Name Five Things You've Done That Others Probably Have Not

[fusangite]

So, those who have been reading the thread so far, can we produce a list of the top 10 finalists of most interesting events? What should our criteria be?

I'm thinking that the word "done" in the thread should privilege doing amazing things over being near amazing things or amazing people.

 

[BlackMoria]

1. At 16, while I was in Air Cadets, I went to a summer camp and was flying gliders. The flight instructor handled the takeoff and landings. When it was my turn, my flight instructor went unconcious while in flight. I had only learned the theorically stuff for landing. I managed to land the glider on my own (gliders don't have radios, so noone could talk me down) without serious damage to the glider. Probably the scariest 15 minutes of my life.

2. Peacekeeper in Bosnia when it was peace making, not peace keeping. Got to see up close and personal the horrors of ethnic cleansing. During a negotiation, shook hands with some Bosian Serb general that history has now shown to be the No.1 guy wanted by the international community for crimes against humanity. So, you could say, I shook hands with the devil.

3. Pulled a trapped woman out of a burning vehicle that no one wanted to approach. I was so 'jumped up' on adrenaline I don't remember much. Witnesses say that I broke out the window with my bare hands and allegedly pried the door open that two men couldn't open earlier. Got the woman out and she survived but was badly burned.

4. Had a malfunction on a my very first free fall skydive. The reserve worked. Still haven't got up the nerve to try another free fall yet...

5. Logged over 100 rappels out of a helicopter.

 

[Pbartender]

5. I ran over a rabbit... with my bicycle.

4. I kicked a golfball out of a sandtrap for Tommy Smothers while no one else was looking.

3. I've eaten roadkill and liked it.

2. I've shot neutrinos at Minnesota.

1. I've had occasion to say, "We've lost the antimatter containment field!" and actually mean it.

 

[Hellefire]

I agree that doing something counts far more than being near something happening (though something being doen directly to you..like being taken hostage, should count too). I also think that most of these need some kind of background stories, who/when/why/where/what kinda info to qualify.

Aaron

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

1. I've had occasion to say, "We've lost the antimatter containment field!" and actually mean it.

*bows*

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

Sadly, they've ended the program that I participated in this year, though I can't blame them, really. Last time I was there (summer 2000) it was slim pickings indeed. Mostly just moving the dirt for the paleontologists.

Bakker is an absolute character. I have fond memories of his wacky theories appearing in many of the dinosaur oriented programming I enjoyed from the late 80's, early 90s. I always enjoyed his ravings, but then I could always hit fast forward and get to the good stuff.

You have to admit one thing about Bakker; his ravings make other paleontologists do two things: get mad and then try like hell to disprove him. They don't always succeed in the latter. In his own way, he's advanced theories about dinosaurs that no one else would've been able to do by getting other scientists to do the work... lol

But the whole aquatic ceratosaur thing... uh uh. Me and him would scrap over it.

 

[der_kluge]

So, those who have been reading the thread so far, can we produce a list of the top 10 finalists of most interesting events? What should our criteria be?

I'm thinking that the word "done" in the thread should privilege doing amazing things over being near amazing things or amazing people.

Good idea. Here's my list from the first two pages!

Demiurge1138
Performed on stage at Chicago Symphony Hall.

Crothian
Was in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

Torm
I participated on the prosecution side of my mother's murder trial.

drose25
Slapped a living U.S. president

the_Universe
Been the Master of Ceremonies for a Parade (at Disney World, no less)

Cthulhu's Librarian
Had lunch with Clive Barker

Kyloss
Had lunch with 2 presidents

fusangite
Became the leader of a political party at the age of 21

The Shaman
Forced my way into a runaway schoolbus and set the brakes before it crashed into a supermarket.

Richards
Personally selected the launch codes for the USAF's nuclear ICBM force in 2000. (Since I specified a year, I can honestly say I'm the only one on the planet to have done that!)

The Lorax
Have had a photo on display at the Art Institute of Chicago.


That's some impressive stuff! Beats all my worthless crap hands down.

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

I was part of a movement to name the Arkansas State University Convocation Center "B.U.B.B.A." back in the 80's. Our group was mentioned in both Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine.

When Bill Clinton was campaigning for his second term as governor of Arkansas, he came to a summer festival in the town where I went to school. I tackled a friend of mine to prevent him from picking Clinton's pocket.

There are indeed some very impressive things here. I think anything that involved saving a life rocks. I've never done anything very impressive, but have a pretty large list of small but goofy things, I guess, and they mean the world to me!

 

[Steve Jung]

Finally came up with five.
1) Did maintenance work inside a musical instrument -- the Curtis Organ.
2) Went to a talk given by Kenneth Miller and got my book autographed by him.
3) Assisted engineers performing a decommissioning inspection of ex-USS COONTZ (DDG-40).
4) Assisted engineers performing a pre-commissioning inspection of USS NORMANDY (CG-60).
5) Was a spotlight operator for a Branford Marsalis concert.

 

[drose25]

On the whole B.U.B.B.A. thing...I did undergrad at the University of North Texas, where the administration only narrowly averted naming the student radion station KUNT after someone finally let them in on the joke.