Category: Useless knowledge

Information you have no need for. Ever. Usually about me, but possibly about other trivial crap in the world.

New laser trimming robot

To be shown at the upcoming IMTS (International Manufacturing Technology Show) in Chicago is the AccuTrim WJ-110 six-axis robot with Abrasive Water Jet from Robotic Production Technology (RPT).

At the show, RPT will demonstrate three-dimensional, abrasive water jet trimming of a stainless steel part. During the demonstration, the part will be approximately placed into the robot’s work area and an RPT AccuFind* Sensor will quickly locate the part and find varying critical feature positions to ensure the trimming occurs in the correct location.

. . .

laser_abrasive_water_jet_lr.jpg

“We’re excited to introduce yet another water jet trimming solution to the marketplace with more capability than has ever been available before,” said RPT CEO Chuck Russo. “By working with H2O Jet and FANUC Robotics, we’re able to offer abrasive trimming solutions that combine a high reliability robot and high pressure components with system design, software and process knowledge that maximize the productivity of the system and deliver world-class value to our customers,” Russo said.

No mention of shark use in future water jet trimming projects was made.  However, it is never wise to rule out the use of frikkin’ sharts with frikkin’ laser beams on their frikkin’ heads.  Just remember that.

[tags]Lasers, Laser trimming robot, Robotic Production Technology[/tags]

Eye candy – freaky chick looking freaky hot

Again, some of these are for my enjoyment.  Feel free to skip by any you don’t like.  For those that didn’t skip, can anyone tell me what this picture is from?  She moved up a couple of notches on my women I most want for things I shouldn’t talk about, at least not as a married man, list after seeing this image.
ricci-freaky.jpg

[tags]Christina Ricci, Eye Candy[/tags]

Long lost twins?

Maybe it’s just my imagination, but Ben Kingsley and Howie Mandel sure look a lot alike now.  Are they secretly related?  Images from the Emmy red carpet blah, blah, whatever it’s called.  Here they are, side by side.  Can you tell which is the now knighted man who played Gandhi, and who hosts the TV gameshow Deal or No Deal?
benkingsley.jpg howiemandel.jpg

[tags]Ben Kingsley, Howie Mandel, Long lost twins?[/tags]

More coulrophobia news

This news from a co-worker. Seems a touring circus in Ireland had a bit of clown trouble which is likely to scar for life the children at the show.

DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) — A hot-air balloon caught fire during a circus stunt, killing a clown acrobat as dozens of children watched, police said Tuesday.

The accident happened Monday night as the Royal Russian Circus was performing in Scariff, County Clare, a village in western Ireland. About 100 people were in the audience, most of them children. Police said the clown was a 26-year-old man from Belarus but didn’t release his name.

Witnesses said the man, dressed in a clown outfit, was hanging from a cage suspended by ropes and a hot-air balloon inside the canvas tent. When the balloon exploded in flames, the cage fell on top of the man.

The man’s wife, who was also part of the act, suffered a broken arm, police said.

“We were all sitting down and they were doing their act. They were up fairly high, but they were doing fine. Next thing, he was down on the ground,” said audience member Hazel Harrington. She said many people in the audience initially thought the falling cage was part of the act.

I can neither confirm nor deny that the name of the clown was Chuckles.

[tags]Coulrophobia, More clown news, Poor Chuckles[/tags]

Dumb crook news

(via Engadget)

Today’s dumb crook news, courtesy Carroll County News Online.

BERRYVILLE – Two Berryville men have been charged with theft of property for allegedly stealing $1,200 worth of video games from Wal-Mart and selling them next door at the “Game Stop” store.

Kyle Ramer, 18, and Sam Hess, 21, were allegedly caught on camera removing video games from their cases and stuffing the games down their pants.

. . .

The link to Game Stop was discovered by Wal-Mart’s loss prevention person, Bartos said.

“While he was in Game Stop, he asked if they had any large amounts of video games come in, Bartos explained. “They said yes, and it all matched what had been taken.”

Wow!  Steal from Wal-Mart.  Go next door and sell to Game Stop.  Sheer genius!!!1!VWBUG!!  I’m signing up for whatever class these guys took to learn this.

[tags]Dumb crook news, The value of education in today’s society[/tags]

How it should have ended

I’m sure you’ve thought you could come up with a better ending to a movie sometime.  It turns out that a lot of other folks feel the same way about their skills.  As a result of the work others have done to write up how movies should have ended, we now have The Official How It Should Have Ended web site.  I particularly liked the Star Wars Episode IV rewritten ending, but several of the works on the site are worth checking out.

[tags]How it should have ended, Change the movie ending and show others what you’ve done[/tags]

The truth about rectal disorders

You know, this advertisement from the September 1950 issue of Popular Science just doesn’t strike me as the kind of thing that gets a lot of conversations going around the office.

“So Bob, how’s that painful ass problem working out for you?”

“You know Sam, I just ordered this fantastic book which covers all the major rectal disorders. Turns out I have Fistula.”

See? That’s just not your typical watercooler fare. I’m not saying such conversations never happen, but I will say I’m fortunate enough to never participate in the conversations if they are going on.

A FREE BOOK Told Me The Truth About RECTAL DISORDERS

Our 164-page illustrated book describes symptoms, causes and treatment of piles, fistula and other rectal and colonic disorders. It should be read by everyone suffering from these treacherous afflictions. Write for a FREE COPY today.

