Blogtownie Todd Mecklem passed on a Tri-City Herald story stating that some time in the last week, a radioactive rabbit was trapped, killed and disposed of at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation near Richland, Wash. Health authorities are now combing the area for its contaminated droppings.
The report does not say much beyond explaining the rabbit was “highly contaminated with radioactive cesium,” probably from sipping water around the wreckage of a Cold War-era facility that once produced nuclear weapons.
Beyond that, it’s unclear how long that rabbit was loose, where it went, or who it’s been biting. All I know is, my roommate was in Richland last week, and he’s been acting weird ever since. My sister and I took him out to see a movie last night, and I have to say, he was just not himself.
The Hanford Nuclear Reservation has a colorful history of working to contain its radioactive animals, as demolition and waste removal projects have caused recurrent radiation exposure to the wildlife. Last year, there were 33 contaminated animals or animal materials (such as droppings) found on the site. In 2007, a foot of soil had to be removed from a six-acre area because it was filled with radioactive mud dauber wasps — which is an absolutely horrifying reality for anyone scared of A) wasps B) radiation C) being impaled by the six-foot stinger of a giant, mutant, glowing, radioactive mud dauber wasp. (I believe “C” applies to everyone, ever.)
What the what?
Bunnies don’t wanna be radioactive, bunnies just wanna eat carrots and have fun.
Glad to be of service, but it’s Mecklem, MECKLEM, not Menklen. I’ve seen various misspellings of the name, but that’s a new one. Perhaps my recent comments have been so remarkable that you’re confusing me with H. L. Mencken. But, as someone who also has a relatively rare and unusual surname, I’m sure you’ll sympathize with my distress. Mecklem!
“C) being impaled by the six-foot stinger of a giant, mutant, glowing, radioactive mud dauber wasp. (I believe “C” applies to everyone, ever.)”
Ah…. that’s what you’d think. But wait until next week’s Savage Love.
Did I mention it’s Mecklem?
(To the tune of “The Mickey Mouse Club Theme Song”)
M-E-C
K-L-E
M-that’s-all-there-is!
BTW, the surname Mecklem is one of the rarest in the world, being used at the present time by, at most, perhaps 100 to 200 people in the United States, and some dozens of people in Australia.
There are two lines of Mecklem descent in the United States, one from Samuel Mecklem of Beaver County, Pennsylvania (born circa 1767), and the other from George Mecklem of Newburgh, Orange Co., New York (born circa 1791 in Ireland). The Australian Mecklems, or at least some of them, descend from James Mecklem of Caboolture District, Queensland, Australia (born circa 1823 in Dynmore Co., Ireland).
Incidentally, my grandfather’s first cousin, L. G. Mecklem, made the first airship flight over Seattle in 1908. He had a career as a young daredevil, flying hydrogen-filled gasbags and early airplanes throughout the West (and surviving numerous crashes), then having a second career as a race-car driver before marrying and giving up his dangerous pursuits for a relatively bucolic life running a berry farm. Mecklem Road, in Everson, WA, is named after L. G.
http://www.pugetairship.org/local/index.ht…