That's my problem! (Wifey says: which one?) The brain controls a 'dimmer switch' to limit the amount of input from the ears, to allow a person to tune in specific things, making it easier to stick with a conversation in a crowded party. I, however, have never really been able to listen to a single conversation in a noisy room -- somebody installed a faulty dimmer in my noggin. At least, that's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it. via. #

What has four sides, a trapezoid top, and goes "clip clop"? swiss horsehoe nails. Woodworking magazine recognizes their similarity to ancient nails and tries them out, with sadly poor results. Unlike roman nails, the horseshoe nails widen greatly at the top, causing the wood to split. #

When fixing one thing in modern technology, it breaks other things in strange ways. A videographer was trying to film a zero-G flight with his high-tech digital camcorder, but the camera just wouldn't run. Turns out, because hard drives are so fragile, they automatically go into "impact mode" when experiencing zero-G to protect their parts. Clumsy IT people results in no spaceflight videography. #

Another data-transportation format dies: QRS Music recently ceased producing paper-hole-punched player piano rolls. The format was a simple one, similar to the process used in wind-up music boxes, but not complex enough to produce the kind of music available on phonograph records or radio...which makes it surprising that there was still any reason for the manufacture of player-piano rolls after the 1930s or 1940s. As with the false belief that digital synthesizers would replace all musical instruments, people still appreciated the art of the player piano, and restorers still needed something to play on their classic machines. Offering an alternate music choice or modern audio format didn't do in the player piano: replacing the roll format did. Modern player pianos exist, but load their songs from a CD or memory card. #