Where were you when you heard about Osama bin Laden's death?

Of course, it's all people are talking about today. See how 20 newspapers covered the death on their front pages. (Poynter.org)
> New York Times refuses to use "Mr." for bin Laden

Comments

[Ben Leyden]

What was I doing? Um, well, I was browsing through my pornographic sites and accidentally clicked a news link. I saw he was dead and resumed my quest for plenty of perverted porn.

[Somebody]

Oddly, my Monday didn't start much different than any other recent Monday. It is a touch colder out, I guess.

[buddy]

ill admit when im wrong. this is proof that the tsa pat downs are working.

[twerp]

Well, the power was just restored to my part of North Alabama yesterday.

After days of volunteering and loading up all of my family's outgrown clothes to donate to my neighboring communities, I got a nice hot shower, cracked open a Guinness, and curled up to watch a movie (The Gods Must be Crazy). After I turned off the movie, I saw the news and watched Obama's speech.

Let me just say this. I've gotten TONS of email forwards that have stated that Obama wanted to take the words "under God" out of the Pledge of Allegiance. Well, he said "under God" in his speech--making those who sent those emails looks like total and complete douchebags.

[TequilaJoe]

I was playing computer games and saw the link when I switched windows.

[Bill]

I was watching the Mets-Phillies on ESPN, and the announcers broke in with the news, advising viewers to either switch to ABC (which owns ESPN) for the presidents speech; or to stick with ESPN for the rest of the game.

I switched 1 TV and continued watching the game, and was quite pleased to hear the crowd chanting USA-USA-USA as news spread thru the ballpark,

[twerp]

I LOVE the "WE GOT THE BASTARD" headline. I LMAOed.

[stopeatingmysesamecake]

Twerp:

The Gods Must be Crazy = Gold
The Gods Must Be Crazy II = poop

[RockyMtnMac]

Glad to see you are okay, Twerp. Now I'm wondering if you are really a Navy Seal, and you were a little busy these last few days...hmmm. Your secret is safe with us.

Anyway, I was switching between Desperate Housewives and a baseball game (yes, I confess, I was sorta watching baseball..but only with a passing interest. I don't mind the interruption in the least. It is a beautiful thing. We hawks do enjoy the death of evil at our hands.

"I've never wished a man dead, but I've read some obituaries with great pleasure." -Mark Twain

"AMERICA! F*ck, Yeah!" Team America (Parker & Stone)

[Phranqlin]

Didn't find out until I listened to NPR this morning on the way to work. The first thing I heard when I got in the car was "Stay Tuned to NPR's Special Coverage," so initially I thought it was another terrorist attack!

I'm relieved that Bin Laden is dead and it's certainly a major blow to al-Qaeda. But it's not going to stop them. They've metastized and Bin Laden was more of a figurehead at this point than its functional leader. There will be revenge attacks, you can bank on it. And his followers will venerate him as a martyr to their cause. (I suspect our military buried his body at sea to keep his burial site from becoming a shrine.)

This was a risky move. Obama could very well have had a botched operation on his hands, just like when Carter authorized the failed attempt to rescue the Iranian hostages.

[Phranqlin]

Also, it's great that twerp has rejoined us and made it safely through the tornadoes!

[Me (the original)]

Welcome back Twerp, glad you are O.K.
Looks like "Ben Leyden" has his priorities straight.

[twerp]

Thanks, guys. I've seen tons of tornadoes in my time but this was absolutely horrific. My husband and I were watching one of the tornadoes from the front porch when it began raining debris all over my yard--that's when we took cover. Had a tornado hit our house, we wouldn't be alive. We don't have a storm shelter or a basement. It's really scary to think about what could have happened. Then another tornado came, then another and another....

Oh, and the stories I've heard--horrific. A lady was trying to hold on to her three kids and the youngest got sucked up into the tornado. Yesterday a volunteer clearing debris found a headless corpse of a young girl.

[ReginaFilangee]

Hey there neighbor....glad you made it through okay, too!
I know of dozens of horror stories, also....but if anyone wants to see pics of this area, go to Facebook.com/1021WDRM. I'm a conscientious Facebook-objector, but I listened to that radio station non-stop during our 4 days without power, and from the stories some of the callers have told, I imagine the pics are pretty graphic. As of this morning, they are now calling the massive Tuscaloosa monster "only" an F4, but the Phil Campbell one has apparently been upgraded to F5. Most of my family and friends are scattered all throughout north Alabama, but we were all very fortunate and had minimal damage----and no loss of life in my immediate circle.

