Flexing your brain

I'm not sure if this could be called a meme, or not. It's pretty simple in concept, but something of a challenge in implementation:

List all of the things that you could think of to make from a block of wood (generic; nothing exotic) that was three feet on a side (in other words, a three-foot cube). You aren't limited on what tools you can use -- anything you can imagine to do to it is allowed.

I'm going to tag...

The Blonde Goddess
Good Sir Jimbo
LeeAnn and
Erica

Pbbbbbbbbbbbbt!

So that there isn't any "cross-pollenation", I'll post MY list on Sunday morning.

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Scroll down to see what I came up with...
















I could make:

1. table
2. chairs
3. table AND chairs (triangular cuts in from sides to leave top and legs)
4. sawdust for padding/cleanup/etc
5. grind up and make into paper/cardboard
6. cut into really thin sheets and make a 'home'
7. sets of steps
8. dishes (cups, saucers, plates, etc)
9. ball(s) (such as for croquet)
   
10. toy blocks for kids
11. dominoes
12. playing cards
13. chess set
14. step ladder/stool
15. boat & paddle/oars
16. barrel
17. firewood
18. charcoal
19. sculpture
20. landscaping accent
    
21. couch
22. shelves
23. tools (i.e. yardstick, clamps, shovel, etc. -- nothing requiring a cutting edge)
24. ashtray
25. cut into pieces, carve, and make totem pole
26. eating utensils
27. cooking utensils
28. storage cabinet
29. door(s)
30. fence
31. sled (winter)
    
32. sledge
    
33. clothing
34. toothpicks
35. tire chocks
36. clubs
37. sign
38. bed
39. podium
40. jewelry
41. sieve
42. paperweights
43. trash can
44. pool
45. water tank
46. desk
47. cabinet
48. dresser
49. locker
50. airplane (glider)
51. dice
52. deck
53. floor
54. box
55. steps
56. musical instruments
57. fishing floats
58. fishing rods
59. fish hooks
60. archery (bow, crossbow, arrows, quiver, etc.)
61. footstool
62. roofing shingles
63. railing
64. ladder
65. flowerpots
66. toolbox
67. deadweights for traps
68. blocks for pulleys/tackle
69. atlatl
70. pegs
71. hooks
72. bench
73. shoes
74. stilts
75. cage
76. comb
77. sundial
78. windmill
79. plumbing (rough pipes/troughs)
80. slingshot
81. wheels
82. tablets
83. umbrella
84. wheelbarrow
85. wedges
86. waterwheel
87. fasteners (pins, etc.)
88. shield
89. assorted weapons
90. handles for non-wooden tools
91. counterweight
92. stylus (like for clay tablets)
93. fan
94. pump
95. cold chest
96. fishtank
97. door latch
98. brushes
99. rollers
100. raft
101. buoy
102. bridge
103. basket
104. bucket
105. snowshoes
106. shutter(s)
107. cart
108. yoke
109. pillory
110. chopping block
111. plugs
112. plow
113. rails
114. gallows
115. guillotine
116. fertilizer
117. mulch
118. shepherd's crook

I know some of this stuff may seem a little strange (clothing?) but it could be done (thin sheets laced together. Uncomfortable? No doubt. Covering? Yup!). I also didn't include every variation on a basic premise (i.e. a horizontal surface can be a table, chair, shelf, cutting block, desk, etc).

Aaaaargh!!

Is it me, or is this about the most fucked-up thing going on at present?

Nadya Suleman, a.k.a. the Octomom, is "buying" a bigger (by 1,000 square feet; the new place is just over 2,500) house.

Now, she's unemployed and living on government assistance... so how is it she's buying this new home?

"I earned it. ... No, my father did not purchase this house for me. I did it on my own," Suleman told Radar magazine's Web site during a video tour of the home.

and

She did not say specifically how she was paying for the house, but told Radar: "My ultimate goal is not to be a burden on ... taxpayers. So there have been a couple of offers. ... I selectively picked a couple of opportunities to earn some resources for the kids."

Somehow, I don't think so...

Something I may have missed somewhere along the line is: just how did she manage to get 8 embryos implanted, anyway? I mean, I doubt the asshat that did it worked for free, nor the facility staff where it happened -- so who paid for it?

The patient survived...

Got the replacement cable for my laptop via eBay today, got it installed, and the patient has survived the surgery.

I could have bought the cable outright for something like $10, but figured it was worth seeing if I couldn't win it via an auction -- which I did, getting it for $0.99. Shipping, either way, was pretty close to the same, so I saved 9/10 the price by being willing to wait a couple of days.

Mr. Laptop is a happy camper once again - his display is bright, regardless of what angle it's set at, he fires up into Linux just like he's supposed to, and even as I'm typing this he's getting a few program updates (which, by the way, are free for Linux, and don't require the system to be rebooted except in rare cases).

The USB port in the back has been soldered back into place, and supplemented with a little extra mechanical fastening to help keep it from coming loose again, too.

Life Is Good! :-)