Paramount today announced the new Star Trek film is scheduled for release on Christmas Day 2008. The studio also confirmed the film will be directed by J. J. Abrams, who said the film will 'embrace and respect' Trek canon, but will also 'chart its own course.' Also today, rumors are out claiming Matt Damon, Adrien Brody and Gary Sinise will play Kirk, Spock, and Scotty, respectively.

No mention of Star Trek would be complete with a quote from Scotty so here you go
"If I give her anymore she'll blow captain". Of course he was referring to his ever expanding waistline.

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A good debunking piece on space based weapon systems. Slightly disheartening, because I really want to have solar energy satellites that are also lasers. The article does a good job of looking further afield at nations besides the United States efforts in this area.

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 Drug Dealers

1. Refer to their clients as "users".
2. "The first one's free!"
3. Have important Asian connections.
4. Strange jargon:
   "Stick"
   "Rock"
   "Wrap"
   "E"
   "Stash"
   "Drive-by"
   "Hit (LSD)"
   "Source"
   "The Pigs"
5. Realize that there's tons of cash in the 14- to 25-year-old market.
6. Clients really like your stuff when it works.When it doesn't work they want to kill you.
7. Job is assisted by the industry's producing newer, more potent product.
8. Often seen in the company of pimps, hustlers and low-lifes
9. When things go wrong, a "fix" is just a phone call away, but may be expensive
10. A lot of people are getting rich while still teenagers.
11. Product causes unhealthy addictions.
12. Do your job well and you can sleep with sexy movie stars who depend on you.

Software Developers

1. Refer to their clients as "users".
2. "Download a free trial version..."
3. Have important Asian connections.
4. Strange jargon:
   "SCSI"
   "RTFM"
   "Packet"
   "C"
   "Cache"
   "CTRL ALT DEL"
   "Hit (WWW)"
   "Source-code"
   "Microsoft"
5. Realize that there's tons of cash in the 14- to 25-year-old market.
6. Clients really like your stuff when it works.When it doesn't work they want to kill you.
7. Job is assisted by the industry's producing newer, more potent products.
8. Often seen in the company of marketing people, venture capitalists and fund managers.
9. When things go wrong, a "fix" is just a phone call away, but may be expensive
10. A lot of people are getting rich while still teenagers.
11. DOOM 3, Quake, Half Life 2, Crysis...
12. Damn! DAMN!!!
     

Chinese scientists are developing pigeons whose flight can be controlled remotely. The best coverage may be Wired's, both because they link to the English language version of the original Peoples Daily Online release, and because of the (disturbing) photos. The birds can be commanded to fly left, right, up, or down. Reader KDan writes, "A number of obvious uses jump out to me... the remote-controlled pigeons will finally allow us to create an efficient implementation of RFC 1149 and RFC 2549."

Talk about bird brained ideas. Now if only they would concentrate their efforts on something useful, like a remote controlled woman. Hoover, wash, massage, sex....

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A US Federal Court recently ruled that ads displayed by search engines are protected as free speech. In the case at issue, Yahoo!, Google, and Microsoft were sued by an individual demanding under the 14th Amendment that the search engines display his advertisements concerning fraud in North Carolina. The Court flatly stated that the search engines were exercising their First Amendment right of free speech in deciding what ads they want to display."

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PCBs from discarded computers, cellphones and other devices could be recycled less harmfully using a technique developed by researchers in China. Unlike current methods, it can be used to reclaim metals such as copper without releasing toxic fumes into the air. Only a small numbers of PCBs are currently recycled."

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SeaDour writes "This Saturday night, March 3rd, a total lunar eclipse will be visible from nearly all inhabited parts of the world. A great shadow will stretch across the surface of the moon, eventually casting it in an eerie red glow as sunlight filters through our atmosphere onto the lunar surface. Viewers in Europe and Africa will have the best vantage point, able to watch the entire eclipse in action, while observers in most of the western hemisphere can see it eclipsed as it rises just after sunset."

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Ready for Romance                                   
submitted by Angeline O'Connor

It was my partner, Steve's 30th birthday last month and I wanted it to be something really special.  I gave him what he thought was his birthday pressie before he went to work - it was a pair of jeans and a leather belt.  O.k. he liked it.   Then he asked me if I'd arranged anything for the evening, like a meal out.  I said that if I had time I was going to try to book something at the local pizza restaurant.  I could see a little bit of a let down in his face but he was alright about it.

What he didn't know was that I'd arranged a really special surprise.   When he came home, I made sure I wasn't around but I left a note on the kitchen table to say that one of his pals was meeting him at our local pub and that I'd catch up with them later.   I got Nick (his friend) to wait for him and after they'd had a drink, say that there'd been a change of plan and I was meeting him somewhere else and I was going to ring in half an hour or so. Nick was in on the surprise and knew that I was back at the flat getting ready for the ultimate romantic evening.   I put ribbons and streamers on the door, a trail of rose petals and some very sexy underwear leaving a trail to the bedroom where I'd got a bottle of champagne waiting, the lights dimmed and silk sheets on the bed.

When it was all ready I phoned Steve and told him I'd meet him at a really nice little Italian restaurant we occasionally went to - a bit expensive but super atmosphere.   I told him I was late because I'd been busy and he accepted it just fine,    We had a lovely meal and after the main course I said I had another present for him.  I told him he'd really enjoy this one.  His eyes lit up - but before we had our coffees I excused myself and went to the ladies and said I'd be back in a few minutes.  What he didn't know was that I'd already paid for the meal and then slipped out to get back home before he did.

I got the waiter to tell him where I was and before very long he was back and pounding up the stairs.    Roses, candlelight, soft music and me, all ready for romance in a new and very sexy set of lingerie.  It set his pulse racing I can tell you - it was one birthday he won't forget in a hurry!