Tensions were high during the decision-making process that would lead up to the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Success depended on the precision of the Navy SEALs team in order to kill this slaughterer of thousands.
So, with success met and their mission accomplished, the team had to be sure they’d got their mark:
When bin Laden’s corpse was laid out, one of the Navy SEALs was asked to stretch out next to it to compare heights. The SEAL was 6 feet tall. The body was several inches taller.
After the information was relayed to Obama, he turned to his advisers and said: “We donated a $US60 million helicopter to this operation. Could we not afford to buy a tape measure?”
Priorities, am I right? [The Washington Post]
matt
Monday, May 9, 2011 at 1:08 AMlol! I’ve never seen the US summed up so well!
what was that thing about the million dollar pen that could work in zero gravity? the Russians used a pencil…
Kent
Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 12:48 PMMatt, you’re completely wrong
The Fisher Space Pen was designed and manufactured independently of NASA, using private funds, and sold to NASA and the Soviet Union after it was completed.
Both US and Russian space programs used pencils prior to it’s invent.
Stew
Sunday, May 15, 2011 at 12:38 AMYou use a pencil in zero gravity & you get graphite dust floating around, being inhaled or in your eye or possibly shorting a circuit somewhere. A zero-G pen makes perfect sense.