With today being the anniversay of the Challenger blowing up, do you remember where you were when that happened?
I was in my 1st grade class at St. Ann's elementary school and we were watching it on TV when it happened.
I was in 4th grade at Burnside Elementary in Norristown.
Just came back from a college class, and my roommate was watching TV and laughing (he was a fleshpop). I asked what was so funny, and he said "This is so cool... you got to see this!!"
I sat and watched for about an hour, missing a class. I remember telling my roommate what an icehole he was.
I wasn't even sperm.
9th grade, going into lunch. A friend of mine told me that the space shuttle blew up, but it was one of those friends who was always telling BS stories, so I told him to shut up.
I knew it was real when I went into Mr. Platco's Space Science class. This large, bearded man was literally in tears.
Quote from: MDS on January 28, 2006, 08:07:19 PM
I wasn't even sperm.
20 years later and not much has changed. Evolution is indeed a very slow process.
Ha. Then explain how I type things. Sperm don't have hands, dummy.
From the official NASA site:
Day of Remembrance (http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/dor_front/index.html)
Quote from: MDS on January 28, 2006, 08:58:03 PM
Ha. Then explain how I type things. Sperm don't have hands, dummy.
No but they do have tails. Now get back in your pee hole.
I was in the kitchen, getting things together for the day. I was out of work, so I was "Mr. Mom." My wife was in the bedroom with our infant daughter, watching the launch. I remember her yelling, "Holy shtein! It blew up!" It took me a while to figure out what the hell she was yelling about.
What does NASA stand for? (cruel joke, I know :-D)
10th grade, sitting in study hall when the news spread like wildfire. Having both parents as teachers, it hit home pretty hard with my family.
Like Phreak i was in First grade. We were in the school library as the only tv was kept in the library. I remember it blowing up and how erie it was before Ms. Janneman ran over to turn the tv off and rush us back to class. I think almost every school in america at that time was watching the launch.
Quote from: Sgt PSN on January 28, 2006, 09:08:33 PM
Quote from: MDS on January 28, 2006, 08:58:03 PM
Ha. Then explain how I type things. Sperm don't have hands, dummy.
No but they do have tails. Now get back in your pee hole.
You expect a sperm, which is so small millions of them can fit inside a ball, to a have a fully functioning brain that can form sentences and operate a computer?
Why not? Stillupfront can do it.
I was off work that day, and a woman I was seeing was on her way to my apartment with her daughter. She got there about 10 minutes after the video ran. She asked me what was wrong when she saw my face, and I just pointed to the TV. Her response was "I guess Someone doesn't want us up there."
I was watching it on CNN .... I don't think that it was on regular TV Live until it exploded. I remember all the bad jokes about spending their vacations all over Florida, and the horrible search for the cabin and their remains. It was a bad time. Mostly what I remember though was Ronald Regan's brief address to the country that day. However you feel about the man, he could certainly deliver a speech like he meant it.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.
Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But we've never lost an astronaut in flight; we've never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.
[To] the families of the seven: we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "Give me a challenge, and I'll meet it with joy." They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us. We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for 25 years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.
And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.
I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program, and what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don't hide our space program. We don't keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute. We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue. I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA or who worked on this mission and tell them: ' Your dedication and professionalism have moved an impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it. '
There' s a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and an historian later said, ""He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it." Well today we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete.
The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God.'
Thank you. "
Quote from: MDS on January 28, 2006, 08:58:03 PM
Ha. Then explain how I type things. Sperm don't have hands, dummy.
Your swimmer had a popped collar didn't he?
Quote from: PhillyPhreak54 on January 29, 2006, 10:46:17 AM
Quote from: MDS on January 28, 2006, 08:58:03 PM
Ha. Then explain how I type things. Sperm don't have hands, dummy.
Your swimmer had a popped collar didn't he?
definatley. so did the load i shot all over my boxers two nights ago.
