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Las Vegas - The Atomic Testing Museum

SCREEN IMAGE TAKEN FROM: Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation

The Atomic Testing Museum

At 755 East Flamingo Road in Las Vegas resides one of the more unusual museums that visitors to this wild city can view. Considering that we’re talking about Vegas, that’s saying something. In fact, this museum would be considered unusual anywhere. For at that site is housed The Atomic Testing Museum.

Sponsored in large part by the Smithsonian, and run by the Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation, it offers displays and videos documenting the almost 50-year history of nuclear weapons testing in Nevada.

Though the major original site for atomic bomb tests during WWII was near Alamogordo, New Mexico, by the time the hydrogen bomb came along testing had shifted to Nevada.

For more than four decades, local residents of Las Vegas and visitors to the casinos could actually feel the earth shake and then see the mushroom clouds centered in the Nevada desert test sites not too many miles away. Gamblers would head under the tables as the chandeliers swayed. Later, testing moved underground where the fallout was contained. But the man-made earthquakes were just as strong, if not more so.

As of 1992, in part due to an agreement among the major powers to end live testing, the smoke cleared and the ground became quiet. But the history of all those tests has been preserved at The Atomic Testing Museum.

Visitors can read about the growing power of H-bombs as they progressed from January, 1951 to the final test in September 1992. Along the way, the bombs got smaller and the explosions bigger. There are numerous displays, videos and even a few interactive devices. Guests can actually manipulate the same type of arms that were used to handle radioactive material behind a protective lead-glass cage.

The Ground Zero Theater gives an in-depth presentation of the efforts used to build the U.S. arsenal. In this simulated concrete bunker with red lights and wooden benches with decor to match the real thing you’ll get a glimpse into the world of the bomb makers and their products. Despite their destructive power, most people will be fascinated with the blossoming mushroom clouds produced by the gigantic explosions.

There are dozens of photographs, including one depicting one of the earliest American nuclear tests: the Bikini Atoll, 1954. One second the small island was there, the next it was vaporized.

Along with the historical and scientific displays there are collections of related memorabilia of the day, called the ‘Atom Bomb and Pop Culture’. You’ll see cereal boxes offering an Atomic Bomb ring, the once-popular ‘Atomic Cocktail’ and other items from a time when the science behind the bomb was praised not feared.

While you’re there, you can pick up an Albert Einstein T-shirt. Though he didn’t work on the project, nor did research on atomic physics, his letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt helped encourage the U.S. to initiate the research during WWII.

Housed inside the Frank H. Rogers Science and Technology Building, the museum was first opened in March 2005. It also employs knowledgeable staff, some of whom actually worked at the test site, who can answer visitors questions. Come get a view from those who witnessed the events first hand.

               

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Never let your mother do the wedding invites!

(click to enlarge)

               

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Top Travel Tips for American Travelers

Every year in America, millions travel back and forth from their home to visit family and friends, or even just to see new places. When traveling in any country, there are always things to watch out for, and circumstances that you should prepare for. Traveling in America is no different. That is why we have compiled the top travel tips for American travelers.

Whether you are a US citizen or an international traveler, there are still many travel tips here that will help you to make you trip much more enjoyable. A good rule of thumb has always been to be prepared for any eventuality; this has never been more important than when traveling.

When In Doubt, Follow Your Instincts

One of the first travel tips we want you to have when traveling in America, is to always stick with well known roads and travel routes. Unfortunately, many of this country’s original roads are still on the maps. But many of them lead right into the middle of nowhere. This can be a great adventure if you are well prepared. But please don’t ever rely on these old side roads unless you’ve made certain that you’re prepared for any eventuality such as breaking down or running out of gasoline.

Also, if you are in an unfamiliar area, and you don’t feel comfortable or safe, good travel tips to remember will always tell you to follow your gut reaction. If a place doesn’t seem safe for you to be, it probably isn’t. Whatever you do, don’t get out of your vehicle or roll down your window for anyone. If you are lost, drive around until you find a well lit police station before asking for directions.

Call Ahead

The best travel tips we can offer American travelers (or simply travelers in America) is to always call ahead to let people know your estimated travel timetable. This way, if anything does happen, there will be someone waiting on the other end who can send for help if you don’t show up when you said you would.

