George Trapotsis of Manchester, New Hampshire found a bull moose in his backyard pool Friday night.
“This train-like noise came through the fence and dove right into the pool,” said Trapotsis.
The moose fell right through the pool cover, according to Trapotsis. “He tore the cover, got entangled and just couldn’t move,” Trapotsis said. Trapotsis said his first concern was keeping the animal alive and freeing it from the cover.
At about midnight the rescue of the moose was underway. With a rope attached to the moose, nine men pulled the animal out of the water.
“I didn’t get trained on how to do this, that’s for sure,” said Jack Pushee of New Hampshire Fish and Game. “There’s a first for everything.”
The moose then wandered off into the woods, appearing to be unharmed. Link (with video) -via Arbroath
Who needs a computerized fountain when you’ve got a dozen teenagers with Super Soakers? This ad for a pool chemical company is much more fun than their regular videos about how to take care of your pool. -via Buzzfeed
Some folks have pool toys that are more involved than those of other folks. What could possibly go wrong? -via Cynical-C
Gus and his buddy have a wading pool in the backyard to keep them cool, but Gus has a better idea! -via Bits and Pieces
Take a bunch of skateboarders, attach remote-control spray paint devices underneath the boards, and let them loose in a an empty pool. The result resembles a human Spirograph! -via Dangerous Minds
If you have ever seen a really good pool player, you may have thought “wow that guy hits the ball with robotic accuracy.” Well now thanks to some researchers in Germany the guy at the pool hall might actually be a robot. Watch video of the pool playing robot in action.
Thomas Nierhoff, from the Institute of Automatic Control Engineering at the Technical University of Munchen in Germany, programmed a two armed robot to shoot billiards…and to do it well. The bot, with seven degrees of freedom in each arm, was able to sink easier shots with up to 80% success…
Milk crates do their own ballet to “The Dance of the Reed Flutes” (Danse des Mirlitons) from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. -via Things I Think Are Kinda Cool
Steve Wienecke of Fredericktown, Missouri invented a game that he calls “Knokkers”. It’s similar to pool, but played on a surface scaled four times larger than a regulation pool table and with six-pound bowling balls. Wienecke hopes to one day see Knokkers platforms on cruise ships and in amusement parks and restaurants.
Link and Facebook Page via Brian J. Noggle | Photo: Rural Missouri Co-op
Got an old backyard swimming pool that’s sitting empty? Turn it into a self-sustaining garden! That’s what this Arizonan family did:
When we purchased our first home in Mesa, AZ on October of 2009, it came with a large, empty, and run-down pool. Rather than spending thousands of dollars in fixing the pool or having it filled with fill dirt we decided to design an inexpensive & self-sufficient urban greenhouse. Initially, we had anticipated self-sufficiency by 2012 but we achieved our goal by mid-2010. Our family gets about 8 fresh eggs a day, unlimited tilapia fish, organic fruit, veggies, and herbs 365 days a year.
Link – Thanks Tiffany!
The Obscura CueLight Pool Table, currently set up in Esquire magazine’s ultimate bachelor pad, creates stunning visual effects as pool balls move around the table. Motion sensors detect anything on or near the surface of the table and reveal a shimmering image through an overhead projector. It was created by the San Francisco-based light effects company Obscura Digital and will probably cost about $125,000 per unit when and if it is marketed.
Deep Green is pool-playing robot created by students at the robotics laboratory of Queen’s University in Canada. Students have worked on it for the past three years, gradually improving its abilities against human opponents:
The system is currently playing at a better-than-amateur level. One current weakness, however, is with the break. The special purpose end effector is powered by a linear electric actuator, which can reach speeds of up to 3 m/s. For a strong break, however, a cue speed of ~ 15 m/s is required. The objective of this project is therefore to design an auxiliary subsystem for the end-effector to be used exclusively for breaks. The subsystem could make use of the current cue, or it could append an additional cue to the end-effector. It is likely that the subsystem will be actuated pneumatically, although other options may be considered. The subsystem must also be compact enough so as not to interfere with the other elements of the end-effector.
Link via CrunchGear
This dog named Halo has a talent for pool.
– via cuteoverload
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Marilyn Terrell.
How do you get a family of duckling out of the pool? All they need are the right tools! -via Arbroath
Whatever you do, don’t bet on a game of pool with two-year-old Keith O’Dell Jr! Neatoramanauts, meet the world’s youngest pool shark. He may still in diapers, but this pool prodigy can surely whip my butt!
Hit play or go to Link [YouTube]

