Tech that thankfully never was: rocket mail
posted June 9th 2005 7:00AM
Admittedly, we've been guilty of complaining about the speed of the U.S. postal service now and again (usually when waiting for a check of some sort to arrive), but we're pretty glad the U.S. Navy's solution to speedier mail was never implemented. File this securely under 'news of the weird,' but in the late 50's the U.S. submarine Barbero conducted the first pilot test of the proposed fast mail solution: sending postal containers via warhead-less Regulus cruise missiles. The USPS/Navy-conducted "Missile Mail" was half experiment, half PR stunt and, needless to say, never quite caught on in the Cold War-gripped U.S. We just thank (insert favored deity here) that Al Gore came along and invented the internet to save us from such silly non-virtual mail "solutions," though it would have given new meaning to the phrase "fire off a letter."
Yeah, it's a funny line, but even after all this time it burns me up to see people repeat the myth that Al Gore claimed to "invent" the internet.
The only thing he ever said was that he was "instrumental" in its creation; and you know what? That's 100% TRUE. It was Senator Gore's legistlation that made the internet possible as we know it today. You think it just happened because some engineers liked the idea? It was as much a federal undertaking as the interstate highway system. Even Vint Cerf has defended Gore against this slander.
The whole "Al Gore said he invented the internet" crap is just a cheap opportunistic lie started by people like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, and it's sad to see people still repeat it, even if it is a "joke." It's "jokes" like that that helped put our current simian embarassment into office.
http://www.snopes.com/quotes/internet.asp
Hey Jayson,
Way to take it political you whiny pinko :) In my best Nelson impersonation, "Ha Ha" (pointing at you). Did you see how chimpy McPresident actually had a higher GPA at Yale than your man Kerry? A higher IQ based on military entrance tests than Kerry and a higher SAT score than that amazing inventor AlGore? Cool huh. Bet the cognitive dissonance makes your head hurt...
Anyone who actually believes that bush has a higher IQ then Kerry or Gore, is just as big of an idiot as Bush.
On another note I know they also conducted rocket mail tests on Greenwood lake on the boarder of NY & NJ sometime in the 50s...
#2 What is all your blather about SAT scores and IQ tests? If you had any cognitive ability or did not simply accept what you are told to believe; you would know that those SAT and IQ tests can be gamed. They only measure a specific intelligence but do not determine the true extent of a persons intellectual capabilities and faculties.
Also those test scores are no indicator of leadership.
I don't play the Republican and Democrat us vs them game because it is not in the best interests of the country. The divisive mechanism is only effective in helping men achieve and retain power.
I will say that I have more respect for a guy that actually served in the Vietnam War and did not rely on his daddy to get him out of active duty; did not have his daddy set him up in businesses that he failed miserably in and did not piggy back his daddy's success in getting into politcal office. Shrub did not have one significant solo accomplishment in his educationl, military, business and politcal career without daddy being involved.
BTW - FYI I voted for the daddy and I thought he was an excellent President, too bad he lost to Clinton. Junior is a joke in every since of the word.
"a higher SAT score than that amazing inventor AlGore?"
What is it with the Limbaugh-addled assholes having to write Al Gore's name as one word? What exactly is that about?
An interesting read on the Missle Mail testing: http://www.answers.com/topic/uss-barbero
hey, wait. i still have an @rocketmail.com account. the company went oob years ago and the account is handled by yahoo now.
"What is it with the Limbaugh-addled assholes having to write Al Gore's name as one word? What exactly is that about?"
Dan, cause it's a barb that clearly gets under your skin :) I can see the throbbing forehead veins from here (I'm hiding under your desk).
"Anyone who actually believes that bush has a higher IQ then Kerry or Gore, is just as big of an idiot as Bush."
Glancing Ass, don't let pesky little things like facts and quantifiable metrics get in the way of your preconcieved notions... Close your mind and hold tight! Remember, if John Stewart told a funny joke about Bush being dumb it must be true!
I'll drop the politics on future items if others agree to do the same. This is a tech blog after all, not the DailyKossak...
Not to sound petty, but you lose the right to call someone an idiot if you don't know how to spell "border".
On topic, wouldn't a rocket launched from the ocean to the US give NORAD fits?
(Off-topic, skip if desired)
It doesn't bother me any longer to see small-brained people repeat things like the "Al Gore invented the internet" garbage. They cannot help it. They can only repeat what their masters tell them. Truth and accuracy has no place in politics in the US anymore. None. I have given up waiting for an honest campaign or honest commentary from the "fair and balanced" crowd. Sad thing is, lies work. Just look at the last few years. Even when lies are pointed out, if a leader just keeps repeating the lie or denying the existence of opposing evidence, the less-educated people will believe it. Kind of like religion. It really is interesting to see just how well the republicans have the proles trained. Sad, if you are an American (and I am), but still interesting. I think it is going to get a lot worse in the next few years.
That being said, I think Jayson above is correct, and he summed the misleading Gore lie up nicely.
Thanks a lot, Barb. None of this idiocy had to happen, but you had to put the immature and pointless troll of "Al Gore invented the internet" just to get everyone riled up.
Engadget is a great site, but all to frequently cheapens itself with crap like this, and ruins any chance at discussion of the actual article.
Yes Joshua, all of my posts are cleverly designed to incite the trolls who love to turn every tiny reference into an excuse to flare up yet another OS war, or yet another racial/sexist slurfest, or fire off yet another pointless political diatribe. It is, admittedly, all my fault.
I'm also sorry I caused all that cancer.
Regretfully,
Barb
Actually, many (most, all?) of barb's postings are just as lame as her 6-year-old political commentary, and about as cutting edge. And do not forgive her for causing cancer.
#2 What is all your blather about SAT scores and IQ tests? If you had any cognitive ability or did not simply accept what you are told to believe; you would know that those SAT and IQ tests can be gamed. They only measure a specific intelligence but do not determine the true extent of a persons intellectual capabilities and faculties.
Also those test scores are no indicator of leadership.
I don't play the Republican and Democrat us vs them game because it is not in the best interests of the country. The divisive mechanism is only effective in helping men achieve and retain power.
I will say that I have more respect for a guy that actually served in the Vietnam War and did not rely on his daddy to get him out of active duty; did not have his daddy set him up in businesses that he failed miserably in and did not piggy back his daddy's success in getting into politcal office. Shrub did not have one significant solo accomplishment in his educationl, military, business and politcal career without daddy being involved.
BTW - FYI I voted for the daddy and I thought he was an excellent President, too bad he lost to Clinton. Junior is a joke in every since of the word.