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It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Quickies

It's been a long time coming, so lets start off the quickies with some acts of senseless damage. Old Wolf sent us a link to a bunch of pictures of someone Defrosting a Freezer in the best way ever, and an anonymous reader sent in a site that shows what happens if you put a CD in Microwave. Don't use AOL CDs., send them to this lady who collects them (from gr8fulnded). On to the sex! An anonymous reader submitted a story about the Robot Pet Vibrator which is I guess AIBO gone wrong. elkm discovered Computerized Contraception. And with all this digital doin' it going on, its good know that MITs Erotic Computation Group is here to research it (thanks Chris Moon) The world is full of strangeness, but little of it is as scary as MissNachos's link to the Hello Kitty laptop, srini's link to the Single Pixel Webcam, and aneanti's link to a collection of the strangest canned foods you'll ever see. Finally, since it is the holidays, check out mrv's link to LED Christmas Lights which sure beats the hell out of finding the broken bulb.

197 of 298 comments (clear)

  1. Hello Kitty by snake_dad · · Score: 1

    The top of the page says "Hobbies gone wrong...". Nuff said :-)

    --
    karma capped .sig seeking available Slashdot poster for long-term relationship.
    1. Re:Hello Kitty by AndroidCat · · Score: 1
      I initially read that as "Hobbits gone wrong..." Obviously too much antici .. pation! :^)

      The other day (not that one, the other one), I saw a commercial for the Willow DVD: "Before there were wizards, before there were Hobbits..." Stupid PR flacks!

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  2. cooking in the microwave by applejacks · · Score: 1

    i bet you could cook a neat ham sandwich on a cdr. That metal foil would help to distribute the microwaves. May taste a little plastic'ky

  3. Yay :) by The+Great+Wakka · · Score: 1

    The Quickie (sp?) is back! They should have used the Hell Kitty laptop.

    --
    Everything is mainstream now.
  4. LED Christmas Lights by Aztech · · Score: 3, Informative

    I've had some since around 1992... but that's innovation for you.

    1. Re:LED Christmas Lights by Aztech · · Score: 2

      No... seriously, I bought some LED Christmas lights around 7-8 years ago, I just got them out the loft yesterday when I was getting the decorations out.

    2. Re:LED Christmas Lights by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Ho ho, I got you beat. Soldered up a string of my own in 1976.

    3. Re:LED Christmas Lights by diesel_jackass · · Score: 2, Interesting

      how much do they cost?

    4. Re:LED Christmas Lights by stefanlasiewski · · Score: 1

      2 years ago, I bought a string (150 lights) from Real Goods for $20.

      Not very cheap, but they still work 2 years later, and it satisfied my passion for low-power blinky things.

      --
      "Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."
    5. Re:LED Christmas Lights by mistered · · Score: 2
      I bought a string of 60 outdoor LED lights at Walmart last January when they were dumping all their Christmas stuff. It was about $5.00 Canadian, regular price $16.95.

      They are Noma "Forever Bright" lights and they're neat because the LEDs have a little plastic sphere molded over them to make them look like bulbs. The 60Hz flicker is annoying though.

      --
      Enjoy your job, make lots of money, work within the law. Choose any two.
    6. Re:LED Christmas Lights by lizrd · · Score: 1

      I got some of these 2 years ago. They came prewired on a 2' high fake tree. I'm thinking that the whole thing cost me less than $20USD. It is kind of nice that they don't burn out, but they have a 60Hz flicker, and if they come loose the whole string goes out same as the regular bulbs. I wouldn't pay extra for them, but they're cool if you happen to find some on sale.

      --
      I don't want free as in beer. I just want free beer.
    7. Re:LED Christmas Lights by Aztech · · Score: 2

      It's amazing how people can stare at a 60Hz boob tube for hours on end and not complain yet find a little LED flickering at 60Hz irritable :) My mate bought a 100Hz DTV then complained about the DRC-MF post processing then set it back to 50Hz :/

    8. Re:LED Christmas Lights by aussersterne · · Score: 2

      Just bought some at a Rite-Aid chain for $4.99/strand. They flicker at 60 (30?) Hz and look much more... "saturated" than typical bulbs, kind of like Mike & Ikes gone Nuclear, but they're okay, especially after I spent the weekend learning just how flame-happy the "normal" little lights are...

      --
      STOP . AMERICA . NOW
    9. Re:LED Christmas Lights by rholland356 · · Score: 1

      Naw, I bought some of these and there is no flicker. The strand stays alive, too, if one lamp dies. Or so it sez in the box.

      Thing is, I expected to get the new, really bright LEDs that you can't even look at they're so bright. The LEDs in this product seem to be the old style, which are not too bright. 'course, *I'm* not too bright for buying these on a Slashdot notice.

      So, these lights blow and by that I mean they suck.

    10. Re:LED Christmas Lights by carlos_benj · · Score: 1

      Ho ho, I got you beat.

      Are you missin' a ho?

      --

      --

      As a matter of fact, I am a lawyer. But I play an actor on TV.

  5. already a slashdoted the frig defroster??? by suffering.bot · · Score: 1

    Quickies posted at 6:59, Defrosting a Freezer URL doesn't work at 7:04, site http://illogic.co.nz/ down. :-(

    --

    chad

    ERROR 404: sig not found
    1. Re:already a slashdoted the frig defroster??? by MaxH01 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but these Kiwi guys living in flatshares are ANIMALS. They use the blow-torch to dry their hair too!

  6. AOL CDs by Jucius+Maximus · · Score: 1

    Amazing ... I thought I was the only one who collected those. But I don't go as far as the woman in the article. *BUT* I do have a 'Compuserve' branded AOL 5 CD. As we all know, AOL ate compuserve for lunch some years ago. It was a clever marketing ploy for them to send out compuserve discs because people don't think 'same old, same old.' It's one of my favourite discs in the collection!

    1. Re:AOL CDs by redcup · · Score: 2

      Despite my best efforts to throw them all away, AOL keeps trying to grow my collection with their latest offerings...

      It's like those blasted music clubs - spend nothing now, but if you sign up you'll pay through the nose later. No matter what, their gonna keep sending you cd's until you wish you'd made a better choice!

      --

      RC
    2. Re:AOL CDs by brunes69 · · Score: 2

      See my reply to your parent for what to do with your AOL CD's to help end the waste.

    3. Re:AOL CDs by SILIZIUMM · · Score: 1

      I collect them as well. But I don't care of the cds, every junk cd I can get I'll take it (AOL, bad CD-R, etc.). I want to pin them on a wall to decorate my computer room :)

    4. Re:AOL CDs by Sheridan · · Score: 1
      I'm collecting them to make a parabolic mirror.

      I hope that the heat at the focus will be enough to melt/damage CDs on a good sunny day.

      (Not my idea originally - someone suggested it during the /. coverage of the great AOL CD competition)

  7. coupla things by fjordboy · · Score: 3, Funny

    first, about the microwave thing...tis old. :) But, very cool! I love using grapes/blueberries in the microwave..you cut them in half most of the way, leaving a tiny bit of skin attached in the middle and put it in the microwave for a few moments....huge flames shoot out...tis super cool. Not entirely sure why, but it is definitely neat.

    another thing, always poke holes in your hamsters before microwaving.

    1. Re:coupla things by CoolVibe · · Score: 4, Interesting
      If you don't mind the mess, try nuking raw eggs. The one cleaning will love you forever! :-)

      Oh, on an additional note; A friend of mine told me that nuking CD's is the official US gov way of destroying data. Somehow that makes sense...

    2. Re:coupla things by diesel_jackass · · Score: 1

      that thing about the grapes was the first cool thing i learned from a bbs (back in the modem days).

      the second was a potato gun.

      then its been all downhill since the anarchists' cookbook.

    3. Re:coupla things by fjordboy · · Score: 1

      mmm...potato guns...mmm.

    4. Re:coupla things by Brant · · Score: 1

      There's a reasonably good explanation of why grapes do this here.

      I'd attempt a synopsis, but the picture on this site makes it much easier to explain.

      Brant

    5. Re:coupla things by Piels · · Score: 2, Interesting

      For more egg fun, make a note of exactly how many seconds it takes for the egg to explode. Subtract 3-5 seconds, and do it again. If you did it right, the egg should be fairly pressurized, but not yet exploded. Take the egg out and throw it at something you don't like. Run away, laughing.

