America’s Apollo 11 moon landing gets all the attention, so in keeping with Balladeer’s Blog’s overall theme here’s a look at the six missions that followed that very first manned moon landing.
APOLLO 12 – Overall Commander: Charles “Pete” Conrad (not to be confused with Peter “Chuck” Conrad)
Command Module Yankee Clipper Pilot: Richard F Gordon, Jr
Lunar Module Intrepid Pilot: Alan L Bean
Less than four full months after Apollo 11’s successful mission the Apollo 12 crew provided a SECOND fulfillment of President John F Kennedy’s goal of landing men on the moon and returning them safely to the Earth.
The Lunar Module Intrepid touched down on the moon’s surface on November 19th, 1969 at 1:54am EST and lifted off to rendezvous with the orbiting Command Module Yankee Clipper on November 20th at 9:25am. Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean was on November 24th at 3:58pm.
The Mission: The Yankee Clipper was struck by lightning during its ascent from the Earth, knocking out all power but the back-up systems successfully restored all operations to normal. Apollo 12 made a perfect touchdown at its predesignated landing area, already improving on the previous mission, which had been very slightly off-course.
After landing at the Ocean of Storms Astronauts Conrad and Bean had to contend with a much more powdery surface than the Apollo 11 crew had encountered. The lunar dust and powder clung to the Astonauts’ suits and nearly clogged vital portions of the high-tech outfits. The crew deployed a battery of scientific equipment, gathered 75 pounds of moon rocks – many green and tan – and retrieved portions of the nearby Surveyor craft, an umanned module that had landed on the moon in 1967. Continue reading
NUMBER EIGHT TAKES A FALL – The MISSOURI WESTERN STATE GRIFFONS welcomed the number 8 team in the nation – the FORT HAYS STATE TIGERS. The Griffons grabbed a 7-0 1st Quarter lead but by Halftime the Tigers had knotted things up at 7-7. After the break Missouri Western State outscored Fort Hays State 16-7 for a 23-13 Upset victory. 
RANKED TEAMS ROLLING – The (4) INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PENNSYLVANIA CRIMSON HAWKS tore apart the visiting MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY MARAUDERS 41-7 ### Meanwhile the (5) NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS notched a 38-17 road rout of the WASHBURN UNIVERSITY ICHABODS ### And the (10) UNIVERSITY OF WEST ALABAMA TIGERS defeated the MILES COLLEGE GOLDEN BEARS in a 37-21 affair. 
“GORILLA” WARFARE – The 17th ranked PITTSBURG (KS) STATE GORILLAS traveled to face the EMPORIA STATE HORNETS last night. The Gorillas trailed the Hornets 7-3 in the 1st Quarter and 13-10 at the break. After tying things up 13-13 to end the 3rd Quarter Pitt State exploded in the 4th for a 34-13 triumph. 
The number 4 team in the nation – the INDIANA UNIVERSITY- PENNSYLVANIA CRIMSON HAWKS – welcome the MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY MARAUDERS in a battle of cool-named teams. 
In the number 5 spot in the D2 rankings are the FORT HAYS STATE TIGERS, who will take on the homestanding MISSOURI WESTERN STATE GRIFFONS (helmet at left). 
Division Two’s 6th ranked team – the dynastic NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS – take it on the road against the WASHBURN UNIVERSITY ICHABODS. 
HIGH SCHOOL CAESAR (1960) Category: Bad, youth-oriented 1960 movie that is incredibly campy This movie may have a 1960 release date but it is the most classically campy example of the Juvenile Delinquent movies of the 1950’s. 
John “Let’s Fight Wars All Over The World” McCain (left) 
I’m still encountering people who don’t know about Oats Studios so here’s a look at Volume 1 – Rakka. The storyline is very derivative but the special effects are great. 
Episode Title: THE GENERAL … In the ongoing debate about the exact numbering of the 17 episodes of The Prisoner I place this as the 9th episode.
Centralizing and monopolizing the dissemination of information for ugly partisan purposes and in order to police the free exchange of ideas has become nightmarishly easy for those so inclined. Freedom of expression is becoming limited to those who mindlessly agree with the Democrat Party’s dogma. All other opinions are increasingly banned as “hatred” or “violations of community standards.” 
MATEWAN (1987) – This John Sayles film examines the 1920 Matewan Massacre in the West Virginia coal fields. The workers were attempting to form a union and the owners – the kind of people that the one percenters’ beloved New York Times has proclaimed to be “the conscience of the country” used hired thugs to harass – and even kill – the laborers. 
Today’s rich pigs have added a new wrinkle: pretending to be showing “compassion” and lecturing the working class and the poor about the glories of a borderless society. Ultimately this will even overload Social Programs to the point where they all collapse from lack of funding. 
