Bloviating Zeppelin: Apollo 11: Forty Years Ago

Bloviating Zeppelin

(in-ep-toc'-ra-cy) - a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Apollo 11: Forty Years Ago

On July 20th of 1969, the United States of America sent astronauts into space on Apollo 11 and, on that day, two of them stepped foot onto the moon's virgin surface: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Michael Collins stayed back in the command module. A great photo tribute exists here.

Forty years ago today.

I can recall it distinctly: I was with my parents at the home of one of their friends in Centerville, Ohio. The television was on in the living room. Grainy black and white images jumped back and forth on the screen.

Can you recall: where were you and what were you doing when America landed on the moon?

12 Comments:

Z said...: I think I was watching the round-faced TV with the family!?

I heard last night on FOX that 6% of kids didn't believe this happened when it did....the number of American kids who don't think it happened today is 25%.
Good job, teachers.......I could SPIT, BZ.

Thanks for this piece...xx; Mon Jul 20, 10:04:00 AM PDT
Ranando said...: At home with the entire family, dad wouldn't let us miss this one.

Z,

Teachers? Where are the fucking parents. My parents taught all of us kids that if it comes out of a teachers mouth, question it, question everything they tell you.; Mon Jul 20, 10:40:00 AM PDT
Rev. Paul said...: We went on a family drive - I was 14. Watched it on a B&W TV in a restaurant in St. James, Missouri, where we stayed for the whole broadcast.; Mon Jul 20, 11:10:00 AM PDT
Ranando said...: Jetting to Sacramento tomorrow for a quick 1pm meeting then jetting right back, wish I had time to buy you a beer.

Next time.; Mon Jul 20, 01:15:00 PM PDT
WMD_Maker said...: I watched it in the family room at our home outside Cleveland. It sure didnt seem like it was at 10:30 pm like they are saying it was seems more like it was about 7.; Mon Jul 20, 02:48:00 PM PDT
Bloviating Zeppelin said...: Ranando: too bad. I'm up the hill until Thursday. Send me an e-mail if you get back up anytime again.

Rev Paul: welcome aboard sir, and thank you for visiting, and thank you for taking the time to comment! Please come back!

WMD: I agree. It was light outside at the time. . .

BZ; Mon Jul 20, 02:51:00 PM PDT
shoprat said...: I'll never forget the excitement of that day or that night.; Mon Jul 20, 03:07:00 PM PDT
A Jacksonian said...: At home with my late grandmother, who was in her mid-70's and was astonished at how much had happened in her life. That would surely be the start of a new frontier... before government killed it off.; Mon Jul 20, 06:39:00 PM PDT
Law and Order Teacher said...: BZ,
Centerville is in my neck of the woods. I lived in another Dayton suburb when I was a kid. It was a post WWII housing plat very similar to Levittown.

I was 16 and watched with my family. My brothers and I went in the front yard and looked at the moon, it was kind of light, but we dreamed of being up there someday. None of us made though, but it made us proud to be Americans and we felt we could dream and have it come true.

Good post.; Mon Jul 20, 07:46:00 PM PDT
Ranando said...: On July 20, 1969, commander of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, Neil Armstrong was the first person to set foot on the moon. His first words after stepping on the moon, "That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind", were televised to Earth and heard by millions. But just before he re-entered the lander, he made the enigmatic remark:

"Good luck, Mr. Gorsky." Many people at NASA thought it was a casual remark concerning some rival Soviet Cosmonaut. However, upon checking, there was no Gorsky in either the Russian or American space programs. Over the years many people questioned Armstrong as to what the "Good luck Mr. Gorsky" statement meant, but Armstrong always just smiled. On July 5, 1995, in Tampa Bay, Florida, while answering questions following a speech, a reporter brought up the 26 year old question to Armstrong. This time he finally responded. Mr. Gorsky had died and so Neil Armstrong felt he could answer the question.

In 1938 when he was a kid in a small Midwest town, he was playing baseball with a friend in the backyard. His friend hit a fly ball, which landed in his neighbor’s yard by the bedroom windows. His neighbors were Mr. and Mrs. Gorsky.

As he leaned down to pick up the ball, young Armstrong heard Mrs. Gorsky shouting at Mr. Gorsky. "Sex! You want sex?! You’ll get sex when the kid next door walks on the moon!"

Always liked this story, true or not.; Mon Jul 20, 07:58:00 PM PDT
Tom said...: I was watching the broadcast with my parents - one of the few times I was allowed to stay up late!; Tue Jul 21, 02:22:00 AM PDT
Mahndisa S. Rigmaiden said...: I wasnt alive when the first moon landing occurred. But as a kid, the event had an ethereal quality to me, something that was surreal; an abstraction. Nowadays, we take space flight as a back page event because we've had so many technological advances since that time. Yet, as large as space is, we are arrogant NOT to place a priority on its exploration.

I truly hope Charles Bolden will give NASA a fresh new face and invigorate space in the minds of the American people again.

I think when we had space on the mind, we were more focused as a nation and produced more scientists:); Tue Jul 21, 10:00:00 PM PDT

This Page

Bloviating Zeppelin

Monday, July 20, 2009

Apollo 11: Forty Years Ago

12 Comments:

Bloviating Zeppelin

About Me

Previous Posts