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Old 01-April-2008, 08:19 AM
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Default Virgle
Yahoo!

I mean Virgle!

Quote:
An invitation.
Earth has issues, and it's time humanity got started on a Plan B. So, starting in 2014, Virgin founder Richard Branson and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin will be leading hundreds of users on one of the grandest adventures in human history: Project Virgle, the first permanent human colony on Mars.
Press release

Quote:
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. and LONDON, England (April 1st, 2008) – Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Virgin Group today announced the launch of Virgle Inc., a jointly owned and operated venture dedicated to the establishment of a human settlement on Mars.
[...]
The Virgle 100 Year Plan's milestones will include Virgle Pioneer selection (2008-2010), the first manned journey to Mars (2016), a Virgle Inc. initial public offering to capitalize on the first manned journey to Mars (2016), the founding of the first permanent Martian municipality, Virgle City (2050), and the achievement of a truly self-sustaining Martian civilization with a population exceeding 100,000 (2108).
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Old 01-April-2008, 09:01 AM
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Just what I wanted to hear today!
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Old 01-April-2008, 11:35 AM
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And the April Fools have already begun....

Seriously, folks, even if this were real, the Chinese would probably beat us to it - and probably start a new space race.

- Maha Vailo
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Old 01-April-2008, 01:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Maha Vailo View Post
And the April Fools have already begun....
Considering the context and all... I agree.

But; in this day and age of wild claims and getting your name in the paper, I wouldn't have been surprised if it were a publicity stunt. Just put in a vague speculation, add some legalese about it being speculative, and wham... you get good press coverage even if it aint gonna happen.
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Old 01-April-2008, 02:32 PM
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The original contingent of Virgle Pioneers will be selected by numerous criteria, including an online questionnaire, video submission, personal accomplishments, expertise in scientific, artistic, sociological and/or political fields of endeavor, and inadequate Google and Virgin personal performance reviews.
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Old 01-April-2008, 02:44 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maha Vailo View Post
Seriously, folks, even if this were real, the Chinese would probably beat us to it - and probably start a new space race.
So?

Quote:
Originally Posted by John F Kennedy, May 25, 1961
For while we cannot guarantee that we shall one day be first, we can guarantee that any failure to make this effort will make us last.

[...] But this is not merely a race. Space is open to us now; and our eagerness to share its meaning is not governed by the efforts of others. We go into space because whatever mankind must undertake, free men must fully share.
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Old 01-April-2008, 02:53 PM
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*sigh* Actually, I've come to the realization that April Fools Day articles tend to depress me a little.

Take this one for example. Yeah, it's clearly a gag, but dammit, it's not all that bad an idea in principle. It makes no financial sense whatsoever for Google and Virgin to do this (which is, I think, the joke), but if we're ever going to leave the nest, we have to shell out to make that first attempt. It has always been that way, it always will be, and waiting won't make it any cheaper.

Same deal with one gag I saw on GameFAQs this morning. Their top 10 "gaming blunder" list cites the (fictitious) Playstation optional extension ($599) that allows backwards compatibility with the Commodore 64. Cute, but again, that's not all that terrible an idea. The price point would be ridiculous, of course, but I'd love to play C64 games with comfortable controllers. (Something the emulators don't quite do well, IMO.) I miss Monster Movie Game, Way of the Exploding Fist, and Kennedy Approach in particular.
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Old 01-April-2008, 08:27 PM
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I thought that was a cool idea. And I got a laugh out of the copyright/trademark thing about Singapore...

Sooooo......

For the first time I actually managed to get a spoof post up on my page...

http://thespacewriter.com/wp/

(shameless self-plug)
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Old 01-April-2008, 08:33 PM
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It looks like msnbc is in the same mode.

Magnificent vacations on Mars
The solar system's most luxurious resorts and spas
Quote:
Branson doesn’t have a lock on the Martian thermosphere. Cyberdyne’s Private Edenz is a cluster of 12 private terrariums on Phobos, the larger of Mars’ two moons.
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Old 01-April-2008, 08:37 PM
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Actually, that wouldn't be a bad idea, either.
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Old 01-April-2008, 10:36 PM
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It's better than the Star Wars.com one about George Lucas being sick with the flu.
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