shazzbat wrote:
SNIP

Recent TV brings to my mind the way in
which the Soviets kept quiet about their space efforts till they
were
successful, while the Americans -- for equally good reasons --
carried theirs out in front of the world's press.


It's good isn't it? what last nights episode brought to mind for me
was being trooped out of my primary school to stand on the corner
of
the road and wave as Yuri Gagarin drove by on his visit to
Manchester.

I'll never forget that.

Lucky! (But I did buy his record, and still have it.) One of the rare
cases in which competition really _did_ produce more results than
cooperation would have! (I remember the Express -- I think it was --
had a front-page cartoon of two old biddies gazing with approval: "My
dear, I declare that this Major Gagarin is _quite_ as fascinating as
that Monsieur Bleriot!")

"I aim for ze stars...but sometimes I hit London."

--
Mike.