Boston Warehouse Animal House Owl Salt Grinder

Boston Warehouse Animal House Owl Salt Grinder

Owls are well known for being wise; they are also famous for being able to turn their heads around almost in a full circle. The Boston Warehouse Animal House Owl Salt Grinder understands both of these properties.

Although it is labeled a salt grinder, it would probably work just as well for peppercorns. And as everybody who is wise knows, freshly-ground pepper is vastly superior to that powdered stuff that comes in a shaker. To use, just twist to grind for fresh spices; and no worries, this little owl can turn its head all the way around!

**UPDATE**10/12/12**

Continue reading Boston Warehouse Animal House Owl Salt Grinder

Probably Pretend Popinator Project Pitches Popcorn

A company called Popcorn, Indiana has produced the above video highlighting something called the Popinator Project. The company may be real as evidenced by bags of the stuff the can be found in actual stores. But with viral marketing videos being so, well, viral (as well as being fun to blog about), it’s hard to take this at face value.

The Popinator is a:

Fully automated, voice-activated popcorn launching machine, that is triggered by the word pop.

It uses a “binaural microphone system” to figure out how to locate where the voice came from. Then it launches a single kernel into your waiting mouth. Is it real? You be the judge. (And buy some popcorn while at it.)

Mind Over Melon Watermelon Exploder

Mind Over Melon -- photo via Flickr; attributed to Beer Coaster
Mind Over Melon — photo via Flickr; attributed to Beer Coaster

For some reason, watermelons receive more than their fair share of torture. First, there’s that Gallagher character who takes such glee from destroying the rotund fruits. And then of course, there is the Japanese, who torture melons into shapes that they have no business being forced into. (And cucumbers too.) They have even been corseted into a rubber band trap with predictable results.

Poor watermelons.

And now they must suffer via a direct link to the minds of their destroyers. Snip:

Mind Over Melon is a LVL1 project made by Chris and Brad. It’s purpose is simple: Destroy watermelons with your mind. It uses a Star Wars Force Trainer toy attached to an Arduino FIO with Xbee, paired to another Arduino + Xbee, attached to a 200psi Solenoid Valve. The solenoid valve dumps CO2 into the melon when brain activity reaches a certain threshold.
— Louisville Hackerspace

Will watermelons ever get a break? I mean eaten. I mean left alone to take over the world in sweet, sweet, pink watery revenge.

(Originally via Dvice)

Handy Gourmet Forever Fizz 2 Liter Soda Dispenser

Handy Gourmet JB6066 Forever Fizz

Dear Soda People,

Drink carefully.

Reviewers seem to hate this thing. The thing? The Handy Gourmet JB6066 Forever Fizz.

They say:

At first glance I thought it might be fun. I am into interesting gadgets. But this is not a useful gadget. It’s not even an interesting toy. It is a complete waste of money. If you should wind up with one of these, hopefully through no fault of your own, be sure you do all your experimenting in the kitchen sink. No you don’t have to do it in the shower. There is no real pressure. There is no gushing out of your soda. There is no fun.
— john the artist

Ouch.

So then, where do all the unsold units go?

Why to the dark corners of Amazon, where all those bad reviews magically disappear.
Listed for $2.83 $2.50 as the Coke Fizzy Soda Drinking Dispense Gadget Cool Dispenser, the failed product will live on and on and on and…

Sincerely, Beyond The Kitchen Sink

PS: Yikes! Fifteen one star reviews (and two very suspect 5 star reviews) over on QVC where they are branded as the K25916 – Prepology Set of 2 Fizz Saver 2-Liter Soda Dispensers.

Fish Palm Tree Measuring Spoons

Crosby & Taylor Fish Measuring Spoon with Pewter Palm Tree Post

Whoever said fish doesn’t grow on trees was wrong. (I’m sure somebody, somewhere once may have said that. Maybe.) All it takes is one quick look at the Crosby & Taylor Fish Measuring Spoon with Pewter Palm Tree Post to put that fallacy to rest. Clearly, fish do grow on trees. Especially when they are both made of pewter.

Perhaps the product description says it best:

For those who love palm trees and fish, this set is a perfect combination of the practical and the innovative.

Palm trees and fish. Together at last!