The vacuum bomb
It is rumored that people who are part of Trump’s inner circle are excited about a new weapon being added to America’s arsenal. Using all available resources from the minds around him, the president is pushing the vacuum bomb into full production. According to VP Pence, the system has been fully tested and is at the heart of the administration’s highly successful response to the pandemic crisis. Trump is equally enthusiastic, reporting that: “On the very first day it allowed us to get out ahead of needs, and we’ve stayed there at every turn.”
Actually, the concept isn’t new. In military circles, thermobaric explosives have been under development since 1970. Recently there have been an increasing number of reports from people living near ordnance proving grounds — reports that frequently comment on the strange sounds made when detonations occur, and equally strange psychological phenomena that seem to follow.
Conventional bombs are accompanied by a very loud boom — but vacuum bombs sound much more like the hiss of gas being sucked into or escaping from a balloon. Actually, picturing a large orange bladder expelling hot air captures the phenomenon quite well.
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Psychological phenomena seem to vary dramatically. Some people applaud and cheer, others have apparently developed an immunity and seem to ignore any merits or dangers associated with detonations, while an increasing number seem to experience an intense urge to regurgitate their most recent meal.
The latter experience may have to do with detonations now occurring much more frequently than in the past. Also, misinformation, repetition and insults are now part of almost every appearance of the orange bladder. A number of experts believe that concerns about re-election may be influencing the phenomena.
If you don’t find the above to be amusing, rest assured that the author really doesn’t either. But a number of very good rants about ego, pettiness, prevarication, etc., have already been written, so why not take a poke at the orange balloon — while acknowledging that the whole thing is sad, very sad?
Indeed, much like the sound of the vacuum bomb, it sucks.
John Palmer
Glenwood Springs
No fun with no funnies
Not funny? Why have you stopped the funnies? It was nice to get a small laugh in these trying times, and i really need my horoscope to plan my day.
Ron Myers
Glenwood Springs
The road to higher infections is paved with good intentions
I field tested mask wearing while shopping in Glenwood today, and from everything I saw, I believe Glenwood’s mandatory mask rule will magnify the spread of CoVid-19.
Why?
Shoppers take their masks on and off while caring for children; or when going in and out of stores. I put my mask on and off while driving to and from Glenwood, while shopping and pumping gas. All the while, everyone including me touched below our eyes and our noses, in between touching public objects.
This creates a crazy situation where those infected inadvertently can spread the disease more readily, and those uninfected will touch their face more often.
If I was not required to wear a mask, I would have touched my face exactly zero times. Sure, the guidelines say to put the mask on before you leave the house and remove it after you come home. But it simply doesn’t work in practice for most people.
I did a test when I went to Carbondale City Market today without a mask, and I was able to go safely to and from the house without touching my face once, all while keeping social distance.
I know the mask law is well-intentioned, but from what I saw, I believe Glenwood’s mask law will amplify COVID-19 infections.
Tyler Stableford
Carbondale
Stop the confusion please
Thank you, Glenwood Springs council, for requiring everyone to wear a face mask in City Market and other places. Can we get Carbondale to please do the same? The confusion of our governor’s recommendation and not a requirement is causing animosity in our community. It seems 3/4 wear a mask others don’t. I have been seeing stink eye and verbal comments to the nonwearers.
Please require masks in public places. Anything we can do, if it helps to shorten this outbreak, is the right thing to do. It’s just asking for a mask for a few weeks.
Please, we are still having Front Range visitors. They also need to be educated on what can be done
John Busscher
Carbondale
Thanks for keeping RFTA going
This letter has been sent to all Glenwood Springs council members.
To all City Council members,
I would like to express my views regarding the continuation of RFTA during this quarantine period. The fact that there are still passengers using the bus system should prove the need for the buses to keep running.
For council members Kaup, Stepp, Hershey and Willman, thank you for your continued support. To council members Godes, Davis and Voorhees, I invite you to ride the bus and talk with the riders to evaluate for yourselves the need to keep RFTA going.
Thank you.
Linda Pawlak
Glenwood Springs