newton@gumby.cs.caltech.edu (Mike Newton) (12/18/90)
Remember that for the offer to be valid in most states, a way of entering that does not cost money (except for postage -- and with that going to 30 cents, well ...) must be offered. Time to buy up a stack of postcards! Lost in Space and Time, mike newton@csvax.cs.caltech.edu Caltech 256-80 Pasadena CA 91125
Arora@uh.edu (12/18/90)
[Moderator's Note: Sorry folks, I just couldn't resist printing this
one. Do any of you watch the old Honeymooner's shows on TV? Do you
remember all the times Ralph Kramden would point his finger skyward
and say, "The moon, Alice ... I'll send you to the moon ... bang!" and
he would slap his fist, scream and carry on? Well, the message which
follows is almost as funny. And yet -- yet, there is something sort of
exciting about it. I'd *dearly love* to be on a space flight, wouldn't
you? This guy is gonna get a lot of calls, for sure! PAT]
THE ULTIMATE For immediate release:
10 am Mon. Dec 17 1990
ADVENTURE
1-900-258-2MIR
THREE TEXANS SEND "ORDINARY AMERICAN" TO SOVIET SPACE STATION
Less than a year from now, someone will get the word he or she has
been selected to go into space to visit Mir, the Soviet space station
orbiting the Earth.
It's the first time virtually everyone has a chance to become an
astronaut. The astronaut doesn't have to be a test pilot ... or a
scientist ... or compete against other candidates. It could be almost
anyone from almost anywhere. It could be you.
The three men who've made it happen are Texans, all from suburban
Houston.
Their company, Space Travel Services Corp., is headquartered in
the Clear Lake area of Houston, right across NASA Road 1 from the
Johnson Space Center, where the US manned space program is planned and
managed. All three have close ties to the space program and share
it's commitment to putting and keeping people in space.
David J. Mayer, president and chief executive officer of Space
Travel, studied physics at the University of Houston, where he was
president of both the University Space Society and University of
Houston Students for the Exploration and Development of Space. David
has worked in computer system development and construction in the NASA
area. He lives in Webster, adjacent to the NASA complex.
His Space Travel co-founder, Howard L. Stringer, of Stafford, also
has a background in computer systems and other high-tech fields. He
graduated cum laude from the University of Texas and his Masters of
Business Administration is from UH. Howard, too, is active in
organizations which support space programs. He's a director of the
Houston Space Society and has served as its president, secretary and
treasurer.
The third member of Space Travel's management team is James E.
Davidson, senior vice president for marketing and business
development, of Friendswood. Jim graduated from Columbia University,
then earned his MBA from Rice. He's been working for companies
planning commercial launches of space vehicles. Davidson shares
Mayer's and Stringer's commitment to keeping men and women in space.
He is, like Howard, a former treasurer and president of the Houston
Space Society and serves as a director of the group. Jim's a former
director of the National Space Society and is a senior associate of
the Space Studies Institute.
The company has a contract with the Soviet space bureau to put an
American aboard a Soyuz space capsule with two cosmonauts and fly him
or her to Mir, the space station in orbit 400 kilometers above the
Earth. (400 km is about the distance from Space Travel's office to
Dallas, but without the traffic.)
Anyone interested in the trip to space can call the Space Travel
information number, 1-900-258-2MIR for details. There is a $2.99
charge per call. Callers who wish to be considered as potential guest
astronauts for the flight may stay on the line and register at no
additional charge.
The selection will be made next December, when an independent
judging organization selects one person at random from among the
registrants. That person will have the option of taking a
million-dollar cash prize or, sometime in late 1992 or early 1993,
riding a Russian rocket to the space station, Mir. He or she will
spend about a week in orbit and then return ... a permanent part of
space history.
"We don't know who that person will be," Mayer said, "and we've
turned over complete control of the selection to an outside firm. But
it sure wouldn't disappoint us any if that person turned out to be a
fellow Texan."