Hmm....let's see. I think I was in second or third grade. I remember the commotion in the classroom, when the teachers and principal were talking. They didn't tell us anything about it from what I remember. Later on I was sitting on the living room floor eating whatever the hell I ate then, and the news bulletin popped up, and showed the explotion and everything. The next day I remember we had a little ceremony outside the school because we had all sent letters to the Christa and the crew, done projects on space, the whole nine. Even for a young kid, I remember feeling profoundly sad watching it explode, still do evertime I see it on TV.
Remember like yesterday...
I was in the 4th grade and our class was assmembled with another class or two to watch the launch on TV. I remember the teachers talking to us beforehand about how exciting a time this was and there were a lot of kids that said that they'd like to be astronauts when they grew up. We were watching the liftoff and when it blew up, I remember my teacher screaming, "OH MY GOD!" while most us kids were just kinda confused by what we were seeing. Another teacher hurried to the TV up front and turned it off. After a little bit, they all came to the front and explained exactly what the whole thing meant.
Pretty wild...
4th Grade Nia!
I was in 4th grade too.
How many others were in 4th grade at this time?
I remember my teacher, she was 6'4...she had a small head...
At the time...it seemed kind of cool in the sense that something exploded like that....but I knew it was a bad thing...now I think what a tragedy.
My 4th grade teacher cried in class because the teacher that went up with them was killed. By the way, my 4th grade teacher was hot and needed my comfort, so the next week when she caught me staring at her crotch, I knew I had done my part to help her feel better.
4th graders ruled!
Quote from: rjs246 on January 29, 2006, 05:55:20 PM
My 4th grade teacher cried in class because the teacher that went up with them was killed. By the way, my 4th grade teacher was hot and needed my comfort, so the next week when she caught me staring at her crotch, I knew I had done my part to help her feel better.
This never actually happened.
Quote from: MDS on January 29, 2006, 06:12:56 PM
Quote from: rjs246 on January 29, 2006, 05:55:20 PM
My 4th grade teacher cried in class because the teacher that went up with them was killed. By the way, my 4th grade teacher was hot and needed my comfort, so the next week when she caught me staring at her crotch, I knew I had done my part to help her feel better.
This never actually happened.
There's no way you're not the life of the party when you go out. I mean, you gotta!
Not really, no. I'm sure you're the center of attention at the Manhole, you dirty little queer.
Quote from: MDS on January 29, 2006, 06:20:43 PM
you dirty little queer.
Are you flirting with me collar-pop?
Dude, bonic is the Manhole.
Quote from: MDS on January 29, 2006, 12:24:42 PM
Quote from: PhillyPhreak54 on January 29, 2006, 10:46:17 AM
Quote from: MDS on January 28, 2006, 08:58:03 PM
Ha. Then explain how I type things. Sperm don't have hands, dummy.
Your swimmer had a popped collar didn't he?
definatley. so did the load i shot all over my boxers two nights ago.
You shouldn't be wasting loads on boxers. You're in college for chrissakes! Go find a real human girl and have at it.
Quote from: PhillyPhreak54 on January 29, 2006, 06:21:40 PM
Quote from: MDS on January 29, 2006, 12:24:42 PM
Quote from: PhillyPhreak54 on January 29, 2006, 10:46:17 AM
Quote from: MDS on January 28, 2006, 08:58:03 PM
Ha. Then explain how I type things. Sperm don't have hands, dummy.
Your swimmer had a popped collar didn't he?
definatley. so did the load i shot all over my boxers two nights ago.
You shouldn't be wasting loads on boxers. You're in college for chrissakes! Go find a real human girl and have at it.
Or at the very least, an abandoned cup of beer.
I do it in my sleep. I get up and it's....there. It happens like three times a week.
Hot dreams about Don West, eh?
Quote from: PhillyPhreak54 on January 29, 2006, 06:24:12 PM
Hot dreams about Don West, eh?
It's either him or Don Johnson with his stiffly popped collar.
I guess, either him or Glanville. My jizz smells like dough, too.
Quote from: MDS on January 29, 2006, 06:26:21 PM
I guess, either him or Glanville. My jizz smells like dough, too.
You've got a yeast infection in your mangina. Next time, try rubbing one out in an oven. Then turn it to 450 for about an hour.
No ovens around here, sport. Hows a microwave?
