PeterCat

Addictionary.org is a cool site where visitors can submit definitions for words that don't exist, but should. I heard about it from one of my favorite radio shows, NPR's "Says You" more than two years ago, and submitted one of my favorites:

anticipointment noun The feeling of crushed expectations that results upon seeing a heavily-promoted film, TV show, etc. that fails to live up to the hype.

After all that time, Addictionary has chosen it for the Word of the Day for Sunday, July 19. I wonder if it has anything to do with the new Transformers or Harry Potter movies?

I confess I didn't make up the term. I heard it from Arthur Wood, the news director at WTVH some ten years ago.

I'm a true child of the Space Age -- I was born in late June, 1958, meaning I was conceived in the month after Sputnik was launched. I'm told that when I was a small child, it was my turn to say grace, and I asked for blessings on the two things most important to me: "Thanks, God, for peanut butter and satellites."

I grew up with Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. Built the model kits (somewhere in my sister's attic, there's a dusty cardboard box with AMT's Saturn V, CSM and LEM models), had posters, followed the TV coverage. And 40 years ago this week, I was glued to the TV following Apollo XI's trip to the Moon.

This week, I'm glued to the computer. To commemorate the anniversary, NASA is replaying -- in real time -- the audio of the mission communications and commentary. It's at The Apollo 11 Radiocast but it's a bit buggy. There are also separate pages at NASA with mission history, as well as the newly-released restored video of the moon walk.

Even better is We Choose the Moon, from the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, a highly interactive site with not only audio, but also mission details, timers, and Twitter feeds of Capcom, Columbia and Eagle.

Jason Kottle's blog has a huge post detailing the anniversary coverage in various media. Of note are specials on the History Channel, starting at 8:30 (EDT) Monday with an "As It Happened" presentation of the CBS coverage of the mission and landing, especially poignant with Walter Cronkite's passing, followed by "Moonshot," a new 2-hour documentary on the mission.

I don't write here much -- I should, as I enjoy reading my friends' LJs, and I come across something cool and think "Oh, I should post about that on my LJ." But I feel I want to start with something Profound; and indeed I'm already getting carried away with this message.

So maybe I'll get my rear in gear one day. Until then, enjoy the cool theme.