Other great travel tips for any traveler, regardless of which country you are in, is to always make certain that you have as many forms of identification as possible with you. Also, be sure that you have your insurance cards, an emergency cell phone, and any prescription medications that you may need. Although we all hope they don’t, accidents do happen, and it is always best to be prepared.

               

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Finding a Retirement and Estate Planning Advisor

When it comes to retirement, everyone can use all the help that they can get and so finding a retirement and estate planning advisor is going to be a great benefit to you. Not only will a retirement and estate planning advisor be able to take a lot of the anxiety out of retirement but will also allow you to focus more on the task at hand.

They are professionals in the field of retirement and so they are informed and knowledgeable and able to help you along the entire way and answer any questions that you may have. They will be able to help you with any issues that you may be struggling with in terms of your future retirement, such as what sort of pension you have, whether you have paid enough in contributions, whether you are going to be able to maintain your same lifestyle after retirement, and so on.

Finding an Advisor

If you are interested in finding a retirement and estate planning advisor for yourself, then there are a few really great options that are available. There are a few things that you want to keep in mind when you are looking for a retirement and estate planning advisor, namely that they are educated and specially trained in the major financial issues that are faced by retirees.

This includes asset protection strategies and risk minimization, methods to increase and stabilize your monthly retirement income, senior financial estate planning review and recommendations, income tax reduction, and long-term health protection.

A good retirement and estate planning advisor will also have additional training in retirement income sources, retirement planning, financial estate planning, and related subjects, and as well should know all about the various resources that are available for senior citizen financial help and elderly.

You want to make sure that you find a trustworthy advisor, one that is going to help keep your money safe and help you to plan as best as possible for your years of retirement. The best place to start is at your own bank, where you can speak to a financial advisor and ask them what options are available to you. Remember that your choices are going to vary depending on where you live and what sort of access you have to these resources.

Just make sure that you take time and put serious thought into the process before making any final decisions on who you want your advisor to be, so that you can find someone educated, reliable, and trustworthy.

               

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A Baby Shower is a Time for Celebration!

Celebrating the upcoming arrival of a new baby is exciting but at the same time, it’s often a situation in which both parents can feel much anxiety. These feelings of anxiety are especially strong for first-time parents. There is so much to know and so many different items are needed to provide proper infant care.

The idea of the baby shower came about as both a special time for family and friends to be together before the baby’s arrival and also to help relieve the financial burden on parents-to-be by supplying them with many of the new gadgets, furnishings and accessories they’ll need once their baby arrives.

And even though today most people prefer to break out of the ‘traditional’ mold, when it comes to a baby shower, these events for the most part still adhere to traditional guidelines. Probably one of the biggest changes to the baby shower format is that they’re no longer exclusively for women. Plenty of men make it onto today’s baby shower guest list and those who are invited don’t come grudgingly. While they might not play in all the baby shower games, men do enjoy the opportunity to give their regards to the expectant mother- and father-to-be.

In some cultures however, a baby shower is considered a sign of bad luck. If there’s a chance the expectant mother might feel this way, be sure to check with her before proceeding with the baby shower.

In some parts of the world the baby shower is actually held after the baby is born. This makes sense since a baby shower is a celebration of the baby and guests enjoy actually seeing the one who is being celebrated. It’s also easier to select gender-appropriate colors and gifts and should the gift need engraving, guests have all the delivery details they need.

Having the baby shower after the baby’s birth does make sense, but it’s a very busy time for new parents. Plus, many of the baby items the expectant parent(s) need are needed as soon as the baby arrives home. That’s why scheduling the baby shower before the baby’s birth is the more common option.

The baby shower itself is traditional and for the most part, every shower involves the same activities. Guest lists and invitations need to be created and mailed. The shower location needs to be decorated. Guests expect to be entertained so food, drink and games need to be coordinated. And because it’s a special occasion, there might even be a photographer and/or videographer, musician and other special talent participating in the festivities.

A baby shower can be a big to-do with lots of little details to coordinate and every detail is going to cost money. That’s why it’s highly advisable for whoever is hosting the shower to put together (and stick to) a workable budget.

