Sometimes it's best to let HAL 9000 drive the bus once in a while. That's the case with "The Zero Sugar Keepinnit Reels". A bot with a heart of gold and the snarkiest sense of artificial humor took over humorist Michael Pollick's "The Keepinnit Reels" project. The results are a side-splitting collection of essays about everything from grade Z horror movies to shows "Jumping the Shark" to nudist weddings. Nothing is off-limits to this persuasive little cuss. If the original author ever manages to get back on the bus. he'd probably give this alternative project an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Culinary Gadgets Unleashed

Ah, the 1970s and 1980s, a golden age of culinary innovation-or perhaps just a time when people were really, really tired of cooking. Enter the era of bizarre cooking gadgets that promised to revolutionize our kitchens while simultaneously making us question our life choices. Remember the hot dog cooker? Yes, that glorious contraption that looked like a miniature rocket ship designed to launch your dinner into the stratosphere. Who needs a grill when you can steam your frankfurters in a plastic tube that could double as a science experiment? Nothing says "I care about nutrition" quite like a device that cooks your hot dogs in a way that makes them taste like they've been marinating in regret.

And let's not forget the hot air popcorn maker, the appliance that turned a simple snack into a thrilling adventure. You'd pour in those innocent kernels, and moments later, the machine would erupt like a volcano, sending popcorn flying across the room as if it were auditioning for a role in a slapstick comedy. It was like a carnival ride in your kitchen, except instead of cotton candy, you ended up with a floor covered in half-popped kernels and a dog that was suddenly very interested in your snack choices.

Then there were the fondue pots, which turned every dinner into a potential fire hazard. Who thought dipping bread into bubbling cheese was a good idea? It was like a group therapy session where everyone was trying to figure out how to get their cheese-covered fingers unstuck from the pot. And let's be honest, the only thing more questionable than the gadgets themselves was the fact that we actually bought them. But hey, at least they made for great conversation starters at dinner parties-right before the fire department showed up.