    6. Re:coupla things by mmol_6453 · · Score: 1

      But pretty darn hot! Don't forget oven mitts...normal Thinsulate gloves melt. :(

      --
      What's this Submit thingy do?
  8. I love my AOL cd's by suffering.bot · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I supper glue them together(two cd together reflective sides out) and string them with fishing twine(tying knots so that they don't slide all together) and use them as interior christmas decorations with my lights. All ways gets a few looks.

    --

    chad

    ERROR 404: sig not found
    1. Re:I love my AOL cd's by The+Great+Wakka · · Score: 1

      Someone I know uses them as skates.

      --
      Everything is mainstream now.
    2. Re:I love my AOL cd's by davidhan · · Score: 1

      I like getting the AOL discs now since they're sending them out in DVD style cases. I need to replace my broken ones.

    3. Re:I love my AOL cd's by ncc74656 · · Score: 2

      It was never better than when AOHell was shipping its sh*t on 3.5" floppies. I went a couple of years without having to buy any floppies...peel off the label, reformat the disk, and you were all set. Much more useful...that's probably the only good thing that could ever be said for AOHell.

      --
      20 January 2017: the End of an Error.
    4. Re:I love my AOL cd's by Zaknafein500 · · Score: 2

      Yeah, except they must have used the cheapest floppies they could get their hands on. Those things were going bad constantly.

      --

      "The guide is definitive, reality is frequently inaccurate."
  9. Freezer defrosting by Jucius+Maximus · · Score: 5, Informative
    That link is probably slashdotted by now. It shows pics of someone using a flame torch to defrost the ice that builds up on the inside of the freezer.

    Contrary to that method, the traditional action involves putting a boiling kettle into the empty freezer. This removes the ice quite nicely. If you ever try to de-ice an upright freezer by any method, MAKE SURE you put some sort of vessel in the bottom to catch the water dripping, otherwise you'll turn around and see water flooding out of the freezer and ruining the floor. Yes, this is from experience ;-)

    1. Re:Freezer defrosting by Bobzibub · · Score: 1

      hair drier!

    2. Re:Freezer defrosting by AndroidCat · · Score: 2
      And make sure the water ends up there! I recently noticed that there's a loose plastic pipe hanging off the back of my fridge. I haven't got around to wrestling the fridge out to take a look, but I suspect defrosting without fixing that would be a Bad Thing.

      Humph, these days I expect the fridge to be on the Internet so we can watch the temperature and water level rise for ourselves, as well as check the inventory. (Don't use Microsoft IFS unless you install the Code Red patch fix!)

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
    3. Re:Freezer defrosting by Robotech_Master · · Score: 2

      That could be the water intake for an automatic icemaker--if so, it wouldn't affect defrosting one way or the other. (Not that I'd think it would anyway, given that when you defrost, the water doesn't go into the inner workings of your fridge; it just drops down to pool in the bottom or wherever.

      Amusing anecdote from my mostly-not-misspent youth. One day when I was about four or five or so, I was crawling around under the sink in my folks' old house. There were all these valves under the sink; I think I wondered what it felt like to turn them, so I did turn one. And then I forgot about it.

      My youthful mind completely didn't connect it with the water that thereupon began streaming out from a copper pipe sticking out of the wall behind the fridge. My Mom had no idea what caused it either, so we just had to put buckets under it and dump them into the sink, until Dad came home and found out what was going on.

      I hate to think what our water bill that month must have been.

      --
      Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
    4. Re:Freezer defrosting by spir0 · · Score: 1

      whoever posted this was evil, because poor TMA only has a 128k link.

      he's shut off the webserver..

      --
      The reason girls and Windows users don't understand UNIX is because all the documentation is in Man files.
    5. Re:Freezer defrosting by yther · · Score: 1

      Hair drier? Too slow! :)
      In the Navy, the folks in my electronics shop used a good old heat gun -- made for shrinking plastic insulation to cover spliced wires -- that produces a directed stream of air quite a bit hotter than a regular blow-drier.
      Doing the badly-frosted freezer in our shop took less than ten minutes with the heat gun. We were too laz^H^H^Hefficient to wait a few hours with the fridge unplugged!

      --
      Operationalizing the paradigm shift!
    6. Re:Freezer defrosting by Bitsy+Boffin · · Score: 1

      Oh man that's wierd. I was thinking about using a blowtorch (small butane one) to defrost my freezer just the other day.

      Not only that but I live in New Zealand and by the looks of the URL so does that guy. Must be good-ol kiwi ingenuity again.

      I think I'll end up using a hair dryer (if I can be stuffed hauling the freeze outside) cause there's some damn think ice in it, I reckon I have about 70% of the (tall upright) freezer as solid ice.

      --
      NZ Electronics Enthusiasts: Check out my Trade Me Listings
    7. Re:Freezer defrosting by xercist · · Score: 1

      Here's another piece of advice for you.
      If your heat gun blows the circuit powering 10+ computers and you decide to switch to chipping it off by pounding a flathead screwdriver into the ice using an RJ45 crimping tool as a hammer, be careful not to puncture the coils and spew freon everywhere.

      Yes, also from experience ;)

      --

      --
      grep "xercist" /dev/random ...you'll find me in there someday
    8. Re:Freezer defrosting by sidesh0w · · Score: 1

      Heat gun? still too slow. Try a soldering iron, they work great. And once the metal in your freezer tray starts heating up, the ice comes off in big chunks!

    9. Re:Freezer defrosting by kinko · · Score: 1
      I'm also in New Zealand - only nine hops away from that webserver and hell will freeze over before I get through to it.

      It has been very humid recently - our freezer also has heaps of build-up.

      I wonder if he's any relation to the guy who made the jet-powered beer-cooler?

    10. Re:Freezer defrosting by rholland356 · · Score: 1

      That guy ought to be arrested as an energy hog. The torch didn't appear too effective, from the looks of things.

    11. Re:Freezer defrosting by wemmick · · Score: 1

      Look carefully at all of the photos. It isn't a standard blow torch, but rather a can of hair spray and a lighter!

      --
      ___
      Cognitive Overflow
      more than yo
    12. Re:Freezer defrosting by AndroidCat · · Score: 2

      Since the fridge doesn't have an ice maker, I don't think that it. Now I'm curious -- it's just that it's set in a niche that going to require shifting it a few feet.

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  10. That's a scary thought... by Rob.Mathers · · Score: 1

    From the AOL Disc article: "I think AOL is a huge part of our pop culture," Cline said. "I think AOL has had a larger impact than Coke or Hershey's." If there were an AOL user for every Coke drinker and Hershey bar eater out there, I think I'd take my own life.

    --

    My other sig is funny!
    1. Re:That's a scary thought... by Aurelfell · · Score: 1

      I'd kill myself too. Slashdot would be a suicide cult.

    2. Re:That's a scary thought... by nexthec · · Score: 2, Funny

      I think they are trying to prevent that, its much harder to slik your wrists with an AOL CD, than the little metal door from a floppy. god knows I would do it, right their at the mail box if I get another

    3. Re:That's a scary thought... by BJH · · Score: 2

      Just remember - don't drink the /. Kool-Aid!!

  11. Do the CD thing by Aurelfell · · Score: 1

    Grab a coster or an AOL CD and give that microwave thing a try. The pictures on the site are cool, but they don't do it justice. A few words of advice though; don't leave it in for very long. Five or ten seconds will do fine. It won't damage the microwave if you leave it longer, but cleaning melted CD off the tray isn't so cool. It also looks better if you do it in the dark. Flick the lights off, start the microwave, and enjoy the show!

    1. Re:Do the CD thing by fleener · · Score: 1

      Does the CD look any different after you take it out of the microwave? The photos presumably only show the CD while it's being cooked.

    2. Re:Do the CD thing by Kafteinn · · Score: 1

      yup, the reflective side gets messed up

      --
      Hitler's in the fridge.
    3. Re:Do the CD thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative
      It won't damage the microwave if you leave it longer, but cleaning melted CD off the tray isn't so cool
      Two words: paper plates Any questions?
    4. Re:Do the CD thing by taion · · Score: 1

      You can find a closeup image of a microwaved CD here, which accompanies further instructions on microwaving CD's here.

      In addition, this site has a page dedicated to microwaving CD's with numerous photos - the link is on the left navigation bar, but the server seems to be a tad slow.

      --

      ----------
      Floccinaucinihilipilification - the action or habit of judging something to be worthless
    5. Re:Do the CD thing by Monte · · Score: 1

      Two words: paper plates Any questions?

      Yes, two: How hot does the CD get, and what's the ignition temperature of a paper plate?

