September 26, 1983. The End of the World was minutes away.

[My Pet Orangutan]

[dhill926]

1. well hell....that was my 30th birthday....

I wouldn't have noticed, as we had a party for the ages...

[Warpy]

2. I might not have cared

I was sick enough to be on 2 antibiotics, loads of Percodan, and a super high steroid dose, all of which started to get better a month later when my grumbling appendix, masked by all the drugs, popped. I was close to an air base, so thermal shock would have put me out of my misery before the blast wave hit.

If a bunch of fucking idiot men start lobbing nukes as the ultimate weenie wagging exercise, the last thing I want to do is survive it.

So again I live within a mile of an air base. I just hope their aim is good.

[Swede]

4. Close only counts in horse shoes and h-bombs.

Oh, and hand grenades.

[soldierant]

3. I've heard of Petrov, and

have nothing but admiration for his common sense and courage.

He certainly puts the QOP to shame.

[tclambert]

5. Fortunately, American school children would all be safe.

Because they DUCKed under their desks AND COVERed their heads with their arms. (Desks must have been made out of really, really sturdy materials back then.)