I propose a house whose walls are dotted with holes in which skewers can be placed, much like the shelves in a supermarket. Stuff like scaffolding, buckets, bowling balls, tennis balls, torches, fishbowls, candles, ropes, levers and pulleys can be mounted on the walls so that the house can become a haven for wacky, zany, fantastical contraptions!

The mundane task of simply listening to a doorbell can be transformed from...

"guest pushes doorbell, doorbell chimes, owner answers" to...

"guest pushes doorbell, knocks screen from in front of cat, cat chases goldfish knocking balancing bowling ball, ball falls on see-saw plank of wood pushing golf ball up into the air, ricocheting off the anville, another plank of wood, down through the gutter, hitting the owner on the head, owner answers the door."
-- sdm, Aug 25 2001

The Incredible Machine http://www.incrediblemachine.net/
Comes close, but it's not real enough. [sdm, Aug 25 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004]

Mouse Trap http://www.yesterda...ows/toys/ty1046.php
A board game to tide you over until this house is invented [KillerLou, Aug 25 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004]

I think you meant "Rube Goldberg House."
-- beauxeault, Aug 25 2001


I dont care who else has one or what it is called - I want one...
-- RobertKidney, Aug 26 2001


Wacky *and* zany. Who could ask for more?
-- The Military, Aug 26 2001


I own a 'Mouse Trap', KillerLou, but the bloody rubber bands keep disappearing!
-- sdm, Aug 26 2001


Does anyone else remember the sequel version of the Mouse Trap game, with a completely different "invention," that came out shortly after the original version?
-- Ander, Sep 17 2003



random, halfbakery