Pulling off a successful special event like a baby shower doesn’t take special talent, it takes a well-thought out plan that includes a timeline and a budget.

               

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Herbal History and Myths

Certain herbs and other plants have been known to have useful properties - as seasonings or preservatives for food, medicines or simply a pleasurable odor - for thousands of years. Along with that ancient knowledge sometimes comes ancient myths.

Tombs uncovered in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) as old as 60,000 years held remains of medicinal herbs preserved with the humans buried there. Over 5,000 years ago, Ancient Egyptians had acquired an extensive catalog of plants (many of them herbs) that could be used as laxatives, relief for headaches and other ailments. Thyme was used as far back as 3,000 BC in Sumaria as an antiseptic.

Coriander (the leaves of which are used to produce cilantro) has been used for 3,000 years or more. Hebrews used it to flavor meals. Roman soldiers brought it on campaigns to the region to use as a meat preservative.

The Greek physician Hippocrates (460 BC – 377 BC) systematized much of what was known in his era and extended that knowledge. He used many herbs in his treatment of illness, believing that disease had natural causes contrary to many contemporaries who held that it was inflicted by gods. He used parsley to treat rheumatism and relieve kidney pain. Tarragon was used to treat toothaches.

Basil was a commonly used herb both in Greek and Roman culture. Chives were used by ancient Romans to relieve sore throats. But, oregano was said to be a favorite of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Myth lay alongside science.

During the Middle Ages, after a nearly thousand year lull, botanical knowledge again began to accumulate and expand. Much of the base of the medievals valid knowledge had been preserved and was now imported from Arabic cultures. Myths persisted, however. Dill was believed to have magical powers. Rosemary was thought to be able to ward off plague. Sage was used in an attempt to treat epilepsy.

Chinese and Indian herbalists in the east were busy all the while, accumulating their own storehouse of information about the helpful qualities of certain herbs. Ginseng is only one of the better known examples.

The Renaissance (which means ‘rebirth’) was, in essence, the rebirth of Greek-style science - observation and validation by experimentation. Though, the Greeks weren’t entirely consistent in that approach. During the 16th and 17th centuries, knowledge of the beneficial effects of certain herbs grew by leaps and bounds. Nicholas Culpeper published an herbal compendium in 1652 that listed an extensive array of herbal remedies known in Great Britain.

Though science turned increasingly to artificial chemistry beginning in the 19th century, there is still today a thriving practice of attempting to analyze what is helpful in herbs. These compounds, found in their natural setting, often carry additional substances that are missing in purely synthesized products.

That mixture of valid knowledge and superstition remains with us to some degree today. The belief that herbal medicines can cure disease is a combination of verified observations and medieval hokum. The observations show that some herbs do work on some conditions, while the causes are largely invented myths and arbitrary speculation.

               

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Maintaining your Brain Past Retirement

You don’t have to suffer that “old timer’s” disease of a faulty memory. Just because you are getting older, that doesn’t mean that your brain goes to atrophy. Just assume that your brain is like any muscle. You have to work it out in order for it to maintain its elasticity. You do not run out of brain cells. In fact, there are areas of the brain that produce new cells all the time. As you age, your style of learning and recall may differ but that doesn’t mean losing your keys or forgetting your shopping list is an indicator of Alzheimer’s disease.

There are a number of helpful hints to consider keeping your brain healthy and sharp as a tack. By employing them or enhancing what you are already doing, you can expect to hold your own and outwit those younger whippersnappers.

Things to do to keep your Brain Firing on all Cylinders

Exercising not only is good for the body, it is good for the brain. The flood of oxygen in the body from exercising keeps your brain clear and erases those “cobwebs”. Exercising that brain power is another important detail. Take a continuing education class or two. Keep working those crossword puzzles. Anything that engages the brain to think and stretch is a good deal.

Volunteer and be social. Volunteering your time keeps you socially active which keeps depression at bay. Sometimes, retirees are so looking forward to no more work that when their retirement becomes a reality, they become bored quickly and some can become depressed. Keep that from happening to you by joining a book club or get active in your church or other social group.

Sleep is essential to keep the brain fog at bay. Without proper sleep and rest, your brain starts to lag behind. In addition, stress can do the same thing to the brain. If you are stressed about something, talk it over with a friend or other trusted person. Exercising and other activities relieve stress. You just have to find the right thing to help.

