SageAgainstTheMachine Posted August 19, 2010 Posted August 19, 2010 You should just change your screen name to I think the non-chalance you mention may reflect a lack of understanding of the real history and culture of that era. Imagine growing up in world where the US and USSR have several thousand thermo-nuclear warheads pointed at each other, where the US foreign policy doctrine toward the Soviet Union is aptly named 'MAD' (Mutually Assured Destruction), and the the real possibility of every major US city being instantly and simultaneously annihilated truly existed at the whim of one rogue Gen. Curtis LeMay type... Take a close look at how Kennedy and Khrushchev were 'at the brink' of global destruction in 1962, or how Lyndon Johnson campaigned in 1964 before you call it "paranoia"... You and those younger than you are fortunate to have been born at a time when atmospheric nuclear testing had already ceased, and to have grown up in a time when sanity finally prevailed, efforts were well under way to curb the proliferation of nuclear weapons once and for all, and Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush had brought about the demise of the Soviet Union and an end to the Cold War without firing a single shot or missile. Thanks for the links. I didn't really mean "paranoia" to connote that peoples' fears were unjustified, rather a general atmosphere that anything bad could happen at any time.
The Senator Posted August 19, 2010 Posted August 19, 2010 Thanks for the links. I didn't really mean "paranoia" to connote that peoples' fears were unjustified, rather a general atmosphere that anything bad could happen at any time. Well the atmosphere of impending doom has subsided greatly since 9/11 - I can't remember when the last time I saw what 'color' today's 'Terror Alert' is on the TV news - but I'm sure if we had an outbreak of anthrax scares on campuses across the nation, the Class of '14 would be more 'paranoid' than a Belfast parking valet.
Chef Jim Posted August 19, 2010 Posted August 19, 2010 Now? I don't think so. But I remember in the months following 9/11, a lot of the parents were (very justifiably) worried and some even took their kids out of school for a while (as if terrorists were going to come and attack middle schools in the suburbs of Buffalo), whereas the general attitude among us kids was sorta "meh". I remember thinking to myself back then while my parents were stressing out, "If somebody REALLY wants to kill me, it's gonna happen. So why worry?". But maybe that was just me. I haven't discussed this issue at length with enough people from your generation to have a comprehensive answer for you, but I would generally say that the majority of my generation regards national security issues with a very Que Sera Sera attitude. Probably not a great thing, but that's how it is. WOLVERINES!!!
bbb Posted August 19, 2010 Posted August 19, 2010 Now? I don't think so. But I remember in the months following 9/11, a lot of the parents were (very justifiably) worried and some even took their kids out of school for a while (as if terrorists were going to come and attack middle schools in the suburbs of Buffalo), whereas the general attitude among us kids was sorta "meh". I remember thinking to myself back then while my parents were stressing out, "If somebody REALLY wants to kill me, it's gonna happen. So why worry?". But maybe that was just me. I haven't discussed this issue at length with enough people from your generation to have a comprehensive answer for you, but I would generally say that the majority of my generation regards national security issues with a very Que Sera Sera attitude. Probably not a great thing, but that's how it is. Thanks for your thoughtful reply......Parents taking their kids out of school for awhile definitely are paranoid........I myself really had no fear for my own safety after 9/11 (a lot of anger and fear for the world in general)......But, I would think people in NYC would have more fear for their own personal safety (I recruit doctors and I remember at least one telling me he's leaving the city due to this)
Chef Jim Posted August 19, 2010 Posted August 19, 2010 Thanks for your thoughtful reply......Parents taking their kids out of school for awhile definitely are paranoid........I myself really had no fear for my own safety after 9/11 (a lot of anger and fear for the world in general)......But, I would think people in NYC would have more fear for their own personal safety (I recruit doctors and I remember at least one telling me he's leaving the city due to this) The only time I felt in danger after 911 was the following Saturday. I had an appointment at one of my companies offices. I parked my car and there was no one around. However there was a U-Haul truck just sitting there, no one in it, no one around it and in a strange place seeing this was an office building. All I can say was I walked by it pretty quickly.
HopsGuy Posted August 19, 2010 Posted August 19, 2010 I love the wristwatch thing. I always wear a watch and I was talking to a young person recently about that. They said "I don't need a watch, I've got the time on my phone" so I asked what time it was. I sat there and watched my second hand go around and around as he fumbled looking for his cell phone. Ok, so email takes to long but you had to check your pockets, look around and finally go back to your cube to tell me what time it was. Always used to go to my pocket for the time. But seriously, you're awesome!
