Tell me something about yourself that is Amazing, Unbelievable, Surprising or Odd. =)

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John Young is one of my all-time favorite astronauts. Flew on 3 different rockets to space! He and Bob were quite brave to fly on the maiden launch of STS-1! Bob had a lot of charisma! :cool:
John Young was awesome. IMHO, his top 3 achievements: Georgia Tech grad. Snuck a corned beef sandwich onto Gemini 3. And this beauty from Apollo 16:


 
John Young was awesome. IMHO, his top 3 achievements: Georgia Tech grad. Snuck a corned beef sandwich onto Gemini 3 ...
I met him a few times at events at KSC. Of course, we were at public events where he expected to interact with people so it's not too surprising that he was always friendly to us. But I got the impression that it was genuine. The thing I remember most about him was that he had this amazing ability to say really funny things in such a matter-of-fact way that you didn't realize how funny it was for a few seconds.

Although, sometimes his sense of humor was more obvious ... as in the clip that you posted.
 
When I was 12 yrs old, I was chosen to drive in a 3 hour slot car endurance race as the co-driver with the car builder who was in his 20s. We won the event.
When I was 18, I bought this car. It was 2 years old then. I still own it today.
I am the only person in the State of MN that has a Master Plumber's License, a Journeyman High Pressure Piping License and is a Certified Building Official.
I started rock climbing in my early 20s. I climbed in several different locations. I climbed Devil's Tower when less than 7000 people had climbed it before me. Now that many or more climb it each year.
I've done cave exploration in at least 15 different States. I was the third person in the world to see the singing stalagmite in Mystery Cave.
I began Road Racing Formula Ford in 1984 and was the 1984 Rookie of the Year in the Land O Lakes Region of the Sports Car Club of America.
I flew aerobatics with the U.S. Sailplane Aerobatic Champion.
I was designing, drawing and scratch building hand launch and towline gliders when I was 10 yrs old.
Oh yeah, I started in Rocketry in 1964 and still enjoy that hobby and several more hobbies to this day
 

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I am terrified of heights, yet I have been skydiving, done aerobatics in an open cockpit biplane, hung outside a helicopter with my camera countless times, have walked across the catwalks in the ceiling of the VAB at Kennedy Space Center, all with no issues. But get me up in a scissor lift or a boom lift at work, and I instantly freeze up.
Now I am much the same way. I can't go around to the front of my roof with its "horrific" 16' drop to the driveway (and it's not a steep roof, 4 on 12). But flying is great, I've been more than halfway round the world in my travels for work. But put me on a high mountain road and you will have a panic-stricken mass of blubbery man in the fetal position on your hands. I hate to walk across bridges and avoid that at all costs, eyes locked straight ahead and moving fast.

BUT.... throw a rope over that bridge and tie a sling seat on me and I become fearless. I was the first in my training group to rappel face first, running down the cliff, because the first two guys who tried froze up. My buddy and I had a bet on a 75' free-face rappel tower, as there was an angle support about halfway down, who would get under it on the first bound, as the tendency is to brake right away and many were almost hitting their heads on the platform - which he almost did as well - and I easily cleared the brace, dropping to the ground as I swung back out from underneath it. When I hit the ground, a stocky Green Beret stalked over to me and said "Don't you EVER do that again!"
And I'm genuinely perplexed, "Do what, Sarge?"
"Didn't you see that bar, you could have took your head off!"
"Oh, Sarge, I watched it the whole time! Ron and I had a bet as to who would get under it on the first bound."
He looked at me incredulous, then whipped his hands down in disgust. 50 years later I can still see his face. A tough old Green Beret named (you can't make this up) Sgt. Hawk.
We then went over to a 100' cliff where I was sitting with some real soldiers from the 101st Airborne. One of the other Green Berets was standing on a tree root with nothing beneath it but 100' of air. And I'm visibly nervous, and the fellow next to me says, "Why don't you go over to that shorter cliff?" I told him I'd be fine once I got on the rope (and I was), but just sitting there with that character standing on that tree root was really messing me up. He replied, "I know what you mean. I'd rather jump out of an airplane than go over that cliff."

