Families Are Going Into Debt for Disney Vacations

Back in August, the NY Times published the attached article about how people are willing to go into debt in order to afford a vacation to Walt Disney World.

They interviewed some people, and did some research into the costs.  They quote some of the guests who say that their kids are only young once, and it was worth it to go into debt to experience the magic.

I'll agree that this magic does make an impression, but it is pretty sad that it stretches people's finances to experience it.

And it calls to mind a bigger issue: that people are okay with taking on debt in order to do something that they want - rather than saving for it and THEN having the experience, as previous generations have done. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/20/business/disney-vacation-debt.html

UFOs in Roswell NM

This is a good synopsis of what happened in New Mexico (hint: a weather balloon crashed) and the ensuing news coverage. 

The local media did a pretty thorough job of reporting on what actually happened, including interviews with the military and civilians. 

And that was that. 

Until the National Enquirer ran with a story in the 1970s that omitted some facts and details of the actual account. 

And thus a conspiracy was born and continues to grow today. 

This should serve as a gentle reminder of how easily the media can manipulate people into believing that they are somehow being lied to, and concoct some absurd story which then becomes "fact" in a way. 

https://theweek.com/us/59331/roswell-ufo-crash-what-really-happened-67-years-ago

Transparent solar panels

This is a cool evolution in technology. Imagine if the windows on your house could produce power, or if your electric car could simply stay powered - without having to plug in… especially great if you live in a place that gets a lot of sun, like Florida or Arizona. 

The technology is there but isn't quite ready to scale for consumer use. But this is amazing. 

https://www.ecoticias.com/en/transparent-glass-solar-panels-power/9409/

Curiosity rover finds sulfur

On the surface (oh, pun intended), this seems like not a big deal. The curiosity rover rolled over a yellowish rock and it cracked open, revealing pure sulfur. 

And as the scientists studied a string of rocks in the area, they believe they may have stumbled onto an interesting geological find: what amounts to a sulfur quarry. 

It was unexpected find that may help us unlock more clues about mars and its history. 

https://www.sciencealert.com/curiosity-cracked-open-a-rock-on-mars-and-found-a-big-surprise

Mysterious monument unearthed

I'm always amazed at how we kind of forget about history and what may have stood in place at some point in time. 

Historians found a medieval site and thought it was linked to King Arthur. But after more study, they determined it was EVEN OLDER; they were only off by about 4,000 years. 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historians-thought-this-was-a-medieval-site-linked-to-king-arthur-it-turned-out-to-be-a-mysterious-monument-built-4000-years-earlier-180985470/

Almost 30% of Microplastics Come From a Hugely Overlooked Source

Wow. Tires are the biggest single contributor to microplastics in our environment. 

Now the question is: what are we going to do about it?

https://www.sciencealert.com/almost-30-of-microplastics-come-from-a-hugely-overlooked-source

I don't think the simpsons had the right idea either …. But sarcasm is always appreciated. 

Message in a bottle

I love that during renovations, workers discovered a message from 132 years ago hidden in a wall. 

And that they plan to leave another message for future generations is a lot of fun. 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/read-the-132-year-old-message-in-a-bottle-found-hidden-inside-the-walls-of-a-scottish-lighthouse-180985528/