I'm stepping off the LEM now

I blame the Apollo program for my geekiness. As if rockets and spaceflight weren't cool enough, they had to nickname the command module and the lunar excursion modules for Apollo 10 -- the dry run for the big one -- "Charlie Brown" and "Snoopy."

So it was with a sad heart that I learned the news that this weekend one of my childhood heroes, Neil Armstrong, passed away. Armstrong was cool under pressure, as evidenced by the actual landing of the LEM, was humble (at least as far as hotshot pilots and astronauts go), stayed away from the limelight, and was an Eagle Scout.

Thank you, Mr. Armstrong. You were an inspiration!