So I hope you enjoyed these stories. My point in belaboring them was to show that phobias are not rational. Maybe someday I'll try a tandem jump... But though I like to rappel (abseil), you'll never catch me climbing back up!
 
So I hope you enjoyed these stories. My point in belaboring them was to show that phobias are not rational. Maybe someday I'll try a tandem jump... But though I like to rappel (abseil), you'll never catch me climbing back up!

I think the fear of heights when you're not tied off to anything makes sense. Overall, comfortable up in the air or on tall things, but I'm happier with a harness on. When I was active with the fire department, I didn't care much for the 39' 3 fly extension ladder with no stay poles. The 75' ladder truck which was much more stable didn't phase me.
 
I think the fear of heights when you're not tied off to anything makes sense. Overall, comfortable up in the air or on tall things, but I'm happier with a harness on. When I was active with the fire department, I didn't care much for the 39' 3 fly extension ladder with no stay poles. The 75' ladder truck which was much more stable didn't phase me.
Well, to an extent, but I cannot go places that most people can go quite fearlessly. I hate tall buildings and rooftops even though there is exactly zero danger of falling. I'm definitely more sensitive than most in that regard. I blame Warner Brothers and all those cliffs that broke off under Wile E. Coyote's feet!
 
The fear of heights is an interesting phenomenon. I have climbed the Nose of El Capitan and the Northwest Face of Half Dome (among many other climbs). Huge exposure on both but the heights never bothered me. But if I lean over the edge of a skyscraper after taking the elevator to the top my stomach begins to churn uneasily. For me there is something “calming” about starting at the bottom and working my way up vs suddenly being exposed to the height. Weird.
 
Now I am much the same way. I can't go around to the front of my roof with its "horrific" 16' drop to the driveway (and it's not a steep roof, 4 on 12). But flying is great, I've been more than halfway round the world in my travels for work. But put me on a high mountain road and you will have a panic-stricken mass of blubbery man in the fetal position on your hands. I hate to walk across bridges and avoid that at all costs, eyes locked straight ahead and moving fast.
You wouldn't have liked this road trip we took in northwest Pakistan. The first picture is a sample of the road--it got worse from there. At one point it was pegged into the cliff face with logs and if you went over the edge you'd land on the other side of the river. The "best" part was the full suspension bridges, unconnected at either end. When the Land Cruiser rolled up on to the bridge deck, you'd see a gravity wave propagate down to the other end. Ten-year-old me could make visible waves by jumping up and down. We didn't go over the bridge in the last picture. :D
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I have over 200 credits, but don't have any degrees.
As I recall, my bachelor's degree (BSEE) required a minimum of 210 credit hours (though at the time they were quarter hours not semester hours). I *did* get the degree though, and another one (with thirty or forty semester hours) fifteen years later, and now for some reason, after another fifteen years, I'm doing it again.
 
As I recall, my bachelor's degree (BSEE) required a minimum of 210 credit hours (though at the time they were quarter hours not semester hours). I *did* get the degree though, and another one (with thirty or forty semester hours) fifteen years later, and now for some reason, after another fifteen years, I'm doing it again.
I hear you... If I had the time, I'd pursue more education and I'm 67! It's just enjoyable... Ok maybe that's something wierd or amazing about me...
 
As I recall, my bachelor's degree (BSEE) required a minimum of 210 credit hours (though at the time they were quarter hours not semester hours). I *did* get the degree though, and another one (with thirty or forty semester hours) fifteen years later, and now for some reason, after another fifteen years, I'm doing it again.
ERAU required 120ish semester hours for their EE program when I was there, so that's seems about right. Congrats on getting the degree and going back for more, I'm not sure I have the perseverance to do that even the first time around. I still have some of my GI Bill left, might be fun to go back for some classes a little better aligned with my current career.

