What Is It? game 162



It is once again time for our collaboration with the always amusing What Is It? Blog. This week's contest is a little different. To be honest, we don't know what it is! It looks like a case, but no one knows for sure what it is for. Don't let that stop you from guessing.

Place your guess in the comment section below. One guess per comment, please, though you can enter as many as you'd like. Post no URLs or weblinks, as doing so will forfeit your entry. We'll select two winners with the funniest and/or most imaginative guesses to win T-shirts from the NeatoShop.

Please write your T-shirt selection alongside your guess. If you don't include a selection, you forfeit the prize, okay? May we suggest the Science T-Shirt, Funny T-Shirt and Artist-Designed T-Shirts?

Be sure to check out the What Is It? Blog. Let your imagination run wild, and good luck!

Update: The most imaginative guess was from arvana, who wrote a somewhat involved story insinuating that this case could hold the Prometheus Drive which would save the world's energy problems if it hadn't gone into the river (you really should read the whole thing). The funniest was when jjent567 declared the case was "fer me rat stompin' peg leg...".

Pogo Stick enthusiasts, especially the very serious among them, have custom cases for carrying the tool of their trade. Much as pool sharks have custom cases for their cues.

Don't Make Me Send Out The Flying Monkeys in black, in XL
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It is a custom plinth case. For art pieces such as vases that are displayed on a plinth, these cases are made so that the plinth (pedestal) can be shipped to other venues and display the art.

Shirt:
surprise me with a men's medium
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It is a stool holder. You put your stools in it or one stool.

For musicians to carry their stool around in. Nobody wants their stools damaged in transit.

I'll take good marx,bad marx. L
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Despite the icy wind on that January day in 1962, Walter Johnson, chief drivetrain engineer for GM's secret Prometheus division, was sweating. The heavy load on his right arm was becoming almost unbearable as he approached the security gate. He knew that this was it -- one last hurdle before he reached his car and he had made it. He forced himself to look casual as he nodded a greeting to Fred, the security guard.

"What's in the case, Mr. Johnson?" Fred asked.

"It's that new set of barbells that I made up in the shop -- my wife wants me to lose my paunch!" Walter answered. Both men laughed.

"Mind if I have a look?" Fred asked.

"It's really nothing to look at," Walter answered, "I'm kind of embarrassed at my workmanship, to be honest."

"Don't worry about that, Mr. Johnson, my lips are sealed. Just gotta take a quick peek inside, you know how management is around here."

Just then, Amy Pilford, the company's friendly receptionist, appeared from the building. Walter knew that Fred had a big crush on Amy. He had timed things perfectly.

"You know what, I trust you Mr. Johnson -- have a great night," Fred said, waving Walter on. He turned towards Amy with a big smile, the case completely forgotten.

Walter headed for his car, forcing himself to move slowly, although his mind was screaming for him to run. He lifted the heavy case into his trunk, started his car, and drove away. He had made it.

They aren't going to shut this thing down now, he thought. All his hard work, all his dreams, had borne fruit, the Prometheus Drive actually worked, and GM wanted to bury it. He couldn't let that happen -- the world needed to know that zero-point energy could be harnessed and used. And in half an hour, the world's press would be getting a first hand look.

Rehearsing his demonstration in his mind, Walter didn't notice the big truck edging closer to him. At the last moment, he saw it swerve towards his car, but it was too late. His car was forced into the guardrail. The trunk popped open and the case bounced out. It burst open, and Walter caught one last look at the Prometheus Drive as it dropped towards the river, before he too was falling through space. It was the last thing he ever saw.

[Love Machine, M, Black please :)]
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You know those people who work on car assembly lines that spend all day holding a specific tool in one hand repeating the same procedure over and over? Well, they get one arm much larger than the other. This case ensures the one arm stays bigger. This item is a case for "offset" dumbbells for arm curls that they take to work with them each day to do reps before hitting the factory floor. By having one side heavier than the other, they ensure to keep one arm bigger than the other.
XXL Funny t shirt please.
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This is the storage case for a bronze baptismal font. The font is a sacred object, but it also gets in the way of vacuuming and choir practice. In its case it may be respectfully tucked away beneath the lectern.