Anyway....to answer Jim's question:
Because last night was my first night with power back on since the storms (and a REAL hot shower---not a fake one using garden hoses heated up by the sun!!!), I was actually indulging in Desperate Housewives and Brothers&Sisters and drifting off to sleep when they broke in with the news. I still don't know how Luc's bachelor party turned out (don't care), but am glad to know that such an evil man as bin Laden no longer exists on our planet. If he really believed he was "working on behalf of Allah"....I'm sure he got quite a surprise when meeting Allah firsthand. There is NO SUCH THING as "God's Army" or "Allah's Army"----such terms are oxymorons. By definition, such "armies" CANNOT exist.

And I don't mean to be cynical, but I just hope there's not another out there ready to step up and take his place by capitalizing on this "publicity" for the terrorists. They HATE it when one of theirs is taken out. I have no doubt that avenging bin Laden's death is a high priority for them.

“I have never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure.”--Mark Twain

[Max Headroom]

My computer happened to be down as I was rebuilding it (a rare occurance - my system runs 24/7) so I was behind on the news. My 11 year old son's friend called to tell us the news, and I ran to check it on my wife's computer.

My son's friend is Pakistani. How's that for irony?

[Max Headroom]

I have to add that I'm immensely satisfied - it would not have been as worthy had we blown him up, poisoned him, used a double agent to kill him... no, the last thing OBL saw was the muzzle of a Navy SEAL's weapon. Perfect. I had always hoped it would go down that way, because there is a chance - a slim one, admittedly - that I will someday get to shake that man's hand.

[twerp]

Hey Regina, glad to see you made it too! Which radio station did you listen to? I was swapping between 102.1 and 104.3 while I was working. Thank God for a Grundig Yacht Boy. That thing can run for days without changing batteries. Even though I saw some terrible stuff first hand while volunteering, the evening curfews were a nice break. My family would gather at the dinner table to listen to the radio and play cards by the candle light.

[Sheila]

I was all prepared to watch PBS new series at nine. The news bulletin was more welcome.
Congratulations to all involved in the years-long search and gratifying ending. Yes, another will take his place, but he will be in the crosshairs, too. One of Allah's warriors tried to hide behind a woman. What a noble guy!

[Tom Weidermeijer]

@ Twerp & Regina... I am glad you both are okay. What they show on TV looks absolutely horrible.

... now back to the celebrations!!! U-S-A! U-S-A! GO NAVY SEALS!!!

Those in the media that say we shouldn't celebrate and that he wasn't really in power... WHO CARES!

We aren't in the street burning effigies of him or burning Pakistani flags. This will subside... just let people have some closure from 9/11.

As for him not being in power... this may be true, but it is time for us to get out of Afghanistan. I have said all along that this needed to be a small surgical strike rather than sending everyone in... twice.

[ReginaFilangee]

Twerp, I stayed with WDRM. We actually got used to the camping out (we literally camped in the woods on my property near my barn, just because it was cooler out there than indoors without fans or a/c), and yes, many families and neighborhoods seemed to discover each other again (or for the first time!) BBQ's, card-games, storytelling....it was quite nice, actually. Just glad it happened while the weather was (otherwise) cooperating!!!

They lifted most curfews last night, but are reinstating them tonight due to the impending t'showers.....just because the officials are already exhausted and spread so thin. I think tomorrow and this next weekend more will get done. The shell-shock seems to be fading fast.

What's awesome is that I think all the individual volunteers are going to be finished cleaning it all up by the time the "official" people to do it get here! FEMA was great to get people here so quickly, but other than taking applications and directing toward temporary housing, they haven't done much else.

Stay safe!!!

[ReginaFilangee]

Max Headroom, I have to admit I'd get immense pleasure from shaking that man's hand, too. Can you imagine how his parents and/or spouse must feel?

And Sheila, I could not believe what I was reading when I saw that about the woman dying from being used as a "shield" by one of Allah's 'brave' warriors. Sad, testicle-less coward!

[Tom Weidermeijer]

@ Regina

His parents and spouse must be saying... 'Boy, I hope they don't announce his name or we're all dead.'

[twerp]

On Thursday, one of the food stores in my area was giving away perishable foods on their loading dock. I took a break from cleanup around 4pm and grabbed up several bags of breaded okra and chicken tenders. Then I fried up dinner for the whole neighborhood on my Coleman camping stove. It was a lot of fun getting to know everybody. It's just a shame that it took this horrible tragedy to bring us together.

The shell-shock didn't hit me til late yesterday afternoon when the power came back on. Then, I just kind of went into a little trance for a few hours. I'm going to miss the power being out. I know it's weird.

