Posts Tagged ‘Star Wars’
The power of a good headline… Booty fever
On Thursday, 29 September 2005, I managed to become the number one Google search result for ‘Booty Fever’, bypassing hundreds of adult-ass-oriented sites with the following story, written for the now defunct www.AutomationIndustryNews.net…
Robot sparks Robinson Crusoe booty fever
Booty seeking robot, Arturito...
CHILE-based Wagner Technologies ignited a fierce fight for gold after the company claimed it had discovered an 18th century treasure-trove of buried pirate booty worth $US10 billion using a metal-detecting robot named after the movie Star Wars’ R2-D2.
The claims of hidden treasure are being given credence because the robot, Arturito, is something of a local celebrity, credited with discovering a large weapons cache belonging to a right-wing militant colony in southern Chile.
Arturito also discovered the remains of businessman Francisco Yuraszeck, who went missing in 2004. In both investigations officials called in the Wagner Technologies robot after being unable to solve the cases by traditional investigative techniques.
Arturito is equipped with advanced sonar technology able to scan the atomic composition of materials such as water, metals and petroleum buried up to 50m underground.
Wagner claims its crime-solving robot has discovered the missing treasure buried by Spanish navigator Juan Esteban Ubilla y Echeverria on an island off the Chilean coast in 1715. The treasure was believed to be found by British sailor Cornelius Webb, who proceeded to bury it elsewhere on the same island.
The island is also famous as the place Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk was marooned for five years in 1704, inspiring Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe novel. The island was officially named Robinson Crusoe Island in 1966.
Wagner’s claims of discovering the missing treasure has sparked a battle for rights to the treasure, with participants including the Chilean Government and the 600 residents of Robinson Crusoe Island.
Wagner has refused to divulge any details on the location of the discovery until it is assured of a 50% stake in the treasure. Because Arturito uses sonar techniques, no digging has taken place at this stage.
The island itself is part of a World Biosphere Reserve due to its unique flora and fauna.
Doctor Who – new series
Current Music: nowt
Current Mood: grateful
Well, I guess I think it was pretty good… maybe a little weird to accept that the things I didn’t totally connect with are because I’m going to be 32 in a couple of months and Dr Who is (and must be) a children’s show… I guess I’m grateful that there was still enough in it for me to enjoy, while remaining true to the spirit of the show…
Is that what makes this retro-revival media zeitgeist so hard to accept some of the time (I’m thinking Star Wars here, among others)?
Anyway, it didn’t give me geekasms — thankyou for the word, Ratty — but I feel I’m going to enjoy it.
By the way, and of you self-affirming geeks out there with ADSL may want to tune in to Ratty’s podcast, available at www.coolshite.net, I listen to it pseudo-religiously.
SW ROTS tomorrow…
It kind of feels good to have touched base with you all again…. even though I don’t know if you are all still out there.
