the moon, the moon...

Did they land on the moon 40 years ago? Who knows?

I tend to think they did but there are many disbelievers. News that NASA lost the original footage is almost too convienent and if I was sceptical I'd think NASA deliberately lost the film to keep them in the spotlight. You can't get money for spacetravel and exploration unless people are interested in what you are doing. If doubters show up then defenders also come out. This increases the visibility and ultimately the money. And without the money nothing is reaching escape velocity.

Neil Armstrong's story is interesting, even if, like in Capricorn One he was filmed in studio. Buzz didn't even take one photo of Neil on the moon - talk about grudges, not one photo. And imagine if you found out that your barber, who cut your hair for years, was sweeping the cuttings and saving them, and now selling single strands. It would make you reticient to open up about what happened, wouldn't it?

"Marx Sizemore joined Herald’s in 2000 and started cutting Armstrong’s hair soon after... In 2004 Sizemore was approached by Todd Mueller, a dealer in celebrity memorabilia. Mueller wanted Sizemore to save some of Armstrong’s hair and sell it to him for $3,000... According to Mueller, Sizemore did this more than once, receiving another $3,000 for two more bags of cuttings. “There is three haircuts’ worth,” says Mueller, speaking from his office in Colorado Springs. “Four and a half ounces.”

In 2005 Armstrong discovered what had happened and confronted Sizemore. A lawyer’s letter followed but Sizemore went to the media and Armstrong backed off. Now he and Mueller are planning to capitalise on the 40th anniversary of the Moon landing by selling individual strands pinned to cards. Sizemore shows off a card he intends to issue depicting the Eagle touching down on the lunar surface, next to a small patch of white which will contain a hair. Mueller says he wants to create a more “high-end” product, estimating the value of a single strand at between $50 and $100. How much is his cache worth?

“Between twenty and thirty million dollars. You will get a card with Moon, hair and a certificate.”

Compared to Mueller’s, Sizemore’s Armstrong hair is a snip at $19.99 a strand, but he still hopes to make millions. Armstrong, says Mueller, now gets his hair cut at home""

Lots of astronauts have seen UFO's too.

We must continue to look up, at the moon and stars. We must continue exploring and growing. I don't think spending money on this endeavour is a waste - it's money well spent and a better use for it that weapons construction or defense budgets.

One of my dreams is to see a takeoff live. Day or night won't bother me.