The worst / most useless Christmas item! - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2018, 09:12:24 pm
content: Let's see if we can find the most hilarious / useless /Christmas item.I'll kick off with two pinecones for 5 euro:

author: schmitt trigger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2018, 09:17:03 pm
content: In countries like ours where there is no abundance of coniferous trees, such that you won't find any lying in your backyard, you will find pine cones for sale for the purpose of Christmas ornaments.But not at 5 Euro/pair!

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2018, 09:33:42 pm
content: lol! To be fair those look like the big ones, so those arn't really found in nature everywhere like the small ones. My mom used to have some HUGE ones my grandparents brought from a trip down south.So wasteful to package them in plastic like that though. There's got to be a better way.

author: Wan Huang Luo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2018, 09:34:51 pm
content: Personally I'd take those 5 Euro and eat some of that delicious northern European fish. And leave the pine cones on the ground

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2018, 10:07:50 pm
content: Be glad they are not "scented" with what I can only describe as a tear gas. It is impossible to walk into the stores selling this scented trash.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2018, 10:11:11 pm
content: I'd nominate:https://www.amazon.com/Pull-My-Finger-Farting-Santa/dp/B0006IDLRAHowever there's probably a worse example of seasonal scatology out there.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2018, 11:24:37 pm
content: Christmas cards.Lots of unnecessary transport, pollution from that transport and paper production, glitter bomb your house, cost a fortune these days and go in the bin within a week of the event being over.

author: MrMobodies
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2018, 11:25:12 pm
content: A plastic yellow duck that floats on water.It does nothing but float that's all.Nothing I can do with it.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2018, 11:28:28 pm
content: Actually they can be quite useful!https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendly_Floatees

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2018, 11:32:49 pm
content: Fruitcake

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2018, 11:41:24 pm
content: Every single Christmas gift i got from my wife over the lifetime.

author: Circlotron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2018, 11:58:16 pm
content: Gift vouchers.Just like cash but less useful.

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2018, 11:58:54 pm
content: Any Drone or RC toy sold by 'any' chain store on the planet for Christmas as they will be broken in some way on the day and no bits available EVER to fix it in 90% of cases

author: Muttley Snickers
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 12:02:55 am
content: Quote from: MrMobodies on December 03, 2018, 11:25:12 pmAt least the yellow ducks are generally confined to bathtubs and swimming pools unlike these stupid plastic and foam things which aren't going to benefit our oceans very much, surely these things could be crafted from wood instead.Dad: "Billy, where is the new toy Santa brought you ?."Billy: "I chucked it away in the ocean like all the other kids did."

author: Sredni
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 12:43:57 am
content: FIVE EUROS???For two pine cones?Do you believe money grows on trees???Oh, wait!

author: nvidia
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 01:24:49 am
content: this

author: schmitt trigger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 02:39:30 am
content: Quote from: Ian.M on December 03, 2018, 10:11:11 pmNow you know where the 3 cent Microcontrollers are used for.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 04:37:22 am
content: Quote from: bd139 on December 03, 2018, 11:24:37 pmSo true. My church used to have this thing where people make Christmas card for everybody who's a regular there. Times that by the number of people there, and that's a lot of waste. Sure it was kinda nice I guess to go in your mailbox and see all the cards but it also made me feel bad for not bothering to do the same. They put a stop to all that a few years back and suggested that people just make 1 card and post it on the bulletin board instead.Back when I lived with my parents I recall my mom spending hours making all the cards. All that work for something that will be thrown out at the end of the season.

author: Gary350z
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 05:16:16 am
content: Quote from: ataradov on December 03, 2018, 10:07:50 pmIt's Christmas last year, I'm in the grocery store walking down the frozen food section (8 foot tall freezer units with glass doors) when the smell gets extremely strong. I'm like WTF. I look left, then right, nothing here. Then I look up and there are racks full of the scented pine cones, and the cool glass doors are drawing the smell down on to the top of my head. The smell is unbearable, so I immediately flee to an area with fresh air.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 06:08:41 am
content: If you want stench training, visit your local Chinese seafood store.

author: Cyberdragon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 03:19:01 pm
content: Cut the Cristmas cards in half and use them as mini-posters (the fronts) or hang them from the tree or something. Also, the singing ones are a source of mini-speakers.Also, do you mean the fake conifer smell stinks or specifically the scent cones (haven't seen them in awhile)?EDIT: There are also cinnimon ones as well as conifer ones. Both of which are not bad smells on their own but can get quite pungent fast (careful of the air fresheners).

