Making smoked foods A better way to brine

If like me you have no room in your fridge for a bucket full of meat when youre brining, try putting into an icebox.

Throw some ice in with it and youre set.


120 Things in 20 years  thinks this might be a record shortest post ever.

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Winner The great MPPT solar charge controller competition

So I asked the invention engine what kind of competition I should hold to give away that first solar charge controller I bought, and it said I should ask everyone else.

Helpful.

It said I should get a load of people to submit their ideas.

I asked it why people should spend their precious time helping me out with their ideas.

It said I should provide some kind of incentive.

Like a competition.

So the first ever 120 Things in 20 years competition is as follows...



Whoever can come up with the best idea for a competition wins.

The prize is that solar controller I had so much trouble with because it didnt match my solar panels too high voltage.

There is only one rule*, and that is the winner wont be anyone who enters by simply adding another layer of competition to the competition to see what the competition should be.

I already thought of that one, and Ive decided I probably wont give the prize to me, although I am currently in the lead so I may change my mind.



Mrs 120 Things and I will judge the winner at our own discretion, in our own time, whenever we feel like it, if we feel like it, and reserve all rights to do whatever we want without reservation or regard for others.



120 Things in 20 years thinks the invention engine may have just gained consciousness, or at least the beginnings of a consciousness-free sense of humour.



click the comments thingy to enter or offer derisive laughter

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Winner The first 120 things in 20 years competition

So a while ago, I bought a MPPT solar charge controller.

It turns out the nice ebay based company I bought it from was a fraud, and sold me a product that wouldnt work with my solar panel in spite of my having asked them and then double checking. My solar panel had too high a voltage, but the listing said it would be fine.

Anyway...

The result was that I was sent a product that didnt work as advertised.

Eventually ebay made them give me my money back. The company insisted I return their product at my expense.

I posted it to their registered address, but the post office in China said there was nobody by that name at that address.

So China Post returned it to sender.

Me.

All this is old news to anyone who follows this blog, but this is the new bit.

I thought Id give it away because its of no use to me, and might be exactly what someone else wanted. But who to give it to?

I thought Id hold a competition, and give it to the winner, but I cant think of a decent theme.

The current plan for the first ever 120 things in 20 years competition is to run it through the invention engine and see what it thinks.

so... stay tuned I guess. Its late, and Im going to bed.

Tomorrow, the competition begins!

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Competition winner!

So according to Mrs 120 things in 20 years (also known as Mrs Bullwinkle, and also by her actual name in non-digital real life, the winner of the amazing solar charge controller competition - based (apparently) entirely on effort rather than anything else is ....

brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrb boom tish!

Mike Creuzer who suggested I hold a comp to get new ideas to learn or something.

To be honest I lost track a little :)

I dont really like prescription opiates, or competitions, and it turns out I hate hosting them.

Some ideas Ive had are better than others. 

But I do like winning them, so if Mike is anything like me, he will like the fact that Mrs Bullwinkle thought his thoughtful thoughts were...

Winsome!

So congratulations Mike you seem to be the winner. I hope you put it to good use, or perhaps even better, I hope you hold a similar competition on your own blog and pass it on to someone else :) (not really - use it).

Please keep in mind I was conned when I bought it as it doesnt do the claimed 24v solar to 12v battery, so there is a slim to fare chance that its filled with nothing but exported industrial waste rather than MPPT circuitry. 

Winner beware!

Pass the final test - guess my email address and send me your postal address and Ill send you your awesome prize. 

Why did Mrs 120 Things In 20 Years have to pick the post distant entry from the other side of the world instead of the guy I would have picked in my home town with the "most unfinished projects" entry, or my friend that suggested the cheese eating comp? I could have just handed it to either of them.

At least it will finally find a good home.

120 Things In 20 Years Congratulates its most recent prize winner. Most of the rest of you are insane!

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Thinking Vacant

Sometimes things conspire in such a way as to make you look blankly at walls for such a long time as to make other parts of you decide to wonder off and ignore those parts of you currently engaged in looking blankly at walls.

This is how we know its time to change the way we look at stuff.

Thats not to say we should actually look away from looking blankly at walls, but rather that we understand there are advantages to looking away.

What you do is up to you.

Its not necessary to look away, only that you should know there are better things to look at, and better things that might be revealed if you were to actually look away.

Currently, Im failing, but one day I hope to master new methods of looking...

Away...

blankly at walls.

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Winner! Attempt

I totally didnt win a 3D printer!

Sad face.

I really wanted to win a 3D printer.

But I guess everyone else did as well.

Oh well.

I actually voted for someone else.

Perhaps that was the problem.

This really cool barometer entry featured a glass jar with a balloon glued over the top, and a stick glued on top of that so that, when you place the device next to a wall, the stick would move up or down depending on the air pressure of the day.

Very cool.

Very minimalist.

Anyway, Ill just use my 2D printer, but Ill print a lot of copies so I gain some depth.

Or figure out a different way to win a 3D printer.

Or maybe just become a patissier.

Either way, its all good.

Perhaps I should have posted a link to vote for my entry or something.

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