Brian O’Dowd was born in Dublin. He lives in Toronto. O’Dowd is a Professor at the University of Toronto. His novel ‘A Wicklow Girl’, was published in 2017. Available on Amazon etc. Publisher: Tellwell, Canada. In 2019 he won the prestigious Prix Galien 2019 Canadian Science Award, as reported in the Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/dubliner-wins-prix-galien-2019-award-for-pharmaceutical-research-1.4093350
‘Put an Oar In’ Ⓒ
Brian O’Dowd
Prologue: Ever have that mirror stare eye to eye take a ‘wonder’ moment? More days passing in this extraordinary home? Does it get stranger than this? Times I do reflect on landing boats carrying D-day soldiers storming Normandy beaches. German machine guns behind sand dunes. Young lads facing those horrors, fight to prevent Evil’s demented plans. Brave lads did, many never returned.
God our creator will bless them.
And their families for life’s sacrifice.
Forever in their debt.
Not in vain.
Born later years, decades followed with my life of dreams. In fine fettle. Granted live long times, I bore witness to great events. Aimed once to be Astronomer, failed with the sums and scaling heights. Yet educated watching ‘Sky at Night’ with Patrick Moore and guest Carl Sagan.
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‘And Action!’: My desire focus ‘Aliens’ but lunar landing debunkers has me spirit vexatious! ‘Hoax’ what annoying naysayers claiming. Upsets them to believe twelve NASA lads once walked on moon’s surface. Some had moon cars! Those wheel tracks visible forever on the moon (check now or when visiting). Perplexed by such palaver, spread like wild fire. I’m worried Johnny come lately gaining ground, insinuate moon landings created in a studio. Somewhat simple opinion. For the record cannot stand by, what prevails needs to be countered. Hardest part getting to the moon is leaving Earth, we observed in live time magnificent Saturn rocket launched from Florida. Apollo (herein Ap) out of this world spectacular achievements now many cannot accept. Some delighted to spout ignorance, smirking as if aware of special information. If knowing sod-all astronomy, space exploration history, chemistry, biology, best remain discrete. Not pontificating garbage upsetting people. Such persistence grating as needle stuck in a ‘78’ record, repeats now kicking up dust. Brings to my mind Groucho Marx singing ‘Whatever it is I’m against it’. I’m that proud we went to the moon, astronaut teams well got out for the occasion, representing all of us. Great stuff achieved by WW2 generation and few busy budding baby Boomers.
Not sure why scurrilous nonsense ‘never landed on the moon’ got it’s wings.
Watch out these days that story has gas with talking heads.
Sure it’s all gone to the dogs with hearing.
Needs nipping.
Wake up!
Darwin pegged us Number 1, now pleading for assistance. Apollo 11 lunar landing shown on Russian TV, USSR immediately congratulated USA, acknowledged race for first was over. Soviet Chairman Podgorny cable message to President Nixon offering their ‘congratulations’. In 1970 Neil Armstrong invited to give a talk in Moscow, greeted by Premier Alexei Kosygin. Russia held a state dinner in Neil’s honour, then setting the stage for Apollo-Soyuz mission where US/Soviet astronauts joined up in space, in 1975. Stellar space pioneer Russia, provide worthy competition to drive on NASA. I wish they continued quest for their manned moon landing.
What aspects of the journey are in question? Perhaps all! Naysayers embellish trashing of Apollo by crying out loud, ‘Van Allen Belts’! Do they deny nine astronauts from Ap8, Ap10 and Ap13 travelled orbiting the moon? Happened in a studio? Ap8 in 1968 first humans beyond bounds of earth, journey around the moon, we all saw moon surface close up as never before! Ap10 (May 1969) when Cernan and Stafford flew the lunar lander 9 miles from moon’s surface. Listened to that radio broadcast in dark night with ear phones for the transistor under blankets. Heroic astronaut Jim Lovell (recently deceased at 97) passed through Van Allen belts four times! Two lunar trips under his belt, with perfect Ap8 and unfortunate Ap13! All that way yet never walked a foot on the moon!
