On 7/28/2012 8:52 PM, andy pugh wrote: > On 29 July 2012 01:41, Jon Elson <el...@pico-systems.com> wrote: > >> I think one of the >> commercial units >> either shifts the projector or moves the image with a mirror to get >> higher resolution. > I am really good at inventing stuff. One of these days I will invent > something for the first time :-) >
Do you remember Peter Cook? Peter dealt with this subject brilliantly 50 years ago with his discussion of the invention of the wheel. I couldn't find it in a quick sweep of YouTube but I did find a transcription in the book "Tragically, I Was An Only Twin: The Complete Peter Cook" (which I highly recommend; tragically my LPs of his work---Beyond The Fringe 1 and 2 and various Peter Cook/Dudley shows---have gone the way of my BetaMax). ---transcribed from Google Books; errors are mine, mostly--- THE MAN WHO INVENTED THE WHEEL - On the Braden Beat, ITV, 1964 During the last few weeks I've been trying to think of something absolutely original and devastating. I've been trying to lay my hands on some idea that'll revolutionise [yes, Cook was British:-)] the world in some way---something like fire, or the wheel. Of course it's no good thinking of these two because they've already been invented, but something along those lines. It's a good thing to do, you know. I mean, look at the man who thought of fire. He could have made an absolute fortune. As soon as he thought of it he should have invented it, and every time anybody lit a fire they'd have to pay him a royalty. But being a rather primitive person he didn't thing of that. The same thing happened to the bloke who thought of the wheel. Actually, nobody really knows who was the first person to invent the wheel. It's all shrouded in mystery. Apparently, in primeval times, there were these two primitive people, who were both working on inventions in their caves. They were called Brodbar and Gorbly---two extremely primitive people. Then one day, Drodbar came out with a great smile all over his hairy face, and he said 'Guess what? I've invented the bandanbladderstiddle. It's absolutely brilliant. Brilliant!' And so Gorbly came out, and said 'Hello Drodbar. I hear you've invented the bandanbladderstiddle. Congratulations. Er, what exactly is it?' And Drodbar said 'It's a wonderful device that will revolutionise the world. It's very simple. It's a round thing that's easy to push along. That's all.' And then Gorbly went white, and said in a strangled voice 'It hasn't be any chance got spokes on it, has it?' 'Yes it has, as a matter of fact,' said Drodbar. 'How the devil did you know?' And Gorbly said "That's not a bandanbladderstiddle you stupid idiot. That's a wheel, and I invented it first. How dare you steal my idea?' And a great fight broke out between them, and if the man who invented fire hadn't come along and threatened to set light to them both, they might have killed each other. Anyway, there was a great dispute, and all the hairy old Neanderthals met together at Stonehenge---a lovely place---to decide who really thought of it first. And eventually, after days and days of argument, they come to the conclusion that although it seemed likely that Drodbar thought of his bandanbladderstiddle before Gorbly thought of his wheel, nevertheless they were going to give the credit to Gorbly because he thought of a much better name for it. I think they were right, actually. I mean, think of going into a garage and asking them to put a bit more air into your bandanbladderstiddle. Still, you can't help feeling sorry for poor old Drodbar, you know. He went into a great depression and went round mumbling and moaning about his wretched old bandanbladderstiddle. Eventually, he was run down by the world's first pterodactyl-drawn chariot---a terrible end. I know lots of people who've thought of things just a little too late. Poor old Spotty Muldoon. He thought of splitting the atom the other day. If only he could have had the idea about thirty years ago. He'd have made a bloody fortune. ---end--- Regards, Kent ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Live Security Virtual Conference Exclusive live event will cover all the ways today's security and threat landscape has changed and how IT managers can respond. Discussions will include endpoint security, mobile security and the latest in malware threats. http://www.accelacomm.com/jaw/sfrnl04242012/114/50122263/ _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
