Nuclear Oxide

Nuclear Oxide? Or Nuclear Oxide Fuel?

The news of the FBI search quickly ballooned into a frenzy of media reports that the suspects planned a radiological "dirty bomb" attack in Boston. But authorities stressed the sketchiness of the information they received.

A federal law enforcement official in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, said the uncorroborated tip was received by the California Highway Patrol. The tipster claimed the men were awaiting a shipment of "nuclear oxide" that would follow them from Mexico to Boston, the source said.

That's like saying they're expecting a shipment of radioactivity. I've never heard of those words standing alone. They usually are descriptors of something like fuel or waste.

I'm guessing, much ado about nothing.

Of course, you could look at this as pay back for the People's Republic of Mass. voting for Kerry. Oh, wait, that doesn't make any sense.

Well, if they have to set a "dirty bomb" (I hate that term, it's a Radiological Dispersal Device or something like that. All bombs are dirty by definition. I've never seen a bomb that made any place clean.) now, it's better than later. Snow on the ground will make the clean up much easier and thus faster.