Ap13: This mission (March 1970) intended to have a lunar landing, where does this fit with deniers? More make believe? Saturn rocket take-off navigated to the moon, on the way one oxygen tank exploded.
‘Houston, we’ve had a problem.’
Ap13 lunar landing abandoned, world spell bound by their plight and how rescue succeeded. Anxiety we felt facing perilous journey back, watching TV for those days. Astronauts forced to move into lunar lander, temp of 3 °C, conserving power and oxygen. For Ap13 having lunar lander epic for their survival. Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin promised “Soviet Government has given orders to all citizens and members of the armed forces to use all necessary means to render assistance in the rescue of the American astronauts.” Prior to their back home landing astronauts obtained vision of finally jetsoned service module; Lovell exclaimed, ‘one whole side of that spacecraft missing.’ Hardy men, rescued by coordinating with outstanding mission control scientists and worldwide prayers. Affected everyone.
Note: Better go 12 to 14, avoid bad luck #13, Judas was Last Supper 13th guest.
For Real!: Who with tedious time to drill depths of nonsense. Do they know NASA with European Space Agency landed a craft on Saturn’s moon Titan by parachute, sending back that amazing descending video (2005). Space craft journey took ~7 years. From a distance of 886 million miles, that’s easy? Titan but not our Moon, expect some to deny that happened! ‘Only fake’ know nothing daring to denigrate achievements that sent 24 men to the moon, all returned safe. Most refusnick not on the planet at that time, besmirching greatest achievement since earth life stirred. Also meantime NASA rockets have explored entire solar system. NASA’s dramatic road started with Alan Shepard sub-orbital flight, 1961, each launch followed dramatically moved upwards. Millions of us followed progress, mesmerised! Planning superb, great leaders their sheer brilliance got us out of this world. Neil put down two feet, right and left imprints on Tranquility in July, 1969. Glorious time for all mankind. With NASA we were always there for the ride! Watched each minute, skipped school those exciting afternoons. Thank you Cliff Michelmore on BBC, also RTE and UTV.
After: Spacecraft space station now confined making Earth orbits. Who predicted such state of affairs? Word was not go back to the moon, as we had been there! For sure side tracked by ‘Shuttle Era’, fabulous vehicle transporting large cargo with 135 missions. Essential for repair of Hubble and building Space Station. Then two disaster missions, perhaps step too fast. Bold move, after got axed. Hind-sight send unmanned full of cargo, astronauts meet up in space. Confident top-class talents will take us to planets. Top countries with major space programs: USA, Russia, China, India, Japan and Europe successful missions to planets/moons/asteroids with rovers and helicopter. No slacking now with journey into the galaxy!
Future: No fault of NASA but Mars half Earth size cold dead place. Lower gravity and radiation hinders human habitation (and pregnancy). Get Venus dolled up, first rule ‘No plastics’. Tough surface investigated by sturdy Russian landers. Twin in size, so put up shades cool it down. Lower 90% CO2, and clouds seeded to block sun, same jiggery pokery planned for Earth’s, ‘Climate Change’. 11 years estimate to cool Venus, also need deal with toxic atmosphere. Venus better bet than anywhere else, critical that gravity suits us. Venus atmosphere demonstrates planet can maintain one. Capture CO2, stored carbon has value, that’s not rocket science. On earth we now have 0.04% CO2.
Enough: Grandiose pathetic BS: who filmed Armstrong getting off the ladder. Are they comedians? Flag fluttering, endless old saw. Claptrap what the world was facing. Who filmed take off from the surface. Pathetic to discredit talent after incredible feats were achieved. Why?