    6. Re:Do the CD thing by Some+Woman · · Score: 1


      what's the ignition temperature of a paper plate?

      451 degrees Fahrenheit :) (It is actually- one of my professors demonstrated paper spontaneously bursting into flame using an equivalent amount of pressure instead of heat)

      --
      My dingo ate your honor student.
    7. Re:Do the CD thing by carlos_benj · · Score: 1

      what's the ignition temperature of a paper plate?

      451 degrees Fahrenheit


      Hence the title of Ray Bradbury's Farenheit 451 that deals with the burning of books.

      --

      --

      As a matter of fact, I am a lawyer. But I play an actor on TV.

    8. Re:Do the CD thing by Aurelfell · · Score: 1

      Yeah, actually it does look different. All that lightning, (plasma, whatever you want to call it) inside the CD leaves burn marks in the disc. It creates a cool sort of erratic patteren that looks a bit like the Galactic Empire symbol. I doubt if it would read in a CD player . . . .

  12. Why the hiatus? by Starship+Trooper · · Score: 1, Redundant

    I'm sure I'm not alone when I ask you, CmdrTaco, why did you stop posting quickies for so long? They are an essential part of the Slashdot experience, a completely silly and mindless break from all the serious, downbeat Microsoft and DMCA stories that make up the majority of Slashdot's articles. Thank you for bringing them back, but why did you stop posting them in the first place?

    --
    Loneliness is a power that we possess to give or take away forever
    1. Re:Why the hiatus? by Exmet+Paff+Daxx · · Score: 2

      I think he was hoping that we would forget that this has been posted before. Then it would be fresh and hilarious, once again.

      --
      If guns kill people, then CmdrTaco's keyboard misspells words.
    2. Re:Why the hiatus? by waitdyahoo.com · · Score: 1

      Being new to Slashdot this is the 1st time I have seen the quickies and I like them and want more..

      The ones today were hillarious.

  13. Canned food? PORK BRAINS! by stefanlasiewski · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How can you include an article on strange Canned food that doesn't include my all time favorite (I have a can sitting atop my monitor): PORK BRAINS in Milk Gravy.

    Yes, this little 5.5 oz can has a whopping 3500 calories, and over 1000% (Yes, one THOUSAND) of your RDA intake of cholesterol.

    The recipe on the back? Pork Brains and Scrambled Eggs. At least Eggs have alot of the 'good' cholesterol, otherwise you'd have a heart attack halfway through your second can! Yum!

    --
    "Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."
    1. Re:Canned food? PORK BRAINS! by DaoudaW · · Score: 3, Informative

      There's one in every crowd, so here goes...
      5.5 oz times 28.4 grams per oz is 156 grams. Pure fat, the highest calorie food available, has 9 calories per gram, so 156 grams times 9 calories per gram is 1406 calories maximum.

      According to the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 14 Braised Pork brains have 138 calories per 100 grams or 215 calories in our 5.5 oz can.

      Yeah, I know, the satirical art by Mom and Pop artist Mandy Warhole makes a better story, but someone has to standup for the pork producers.

      Amazingly just last Saturday, I was discussing hog butchering with some of the old-timers and they said that they used to serve Pork Brains and Scrambled Eggs for lunch on Butchering Day. I'm not making this up...

  14. I stuck foil ketchup packets in a microwave once.. by Artifice_Eternity · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    ...when I was young and irresponsible. Oh, such fun! Such sparking and fizzing!

    The ketchup packet looked pretty freakish afterward. As for the oven, I don't know...it was at school, and I never went back to check on it...

  15. Nomoreaolcds.com by brunes69 · · Score: 4, Informative

    May I suggest to you, and all you AOL CD haters, to save up your CD's and ship them to nomoreaolcds.com? They have over 7,000 already, but need alot more to reach their goal of one million!

    1. Re:Nomoreaolcds.com by cjpez · · Score: 2

      Bah, why go through all that waste? Just take the CD out of its case, stomp on it a few times (preferably on coarse cement), put it back in the case, and "return to sender." Seems to have worked for me, and this way I'm not wasting money sending a CD to someone else. Plus it's really satisfying. :)

  16. Hidden directory at ecg.media.mit.edu by ChiefArcher · · Score: 1

    Found the hidden directory with all the pics... no html though. http://ecg.media.mit.edu/ecg/

    They have hot Members... hmm
    ChiefArcher

  17. Yeah. by Byteme · · Score: 2, Funny
    Like that AIBO thing is anything extraordinary... I have been using my pager in silent mode for six years now.

  18. Pop tarts by RainbowSix · · Score: 2

    If you put pop tarts in the toaster for too long you get a 20 inch flame!

    http://www.sci.tamucc.edu/~pmichaud/toast/

    --
    --------
    It's OK to be social, just don't tell anyone about it.
  19. Quicky Battle Royal by JMZero · · Score: 2

    Who will be the last site standing under the Slashling bum-rush? Who can continue serving pages the longest? What site will be the first to return only an apology?

    --
    Let's not stir that bag of worms...
    1. Re:Quicky Battle Royal by bonzoesc · · Score: 2

      Looks like a Lowtax-esque Battle of the Geocities Heavyweights.

  20. Erotic Computation Group? by Ryu2 · · Score: 1, Redundant

    I just get a page with blank body. Is this some sort of joke? Or was it /. alreadey?

    --
    There's 10 types of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
  21. Dave Barry by The+Great+Wakka · · Score: 1

    He had an article on "Armour Potted Meat Food Product" (on the canned website). See if you can find it, it is one of the funniest things I've ever read.

    --
    Everything is mainstream now.
    1. Re:Dave Barry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative
    2. Re:Dave Barry by British · · Score: 2

      I love spam as much as the next Minnesotan doesn't, but "Treet" is the most disgusting thing ever made. Makes spam look like fine gourmet rost beef. It can't even hold its shape like Spam can.

  22. Webcam by Sloppy · · Score: 2, Funny

    In theory, if the pixel's color were deep enough, you could imagine that it showed a whole scene, just extremely anti-aliased.

    --
    As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
  23. HOLY SWEET JESUS ITS QUICKIES!!!! by jgaynor · · Score: 1, Redundant

    Burn my karma and mod me down if you want but THANK GOD the quickies are back. I missed them so so much.

  24. anchovies by cr@ckwhore · · Score: 2

    I regularly buy Cento anchovies, because it helps with the fresh breath problem. I never thought I'd see it in a weird canned foods collection, let alone linked from slashdot!

    --
    Skiers and Riders -- http://www.snowjournal.com
  25. Pink Hello Kitty Laptop has **Moved** by TheMCP · · Score: 5, Informative

    The new URL is http://www.exonome.com/fj/phkl/.
    Please use the new URL. The owner of the site of the old URL would probably rather not be slashdotted.

    Incidentally I know the guy who did this, he's utterly cool. You should check out some of his other stuff at http://www.exonome.com/fj/ such as ToriAntiTori and Virginity At Last. (ObDisclaimer: I had a hand in the latter.)

    1. Re:Pink Hello Kitty Laptop has **Moved** by OlyOberdorf · · Score: 1

      1) I also know FJ and agree with original comment that he is a *very* cool person. 2) I didn't see anything racist in his page, unless you think he should have chosen a white baby as you think Jesus should be white. 3) While you can't please everyone, he consulted his minister friends; do you really think he was trying to make fun of religion? 4) I think you're just a homophobic jerk

    2. Re:Pink Hello Kitty Laptop has **Moved** by tb3 · · Score: 2

      They could have merged the Hello Kitty Laptop story, and the Aibo sex toy story, and come up with the Hello Kitty Vibrator.

      --

      www.lucernesys.comHorizon: Calendar-based personal finance

    3. Re:Pink Hello Kitty Laptop has **Moved** by Linux+Ate+My+Dog! · · Score: 1

      i'll be sure to dress up as "HIV-positive Harry" next halloween, complete with herpes bedsores


      I think you should. I think it could create an insightful confrontation between you, the parish you belong to, and the religious teachings about tending to the sick and how one regards them. I hope you learn as much from it as I learned by dressing up as the Holy Mother and getting various reactions from it.

    4. Re:Pink Hello Kitty Laptop has **Moved** by Linux+Ate+My+Dog! · · Score: 1
      if you just said "i was making fun of mary and catholics because they don't approve of my sexual choices"

      That's because I didn't. One of the things I learned is how much people want to read into it, like who was making fun of who.

      on a person that brings comfort and hope to millions of people every day.