author: steve30
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 06:03:44 pm
content: Quote from: bd139 on December 03, 2018, 11:24:37 pmThey keep the postman in business.I like Christmas cards as a way of hearing from people you don't hear from very often. They are also good when they have a stash of money or a cheque inside them.

author: Cyberdragon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2018, 05:49:24 am
content: There's those prank singing cards that once opened, don't stop until they die. They're also full of glitter for round two (mess) when you've finally had enough of round one (noise).

author: Gary350z
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2018, 10:29:33 am
content: Quote from: Cyberdragon on December 04, 2018, 03:19:01 pmIt's the cinnamon cones. There in lots of stores around me for several Christmases now.

author: Cyberdragon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2018, 04:27:19 am
content: Not particularly a bad smell (kind of like pumpkin pie), just extremely potent and should be used in moderation. The stores do smell of it here and it's not particularly a problem, but I can see if you had an extreme amount of it that it would get unpleasantly pungent.

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2018, 04:38:27 am
content: Quote from: MrMobodies on December 03, 2018, 11:25:12 pmWhat are you talking about? It's a great debugging tool.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2018, 05:25:37 am
content: lol christmas what a fucking sham, its a conspiracy to spend less money and not appear greedy for like a month and a half. i don't care for it anymore. maybe a decade ago I still got a bit excited but now itsit's kind of like getting a bunch of 20's to hand someone you owe money instead of real bills so it feels a bit heavier and you get a few hours before they realize you stiffed them on a fair chunk of change.

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2018, 05:27:32 am
content: Quote from: coppercone2 on December 06, 2018, 05:25:37 amAlways a subtle and happy camper, aren't you?

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2018, 05:29:16 am
content: Quote from: Mr. Scram on December 06, 2018, 05:27:32 amcome on its the chirstmas season, i gotta get something for my kids and wife you know? you can do it for 50 right pal?

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2018, 05:31:33 am
content: Quote from: coppercone2 on December 06, 2018, 05:29:16 amOh look can you do it before Christmas because of 'XYZ'. Generally because they forgot to consider it before then. Bill = Bill x .... Money

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2018, 05:33:29 am
content: Quote from: beanflying on December 06, 2018, 05:31:33 amits kind of described well by the inheritance scene from the movie 'the grand budapest hotel' but the thing is, all the people you don't know come crawling out of the woodwork expecting stuff from you, but your not dead yet.i am going to stop posting in this thread now though.

author: Cyberdragon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2018, 05:51:48 am
content: Quote from: coppercone2 on December 06, 2018, 05:25:37 amLESS money? You should come to america...https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1112/average-cost-of-an-american-christmas.aspx

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2018, 08:25:41 am
content: Just as bad in the UK, if not worse. My neighbour apparently spent £2000 on Christmas last year. This was mostly to keep up appearances so he could be seen to have the best Christmas to everyone else and tell everyone how much he spent. Due to our political climate he was unceremoniously tossed onto the street last year by the bank he worked for. Wonder how that’s working out for him now.Really Christmas can just fuck off totally. It’s a time of corporate expectations, family politics and ridiculous rituals by the socially inclined. On the latter it’s just an excuse to do what they usually do and blame the outcome on some arbitrary party. I have actually had to sit in an ambulance with some idiot more than once (never be first responder!). You can tell the state of affairs when immediately in the middle of November all the pay day loan companies come crawling out explaining their miraculous Christmas saving products at only 1500% APR. At the same time the health service suffers here from the self inflicted injuries and drunken fights and people being pushed over the edge of their already poorly supported mental health issues.If you want to do something proper at Christmas put some food in the local food bank.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2018, 09:04:11 am
content: If you can't do a decent family Christmas for about £50 per head all in, you've been suckered by the over-commercialised American style Christmas.Quote from: bd139 on December 06, 2018, 08:25:41 am... or in large urban areas volunteer with the local homeless shelter.

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2018, 09:18:51 am
content: Quote from: Ian.M on December 06, 2018, 09:04:11 amI have been getting a 'free' Christmas Lunch for the last few years. Costs me 150+ Coffees and Hot Chocolates (with double marshmallows in most cases) a bit of time and listening to the same stories I heard last year and in some cases the year before as well (lucky I am busy so nodding and a smile works).While it is run by a group of local churches it is done 'because it is needed'. Single parents, drug and mentally effected, old and with no one but all getting together as surrogate family which is what it should be about not the BS marketing that starts in October.edit: Mum and me a few years ago when she was able too