He is truly a Buzz for all seasons.

I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN I'VE HAD ENOUGH!

WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS UP ON THE MOON!

Whatever pops, I'll bet Buzz Aldrin doesn't even have the specs for Kerbal Space Program.

"YOU HIPPY KIDS WITH YOUR BLUE BOTTOMS AND YOUR FREAKNIK BONGOS!!! WHEN I STRAPPED MY BALLS TO APOLLO 11 IT WAS OVERSEEN BY WHITE SHIRTS AND BLACK HORN RIMMED GLASSES!!! THOSE FUCKIN' ROCKET-MEN NEEDED THEM TO SEE ROCKET SHIT, NOT TO LOOK IRONIC AND DANCE AROUND IN LADY-PANTS TO MUSIC MADE OF BEEPS CLICKS AND WHISTLES!!! *lies down on his back in the middle of the stage, stares at the ceiling with tears in his eyes, and slurs quietly into the microphone* "You can't make a rocket out of lady pants, son. No matter how hard you push, no matter what maths you use, from where I'm swimmin' it ain't a bucket of apes."

Hey OW, I was thinking of you today. I needed to replace one of my basement water alarms, and I figured why not DIY it:

http://www.paprikash.com/lou/wateralarm.jpg

Transistor, resistor, battery, and a buzzer I ripped out of the old alarm. The yellow wires are for detecting water. The Ziploc bag is because I'm classy.

I am tempted to mount it in a tiny Viking ship, with the electrical contacts on the bottom of the hull. But that'd be tempting fate to let the water level get high enough for the ship to sail off.

@Doomstein : Except for the first line, that is basically me in a nutshell. Bless you.

@Bort : I'm guessing you were unable to get a handle on all the unauthorized shit going down your toilet? I feel your pain. I have a 300+lb sister in law who's constantly breaking my toilet when she's visiting.

You should see some interesting corrosion effects on the business ends of the yellow wire over time...

OW - I got a handle on my problems and it's all good these days. But there were people over this weekend, and someone brought a leaky beverage cooler and never took the ice out of it, so when the ice melted it left a slowly-growing puddle on the floor.

The water detector that responded was a Leak Squeak™, which works pretty well except for one design flaw: it can be used only once, after which you can't shut it off except by tearing it into pieces. Whereas my Ziploc baggie model makes noise while it detects water, and then shuts up when removed from water.

Simple common emitter circuit: the buzzer's connected to the collector, power goes to the buzzer and also to one of the water-detecting leads. The other water-detecting lead goes to a resistor which then goes to the base, so if water (or Faygo or pencil scribblings) happens to complete the path to the base, the transistor turns on and the buzzer sounds.

The boat is really not a bad idea, it would keep the circuit dry. That baggie ain't much more than a fig leaf.

But what is your obsession with a dry basement, then? And why are all your friends conspiring to wet it? Much like that faygo clip, I am left with more questions then answers.

The Ziploc bag can hang on a hook on the wall, so long as the wires dangle to ground level. That's not a problem.

I was also considering a frog on a lily pad, so it too can float if it needs to. I just don't want to set myself up where I can achieve maximum fun only if there is a ruinous disaster.

The dry basement obsession is mostly a lesson well learned; it's better to have alarms in place just in case. And this wouldn't be the first house I've lived in where water eventually started seeping in, so if I weren't on guard, it would mean I just haven't been paying attention.

Frau Bort's family isn't exactly known far and wide for good sense, and they come over a lot, so I feel I'm on constant patrol to keep my place in order. I'm apparently an affable host, but I'm also the person who has to tell adults not to give children piggyback rides up and down the stairs, and explain to children why they're not allowed on top of the garage. I remember being in first grade and they'd show us movies about the hazards of those sorts of behaviors, and even at seven I felt I was being talked down to.

*points to grandpa simpson tag*

or maybe it's both.

"Are you trying to stall us or are you actually senile?"

"A little from Column A and a little from Column B!"

You have to have some dementia if you're going to name yourself after a Toy Story character

*struggling ensues* "GET YER HANDS OFF THE MIC!!! GET YER FUCKING HANDS OFF THE MIC!!! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!! I'M A FUCKING CHAAAAMPION!!! *does a rooster strut* I BEAT THE RUSKIES TO THE GODDAMN THING IN THE SPACE!!!" THE CHEESEN THING!! THE MOONIN THING!!!" *singles out child in the audience* "YOU KNOW WHAT?!! YOU KNOW WHAT?!! THEREAIN'T NOGREENCHEESEUPTHERE, BOOOOY, YOUR OLD MAN FUCKING LIED TO YOU!!! HE!!! FUCKING!!! LIED!!! TO!!! YOU!!! "... *starts peeing pants*

all the dude did was go to the moon once

allegedly..

http://www.poetv.com/video.php?vid=3844

OK then. Now I'll always think of Buzz Aldrin popping the moon in the eye.

The moon has to be there. It's Buzz Aldrin.

If you watch the whole video, you'll know how much this guy needed to be popped in the eye. I would've done the same thing, and I haven't been in a fight since I was seven.

I think he says "Buzz Lightyear" at 4:14