I was 12 years old when three brave astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. departed on their Apollo 11 mission to the moon. I remember being with my parents in front of our black and white television watching the Apollo 11 launch, and then the lunar landing.
We watched grainy images of Neil Armstrong stepping onto the surface of the moon, followed by Buzz Aldrin. We listened carefully to their historic statements and watched with awe as they bounced along for a no-gravity experience.
We saw images of our own earth as they were seeing them
from the 
moon.
I remember staring at the moon for many nights after that, with an eerie feeling, trying to imagine that there were men up there as I gazed at it.
Later we followed their descent to earth, wondering if they would survive...watching their capsule land in the ocean and the boats travelling out to get them. I was awestruck with it all.
Fast-track 40 years and we learn that Buzz Aldrin's post-Apollo life had spiraled out of control with depression and alcoholism. Fortunately, that is behind him and he has chronicled
his life in his memoirs, "Magnificent Desolation".Many in the current generation seem to have lost that awe of space travel and other amazing feats that we take so for granted. Another shuttle launch? That's nice. It seems almost as commonplace as an airplane taking off in flight.
Well maybe these videos will engage younger generations....or at least make them laugh. Good old very cool 79 year old Buzz Aldrin aka Doc Rendezvous is very much into the new hip-hop, twitter culture and wants to send a message to this generation. He enlists Snoop Dogg to help him. I could never have imagined this video when I was 12....nor could Buzz I'm sure. Take a look. The second video below is just to insult your intelligence.
(You can also view another version of the making of the video at this link ).
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