      I ended up bringing true comfort and hope through the experience. Doesn't that have you shaking in your boots? It was certainly amazing for me.

      of course, you won't. you daren't leave your homosexual haven,

      Which is why my email is right up there, and you are posting as an AC.

      you see, i'm _polite_ and _courteous_

      You are a font of sig quotes.

  26. Erotic Computation archive by yoz · · Score: 3, Informative

    Slashdotted... so web.archive.org to the rescue!

    http://web.archive.org/web/20011201213554/http://e cg.media.mit.edu/

    -- Yoz

    1. Re:Erotic Computation archive by yoz · · Score: 2

      In addition, I hope goes without saying that this site is a (very silly) parody.

      (Although some of the Media Lab's real projects are frequently just as bonkers)

      -- Yoz

  27. I love the LED xmas light page... by cr0sh · · Score: 1

    I love how they mention that a "patent is pending" - we all know given the ineptness of the USPTO, that they will get it, too!

    Also, I love this little tidbit:

    Foreverbright(TM) lights are built with patent pending circuitry to maximize efficiency of their LEDs. This revolutionary design concept eliminates
    the use of traditional components that add to cost and generate heat. While details are proprietary, in essence the circuitry allows the LEDs to flash on and off with AC power.


    Um, can you say "120VAC to 12VAC power transformer"? Good, I knew you could!

    Actually, I suppose they in some way change the AC sine wave from the transformer (make it a 6VAC transformer) into some approximation of a square wave, then apply some form of DC offset voltage such that the waveform ran from 0-12VDC - but somehow I think that would be overkill...

    --
    Reason is the Path to God - Anon
    1. Re:I love the LED xmas light page... by Ryu2 · · Score: 2

      Sure, you could do that, but that AC is going to be 50-60 Hz, far too fast to be perceived as flashing by the human eye.

      --
      There's 10 types of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
    2. Re:I love the LED xmas light page... by maladroit · · Score: 1

      Um, can you say "120VAC to 12VAC power transformer"?

      Doubt it's a transformer - they claim you can string these end-to-end, and they are probably only running two conductors through the string. So they can't do too much to the 120VAC (although they don't claim that you can add any old 120 device at the end of the string). It could be something as simple as a diode to subtract out the negative portions of the sine wave, and an LED that can handle higher voltages.

      Anyway, some of the linked articles from there 'press' page specifically discount a transformer, they didn't think their market would want the bulk and 'indoor-only' lights.

    3. Re:I love the LED xmas light page... by Sebastopol · · Score: 1

      radio shack makes a $0.50 blinker LED (circuitry in the package), probably uses something similar, but there's got to be a transformer/power supply in the circuit already. it's probably cheaper to make them blink than not: save money on the rectifier!

      --
      https://www.accountkiller.com/removal-requested
    4. Re:I love the LED xmas light page... by Phork · · Score: 2, Informative

      remember what the d in led stands for. diode. an led running off 60hz ac will only be on half the time, i think it would noticable.

      --
      -- free as in swatantryam - not soujanyam.
    5. Re:I love the LED xmas light page... by djoham · · Score: 1


      Noticable as dimmer, yes. But not as flashing. The original poster was correct.

      David

    6. Re:I love the LED xmas light page... by AndroidCat · · Score: 2
      They might just string enough LEDs in series to get a 120v drop across the curcuit. (And even add a full-wave rectifier bridge "front-end" to turn the AC to pulsing DC.)

      A series curcuit direct to 120VAC with LEDs would make me nervous -- one good spike and you have a string of Noise Emitting Diodes.

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
    7. Re:I love the LED xmas light page... by pjrc · · Score: 2
      I noticed the LED with AC current patent comment and was going to post about it, but it look like you beat me to it.

      Actually, I suppose they in some way change the AC sine wave from the transformer (make it a 6VAC transformer) into some approximation of a square wave, then apply some form of DC offset voltage such that the waveform ran from 0-12VDC - but somehow I think that would be overkill...

      Diodes and LEDs are fundamentally current mode devices... the forward voltage is relatively constant and the output depends on how much current the external circuitry allows. Somewhere, something needs to be in series with the LED(s) to establish the current, since what you get from the power company is (fairly) constant voltage. The most "efficient" thing to use to limit the current is an inductor (or perhaps a capacitor, but high frequency noise and spikes become problematic)... at least outside some EU countries that have power factor regulations.

      Perhaps they're using a transformer, but an application like this has no need for voltage isolation (just like normal xmas lights running at about 3 volts each).

      There's no need for DC. Don't forget that most LEDs have a very low reverse breakdown voltage, so you'd need to connect them in parallel in criss-crossed pairs so that the forward voltage drop on one "protects" the other from seeing a substantial reverse voltage. This also keeps the current from having a DC bias, which means much smaller magnetic components, if there is undeed a transformer or inductor somewhere in the current loop.

    8. Re:I love the LED xmas light page... by ncc74656 · · Score: 2
      Um, can you say "120VAC to 12VAC power transformer"? Good, I knew you could!
      You shouldn't need even that...string them together in series with a current-limiting resistor and (maybe) a rectifier diode and you should be all set. I'd think you could stick 50 in each string (2.4V across each LED) with an appropriate resistance to keep the current to a safe level (whatever's appropriate for the LEDs in use). It'd be cheaper than a transformer, and it could even be molded into the plug (along with a warning that, under the DMCA, they'll kill your firstborn son if you try to reverse-engineer your light string).
      --
      20 January 2017: the End of an Error.
    9. Re:I love the LED xmas light page... by falzer · · Score: 1

      I don't know about you, but I could certainly tell if LEDs were blinking at 30Hz because I've done it before.

    10. Re:I love the LED xmas light page... by mistered · · Score: 1
      I've got a string of LED Christmas lights. They were on sale for about $5 CAD last January and I just couldn't refuse.

      You certainly can notice the flicker, especially if you or the lights are moving. Since they are diodes, they only conduct in one direction; they're off for half the time.

      A regular bulb doesn't flicker much at all since the filament basically stays hot continuously. A fluorescent light flickers, but at 120Hz; there's two zero-crossings (and hence two periods where it's not producing light) per cycle. These flicker at 60Hz and I can definately notice it.

      --
      Enjoy your job, make lots of money, work within the law. Choose any two.
  28. No Kraft Cheese food? or Wonder Bread? by Aqua+OS+X · · Score: 1

    I'm sorry, but Kraft's processed-cheese-food singles should be on that food website. Perhaps along with Wonder Bread, and Taco Bell Taco Lunchables.

    --
    "Things are more moderner than before- bigger, and yet smaller- it's computers-- San Dimas High School football RULES!"
    1. Re:No Kraft Cheese food? or Wonder Bread? by Big+Ben+August · · Score: 1

      I believe none of the foods you mentioned come in cans, hence, they are not on the Strangest Canned Foods page.

      That aside, I think this guy needs to head to his nearest Ranch 99 Supermarket and scope THEIR canned foods... it would definitely expand his stash. :)

      --Ben

      --
      --Ben
  29. Robot Pet Vibrator? by jackal! · · Score: 5, Funny

    So who comes when this thing is called?

    --

    Who moderates the meta-moderators?

  30. Sick girl wants the AOL disks by ZoneGray · · Score: 2, Funny

    Shame on that woman for hoarding all the rare and valuable AOL disks, when this poor sick little girl is trying to break the Guinness record.

  31. LED Christmas Light Fittings? by PhotoGuy · · Score: 1
    Those LED Christmas Lights would be a blessing, except for one potential concern: it looks like they have the same hateful friction-and-two-thin-bent-wires method of putting the each "bulb" in it's receptacle. With mini-lights, I find as many failures of that contact as with burnt out bulbs, so the same grief could be caused, with a bit of corroding of the contacts, loosening of the bulbs, and so forth.

    In fact, by looking at the color mismatch between the receptacle/wires and the bulb casing, it looks like they may have used traditional wires/receptacles, and just put in the LED bulbs. If so, I wouldn't bet on great reliability.

    Also, I suspect the wife and others would find the traditional LED colours a little "off" from more traditional Christmas colours, but that's just speculation. The green and yellow look pretty pale...

    Does anyone know different regarding how they fit in their receptacles???

    -me

    --
    Love many, trust a few, do harm to none.
    1. Re:LED Christmas Light Fittings? by mosch · · Score: 2
      I actually bought a bunch of these a few days ago, and your concerns are unfounded. The bulbs look similar to the old-school christmas lights, but they're not removable, since they aren't going to break or burn out for a few hundred Christmases.

