Sunday, August 26, 2012

RIP Neil Armstrong, 1930-2012


I can't add too much to the flood of much deserved praises for Armstrong. But two observations.

First, the guy was a bad ass with The Right Stuff. The Apollo 11 mission was almost aborted. As the lunar module was descending to the moon, the computers went a bit batty and started to steer them towards huge boulders and craters. Neil took the controls, looked out the window and landed the thing manually, with less than 20 seconds of fuel left.

Secondly, what a humble and modest man. He rarely did interviews and generally steered clear of the public eye. In this day and age of people seeking instant fame on reality TV for doing just about anything, this guy walked in the moon. This guy was the first human being to set foot on a world other than our own. The first human being to stand on the f*cking moon, OK? He could have soaked up the spotlight for the rest of his life. Instead, he lived quietly and with dignity.

They don't make men like Neil Armstrong anymore. RIP.

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