I just dropped out, enlisted and took the scenic route (and a lot of random classes I thought were interesting). :)
 
I think the fear of heights when you're not tied off to anything makes sense. Overall, comfortable up in the air or on tall things, but I'm happier with a harness on. When I was active with the fire department, I didn't care much for the 39' 3 fly extension ladder with no stay poles. The 75' ladder truck which was much more stable didn't phase me.

The fear of heights is an interesting phenomenon. I have climbed the Nose of El Capitan and the Northwest Face of Half Dome (among many other climbs). Huge exposure on both but the heights never bothered me. But if I lean over the edge of a skyscraper after taking the elevator to the top my stomach begins to churn uneasily. For me there is something “calming” about starting at the bottom and working my way up vs suddenly being exposed to the height. Weird.
For me, even if I am tied off on certain things, I freeze up. I do not like tall ladders, and like I said earlier, boom lifts or scissor lifts. I think it has a lot to do with the movement the make when extended. In boom lifts at work, we have to be harnessed in, but I still start to freeze up in them. I am slightly better if I am the one controlling the lift, but I stay away from them if I can. There are some times where I have had to tough it out, man up, and just push through the fear at my job when I am the only mechanic on site, and the work is at the top of the tail of the 747. I can be up in tall buildings, look over the edge of cliffs, bridges, what ever, with no major issues. Sure, my stomach might churn a bit, but I dont freeze up like I do on ladders or lifts.
 
My great Aunt once owned a 1939 Packard convertible. Photo below not the actual car, could not find any old photo's, but this is the same color. She and her boyfriend drove the car from Philadelphia, PA to Los Angeles CA. The vehicle had a breakdown they could not get fixed, They used some of the money from the sale of the car to buy train tickets back to Philadelphia. The car was sold for about $2500 to Raymond Burr - Actor famous for "Ironsides."

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Speaking of the fear of heights. I ONCE went to the top of the Stratosphere Tower in Vegas. As soon as I got out of the elevator at the top and stepped out I plastered myself to the side of the building. The building was moving. IIRC it's about 1400' tall and was swaying in the wind. Took about 15 minutes to make it to the railing. I did not look down. The view was great, but never again. I don't like looking down out of tall building windows either. Up a tree, on a mountain, in a plane I'm ok. I'm from Michigan and we don't have mountains. When I got to Colorado I was petrified of the mountain roads. My future wife is from Idaho. She drove up Mt Estes. 14,400'. Highest paved road in the country, IIRC. The road was about a lane and a half wide. Going up was bad, coming down was a nightmare. Looking out the car window at thousands of feet down I was practically catatonic. Now that I have driven mountain roads in Colorado, Idaho and Nevada for 35 years it's no big deal. But I'm not going up that tower again for love or money.
 
Speaking of the fear of heights. I ONCE went to the top of the Stratosphere Tower in Vegas. As soon as I got out of the elevator at the top and stepped out I plastered myself to the side of the building. The building was moving. IIRC it's about 1400' tall and was swaying in the wind. Took about 15 minutes to make it to the railing. I did not look down. The view was great, but never again. I don't like looking down out of tall building windows either. Up a tree, on a mountain, in a plane I'm ok. I'm from Michigan and we don't have mountains. When I got to Colorado I was petrified of the mountain roads. My future wife is from Idaho. She drove up Mt Estes. 14,400'. Highest paved road in the country, IIRC. The road was about a lane and a half wide. Going up was bad, coming down was a nightmare. Looking out the car window at thousands of feet down I was practically catatonic. Now that I have driven mountain roads in Colorado, Idaho and Nevada for 35 years it's no big deal. But I'm not going up that tower again for love or money.
Of the three rides on the top of the Stratosphere, Insanity definitely made me laugh much more maniacally than Big Shot. X-Scream was a big fat meh.
 
I think most all of us have a "preservation of self" fear. I've climbed mountains, flew airplanes, performed aerobatics all with no fear.
Climb a 25 ft ladder or look down from the edge of my roof? I'll just say I can do it, but it is NOT a comfortable feeling.
And today when I get home I have to climb on the roof and that 25ft ladder to put lights on the house to make Mrs a happy Mrs.
 
