Most worthless invention

[Jim Alfredson]

I also have a severe distaste for folks using electrical or gasoline powered devices to "save effort".

Does that include cars?

BTW, at least one of my neighbors was using a kind of leaf vacuum, which would suck all the leaves into a bag on his back which he would then dump into lawn waste sacks to be picked up by the city this coming Wednesday. The other moron (who's also a racist, I might add... I was having a conversation with him when he referred to his neighbords with the "n" word) was blowing them into the street.

I raked 7 bags worth yesterday but ran out of bags. And that was just my front yard which is the size of a postage stamp (maples... beautiful, but very leafy!) I'll finish the job tomorrow.

[Rooster_Ties]

Well, Chuck (at least) might like the fact that instead of even a gas-powered push-mower, I own one of those moterless "reel" mowers, just like all lawn-mowers used to be back 75 +/- years ago.

The advertising copy for one brand of "reel" mowers says the only fuel they need to run on, is a banana and half a glass of milk!!

The only downside is that I really have to rake the yard before I can mow in the fall, since the leaves get in the way of the "reel" and the blade (and the grass getting cut). But other than that, I've got no complaints.

(Not that I ever do), but if I wanted to - I could easily mow our entire yard at the crack of dawn, and not wake up a single neighbor (including the house less than 15 feet south of ours).

[BERIGAN]

THE LEAF-BLOWER!  God knows I hate them.

They should be out-lawed.  It's noise pollution.  Pure and simple.

   

I think this comes more under the headings of most obnoxious, unnecessary, and wasteful inventions. The damn leaf-blowers not only make a godawful, motorcycle-like racket, they also pollute the air about as much as a gasoline lawn-mower (which is more than you might think). Until they come out with quiet, electric leaf-blowers, I'm also in favor of banning these moronic contraptions.

Well, I am pretty sure they have electric blowers right now....cannot stand the sound of rakes on cement driveways.......

[jacman]

Well, Chuck (at least) might like the fact that instead of even a gas-powered push-mower, I own one of those moterless "reel" mowers, just like all lawn-mowers used to be back 75 +/- years ago.

The advertising copy for one brand of "reel" mowers says the only fuel they need to run on, is a banana and half a glass of milk!!   

The only downside is that I really have to rake the yard before I can mow in the fall, since the leaves get in the way of the "reel" and the blade (and the grass getting cut).  But other than that, I've got no complaints.

(Not that I ever do), but if I wanted to - I could easily mow our entire yard at the crack of dawn, and not wake up a single neighbor (including the house less than 15 feet south of ours).

what a bunch of girly-men... i got me one-o-these:

Edited November 10, 2003 by jacman

[Jazzmoose]

Bourgeois King

ouch! That hurts...

[kinuta]

Cell phones ! Nearly got run down by a clown riding his motor bike with one hand whilst gabbing on his dreaded cell phone. I hate them. All the addicts clicking away all the time drive me nuts.

Bring back carrier pigeons !

[Dan Gould]

I could do the two biggest sections of lawn in no time at all ....

Looks like you could use a few hours working out with a rake to me.

Uh, Chuck, I think you're talking about Johnny. He's the one who's the self-described "fat fuck".

Nah, I saw your pic with B3-er and company. I was going by that.

You must be one of those "never miss an opportunity to burn fossil fuels" guys.

Jet skis, snowmobiles, leafblowers, etc.

Scourge of the earth.

Well, Chuck, you got me there, so far as the picture goes (and I thought it wasn't as bad as it could have been!)

But you're also entirely wrong otherwise.

Never used a jetski, snowmobile, nor have I used a leaf blower since about 1990. And for the record, I drive a Honda Civic-no SUV for this "never miss an opportunity to burn fossil fuels" guy.

And as Paul points out, leaf blowers are actually pretty damn heavy to push around a yard for a couple of hours. Hardly a total labor saving device anyway.

[Uncle Skid]

My neighbor has one of these:

This is no ordinary leaf blower. It's called a "Whisper Jet" -- which is half true as it does move air in a way that is very similar to the jet blast from an airplane, but he wears heavy-duty industrial ear protection when running it.

I think this particular model goes for around $1000! I'd bet that would be enough to pay some young kids to rake the lawn for many years...

A few more weeks, and we'll need to start another thread on snowblowers.

[Christiern]

This is truly the most useless invention I have come across. It is supposed to tellyou when a boiled egg is ready. About the size of the average hen egg, it is to be placed in the water, alongside the eggs. Fine, but when the water is boiling, it is impossible to see the egg timer's gauge. Totally useless! One wonders how they tested it.

[king ubu]

how 'bout this one?

[king ubu]

or that:

[BERIGAN]

What you got against wheels???

[Christiern]

I think Tom Ridge's Crayola™ chart is about as useless as anything can be.

[AfricaBrass]

I'm with you, Chris!

I like the spoof that one of the comedy shows did. On the spoof version, all the colors were various shades of grey. It was completely unintelligible.

[Tjazz]

This is truly the most useless invention I have come across. It is supposed to tellyou when a boiled egg is ready. About the size of the average hen egg, it is to be placed in the water, alongside the eggs. Fine, but when the water is boiling, it is impossible to see the egg timer's gauge. Totally useless! One wonders how they tested it.

When boiling an egg, after the water is boiling, shut off the power (electric or gas). Let the egg sit in the pot of hot water, it will continue to cook.

