Tuesday, July 8, 2008

10 Weird Ways to Predict the Future, 4 Challenges Worth at least $1 Million; 3 Tips for Surviving the Witness Protection Program

Three from Mental Floss:

10 Weird Ways to Predict the Future (definitions here)
1. Anthropomancy -
2. Armomancy -
3. Belomancy -
4. Gastromancy -
5. Gyromancy -
6. Myomancy -
7. Omphalomancy -
8. Onychomancy -
9. Rhapsodomancy -
10. Tyromancy -

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In 1919, the $25,000 Orteig Prize got Charles Lindbergh juiced enough to fly non-stop from New York o Paris. In 2000, the Ansari X PRIZE motivated Burt Rutan and his Mojave Aerospace team to create a reusable spacecraft to fly into space twice within a two-week period.

Today, X-type prizes are popping up faster than you can say $1 million (said with a hint of evil and a pinky raised toward the mouth). Here are 4 we think you need to know about:...MORE

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Created by the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970, the Witness Protection Program (WPP) does exactly what the movies say—it hides witnesses from vengeful thugs by giving them new identities (not to mention $60,000 a year in subsistence payments, one reasonable job opportunity, and—of course—psychological counseling). Since its inception, some 17,000 people have participated in the system, and no one who’s followed the program guidelines has ever been killed. With that in mind, we’ve provided this helpful list of “don’ts” guaranteed to make your WPP moving adventures a little more pleasant.

1. Don’t Commit Another Crime...Continued