Yes, but what if one of the snipers breaks a law? Hmmm? Who snipes the snipers?

And by the time you live in a tyranny or police state, something bad has happened.

Another former subscriber here, and I just can't tolerate the obvious bias that has crept into the once-great publication. I subscribed for years, then let it lapse, picked it up again out of nostalgia, let it lapse, and now completely ignore it.

The visitor's center view of the launch facility is now blocked by a stand of trees that has grown considerably over the years. One recommended viewing area is on the causeway between Chincoteague and Assoteague Islands.

http://www.chincoteague-va.gov/pdf/LADEE%20Rocket%20Launch-Viewing%20Areas.pdf

Another possible site was a location I scouted out last weekend where Arbuckle Neck road dead-ends into Oyster Bay. That gave me this view of the launchpad area. The rocket pad itself is the last tall building to the right of the water tower.

Al Gore also claimed the temperature of the core of the Earth is "millions of degrees" on Conan O'Brien. Unfortunately, that one went out on national television, so no one on his staff can make the claim that he'd been misquoted.

While this is hardly the sole culprit, in 1998, the the National Institute of Health adopted a new definition of overweight. That is responsible for at least part of the increase shown since that time.

I noticed Twinkies back on the shelf a couple weeks ago. I ran up to the stack, hefted a box lovingly and said, "I knew you couldn't resist me for long!" A stockboy standing nearby laughed, but what does a mere lad know of true love?

Now I know, however, a shadow has fallen upon this romance. In Twinkies' absence, I tried Tastykake's Dreamies. Her smooth, flavorful cream enrobed in fresh, rich-tasting sponge cake was more than simple comfort when Twinkies left. Dreamies shared sensations with me that were unfulfilled fantasies when Twinkies were my sole companion. Every night after dinner with Dreamies was an exquisite exploration of forbidden flavor. Sometimes, I even had two!

When Twinkies came back, my heart and stomach pounded; lovers reunited! We left the grocery store and I buckled my box safely into the passenger seat and started the engine. At the first traffic light, I reached over and deftly parted her cardboard folds and reached for the treasures within. Cellophane yielded willingly at the next red light and soon familiar flavors and textures burst in my mouth!

Something was wrong.

My tastebuds now expected the fresher, richer flavors of Dreamies. Twinkies had a familiar, hydrogenized aftertaste, but Dreamies didn't. I don't think my companion noticed at the time, but when we got home, I put her on the shelf and have only reached for her twice since then. I've even ... shared her with my wife and little boy. "Yes, please! Help yourselves!"

There's no way Twinkies doesn't know now. Something has changed between us. I think I hear sobbing in the kitchen when she doesn't know I'm near. I feel bad, but I know she feels worse because she was the one who left. I want to make it work, but Twinkies just can't bring me the sensations for which I yearn. I've ... moved on.

You know, I think it was mine as well. I liked that combination of bat-shit crazy on one page and healthy skepticism on another, with some artwork by Giger or Syd Meade tucked away somewhere in between.

I think we're looking at this from a similar perspective. Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic as viewed from a primitive perspective, but a sufficiently advanced technology can tell the difference. Consider Mr. Spock. Being half Vulcan in a universe that allows psychic phenomena, it is possible for him to touch any intelligent being and "mind meld" with them. But if he had technological telepathy, for example, in a universe that otherwise does not have real psychic phenomena, would he have been able to interface so easily with Old Mother Horta? Or would he first have to outfit her with tech that allows for such an interface -- with all the complexities introduced by fundamentally different evolutionary paths to intelligence?

You're thinking of a kind of technological telepathy, and believe me, I've given lots of thought to that. But I specifically mentioned ESP, which is kind of a catch-all that also includes clairvoyance and precognition, and bundles all this stuff up under a paranormal, psychic forces banner. And that's the key here. Even if I'd said "telepathy", it's fair to argue that you're not talking about the same thing since most supporters of the paranormal aren't talking about technological enhancements, but gifted individuals who somehow already possess these talents without any need for technological support.

This sounds exciting. I was a huge fan of the magazine and still have many copies gathering dust in various places. Omni introduced me to new artists and writers I'd never heard of before, posted light articles about various scientific matters, and from "Continuum" to "Anti-Matter" gave readers a chaotic, but often optimistic glimpse at possible futures.

Please don't leave the optimism out. There's been a resurgence of neo-Malthusian gloom in the last decade or so. If the new Omni becomes a mouthpiece for doom-mongers, I'll gladly walk the other way. Oh, and a little fringe science is kind of fun, too. Maybe ESP and flying saucers have become passé, but I'd like a serving of zero-point energy and parallel universes, please.

It's odd that I'm saying this again, but have you ever heard of the Battle of Athens?

You should look up the "Battle of Athens."

Six digits, you say? Wow.

And they say Latin is a "dead" language! HAH!