On Wed, 20 Feb 2008 14:46:03 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote in L2Xuj.41991$9j6.8650@attbi_s22:

The candidates in the
upcoming race merit no more than a yawn, a cringe, or a laugh. (I'll leave
it to you to assign the candidates! :-)


Mmm... Would that be a yawn at the thought of McCain's hawkish stand
and Bush endorsement (more of the same), a cringe at Huckabee's
Christian supremist agenda in persecution the Crusades, and a laugh at
Clinton's desperate reliance on feminine emotional displays to soften
here image in the public eye?



Oblig. Aviation Content:
Hydrazine doesn't seem like it would present too large of a problem if
it burned in the upper atmosphere. Does anyone know just how much
hydrazine is involved? Is the hazard more from a tank full of the
stuff making it to the surface intact?

It's interesting to learn that F16s crash with hydrazine aboard all
the time:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrazine
Hydrazine is the chemical compound with the empirical chemical
formula N2H4. Its formula can also be written as (NH2)2. It is
widely used in chemical synthesis and is a component in some
rocket fuels. With an ammonia-like odor, hydrazine has a liquid
range and density similar to those of water.


Safety
Hydrazine is highly toxic and dangerously unstable, especially in
the anhydrous form. Symptoms of acute exposure to high levels of
hydrazine in humans may include irritation of the eyes, nose, and
throat, dizziness, headache, nausea, pulmonary edema, seizures,
coma, and it can also damage the liver, kidneys, and central
nervous system. The liquid is corrosive and may produce dermatitis
from skin contact in humans and animals. Effects to the lungs,
liver, spleen, and thyroid have been reported in animals
chronically exposed to hydrazine via inhalation. Increased
incidences of lung, nasal cavity, and liver tumors have been
observed in rodents exposed to hydrazine.[16]


Other industrial uses
Hydrazine is used in many processes including: production of
spandex fibers, as a polymerization catalyst; a blowing agent; in
fuel cells, solder fluxes; and photographic developers, as a chain
extender in urethane polymerizations, and heat stabilizers. In
addition, a semiconductor deposition technique using hydrazine has
recently been demonstrated, with possible application to the
manufacture of thin-film transistors used in liquid crystal
displays. Hydrazine in a 70% hydrazine, 30% water solution is used
-- to power the EPU (emergency power unit) on the F-16 fighter plane.
The explosive Astrolite is made by combining hydrazine with
ammonium nitrate.


Rocket fuel
Hydrazine was first used as a rocket fuel during World War II for
the Messerschmitt Me 163B (the first rocket-powered fighter
plane), under the name B-Stoff (hydrazine hydrate). If mixed with
methanol (M-Stoff) and water it is called C-Stoff.

Hydrazine is also used as a low-power monopropellant for the
maneuvering thrusters of spacecraft, and the Space Shuttle's
Auxiliary Power Units. In addition, monopropellant
hydrazine-fueled rocket engines are often used in terminal descent
of spacecraft. A collection of such engines was used in both
Viking program landers as well as the Phoenix lander launched in
August 2007.