Off topic post

Hume Kading · **Posted:** Mon Jul 26, 2004 4:58 pm

This is pretty wild (see link below).

Is this a hoax or am I the most uninformed person who ever lived?

Atlantic Tunnel Company
hkading@rypn.org

Randall Hicks · **Posted:** Mon Jul 26, 2004 5:19 pm

> This is pretty wild (see link below).

> Is this a hoax or am I the most uninformed
> person who ever lived?

Well, they're exagerating, of course. Personally, I think the pontoon bridge to Hawaii that's now under construction is going to be much more successful.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Mon Jul 26, 2004 5:21 pm

> Is this a hoax or am I the most uninformed
> person who ever lived?

Do you even have to ask?!?!?

A thorough and skilled online search will reveal tons of similar hoax sites. Be sure to check out the list I have linked to. I think this "Atlantic Tunnel" site is simply too new to have been added to the many lists of hoax sites out there--that or it's simply too outrageous to be taken seriously.

(On the other hand, I have managed to get at least a few not-too-sharp Greenpeace-style activists to take very seriously the information at the site http://www.dhmo.org/ , highlighting the hazards of "dihydrogen monoxide". They were thoroughly embarrassed when lots of their friends to whom they forwarded that malarkey told them what the "dangerous" substance was, and they have spoken little or not at all to me since. Now, if only that worked with the MoveOn fools that continually pester me......)

One Hoax Site list out of many
LNER4472-NOSPAM-@bcpl.net

Phil Mulligan · **Posted:** Mon Jul 26, 2004 5:30 pm

It would make a great Brief for April 1. ;-)

Electric City Trolley Museum Association

Erich Russ · **Posted:** Mon Jul 26, 2004 5:41 pm

Note the date of their latest news release:

http://www.atlantictunnel.com/news.html

This is a very well done April Fools joke.

Erich Russ

> It would make a great Brief for April 1. ;-)

ebruss@earthlink.net

Art Miller · **Posted:** Mon Jul 26, 2004 11:27 pm

> Do you even have to ask?!?!?

> A thorough and skilled online search will
> reveal tons of similar hoax sites. Be sure
> to check out the list I have linked to.

One of the critters listed on the hoax site was the Jackalope. Found on the city seal of Douglas, Wyoming, I swear I have seen this mythical cross between a long-eared wabbit and an antelope. The event occurred one night in 1991, south of Gillette, near the C&NW's Bill Yard Office and Lodging facility. Seems me and some of my colleagues from the Alabama State Docks had been up in Gillette at the Boothill Supper Club with this great-looking C&NW marketing rep and an equally devine Yardmaster. Anyway, after huge steaks and some good California Cabernet, we made our way back to Bill. As we drove into the yard.............

I swear. I have witnesses! ;-)

Matthew Mummert · **Posted:** Tue Jul 27, 2004 12:14 am

Oh God, I've actually heard it all now.

Who comes up with this stuff and what are they smoking?

Matthew Mummert

mlmummert@suscom.net

WOOLY · **Posted:** Tue Jul 27, 2004 7:27 am

Jackalopes is old stuff. They've been around since the 50s out here.Back then everyehere you went there was one on the wall.......Wooly

> Oh God, I've actually heard it all now.

> Who comes up with this stuff and what are
> they smoking?

> Matthew Mummert

wooly421@charter.net

Art Miller · **Posted:** Tue Jul 27, 2004 11:39 am

> This is pretty wild (see link below).

I scanned the Atlantic Tunnel website and did not see where they wanted a credit card number. Accordingly, I suspect this is either a prank with a decent graphic artist/webmaster with too much time on his/her hands, or the work of some magazine future writer seeing how many people he/she can get to respond to something pretty preposterous.

Jackalopes aside (and they are indeed part of the Douglas city seal, and there is a delightful Jackalope Festival in this small town), I think there is a message for us bulletin board users. Most of us know each other. We have relationships based on email addresses showing museum affiliation; and/or museum accomplishments; and/or we have common third party acquaintances who have met RyPN participants at ARM, TRAIN, or in the field.

One of the items which has been off-putting on other discussion boards are the unnamed and anonymous posters using pseudonyms. As it noted in a post not long ago, newspaper Letters to the Editor editors consider "unsigned is unread." One of RyPN's values is that a large percentage of the content is "signed" in one way or another. That adds credibility to the thoughts and opinions. (It has also kept flaming and ranting to a minimum.)

This factor works to make RyPN a much better and more worthwhile place to exchange ideas and information. Obviously promoted by our moderators'/editors' hard work, I hope this tradition continues.

Jason McClanahan · **Posted:** Tue Jul 27, 2004 3:16 pm

> I scanned the Atlantic Tunnel website and
> did not see where they wanted a credit card
> number. Accordingly, I suspect this is
> either a prank with a decent graphic
> artist/webmaster with too much time on
> his/her hands, or the work of some magazine
> future writer seeing how many people he/she
> can get to respond to something pretty
> preposterous.

Through another BB I know, relatively, the guy that did the site. The other BB gets visited by conspiracy theroists on occasion. There's an amazing number of people who think the Apollo moon landings never happened, just a big hoax to fool the Russians and the owner put up a few pages to debunk their claims and it acted like a magnet. It can get really funny sometimes. The last big claim was a mysterious planet was going to sweep through the inner planets and muck up the Earth, flip the magnetic poles, earthquakes, death, destruction, dogs and cats being friendly.

This is an astronomy oriented site and the people with multiple letters surrounding their names, Dr., PhD, etc. love ripping apart the pseudoscience claims. But it's cool to see the occasional lightbulb blink on and a person go 'oh, boy was I dumb to believe that.'

The Atlantic Tunnel site was a combination of him venting, having fun, and seeing if anybody'd take the bait and start up CT websites about it.

TVRM's on the web - keep an eye out for changes.
webforeman@tvrail.com

James E. Mack · **Posted:** Tue Jul 27, 2004 3:41 pm

About a week or two ago there was something on the TV about this. The tunnel was like a under water bridge. The cost was so high that it will never be built.

lvrr@enter.net

mw · **Posted:** Tue Jul 27, 2004 4:55 pm

> About a week or two ago there was something
> on the TV about this. The tunnel was like a
> under water bridge. The cost was so high
> that it will never be built.

I saw that show too. The cost would me more than the GNP of most of the earths nations and it would take several decades to build, but it is technically possible. Of interest: The tunnel would use MagLev trains going several hundred miles per hour.
mw

p_michael_warren@yahoo.com

dave · **Posted:** Tue Jul 27, 2004 6:43 pm

Guy finds an old lamp on the beach in LA and a Genie pops out. Grants him one wish.

He asks for a bridge to Hawaii so he can drive down for visits.

The Genie demurrs - tells him the cost in natural resources, disruption of the natural marine habitat, etc would wreak havoc on earth, couldn't he do something else?

The guy then asks for the Genie to explain women.

The Genie then inquires of a two lane bridge would be sufficient or would he like 4.

RR content: Matt Austin is drawing up plans now.

No respect at all........

dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

Andrew Martin · **Posted:** Wed Jul 28, 2004 10:30 am

Hmmm...
Maybe some Non Profit group ought to take up the banner. U can get grants for everything now days and using volunteers. Hmmm...

(User Above) wrote:

:-P

Andrew

amartin@wlu.edu