1st Heinlein Prize Awarded

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Posted by ryuzaki0 on Monday June 26, 2006 @05:07AM from the should-be-auctioned-off dept.

baxissimo writes "The first ever Heinlein prize for Advances in Space Commercialization is going to be awarded to Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, for various activities including his efforts as Founder and Chairman of the Ansari X Prize. The prize is a cool 1/2 million USD plus a few other nifty trinkets -- a gold Heinlein Medallion, the Lady Vivamus Sword (as described in Heinlein's book Glory Road) and a Laureate's Diploma. The award ceremony will be held in Houston, July 7, 2006. This prize has been around a good while (since Heinlein's death in 1988?) with no awardees. Hopefully this will make the existence of the prize a little more widely known, and help spur further developments like the X Prize."

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Space commercialization? by daniil · 2006-06-26 05:09 · Score: 5, Funny

Is this like selling air?

--
Man is a slave because freedom is difficult, whereas slavery is easy.
1. Re:Space commercialization? by GundamFan · 2006-06-26 05:21 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  No more like selling airplanes... You can have all the free space you want (remember to hold your breath). Me? I'm going to pay for a seat on the spaceship (with things like air and heat) if I go.
  
  --
  I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.
  Mark Twain
2. Re:Space commercialization? by drinkypoo · 2006-06-26 05:29 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  "Get on the plane, get on the plane... I tell them FUCK YOU, I'm getting in the plane. Let Evel Knievel get ON the plane!"
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
3. Re:Space commercialization? by Eric+S.+Smith · 2006-06-26 07:58 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  “space commercialization”:
  
  Is this like selling air?
  
  That could be the “Gillette” business model, sure. Send ’em up for cheap, and then ding ’em for the oxygen and the CO2 scrubbers. A little less transparently exploitative than the more obvious launch-for-free-and-charge-for-re-entry scam.
  
  --
  Mind the Gap
Re:You'd think... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-06-26 05:14 · Score: 1, Funny

it seems to me the more people/companies/organizations/entities that are trying to get into space, the faster our species as a whole will get off this rock and start exploring the universe.
From this moment on, you will be known as Mister Obvious.
So Good! by bepolite · 2006-06-26 05:15 · Score: 3, Funny

I just hope after this Dr. Peter H. Diamandis remembers TINSTAAFL! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TINSTAAFL

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Always be polite.
Let me get this straight... by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) · 2006-06-26 05:16 · Score: 4, Funny

...this is a prize for offering a prize?

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Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
1. Re:Let me get this straight... by spezz · 2006-06-26 06:03 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  ...this is a prize for offering a prize?
  
  Exactly. And now that the first Heinlein prize has been handed out, the first Alfred Bester Award for excellence in the field of distributing the first Heinlein Prize can be given out as well.
  
  --
  come for the naked robots, stay for the zombies
The best part? by dr_dank · 2006-06-26 05:16 · Score: 4, Funny

He can yell "front!" at any time and have beautiful women available to do his bidding 24 hours a day. He even gets a fair witness included at no extra charge.

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Where does the school board find them and why do they keep sending them to ME?
Re:The perfect lady by celardore · 2006-06-26 05:17 · Score: 4, Funny

[Insert cutting remark here]
Re:You'd think... by Cleon · 2006-06-26 05:20 · Score: 2, Funny

Yes, but you may refer to me as "Lord Obvious, Commander of the Conspicuous, Master of the Manifest, and Realizer of the Recognizable."

--
Gifts for Geeks - Stuff that really matters!
No. by Anonymous Coward · 2006-06-26 05:20 · Score: 0, Funny

Because there's no air in space, silly.
1. Re:No. by alx5000 · 2006-06-26 05:28 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  There's an Air and Space Museum!
  
  --
  My 0.02 cents
Re:That was fast by lucabrasi999 · 2006-06-26 05:20 · Score: 2, Funny

There are only a half dozen comments or so and the site is already down. Bummer.
I actually saw the web-site before it went down. IMHO, It was a pretty poor design and we are all better off without it.
Re:What is it with Heinlein? by __aaclcg7560 · 2006-06-26 05:30 · Score: 5, Funny

The problem with extreme left-wing socialistic science fiction is that there's no boobs or underage sex. It's soooo boring. :P
Misplaced recognition by amightywind · 2006-06-26 05:41 · Score: 3, Funny

awarded to Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, for various activities including his efforts as Founder and Chairman of the Ansari X Prize

An award for someone who gave out an award? Why don't we recognise actual innovators?

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an ill wind that blows no good
Re:that sounds like a cool sword by Medievalist · 2006-06-26 06:01 · Score: 2, Funny

I have a pretty extensive collection of swords on my wall.
Well, it's a cav saber, so unless you've got some fairly uncommon skills the wall is where it belongs.
Re:Up came amightywind by bestinshow · 2006-06-26 06:03 · Score: 2, Funny

My username > * > Your username!

Whos Pwned Now ;)

(woo, end of day immaturity)
Re:The perfect lady by muellerr1 · 2006-06-26 06:13 · Score: 2, Funny

[snip]

"...cutting remark here."
Any way you slice it, it's still Slashdot.

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steampunk web design
Re:You'd think... by chiok · 2006-06-26 06:23 · Score: 2, Funny

You'd think with a Heinlein prize, the award would be a giant gold breast. ;)

I think you meant "the award would be time travelling back to when your mom was still hot."