You may have heard, "truth is stranger than fiction," and indeed, that often seems the case.  While that strange truth is usually just entertaining and innocuous, there are times when it is exactly the opposite... stupefying, shocking, even threatening.

Mimicking Ripley is not the intent here, though.  It is simply to point you to a variety of recent articles, some of which just bring a smile, some that give pause for thought, and some that deal with very serious issues.  Not surprisingly, many involve government and elected officials at various levels.

Aside from the trivial 'fun' articles, many are important but have been beneath the radar for whatever reason.  They need greater exposure, for they often have implications that scream for attention.

The entries here do not comprehensively quote their referenced sources, except for maybe a one or two line teaser that might pique your interest, and, of course a link, along with maybe short comment. Better that you follow the links and look in the horse's mouth yourself:)   Hope you enjoy.

Cheers:)

News Item:  Fisher: Party like a rocket scientist (It'll be fun)

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Arthur Clarke (who called me a colleague and friend, despite our only having met by mail) passed on today, after ninety years of a life that only could have happened in the century and civilization that he helped to shape.

Arthur has long and deservedly been called one of the finest "hard" science fiction authors, for good reason.  From the beginning of his career as a writer, he explored frontiers of human knowledge, pondering the implications of everything from cetacean intelligence to planetology.  From the logic of John Von Neuman’s universal self-replicator to the possible motives of beings far in advance of ourselves.  

And yet, what most intrigues me about Arthur’s work is something else -- his ongoing fascination with human destiny -- a term seemingly at-odds with the scientific worldview.

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When I was a kid, girls were supposed to be, well, girly.  Girls played 4-square, jumped rope, loved horses, had sleep overs.  They read books about girl detectives and wrote in their diaries about boys and their stinky parents.  Girls liked girl things.  Boys liked boy things.

I was a Weird Girl.  I read science fiction.

A giant of the science fiction world has died. Arthur C. Clarke died at his home in Sri Lanka, at the age of 90.

Once there was A. E. Van Vogt.  Once there was Asimov, and Heinlein, and Clifford Simak.  Once there was Kurt Vonnegut.  

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, but today the world is a little less magical.

An aide says science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke has died.

Rohan De Silva says Clarke died early Wednesday after suffering from breathing problems. He was 90.

Clarke is the author of more than 100 books, including "2001: A Space Odyssey."

To paraphrase John Adams, "Bradbury survives."