Enginerdiness!

Feb 9

Just a quick post about a Trekkie’s favorite movie…

Robot Chicken, one of the best shows ever, did an “operatic” version of “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”. In remembrance of Ricardo Montalbán, enjoy this short little video clip.

Retrieved from -ExtraLife-

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Jan 29

North Carolina proposing taxing digital distribution

…and once again reinforces why I vote Libertarian.

No Government!

So it appears that our wonderful leaders in North Carolina are scrounging around to find money anywhere they can find it. Their thought…let’s tax all the internet users! A group of politicians is studying whether to apply a sales tax to digital downloads over the internet. This includes such websites as eBay, iTunes, Amazon and even the PlayStation network (PSN).

With all the economic problems we are having, a lot of people are resorting to entertainment to forget about their troubles. With games costing around $60, music costing about a $1 a song, we as consumers are already feeling the crunch. Taxing on top of that is like a virtual slap on the face.

I could really go on and on and on, but I would like to stop my rant before I say something not family friendly. I just wish politicians could get a grip on what their “people” they represent really want.

Retrieved from -News 14-

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Jan 16

Another good guide for parenting

…given by the funny people at XKCD! They now give you their guide on how to have a contingency plan if you should happen to have a child rotten to the core. There are ALWAYS options, and this just provides another if you go with their “Jurassic Park” approach!

Contingency Plan

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Contingency Plan

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Jan 13

I would prefer this scale over the traditional one

Category: Gadgets

…because at least I could feel like I have accomplished something.

Toilet Seat Digital Scale

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Toilet Seat Digital Scale

Toilet Seat Digital Scale

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Toilet Seat Digital Scale

Toilet Seat Digital Scale

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Toilet Seat Digital Scale

Once again, leave it to the Japanese to really come up with some weird stuff. Here, designer Haikun Deng has generated a concept drawing for a toilet seat with a scale built in that will measure exactly how much that excrement weighs that you just released into the toilet. Defiinitely a reverse concept of measuring yourself before and after and then taking the difference, but hey, who’s to fault creativity? Who wants to guess if Mr. Bunny Love in the designer’s pics feels 10 lbs. lighter or not?

Product Info -Yanko Design-
Retrieved from -OhGizmo!-

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Dec 30

Ireland to become the first incandescent bulb free Country

Category: General News

…on March 1, 2009.

On that date, the traditional lighting source of incadescent bulbs will be banned from stores, forcing people to purchase more energy efficient bulbs such as compact fluorescents, halogens and/or LEDs. I have to say, at our last house, I had tons of halogen ceiling lights, which put out TONS of heat and had to be replaced about 3 times a year. That doesn’t seem ecologically friendly or energy friendly.

I have slowly begun converting some of our “main” lights in the current house to compact fluorescents, which with the ones I purchased, you have to get over two issues: one is the warm up time and the other is the color. I know that the color and warm up time can be compensated for by higher priced bulbs, but they also expend a bit more energy to have a constant “primed” bulb. I just figure it is a gradual light for late at night when your eyes need to adjust.

Now, for the LEDs, I am slowly becoming to love those little lights. They just need to come down on price before it can really be cost effective in a house my size. Maybe that will be the next experiment.

Anyways, do you think the people of Ireland will hate or love this change? It appears overall, there is a higher cost for the bulbs, so I wonder if that will sway them?

Retrieved from -Popular Science-

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Dec 24

Get your wife something special for Christmas

Category: Gadgets

…and the Wunder Boner might do just the trick (if you want some fish)!

Yes, it is a fish de-boner…and yes, it is a horrible name. It’s great!

Retrieved from -ExtraLife- (thanks Scott Johnson for the laugh)

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Dec 23

A fun twist on Jenga

Category: Gadgets

…involves tearing things down on purpose, instead of trying to keep them up!

Destruct 3 Board Game

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Destruct 3 Board Game

So normally with Jenga, the object is to remove pieces of a tower and keep it from falling. Well, Uncommon Goods is offering a game that is similar, but much more pleasing to my destructive side. Players take turns building a tower while the other tries to knock it down with three types of devices: a ramp, a catapult or a wrecking ball.

This would be an awesome game for an engineer. Critical thinking to build up defenses where they are weak requires constant analysis which, for me, would be a pleasant change from normal board games when it comes to my thinking processes.

The only downside to the game….it costs $55.

Product Info -Destruct 3-
Retrieved from -OhGizmo!-

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Dec 20

Here is a Christmas tree for the Doctor Who fans out there…

Dec 19

Got that one person you can’t figure out what to get them

Category: Gadgets

…well, ThatsMyFace has the unique gift everyone has been wanting…a 3D model of your face!

ThatsMyFace.com

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ThatsMyFace.com

So, the website ThatsMyFace has a pretty unique idea for gifts. You go to their website, you upload a couple of photos (frontal and profile), mark some key points and submit to them and they will create a facial profile for you. Then you can have fun by either aging yourself 10-40 years, change your ethinicity, change your sex and other fun things. They can also rate your “beautified self” and “attractiveness” ratings. How they do that, I have no clue. I would also be interested in the matching part where they will track down others who look similar to you.

But finally, for the true reason of this post…you can then purchase 3D cut statues of yourself to keep or to give as a gift. I like the pen holder shown above, but if you want to get real creepy, they have a “braincase” sample in which your top of head is cut off showing the brains.

ThatsMyFace.com Braincase

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ThatsMyFace.com Braincase

So, starting at $29 (and ranging up to $2,000) feel free to give the ultimate narcissistic gift!

Product Info -ThatsMyFace-
Retrieved from -OhGizmo!-

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Dec 18

Gotta love a bridge being built locally

Category: Uncategorized


Baxter St. Bridge over Little Sugar Creek in downtown Charlotte that now carries the professional engineering seal of the Q!

Posted by ShoZu

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