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Strange and massive objects plow near the moon, captured on amateur film from Quebec, Canada. (26.03.2020).

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Congratulations to Wally Funk, Mercury 13 member and the oldest person to fly in space, on her first spaceflight! (July 20, 2021)

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A 1960′s Satellite Motel brochure, Cocoa Beach, Florida 

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How the media depicts the Apollo 11 mission:

Actual quotes from the Apollo 11 mission:

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“It’s human nature to stretch, to go, to see, to understand. Exploration is not a choice, really—it’s an imperative.” -Mike Collins

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“...calls for privatizing the ‘space business’ completely overlook the important history lessons of Apollo during the 1960s era. By outsourcing space exploration and removing it from the halls of government, we also distance it from the public sphere. During the 1960s this was definitely not the case. A damp field at Cape Canaveral, the hallways and elevator bays of the Johnson Space Center, the streets of Manhattan during an astronaut ticker-tape parade, and even a rock concert on a farm in upstate New York, all became town squares, of sorts, where grassroots activists rose up on their soapboxes and spoke out against the space race. Because of such public pronouncements in these public spaces, NASA, a civilian agency funded with taxpayer dollars, was forced to listen and pressured to respond.

Private companies such as SpaceX and Virgin Galactic will be much more hard of hearing when it comes to a clamoring public. Ceding space exploration to such private interests thus jeopardizes our ability to influence federal policy and weakens the government’s constitutional obligation to us, its citizens. Doing so also might make it more difficult to look back and examine our own planet.”

–Neil M. Maher, Apollo in the Age of Aquarius (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2017), 237.

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Not a big fan of the portrayal of the Apollo 11 crew on The Crown. Sort of makes them out to be dull and unimaginative, when we know that they weren't. Like, when asked about what they thought they talk about how they were so obsessed with protocol that they didn't have time to think. Which we know isn't true. If no one else, Mike had a ton of time to think and his thoughts have been rather public.

Then there was just the general characterization. Like, one guy comes in and is very outgoing and goofy looking and my first thought was, "Ah, Buzz, you goof!" but then they called the outgoing goofy guy Neil and I was like, no. What? No.

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Has Jim Parsons ever played Mike Collins? Because Jim Parsons has some of the same features and mannerisms of Mike Collins.

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Charlie Duke's accent.

That's it. That's the post.

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A few vintage, neon motel signs in St. Petersburg, Florida

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The former Ping Pong Motel has since closed - lost all of it’s kitschy weirdness - and transitioned into the Aladdin Motel. Located on Merritt Island, Florida.

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The Admiral Vee Motel in Miami, Florida. 1960′s & today. It ceased operation as a motel in approximately 1967 and was later re-opened as the “Millionaires Club” owned by TV and film star Paul Lynde. The club featured live performances by artists such as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and many others. As of 2010, the Admiral Vee Motel was used as a photography studio and judging from the most recent Google Street View Image, it’s now a medical center. 

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Definitely recognize the Starlite from space movies/docs. Meanwhile, recognize the Ocean Landing Resort and Racquet Club from middle of the night drives through Cocoa Beach.

Cocoa Beach's first motel - the Starlite Motel was opened in 1956 with 100 rooms. It had a bar, called the Starlight Lounge, which became a hub for off-duty personnel from Cape Canaveral during the late 1956s. The original Starlite Motel was destroyed in a fire in May of 1960 but may have been rebuilt in the 60’s, though I can’t find any documentation online stating this. A much bigger resort (called Ocean Landing Resort and Racquet Club) has since taken it’s place.

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The Florida Keys, 1940’s - 1960’s

All of these motels are now closed. The buildings left behind have either been renovated or demolished.

All photos from the Florida Keys Public Library

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In 2016, the former Bougain Villea (more recently named the Beach Munne Motel) in Surfside, Miami Beach, Florida was partially demolished, with only the art-deco facade still standing. The front of the structure has been designated as historic by the Miami-Dade County Historic Preservation Board. There are plans to turn it into a townhouse development. More info here.

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Opened in the 1930′s, demolished in 2015, The El Nido Motel in Miami, Florida was replaced by a self-storage facility.