Author Archives: Ms. Fix-It

Historical Thursday: Rubber Ducks For Science!

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Happy Thursday Fixers! This week, what with the gulf being one lightning storm from Armageddon, I thought we could look at when ocean accidents turn into something beneficial.

Way back in the day, January of 1992 to be exact, a freighter in the middle of the Pacific Ocean accidentally spilled it’s precious cargo into the sea. What cargo was that? 29,000 rubber duckies. I have scoured the Internets to bring you this dramatic reenactment photo:


Photo Courtesy Of: Tony Crescibene

Once oceanographers realized the runaway ducks were caught in the Subpolar Gyre, or ocean current as we would call it, they decided to use them to learn more about how currents flow and how far and fast the effects of ocean pollution travel. Since then, the ducks have been spotted all over the world and as of 2003 have completely circumnavigated the globe. Take that Magellan. The ducks have even earned a degree of fame with their journey being turned into a children’s novel by Eric Carle; author the The Hungry Caterpillar.

If you’re interested in the details of the ducks’ journey, or would like to know the best place to keep an eye to the sea for a wayward duck, I got my information from Rubaduck.com

Historical Thursday: Cavern Nite Club

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Thursday again already Fixers? Time to dive into history!
This week I’m bringing you something a little closer to my own hometown; the Cavern Nite Club that ran in Bowling Green from the 1930s thru the 1960s. What’s so special about dance hall, you ask? It was air conditioned. Sweet, precious cold air was continuously pumped into the building year round…because it was built in a cave mouth. In a time when central air was a distant dream, this gimmick pulled in people from around the state.
Epic Kludge Photo - Dance Time

Some kids enjoy a break from the dancing.
Epic Kludge Photo - Group Scene

Sorry for the poor photo quality but my Photoshop skills at turning tiny images into impressive images is extremely limited.

The really cool thing here though is the strange coincidence of this club opening the same year Prohibition was repealed; no mean feat considering the 21st Amendment didn’t get singed into law until December 5th. So either Cavern Nite Club had the fastest construction crew in the country, or more likely, they just finally publicized their establishment.
Speakeasys were pandemic during Prohibition and a cave that sits 50 feet down, is covered by heavy brush and is only accessible by a rickety set of steps would be a prime location. Couple that with the local town being known as Little Chicago at the time(yes I know, pretty much every small town east of the Mississippi held that title at one point) and it seems the owners took the opportunity to make more money and jumped on it. Below is a photo of the cave as it as been restored today; the original steps to the cave floor can still be seen in the background.
Epic Kludge Photo - Modern Day

All information and images courtesy of: Lost River Cave

Historical Thursday: Solid Gold Buddha

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Good Thursday Fixers! If you haven’t been under a rock for the last couple of years, you’ve been bombarded by the incessant ‘SELL YOUR GOLD NOW’ commercials that have invaded not only our televisions but our movie theaters and Internets; replacing the sacred acai berry. But desiring money for gold, even if it means sacrificing a precious family heirloom, is nothing new. Take this bling for example:

Epic Kludge Photo - Bling

Say hello to Golden Buddha, the world’s largest solid gold statue. He lives in Thailand, is approximately 700 years old, stands 10 feet tall and 12 feet wide and weighs somewhere around five and a half tons…or the weight of one fully grown Asian elephant. I’ll give you a minute to process that.
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Yes, that’s right. Somehow this Buddha, who is currently worth about two hundred million dollars (US) survived war, greed and religious intolerance when so many other relics were melted down and refurbished. How does this happen? With another human trait; short memory. Apparently the same trait that keeps me from finding my car keys every time I leave the house can also work on entire populations.

In the 17th century the Burmese invaded Thailand. The Thai king knew if there is one thing invading armies love more than burning, it’s pillaging. So he ordered Buddha to be covered in plaster and had it moved to a remote temple so it wouldn’t look like anything worth stealing.