Chef Jim Posted August 19, 2010 Posted August 19, 2010 Always used to go to my pocket for the time. But seriously, you're awesome! Years ago I never wore a watch. Doesn't really go well in the kitchen with your hands mixing food or in water so I always had a pocket watch. Yeah I was cool.
Fezmid Posted August 19, 2010 Posted August 19, 2010 but I was ogling Melissa Bartolucci the whole time, so I don't remember much of it. http://www.facebook.com/people/Melissa-Bartolucci/538181690
SageAgainstTheMachine Posted August 19, 2010 Posted August 19, 2010 http://www.facebook.com/people/Melissa-Bartolucci/538181690 Ah, memories.
shrader Posted August 19, 2010 Posted August 19, 2010 I like it when let's say your total is $5.61 so you hand the cashier $10.76, and they give a look like, "WTF?", not realizing that all you need back is a five, a dime, and a nickel, instead of the four ones, quarter, dime, and four pennies if you'd given them just $10. You're crazy. Throw in the extra dime.
bbb Posted August 19, 2010 Posted August 19, 2010 Ah, memories. That's funny! She'd have me just on her name.
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 19, 2010 Posted August 19, 2010 Thanks for your thoughtful reply......Parents taking their kids out of school for awhile definitely are paranoid........I myself really had no fear for my own safety after 9/11 (a lot of anger and fear for the world in general)......But, I would think people in NYC would have more fear for their own personal safety (I recruit doctors and I remember at least one telling me he's leaving the city due to this) Did you ever hear of the one story about the family that left NYC after 911? They were driving down the highway to their new life in Colorado when an overpass crumbled on top of their vehicle thus killing them. True story. My point? It can happend anywhere... I agree with Sage.
The Senator Posted August 19, 2010 Posted August 19, 2010 Did you ever hear of the one story about the family that left NYC after 911? They were driving down the highway to their new life in Colorado when an overpass crumbled on top of their vehicle thus killing them. True story. My point? It can happend anywhere... I agree with Sage. Hah! That's a good one. Yes, of course fate is fate...when your number's up...etc., etc., but certainly one needn't tempt fate. Surely you'll agree that you are much more likely to be trapped on the 80th floor of a burning skyscraper if you happen to work on the 80th floor of a skyscraper, yes? That is why many of the brokerage firms that were caught in the 9/11 WTC carnage will no longer locate their offices on the high floors of an urban skyscraper. Just seems more like good, cautious, prudent, common sense than paranoia, to me anyway. JMO.
bbb Posted August 19, 2010 Posted August 19, 2010 Did you ever hear of the one story about the family that left NYC after 911? They were driving down the highway to their new life in Colorado when an overpass crumbled on top of their vehicle thus killing them. True story. My point? It can happend anywhere... I agree with Sage. What's there to agree with? BTW, my friends and I flew on our already scheduled flight to Atlanta that was about two weeks after they started flying again - the plane hardly had anybody on it. It was the week we started bombing in Afghanistan. We just kept making jokes about who we suspect is going to bring us down. (And, we went to the Bills game on the day the bombing started and the stadium was half empty - even though the game was soldout) Another friend, my age, flew the very first day when any planes were in the air. Very few were, but he had a long planned trip to Alaska, and kept calling to make sure he was on the first plane out of Buffalo. My point - nobody I know personally my age or otherwise, let it effect them. (Except maybe my friend who miraculously lived because the footbridge between the WTC and the World Financial Center held up while the debris fell down on him- he actually had to run thru a field of dead bodies and picked up the torso of the pilot. He actually went from being wound incredibly tight to loosening up - because he knew it could end at any time)
Booster4324 Posted August 19, 2010 Posted August 19, 2010 Just a random thought, perhaps things change a bit when you have kids. I know that was my primary concern after 9/11 when the media hyped weaponized anthrax, killer viruses, suitcase nukes and biochemical warfare. My wife at the time was my secondary concern with me bring up the rear. I remember leading up to Y2K I had no concerns (we met in late November of that year). In fact I joked about it a lot. A couple of years later, 9/11 was far more scary. I realize that is an actual event vs a possible event. I mean I was more worried about the Doomsday scenarios presented by the Press.
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