
http://xkcd.com/16/
A repository of partially-processed mental notes that lie beyond the economic interests of the dwindling number of media outlets. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein were those of the author at one point and do not necessarily reflect the current opinions of the author, i.e., past thoughts are not an indication of future (or even present) thoughts.
"[…] I knew it would resonate with people because plastic is something we touch every day without even thinking about it." Indeed, from alarm clocks and toothbrushes to shampoo bottles and razors, most of the developed world relies on this material just to get out of bed and showered in the morning. The problem, explains Connacher, is that nobody stops to wonder where all this plastic came from and what happens when we throw it out.
In U.S. cemeteries alone, some 90,000 tons of steel, copper and brass, 1.6 million tons of reinforced concrete, and 800,000 gallons of embalming fluid like buried in caskets, vaults and corpses. That's not to mention the energy consumed in cremating a body at temperatures of more than 900C or the dioxins [and heavy metals] spewed into the atmosphere in the process.
Watch this first:
Then watch this: | |
|
Unbelievable - I hope this is an April Fools.
http://www.reuters.com/
I can imagine a lot of folks at NASA would privately agree with this choice, though it would signal the end of the somewhat haughty pride and dignity in space program (disconnected from public's imagination long ago). Gene Roddenberry must be turning in his grave - the future USS Enterprise, Reliant, Defender etc will likely be named USS Double-Double, Colbert and Rockstar.
I can also imagine there are many people regretting the choice to open the name to a vote - the scene from the upcoming "Parks & Recreation" program on NBC (where a bureaucrat groans "oh I hate the public") comes to mind.
http://www.nbc.com/Primetime/