Happy anniversary Appolo 11

Some of you may not know that today is the fortieth anniversary of man's first steps on the moon. Well, it is. July 20th 1969 A.D. It is mind boggling to consider. 10 years before I was born, Neil Armstrong, and Buzz Aldrin had walked on the moon.

Mankind has accomplished many things. There was the outright bravery, sacrifice, and daring of D-Day, the discovery of America, the circumnavigation of the globe, and the invention of the burrito, but all of it pales next to the story that is Apollo 11.

The trip to the moon did not take as long as Columbus' voyage across the Atlantic, we knew where we were going to within a a handful of miles, and only stayed a few hours, but for the first time in human history a nation came together to build and accomplish something monumental and beyond comprehension, not out of fear or hope of personal gain, but raw and passionate desire an curiosity.

Sure the the politics were motivated by the cold war, but for the people involved it was the challenge it's self and the reward of having succeeded that motivated them. Whenever has the impassioned work of hundreds of thousands of people been joyfully given for two men to place their boot on a distant shore?

For this, Apollo 11 and the following flights stand as the greatest achievement of the human spirit at the same time being the pinnacle of our engineering.

Most of the world is happy to take pride in the fact that man has stepped on the moon, but few are willing to push on to give further such triumphs to their children. For them social security it more important than hope. Myself I will take the risk of losing everything to gamble on a world where anything is possible.

Heading out

Nothing terribly important to say at the moment. My friend and I are heading out to the Cascades to do a couple days of backpacking. We are pros, so much in fact that we had to go out yesterday and purchase backpacks and nose cream. If you are looking for us we'll be the two tall guys with price tags still hanging of our sunglasses.

Sam's Summary

• Goin' Campin'
• Got me a pack fer the haulin O' things
• Sleepin' bag a mostly
• Bags is huge!
• Shore hope dem bears don't show.