Toaster oven.
You're all getting a little out of hand lately. Don't make us start enforcing the rules.
Quote from: MDS on January 29, 2006, 06:12:56 PM
This never actually happened.
The funny thing is that, yes, it did happen. Challenger exploded. Teacher hot. I stared at her crotch a few weeks later in an unrelated crotch-staring incident. She caught me and adjusted uncomfortably while staring me down. I don't particularly care if you believe me, but you'd better believe that she was all about my 8 year old ass.
Why would you be staring at her vag and not her cans?
One of these days MDS, either daddy or the mailman is gonna have a little talk with you...
Quote from: MDS on January 29, 2006, 07:13:54 PM
Why would you be staring at her vag and not her cans?
Kill yourself.
Suicide is a serious deal. Don't make fun.
Due to timedifference I was in bed sleeping (I was 7 at the time). Either that morning or the next day there was a picture of the explosion (the Whit "ball" of smoke and the two trails of the booster-rockets) all over the frontpage of the newspaper. And later that night it was an item at the "jeugdjournaal" (kids news), with footage of the explosion.
While we're on the topic of shuttle explosions...when I was in Texas the Columbia blew up over central Texas. Even though it was up towards the Waco area (about 60 miles to the N) I heard the boom.
I was hungover and had woken up to take a leak. I heard the noise and brushed it off as artillery fire since we would hear that all the time being by Ft. Hood. About 15 minutes later I turned on the TV and saw that Columbia had blown up. My neighbor took a picture of the sky and you could see the smoke.
And of course you had the dumb rednecks in east Texas picking up pieces that weren't evenm cold yet and selling them on eBay. After the authorities said to not touch the stuff or you'd go to jail. Dumbasses.
i have a question. why is it this is nationally remembered every year but other disasters where way more people are killed in way worst ways? 7 people strap themselves to a rocket with tons of flamable materials in it to shoot into space faster then a speeding bullet. everyone acts suprised when they blow up.
Quote from: PhillyPhreak54 on January 30, 2006, 12:01:02 AM
While we're on the topic of shuttle explosions...when I was in Texas the Columbia blew up over central Texas. Even though it was up towards the Waco area (about 60 miles to the N) I heard the boom.
I was hungover and had woken up to take a leak. I heard the noise and brushed it off as artillery fire since we would hear that all the time being by Ft. Hood. About 15 minutes later I turned on the TV and saw that Columbia had blown up. My neighbor took a picture of the sky and you could see the smoke.
And of course you had the dumb rednecks in east Texas picking up pieces that weren't evenm cold yet and selling them on eBay. After the authorities said to not touch the stuff or you'd go to jail. Dumbasses.
When I first heard about the Columbia on the radio, I thought they were talking about the Challenger, since it was around the same time of year. When I realized it was the Columbia, I had a sick feeling of deja vu.
Quote from: L-ong-B-each-I-ggle on January 30, 2006, 02:24:31 AM
i have a question. why is it this is nationally remembered every year but other disasters where way more people are killed in way worst ways? 7 people strap themselves to a rocket with tons of flamable materials in it to shoot into space faster then a speeding bullet. everyone acts suprised when they blow up.
LBI,
I'm can't answer for anyone else, but for those my age (35) or older, the Space Shuttle was part of the national consciousness. We were still in the middle of the Cold War, and were competing with the Russians in many areas, including space explorations.
By the early- to mid-1980s, the U.S.'s big investment, both financially and emotionally, was the Space Shuttle program. The USSR had gone more into space stations. By 1986, we had gotten complacent, believing that the Space Shuttle program was inherently safe after five years of totally successful launches. Someone earlier said that he believed that the launch wasn't shown on broadcast TV, but I think it was because of Christie McAuliffe (see below), and therefore was seen by millions. There was the surprise/"shock" factor.
On top of that, the first "civilian" was on the Challenger. NASA was trying to get back into the national consciousness- was probably worried about losing funding- and held a nationwide search for a teacher to train with the astronauts and go into space. Because of the gimmick, there was a lot more interest in this particular flight than there had been in several years. Unfortunately, that flight was the one that exploded.
