Watching the Soyuz launch today on the NASA TV. The difference between these Soyuz launches and the erstwhile Shuttle launches could not be more stark. It's clear the Russians don't have money to waste on things non-essential. NASA could learn a thing or two in that department... But the cool part was Main Engine Cutoff. The commander had this white snow man doll hanging from a string, and it was in view of the camera. We learned that his daughter gave it to him for good luck. The NASA narrator guy pointed out to us viewers that we could watch this thing and therefore see exactly when they got weightless, see? How cool is that? So when the main engine shuts down, the doll will start floating around on it's string, no longer applying tension to the string, right? Not quite... The engine quit with a non-audible but quite visible BANG! The doll show forward out of camera view like it had bit by a truck, and the two crew members in camera view jolted suddenly forward. The reaction from the Italian astronaut, on her first flight, was great. Eyes got big, mouth came open. Basically. “holy crap!” 
icon_eek In Italian. That was cool.
icon_eek In Italian. That was cool.