Ephemeral Isle

Happy Birthday, Model T

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:30:00 +0000

The Model T Ford turns one hundred years old this week, which makes it only slightly older than my banger.

Once so successful a seller that at one time over half the cars in the world a were Model Ts, I thought I knew quite a bit about them until I saw this top gear segment that showed off the T's nightmarish controls.

Makes the push-button gearbox on a 1956 Dodge seem tame by comparison.

E-Ball

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:21:00 +0000

E-Ball: The spherical computer that has a virtual keyboard, uses a bit of cardboard as a screen, and has the added feature of being able to roll off the table and smash into a thousand very expensive pieces.

Progress!

Periodic Coffee Table

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:56:00 +0000

Torn between wanting a coffee table and a really good periodic table of the elements? Why not have both?

Probably because it will set you back £4750.

Pedal-Powered Monorail

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:15:00 +0000

No.

Cheeseburgers Cause Global Warming

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:10:00 +0000

I'm waiting for the inevitable decree that dancing, music, bright coloured clothes and thinking impure thoughts ~~enrage Blessed Gaia~~ cause global warming as well.

Mickey Mouse Mask

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:05:00 +0000

If you're a student of the Second World War you probably know about the Mickey Mouse gas mask that was issued to British children to protect against gas attacks. I always that there was something perfectly logical yet slightly unnerving about a gas mask aimed at kids, but this had nothing on the American version, which was really a Mickey Mouse mask.

I like the logo. Nice touch.

Green Logic

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:54:00 +0000

STOP PRESS

Television commercials cause global warming. Global warming pressure groups air television commercials. Therefore, global warming pressure groups cause global warming.

Save the Planet™!

Get a Dust Bin, See The World

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:28:00 +0000

On the bright side, at least they've got wheelie bins.

The local council is all heart.

Moonbase 2

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:16:00 +0000

Architecture and Vision unveils its design for the future American moonbase.

Still no word on when the interceptors will be on line.

Ingsoc Acres

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:50:00 +0000

The Register has a lot of fun with this report that the EU has abolished the acre as a legal unit of measurement. The extended gag of treating anyone who is bothered by this as a paranoid Colonel Blimp living in the past while making mountains out of molehills is worth a smile until one notices that this abolition of 800 years of English history came about via an EU directive without any debate or consent by the people, their parliament or their monarch.

It involves violating something called sovereignty and subverting an institution called democracy and suddenly the joke isn't so funny and that molehill isn't so small.

Night of the Living Dead Microbes

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:43:00 +0000

We're not using the "Z" word!

Poll Postion

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:03:00 +0000

According to a recent Rassmussen poll, 49% of American voters believe that the press is biased in favour of Barrack Obama, 14% are insane and 21% have been living down a coal shaft for the past fifty years.

"Revolutionary" Reform

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:02:00 +0000

New Labour has announced that in future people who are chronically on the dole will have to work for their benefit money.

The likelihood of this being implemented or heralding a true reform of the welfare state is about that of the above illustration coming to pass.

Lobster Bid

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:50:00 +0000

"Big Dee Dee", a 10 kilogram lobster in New Brunswick, has been saved from the cook pot by a vegetarian who bought him at auction for $3000. Said vegetarian, no surprise, intends to release Big Dee Dee into the wild.

As lobster lover, I am always delighted by this sort of story. Not only is the owner of the lobster $3000 richer, but we now have a chance to catch the crustacean again so he can meet his date with destiny and a nice bowl of melted butter.

And maybe a loaf of fresh, hot French bread on the side.

And a bottle of decent champagne.

Excuse me, I'm getting a bit peckish.

Isn't capitalism grand?

Give or Take a Few Days

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:50:00 +0000

BBC headline:

'100 months to save the planet'

I'll start believing this Tommy when it's followed by "So screw the polar bears, the pandas and the whales. We're talking survival and we need to build 50,000 nuclear power plants NOW!"

The Whistling Beer Cans of Death

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:45:00 +0000

Beer: Is there nothing it can't do?

A Sign You'll Never Go Home Again

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:09:00 +0000

Whoever designed this horror must have worked at Microsoft in the '90s.

Another nail

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 07:38:00 +0000

Good Lord, it's finally happened. Next stop, the apocalypse.

Life's Little Aggravations

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 07:17:00 +0000

Zontar The Thing From Venus

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 07:01:00 +0000

More than a Roger Corman film. More than a remake of a Roger Corman film. It's a remake of a Roger Corman film starring John Agar.

A perfect storm.

Gordon Ramsey, Call Your Service

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:52:00 +0000

From the University of Munich comes the B21 kitchen robot.

It identifies utensils, helps out with the cooking and says **** a lot.

Update: And here it is in action:

Robojellyfish

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:44:00 +0000

Even Skynet had to admit that this wasn't that great an idea for hunting Sarah Connor.

The Time Travelers.

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:24:00 +0000

The 1964 under appreciated sci-fi gem reduced to ten minutes.

Even if they never could spell travellers.

America Doomed?

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:01:00 +0000

Not bloody likely.

Shape Up

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:57:00 +0000

A dumbbell/alarm clock that won't shut up until you've done thirty "reps"–whatever those are.

Alternatively, you can get an excellent workout by taking a hammer to the nasty little thing.