I think most all of us have a "preservation of self" fear. I've climbed mountains, flew airplanes, performed aerobatics all with no fear.
Climb a 25 ft ladder or look down from the edge of my roof? I'll just say I can do it, but it is NOT a comfortable feeling.
And today when I get home I have to climb on the roof and that 25ft ladder to put lights on the house to make Mrs a happy Mrs.

I was fine with heights as a kid, a teenager, all the way through my 30's. Then suddenly I was on a castle wall in Wales and I was not okay with heights. Very much not okay.

I remain not okay until this day. Weird how your brain changes.
 
And suddenly we have an acrophobia thread! :cool:
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Way back I had a job where one time I had to climb a 120' tower to replace an antenna preamp at the top.

One. Time. I was terrified.

The other thing that makes me go 'uhh... no' is the circular stairs in a lighthouse!
 
I remain not okay until this day. Weird how your brain changes.

Back when I was 21 and invincible, I had a bad crash when I hit a tabletop jump too fast skiing. I overshot the landing, landed on flat hardpack/ice on my feet, more or less bounced and then fell backwards hitting my head on the ground pretty hard. The ski patroller said it looked like I was out cold, but I came to on my own. I made it home, but for the next several days I had typical concussion symptoms of nausea and l had to write down beer orders at work because by the time I got a glass I couldn't remember what to pour.

After that crash for about 10 years, I couldn't go over man made jump skiing. Going airborne over a natural lip or a dip in the hill wasn't a problem. (I never said I smart about these things, but I did buy a helmet.) I even tried to line up with jumps, but something in my brain took over and put the brakes on. I eventually got to the point wheee I can hit the smaller features, but it took a while.
 
One of the weirdest things that happened to me was saving my best friend's life (or at least preventing major injury). We were going to do some work on a car, and using an old style bumper jack to lift the car. He slid underneath to install a car stand. I don't know what twigged my attention, but I suddenly called his name and grabbed him to pull him out from under the car. His head just cleared the bumper when the jack let go and the car came crashing down. If he had still been underneath, well.....

In terms of claim to fame, I went to High School with D. Snyder (of Twisted Sister).
As a geek, I did lighting and projectors for the school. Our supervising teacher had been a neighbor of Alan King, the famous comedian. So that is 2 degree of separation from him, and since he is famous only 3 steps from a ton of other celebrities.
In college, I did lighting for a concert by Maria Muldaur (Midnight at the Oasis) and another concert by Jackson Brown!
 
Duran Duran arrived in style in a BAC 1.11. The first and only time I have seen one actually operational).
My former employer flew a BAC as a test bed for radar development. I don't know how many hundreds of times it had been modified. And the test pilots loved flying it. The interior was completely stripped and replaced with racks of equipment and a few seats for us engineers to do our thing. It was sad day when it was finally scrapped a couple years ago when they couldn't get parts any more.
 
And suddenly we have an acrophobia thread! :cool:
I was never afraid of heights and for a while in High School I used to sneak off after getting my lunch (was avoiding an ex who befriended my lunch group) and go to the 8th floor where the very large windows were often open and the window ledge was very wide.

So I sat on the window ledge and enjoyed the view of the park from high up. I made sure to eat fast and never got into trouble.

However I once did a harnessed "girder walk" and let me tell you, it was VERY weird and disconcerting to walk out high over something without any reference to the ground. I finally understood what vertigo can feel like.
 
Too many great stories in this thread.

I was taken by ambulance to hospital after a major seizure. Never had one before.

The doctor asked me what happened in the previous five minutes before the event and I said, "No idea, really, but I found out Debbie Harry is a redhead. Could that be it?"

Never seen so many medical people laugh at once.
 
My former employer flew a BAC as a test bed for radar development. I don't know how many hundreds of times it had been modified. And the test pilots loved flying it. The interior was completely stripped and replaced with racks of equipment and a few seats for us engineers to do our thing. It was sad day when it was finally scrapped a couple years ago when they couldn't get parts any more.
Was that the Northrop one?
 
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