

Hi Don & Gene.

Glad to see you guys are still alive!  jajaja.

Yes... Indiana is not one of the best places to be if the USA gets nuke attacked by Russia or China.  Likely first targets would surely be American nuke sites, and upwind from Indiana we've got more than just a few secret silos...

Upwind is one of Costa Rica's main advantages as far as radioactive fallout is concerned...

Here's what happened when Japans' Fukushima reactor released radioactive contaminants into the air:

Here's what the Chernobyl fallout looked like:

And here's what fallout in 1966 from the 5th Chinese nuclear test detonation looked like:

Notice a key factor here... The Chinese blast was on December 28th and it was on December 31st before the continental US saw the fallout cloud.

Ideally one would have already saturated their thyroid with Potassium Iodine (KI) before then...  I think I've read that starting KI at least 7 days before fallout is ideal for full saturation of the thyroid by the time you need it.  However, the lethality of the radioactive fallout diminished very fast.  Those who study this use the Seven-Ten rule to estimate the danger.  Every 7 times older the fallout, it decays to 1/10th of its strength.  So 7 hours after a blast, 90% of the gamma radiation is gone.  90% of that remaining 10 percent is largely gone after two days.  Of course there are still plenty of dangerous things, and when the world order craps out, all bets are off.  But I think it pretty safe to assume that we in Costa Rica would very likely survive to face the aftermath of a nuclear strike or two...

This 1990 FEMA map of likely targets in Indiana in the event of a full-out nuclear war attack from Russia and/or China gives you some idea about how Indiana might fare 

If you are anywhere close enough to see the flash, one of the best things to do is to drop and take cover.  Someone who ducks and takes cover after the flash and before the shockwave hits greatly enhances their survivability.  Even if caught out in open ground, laying flat on the ground, face down, improves one's odds significantly (by a factor of 8, as I recall.)  Most preventable injuries from the initial blast are from those looking out their windows saying, "WTF?  Did you see that?!"  Duck and Cover is a real thing!   A 500 KT bomb blast, 2.2 miles away, will be arriving about 8 seconds after the detonation flash with a blast that'll last about three seconds. A larger 1 MT bomb blast, but 5 miles away, would arrive in about 20 seconds.  So if one keeps their wits about them, those few seconds can make all the difference between surviving the tornado like force passing through...

Radiation from a "dirty" nuclear bomb blast is much less deadly.  The above numbers all assume a fission or fusion bomb which are not very likely to be what a dirty bomb terrorist would use.

Gene and I have already taken steps 1, 2, and 3 for surviving the aftermath:  GET OUT OF THE CITIES!  GET OUT OF THE CITIES!  GET OUT OF THE CITIES!

Now that the word is out on Potassium Iodine, I'm gonna have to stock up with an extra large personal stash for protecting all the kids, and pray that nobody nukes Tamarindo!   

BTW, Joe... I've been studying the pilot charts for the South Pacific and it looks to me like being east of Australia with predominantly easterlies during the month of June would be greatly in favor of our plan to visit your old drinking buddies in Tonga.

Duck & Cover!

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Sam

On Mon, Jun 23, 2025 at 2:52 PM Don Hickman <d...@proslink.com> wrote:

Oh, crap!  Are you suggesting that we shouldn't have gone to Indiana to see our new great granddaughter??  Lol

Don

On Mon, Jun 23, 2025, 1:09 PM gene <ge...@genefrench.com> wrote:

nice to be here in case wwIII erupts....

but, i agree with decisions made...cant just leave it to lady luck...

pura vida...

gene

[Joe Harrison]

Greetings all:  Sam, I lost you on all that technical horseshit, but you re-captured my attention at the end when you validated my suggestion of a visit to the Kingdom of Tonga!!!   A group of tropical islands that has never been colonized -- always has been free!!!  Even America can't make that claim.   Ni America del norte ni America del sud.

And as to nuclear fallout in Indiana!!!   While someone in our group might not agree, I'd just make the non-technical observation that it's a hellhole akin to what the now bombed-out nuke facilities in Iran are.  I have some experience in this matter, since my mother (resquiscate en pace) was born there, and I (humbly but successfully) spent my collegiate years there.  BORing.  As in aburrido, not as in creating a big hole like our B-2s did.

