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.

"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.
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.


Two Replies to Shoulda Seen It Coming

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.

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 »

Scott's Razor

Hanlon's Razor states:Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.That's cute, but aren't we all just a little quick to assume either explanation? Nobody trusts anybody else's judgment any more. Go »

Christmas 2016

After a hectic househunt and move, it was nice to have a family vacation to take a break from everything. The whole visit had already been planned back in the summer, and we had spent six months saving up plenty of money to pay for it, so all we had to do was relax and enjoy it. Kelly's father Russ and brother Andy, and Andy's boyfriend Joe flew in for a week. Go »

De-Gifting

I'd like to think I'm getting better at white elephant games since I play them every December, but evidence proves otherwise: After losing out on a crock pot, a board game, a video game, a sushi kit, a yoga mat, and a nightrobe, I finally took home a Z-grade zombie movie on DVD, and a Ben Franklin t-shirt. Woo! On the other hand, I scored a quesadilla maker at another party that has been pretty good so far. Go »

WGW: If It's Good Enough for Dan Marino, It's Good Enough for Me

This is more like Weight-Gain Wednesday after a week and a half with Kelly, bouncing around Sarasota restaurants and Disney World. No matter how many thousands of calories I burned walking around that theme park for three days, I'm sure I consumed twice as many, and that was just in fudge from the Main Street Confectionery. Now that I'm back and I've done some very scientific research – asking a friend whether she hated one – I have chosen NutriSystem over Medifast as the exclusive supplier of my every meal. Go »

2012

What a great year. Kelly and I got engaged. Kelly gained permanent employment and health benefits. Go »

Fun with Vacation Planning

I think I have discovered a new interest: Vacation planning. Most people enjoy daydreaming about possible future trips, but not everybody enjoys working out the fine nitty-gritty details of every last part of the trip. I have found that I do. Go »