Epilogue: In sixties and seventies Cape Canaveral rockets lit up skies and world with bravado, then folks interfered and shut that down. Hard get momentum going, citizens want better, contribute to greatness. Cannot abide going backwards. Without human exploring naysayer gain ground. Need heroes seize take bull by the horns, Marie Curie advanced nuclear understanding, lost her life in that process. Nikola Tesla powered us onwards, we miss likes of them. Plagued by naysayers having loudest voices. No need hear every voice, yap, yap, all tower of babel. Now circling wagons and the planet, life in a slowdown warp busy marching in place. Momentum bubble of Apollo faded. Earth should be dominating space, orbits first achieved by Yuri Gagarin 1961.
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Aliens
No doubt they are here: How do all countries agree not to spill the beans? Afraid Aliens cause social upheaval! Entire world staying silent? Captain Cooke sailed seven seas and we survived. Even Soviets lack of disclosure and dear old trusted NASA!
Biology: Truth is they cannot be among us because of ‘biology’. Recall lunar astronauts return, guard from lunar organisms quarantined 21 days. Yeah that will do it! Alien bugs flying free, Covid nothing in comparison. Commentators confront us with variety of aliens, Grays, Nordics, Insectoids, Reptilians. Figments of imagination? Originated from different home planets. How does it work? Still do not understand how aliens exist among us, seeing they’ve alien biology. Presumably digest alien food, maybe full of silicon based products, that we cannot consume. Poison for us, nutritious for them. Why never hear of their cell biology? Share same cells? DNA? Creator made us all the same? Youse in the know must know by now. Remote chance that if it’s DNA encoding for proteins could not be the same as ours. Aliens from different planets with unique biology will not share identical cell structures. If abroad on the land, caught short, colon full of alien bacteria, chaos on Earth’s biosphere, ‘Poop’ to be polite. Difficult to fathom consequences, likely disastrous for this Earth.
Strikes me as unlikely or foolhardy.
Do say it ain’t so.
Fascinated to see biology results? Profound if extraterrestrial has identical double stranded DNA coding. Earth shattering! Aliens might know answers to many questions. About immense life out in the Universe and still not a whisper? Not my business but why Religious Institutes not requesting answers? There are suggestions perhaps beings disguised to look like us. Not difficult. Must assume citizens of their home planets know about us on ‘TV’. Why not vice versa? Is there somethings objectionable about them? That will shock us to our core? Perhaps lunar aliens not happy with waste humans left behind.
Lack of cell reports ‘confuses’ many ways.
Enough with reverse engineering UFO’s motors,
Now leaking ‘antigravity and antimatter’.
How come nothing about biology?
Skin and bone fundamental!
Only engineers and Physics!
Give me a break!
Tear down these Alien Walls: Folk tales of alien interactions. Shots of ‘flying ships’ away in the distance from airplane windows. Men in black aggressively confiscating material from crashed ‘UFOs’. Severe bully warnings ‘shut up’ or dire consequence. Why to be so? For our own good? Big shots level, not pussyfoot about? Mars pics and back side of the moon (‘alleged’) appear blurred in spots. ‘Department of Blurrocrats’ busy concealing evidence? Eight obelisk spires on the Moon, near Sea of Tranquility, spotted by NASA Orbiter-2 in 1966. Are they natural? By now these ‘Ancient’ photos most pitiful, strange such tantalizing structures have no updates. Then China observed a large object on the horizon, on Moon’s far side.
If only there was a place where all nations could gather round a table and discuss. Like I recall in previous days. Seems if aliens are here they do cover their footsteps. While Governments bend backwards deceiving us for decades, their activities on Earth, Moon, Mars, Outer space. More alien palaver afoot, such news be suspicious while on guard! What are we to make of it, things be heating up! You’d think ‘Alien Evidence’ to celebrate, but only hovering about with Crown Jewel of Secrets. Why deprive amazing moment in time? Treated as kindergarten, what’s behind the curtain? Proliferation of alien craft seems a ‘distraction’, waving phoney silver saucers like we be magpies. Take away jack boots, let it out, what’s state of play. Big bad secrets? Feral wild and crazy? Not suitable for polite company? Mutilate cattle? Communicate by ‘crop circles’ in farmer fields? Travel across the Galaxy then making damaging designs for autumn’s harvest. Does it remind of Nazca designs in Peru? No more ‘Fermi Paradox’ nonsense! Open the vault! Not share with us beings from other worlds? Governments show for Real! Enough obsessive control. Chill out, all humans entitled. Neck of civil servants, only they privy to knowing? Big question aliens want this? Why not more down to Earth.