So, I almost flunked physics and don't comprehend all that BS about being up or down wind from nuke blasts, etc.,  but I'm very happy to be in Costa Rica, which you say is safe.  Great.  Pura Vida.  Beats Indiana any season of the year!!!  (Hi, Don!)  But another visit to Tonga is something I can relate to very easily.  Is the boat seaworthy yet?

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[Don Hickman]

You guys are nuts.  Indiana is fine.  Bloomington being only 30 or so miles from Crane Naval isn't a problem.  (Why does the Navy have a base in the middle of southern Indiana?).  Just because they make bombs can't mean it's a target

Anyway, I agree being in Costa Rica is much better.  I'll be back Sunday and now with the cease fire announced, u don't see any problems.  Of course, Iran saying that there's no cease fire can't possibly be a problem.

Don

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[Sam Wilson]

Hi Don,

I should point out that it is not correct to say that America bombed Iran...  It was just a mostly peaceful protest against their nuclear facilities.  🤔

Absolutely, I told my kids to wait and see.  I literally have trusted snakes in the grass more than I would the Iranian gov't.  I don't doubt that Trump and Israel and Iran all think it is a good idea to say 'nuff is 'nuff.  Trump pulled the big balls move and tested the biggest non-nuke bombs ever made. Israel has been whippin' up on everyone who wants to FAFO.  They are at the top of their war game and cleaning up the neighborhood.  But that is exhausting.  Ongoing war depletes a lot of resources of all types. Weapons.  Machinery.  Public Psyche, Economic Growth, etc. etc. Trump and Israel both benefit in reputation and come out on top with this skirmish.  Future negotiations will be smoother for Trump. Those hostile to Israel will be much more hesitant to poke the lion. MBS and the rest of the Gulf States will get on board with playing the Let's All Prosper game with Trump and peace will break out in the region. That is my prediction...  jajaja.

A rational Iran of course would be very much in favor of a cease file.  They were in a position like that of the beat boxer just praying to make it to the bell because their 12 Day War experience was that of a pure punching bag. Embarrassed and weak. They appeared as someone being forced to walk the plank and, right before their last step, getting an offer to come back aboard as long as they promise to behave..  Who wouldn't agree to such a generous offer!

It would just be icing on the already luscious cake if the 90 million or so Iranian people just said 'nuff is 'nuff as well and decided that they wanted to vote and have a say so in their affairs, etc.  Well... One can hope, right?

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Sam

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[Sam Wilson]

Hi Joe,

The main takeaways of that nuclear war stuff were...

1. It is very likely that most people will survive a duke it out with nukes event.
2. You might have to lay low for several days or longer if in a hot zone while radiation cools down.
3. Hope you have plenty of Potassium Iodine pills to saturate your thyroid. 

They were detecting radiation in cow's milk in Tennessee after the Chernobyl melt down. The winds matter. If India and Pakistan tossed a handful of nukes at each other, in 2 or 3 days we would probably detect the radiation here in Costa Rica.

I am making progress on the boat.  Nah, not really.  Well, in the sense that I am accumulating tools that will help with boat building I guess I am.  But my focus has been on building a house for a little hen with 3 pollitos and I am studying welding. After I get a lot better at welding, one of my projects will be to build a trailer for the sailboat. Sort of like putting the cart before the horse of course. Welding will also come in very useful when I build my boat shed. I'm drawing up a metal building I plan to build out back and in that boat shed I will finally have a good place to build my boat.  So, yes!  I am definitely making progress.  ;-)

Is it seaworthy yet?  Not quite, but soon I hope to make it so.

Hmmm... I distinctly recall Cruises to Fiji as prizes on the Price is Right.  I wonder how much one of those costs and do they leave from Peru?

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Sam

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[Don Hickman]

Ah, Sam.  You have such a way with words.  😁

Love your essays.

Don 

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[gene]

lolololol....

love the wit!!!!

pura vida...

gene

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