making 0 = 1

I saw this on a website when I was researching return codes in programs :

Setting mx to zero is equivalent to setting mx to one.

Uhh…  If your program makes 0 = 1, wouldn’t that disrupt the laws of mathematics and physics?  Would this signal the end of the world as we know it?  Perhaps this is how you write a software emulation of bending the space-time fabric and making wormholes and time travel possible…

Okay, some of you may be thinking this speculation is absurd.  But if you just dismiss it and never follow these suspicious leads, you’ll never get to catch the great conspiracies.  I know, there’s no proof, but a great conspiracy is unprovable.

an unexpected new product

Some of the scientists in our resident R&D department have been conducting their own independent research lately, and they’ve come up with a great new product.  It’s a new shampoo just for men.  Now before you tune out because this sounds boring and mundane, hear me out.  This is no ordinary shampoo.  Let me explain.

Our new 3-in-1 shampoo plus conditioner is specially formulated, strong enough for a man, and pH-balanced for men.  (Yes, men have pH-balances, too, but nobody seems to care.)  This incredible new shampoo has been fortified with 12 essential vitamins and minerals, and is part of a healthy shower.  It’s not yet FDA-approved to be part of a healthy breakfast, but recent tests has proven that laboratory rats prefer the taste of it 5-to-1 compared to the national leading brand.  Why would it be tasty?  We have a secret ingredient.  The shampoo has been carefully formulated based on a cocoa butter extract.  I realize a few other brands have said this, but ours is made from actual cocoa beans and leaves.  (And they are fresh — hand-collected every morning by Juan Valdez and his trusty goat.)

The cocoa has multiple positive effects, which makes this product truly revolutionary.  It makes it quite tasty, if I may say so myself.  And it gives you a small caffeine boost to help you get going in the morning (even when used just as a shampoo, because it soaks in).  But here’s the innovative part — it gives your hair a scent that has its foundations in chocolate.  Your hair won’t directly smell like chocolate, but it’s close enough that women will get excited when they smell it.  They may not realize that it is related to chocolate, but they will know it smells good.  And so this gives you bonus “points” with your woman (or helps you draw women if you’re single).  Who wouldn’t want that?

We will begin taking orders soon.  And be sure to watch for our new cocoa-based mouthwash, which will freshen your breath and also draw women toward your mouth.

a better alarm clock

I’ve thought of a product that needs to be invented : an alarm clock that bakes muffins to wake you up.  You could prep it with the necessary mix at night, it stores it cool, then just before your alarm sounds, it starts baking the muffins.  Wouldn’t this be a great idea?  As my research this week has proven, blueberry muffins make a great breakfast.

Someone has already invented an alarm clock that actually fries bacon to wake you up.  That sounds pretty cool.  (And in a recent post some “important doctor” keeps saying bacon is healthy for you… hopefully he’s right!)  Bacon would make my mornings start off a lot better.  And along these lines, a chocolate milk dispenser would be nice…

a jet-powered car

A guy in California, Ron Patrick, has created a jet-powered Volkswagen Beetle that is street-legal.  Apparently there aren’t any rules in California’s book against this.  The police have pulled him over numerous times but found nothing to charge him with.  Technically the car even qualifies as a hybrid since it has two engines.  The jet engine adds 1350 horsepower to his car.  He’s got quite a few pictures, which you should check out.

At the bottom of the page he shows a jet-powered scooter he is making.  I don’t think it’s so good an idea… I could see someone losing control of that pretty easily…

Nonetheless, you have to give this guy credit for pulling off something most of us (guys) would like to do…  I imagine most of us (guys) have watched Batman and dreamed of how cool it would be to have a jet-powered car.