space

A Vomit Comet Ride Is Now Under $5K

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While I would love to sky dive – something that I have never done – I think I would rather take the Zero G parabola flight. First, because it’s safer, and second, because it simulates being an astronaut, floating around a contained space. It is more expensive than sky diving but a hell of a lot less than a ride on Virgin Galactic The ZERO-G Experience, which includes a flight of 15 parabolas [each gives you 30 seconds of weightlessness], flight suit, complimentary merchandise, awards, a post-event party, photos, and a DVD of the flight, is offered at a price of $4,950 per seat.
The Zero G site says that by the end of the flight you will log about 7 to 8 minutes of reduced gravity – that’s about as much zero-gravity time as Alan Shepard experienced on America’s first human spaceflight.
In case you were wondering, a Virgin Galactic doesn’t provide weightlessness, only a sick view and experience, and costs $200,000.
Via Neu

ramblings

Flying Cars Coming Soon

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This week inventor Woody Norris will receive America’s top prize for invention. It’s called the Lemelson-MIT award — a half-million dollar cash prize to honor his life’s work, which includes a brand new personal flying machine called the AirScooter (it goes on sale later this year at $50K per scooter).

The AirScooter can fly for 2 hours at 55 mph, and go up to 10,000 feet above sea level. This is not a joke – go and read the CBS News story and how NASA’s “The Highway in the Sky,” a computer system designed to let millions of people fly in their very own vehicles, will help make this a reality sooner than you think.

“Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need any roads…”

Via Slashdot

ramblings

Tell Someone What You Really Think

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Get it off your chest here…In addition to the specific city, state, and federal agencies detailed below, the city’s 311 number is a great routing service for complaints.

Filing a report with the Better Business Bureau can be a) therapeutic and b) useful for other consumers as well as publications such as MUG – we won’t knowingly ever recommend a company or service with an unsatisfactory rating.

Airlines
DOT’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division. Specific airline Customer Relations Managers.

Cable TV
Dept.of Information Technology & Telecommunications

Charities
Office of the Attorney General

Civil Rights
Office of the Attorney General

Consumer Fraud
Office of the Attorney General

Consumer Goods and Services
Department of Consumer Affairs Info, Complaint Form.

Consumer Product Safety
Consumer Product Safety Commission

Do Not Call Violations
FTC

Fake/Toy Gun Sales
Department of Consumer Affairs

Heat and Hot Water
Call 311. More info.

HMO’s
Call the NYS Insurance Dept., Consumer Services Bureau at 212.480.6400.

Hospital Care
Call the NYS Dept. of Health at 212.268.6554.

Identity Theft
FTC

Illegal Dumping
Dept. of Sanitation
Investor Protection
Office of the Attorney General

Mobile Phone Dead Spots
nyc.gov

Newsstands
DOT

Noise
Public Advocate for the City of NY

Police Officer Conduct
Civilian Complaint Review Board

Potholes
Call 311 or use the DOT form.

Rent Security Deposit
Office of the Attorney General

Rodents
Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene

Smoking Indoors
Bureau of Tobacco Control

Spam
Office of the Attorney General

Street Lights
DOT

Taxi
Taxi and Limousine Commission

Traffic Signals and Signs
Call 311. More info.

Websites or Internet Service Providers
Office of the Attorney General