      I bought the white, which looks fine, I was standing next to a tree covered with the white LED lights when I asked a salesperson where I could see the LED lights, so I could tell if they looked normal or not. They look just fine.

      As for the colors, they're pretty damned good too, though the yellow is well... yellow's just a weird color for christmas lights altogether.

    2. Re:LED Christmas Light Fittings? by smyle · · Score: 1
      OK, now we have conflicting stories between an AC who claims it's the same, and you who say they are not removable. Anybody else want to comment?


      *Dang* another business opportunity gone down the toilet - I've been thinking of this for a few years, but I was thinking of a few different models

      • Mount them 'flat' rather than emulating current Christmas lights. This wouldn't be as good for a tree, but would be better for houses, as you could put them up as a strip.
      • Get rid of the !@#@$# "friction-and-two-thin-bent-wires" scheme at any rate
      • Put a simple programmer, and some programs to different colored lights. Some conventional lights do this, so you could make it blue, then red, then green, etc. Definitely make it "hackable".
      --

      Sleep is just a poor substitute for caffeine, anyway. -Bob Lehmann

    3. Re:LED Christmas Light Fittings? by mosch · · Score: 2

      Perhaps there are two brands of LED Christmas lights, one removable, one not?

  32. Hellllloooo Kitty!! by wavq · · Score: 3, Funny

    Folks, folks, that's not what Hello Kitty is all about.
    Check out this vibrator !!

    I've never looked at Hello Kitty quite the same way...

    1. Re:Hellllloooo Kitty!! by puck13 · · Score: 1

      Or get one new at Toys In Babeland

      -N

  33. Yugoslav Microwave Radarjamming by xueexueg · · Score: 4, Insightful
    By far the most interesting thing on the microwave fun page is here

    It's about how the Yugoslav army used microwave ovens as decoys against NATO troops. Quote: "It was funny listening to NATO claiming to have destroyed some 20-30 MiG-29s when I knew that we have had only 16 of them at the beginning of their attacks."

    1. Re:Yugoslav Microwave Radarjamming by hwilker · · Score: 2, Informative
      This story has so many errors in it that it isn't even funny to put right...
      • B-52 bombers do not drop "tens of HARMs"
      • HARM does not mean "Homing Anti-Radar Missile"
      • HARM does not "hang from special parachutes" (mixup with a British anti-radar missile)
      • Most anti-radar weapons are programmable to react to certain, specified threat signatures (frequencies, pulse repetition freqs, modulation, ...), which would be hard to simulate with a MW oven
      • Oh well, why bother?

      But mainly, using Venik's Aviation page as a source disqualifies the story. Venik is well-known in Usenet aviation groups as a conspiracy theorist who likes to give events his own spin. Current claim (called a "theory"): AA587, the Airbus that crashed in NYC, may have been shot down by a surface-to-air missile.

      --
      -- H. Wilker
  34. Suggested retail price of the LED lights? by Galvatron · · Score: 2

    I'm mildly interested, but none of the links seem to have them available. Are these things actually reasonably priced, and has anyone seen them in stock anywhere?

    --
    "The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than that of whether a submarine can swim" -EWD
    1. Re:Suggested retail price of the LED lights? by maladroit · · Score: 1

      Look on their 'Press' page - the first article there says $10 - $12 for a string of 100, about 3X the cost of regular lights.

    2. Re:Suggested retail price of the LED lights? by atrowe · · Score: 2
      Wal-Mart has 'em. Pretty cheap too. ~7 bucks for a string of fifty IIRC.

      Or you could just search Google.

      --

      -atrowe: Card-carrying Mensa member. I have no toleranse for stupidity.

  35. Slashdot load testing service by elgee · · Score: 1

    You know, if I wanted to test a hosting service, I would find a site listed there and post it on /. If it didn't crash, it might be a decent hosting service. Of course I would have to lie about what is on the Website. Pr0n for geeks and nerds. Click http://....

  36. Quotes from the LED Christmas lights page. by hackerhue · · Score: 4, Funny
    As their name implies, Foreverbright lights are rated for up to 200,000 hours of use - or almost 23 years.

    Sounds like they changed the definition of "forever" while I wasn't paying attention.
    The principle behind LEDs, while complicated, can be made easy to understand. An LED is a special type of diode and is similar to a transistor.

    And then it goes on to talk about N and P silicon, and so forth. I guess they changed the definition of "easy to understand" too.
    --

    To get something done, a committee should consist of no more than three persons, two of them absent.

    1. Re:Quotes from the LED Christmas lights page. by SamBeckett · · Score: 2, Insightful

      200,000 hours of Christmas lights... If you have them up and on for 30 days for eight hours a day (during the Christmas season)-- that's 833.33 Christmas's that these LEDs will last. Since no human being can live that long, 833.33 years, is, essentially, forever.

    2. Re:Quotes from the LED Christmas lights page. by Topgun1 · · Score: 1
      To add to your argument that the defination of "forever" has changed, the web site says the lights are only warrantied for 5 years. :-)

      http://foreverbright.com/warranty.htm

    3. Re:Quotes from the LED Christmas lights page. by MasterOfDisaster · · Score: 1

      Yes, but not everyone uses christmas lights just for christmas. I have had a string of them around the ceeling in my room for almost a year and a half now. The ladies dig em, plus there's nothing like blinking colors to stare at when you're bored out of your mind.

      --
      The opinions in this post are ficticious. Any similarity to actual opinions, real or imagined, is purely coincidental.
    4. Re:Quotes from the LED Christmas lights page. by Erasmus+Darwin · · Score: 1
      "Yes, but not everyone uses christmas lights just for christmas."

      Well, since they changed the definition of "forever", and you changed the definition of "Christmas", it looks like you two are about even.

  37. cock testicles by davidhan · · Score: 2, Funny

    The canned food link reminds me of the time I went shopping at the Super 88 Asian food store in Boston and saw for sale packages of "Cock testicles" in the meat section. I didn't pick them up to see if there was a recipe on them, or if satisfaction was guaranteed. At least you can get a discount card for them: http://web.mit.edu/cssa/www/year01_02/services/sup er88_shopping.html

  38. Measuring the speed of light with marshmallows by Brant · · Score: 5, Informative
    I've actually done this with a first year physics class I taught. They thought I was a bit loony, but it worked.

    Take a bunch of mini-marshmallows and spread them out evenly on a plastic tray, covering the whole tray with a single layer. Put this inside a microwave, making sure that the tray doesn't rotate. Turn the microwave on for ~30 seconds on low.

    Now, take the tray out of the microwave. You'll see a repeating pattern in the marshmallows, going from puffy to flat and back to puffy again in an array. What you're seeing is the standing wave of the microwaves reflecting off of the sides of the microwave.

    Now, measure the average distance between peaks in the standing wave. This is the wavelength of the microwaves. Now, here's the cheating part. Look on the back of the microwave for the frequency of the microwaves. It's usually around 2540 MHz. Calculate the speed of light from

    c = frequency x wavelength

    Heh. Now that I've written that all out, I've found a link. Here's another, very similar method on : bowle's physics.

    Brant

    1. Re:Measuring the speed of light with marshmallows by sigwinch · · Score: 2

      Alas, lots of microwave ovens these day have mode stirrers, metal spinners that spray the microwaves more evenly throughout the cavity. The goal is to reduce hot spots, possibly enough to ruin the nice pattern in the marshmallows.

      --

      --
      Kuro5hin.org: where the good times never end. ;-)

    2. Re:Measuring the speed of light with marshmallows by British · · Score: 2

      Many years ago I was microwaving(this was a rEALLY old microwave) something with cheese sauce. Afterward, these rows of lines kept moving around in weird patterns. Was that the same thing happening with the marshmallows?

    3. Re:Measuring the speed of light with marshmallows by alexburke · · Score: 1

      You mean 2450MHz. :)

    4. Re:Measuring the speed of light with marshmallows by kgutwin · · Score: 1

      Here's a hint, though - often if the microwave has a turntable, it won't have a stirrer. Particularly towards the older and cheaper models. Another seemingly obvious hint is to look at the ceiling of the microwave - if it's pretty thin, then it probably doesn't have a stirrer. If there's a circular depression coming from the top of the microwave, the stirrer's in there.

      -Karl
      -------------

      --
      [root@kgutwin /dos]# file msdos.sys
      msdos.sys: fsav (linux) virus (17518-87)
    5. Re:Measuring the speed of light with marshmallows by Foosinho · · Score: 1

      No, I think you ate some bad cheese.

