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To: Kaslin

FYI, here are some EARLIER “PREDICTIONS” by some of the smartest and best informed people of the time.

As you read these, be mindful that every day new evidence emerges that Algore and his Whorecorps of anthropogenic globull warming hysteriacs ARE NOT by any stretch “the smartest and best informed people” of the time. They’re generally a gaggle of greedy control freaks on a mission from their superiors to level the United States to a point closer to the Third World to facilitate our merger into their One World/New World Order Utopia where, just incidentally, THEY and their elitist pals will — for our own good, of course — run things for us ignorant and uninformed proles.

Now for your reading pleasure,
FAILED PREDICTIONS FROM THE PAST:
“Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.”
Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science,
1949

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

“I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and
talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data
processing is a fad that won’t last out the year.” The editor
in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957

“But what ... is it good for?” Engineer at the Advanced
Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the
microchip.

“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their
home.” Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital
Equipment Corp., 1977

“640K ought to be enough for anybody.” Bill Gates, 1981

“This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously
considered as a means of communication. The device is
inherently of no value to us.” Western Union internal memo,
1876.

“The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value.
Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?
David Sarnoff’s associates in response to his urgings for
investment in the radio in the 1920s.

“The concept is interesting and well formed, but in order to earn
better than a ‘C,’ the idea must be feasible.” A Yale
University management professor in response to Fred Smith’s paper
proposing reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith went on to
found Federal Express Corp.)

“Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?” H.M. Warner, Warner
Brothers, 1927.

“I’m just glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling on his face
and not Gary Cooper.” Gary Cooper on his decision not to take
the leading role in “Gone With The Wind.”

“A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research
reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy
cookies like you make.” Response to Debbi Fields’ idea of
starting Mrs. Fields’ Cookies.

“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.”
Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

“Heavier than air flying machines are impossible.” Lord
Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.

“If I had thought about it, I wouldn’t have done the experiment.
The literature was full of examples that said you can’t do this.”
Spencer Silver on the work that led to the unique adhesives
for 3 M “Post It” Notepads.

“So we went to Atari and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got this amazing
thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think
about funding us? Or we’ ll give it to you. We just want to do
it. Pay our salary, we’ll come work for you.’ And they said,
‘No.’ So then we went to Hewlett Packard, and they said, ‘Hey,
we don’t need you. You haven’t got through college yet.’”
Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari
and H P interested in his and Steve Wozniak’s personal computer.
[Ed note: To say their computer is not quite correct, it was
designed by Wozniak’s entirely.]

“Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action
and reaction and the need to have something better than a
vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic
knowledge ladled out daily in high schools.” 1921 New York
Times editorial about Robert Goddard’s revolutionary rocket
work.

“You want to have consistent and uniform muscle development
across all of your muscles? It can’t be done. It’s just a fact
of life. You just have to accept inconsistent muscle development
as an unalterable condition of weight training.” Response to
Arthur Jones, who solved the “unsolveable” problem by inventing
Nautilus.

“Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find
oil? You’re crazy.” Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to
enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.

“Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high
plateau.” Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale
University, 1929.

“Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value.”
Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole
Superieure de Guerre.

“Everything that can be invented has been invented.” Charles
H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

“Louis Pasteur’s theory of germs is ridiculous fiction”.
Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872 “The
abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the
intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon”. Sir John Eric
Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon Extraordinary to
Queen Victoria 1873.

It Was Said!
“The atom bomb will never go off - and I speak as an expert in explosives.”
U.S. Admiral William Leahy in 1945.
“Television won’t matter in your lifetime or mine.” Radio Times editor Rex
Lambert, 1936.
“All saved from Titanic after collision.” New York Evening Sun, April 15 1912.
“Brain work will cause women to go bald.” Berlin professor, 1914.
“Very interesting, Whittle, my boy, but it will never work.” Professor of
Aeronautical Engineering at Cambridge, shown Frank Whittle’s plan for the jet
engine.
“Can’t act. Can’t sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a little.” A film company’s
verdict on Fred Astaire’s 1928 screen test.
“Forget it. No Civil War picture ever made a nickel.” MGM executive,
advising against investing in Gone With The Wind.
“You ought to go back to driving a truck.” - Concert manager, firing Elvis
Presley in 1954.
“You’d better learn secretarial skills or else get married.” - Modelling
agency, rejecting Marilyn Monroe in 1944.
“That rainbow song’s no good. Take it out.” - MGM memo after first showing
of The Wizard Of Oz.
“Radio has no future.” “X-rays are clearly a hoax.” “The aeroplane is
scientifically impossible.” - Royal Society president Lord Kelvin, 1897-9.
“I would not wish to be Prime Minister, dear.” - Margaret Thatcher in 1973.
“And for the tourist who really wants to get away from it all, safaris in
Vietnam.” Newsweek magazine, predicting popular holidays for the late 1960s. (
Keep Smiling)


7 posted on 12/15/2009 7:50:04 AM PST by Dick Bachert (THE 2010 ELECTIONS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT IN OUR LIFETIMES! BE THERE!!!)
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To: Dick Bachert
“Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?”

The advertisers at MSNBC should be asking themselves exactly that.

12 posted on 12/15/2009 4:55:25 PM PST by BenLurkin
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To: Dick Bachert

great list ... I’m keeping it for my kids to look at.


14 posted on 12/16/2009 7:23:58 AM PST by ChiefJayStrongbow
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