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July 20, 1969

davidballen

davidballen

Member
On the evening of July 20, 1969, I stood outside staring at the heavens as the three bravest men in the world did what was thought to be impossible. With less computer power than in our smart phones, two of them landed on the moon while the third orbited that celestial body and waited for his teammates’ return.

Even if the technology existed in those days, it’s doubtful that these three people would have boasted about their accomplishment in 140-character soliloquies. Such is the measure of true heroes.

Thank you, Neil, rest in peace; thank you Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins and the NASA crew for showing the world that America really is the greatest place on earth. Even if you had to go to the moon to prove it.

men on the moon.jpg
 
Thank you David for remembering. I too remember that night thanks to you.

In the Navy at the time, I was in New Orleans visiting a friend, and watching the events on TV. As my wife and I were driving back to Pensacola, we pulled over on US90, got out of the car and stared at the moon. Great memories.
 
One of days you remember what you were doing. 51 years ago...wow. Glad to see we Are finally getting ready to go back and to Mars. Hope I live long enough to see it.
 
davidballen said:
On the evening of July 20, 1969, I stood outside staring at the heavens as the three bravest men in the world did what was thought to be impossible. With less computer power than in our smart phones, two of them landed on the moon while the third orbited that celestial body and waited for his teammates’ return.

Even if the technology existed in those days, it’s doubtful that these three people would have boasted about their accomplishment in 140-character soliloquies. Such is the measure of true heroes.

Thank you, Neil, rest in peace; thank you Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins and the NASA crew for showing the world that America really is the greatest place on earth. Even if you had to go to the moon to prove it.

View attachment 79693
Click to expand...

Tools can't build vision.
 
I listened on a car radio in a field outside Stilwell, OK, watching a bunch of Cherokees play baseball. My VISTA introductory tour to meet the field representatives for Oklahomans for Indian Opportunity. Adair County was then one of the 10 poorest counties in the USA and your welfare check went directly to the grocery store.
 
On the Shoulders of Those Who Went First

In his biography of the Wright Brothers, David McCullough included something I did not know - Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon with a scrap of fabric from the wing of the 1903 Wright Flyer in his space suit, a homage to the brothers' contribution to powered flight, and eventually, to Apollo 11. We stand on the shoulders of those who went first, and once dreamed bigger than our politics. Someday, perhaps, again.
 
1957mpd said:
In his biography of the Wright Brothers, David McCullough included something I did not know - Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon with a scrap of fabric from the wing of the 1903 Wright Flyer in his space suit, a homage to the brothers' contribution to powered flight, and eventually, to Apollo 11. We stand on the shoulders of those who went first, and once dreamed bigger than our politics. Someday, perhaps, again.
Click to expand...

Simply think about this: My parents were both born in 1900. (I was adopted at birth when they were 45.) They lived into the 1980s and 1990s. They lived from the horse and buggy era (my grandfather built buggies) until well after we put men on the moon and all of those things like the Wright Brothers too in between, in a single lifetime. They got to see cars, airplanes, and space ships. I am now 75 and I got to see TV, computers, Internet hackers, and a Wonderwheel on a motorcycle. And we tout our progress. I don't actually think so. I think we are laggards and dullards in comparison. YMMV.
 
Achieved without CAN-BUS/ZFE or even the computing power of a Casio wrist watch. :usa :usa
om
 
If you've never been to Huntsville and seen the space center, you should. They have a model of the rocket inside the building. This massive massive thing. Basically a tank of gas that's like 10 stories tall. And a tiny thing on top with three guys in it. Lonely and awe inspiring all at the same time.

What are we accomplishing today? Diddly by comparison.
 
R65_Steve said:
If you've never been to Huntsville and seen the space center, you should. They have a model of the rocket inside the building. This massive massive thing. Basically a tank of gas that's like 10 stories tall. And a tiny thing on top with three guys in it. Lonely and awe inspiring all at the same time.

What are we accomplishing today? Diddly by comparison.
Click to expand...

as for those engines, tanks, body...........a lot of that design was underway in the late 50's.
 
PGlaves said:
Simply think about this: My parents were both born in 1900. (I was adopted at birth when they were 45.) They lived into the 1980s and 1990s. They lived from the horse and buggy era (my grandfather built buggies) until well after we put men on the moon and all of those things like the Wright Brothers too in between, in a single lifetime. They got to see cars, airplanes, and space ships. I am now 75 and I got to see TV, computers, Internet hackers, and a Wonderwheel on a motorcycle. And we tout our progress. I don't actually think so. I think we are laggards and dullards in comparison. YMMV.
Click to expand...