XXL please, with stretchy biceps

Thanks.
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It's missing a piece: it's a casting collar for a molded resin smoker's ashtray - the missing piece is the inside portion that makes the resin cast hollow to collect the butts in the base.

Come to the Dark Side (L-black)

PS I vote for Arvana's Prometheus Drive "story", (I was the truck driver).
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I blame hipsters T. Medium.

This is a case for a die cast in furniture making. Casts like these were used in various workshops during the turn of the century as a form of pre-assembly line mass- production. Exact specifications could be taken from a single die, and taken to different workshops for lathing.
An example of the furniture produced using such a process can be seen here:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tooveys.com/lots/105983/1large.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.tooveys.com/lots.asp%3FWEBLOTID%3D85988%26LOTID%3D558&usg=__layChs1ElhkYG3vxHVgYyoOKiO8=&h=650&w=549&sz=37&hl=en&start=0&sig2=qAX5TtFDe1X22oBWiAd5Og&zoom=0&tbnid=yM0QQ-gUQkNz2M:&tbnh=137&tbnw=116&ei=uLZBTaOzFYep8AatiJm0AQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dearly%2B20th%2Bcentury%2Blathed%2Btables%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1224%26bih%3D621%26tbs%3Disch:1%26prmd%3Divns&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1033&vpy=292&dur=5494&hovh=137&hovw=116&tx=79&ty=74&oei=uLZBTaOzFYep8AatiJm0AQ&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0
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This is an especially surprising find. The scale of the object is MIND BLOWING! This is actually a rare case made to harbor the Space Station from Stanley Kubricks 2001: A Space Odyssey! This is a very cool find!

R2-D2 Back Pack!!!! (I think this is appropriate.)
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Shipping case for a circular logic unit (CLU) for an early electronic "brain". The CLU was the key to cybernetic modeling of political discourse.

Thesaurus XL
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It is a street post case. Ornamental street posts separate sidewalk from street in gentrified tourist districts everywhere.

For those of us who have felt the urge to abscond with cast iron street posts found dislodged and lying on the sidewalk after the bars have closed, this item can be handy.
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An old Habitrail pet house for naked mole rats. Opaque due to their light sensitivity, it wasn't terribly popular with the kids. Also, opening the habitat suddenly in bright sunlight tended to result in naked dead mole rats.

i rpn heart, navy, xl
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Late 70's Hewlett Packard quality assurance kit for an HP Gamma Camera. One side held two Flood Phantoms and a Bar Phantom, while the other housed an Ortho-static Flood Phantom. The center held the tripod for a point source for an intrinsic flood field uniformity.
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This was the case for Mattell's concept toy- "the stand and spin". Focus groups concluded kids were too lazy to stand so the came up with the "sit and spin" instead.
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This was marketed as "Neighbor's Relief" and was designed to be a gift for that little brat next door that practices Cello all hours of the day but never has a hope in hell of ever producing a sound that even closely resembles "music"!

I heart medicine M
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It is a case for a glassharmonika, you can see that the smaller end holds the wheel and the larger end holds the bowls. No handle, it's rolls natch.

Oh no, it was... 2x
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Those are 1" tile squares on the back-splash of a kitchen/ In the foreground is that wonderful travel case for a French Press plunger (sized for two cups.)

And those miniature luggage clasps are to die for!
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It's the 19th Century. You walk into a political caucus. The absence of footprints in the fresh snow has told you that nobody has stepped out for fresh air because it's very cold and nobody wants members to suffer frostbite.

A boss spots your case, rushes over, slaps you on the back, and invites you to the smoke-filled room in back. As he leads you across the floor, others join you. Your reputation has preceded you.

You set up your invention and they stand in a circle gushing praise. They agree that you will be the next President of the United States. They don't shake hands but are definitely relieved to conclude their business.
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