Inventorrific!

I've decided that American Inventor is my new favourite show. It's like American Idol, except with inventions instead of singing, and with no tedious audience participation - the judges vote people off the show. Basically, some contestants have interesting ideas and good prototypes, and might make the world a better place with their products (just like some Idol contestants have good voices). Most Inventor contestants, however, have really dorky ideas and really funny-looking prototypes, and one has an enjoyable time laughing at them. The reason it's better than Idol is that the laughable inventions rarely hurt your ears. And good inventions are more interesting than yet another talented but bland cookie-cutter pop star. The down side of the show (one of them anyway) is that they have waste-of-time epilogues for the losers where they stand in a white room (with no black curtains) (or is that a green room with the white background added by computer?) and talk about how much smarter than the judges they are, and how the judges will be sorry, and they often launch into a string of profanities that is dutifully beeped out - it's a part of the show that I hope they will cut and replace with something more interesting (which could be just about anything). Still, I found it very entertaining.

Backlog Bob

P.S. Sorry about those two parentheses on the same phrase. I know two sarcastic comments on one phrase is a bit much, but I couldn't help it.

Researchers again test link between marijuana use and memory loss

. . . according to this story found on Yahoo! News. One lead researcher is quoted as saying "We just forgot that we had already done this study. Now we know for sure that the link is -what's that word again?- oh yeah, undeniable." In a related story, scientists learn that regular cocaine use may cause erratic behaviour.

Backlog Bob

Update: Yahoo! News has forgotten where they put the story I linked to in this post.

LaVar's new job

LaVar Arrington lost his job with the Redskins. I know that's old news by now, but I don't like to report things that are unresolved. Well LaVar has found a job. He's stepping into LeVar Burton's role as the visor-wearing, blind engineer who reads books to children on Reading Rainbow. Now that Arrington is the host, they can stop printing special braille versions of the books. They will now be printed with a special ink that gives off a distinct gamma signature that can be detected by LaVar's visor. Ha ha! Just kidding. It's actually just a heat signature! Using ink irradiated with gamma radiation would be silly, not to mention dangerous.

I have to sign off now, lest this writing about gamma radiation turn me into the Hulk. Or Dave Barry.

Backlog Bob