Update 8-28-12

 

Hi,

 

A joke, a note, a comment, another joke, and an article.  First, in honor of Neil Armstrong:

 

    When Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon, he not only made his famous comment, “This is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” he followed it with several other remarks, mainly the usual communications traffic with Mission Control.  And, just before re-entering the lunar lander, he said -- enigmatically -- “Good luck, Mr. Gorsky.”
    Many people at NASA thought it casually referred to a rival Soviet cosmonaut, but -- on checking -- there turned out to be no Gorsky in either the Russian or American space programs.  Over the years, various reporters asked Armstrong  what “Good luck, Mr. Gorsky” meant, but he always politely refused to answer.      

    Recently though, while answering questions following a speech in Tampa Bay, the twenty-six-year-old question was again brought up, and Armstrong finally responded.  It seemed Mr. Gorsky had recently died, and Armstrong felt an explanation would do little harm.
    The story:  when Armstrong was a kid, he was playing baseball with his brother in the backyard.  His brother hit a fly ball which landed in front of his neighbors’ -- the Gorsky’s -- bedroom window.  As Neil leaned down to pick up the ball, he heard Mrs. Gorsky shout at her husband:  “Oral sex?  You want oral sex!  You’ll get oral sex when that kid next door walks on the moon!”

 

Back on this planet, a note from Allen Moss:  Moss in Maine here.  Thanks, Judy, for that great article last week about long-standing reunions.  I think the class of '65 should be pretty proud of itself  that we have continued the tradition.  I chuckled when I read the alum's comment about "wanting to gab."  Who can forget the talk-a-thon in that small room at our 37th reunion?  The noise level would have shattered glass!  And it continued at the 40th.  So sorry that I could not make the 45th.  but I certainly am looking forward to the 50th.

    Hope everyone has had a great summer and that all is well.  Fall is just around the corner here in Maine, and the early mornings are beginning to have the slightest hint of a chill.  Can't wait for the beautiful autumn colors, the wonderful smell of fireplace smoke, and that last plate of crab cakes at the my favorite wharf-side restaurant before they close for the winter.  Just past my 16th year here in Maine and have not lost my feelings of contentment.  as usual, there's an open invitation to all.  Come on up and get some "lobstah and chowdah."

 

[Rich -- next, the comment:  Judy Hartstone and I just had our quarterly lunch, and we talked slightly about a possible 50th reunion.  I said I'm sure there would be one, but that I still don't think anything would equal our 37th. 

    The 50th will probably again be on Long Island, there will probably be a couple of dozen people there, and that will be fine.  I'm not saying more people wouldn't be welcome.  That would be terrific.  I'm just saying most people now seem to stay in touch with their friends by phone, e-mail, or through Facebook.

    Judy and I also agreed that since our 50th reunion is three years away. it's a bit early to start making plans.]

 

Fourth, unlike the Neil Armstrong joke, which has been around for years, this is a newer one, again forwarded by a friend:

    During a recent password audit by a company, it was found that an employee was using the following password:  MickeyMinnieDonaldGoofyPlutoHueyDeweyLouieSacramento. 

    When asked why she had such a long password, she rolled her eyes and said, "Hello!  It has to be at least eight characters and include one capital."

 

And speaking of Facebook, here's another article, partly about reunions.  This was spotted by Barbara Blitfield Pech:

    Facebook Groups Keep Valley Stream's Past Alive     By Brian Croce, Long Island Herald, August 2012
    Teenagers certainly aren’t the only ones who have taken a liking to Facebook. More and more people who were teenagers decades ago are also using Facebook as a way to keep in touch with former classmates and even organize get-togethers. There are no shortages of groups and pages that allow people who grew up in Valley Stream a chance to remember their hometown, their favorite spots, their schools, their teachers and those who have passed away.

    Nancy Duncan, a graduate of South High School in 1975, created the group “Valley Stream South High: Gone But Not Forgotten — May They Rest In Peace” last year as way for people to remember family members, friends and classmates who have died over the years. Duncan got the idea when she came across a similar page dedicated to people from a nearby town. She said once the group launched, people were quick to join and post memories.

    “I think a lot of people that had siblings or knew people that died posted right away because they wanted to let people know,” she said. “It’s still being used, just not as frequently.” She added that the page has been more active in recent days.

    When the group first launched, Duncan was unsure if she had made a mistake because it seemed to make people upset, but said she is happy she stuck it out.

    John Urgo is a frequent poster in numerous groups and pages that pertain to Valley Stream. The 1971 graduate of Valley Stream Central High School even organized a class reunion through Facebook that was held at the Valley Stream VFW hall last October. The reunion was for Central grads from 1969 through 1973. Urgo said that about 300 people attended.

    “Rather than the old way of doing it, which is sending envelopes to parents’ houses or to a prior address, this is so much easier." Urgo added that the major drawback of using Facebook to organize the reunion was the fact that not many people from his graduating class use social networking sites, but through word of mouth the event was a success.

    Urgo helped create the page “Baby Boomer Growing Up in the 50s 60s & 70s in Valley Stream” about two years ago. It’s a page where people post pictures and memories from their childhood. “If I have your phone number and we’re friends, maybe I’ll call you once a month,” Urgo said, “but if you have Facebook I’ll usually talk to [you] once a day. It makes everything closer and you keep in contact day to day.”

    The page “I grew up in Valley Stream, NY Between 1970-2000” was created by Ally Azzarelli, a 1990 Central grad, in January 2010. Azzarelli said she originally started the page to connect with people who she went to school with, but then widened the age range shortly after.

    For Azzarelli, who currently lives in Florida, Facebook is a great way to stay connected to her hometown. “The majority of people on the page are no longer living in Valley Stream or even New York, so it helps them. It’s really just to jog the memory and help people remember a fun time in their lives.”

    Earlier this month, a photo of Alexander’s, a department store that opened in 1967 on Sunrise Highway, was posted on the page and quickly generated a lot of buzz. As of Tuesday, the photo had been shared more than 300 times, liked by about 920 people and has garnered 250-plus comments. “More people relate to a photo of a shop, restaurant or school than they do of an actual event,” she said, “because I guess if you weren’t there at that exact time, it doesn’t mean as much to you.”

    Anthony Basile, a 1978 Central grad, frequently posts pictures on various groups about Valley Stream. He said he finds most of the pictures on the Internet, although he has posted a few from his personal collection. Basile enjoys finding pictures of stores or restaurants that are no longer in business to help jog people’s minds. “It brings back a lot of memories for people who grew up here. It’s changed incredibly over the last 20 years.”

    Basile said that Facebook is a great way for him to connect with his old classmates and added that he recently talked to someone he went to grade school with that he hadn’t been in contact with for more than three decades. “It’s fun to go down memory lane,” he said. “I don’t live in the past, but I like to visit it on occasion.”

 

The South '65 e-mail addresses: reunionclass65 . blogspot . com

 

The South '65 photo site: picasaweb . google . com / SouthHS65

 

 

Rich