Happy Moon Landing Day!

Forty years ago, the first human walked on the moon. I was nine years old at the time, too young to recognize what a remarkable achievement that was -- hey, anything's possible when you're nine -- but old enough to think it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen.

I was in junior high when I met my first moon landing deniers, 7th grade boys who were convinced that the whole thing had been faked somewhere in the desert. (Wow, did it ever disturb me to find the linked story when I googled the term. Who'da thunk they'd still be around?) Having cut my teeth - or at least some of my molars - on Star Trek, I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to deny that milestone on the road to exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new civilizations, and going boldly where no human has gone before.

Enjoy the celebration, everyone, and if you happen to run across a denier...well, don't punch him in the face or kick him in the rear, à la Buzz Aldrin or Ed Mitchell, just shake your head in sadness that anyone would want to miss out on the wonder and joy of such a feat. And then go back to the chillbump-inducing footage of one small step...