CONVERSATIONS ON THE PLURALITY OF WORLDS (1686) – Written by Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle. The author offered up some science fiction concepts that were considered real possibilities in 1686. These ideas were presented within the frame of conversations, as indicated in the full title. The conversations happened over the course of six evenings.
FIRST EVENING – Bernard presented these conversations as taking place during flirtatious evening walks with a fictional Marchioness based on his real-life female acquaintance Madame de la Mesangire of Rouen. Due to the time period, she had not been educated in the sciences and Fontenelle needed to introduce her to certain concepts from the ground up.
This first evening found him explaining what 1686 science knew about the rotation of the Earth and the Earth’s revolution around the Sun. An interesting, outdated element of the conversation came in when Bernard discussed what some scholars of the time apparently believed – that space was not a vacuum but was made up of “celestial fluid” in which the Earth and certain other bodies moved. Continue reading
NELLIE BLY (Elizabeth J. Cochrane), one of the most famous reporters in history, set forth on this date in 1889 in her well-publicized attempt to make it around the world in less than the 80 days used by Jules Verne’s fictional Phileas Fogg. She was 25 years old.
Another look at current events from 
Also, in November and December of 2016 anti-Trump fascists tried intimidating the members of the Electoral College into not casting their votes for Trump even though he won the election, even going so far as DOXING those Electors. I mention this because too many people seem to have forgotten the anti-Trump push for “Faithless Electors” 8 years ago. 
HALLELUJAH AND SARTANA … SONS OF GOD (1972) – Ron Ely played Hallelujah and Alberto Dell’Acqua was Sartana in this at best so-so Spaghetti Western. 
Sartana, on the other hand, was a long-established Spaghetti Western figure who was portrayed by plenty of other actors during the 60s and 70s. Sartana was a pro bono vigilante when he wasn’t busy at card tables across the west. 
ALL THAT GLITTERS (1977) – With the syndicated late-night soap opera satire Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman becoming a cultural phenomenon in the 1970s, Norman Lear launched this oddball, self-consciously “adult” program which added a touch of parallel world sci-fi stories to the soapiness. 
Want to see women running the business world and men serving as secretaries while getting ogled and sexually harassed? This show’s got it! Want to see a tuxedo-clad groom carrying flowers and walking down the aisle toward his intended bride? This show’s got it! 
THE HAT IN THE RING GANG: THE COMBAT HISTORY OF THE 94th AERO SQUADRON IN WORLD WAR ONE – Written by Charles Woolley, this excellent book covers America’s 94th Aero Squadron aka The Hat in the Ring Gang. 
DOUGHBOY WAR: THE AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN WORLD WAR I – Written/ edited by James H Hallas. I feel this book is perfect for people who are just diving into World War One and don’t want inundated with all of the overwhelming details of more involved works. Doughboy War covers every aspect of American soldiers’ experiences in the Great War, often in their own words. 
THIRTEEN OVER SEVEN – The NAIA’s 13th ranked NORTHWESTERN (IA) COLLEGE RED RAIDERS visited the country’s number 7 DORDT UNIVERSITY DEFENDERS. In this very strange game neither team had scored by Halftime. The 3rd Quarter saw the Red Raiders put up 3 points which wound up being the ONLY points scored in the game. Yes, 3-0 was the final tally in this clash of ranked teams. 
NUMBER EIGHT FALLS – Staying in the NAIA for right now, the number 15 BAKER UNIVERSITY WILDCATS took it on the road against the 8th ranked MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY PIONEERS. MNU were on top 7-3 in the 1st Quarter, but the Wildcats went up 10-7 by the Half. A scoreless 3rd Quarter was followed by Baker U. winning out 20-14. 
LONER – In 1988 the U.K. comic book Wildcat introduced a sci-fi character called Loner. This figure was, shall we say, reminiscent of America’s 
In the year 2492 a huge spaceship called Wildcat searches the universe for a planet fit for the human race to settle on as Earth faces destruction from a meteor storm. Loner was the world’s highest-paid mercenary warrior and bought his way onto the Wildcat by chipping in twenty million in financing. 
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