Thanks for letting me know about the curfews. I'm monitoring NOAA's website.

FEMA is about useless. Hopefully, they'll get their act together soon. Us Alabamians really know how to pull together and take care of each other. It's what we do.

Take care!

[twerp]

Oh, I forgot to mention that I used my LODGE cast-iron skillet that I got at South Pittsburg's Cornbread festival when I cooked dinner each night.

A country girl can survive.

[Max Headroom]

@Tom, you're right. The identities of the strike team and all their support members will be max-secret for at least a decade.

So Mr. Head-shot... here's to you, whoever the hell you are!

[wank]

I was standing in the middle of the field behind old Mr. Van Dybbuk's house. A few of the old fellow's goats had gotten out of their quarters in the disused hangar, but I paid them no attention; they were enjoying their typical goatish activities like gin rummy and debating the efficacy of brewer's yeast. As the snow began to fall I thought to myself, "good time to put up an umbrella." I looked up to see if Brian Jones was peering over the battlements of Heaven when a loudspeaker concealed amid a heap of tasteless Christmas ornaments in the distance barked out the long-awaited news. Oh, Santa!

[Mark B]

I guess Farmer Bob would say "Sterilization in no longer necessary."

[ReginaFilangee]

Twerp, I'm not sure exactly where you are (sounds like you're not too far, though!---if you listened to 102.1, you might have even heard my voice a couple of times), but the curfews they said were going to be in effect tonight were for most of Madison and Morgan counties. Huntsville still only has about 30% of places back on power. Decatur is at 100%, though. I think that's true for Athens, as well. Madison is somewhere in the middle to high end. I'm way out in a rural part of the county, and we all have it back out here. Parts of Lawrence county are still in the dark. Channel 19 just listed the names of those who died, by county. It was sobering. I was surprised to see how many counties still had quite a few "unidentified"s.

Yep, I am PROUD to be an Alabamian. Always have been, but this reinforced it. No one has been whining about "when's the guvment or those Feema people gonna come and bring us stuff or clean up this mess for us." Nope. Outside help is always and will be appreciated, but I've listened to 5 days of just regular folk helping out regular folk. One person would call in asking where they can get roof shingles or nails or tarps or batteries or ice or baby food and that they have no money due to the disaster but will trade for it, and not 10 minutes later a half-dozen people have called in wanting to know where to bring it to them without expecting a dime for it or the gas to get it there.

Like most everyone else, the bulk of the contents of my freezer ended up on the grill, too. :-)
All we didn't have to go with it was someone with a guitar, unfortunately.

And to think, Bubba didn't even 'lectrocute hisself with that thar generator one single time!!!

Alright, fellow OSRR posters, I'm done talking about things down here in the South now. Thanks to everyone who worried and/or prayed for all of us. It was greatly appreciated. As someone once said, "It's nice to know I'd be missed."

Btw, I do believe we have FINALLY run out of gray duct tape down here!!! Please send some STAT.

[Krash]

Ever'body, DANCE to the Music. Yeah, CEL-ebrate!!!

Hey, we need a video of thousands of Normal, Mainstream Amur-icans crowding the streets, waving the flag, etc...

Oh, I know, ain't gonna happen... we'll leave that to the lower-forms of Humanity... the barbaric, semi-civilized tribalists and religious zealots... friggin' Neanderthals!!

[Krash]

Osama died the "Ball-less Wonder" he was. Hiding behind a woman.

Quite frankly, No one I talked with today even brought him up...as if it wasn't of much consequence... I mean, do you really announce it to the world every time you find a dead rat that ate your poison bait?

[Max Headroom]

@Krash: actually, the song I've been humming all day is "Boom, boom, out go the lights!"

[Day of Justice]

I think this will be like 9/11/01 for me. I'll always remember where I was at and what I was doing. 9/11 I was working overnight shift so I was at home sleeping when a friend called me. Obama being killed, I was working. Common theme here, work.

[icecycle]

Driving in quite late on a Monday because of local flooding, listening to NPR (because I am not tone deaf, thanks.) and suddenly they are all talking of this.

Don't hate me but, my first thought was the 50 million missed opportunity involved in his capture; I could have used that money.

Then wondered, is our President going to go all Aircraft Carrier and Mission Accomplished on our ass?

Thankfully no.

Still kicking myself for not quitting my job and gathering up my claymore and 1911a1s to take his head; could have used that money (said that didn't I, old people repeat themselves.)

In any case, some people are happy and I am glad for them but it would be nice to know for sure.

Whatever, when I die I will look this asshole up and ask him.