Comments on: American Inventor Stupidity http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/ apparently much happier in person Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:03:04 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Rational Objectivist http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/#comment-98973 Rational Objectivist Sat, 28 Jul 2007 05:54:14 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/#comment-98973 What really pissed me off about that episode (I watched large parts of the show, by co-incidence, for the first time ever recently before seeing this post during a search for something else altogether), was the creepy, manipulative way the judges dragged out the announcements of moving on or not. Man, it was sickening seeing those snotty repeated close-ups of the faces of the contestants, trying like vultures for emotion and tears. I don't plan on watching that show again for that specific reason. :( What really pissed me off about that episode (I watched large parts of the show, by co-incidence, for the first time ever recently before seeing this post during a search for something else altogether), was the creepy, manipulative way the judges dragged out the announcements of moving on or not. Man, it was sickening seeing those snotty repeated close-ups of the faces of the contestants, trying like vultures for emotion and tears. I don’t plan on watching that show again for that specific reason. :(

]]> By: dnorman http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/#comment-98474 dnorman Thu, 26 Jul 2007 14:52:16 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/#comment-98474 @Martha: ah, the traditional Czech Christmas Carp... And burning the tree in a wood stove is a good idea - at least a new tree didn't have to get chopped. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. :-) @todd: it may not be a significant percentage of trees that wind up burning down a house, but the inventor's logic was "if I only save one child's life, this invention will have been worth it." The only guaranteed way to save a life from fire is to prevent the fire in the first place. Don't put kindling inside your house. And if you insist on putting kindling in your living room, draped in flammable items, and decorated with flammable presents underneath, maybe keep flames or other sources of ignition well away from it. Just seems a little more intelligent than placing a pressurized water canister beneath the tree, connected to a heat sensitive plug on top of the tree, hoping it all works properly in case of fire. And also hoping that it doesn't decide that the christmas lights are too hot and dousing the living room (and all of the presents) just for something to do... Seems silly, is all... @Chris: it's christmas in July! It's only supposed to hit 27˚C here today (thankfully) but it's a DRY heat. badump bum. @Martha: ah, the traditional Czech Christmas Carp… And burning the tree in a wood stove is a good idea – at least a new tree didn’t have to get chopped. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. :-)

@todd: it may not be a significant percentage of trees that wind up burning down a house, but the inventor’s logic was “if I only save one child’s life, this invention will have been worth it.” The only guaranteed way to save a life from fire is to prevent the fire in the first place. Don’t put kindling inside your house. And if you insist on putting kindling in your living room, draped in flammable items, and decorated with flammable presents underneath, maybe keep flames or other sources of ignition well away from it. Just seems a little more intelligent than placing a pressurized water canister beneath the tree, connected to a heat sensitive plug on top of the tree, hoping it all works properly in case of fire. And also hoping that it doesn’t decide that the christmas lights are too hot and dousing the living room (and all of the presents) just for something to do… Seems silly, is all…

@Chris: it’s christmas in July! It’s only supposed to hit 27˚C here today (thankfully) but it’s a DRY heat. badump bum.

]]> By: Chris Garrett http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/#comment-98448 Chris Garrett Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:30:31 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/#comment-98448 We had the same fake tree every year as a kid, it came over with us to the UK so was a little bit of home. My bro and I used to measure ourselves against it every year to see how much we had grown, sadly my brother beat it in height but I never did. I just love this conversation is taking place in July. What did you say the temperature was there again? Something-crazy-degrees-c wasn't it? :) We had the same fake tree every year as a kid, it came over with us to the UK so was a little bit of home. My bro and I used to measure ourselves against it every year to see how much we had grown, sadly my brother beat it in height but I never did.

I just love this conversation is taking place in July. What did you say the temperature was there again? Something-crazy-degrees-c wasn’t it? :)

]]> By: todd http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/#comment-98344 todd Thu, 26 Jul 2007 06:41:27 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/#comment-98344 Yeah - 30 million Christmas trees sold each year - doesn't seem to be so unsafe -- they keep selling them. I am Voting for the cool HT Racers toys -- 1-866-874-2503 Yeah – 30 million Christmas trees sold each year – doesn’t seem to be so unsafe — they keep selling them.
I am Voting for the cool HT Racers toys — 1-866-874-2503

]]> By: Martha http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/#comment-98329 Martha Thu, 26 Jul 2007 05:33:00 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/#comment-98329 Seriously, though. My sister-in-law is from the Czech Republic and up until fairly recently they still put sparklers on their Christmas tree. My brother still can't forget what THAT was like the first time he visited for the holiday. Then again, it also seems to be a Czech tradition to keep a carp in the bathtub for a few days before Christmas for the big holiday dinner. So, whatever. To each, his own. The real tradition in our house (candles and kerosene aside) is to save last year's tree and burn it the next year in the fireplace on Christmas day (a childhood tradition of my husband's). Can I justify that since we're getting a little heat out of it? We use a wood stove, so it's even a little efficient! :) Seriously, though. My sister-in-law is from the Czech Republic and up until fairly recently they still put sparklers on their Christmas tree. My brother still can’t forget what THAT was like the first time he visited for the holiday.

Then again, it also seems to be a Czech tradition to keep a carp in the bathtub for a few days before Christmas for the big holiday dinner. So, whatever. To each, his own.

The real tradition in our house (candles and kerosene aside) is to save last year’s tree and burn it the next year in the fireplace on Christmas day (a childhood tradition of my husband’s). Can I justify that since we’re getting a little heat out of it? We use a wood stove, so it’s even a little efficient! :)

]]> By: dnorman http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/#comment-98320 dnorman Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:39:36 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/#comment-98320 man, I'd love to see christmas morning at your place... I'll bring the marshmallows... :-) man, I’d love to see christmas morning at your place… I’ll bring the marshmallows… :-)

]]> By: Martha http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/#comment-98319 Martha Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:32:33 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/#comment-98319 What makes you think the trees are dry? We spritz them every few hours with a little kerosene to keep things lively. What makes you think the trees are dry? We spritz them every few hours with a little kerosene to keep things lively.

]]> By: dnorman http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/#comment-98316 dnorman Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:12:43 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/#comment-98316 another trick might be to use LED lights rather than open flames on dry pine trees... ;-) another trick might be to use LED lights rather than open flames on dry pine trees… ;-)

]]> By: Martha http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/#comment-98314 Martha Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:02:30 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/07/25/american-inventor-stupidity/#comment-98314 In our house, the solution is to just not leave the room when the candles on the tree are burning. So simple, really. In our house, the solution is to just not leave the room when the candles on the tree are burning. So simple, really.

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