So there I was, reading back issues of Federal Computer Week and came upon the article "FCC: Alert System So Last Century." As in "this a test of the Emergency Broadcast System," which went back to CONELRAD.

Okay, who out there still remembers CONELRAD? Talk about something indelibly burned on the brain of one of the baby boomer generation! If you're saying "what the heck?" this explains what CONELRAD was:

CONELRAD

And then check out Conelrad.com, for all those atomic bulletins, films, and warnings that made the 1950s (and early 1960s) not so "Happy Days" for you and me.

Man, that one just brings back the "duck and cover" flashbacks. We had them all through elementary school. The first few years we had them in our classroom. It was always the same: Squat on the floor, bend your head down, and cover it with your hands. Do not look up until the drill is over. Lessons about what to do if you saw a bright flash in the sky while out in the playground or in your back yard (throw yourself into same squatting position; do not look at the flash!!!!).

Then some bright adminstrator noticed that it was little help to have us duck and covering under our desks in a schoolroom that was one fourth glass windows. Thereafter we lined the halls and did our duck and cover there.

They downplayed things as much as they could for the smaller kids; wonder how many first-graders wet themselves when the fifth and sixth graders informed them that we were doing the drill just in case the Russians tried to fry us with their nuclear bombs.

Those were scary, scary times occasionally...

----------------------------------------------------------------
. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 11:54:00 AM

Comments: Post a Comment