Get off that high horse.
‘Interesting’ Mars objects some spotted by amazing Rovers dismissed as pareidolia. BTW why no robot NASA rovers endless exploring on the moon? Do aliens exist in ‘hollow’ Phobos tiny moon of Mars, with a 300 ft high monolith on that flat surface? Inquisitive Russian Phobos probe destroyed on close approach, provocative photos provided! A missile from Phobos, aimed at the Russian satellite. Aliens have many unanswered questions. Seems extreme not to reveal anything positive on the planet Mars, while allegedly blurring evidence. If true that’s outrageous. What are they hiding, can you stop doing that? More than annoying.
Some say Aliens are on the way! In telescope lens interstellar 31/ATLAS (~3 miles long), speedy at 37 miles per second, ‘Alien space craft?’ some saying. Reports not a comet, no tail in the rear and appears navigated! Milky Way disk origin, to propel towards our plane heading around the Sun. Arrives this November, put wind up our sails! Odd from Galactic center, head between us and Mars as if seeking Earth in the void. Closest to the sun this year October 30, on heels of interstellar Oumuamua. Keep an eye on corn fields for advanced messages, if needing anything special for arrival day. Best keep cows in the barn. Some are saying we should worry. Rollocking times come November! Duck and cover!
Mysterious Buga UFO Sphere: Just found in Columbia, may have extraterrestrial origins. Not handed off to Government to disappear! Good move, otherwise never see light of day, get placed in warehouse archive. Ronald Reagen said worry most hearing ‘we are from the government to help’.
Big shots tear down wall of secrets!
They had presence of mind not to let Higher Ups get their paws on it. Get stored fathoms deep along with UFO bits from Roswell in 1947. That would be filed under ‘Weather Balloon bits plus silver Globe, unknown.’ Labelled ‘Dangerous do not touch’.
How did we get here?
Reverse Engineering: Some say since crash of UFO at Roswell in 1947 there’s been a ‘technology acceleration’. Humans so smart all of a sudden? Did aliens help Earthlings leap up, what’s is it all about? Set us straight. No end to tales government scientist reverse engineering captured technology. Right enough giving us a shot in the arm. Cable optics, antigravity devices in secret locations. Rewarded knowledge gifts, internet, long fabled flat screen TV, cell phones, strange quantum world computers, more coming! Put wind up our sails! They will not know ‘Everything’! ‘After life’ will be their mystery also. Still we will all with wonder why?
Big Secret: Why hide? Bad table manners? Crunching noise? Wave the knife. Horrifying accounts of mutilated of cattle. Bad harbinger? Use their ‘phone’, always naked? Don’t shower? Bad English with interruptions! Have goods on all of us? That Black Knight satellite info hidden, we suspect it’s been watching us for a thousand years. Rumours some lunar lads witnessed them on the moon. Ap11 saw them on Tranquility, is this correct? Our moon rings like a bell when impacted, perhaps hollow? Improved telescopes now seeing black dots flying around on the moon. What are they? In our back yard? Views of aliens mostly share basic architecture. If real. Upright, head, body, arms, legs. Some being skinny, big eyes, live under the sea or Antarctica ice, cities on moon’s far side, internal on the hollow moon? What are we to make of it, things are heating up!
Controversial!
Do some resemble jelly fish?
Hello?
All from a movie studio?
The Galway Review 