      Cheers,
      Brian

  39. Christmas lights by bob_jenkins · · Score: 1
    I was just shopping for Christmas lights. I saw the LED Christmas lights. $8. Those looked like a good idea.

    But the real story was that I had a very hard time finding the computer controlled ones anymore ("multifunction", 8 modes, color coordinated patterns). The guy at Orchard Supply claimed he'd been there three years and had never heard of such a thing. Er, right. Home Depot finally had them, $8, but only with red, green, yellow strands (no blue anymore). Close enough.

    My previous multifunction color bulbs, which I bought from Orchard Supply three years ago, had the control circuit short out last year. Nice "poof" sound. Perhaps the new ones will last longer. If they'd had multifunction LED strands, I would have got them.

  40. More CD Toasties! by Ardant · · Score: 1
    Another site with lots of pictures and a movie of it happening:


    Toasties!

    --

    "Darn, my winmodem won't work with Linux? I'll have to recompile it... with my blowtorch."

  41. Pink Hello Kitty Laptop by haggar · · Score: 3, Funny

    It would be worth modifying my Thinkpad 600X to a PHKL, just to see the face of the IM guy when I return it next year for memory upgrade. That'd be priceless!

    --
    Sigged!
  42. Strange canned foods? by gopherdata · · Score: 1

    I really don't see what's so strange about most of the canned goods listed there. I ate about half those products while I was a kid. Quite frankly I wouldn't be surprised if the bottom shelf of my parents pantry didn't still have cans of Jack Mackrel or deviled ham.

    1. Re:Strange canned foods? by david+duncan+scott · · Score: 2

      No, most men have one of those.

      --

      This next song is very sad. Please clap along. -- Robin Zander

  43. Of course, the slashdotted quickie is... by haggar · · Score: 1

    the robot pet vibrator.

    --
    Sigged!
  44. caution by passion · · Score: 2

    that microwave dude is like the next Marie Curie.

    Seriously, I would not want to live next door to someone doing that shit without a dentist's wall of lead in between.

    Can you imagine all those messed up things that happen, and yet we eat food that comes out of it?!

    --
    - passion
    1. Re:caution by xX_sticky_Xx · · Score: 2, Informative

      There is absolutely no danger as long as the casing remains intact. Microwaves don't cause the object subjected to them to become radioactive. If they did, you would see a hell of a lot of people walking around glowing in the dark (cellphone users, people living by microwave towers).

      Having said that, it is IMPERATIVE that you NEVER operate a microwave oven with the door open or even suspect that the casing may be damaged in any way. Otherwise, these little tricks are safe.

      --

      ---

      I didn't want to leave this space blank.
  45. That's not strange food... by kzinti · · Score: 2

    OK, maybe the baby conch is a little offbeat, but in my neck of the woods there's nothing unusual about Vienna Sausage, Beany Weany, or Underwood Deviled Ham. No fishing expedition is complete without a few cans of the above, along with a sleeve of soda crackers, a couple cans of beer or Coke, and a few sticks of beef jerky tucked in a mini-Playmate and stowed under the console of your bass boat. If Vienna Sausages are strange, then where's the tin of sardines or the smoked baby oysters? As the other poster said, Pork Brains in Milk Gravy: now that's strange!

    --Jim

  46. Hello Kitty Laptop = Casio FIVA by Simulant · · Score: 2, Interesting

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/2/17055.html

    It's got Crusoe processor in it.

    And guess what? It dual boots to Linux. There is a switch on the right side, Set it to A and it boots Windows (2k I think) set it to B and it boots a very stripped down Linux that only runs Winamp. (for obvious reasons)

  47. The largest DDoS attack to date by erroneus · · Score: 1, Troll

    This article represents the widest /. DDoS attack on various web sites since the /. effect was originally observed and coined.

    This gives me some ideas as to how I might use this to my advantage somehow...

  48. SPAM is diversifying. Write your congressman now! by imrdkl · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    Now you can get it smoke-flavored or in a lovely spread.

  49. plasma ball in mw by SubtleNuance · · Score: 3, Informative

    Another neat MW trick is building a sustained plasma ball

    it is done w/ a pencil led and a microwave-safe glass ball... very cool, must try.

    see here also.

  50. Re:caution (warning, slightly OT) by CoolVibe · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Actually its not that dangerous, but you must know when to stop and make sure you do it outside or in a controlled environment so you can get the fuck out of the way when stuff goes awry. Your kitchen is definately _NOT_ a good place to do this kind of stuff in.

    There are lots of cool science you can do with your microwave, like creating floating plasma balls for instance. They make cool filming/photographing material.

    Check here for more wacky fun with that kitchen appliance. It has even more links to microwave science and stuff you can do with your microwave.

    DANGER WILL ROBINSON, DANGER:

    If you _do_ one of these experiments, make sure you get all the safety precautions right, and don't over-experiment. If you go blind and everything looks fuzzy you should stop IMMEDIATELY, since you are busy boiling your cornea and the inner fluids of your eyes solid. This is a sure sign that your microwave is leaking and you are standing too close. Luckily, his is a temporary infliction if you're out of the way quick enough, but certainly not healthy for your eyes. This same thing happened to a bud of mine who was messing with microwave antennaes and signal-amplifiers. He actually took a microwave apart to hook up to his amplifier. And yes, he was standing too close. It took a few months until he had his full vision back.

  51. Hello Kitty Segway !! by SushiFushi · · Score: 2, Funny

    I can't wait. Hello Kitty is already on everything else, I'm sure the Segway won't escape its evil grasp, (if it lasts long enough.)
    BTW, forget the eBay post, the evolution of the "Hello Kitty vibrator " is going strong, their new version looks to be quite a bundle of joy, (for the kiddies, I'm sure it just mixes hot coco, oops, sorry for the pun.)

  52. Strange Cans by fm6 · · Score: 2
    the strangest canned foods you'll ever see
    I guess choices are limited in Michigan. Not a single item there that I haven't seen on a grocery shelf in Silicon Valley.

    That reminds me. I'm all out of pickled fish cakes.

    1. Re:Strange Cans by plankers · · Score: 1

      Dude, somewhere in Michigan is the elusive PREM, which is a clone of SPAM made by Swift & Co...

    2. Re:Strange Cans by fm6 · · Score: 2

      Am I supposed to be impressed? Spam is hardly exotic. Generic Spam even less so!

  53. Forever-Bright Xmas Lights Suck by ph0enix · · Score: 1

    Don't buy them... We got some at my place, and we've already had 2 strings burn out. I havn't investigated too closely, but it appears that although they attempted to wire them in parallel, if one LED dies the whole string goes. They're really hard to get out of their little sockets too, so it's tough to replace them one at a time to find the faulty one.

    --
    <sigh>
  54. Re:Love for one's race is NOT HATE by jeeryg_flashaccess · · Score: 1

    You are stupid. Sept 11 was not an attack on a race, it was an attack on a way of life. Capitalism. Racists just use things like the terrorist attacks to further their ignorant hate.

    The establishment? That sounds funny. The NAACP and other "racist" hispanic organizations are trying to bring diversity and equality to America through education. It may appear that they are racist to you, but that is because you are insecure and ignorant.

    I encourage you to not be ignorant.

    --
    Life is like pants... fit in or you don't fit in.
  55. Can-ibalism by scorcherer · · Score: 1

    On one of the cans it says 'Old Fisherman'. I'm feeling sick already.

    --

    --
    The Cap is nigh. Time to get a fresh new account.

  56. Re:DO NOT CLICK ON THE ABOVE LINK by jeeryg_flashaccess · · Score: 1

    REDUNDANT? damn. When I clicked reply nobody had said anything about it yet. I was being nice. And for that I get -1? That sucks. I should have atleast got 1. Moderators are ALWAYS right I guess.

    --
    Life is like pants... fit in or you don't fit in.
  57. AIBO... by linuxlover · · Score: 3, Funny

    Dear Santa
    I want to be an AIBO in Japan in my next life.

  58. Re:Why the hiatus? (off topic, no +1) by zerocool^ · · Score: 2

    yeah dude, we used to get about one quickie posting a week. Definately a cool part that i miss. Also: look out for the april first articles =) welcome to /.!

    --
    sig?
  59. "Patent-pending technology" by mrdogi · · Score: 1
    Foreverbright? lights are built with patent pending circuitry to maximize efficiency of their LEDs. This revolutionary design concept eliminates the use of traditional components that add to cost and generate heat. While details are proprietary, in essence the circuitry allows the LEDs to flash on and off with AC power.

