My Number One Conspiracy Theory

We never went to the moon. Check that; we didn't go there in 1969. It just doesn't seem possible to me. I'll convince you, if you give me a chance.

I am NOT a conspiracy theorist

Really, I'm not. I don't believe Elvis is still alive, I have no wild view of 911, and I have a normal take on the Kenndey assassination (that was the CIA). But to believe that in 1969 we (or anyone for that matter) landed on and returned from the moon???? Come on, people!

I was alive in 1969 – I was 10. I remember that July day and night well.

My parents had a cottage on the Wisconsin River (in south central Wisconsin). It was a warm July afternoon when Apollo 11 landed on the moon's surface. My folks had brought our little 12" black and white tv along that weekend so we could watch the lunar activity.

It was the pitch black night (in my neck of the woods) before Neil Armstrong stepped out onto the moon's soil. "One small step for man..." You know the rest. I watched it live on TV – right as it happened.

Or did I?

1969 was a time much different than today. Greatly different. Like Little House on the Prairie vs. Star Trek. That different.

Consider a few facts from 1969:

     

• We were decades away from the first personal computers
• Handheld calculators were in their infancy
• Most houses had no central air conditioning
• Most houses had only a black and white television
• Most TV stations (if not all) signed off the air after midnight
• There was no internet
• There were no cell phones
• There weren't even answering machines thus far

And in all of that, we believe that two men landed on the moon – in nothing more than a modified tin can – explored for a couple of days, relaunched to join up with an orbiting capsule and made their way back to earth? Well...maybe Elvis is alive, after all.

It doesn't add up

I'm not saying we never went to the moon. I'm fairly confident we've been there. I'm only saying I find it highly unlikely we went there in 1969.

There were nights (many nights) where our TV at home couldn't pull in many stations. We were 18 years away from the first person ever being convicted based on DNA evidence. Bill Gates was 13 at the time; Steve Jobs was 14. We were years away from either of their revolutionary inventions.

The science and technology do not add up, people.

What likely happened?

Got me! Like I said at the beginning, I am not a conspiracy theorist. All I can figure out is that we wanted to beat the Russians to the moon (a very popular fight at the time) and we faked some of the footage. 

We couldn't have 24-hour television, many people didn't have a dedicated phone line, and every time it stormed half the town went dark --- but we were able to watch the astronauts walked around on the moon? Really? I mean – REALLY!?

While we're on the subject....

What Caused the Darkness?

Until next week,

e a lake