God Bless the Engineers

God bless the engineers of all ages of humanity, from prehistory and making tools to those who labored for humans to walk on the moon, for though we have faith in our false security of 21st century technology which requires nerds with computer algorithms and programming skills, the adventure of the human race always requires someone to put their butt in a seat in a raft made from reeds to cross the Pacific to new lands or in a lunar lander to touch down on soil alien to the human race.

Occam's unforgiving razor fairly assures the reckless did not survive those journeys but those who planned and plotted and pioneered tried to assure the best they could their survival in the adventure.

God bless the engineers, because among the best exist a few who say we've tried to know the unknowable and think we can do it so let's try.

Light that candle.  Hey Ho, let's go!

[In his own words:

On touching down: "Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The Eagle has landed...."

Looking back at Earth: "It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet. I felt very, very small."

On his career: "I am, and ever will be, a white socks, pocket protector, nerdy engineer. And I take a substantial amount of pride in the accomplishments of my profession."]
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/neil-armstrong-one-of-the-greatest-american-heroes-of-all-time-8081425.html

Good Luck, Mr. Gorsky

From family statement on Passing of Neil Armstrong: "For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink."
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/astronaut-neil-armstrong-family-issues-statement-occasion-death-article-1.1144566#ixzz24b58kzqH

Obviously a hoax and probably started as a joke by Buddy Hackett, but it still makes me laugh: http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blgorsky.htm.  Will give the Moon a wink and a chuckle the next time I see it in memory of Neil Armstrong.

Neil Armstrong Passes

Neil Armstrong, first human to set foot on the moon, dies at age 82.  I'd say he had full and productive life.

[(Reuters) - Former U.S. astronaut, Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon, has died at the age of 82, his family said on Saturday.

Armstrong underwent a heart-bypass surgery earlier this month, just two days after his birthday on August 5, to relieve blocked coronary arteries.

As commander of the Apollo 11 mission, Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969. As he stepped on the dusty surface, Armstrong said: "That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind."

Those words endure as one of the best known quotes in the English language.

Neil Alden Armstrong was 38 years old at the time and even though he had fulfilled one of mankind's quests that had loomed for centuries and placed him at the pinnacle of human achievement, he did not revel in his accomplishment. He even seemed frustrated by the acclaim it brought.

"I guess we all like to be recognized not for one piece of fireworks but for the ledger of our daily work," Armstrong said in an interview on CBS's "60 Minutes" program in 2005.

He once was asked how he felt knowing his footprints would likely stay on the moon's surface for thousands of years. "I kind of hope that somebody goes up there one of these days and cleans them up," he said.]
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/25/us-usa-neilarmstrong-idUSBRE87O0B020120825