Monday, July 20, 2009

MOON DAY-- FORTY YEARS AGO TODAY


Where were you on July 20th, 1969? Well for me, I was still living in my family's home in San Gabriel, California at dear old 142 West Live Oak Street. My dad had died in January of 1966 and I was attending Pasadena City College hoping to become a teacher. This was long before I ever wrote a single lyric or a single song. My dear mother used to play the piano and my dear Uncle Mario would come over every Wednesday afternoon and sing. My uncle was a baby furniture salesman, but oh he loved to sing. But I do recall getting up very early that morning to watch the launch-- 2AM believe it or not. I thought the space program was so damn exciting and yes, I watched the late great Walter Cronkite get so damn excited about it all. I was twenty-one years old. I was so damn proud! The Apollo 11 mission was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. It was the fifth human spaceflight of Project Apollo and the third human voyage to the Moon. Launched on July 16, 1969, it carried Mission Commander Neil Alden Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr The mission fulfilled President John F. Kennedy's goal of reaching the moon by the end of the 1960s, which he had expressed during a speech given before a joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961: "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth." Other memorable things today-- Gus Grissom's space capsule was finally rescued from the bottom of the ocean in 1999 after thirty-eight years at the bottom of the ocean and dear old FDR accepted the nomination of the Democratic Party for an unprecedented fourth term. Most people do not realize that George Washington could have president of the United States for as long as he wanted. There were no moves to unseat him. He literally could have become "The King of America" and thus John Adams and Thomas Jefferson would NEVER have become president. Washington died in 1799. Adams would have been president at age seventy- four-- (and there was a very big anti-French sentiment at the time. It is very doubtful that John Adams would ever have negotiated with Napoleon about the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory. Funny thing about history. Still looking hard for a job-- responding to everything I even come close to qualifying for! I just wish these people who advertise would answer with SOME KIND of bloody answer! A one sentence "no, thank you" If its required of casting directors, why can't it be required of every one else. Be courteous you guys! It won't always been these desperate times. By the way-- Mr. Governor-- want to make up your shortfall-- easy. Every time somebody gets a speeding ticket increase their automobile registration by $100.00-- you won't believe how many millions you will raise on that one! A CHP officer told me that in ONE YEAR the CHP in the state gives out six hundred THOUSAND tickets per year. Now multiply that number by a $100 a throw. You say people won't renew their registration-- I don't think so. I have been caught every single time I tried it in my foolish youth-- once on the way to Disneyland back in 1979 with my nephew, Troy-- I was depressed all day about it and it cost me even back then $76.00. Well until next time!

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