McCleary Clinic and Hospital, 971 Elms Blvd., Excelsior Springs, Mo.
GET YOUR FREE COPY TODAY

But I bet that Bob does get all the ladies after him. With a hard-luck story like that, who could resist him? Just don’t ask him for too many details.

Now contact Grandma Grinny there and get your guide to all your rectal aches, pains and problems. And it’s free.
[tags]Modern Mechanix, Rectal disorders[/tags]

Making sure children are scientifically illiterate

(via Tingilinde)

This just in – some scientists really dislike the way creationists handle the evolution issue.  I mean, what with the attempts to get evolution removed from science books and the push to get His noodly appendagecreationism-is-science put in science books under the guise of intelligent design, some scientists get rather bothered by the whole fight and the wrongheadedness they feel the creationists show.  Take for example, this writing by Lawrence M. Krauss about the recent school board elections and evolution vs. creationism/intelligent design debate.

Voters in Kansas ensured this month that noncreationist moderates will once again have a majority (6 to 4) on the state school board, keeping new standards inspired by intelligent design from taking effect.

This is a victory for public education and sends a message nationwide about the public’s ability to see through efforts by groups like the Discovery Institute to misrepresent science in the schools. But for those of us who are interested in improving science education, any celebration should be muted.

. . .

But perhaps more worrisome than a political movement against science is plain old ignorance. The people determining the curriculum of our children in many states remain scientifically illiterate. And Kansas is a good case in point.

The chairman of the school board, Dr. Steve Abrams, a veterinarian, is not merely a strict creationist. He has openly stated that he believes that God created the universe 6,500 years ago, although he was quoted in The New York Times this month as saying that his personal faith “doesn’t have anything to do with science.”

“I can separate them,” he continued, adding, “My personal views of Scripture have no room in the science classroom.”

A key concern should not be whether Dr. Abrams’s religious views have a place in the classroom, but rather how someone whose religious views require a denial of essentially all modern scientific knowledge can be chairman of a state school board.

I have recently been criticized by some for strenuously objecting in print to what I believe are scientifically inappropriate attempts by some scientists to discredit the religious faith of others. However, the age of the earth, and the universe, is no more a matter of religious faith than is the question of whether or not the earth is flat.

Read the whole thing to see if you pick up just a bit of the hostility I think is there.  And join the debate – which is right, creationism/intelligent design or evolution?  Or maybe it’s something else, like Pastafarianism.

[tags]Creationism vs. Evolution, Intelligent design hackery?, His noodly appendage, Some scientists dislike creationists[/tags]

More guitar playing madness

If you just haven’t learned enough about playing guitar, then try getting in on this offer, from the February 1968 issue of Popular Mechanics.

PLAY GUITAR IN 7 DAYS OR MONEY BACK

TOP GUITARIST ED SALE’S famous 66 page secret system worth $3.00 teaches you to play a beautiful song the first day and any song by ear or note in seven days. Contains 52 photos, 87 finger placing charts, etc. plus 110 popular and western songs, (words and music); a $1.00 Chord Finder of all the chords used in popular music; and a $3.00 Guitarist Book of Knowledge.

TOTAL VALUE $7.00 —ALL FOR ONLY $2.98

SEND NO MONEY! Just your name and address, pay postman: $2.98 plus CO.D. postage. Or send $3.00 with order and I pay postage. (Sorry, no C.O.D. outside Continental U.S.A.—please remit with order) .
10-Day Money-Back Guarantee.
ED SALE, Studio 154-B, Avon By The Sea, N.J. 07717

[tags]Play guitar, Modern Mechanix[/tags]

Radical gaming ideas

This list started with mention of a game from a co-worker. His idea for the game differed from mine, but I decided to try coming up with a few games that matched my idea of some new games that I haven’t seen done before.

  • Fag hunter

    • You are a British man, looking for your next cigarette fix

  • Put that bitch in her place

    • You are a young test lab intern, and there has been a breach. You have to capture all the female pups used in lab tests and put each back in the right cage.

  • Work that ass hard

    • You are a farmer working hard to save the family farm. Your tractor is broken, so you have to use your old mule to try to maintain the fields and bring in the harvest.

I’m working on more, but these are the starting ideas I have. I could see a series of mini-games coming from this. Maybe a bunch of online Java games. Hmmmm, I think I just came up with a reason to learn Java.

Feel free to add any similarly themed games in the comments.

UPDATE (2006-08-24 22:36): Some more game ideas from one of my brothers.

  • Beat your meat

    • You are out for dinner at a restaurant that lets you cook your own steak. Before throwing it on the grill, you want to pound it a bit with a tenderizing mallet

  • Trim the Queen’s bush and pound it in

    • You are head gardenkeeper for the Queen of England. One of your biggest responsibilities is keeping the Queen’s favorite rose bush properly trimmed and staked properly

  • Clean up the seaman spill

    • You are a helicopter emergency rescue pilot. You have to get your team to naval disaster sites to rescue the men and women of the navy who are in the water. Some rescues take place in icy waters, giving a time limit. Other missions take place in shark infested waters where you get a mission bonus for saving a certain percentage of the seaman.

[tags]Radical game ideas, Games that sound dirty but aren’t[/tags]