As to other disasters, here are a few that stick in my mind (off the top of a very tired 35-year-old mind at 6am):
- Three Mile Island (I don't even think anyone died on that one)
- Chernobyl
- Hurricane Andrew (personally involved, as it was my first summer in Naples and I had to evacuate).
- The Tsunami of 2004
- The Pan-Am flight in Scotland (a terrorist attack)
- The Marine bombing in Lebanon in (i believe) 1983/4
(I'm sure I'd remember more if it wasn't early Monday morning.)
Overall, I think that many remember the Challenger because of several factors:
1. It was on live TV.
2. It had gained a lot of publicity because of McAuliffe.
3. Backdrop of the Cold War/ Space Race (yes, the tail end of both, but still true nonetheless)
As I said, I can't speak for anyone else, these are just the thoughts that popped in my head when I read your question.
i can't believe it's been 20 years, amazing, it seems like yesterday except for the fact that i was sitting in my 10th grade biology class when i got the news.
I was in ninth grade, in Spanish class, watching it on TV. And my teacher was not crotch-staring worthy, which made the event even worse. It's a little sickening, however, how quickly 20 years can go by; and it's not like the years are slowing down as they pass.
Quote from: Zanshin on January 30, 2006, 08:38:58 AM
It's a little sickening, however, how quickly 20 years can go by; and it's not like the years are slowing down as they pass.
Very true. The good thing though is that at least we can all tell how much of that time is spent here.
I wish I was staring at her crotch right now.
Quote from: rjs246 on January 30, 2006, 05:49:00 PM
I wish I was staring at her crotch right now.
(http://www.thongsbikinisunderware.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/open_crotch_with_detailing_tn.jpg)
im sure the teacher on board and the interest in this particular flight has a lot to do with the over hype. i mean 6 miners just suffocated over a period of 4 days or so. do you think anyone will remember this on its anniversary? i'm not trying to be a fleshpop, or unsentimental, but as some of the smartest people in the world, they knew what they were doing, and they took the risks. worst things have happened. i wasn't old enough to remember this, but watching columbia hardly made me shed a tear. does it suck? sure. am i going to mourn over some l junkies? nah.
LBI....I seem to have a first class seat on this flight to hell that everyone always puts me on.
No, I think about that as well. Why this one and not that one. I think Geowhizzer made a good point. For some but not all. It sucks...but there seems to be alot of sucky things going on all around the world.
There should be like some mourning category for disasters/accidents.
Like either by # of people killed or
costs of structure/machine/vehicle/etc. it costs that was damaged or
# of millions of dollars spent on ammo (bombs, missiles, bullets, etc.) to destroy ______ that included 'collateral damage'
or
How cool the explosion/crash was or
anything else you can think of.
The process should go through a judging system including one white, black, latino, asian and other male and female virgins. From that point, gauging the level of lock-butt they get when first hearing this news and averaging out the lbs. per square inch that the anal sphincter exudes per person will then determine what level of death schock each incident had and thus is compared to a chart on one of the office walls and is then discussed amongst the higher ups and then they let the public know whether it is 'Anniversary' worthy or not.
Or something similar to that.
Quote from: L-ong-B-each-I-ggle on January 30, 2006, 06:13:56 PM
im sure the teacher on board and the interest in this particular flight has a lot to do with the over hype. i mean 6 miners just suffocated over a period of 4 days or so. do you think anyone will remember this on its anniversary? i'm not trying to be a fleshpop, or unsentimental, but as some of the smartest people in the world, they knew what they were doing, and they took the risks. worst things have happened. i wasn't old enough to remember this, but watching columbia hardly made me shed a tear. does it suck? sure. am i going to mourn over some l junkies? nah.
Eh, I shed a tear for the coal miners, too. I'm a old softie at heart.
Can you imagine if those dead coal miners had died in a space-coal mine on the moon? We'd have a brand new national holiday!
Quote from: rjs246 on January 30, 2006, 08:20:49 PM
Can you imagine if those dead coal miners had died in a space-coal mine on the moon? We'd have a brand new national holiday!
Okay, I chuckled...I admit it.