Shoulda Seen It Coming
by Scott Hardie on February 19, 2007
The news that Princeton's infamous ESP research lab is soon to close (link) is both heartening and a little disappointing. On one hand, if there's anything at all to ESP, then skeptics should have no objection to private donations funding some bonafide scientific research into it – no harm done except for a hint of legitimacy. On the other hand, this lab was a black bruise for Princeton and its "findings" were routinely debunked, and a facility investigating exceptional claims must have exceptional adherence to scientific standards. Good riddance.
All that said, there's still plenty of stupid in the world. Ethiopia is about to celebrate their millenium amid celebrations about the symbolic dawn of a new morning in a country that needs to move on from its past. (link) You'd think that after all of the doomsday predictions about our own year 2000 failed to come true, nobody in Ethiopia would make the same mistake, but nah.
"When everyone else celebrated their millennium, they said all sorts of things were going to happen, but nothing happened," Addis Ababa-based film director Tatek Tadesse said.That's logic in action, folks. I can't wait until the doomsday predictions about our December 2012 fail to come true and Ethopian doomsayers offer that as proof that the world will end in their December 2012.
"Now all the prophecies they made about 2000 will happen this time round on the true millennium. It will be a new age for Ethiopia," said Tatek who is putting the final touches to a film inspired by the historic event.
Two Replies to Shoulda Seen It Coming
Amy Austin | February 21, 2007
Yeah... fortunately for me, my Y2K compliance allowed me to simply recognize that, all other things being pretty much equal, I was only going to keep advancing one more year in age, one day at a time, just as I always have.
Now, Y3K on the other hand... well... let's just say that I'm not at all prepared to deal with *that* fiasco -- but I'm fairly confident that there will be plenty of time to work out the kinks.
Logical Operator
The creator of Funeratic, Scott Hardie, blogs about running this site, losing weight, and other passions including his wife Kelly, his friends, movies, gaming, and Florida. Read more »
The Business of Busyness
My mother has Alzheimer's and dementia. She'll be 80 in a few months. For the last decade or so, her partner Andy has been taking care of her, but he's 85 himself and not able to continue. Go »Dodgy
"Is that a Dodge Dakota pickup truck? I heard that Native American tribe is really upset at the commercialization of their name." "Yeah. Go »My Dinner with Amy
Nice to meet you, old friend. Go »Only in the Web Era
Victim's cell phone is stolen on subway. Thief takes photos of his own wife, family, dog, and home. Cell phone automatically uploads them to victim's Flickr account. Go »Signs of Summer
The recent Florida wildfires have been a nasty reminder (I drove through one burned-down forest and it was a terrible sight), but if you need any more indication that summer is here, just step outside: It's scorching. Apparently one local still didn't think it was hot enough to take precautions, as evidenced by the recent explosion in the parking lot when we pulled into a strip mall for lunch. An entire trailer had burned into ash with only a skeletal frame and two melted tires remaining. Go »
Kris Weberg | February 20, 2007
Pretty much every major calendar change in human history has provoked crazy millenarian thinking; it may just be somethign hardwired into our societies or our brains.