Comments (18)

1. 2. How about a self-cleaning dryer lint trap? It could take the lint screen, scrape it with a widget, dump it into an external collection bag or something like that.

   I read somewhere that dryer lint was the #1 cause of house fires

   posted by JaneM on 8-17-2007 at 7:31 am

2. Just for fun, heres a couple of inventions we used to call home depot about and 80% of the time they will go and look for it! First, the cordless extension cord. Second, right handed and left handed 2 x 4’s. third, plaid spray paint. And last but not least, the 5hp underclam slamanator.

   posted by John Brown on 8-17-2007 at 9:12 am

3. 1. Six-day underwear. Seriously, you can Google it. One pair of underwear with 3 leg holes. Start using two of them. The next day you rotate counter-clockwise. After three days, you turn them inside-out and repeat. Ta-da; six days. It works great if you are a bachelor than never ever plans on breeding.

   2. If I could invent a way to make idiocy physically painful, I would win a Nobel Prize in every category.

   3. I wouldn’t mind the Chipmunks movie IF they filmed it at normal speed and then played it an high speed to get all of the voices up high. (That is how Ross Bagdasarian -aka David Seville- created the chipmunks.) If the 90 minute movie took 15 minutes, I might enjoy it.

   posted by n2y2 on 8-17-2007 at 9:17 am

4. 1. I heard of some guy from Louisiana who invented a meat toaster. It worked on the same principles as a toaster, but cook steaks and meats. The kicker: It takes almost an hour just to get Medium Rare.

   2. I think a real hoverboard (think Back to the Future II) would be fun.

   posted by Seth on 8-17-2007 at 9:51 am

5. 1. The Gerbil Shirt (Google it, it’s hilarious)

   2. Washer and dryer in one

   3. Hate it

   posted by frumpiefox on 8-17-2007 at 10:14 am

6. frumpiefox:

   I have actually used a combination washer/dryer in one unit, although I have not seen them outside of Europe.

   My apartment in France had one. It did not work well at all. First it barely fit two pairs of shorts, two shirts, 4 socks and two pair of underwear. Then the wash/dry cycle took more than 4 hours. When I pulled my cloths out they had the most tenacious power wrinkles I have ever seen; I gave up after an hour of ironing.

   After that I just used the laundromat for the rest of my stay. It took several washes and ironings before those clothes looked fresh again.

   posted by n2y2 on 8-17-2007 at 10:26 am

7. I wish someone could invent some sort of liquid form of flour (hey they have cream-to powder makeup - why not flour?)

   I love to cook, but HATE to bake, and thats due to flour. It just gets everywhere, all over the kitchen, me, my hair- by the time I get a cake done I look like Mrs, Claus!

   posted by Allison on 8-17-2007 at 11:18 am

8. Allison, they have these fancy, newfangled things now called “cake mixes” where you don’t have to use any flour.

   Just tryin’ to help…

   posted by Anthony on 8-17-2007 at 11:32 am

9. In college, whenever I had to take a test, I wished there was a jack that could just be plugged into my head, read whether or not I would be able to get the right answer, and I could be on my merry, instead of spending the next four hours pouring over complex problems.

   A little Johnny Mnemonic (from what I remember of that awful ask-the-all-knowing-dolphin movie), but somebody should get working on that.

   And boo on the chipmunks movie. Some things should be left alone.

   posted by cousin on 8-17-2007 at 12:03 pm

10. I got nothin’, but on the subject of goofy inventions, the doggie umbrella reminds me of the “you won’t believe what you can get for a buck” Spamusement.

    posted by Erin on 8-17-2007 at 12:19 pm

11. I’m going to have to thrown in a vote of confidence for the Chipmunks movie - maybe it’s just because I was exactly the right age when it ended, but I have nothing but fond memories of the chipmunks. I especially love the movie where they go around the world with the girls. I may not go see the movie in the theater, but I will for sure be renting it at least once.

    posted by Lindsay D on 8-17-2007 at 12:47 pm

12. I think that a powdered “instant water” mix is an interesting concept.

    posted by Melissa on 8-17-2007 at 1:03 pm

13. It seems that pets serve as the inspiration for all sorts of wacky and useless inventions…case in point: a planter with fake ferns which is in actuality a litter box. (From that cache of pointless gadgets, SkyMall)

    posted by natlynn on 8-17-2007 at 2:47 pm

14. My uncle invented the “Splashintor”, an anti-splashback urinal screen. In theory it’s a brilliant invention, but apparently nobody is buying it. I made the website for him, check it out:

    www.splashinator.com

    posted by Phil on 8-17-2007 at 3:59 pm

15. Seth…. A few weeks ago I saw an infomercial for a device where you put meat in a special bag then stick it in a toaster like thing.

    In the U.S., when I was a kid our neighbor had a washer/dryer. It kept malfunctioning by squirting water during the dry cycle, so the lady used our dryer for a while.

    posted by Tdave on 8-18-2007 at 1:06 am

16. OOPS! I forgot one, to add to the cordless extension cord, right handed 2×4’s, and plaid spray paint. How about the light bulb repair kit???? I am not kidding, call Home Depot and ask for this stuff and they will look for it!

    posted by John Brown on 8-19-2007 at 3:11 pm

17. Thanks Anthony! Occasionally I will use a cake mix (hey, they were good enough for Mamie Eisenhower, right?) But you just can’t get a real Southern pound cake out of a box. And don’t get me started on canned biscuits or pre-made pie crusts. Those are BAD inventions as far as my taste buds are concerned!

    posted by Allison on 8-20-2007 at 12:39 pm

18. Hey Phil,
    Whenever I look down and see a “Splashinator” I’m going to be thinking of you.

    posted by Tdave on 8-21-2007 at 1:24 am

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