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>> I remember back several years ago watching Russia launching a mission to the ISS in literally near whiteout blizzard conditions. I tuned in and thought, ok this is a scrub for sure, didn’t even seem to phase them, no weather hold or nothing, snow so heavy you could barely even see the Soyez rocket on the pad.<<

Americans don’t launch with vodka in the suit liquid dispensers. ;)

You joke, but I'm going to tell you a story. When we first started using the Soyuz to get our astronauts in space there was a contingent of Russians at JSC. My dad was one of the people who interfaced with them (spoke some Russian... which was a big surprise to me when I found out... learned when in Air Force).

When the transition work was complete and it was time for them to go home, my father was one of the people tasked to check on the facilities they occupied. The desk drawers were FULL of empty Vodka bottles. Were are talking hundreds of bottles. Apparently they spent most of their work time drinking and didn't bother to clean up the evidence. It was such a stereotype ... yet so accurate.