Brain food is the name of the game for keeping those synapses firing in your head. Antioxidants, essential fatty acids like omega-3 and minerals and vitamins like the ones in the B family are all important. Choose a healthy, balanced diet that incorporates these things. Supplements might be helpful as well.

What Does Not Help your Brain

Basically all the vices that have cessation aids out on the market are taboo. Drinking impairs judgment and brain cells just as smoking and other tobacco products. In fact, smoking robs your brain of essential oxygen and hinders blood flow as well. If you indulge in a vice that is bad for you, dredge up the willpower to kick the habit.

Do not avoid the doctor. If there is something wrong with you health-wise, it is still going to be happening whether you go to the doctor or not. By keeping your yearly physicals and checking in when you are ill or are concerned about a health issue, you are putting off the brain drain. Check all your medications and see if anything in your diet such as foods, vitamins, minerals or other drugs could be hindering your thoughts and general brain power. There are adverse drug interactions all the time and many older people suffer through them because they are usually the ones on the most medication.

The bottom line is to avoid staying in denial. Get checked out by a doctor and engage your brain. If you have a problem, face it head on and find a solution. Staying proactive is a large part in maintaining your brain through retirement.

               

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Wedding Photography and Videography

Long after the last guest has left the reception you and your spouse will have your wedding photography or videography to look at when you want to re-live the joyous occasion – hopefully, that is! When it comes to planning your wedding photography or videography, the most important aspect is to have an idea of the wedding memories you want to capture. And then you’ve got to work on finding someone with the right experience and who has a personality you can work with.

This will require more than scanning the phone book or Internet to find the least expensive package deal. It’s true that you get what you pay for and if you’re willing to pay the minimum amount, you might just end up with minimum wedding photography/videography service.

Right from the beginning, realize that wedding photography and videography services will consume a significant portion of your wedding budget. Also know that it’s an absolute must to book this type of talent as soon as possible, at least 6 months to a full year before the wedding date, especially if you’re planning the wedding during the summer or holiday season. You’ve got to get a head start and although that offer from your Uncle Vinny to photography your wedding (for free!) as his gift to you sounds tempting, resist the offer. This is not the time for amateur shots.

It’s important to move at a fast pace, but never skip the background check. Checking references is a must but so is being allowed to view the prospective photographer’s images from a previous wedding assignment. Don’t rely on the quality of their portfolio which is usually a collection of the best pictures from multiple weddings. You want to view one whole wedding, from start to finish. Also check with the local Better Business Bureau as they’ll have on file any complaints made against the person or company.

A lengthy history of wedding photography (as opposed to other types of photography experience, or your Uncle’s free offer) is also a sign that the person knows what he or she is doing. Don’t assume that the person you’re interviewing brings back-up equipment and batteries – ask because equipment does fail.

When selecting the wedding ceremony and reception location, make sure the photographer has access to the shots you want to get. It’s also a good idea before the reception to delineate an area where the wedding photographer/videographer can be based; somewhere primarily for the storage/setup of necessary equipment and extra gear. Close to the music is always a good choice.

When selecting someone to coordinate your wedding photography and videography, take time to discuss the types of pictures you want taken and of whom. Know whether the person will develop the pictures and assemble them into the wedding album or if you’ll just be getting the negatives and CD. In the latter case, you’ll be the one assembling the album. That’s fine as long as it’s what you expect and know how to do.

As you can see, advance planning is crucial. On your wedding day, you want to enjoy yourself knowing that someone reliable is out there, capturing the memories that’ll last a lifetime!

               

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Making Landscaping Plans

One of the great things about landscape design is the flexibility it offers. You can make it very simple and get your feet wet so to speak. Later, you can re-do the area, or do another area in a more complex design as you gain more knowledge. It’s easy to get started, but you can never run out of things to try. Master designers who have been at the practice for years are still learning and experimenting!

Start with the basics. Consider the areas where you want shrubs, flowers, trees, walkways, a complete garden, a pond, a brick wall and so forth. Don’t feel overwhelmed, though. Keep your first efforts simple and easy to execute. Work your way up.