We celebrated my Aunt Lucie’s 100th birthday on this past Saturday. Born in 1920, she has been a witness to monumental change. By the way, her hair is still coal black except at the temples, she has no prescriptions and still drinks a couple bottles of vodka and 2-3 liters of wine a month. Annie and I and are her guardians. We have to smuggle her booze into her retirement home. She would be mortified if another resident saw it.

I am not as pessimistic about our progress as Paul and others. Our progress in medicine and information technology are examples of tremendous progress. Our ethos and politics have gone the wrong way in several important aspects.
 
akbeemer said:
We celebrated my Aunt Lucie’s 100th birthday on this past Saturday. Born in 1920, she has been a witness to monumental change. By the way, her hair is still coal black except at the temples, she has no prescriptions and still drinks a couple bottles of vodka and 2-3 liters of wine a month. Annie and I and are her guardians. We have to smuggle her booze into her retirement home. She would be mortified if another resident saw it.

I am not as pessimistic about our progress as Paul and others. Our progress in medicine and information technology are examples of tremendous progress. Our ethos and politics have gone the wrong way in several important aspects.
Click to expand...

Lucie sounds like a pistol.

My pessimism arises from the IT being used to generate great bulks of data that are not used to extend design but to defend the status quo. Of course, the models (computational tools) are calibrated to the status quo, so the results of these "design" studies are pretty well ordained. However, there's good money in running design studies that don't result in a significantly different design and it doesn't cost much more to build something that looks like prior design. So, everybody is happy if the changes are minor. There's no risk in same old, same old.

I call it the "Dark Ages" approach.
 
PGlaves said:
At the moment I am anything but impressed with our progress in medicine.
Click to expand...

I know that were I born in 1921 instead of 1951 I would not have lived out of my 40s. Sometimes it is the practitioner that lets one down.



36654 said:
Lucie sounds like a pistol.

My pessimism arises from the IT being used to generate great bulks of data that are not used to extend design but to defend the status quo. Of course, the models (computational tools) are calibrated to the status quo, so the results of these "design" studies are pretty well ordained. However, there's good money in running design studies that don't result in a significantly different design and it doesn't cost much more to build something that looks like prior design. So, everybody is happy if the changes are minor. There's no risk in same old, same old.

I call it the "Dark Ages" approach.
Click to expand...

How we use our progress is covered by my believing we have regressed in our ethos.
 
Remember it well

We were celebrating my brother's birthday, my aunt and uncle were over. It was quite a day. I remember watching the whole thing on TV.

When it comes to progress, it seems we've come a long way in some areas, and not as far in others.

I grew up in the 60's and 70's (born in '59). I remember when a cancer diagnosis was almost a certain death sentence. These days, with early diagnosis, many cancers are easily handled.

In the 70's, computer systems still filled entire rooms. You now have that much processing power in your handheld smart phone.

2 things I wonder about are weapons and internal combustion engines. Centerfire and rimfire cartridges are still predominant in personal weapon use. Shouldn't personal phasers, ala Star Trek be available? :p

While we've certainly made huge strides in the use of electric power, and huge strides in improving internal combustion engines, you'd think we'd have a stable, widely used alternative at this point to a fossil-fueled internal combustion engine. We're not there yet, for sure. Don't get me wrong, I love my old timey motors.
 
braddog said:
Shouldn't personal phasers, ala Star Trek be available? :p
Click to expand...

Absolutely! And having them set to "stun" would do lot for the death rate due to gun violence.

But back on topic, I watched Neil Armstrong take that first step and for some reason can remember everything that happened to me that summer so long ago.
 
Someday, maybe a Romulan disruptor...
Recall the origin of the word TASER: Thomas A. Swift Electric Rifle
 
I was 9 that year and in bed when the moonwalk occurred. Viewed on a B&W TV, the images weren't that great. But, like all the space launches, we watched every minute. Including the "simulated animation" that scrolled as the commentators spoke. In those days, they didn't have "bottle blondes" to "talk" the news, especially the science news. So, with the TV on in the background, the day was spent playing Monopoly with my sisters and future brother-in-law. My sisters wanted to play Canasta but we had lost our Canasta expert in one of the Tet Counteroffensives that spring.

It was a time of memories from seemingly different worlds.
 
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