    Let me guess, and LED in parallel with a regular diode running n the oposite direction, and a resistor.

  60. Christmas Lights by jamesl · · Score: 1

    I get mine at K-mart. String of 100 regular (filament type) lights for about a buck fifty. After the holidays I throw them away. That way I never have to roll them up, store them, untangle them, look for burned out lights or any of the other nonsense that makes Christmas such a fun holiday.

  61. Another Good "Quickie" site by pinqkandi · · Score: 1

    Random Randumb

    Stupid people, doing stupid stuff - on video. Check it out, it's f'n funny.

    1. Re:Another Good "Quickie" site by pinqkandi · · Score: 1

      Crap! Url didn't show.

      http://www.randomrandumb.f2s.com

  62. Damn it! Another collectible I missed. by Blue+Neon+Head · · Score: 2

    You know, I swore I was going to see the next inexplicably popular collectible item coming - classic arcade games, those postcards for defunct dotcoms from the free dispensers in coffeeshops and bars, etc. But sure enough, I miss out on the next big thing, the mighty AOL CD that has been keeping my coffee table ring-free. Just goes to show you. I'll never throw anything out again, ever.

  63. Don't put a CD in the microwave.... by SuzanneA · · Score: 1
    Gah, didn't ANYONE watch Futurama last night?

    If you put metal in a microwave, you'll get thrown back in time and get stuck!!!

  64. strange canned food? by Prion86 · · Score: 1

    sure...weve all made fun of most of those things (and even eaten them after weve spent all our money on whatever bullshit...and were forced to eat our beloved gag-gifts) but one of the oddest canned foods i have seen came from our own government. i have a can of USDA pork. there is no paper label, its just the silver can with black lettering and the outline of a pig. i think it contains pork (naturally), water, salt, and probably some kind of sodium-whats-it-called. and i thought government cheese was ammusing...

    --
    "Alot of people don't know what they are doing...and most are pretty good at it." -George Carlin
    1. Re:strange canned food? by RFC959 · · Score: 1

      Hey, I have a can of the government pork too! (That's what I bought it for, as a gag - "government pork", you know...) I believe the recipe on it is "Pork with Tomato Sauce". Frankly, the sloshing noise it makes is a little scary, and after it's been sitting around for about 10 years, I don't think I'd want to eat it.

    2. Re:strange canned food? by plankers · · Score: 1

      Actually, I have one, too, I just haven't gotten to putting it up on the site yet... That, a whole canned chicken ("Sweet Sue's", with born-on dating), and a bunch of outher nasty stuff.

  65. Web cam by ImaLamer · · Score: 1

    I must say the single pixel web-cam is got to be the best page listed.

    It's short and to the point - funny - and the text only version made me fall over laughing... because it's true. I wonder if he knew about being slashdotted before or after he put that up.

  66. Hmm... by DennyK · · Score: 2

    ...is it bad if I've eaten half those "odd" canned foods before?

    ...is it bad if I actually *liked* them?

    ...is it bad if I actually eat some of them regularly?

    ...oh my...is my life not sad or what? You know you're in bad shape when the company that makes the stuff you eat can't even afford a product name, so they have to call it exactly what it is, even though nobody, not even them, is really sure of exactly what it is... ;-D

    DennyK

  67. take CDs for others own good by simceo · · Score: 1, Funny

    Over the summer, my friends and I collected over 300 AOL CDs from local stores. We did not do this for some collection, but rather to prevent others from getting them and being sucked into the horrible world of AOL.

    Blockbuster's supplies widdled down to nothing. CompUSA had so many CDs on display that it was impossible to even dent their reserves. It was fun to watch the faces of the check-out associates when I grabbed all the CDs in one side of a display which contained at least 40 CDs. I just "[took] one" many, many times.

    Still trying to figure out how to make a CD launcher to put all these to some good use.

  68. He's answered this before by Galvatron · · Score: 3, Informative

    The approximate quote went something like "I actually really like the quickies too, but they take a lot of work. You need at least a half dozen links, and people just don't send in many interesting, small things for me to use. So send in more quickies, and I'll post them more often." I think it was in a Geeks in Space episode (which are highly entertaining, I listened to most of them while playing Half-life).

    --
    "The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than that of whether a submarine can swim" -EWD
  69. ForEver Lights on-sale..... by jsimon12 · · Score: 1

    My local Albertson's (Dallas, TX 75287) had ForEver lights on sale for $1.99 for strand of 100. Guess it was a loss leader or something. But I did manage to get 4 boxes (with is like 160 feet of lights).

  70. Yeah, so I figured by Galvatron · · Score: 2
    Still, wouldn't it be great if we could harness the sexual frustrations of geeks to improve the world's sex lives? The sex industry is always highly experimental, and quick to adopt new technologies (see vhs, popups, multiangle dvds, etc), but unfortunately seem to lack the brainpower for true R&D.


    Seriously, with a bit of money and research, modern technology really ought to be able to develop amazing new sex toys. Or for that matter, what about a porno made by the team behind Final Fantasy? That would be obscenely cool.


    I guess, when you come right down to it, I just want a holodeck, with "the safeties off," if you know what I mean...

    --
    "The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than that of whether a submarine can swim" -EWD
  71. Why DOES tinfoil spark in a microwave? by Brant · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Can someone explain to me why tinfoil sparks in a microwave? I've thought about this a bit, and had a few bull sessions with fellow physicists about it, but I've never heard a convincing answer. The first thing everyone says is photo-electric effect, but that can't be right because the work function for most metals is ~1 eV, and that's in the visible or near-infrared.

    My only other guess is induced eddy currents. Anyone have a good answer?

    Thanks,

    Brant

    1. Re:Why DOES tinfoil spark in a microwave? by haggar · · Score: 2, Informative

      That's true, but according to stochastic nature of sub-particle processes, some electrons will still be able to leave the surface of the metal, even if very few. This is, btw, a good example of demonstrating how, some electrons, even if they have lower energy than a certain energy barrier, will be able to cross that barrier. It's just the likelyhood that's very small, hence the small number of electrons that will make it through.

      --
      Sigged!
  72. Erotic Computation Group a Hoax by iReflect · · Score: 3, Informative

    http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/03/technology/03ERO S.html?searchpv=nytToday

    or copy/paste:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/03/technology/03E RO S.html?searchpv=nytToday

  73. Why grapes explode in the microwave by Traxton1 · · Score: 2, Informative
    Why Grapes Spark in the Microwave


    I can't get it to work, though I did ruin a pretty good plate. I think it sparked but no explosive flames, I'll just have to go try it again...

    1. Re:Why grapes explode in the microwave by fjordboy · · Score: 2

      try raw blueberries...I actually first did it with them.

  74. Microwave phenonmenon -- a theory by AtomicBomb · · Score: 2, Informative

    Microwave oven seems to do quite a lot of tricks on
    anything conductive. Here I found a plasuible explanation. Not sure if it makes scientific sense....

    http://members.tripod.com/~hochwald/microwave/ba rr os/sam.html

  75. Links about Erotic Computation Group by Incongruity · · Score: 2
    Hey, in case anyone is interested, here's a New York Times article about the ECG.

    And here is the website of the grad student behind the hoax.

    Damn. I went to grade school with that guy...and I'm nowhere near as...well...creative? (Monzy, if you're reading this, congrats, you crack me up.)

  76. Nuke a random Geocities site... by Kris_J · · Score: 2
    That sounds like a great regular game. Use a Random Geocities URL Generator and then post that link to as many weblog-esq places as possible to see how long it takes before they've exceeded their download limit.

    My link to start the game is; Nirvana MIDIs. Post a reply once it's nuked.

    1. Re:Nuke a random Geocities site... by bonzoesc · · Score: 2
      They administer the download limit by the hour, so it's harder to play games like that. But for this game, I'll be using the generator at Consolidated Huge Company, thanks to JRR (who also made the AYB song).

      def bastard: a one man show

  77. PHKL: Fuckle or Fecal? by c0rtez · · Score: 1

    And here I thought PHKL was pronounced 'fecal'

  78. other stuff to place in microwaves by Cinematique · · Score: 1

    those bags that doritos come in are great for microwave hijinx!

    they'll sparkle and shrink down to fractions of their original size!

    ... you need the ones that are lined with some sort of metallic-looking stuff on the inside....

    never tried the plastic-only ones, but i'm sure it wouldn't me much of a show... just a pain in the ass to clean up.

  79. Quickies easily the best part of /. by purplemonkeydan · · Score: 2

    Who gives a rats arse about all the other stuff on this site? MORE QUICKIES!!!!