............. | Rikhit Arora
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod | cheehh@uhupvm1.bitnet
The high untrespassed sanctity of space, | Arora@uh.edu
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God. | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Moderator's Note: For the first time in a long time, I'm actually
tempted to call a 900 number. Either this is a fantastic scam or there
is a glorious day ahead for some lucky person. PAT]syd@dsi.com (Syd Weinstein) (12/18/90)
Before everyone enriches them with 2.99, be aware, that to meet many state laws, they also allow mail entries. (At no charge except the 25 cents postage to mail the entry.) Sydney S. Weinstein, CDP, CCP Elm Coordinator Datacomp Systems, Inc. Voice: (215) 947-9900 syd@DSI.COM or dsinc!syd FAX: (215) 938-0235
cambler@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (Fubar's Carbonated Hormones) (12/19/90)
Whoooa, Pat, it's a SCAM. Moscow reported this afternoon that they don't know who these people are, but there is NO PLAN to send anyone to Mir, through a sweepstakes or otherwise. Please check this out further if you can. Christopher(); --- cambler@polyslo.calpoly.edu --- chris@erotica.fubarsys.com [Moderator's Note: Consider it done. About 4 AM Tuesday morning I put in a phone call to Moscow and spoke with a public relations person in the responsible agency. He said exactly what you said, and was pleased that the 'American media' (who me? !) was calling to find out '.. the truth about that rumor some Americans have started ...' The phone call cost me about twenty dollars, but I'd rather spend it on that call than give $2.99 to those greedy con-artists in Texas who are perpetrating this scam. The Moscow person said he believed it had been or was being brought to the attention of the (United States) Federal Bureau of Investigation by his superiors. That's all those vultures need: a visit from the Federal Bureau of Inquisition! :) PAT]
john@bovine.ati.com (John Higdon) (12/20/90)
On Dec 19 at 00:30, TELECOM Moderator writes: > [Moderator's Note: Consider it done. About 4 AM Tuesday morning I put > in a phone call to Moscow and spoke with a public relations person in > the responsible agency. He said exactly what you said, and was pleased > that the 'American media' (who me? !) was calling to find out '.. the > truth about that rumor some Americans have started ...' The phone call > cost me about twenty dollars, but I'd rather spend it on that call > than give $2.99 to those greedy con-artists in Texas who are > perpetrating this scam. Looks like you might not have received your money's worth. Just five minutes ago, KGO (TV) News reported that THEY had checked with Moscow and received confirmation that the Soviet space agency had indeed contracted with an American firm regarding a contest to send a lucky winner into space. I suspect that even in this Post Cold War era, one must still be a little skeptical about any information casually obtained from unidentified spokespeople. Remember, the Soviets invented bureaucracy and it is most likely that the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing. In any event, KGO cautioned viewers that each call (number posted on screen) cost $2.99. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@bovine.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o ! [Moderator's Note: Well now I don't know what to think. The {Chicago Sun-Times} in the Wednesday editions had a picture of the men involved with the firm and a short story saying the Soviets had DENIED the report that arrangements had been made to take an American with them on the trip and that the men involved were under investigation for starting a scam. So now we have KGO saying it is true and a couple of government investigators saying it is false and they are investigating the fellows involved. I'm told it is false in a phone call and a message here yesterday made similar claims. Wait and see, I guess. PAT]
king@uunet.uu.net (Steven King) (12/20/90)
My local radio station confirms John's report. Apparently the Soviets have confirmed this sucker. Of course, this is a local rock station (WABT) and their news source is unknown; they're probably just pulling KGO's report off the wire. They also noted that there's some question of violation of Texas law. Me, I'm gonna wait another day or two and see which way this thing falls. If it falls jelly-side-up, you better believe I'll be calling and/or writing in! Steven King, Motorola Cellular (...uunet!motcid!king)
