back from summer!

I have returned, at least for now, from a summer full of Cape Cod, Busch Gardens, yard sales, weddings in the family, thrift stores, house updates, and in a disproportionately greater amount than any of those things combined, tons of work! Now, all of that is done, except for the work, and of course, the thrifting and house stuff doing, while a new semester of schoolwork and hobbies is tacked on. And hopefully some blogging too.

To start things off rather mildly, my intense fandom of the Venture Bros. (and its airing network) has led me to idly happen upon the inspiration for the home and research lab of the titular characters and their family, the Venture Compound, and its basis, the GM exhibit at the 1964 World's Fair. For those who don't know, this exhibit was part of Futurama II, a theme begun in the 1939 World's Fair as Futurama. In the first fair, the GM sponsored exhibit featured a conceptual glimpse 20 years into the future, including ideas for an automated highway system, actually tested by GM in 1960. The 1964 exhibit took things further; models of futuristic cities displayed with moving parts and lights, and in unusual environments dotted an electric tram tour through the facility, with various new technologies and contraptions showcasing the efficient, economic, and fantastic living habits of the world of tomorrow.

Too bad circumstances in the last 60 years prevented this future from occurring, and the irony of GM's recent bankruptcy, and the popularity of inefficient transportation is all too apparent. I want the future of Futurama!