Events that shaped our lives

[CyclingInvestor]

My first job out of college was writing test software at Hughes Aircraft (now Raytheon) in 1979. I got a very cool assignment to test a quartet of sophisticated display terminals (this was back when you hand-compiled the display code, then downloaded it). After writing the required testware, I had extra time so I wrote some games for 'extra testing', including PacMan and a 4-player tank battle game, in addition to a compiler for the displays. 3 other programmers and I were playing it when the manager walked in. I (naively) expected to be congratulated on my accomplishment.

This was my first lesson in the need to keep your head down at work.

 

[Koolau]

Snip -

One day the commanding officer put his own solution into action. During the midwatch he ran a fire drill in the engineroom all by himself. One guy. He didn't even tell the XO, let alone the OOD who was going to have to come to periscope depth in the dark with an air-breathing mask on his face. Even today, in open ocean away from the shipping lanes, I'd still hesitate to try to pull this CO's trick.

I take it this was before the Ehime Maru incident ca. 2001. A bad day indeed.

 

[ls99]

Coming to America. At age 17, with a grand vocabulary of three English words.

On the not so funny side, after checking in with KLM airlines, the police carted me off to a jail cell. To be sure that I do not get to talk with anyone. Turns out KLM held the aircraft for 15 minutes past deparure time until they figured out where I was, found the latchkey to unlock the cell and a kind stewardess took me by the hand, we ran across the airfield, ran up the stairs of the 707. Immediatly the plane began to taxi even before they finished closing the door.

Made it by the a hair, since my exit visa was only valid for 24 hrs. And KLM only had 2 flight a week out of the city.

 

[eytonxav]

I had to give a speech in one of my college classes, and was wearing a flannel shirt that day. Also, the room was quite warm and I began rolling up my sleeves and out came an athletic sock. Got more laughs over that than any jokes I told

 

[Purron]

I had to give a speech in one of my college classes, and was wearing a flannel shirt that day. Also, the room was quite warm and I began rolling up my sleeves and out came an athletic sock. Got more laughs over that than any jokes I told

Could have been worse. Could have been an athletic supporter