merlyn@iwarp.intel.com (Randal L. Schwartz) (12/21/90)
In article <15524@accuvax.nwu.edu>, john@bovine (John Higdon) writes: | [Moderator's Note: Well now I don't know what to think. The {Chicago | Sun-Times} in the Wednesday editions had a picture of the men involved | with the firm and a short story saying the Soviets had DENIED the | report that arrangements had been made to take an American with them | on the trip and that the men involved were under investigation for | starting a scam. So now we have KGO saying it is true and a couple of | government investigators saying it is false and they are investigating | the fellows involved. I'm told it is false in a phone call and a | message here yesterday made similar claims. Wait and see, I guess. PAT] And today's edition of the {Oregonian} said that Soviets admit that they do indeed have a contract with the company. But now the controversy is over Texas State Law about charging $2.99 for entrance into a lottery. Just another space ace, Randal L. Schwartz, Stonehenge Consulting Services (503)777-0095 on contract to Intel's iWarp project, Beaverton, Oregon, USA, Sol III merlyn@iwarp.intel.com ...!any-MX-mailer-like-uunet!iwarp.intel.com!merlyn
GREEN@wilma.wharton.upenn.edu (Scott D. Green) (12/23/90)
Well, to confirm John Higdon's report from KGO, today's {Philadelphia
Inquirer} carries a story from the AP:
HOUSTON- Soviet officials yesterday verified that a contract has been
signed with organizers of a space sweepstakes to allow an American to
travel to the Mir space station.
Tass, the official Soviet news agency, reported Tuesday that
the contest was a hoax, throwing the already chaotic sweepstakes into
greater turmoil. Space Travel Services officials, organizers of the
contest, insisted it was genuine and displayed copies of contracts
between them and the Soviets.
But in a fax sent yesterday, an official of the Soviet agency
that handles commericial deals for the Soviet space program said, "I
consider the statement in our press as a disappointing
misunderstanding."
The agency, NPO Energia, negotiated the deal with Space
Commerce Corp. of Houston, on behalf of Space Travel Services.
Dimitry Poletayev, head of the proton rocket department at
Glavkosmos USSR, the Soviet equivalent of NASA, also faxed a letter to
contest operators, saying, "No problem from Soviet side."
Also yesterday, Space Travel Services executives were summoned
before a Harris County grand jury investigating possible violations of
Texas lottery statutes.
Subpoenas for David Mayer, president of Space Travel Services,
and James Davidson, the company's senior vice president, were
dismissed after the two agreed to cooperate, said Russel Turbeville of
the district attorney's consumer fraud division.
Mayer and Davidson spent nearly three hours before the jury,
then told reporters the sweepstakes would continue.
"It's our position we are not conducting a lottery and we are
conducting a legal sweepstakes because purchase is not required,"
Davidson said.
Texas law bars charging people for a chance to win something.
[what then is the $2.95 cost of the call? -sg]
The contest was announced Monday. A person will be selected
in a random drawing in December, 1991 for a trip in 1992 or 1993 and a
week's stay at the space station, plus $500,000, Space Travel Services
said.
The firm keeps more than half the income from calls to the 900
number, each of which costs $2.95.
- 3 0 -
scottbarmar@bloom-beacon.mit.edu (Barry Margolin) (12/24/90)
In article <15647@accuvax.nwu.edu> GREEN@wilma.wharton.upenn.edu (Scott D. Green) writes: > "It's our position we are not conducting a lottery and we are >conducting a legal sweepstakes because purchase is not required," >Davidson said. > Texas law bars charging people for a chance to win something. >[what then is the $2.95 cost of the call? -sg] It's presumably for the convenience of entering by phone. You can enter the contest for free by mail. Barry Margolin, Thinking Machines Corp. barmar@think.com {uunet,harvard}!think!barmar
murray@sun13.scri.fsu.edu (John Murray) (12/24/90)
Hey, if anyone manages to dredge out the snail-mail address and rules for the 'free' way to enter this contest, how about posting the info? Disclaimer: Yeah, right, like you really believe I run this place. John R. Murray murray@vsjrm.scri.fsu.edu Supercomputer Research Inst.