Newley Purnell
![The Chatterbowl -- talking dog/cat bowl [NOT MY IMAGE]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2229/2290478029_bbc0a9e141_m.jpg)
The Chatterbowl allows pet owners to record messages that play back when their furry friends eat or drink.
(Via Buzzfeed.)
As you know, ridiculous pet products are a favorite of mine. Witness such previous postings:
– The pet peek
– The “oral hygiene kit” for pets
– The dog-powered scooter
– The rubber lips chew toy
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The Usborne Book of the Future was published in 1978 and envisions the world in the year 2000 “and beyond.”
Some of my favorite predictions include:
– the human-robot space exploration teams,
– military troops transported by rocket and then dispatched via armed “hovercars,”
– these crustacean-like aliens pondering high-tech crystal balls,
– (under the heading 1991-2000) sunlight-reflecting mirrors in space that provide light for the dark side of the earth,
– (under the heading 2001-2050) an “electromagnetic catapult” on the moon used to fling mining materials to “space factories.”
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Fishing tackle as objets d’art? Damn straight.
Field and Stream‘s got an excellent photo gallery of the 50 Greatest Fishing Lures of All Time, many of which are simply beautiful. The Dardevle Spinnie, for example, is awfully pretty. I also love the sleek Rapala, the flamboyant Rooster Tail, the irreverent Hula Popper, and the bulbous Berkley Bat Wing Frog. (Okay, so that last one might not be so easy on the eyes, but you’ve gotta love fishing with something that resembles a miniature frog.)
My all-time favorite lure, though, is the Mepps Aglia (above), which I would argue is just as attractive as many contemporary women’s brooches I’ve seen. It is nothing less than a work of art.
Related fishing post: remember when my buddy Chad caught a deer in the Chesapeake Bay last summer? Well, his photos from the event were subsequently forwarded via email — each sender embellishing the tale a bit — to such an extent that some labeled it an urban legend. But it’s not. You can even look it up on Snopes.com.
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![Pic from Airplane! [Not My Image]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2083/1688348488_9a3d2c5c63_m.jpg)
An Indian entrepreneur has given a new twist to the concept of low-cost airlines. The passengers boarding his Airbus 300 in Delhi do not expect to go anywhere because it never takes off.All they want is the chance to know what it is like to sit on a plane, listen to announcements and be waited on by stewardesses bustling up and down the aisle.
In a country where 99% of the population have never experienced air travel, the “virtual journeys” of Bahadur Chand Gupta, a retired Indian Airlines engineer, have proved a roaring success.
As on an ordinary aircraft, customers buckle themselves in and watch a safety demonstration. But when they look out of the windows, the landscape never changes. Even if “Captain” Gupta wanted to get off the ground, the plane would not go far: it only has one wing and a large part of the tail is missing.
None of that bothers Gupta as he sits at the controls in his cockpit. His regular announcements include, “We will soon be passing through a zone of turbulence” and “We are about to begin our descent into Delhi.”
(Emphasis mine.)
Airplane! Image via Wikipedia.
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![The Pet Peek [not my image]](http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1032/775317811_4940e9b820_m.jpg)
Taylor Gifts sells some astounding products. Case in point: the Pet Peek, above, which is designed to “satisfy your pup’s curiosity and help reduce barking, scratching and digging every time he senses something on the other side of the fence.”
I also quite like the Cooler Scoop and the Heated Taco Bar.
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Check out “The Top Ten Weird and Bizarre Japanese Soft Drinks.”
I would kill for a taste of the Pepsi Ice Cucumber. Not to mention the Coolpis Kimchi Drink.
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![Toothbrushes for Pets [not my image]](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/191/522896388_92105f805e_m.jpg)
An innovative dental care kit where brushing is literally at your fingertips. A two-piece kit consisting of a regular style toothbrush and a rubber tipped gum massager. The plastic handle fits easily over the end of your finger for fine control of brushing. Makes a difficult job easier and increases owners compliance for better dental care. Attractively packaged for display in your clinic.
But what about flossing?
(Via.)
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![The Dog Powered Scooter [not my image]](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/236/461263191_2014778707_m.jpg)
Say hello to the Dog Powered Scooter.
Related tomfoolery: How many cats would it take to pull a dog sled?
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![MetroNaps [not my image]](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/184/421868543_fb29fd4bd2_m.jpg)
MetroNaps: pods that you can rent for naps. These are new to me. And they’re totally, totally awesome. (This one’s for you, Mike W.)
(Via.)
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