Those egg gadgets are great for cooking eggs. I like my eggs cooked soft. (not hard boiled)

If you plan to cook the hell out of the egg, you don't need the egg gadget. Don't leave the egg in the hot water for very long, after the water comes to a boil. (probably only 2 or 3 minutes)

If you cook the egg for 5 minutes, it's probably a HARD EGG. The egg gadget is useless, if you want the egg HARD. (cooked solid all the way thru)

Edited November 12, 2003 by Tjazz

[Man with the Golden Arm]

Just bumped this thread as I had to report that while I was out raking leaves -

MY NEIGHBOR IS LEAF BLOWING HIS FREAKING ROOF!!!!

[rostasi]

Wow, I was just outside doing yardwork a few minutes ago

and thinking about how nice it was having a mulching mower

so that I don't have to rake or BLOW leaves.

[catesta]

You guys would hate to be around some of the stuff we're running.

[Jim Alfredson]

Yeah, one of my neighbors was leaf-blowing his garage roof yesterday, too. I racked six bags yesterday, which only cleaned about 1/4 of my yard (which is still the size of a postage stamp). We removed two big pine trees this summer, which I think must've acted as a buffer against leaves blowing in from neighbor's yards. Now that they are no longer there, I think the whole neighborhood's leaves are coming into my yard.

Today it's too windy to rake. I'll continue tomorrow.

[Guest]

1) Those To-Do list pads of paper made with.... re-cycled paper. (I always thought that used envelopes - like the envelopes the utility bill comes in - were for that purpose.)

2) Rock-n-roll bass solos or maybe rock-n-roll drum solos.

3) TV news.

4) Cotton candy.

5) Tambourines in the hands of a blonde singer with big tits.

6) Percussionists who think their job is to float like petroleum on water with their "colors" instead of harmonizing themselves into the music like the rest of us instrumentalists do (or at least give it the ole college try...).

7) The idea that one person can rule and direct the lives of the many.

8) The idea that the many can rule and direct the life of one person simply because they voted on it.

9) USA foreign policy, at least during my lifetime if not since before I was born.

10) The Chevy NOVA.

11) Fat-free bakery products.

12) Windows that don't open.

13) Expresso coffee ... "to go" (what's the point? How far will you get?)

14) A whole lot of Guitar Center sales-clerks.

15) The income tax.

16) Crotch-less underwear.

17) St. Louis' Gateway/Archway To The West

18) Pots and pans without heat-resistant handles.

19) Smooth Jazz.

20) Poodles and other such forms of 3rd World appetizers on legs.

21) Mild Hot Sauce.

22) The Concorde.

23) Anything Derrida ever wrote, including anything written by people who've read Derrida.

24) Pre-packaged Italian Dressing in a bottle.

25) Plastic plants and plastic fruit in any environment except slapstick or farcical.

26) NASA, FEMA, FTC, & Federal Flood insurance - for the exact same reasons.

27) Socks when worn with sandals and shorts.

28) Clip-on ties.

29) Inexpensive can openers.

30) High School diplomas.

31) French military.

[Jazzmoose]

Surely not the early '70s Chevy Nova?

[Free For All]

Nova? Take a number, there are many worse.

[BERIGAN]

1) Those To-Do list pads of paper made with.... re-cycled paper. (I always thought that used envelopes - like the envelopes the utility bill comes in - were for that purpose.)

2) Rock-n-roll bass solos or maybe rock-n-roll drum solos.

3) TV news.

4) Cotton candy.

5) Tambourines in the hands of a blonde singer with big tits.

6) Percussionists who think their job is to float like petroleum on water with their "colors" instead of harmonizing themselves into the music like the rest of us instrumentalists do (or at least give it the ole college try...).

7) The idea that one person can rule and direct the lives of the many.

8) The idea that the many can rule and direct the life of one person simply because they voted on it.

9) USA foreign policy, at least during my lifetime if not since before I was born.

10) The Chevy NOVA.

11) Fat-free bakery products.

12) Windows that don't open.

13) Expresso coffee ... "to go" (what's the point? How far will you get?)

14) A whole lot of Guitar Center sales-clerks.

15) The income tax.

16) Crotch-less underwear.

17) St. Louis' Gateway/Archway To The West

18) Pots and pans without heat-resistant handles.

19) Smooth Jazz.

20) Poodles and other such forms of 3rd World appetizers on legs.

21) Mild Hot Sauce.

22) The Concorde.

23) Anything Derrida ever wrote, including anything written by people who've read Derrida.

24)  Pre-packaged Italian Dressing in a bottle.

25) Plastic plants and plastic fruit in any environment except slapstick or farcical.

26) NASA, FEMA, FTC, & Federal Flood insurance - for the exact same reasons.

27)  Socks when worn with sandals and shorts.

28) Clip-on ties.

29) Inexpensive  can openers.

30) High School diplomas.

31) French military.

←

Funny, I like about half of those!

[BERIGAN]

Surely not the early '70s Chevy Nova? 

←

or those of the 60's? My Dad had a 1966 Chevy ll 100(Nova) with a 275 Hp 327(the "lesser" 327 that year) it weighed under 3000 lbs, so it was as fast as a Vette with that motor. and cost all of $2300 up in Detroit.

Not my Dad's!

Edited November 14, 2005 by BERIGAN

[Man with the Golden Arm]

OK ... for the third day in a row and probably the fifth day in the last week the guy across the street is leaf blowing for not just a few minutes but now more than a half an hour straight.

Now I like this neighbor AND we live in the woods (kind of) but this is driving me farrghink crazy. His neighbor has one of the James Bond style back packs that I always wish would misfire and drive him up into the tree tops.

So ...

Stealthfully put a spoon of sugar in the tank?

Buy my own leafblower and fit it with Harley thunderheaders?

Place my speakers out the window and go all Noriega on him with a Brotzmann loop!?