Artistic representation of what Ms. Fix-It thinks a plaster covered gold Buddha looks like.
Epic Kludge Photo - Nothing To See Here
Image Credit: Indigo Goat

Whew. The only problem was, a mere year later when Thailand repelled the Burmese occupation, they’d already forgotten about the giant statue made of gold. And we say goldfish have bad memories. So it sat in the temple until the 1950s when it was finally decided that this giant ugly statue had to go. Oddly enough, it was REALLY heavy and the crane lifting it broke, revealing the gold underneath the plaster and reminding us all that when you hide something, don’t hide it so well that even YOU can’t find it.

Today, Golden Buddha has been restored to a place of honor and you can visit him at Wat Traimit.

Information Courtesy Of: Thai Ways Magazine and Wikipedia

Historical Thursday: Cuyahoga River Fires

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Afternoon Fixers! If growing up watching Captain Planet taught me anything, it is that heart is a stupid power pollution is bad. Unfortunately the Planeteers didn’t exist prior to 1990 so how was Cleveland to know that pumping toxic sludge into the river was a bad idea? Oh I don’t know, the raging fires might have been a clue.
Epic Kludge Photo - Putting Out The Fire

Yes, the river itself is on fire. This image is from 1952 but there were many, many more watery blazes which didn’t culminate into anything resembling concern until after the fire in 1969. Below is an image to give you a better idea of what exactly was feeding the fire.
Epic Kludge Photo - Cause Of The Fires

Luckily, the fine people of Ohio finally realized that water catching fire wasn’t normal and instituted some changes; the most kludge worthy by far being the plastic tarp.
Basically, the mayor of Cleveland decided that in order to garner more support for cleaning up the river, he should make people want to use it. So on two of the beaches the city put up what amounted to a giant plastic tarp and anchored it to the riverbed. Then they pumped chlorine into the “pool” until the water level was clean enough for swimming. I beg you Fixers, if you have an old family photo of this please send it in for the gods of Google are being finicky.

The plan worked. Combined with growing concern for the environment in general, the Cuyahoga River fires led to sweeping reforms including the Clean Water Act and the creation of the EPA. Today, most of the river is within safe levels of pollutants, the fish population is soaring and the slick sludge reminiscent of the Ankh River is no more.

Thanks to Green City Blue Lake, Timelines.com, Cleveland Memory and Fixer The Deathbunnie for the information. One more photo and a vintage video about the problem after the jump!

Firefighters attempt to get the fire under control
Epic Kludge Photo Fire Raging

Keepin’ Cool

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Epic Kludge Photo - Keepin Cool/>

Submitted by: dunno source Submit a Kludge!

You see air conditioners. I see the most challenging parkour course this side of the Atlantic. – Ms. Fix-It

Favorite Comment: Fixer Anonymous says, “Here we see the elusive A/C moss. It is indigenous to developing areas and, as you can see here, spreads quickly and unevenly across sides of buildings. Although, it is noteworthy that some rare species have been found to grow on motor-homes and even some trucks or cars. The moss develops a symbiotic relationship with humans. While the humans feed it electricity, the moss with in return cool the air surrounding it, something humans value in hotter climates.”

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Check out the latest on the Home Page!

Damn Wind

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Epic Kludge Photo - Damn Wind

Submitted by: Alf via Submit a Kludge!

For the last time, we do not live in a sappy romance novel. Now STAY DOWN. – Ms. Fix-It

Favorite Comment: Fixer Alleycat says, “At least they took it literally and not seriously. Let’s assume for a second that the person who kludged this together was a woman. If she took “Gone With the Wind” seriously, she would make the curtains into a dress. And if it were a guy, he frankly wouldn’t give a damn.”

No Dear, I Don’t Want To Join The 1/2 Mile Club

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Epic Kludge Photo - No Dear, I Don't Want To Join The 1/2 Mile Club

Submitted by: Pickel v. Face via Submit a Kludge!

I’m trying to gauge the danger factor by using the roof of the other house as a measurement for height but I keep getting distracted by THE FACT THAT HE IS EVEN DOING THIS. – Ms. Fix-It

Favorite Comment: Fixer fluffy says, “Upon further review, I believe the guy is safe, since he’s holding that tool which is connected via cord to the wall. If the red rope breaks, the hand-held device will save him from falling.”