Why our ‘amazing’ science fiction future fizzled

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/05/29/jetpack/index.html

“At the 1964 New York World’s Fair, people stood in line for hours to look at a strange sight.

“They wanted to see the ‘Futurama,’ a miniaturized replica of a typical 21st century American city that featured moving sidewalks, computer-guided cars zipping along congestion-free highways and resort hotels beneath the sea.

“Forty years later, we’re still waiting for those congestion-free highways — along with the jet pack, the paperless office and all those ‘Star Trek’-like gadgets that were supposed to make 21st-century life so easy.”

 

Group: R ratings for films with smoking

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/28/ent.movie.smoking/index.html

“Smoking in youth-rated movies has not declined despite a pledge two years ago by Hollywood studios to encourage producers to show less ‘gratuitous smoking,’ according to an anti-smoking group.

“The American Medical Association Alliance, pointing to research that big-screen smoking leads teens to pick up the tobacco habit, has called for an R rating for any movie with smoking scenes.”

 

Woman checks old lottery ticket, wins $10 million

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/05/28/australia.winning.lottery/index.html

“Concerned about her family’s finances, a university student in Australia cashed some long-forgotten lottery tickets this week — hoping the money would help her parents.

“She discovered their worries are over.

“The university student won $10 million (A$13 million) — and helped solve a lottery mystery that has made headlines in Western Australia for 10 months.”

 

Shoreview experiment may eliminate storm drains

http://www.startribune.com/local/west/46020057.html

“Shoreview is betting on a new ‘green’ concrete paving method that lets rainwater pass right through the street surface to prevent damaging runoff.” (May 25, 2009)

 

Was President Kennedy given ET UFO message about Cuba?

http://www.examiner.com/x-2383-Honolulu-Exopolitics-Examiner~y2009m5d20-Was-President-Kennedy-given-extraterrestrial-message-about-Cuban-Missile-Crisis

“A rare video has surfaced with important interviews and testimony concerning George Adamski’s claims of having filmed flying saucers and having met with their extraterrestrial occupants. The video gives credence to Adamski’s claims of having secret meetings with European dignitaries including Pope John XXIII and members of the Pentagon to secretly brief them about extraterrestrial life.”

(May 20 2009, via Phantoms & Monsters)

 

Will the US Government Finally Admit There Are Aliens?

http://io9.com/5263819/will-the-us-government-finally-admit-there-are-aliens

Yes, please. (I need that dollar!)

 

Going to extremes for school reunions

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/05/13/high.school.reunions/index.html

“Pushing the boundaries to see what people might believe was, at least in part, what drove Andrea Wachner to do what she did for her 10-year high school reunion.

“Simply put, the 31-year-old comedy writer hated high school. She had no desire to attend the 2005 event, but she came up with an alternative plan that got her excited. She’d hire a stripper to go in her place.”

This one’s for you, Gregg, wherever you are! (Okay, probably Wisconsin still. But wherever.)

 

Christian group declares UFOs ‘evil spirits’ of the Bible

http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200920/3663/Christian-group-declares-UFOs-evil-spirits-of-the-Bible

“A Christian counter-cult ministry will hold a symposium as part of the upcoming Roswell UFO Festival (July 03 to July 05, 2009), putting its own angle on the ongoing debate concerning the mysterious existence or otherwise of unidentified flying objects and alien species.” (May 13 2009, via Phantoms & Monsters)

 

Google will host U of Minn’s e-mail

http://www.twincities.com/business/ci_12330515

“Google’s Web-based Gmail, popular for consumer e-mail use, increasingly has been embraced by U.S. universities as an official student and staff replacement for e-mail services managed internally.

“Now, the University of Minnesota joins a growing list of schools taking e-mail into the Google ‘cloud’ — shorthand for the practice of using that company’s far-off servers instead of campus machines for storing such key information.” (May 8, 2009)

 

In Search of the New Area 51

http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=10326084

“The most famous, or infamous, military base in the world, Nevada’s Area 51, is once again generating its share of wild speculation. The story continues to circulate that the base has either shut down or moved its most sensitive projects to other less-visible locations.”

(Via Phantoms & Monsters.)

 

Metering: The End of The Internet As You Know It

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-silver/internet-overcharging-the_b_198095.html

“Last month, the nation’s No.2 cable company Time Warner Cable announced plans to test a new billing system known as ‘metering’ that charges Internet customers depending on how much they download. Customers who exceed their limit–say, by viewing online videos–would face steep penalties on top of their subscription rate.” (May 7, 2009)

 

Why Antidepressants Don’t Live Up to the Hype

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1895672,00.html

… “Now a major new study suggests that both critics and proponents might be right about SSRIs: the drugs can work, but they appear to work best for only a subset of depressed patients — those with a limited range of psychological problems. People whose depression is compounded with, say, substance abuse or a personality disorder may not get much help from SSRIs — which is unfortunate for the 45% to 60% of patients in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with a common mental disorder like depression and also meet the criteria for at least one other disorder, like substance abuse.” (May 6, 2009)

 

Never Buy a Bad Bottle of Wine Again: Slate’s guide to the importers you can count on

http://www.slate.com/id/2217806/

“My father swears he once had a girlfriend who sent him a postcard from Paris saying that she liked France but couldn’t understand why all the cars had foreign plates. I can’t help but think of that story whenever the issue of foreign wines and their often-confusing labels arises.” (May 6, 2009)

 

There’s No Klingon Word for Hello

http://www.slate.com/id/2217815/

“A history of the gruff but surprisingly sophisticated invented language and the people who speak it.” (May 7, 2009)

Also sent by Kyle….

 

Star Wars’ mighty Y-Wing : A pictorial essay

http://denofgeek.com/movies/246903/the_mighty_ywing_in_star_wars_a_pictorial_essay.html

“Ben justly lambasts the technological short straw of Star Wars’ rebel fleet…” (May 7, 2009)

Sent my way by Kyle — go raibh maith ‘ad!