Sci-Fi stories in six words

Here's a gem of a blog I've just found. Sci-Fi Stories in Six Words...

Okay, I'm a self-confessed geek, and I love sci-fi. Well, I have been known to dip my toe into the pond of science and bioethics in the past (see my site for deets). Anyway, this blog presents a sci-fi version of Haiku (probably minus the syntax, structure and word count, but what the Hell, I'm no expert).

My personal faves are (and in no particular order)...

I'm falling for my own clone

Courts deny their marriage. Robots riot.

Moo translator invented. Beef industry shutdown

"I'm not a robot!" insisted robot.

Okay, so more of a succinct synopsis, but they were pressing all my geek buttons at once and I felt the need to share...

Enjoy!

There's no such thing as news

Yesterday, in a staggering display of lazy journalism, probably compounded by lazy SEO (search engine optimisation), I came across a depressing example of "No News News".

The Daily Mail hysterically reported how Russell Brand 'taunted' Jack Straw on Twitter over his sons' DRUG HELL (an exaggeration, but when in Rome...) and 'demanded' that the Blackburn MP fork out money spent on the Iraq war. Why? Because he was probably irked about having to pay £150,000 over the Sachgate affair. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn.

What he actually said was:

I demand Jack Straw pays the 7bn pounds he squandered on the Iraq war that we didn't want. No wonder his son has to toke himself to sleep.

I read this, thought "Oh", and then did something else. Conversely the Daily Mail have so far managed to string out two substantially large shocked and appalled news articles about said Twitter Chunter.

Of course they've also managed to shoehorn columns and columns of anti-Beeb rhetoric, and frankly I'd be shocked if they didn't harp on about Saschgate.

For those who need a reminder (and don't expect me to give much air time to this) - Johnathan Ross and Brand left some inappropriate messages on the answering machine of Andrew Sachs about Brand sleeping with his grand-daughter - a stripper in a troupe called the Satanic Sluts, who's done a lot of hardcore S&M pornography. Not quite the Shy English Rose that the Daily Shriek makes her out to be. Anyway, I digress...

There was a massive earthquake in Italy over the weekend killing hundreds, North Korea is hurling nuclear missiles around East Asia, and we're entering the worst recession since WWII. So what if Brand and Ross offended some slapper and her grandfather?

Some perspective, please...

Keira Knightley stars in hard hitting domestic violence film

Keira Knightley stars in a hard hitting short video launched by Women's Aid to raise awareness about domestic violence.



Knightley says: "I wanted to take part in this advert for Women's Aid because while domestic violence exists in every section of society, we rarely hear about it. We may not think we know someone who has experienced domestic violence, but this does not mean that it is not happening. Domestic violence affects one in four women at some point in their lifetime and kills two women every week. Without the services provided by Women's Aid, many more women could be at risk of being killed, yet without donations the charity may not exist this time next year."

Another important charity is Refuge, that provides safehouses for women and children who are experiencing domestic violence. Unfortunately the ongoing economic climate puts many of these houses at risk of closure.

I'll be running 10K in London on May 26th to raise money for Refuge, with the target being £400.00. Please sponsor me on my Justgiving page below, it's for a really REALLY good cause! And if you wish, you can read my interview with Michelle Major about her experiences with domestic violence.

The ultimate fairground ride. If it existed...

The New Scientists reports that scientists at The University of Colorado, Boulder, US, have figured out what it would look like to fall into a black hole.

Black holes are heavy. Unimaginably heavy. We're talking 5 million times heavier than the weight of the sun. And they're hungry. They'll eat everything - sound, light, matter. Nothing can escape it's voracious appetite. Not even these delectable delights.

So this trip of a lifetime would mean certain death. But what a way to go...