lunacy

noun lu·na·cy \ˈlü-nə-sē\ – plural: lunacies

1: insanity 1b : intermittent insanity once believed to be related to phases of the moon

2: wild foolishness : extravagant folly

lunatic (adj.) “affected with periodic insanity dependent on the changes of the moon,” from Old French lunatique “insane,” or directly from Late Latin lunaticus “moon-struck,” from Latin luna “moon” (see luna).

Compare Old English monseoc “lunatic,” literally “moon-sick;” Middle High German lune “humor, temper, mood, whim, fancy” (German Laune), from Latin luna.

Without saying who is who, some people believe NASA landed men and equipment on the moon, returning them safely to Earth, while others do not.

In October 1957, the Russians put a beach-ball sized satellite in orbit around the Earth. The inhabitants’ unquestioned faith their GREAT USofA was shaken.

For perspective of 1957, the United States President was Dwight D. Eisenhower, first nuclear reactor plant opened for production of electricity in Pennsylvania, Great Britain tested its first hydrogen bomb on Christmas Island (nice gift to mankind), the Soviets test their first H Bomb, average new house in USofA cost $12,220, monthly rent was $90, annual wage average was $4,550, a gallon of full-service gasoline* cost 24 cents and a popular book was From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming.

* full service gasoline was an old-fashioned concept were professionals washed your windshield, checked your oil and tire pressures while they filled your gasoline tank – with those services included in the price of the fuel.

Being “behind in the space race”, and particularly behind Russia was totally unacceptable. In 1961, John Kennedy, who was president until November 22 1963, set a goal of definitively getting ahead of them by putting a man on the moon before the end of the decade.

As most of us now KNOW, NASA “put a man on the moon” July 1969. The sixth and final moon landing was in December 1972. NASA apparently got bored with lunar exploration, had no more to learn or prove, and nobody else on Earth has been interested in repeating the adventure anytime in the subsequent 45 years.

Well, that’s one theory anyway. Here are some videos of another possibility.

There’s a sucker born every minute
PT. Barnum