Where Were You on 9/11?


The dual big days of our parents lives were when Kennedy got shot, and when man landed on the moon. For us, it was when the Berlin Wall fell and 9/11. On 9/11, I was lying in bed at my dad’s house in Virginia when a friend of my sister’s called and said, “Did you hear that planes flew into the World Trade Center?” My first thought was, “How could a plane get so far off course that it ended up in downtown Manhattan?” I got up out of bed, ran downstairs and turned on the news. Once it became evident that it was a terrorist attack, I totally wigged, convinced that the world was getting ready to end.

My sister and her boyfriend at the time had just flown in to visit from Hawaii, where she was living at the time. She called there the next day, and her friends told her to not bother to return. Everything was closing, as everyone in Hawaii realized that with nobody flying the fall and winter seasons were going to be disastrous.

I had been in New York two weeks before looking for a job and an apartment. I had found neither. I had been planning on moving there, but the lack of prospects coupled with the fear of another attack ensured that I would not, and I moved to Philadelphia a month later. I remember being absolutely convinced that this was merely the first in a multipronged attack, and every day for weeks, I just waited for the other shoe to drop. I swore I would never step foot on a plane again, and in fact it was several years before I flew again.

It sounds crazy now, but that morning I wondered if the two planes were merely the opening volley in an all out attack on the United States, and a couple of my friends and I decided to go to our favorite restaurant, The Exmore Diner, for lunch, since we thought the meal might be our last (I lived near an enormous naval base, so I thought they might be wiped out next.) I’m curious as to where you were on 9/11 and what your remembrances are of it. Please post below.

Cool Site for Bibliophiles

booksHey kids, just came across a cool site I thought you guys might dig. It’s called Librarything, and you enter what books you have in your bookcase and it introduces you to books you might like and people who like the same books. I just started composing a short list yesterday. If you decide to start one, please share it with me. I haven’t spent enough time on the site to really play with the bells and whistles, but we can check out each others bookshelves, essentially, which I think is pretty cool.

Quizzo Tonight

Big night of quizzo tonight. We start at the Rendezvous at 6:15 p.m., where the Jams attempt to get back in the drivers seat after losing two straight weeks by 2 points or less. On to the Black Sheep, where I am allowing all teams to play with up to 14 team members. I’m kidding. Duane’s World tries to maintain their #1 ranking with a strong showing at the Sheep, but will newcomers I Heart Giraffe pull off another upset? Action starts at 8 p.m. Hope to see ya tonight!

iSportacus Suicide Pool

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Hey kids, be sure to sign up for our iSportacus suicide pool on ESPN. (If you don’t have  an ESPN account, sign up for one). The group name is isportacus. Much like filling out brackets, this thing is mostly luck and Betty from accounting has about the same chance of winning as Jimmy the Greek. Anyhow, whoever can go the longest w/o picking a loser will win a $50 gift certificate to a local dining establishment, and 2nd place will get a $25 gift certificate.

I Got Rasslin’ Tickets to Giveaway

Ring-of-Honor-WrestlingHey kids, I got some cool stuff to give away this week. Did you see The Wrestler, the Mickey Rourke movie? Well, several of the wrestlers in that film are real wrestlers. Well, real fake wrestlers. Well they’re real, but wrestling is…whatever. My point is that I have tix to see some of these guys rassle this Thursday and Friday at The Arena, formerly known as the Alhambra, formerly known as the New Alhambra, formerly known as Viking Hall, formerly known as ECW Arena, formerly known as XPW Arena. Odds are, if you show up this weekend, they’ll name the arena after you!

It is Ring of Honor Wrestling, and the last time I saw wrestling at The Arena, I had a blast. The only thing I ask if you go is that you cheer the bad guys. I think I’m going Friday, so if you want we can meet up and fight in the parking lot before we go in to get ourselves all fired up. And trust me, I will be obnoxious once I’m inside. Holler at me tonight if you’re looking for tix.

Win $20 Gift Certificate by Telling Me What’s Donovan’s Fault

NFC Championship FootballMen of leisure are always looking for new leisurely ventures, and I think I’ve found one: blaming Donovan Mcnabb for everything that has ever gone wrong in world history. But I need your help. Tell me what you blame Donovan for, and at the end of the month, the person whose score is highest will win a $20 gift certificate to a local watering hole. Shoot me an email (johnny@johnnygoodtimes.com) and let me know what you think is Donovan’s fault.

UPDATE: Donovan’s Fault featured on Thrillist.

Toughest Questions from Last Week

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  1. What US policy was introduced in 1823 which stated that “The American continents are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers.”
  2. Who won the Presidency with the slogan Tippecanoe and Tyler too?
  3. What was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s first novel, published when he was 24?
  4. The Bridal Chorus, better known as Here Comes the Bride is not heard at many Jewish weddings, perhaps because its composer was an avowed antisemite. Who is he?
  5. 6 months after defeating Chuck Wepner in 1970, this boxer was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Las Vegas.
  6. You’ll find the adrenal glands directly above what organ?
  7. Albert DeSalvo was born in 1931. What was he better known as?
  8. Jay Berwanger won the first ever one of these awards.
  9. Before departing in a hot air balloon, who does the Wizard leave in charge of Oz?
  10. The play A Man for All Seasons is about this 16th century saint.

Answer after the jump…

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