One Giant Leap: Come on America, Let’s Put a Congress on the Moon

An Iowahawk Techno-pinion
by David Burge

It hardly seems possible that 40 years have now passed since Neil Armstrong put that puffy moon boot in the dusty surface of the Sea of Tranquility and uttered those immortal words — “joke’s over Aldrin, unlock the friggin’ door.” I was only 8 at the time but I remember it as if it were yesterday. My parents let my brother and me stay up late into the night to witness that historic Moon walk on our new Quasar console TV, and we watched in bleary eyed wonder at the sight of those brave astronauts and our parents passed out on the floor after one too many “Apollo 11 cocktails.” It was also the summer we discovered where Dad hid the liquor cabinet key and his Playboys.

For weeks after, we reenacted that “one small step for man” from our backyard tree house, descending the steps in Super-Slo-Mo onto the lunar crabgrass. Then we bounded out in search of our dog Buster’s steaming “moon rocks” for “moon rock fights.” Eventually Dad would yell at us to get out the moon-mower, but it did little to dent our enthusiasm for space exploration. Maybe it was just the model airplane glue talking, but for that brief moment we actually believed we were Armstrong and Aldrin and Collins. But did I ever get to be Armstrong? No-o-o-o, Dave, you stupid baby, you have to be Collins. Shut up and orbit in the tree house while we drive around in the moon buggy. Sometimes if my brother had his stupid 5th grade friends over they would make me be Walter Cronkite or Jules Bergman and do the news report with Mom’s hairbrush. (more…)

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Tags: 1969, astronaut, Congress, media, Moon
Posted Jul 21st 2009 at 1:36 pm in Featured Story, Political Humor | 18881055 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/dburge/2009/07/21/one-giant-leap-come-on-america-lets-put-a-congress-on-the-moon/One+Giant+Leap%3A+Come+on+America%2C+Let%27s+Put+a+Congress+on+the+Moon2009-07-21+20%3A36%3A25Iowahawk

Review: ‘Moon’ Rocks!

Duncan Jones’ debut indie feature Moon is being hailed by critics as a modern tribute to great sci-fi films of the past, but I couldn’t help but think about the future — namely, what’s become of the U.S. space program?  40 years ago, America launched the Apollo 11 mission that triumphantly landed men on the moon; yet, where have we gone since? 

Moon rocks the imagination as it presents a totally plausible, realistic way of utilizing space for practical purposes — in this case, mining for eco-desirable Helium 3 energy from the lunar surface.  Jones strove for science-fact over fiction in researching many minute details of the script.  He even screened the film before a panel of NASA scientists — many of whom are working on making fantasy into fact. 

Before reading any further — be advised: don’t see Moon to learn about science, but DO see it! It’s a fascinating film featuring an Academy Award-worthy performance by Sam Rockwell. 

Now, back to reality… In 2004, President George W. Bush called for a return to the Moon to build a base — it would be a prelude to something even greater: a mission to Mars.  He noted words from astronaut Eugene Cernan, who traveled with the last Apollo mission: “We leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind.” With that, scores of engineers, scientists and experts made headway designing, building and planning America’s next endeavour to explore space, they were ready to accomplish the mission.  (more…)

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Tags: David Bowie, Duncan Jones, Kennedy, MOnn, Moon landing
Posted Jul 14th 2009 at 5:03 am in Featured Story, Politics, Reviews | 18081090 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jmeath/2009/07/14/moon-rocks/Review%3A+%27Moon%27+Rocks%212009-07-14+12%3A03%3A11Jason+Killian+Meath

The Real Barack Obama was Kidnapped by George Soros and Replaced by an Actor Who Can’t Remember His Lines and Needs a Teleprompter

I’ve had it with conspiracy theories and their proponents. I could go down the list from the brand new “9/11 was an inside job” wing-nuts to those late-sixties “we never landed on the moon” kooks, but what’s the point? No matter how much evidence you show them or how many holes you shoot in their delusions, they cling to their beliefs. Why? Because they want to believe! They have some emotional attachment to being in on “the truth.” It becomes a cult for the believer.

The people who start these wacky ideas cherry pick facts, statistics, and other information to suit their theory. If you present any facts or ideas which contradict the theory you are either too dense to see the obvious or maybe you are one of “them.”

The problem with most conspiracy theories is the incredible number of people who would have to be in on at least part of the plot in order to make it work.  I don’t want to rile up too many folks who are holding onto a recent theory, so let’s look at one that has been fairly well disproved. Even as I type that line, I can see apoplectic comments from those who still think we didn’t land on the moon. Look at what it would take to pull off the “we never went to the moon” theory.  Beside the three astronauts and hundreds of NASA technical personal, there would have to be camera people, set dressers, broadcast personal, and who knows how many other to put off a round the clock production for eight days. Keep in mind they would have had to repeat this process every time we did an Apollo mission.  (more…)

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Tags: Apollo Missions, Barack Obama, conspiracy theory, Moon landing, Soros. 9/11 Truthers
Posted Apr 29th 2009 at 8:03 am in Featured Story, Political Humor, Politics | 1193023 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjena/2009/04/29/that%e2%80%99s-the-conspiracy-i%e2%80%99m-starting/The+Real+Barack+Obama+was+Kidnapped+by+George+Soros+and+Replaced+by+an+Actor+Who+Can%27t+Remember+His+Lines+and+Needs+a+Teleprompter2009-04-29+15%3A03%3A29Jeffrey+Jena