Sept 5, 2010: Frozen Margarita Machine

August was National Inventors Month. Smithsonian.Com, in honor of the event, chose the top 10 inventions from their extensive National Museum of American History’s Collections.

Of course they've got the light bulb, telephone, blah blah blah, but coming in at #10... tah tah tah taaaaaah!

What was that?
French horns.

Electric motor
Light bulb
Radio
Telephone
Refrigerator
Automobile
Penicillin
Elevator
Centrifugal pump
Vaccine
Dynamite
Margarita Machine - FAIL

How insulting. They couldn't come up with something a little more important? I'm glad they aren't wasting my money buying dumb artifacts.

Oh wait.. They are aren't they!!

Wow, you're complaining about funding a museum? Just because you don't find it important to history does not mean it isn't or will be. Thousands of years down the road something as unimportant as a margarita machine can give a lot of insight into our current world to the future inhabitants. Also, you have no idea if they bought or were donated the machine, you're just jumping the gun to complain.


Disclaimer: I think they are very important, thank you Senior Martinez

Srsly. Especially as without that machine there'd probably be no such thing as slushies so Spuck would be unemployed because there'd be no 7/11s

I had the idea that the transistor or integrated circuit board should be on the list.

But, if I'm drinking margaritas right then, . . .

Spuck, what would you say about a museum buy an artist work of art ?

Said work consisting in shitting in a tin can, sealing it, sterilizing it and then selling it to the museum for a nice pile of money....

Most of the stuff in the Smithsonian is donated by the owner, or bought from the owner by a private party and donated. Money provide to the Smithsonian by the feds is more than matched by private donations.
After all, Spuck, they've got your Archie Bunker's chair.

According to WikiP, machines to produce frozen beverages were invented in the late 1950s, and Slurpees were branded in 1967, so this isn't even an industry first. Lame.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slurpee

Is it just me or does that machine look like a drunk, black, bonk-eyed UPS delivery man?

On that list, the Frozen Margarita machine is teh lame.

Oh, and very few things on that list exist without transistors and/or ICs. Just saying.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roosta Is it just me or does that machine look like a drunk, black, bonk-eyed UPS delivery man?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gravdigr Oh, and very few things on that list exist without transistors and/or ICs. Just saying.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cloud According to WikiP, machines to produce frozen beverages were invented in the late 1950s, and Slurpees were branded in 1967, so this isn't even an industry first. Lame. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slurpee

so not only is it an imposter, it's a rip-off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cloud so not only is it an imposter, it's a rip-off.

Rip-Off? You do have to wonder when the builder has to put on a plaque trumpeting "World's First" on it.

I don't recall the Wright Brothers putting a similar plaque on their plane, or even Edison, (a gold plated jerk), putting a plaque on his light bulb.

But enough! There's a customer waiting to pay for his Slurpy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cloud so not only is it an imposter, it's a rip-off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPUCK Rip-Off? You do have to wonder when the builder has to put on a plaque trumpeting "World's First" on it.

that's it! I'm willing my skin to the museum when I die.

The new thing about the Model T Ford wasn't that it was a new invention - the big thing with it was it was made on an assembly line - mass production - instead of hand made, individually.

That was the first (I believe), large scale assembly line production of a complex machine.

It allowed two things, not previously available:

#1 A car that cost much less

#2 The Ford assembly workers to make a much better pay than was possible previously for assembly workers.

It was a pivotal success for the Industrial Revolution.

Yes, and this machine provided the pivotal success in frozen margaritas, and Tex-Mex restaurants.

I thought it was the pecan pralines at the register...

I'm not really interested in the list.
I'm not really interested in the museum.

I'm liking the Dwellars' opinions though

I think the Smithsonian only put it on there to get media attention, because otherwise no one cares about yet another "greatest invention" list.

I'm not really sure what smithsonian.com actually is. The Smithsonian Institution, which runs the museums, is si.edu.

Is it "official?"

the links to the individual museums are si.edu, but if you go to smithsonian.com it takes you to the magazine site, smithsonianmag.com, which has on it's banner "smithsonian.com"

confusing, but pretty sure it is official--they've just bought the domain names and redirected people to micro sites

If this guy was the first person smart enough to mix tequila, lime juice and triple sec in a slushy machine, he's Smithsonian caliber in my book.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flint I thought it was the pecan pralines at the register...

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt I'm not really sure what smithsonian.com actually is. The Smithsonian Institution, which runs the museums, is si.edu. Is it "official?"

today's pop culture is tomorrow's . . . trash

But the Smithsonian records history, and popular culture is a part of our history.

dinna fash y'self, laddie

In English?

okay: don't bother yourself; I'm just yanking your chain.

I'm fully aware that the Smithsonian acquire a variety of objects, both historically weighty and important, and . . . not. C3P0 and the ruby red slippers AND the lunar modules. and, apparently, a margarita machine. think they're storing tequila in employees' drawers?

I figured that, just didn't know how.

that's the translation, though. I must have picked up that phrase from some movie or book or something.