  80. Erotic Computation- qualifications? by Jafa · · Score: 2
    Anyone look at the bottom of the Erotic Computation Group page at the admissions qualifications?


    The Erotic Computation Group seeks creative, hard-working, team-oriented, and sexually competent graduate students. (do they include references?) ... Special sexual abilities are also important assets. (does being able to suck-start a Harley count?) Oral (of course!) and written communication skills are essential, as our work is regularly presented to visitors and submitted to major conferences (held in Vegas, I'm sure...) and journals.
  81. Re:SPAM is diversifying. Write your congressman no by imrdkl · · Score: 1

    off-topic? Didn't anyone read the canned-meat thing?

  82. Blowing up cd's with radar. by leuk_he · · Score: 1

    Having read your link I see a new use for rader: blowing up cd's.

    I did the CD in a micro wave also some time to show the lightning effect (Some people tell to put a glass of water in the Microwave not to destroy it). I guess they can use radar also to get the CD effect.

    No need to tell here the use for this:
    -AOL/Compuserve thingies. (where do they store these things?)
    -copy protection......

    -- As for my rabbit i have to say

  83. Defrosting technique by Kargan · · Score: 1

    I love how the guy didn't even bother to take the food out of the freezer, heh.

    Super cheap hairspray is about the best possible thing for that; you better believe liquid plastic mixed with propellant is flammable!

    --
    Palaces, barricades, threats, meet promises
  84. I think I'm gonna be sick.... by underpaidISPtech · · Score: 2

    Yuck.

    Spam spread?
    Dear God, who on earth would eat such a thing?!? And I thought Marmite was foul...

  85. AOL CD-R0ms by ImaLamer · · Score: 1

    I've always thrown the CDs away and kept the nice box they came in, they fit perfectly with my DVDs and are nice for taking one CD somwhere when you have no case for it.

  86. Anchovies, weired? by andyclap · · Score: 1

    Can somebody enlighten me as to what's considered strange about tinned anchovies? OK, ones in jars are generally nicer, but tinned ones are useful when you run out.
    What is wiered is the jar of snails eggs I saw in Fauchon in Paris. Nice clear jar so that you could see them in all their transparent glisteniness. Yum.

  87. Should the robot dog dildo be called... by Shanep · · Score: 1

    Sony Doggy Style (tm)?

    --
    War crimes, torture, lies, illegal spying... Would someone give Bush a blowjob, already, so he can be impeached?
  88. Microwave on fire... and more.... by Mindjiver · · Score: 1

    http://130.244.202.52/ztv/wimans/ladda_ner.asp

    They got a microwave on fire and all sorts of other stuff..

    --
    I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
  89. Forever Lights by mwood · · Score: 1

    I can't wait to see the "patent-pending circuitry" which sounds to me like just a rectifier. (Not even a proper full-wave network, either, if they flash at 60Hz rather than 120Hz.)-:

    Oh, well, having just hand-tested 300 bulbs in those crummy series-wired strings to find the duds, I want some Forever Lights anyway.

  90. Furbies in Microwaves ? by freaker_TuC · · Score: 1

    I wonder what a furbie will do inside a microwave ...

    10 seconds ...
    20 seconds ...
    30 seconds ...
    ignite ... furby has gone airborn!

    --
    --- I am known for the ones who want to find me on the net. Is that a privacy risk or a privilege? One might wonder..
  91. Re:Freezer defrosting -- the cleaner way by kiwimate · · Score: 1

    I don't live in New Zealand any more, but I used to, and back in my younger and poorer days (i.e. the only fridge we could afford had been scavenged from a rubbish dump and had had the handle removed so little kids wouldn't get stuck inside), we had a fridge in our flat with an icebox bearing a remarkable resemblance to the one in the photographs. Which also got chunked up with ice on an alarmingly regular basis.

    We used an electric drill to break up the ice into chunks which we then dumped on the lawn outside to melt away at their leisure. Very little mess, and no danger unless you got a bit too eager with the drill and cracked the back of the freezer (no, we didn't -- we might have been misguided, but not that misguided).

    Ah, those were the good old days. Remind me to tell you the story about the rental washing machine that exploded the first time we used it -- memories of flames shooting out the back of a Fisher and Paykel and the receptionist at the rental agency telling us "ooh, yes, it's quite impressive when they do that, isn't it? Just make sure you don't throw any water on it, and we'll send someone around in a couple of days to have a look at it". Silly cow. Mind you, on the bright side, we did have three fire engines come over to put it out -- really livened up the day!

  92. PHKL by Gleef · · Score: 2

    In the Pink Hello Kitty Laptop article, it recommends going to FAO Schwartz for the appropriate volume of Hello Kitty merchandise. For those of you in or near New York City, Sanrio (makers of Hello Kitty) has an entire store on 42nd street (they even carry the Hello Kitty coffee maker!).

    For the definitive list of places which carry Hello Kitty Stuff, try here.

    Hello Kitty, Destroyer Of Worlds :-)

    --

    ----
    Open mind, insert foot.
  93. Oldest AOL (floppy) disk by bjb · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Thinking of that woman with the AOL disks, it makes me think about my AOL collection: a pre-release AOL 1.0 5.25" floppy disk for the Apple ][.


    Back in the day, AOL was once called AppleLink. I used to beta test for them, and one day they sent me a letter and two new disks for the new renamed service.

    "We're renaming AppleLink to America Online..."


    Thus, I have two floppys for the Apple ][ that say America Online, and an accompanying letter. I think I even keep it in the original mailing package.


    I've figured that I'll keep it around and one day I'll sell it on eBay or something. Just curious what that would draw...


    Oh well...

    --
    Never hit your grandmother with a shovel, for it leaves a bad impression on her mind...
  94. Potted Meat by ltm · · Score: 1
    Oddly similiar to the website's authors comment that he had Spam, then Potted Meat on his desktop, I was doing a gig at Harley Davidson years ago and went through something similiar.

    I ended up eating the Potted Meat with crackers at lunch on a dare. Mmmm. Potted Meat.

    My favorite ingredient is the Partially Defatted Cooked Beef Fatty Tissue.

    Can you imagine the guys cooking up the Potted Meat, saying:

    "Hey, Larry, this needs some Cooked Beef Fatty Tissue to make it taste right. But not fully fat fatty tissue. De-fat the tissue partially."

  95. you're wasting perfectly good coasters :) by shaldannon · · Score: 1

    AOL cd's make great coasters....right along with Earthlink cd's, or anyone else who feels obliged to send such things through the mail...this way you have a new coaster *and* a nice carrying case.

    --


    What is your Slash Rating?
    1. Re:you're wasting perfectly good coasters :) by ImaLamer · · Score: 1

      Actually, my grandparents are way ahead of their time... the've been using earthlink cd's for coasters but the whole time never knowing the term 'coaster'. [CDR]

      They have stacks of CDs and don't throw them away until they spill something on the ones they've used.

  96. Is this what we call... by shaldannon · · Score: 1

    ...pork-barrel spending? :}

    --


    What is your Slash Rating?
  97. Canned food: CmdrTaco really should get out more:) by rcongdon · · Score: 1

    I know they sound wierd, but some of those things are actually fairly tasty.

    As for my contribution: I have a can of smoked rattlesnake.

  98. Military applications? by naoursla · · Score: 1

    From the site: Using microwave ovens as radar decoys.
    "I liked that about the microwave ovens very much, and I just feel that I must add something about it. This is a very interesting experiment but I certainly hope that you will never get in position to try it. :-) I'm from Yugoslavia and I supposed that you know very well what was happening here a year ago. Well I have some friends from the army and they learned me the new application for microwave ovens. It is not widely known that the regular microwave ovens use the same wavelength as most of the air-defense radar. So what we did was (it is no longer classified :-) only adjusting the regular microwave to work with it's door opened somewhere under the open sky. I'm not sure, but we were probably using just long cables connected with standard 220V~ output as a power supplies. And what was happening: if that bastard pilot (no offense to you since I can see that you are from The Netherlands :-) doesn't have a visual contact he can only say that radar is tracking him. So he launches the anti-radar missile and - he wastes a several hundred thousand $ missile for a price of one microwave oven. We literaly used hundreds of such decoys - often planting tens of decoys with one REAL radar. And if the pilot is lucky enough to hit the actual radar, then everything is O.K. for him. But there are much bigger chances that he will hit a decoy instead, and after that he gets what he deserves from the actual radar. That's the story. What do you say? A total new application for an MW oven! :-)"