Helicopter Ejection Seats, Detachable Dog Sacks, and Other Weirdness

"A Century of Disasters: The Top 10 Worst Inventions in History"
FOXNews (March 18, 2009)

" These days, it seems like patents are being handed out like candy on Halloween — more than 260,000 patents were granted in the United States during fiscal year 2007 alone.

"From the development of the television to the rise of the Internet, some of the most influential devices of the past century have managed to identify specific societal needs and fill the gaps that lie just beyond the realm of human possibility.

"But...."

That's right: the cat's wearing a wig. Blue. And, it's patented. A mask that keeps you from eating solid food, as long as you keep it on, is patented, too. The mask is supposed to help you lose weight.

Then, there's the helicopter ejection seat.

My favorite, today, is the detachable dog sack. Like several of these borderline-insane inventions, it's from the first half of the 20th century. June, 1936, in this case.

And, of course, there's the the Pedal-Powered Wheelchair. Okay, that actually can be sueful in the real world.

This sort of 'aren't those people over there nuts' articles are fun, as long as you don't take them too seriously. Which I don't. Enjoy.