CRAIG CONLEY (Prof. Oddfellow) is recognized by Encarta as “America’s most creative and diligent scholar of letters, words and punctuation.” He has been called a “language fanatic” by Page Six gossip columnist Cindy Adams, a “cult hero” by Publisher’s Weekly, a “monk for the modern age” by George Parker, and “a true Renaissance man of the modern era, diving headfirst into comprehensive, open-minded study of realms obscured or merely obscure” by Clint Marsh. An eccentric scholar, Conley’s ideas are often decades ahead of their time. He invented the concept of the “virtual pet” in 1980, fifteen years before the debut of the popular “Tamagotchi” in Japan. His virtual pet, actually a rare flower, still thrives and has reached an incomprehensible size. Conley’s website is OneLetterWords.com.
How to decline if offered Hitler in a champagne glass, even if all your friends are taking freebies: Keep it clear and simple (just say "no"); don't offer an explanation (you don't owe them one).
Forty Canadian dollars in 1972 would be over $243 today. From The Martlet, 1972. But in 1979, Philip K. Dick predicted a $1000 hamburger: "From [the robot's] slot came a hamburger, french fries, and a strawberry shake. 'That'll be one thousand dollars in cash'" ("The Exit Door Leads In").
Great news -- if the panel says no to UFOs and mermaids, that leaves more UFOs and mermaids for the rest of us. You can use the techniques in this for UFOs and mermaids, too: How to Spot the Loch Ness Monster Every Time. Headline via UFO Newsclipping Service, 2000.