Author
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Topic: Apollo 12's "rum incident" (xkcd: Harpoons)
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Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 43576 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 08-01-2014 12:08 PM
Today's (Aug. 1) xkcd comic includes a reference to Apollo 12's "rum incident" as part of a graph of the number of harpoons in space by year:Anyone have an idea what this is in reference to? The Explain xkcd wiki suggests it is "probably a joke": Officially, Apollo 12 carried neither harpoons nor rum. However, as a former NASA contractor, Randall may know more about space shenanigans than the general public, and may be implying (perhaps jokingly) that a bottle of the Harpoon brand of Jamaican rum made it aboard. |
lspooz Member Posts: 385 From: Greensboro, NC USA Registered: Aug 2012
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posted 08-01-2014 03:58 PM
I'd say it's a good-natured tip of the hat to the all-Navy crew of the Yankee Clipper [although Pete may keep some secrets] |
ehartwell New Member Posts: 8 From: Waterloo, ON, Canada Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 08-02-2014 07:19 AM
...or an homage to Calvin and Hobbes' "noodle incident." |
moorouge Member Posts: 2458 From: U.K. Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 08-02-2014 07:36 AM
The two people who might be able to give a definitive answer are Bean and Gordon. Perhaps Conrad did have a 'wee dram' in his PPK. After all, Aldrin took wine to the Moon. |
YankeeClipper Member Posts: 622 From: Dublin, Ireland Registered: Mar 2011
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posted 08-07-2014 10:37 AM
Quick chat with Alan Bean ... he can't recall any rum / harpoon incident occurring in relation to Apollo 12. |
moorouge Member Posts: 2458 From: U.K. Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 08-08-2014 08:11 AM
Having heard Bean talk about Conrad at Pontefract, I wouldn't expect him to say anything else. |