JULY 8, 2000

Full News Archive

• Headline: Pentagon's Antimissile Test Fails Over Pacific. Impact: The failure of this antimissile test sparked a new era of defense contractors arguing over who could make the biggest rocket. Little did they know, this would lead to the creation of very high-tech firework shows—because nothing says 'freedom' like rocket displays that don’t hit their targets!. Fact: Fun fact: The term 'missile defense' is just a fancy way of saying 'let's spend a whole lot of money to miss our targets!'.
• Headline: Giuliani's Irony: Privacy and Public Life. Impact: Giuliani's complaints about privacy led to an odd trend of politicians sharing too much personal information for sympathy votes, ultimately giving rise to social media oversharing and the modern day 'TMI' culture. Thanks, Rudy, for letting us know too much about your life!. Fact: You know, public figures revealing their woes is like watching a reality show—only less scripted and with more actual consequences!.
• Headline: Tough Justice: Taking a Child When One Parent Is Battered. Impact: This tough decision by Family Court set off a chain reaction of parents trying to outdo each other in the 'worst parent' competition, leading to a whole new genre of reality TV that thrives on dysfunction. Who knew family trauma could be so entertaining?. Fact: Not to add to the drama, but in many cases, it's not just the parents who are judged—kids have been known to become the ultimate critics of their parents' choices!.
• Headline: China Moves To Cut Power Of Microsoft. Impact: China's move to cut Microsoft’s power led to a technological tug-of-war that resulted in the rise of Linux enthusiasts, who now have the social skills of a garden gnome but can code like it's nobody's business. Remember kids, sometimes rebellion means using a system no one else can figure out!. Fact: Linux users often pride themselves on being 'the cool kids' in tech circles, which is ironic considering they’re often the ones stuck in basements, coding in the dark!.