After you have a basic mental image, make some sketches. It doesn’t matter if you can’t draw like an artist. All you need are some rough shapes, a few simple circles, triangles or rectangles in order to lay out an approximate area. If you want to graduate to the next stage early, consider some landscape design software.

Consider what will go best into the areas you’ve penciled out. You may have envisioned a rectangular garden near one wall of the house, for example. Make some preliminary measurements, then consider which plants should go where within the space. One design could call for taller flowers in back, with shorter ones in the middle, and ground cover in front and between. That keeps everything visible to viewers standing in front.

Just because the area is rectangular, though, you needn’t limit yourself to smaller rows or rectangles within. You could, for example, place a birdbath in the center. That small circle could form the hub of spokes radiating outward in a sun pattern. Those spokes could be formed by bricks, dividing the rectangle into a series of triangles of different shapes and sizes.

You could then have different plants in different triangles - cherry tomatoes in one area, foxgloves in another, thyme over here, chives over there, yarrow in front, tansy in the back.

Observe that the example has not only an arrangement that varies the space in a visually interesting way, but allows each plant to be seen differently from different angles. On each of the three sides, the viewer gets a very different look.

Varying the color arrangements adds yet another level of complexity and delight to an already interesting design. Bright yellow tansy can be a nice contrast to pink foxgloves. Chives, with their thin green stalks and pale lavender flowers provides additional variety.

The number of possible design variations is limitless. You may have a kidney-shaped area to fill, or simply want to line a short, white picket fence with some pleasant shrubs. You may want to have a shade tree in the center of the yard, with irises poking up along the side of the house.

While you shape and contour your outdoor living area, let your imagination grow wild.

               

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Brief History of Homeschooling

Pinpointing the beginning date of homeschooling is actually impossible. Aristotle tutored Alexander the Great ‘at home’ over 2,500 years ago. In fact, until the late 19th century, nearly everyone was ‘homeschooled’. It was only in the second half of the 19th century that states began passing laws compelling parents to send their children to public schools.

But the modern movement can be fairly closely approximated as beginning in the mid-1960s, from three very different sources. John Holt was a counter-culture figure who wrote extensively on education for 20 years. The other major source was the author Raymond Moore, whose concern grew out of his religious views. The third, indirectly, was the novelist-philosopher Ayn Rand, whose ideas gave birth to the modern libertarian movements, of which homeschooling (of one type) is a part.

John Holt coined the term ‘unschooling’, an approach that eschews curricula, schedules and any kind of structured method for educating a child. Seeing that children are naturally curious, and observing that public school more often dampens that spirit than encourages it, he advocated eliminating all structure.

Beginning with his first book, How Children Fail, published in 1964, Holt viewed the public school system as largely authoritarian. Himself an Ivy League graduate and a teacher in alternative schools, he sought at first to reform the public education system. He later came to believe that reform was impossible, given the nature of public schools. In 1977 he founded Growing Without Schooling, a popular bimonthly magazine resource for homeschoolers.

Raymond Moore came at the problem from a very different approach. A devout Christian and an ex-missionary, he saw in the public school system an entire philosophy that taught values opposed to his religion. He believed that education involved more than just providing facts. He saw the violence and other negative aspects of public schools and advocated that parents resume responsibility for their child’s education and, in particular, value instruction.

Though not a writer on education, apart from a few essays, Ayn Rand’s work inspired a great many in the 1960s and later and held similar views about the public education system. Those sympathetic to her views founded a political party that has long been opposed to any form of public, state-sponsored education, particularly if it’s compulsory.

But the libertarians inspired by Rand went beyond this negative. They advocated positive steps to restore to education the focus of educating the individual rational mind possessed by every child. As with every broad movement, individual views differ but the emphasis on individual freedom and the development of rational creativity is central to this branch of the homeschooling movement.

All three of these widely varying starting points grew in tandem throughout the latter half of the 20th century, continuing today. Despite their radically different philosophies all have some things in common. All hold that the public school system has and will continue to fail to deliver quality education in a safe, encouraging environment. All advocate putting the child’s intellectual and moral development at the center of the educational process.

The history of homeschooling demonstrates the success of that point of view, and promises a continued bright future.

               

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