Veteran's Day 11 Nov 2026

Sixty years ago, I had just returned from Vietnam.

I was on my way to my final tour of duty at

 the U.S. Air Force Survival School.

     It seems like (and was) another lifetime.

World Space Week

 

This year's theme "Rocket Revolution" examines the fast-evolving landscape of space launch. What was once dominated by a handful of government-led initiatives is now opening up to a broader mix of participants, including private launch companies, reusable rocket programs, university groups, emerging startups, and new national space programs. This evolution is reshaping access to space, increasing launch frequency, and redefining the purposes for which space is utilized.

Too Many People

When I born (October 1945), the estimated world population was approximately 2.3 billion which is about the estimated carrying capacity of our planet (2.5 billion). Today there are over 8.3 billion people.

I've stated many times that the first part of most any problem you want to discuss is that there are too many people. You can discuss all kinds of environmental, economic, social, political, etc issues but nobody wants to address the real problem of too many humans breeding too much and now living longer than ever.

There are not any good answers to this problem. Nor could we find common agreement on any, if there were. The only outcome I can see is some major calamity. 

 

Lunar Landing

The Apollo 11 lunar landing mission crew, pictured from left to right, Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot. 

Armstrong and Aldrin descended to the surface aboard the Lunar Module  Eagle, landing in the Sea of Tranquility on July 20, 1969 at 20:17 UTC while Collins remained in lunar orbit aboard the Command Module Columbia. Armstrong became the first human to walk on the Moon approximately six hours after landing, followed by Aldrin 19 minutes later.

Summer Solstice

In 2026, the summer solstice occurs on June 21, bringing the longest day and shortest night of the year to the Northern Hemisphere. For thousands of years, people have observed and celebrated this moment. The word solstice comes from the Latin words for “sun” and “standing still.” It is known as the first day of summer. Around the solstice, the Sun appears to pause in its northward journey across the sky before beginning its gradual descent southward again. The summer solstice occurs because Earth is tilted on its axis by about 23.5 degrees. As the Earth orbits the Sun, that tilt causes different parts of the planet to receive different amounts of sunlight throughout the year. On the summer solstice, the Northern hemisphere is tilted most directly toward the Sun. As a result, the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky and daylight lasts longer than on any other day of the year. < People often think that summer occurs because Earth is closer to the Sun. In reality, Earth’s distance from the Sun has little to do with the seasons. Instead, the amount of sunlight a region receives depends on the planet’s tilt.

Earth Day

 

Artemis II Back to the Moon

 

I was in Oshkosh Wisconsin on 20 July 1969 watching the first Lunar landing. I can't wait until we return to the moon. At my age watching the launch of Artemis II may be  as close as I get to seeing a return.