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Sunday 20 April 2003
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I've written already about the X-Prize, a $10m prize fund to promote private space travel and space tourism. The prize will be awarded to the first organisation that launched three people to a height of 100km, returns them safely to earth and then repeats the experience within two week.
The prize was was started in 1996 and was designed to emulate the effects of similar prizes on the aviation industry in the early part of the 20th century. Charles Lindbergh's famous flight from the US to Europe was to win a prize. It should come as no surprise that Lindbergh's grandson Erik is a trustee of the prize or that the Prize's offices are on Spirit of St Louis Boulevard in St Louis.
Several consortia have registered to take part in the competition. Burt Rutan, the man behind the Voyager aircraft that flew around the world nonstop without refuelling, has unveiled a reusable orbital spacecraft which he hopes will win the prize by the end of this year. Rutan's company, Scaled Composites, has been working on the project in secret for two years.
1:41:26 PM  Google It!
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Not all Easter eggs are made of chocolate as the BBC notes: Many programs and DVDs have hidden extras, called Easter eggs, that can be unlocked once you know how. [BBC News | Technology | UK Edition]
1:25:07 PM Google It!
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So here we are, Easter Sunday. The weather, after weeks of unseasonal sunshine, has reverted to its usual goom, but hopefull it will pick up later. I'm sitting here at my desk surrounded by my Easter Egg Collection - full of choclatey goodness - listening to jazz renditions of Lennon/McCartney numbers on iTunes. I should be working, I suppose. I have a column, a feature and a report to write for this week, not to mention spring cleaning the house but somehow I just can't be bothered. Maybe it's all the chocolate I ate.
Usually at this time of the year I'm in the UK attending Eastercon the UK's National Science Fiction Convention. This year it's called Seacon 03 and is being held in Hinckley in Leicestershire. I was at Paragon in the same hotel two Easters ago and it's literally in the middle of nowhere. However, it's quite a nice hotel.
I had planned to go but unfortunately cashflow problems prevented it. Maybe next year in Blackpool.
1:14:30 PM Google It!
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Boing Boing Blog notes that Slavercise photos (see below) are now available. 
Here are some photos from the wacky, New York-based BDSM-themed workout that Cory blogged about earlier this week. I love the irony that the woman who runs these classes has a journalism degree, but learned she could make much more money beating up sweaty, leather-clad people in a gym than she could being a working writer. Link (worksafe si),
[Boing Boing Blog]
12:43:57 AM Google It!
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Last update: 24/06/2003; 20:56:33.
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