It’s Thursday Things! This week we light up with a robot dog and invest for the long run with Warren Buffet.
If you enjoy this edition, please click the heart icon in the header or at the end of the post to let me know.
Thanks, Sparky! Photo by Leon Contreras on Unsplash
Hot dog time!
Man’s best friend is a dog, to be sure. And man’s second best friend is a flamethrower.1 So what do you get when you combine a flamethrower with a robot dog?
Your best friend ever, that’s what!
Watch: Fire-breathing robot dog that can torch anything in its path
There are many things in my path that need to be torched. Tell me more.
A flame-throwing robotic dog has been invented by a company in the United States that is capable of delivering “on-demand fire anywhere”.
I need one! Obviously.
And they call it … the Thermonator. Have a look:
Now I know what you’re thinking: Surely, this can’t be legal?
Maybe not in your lame country. But this is America, my friend!
Flamethrowers are legal in 48 states2, even when mounted on a robot dog!
You Can Now Buy A Totally Legal Flame-Throwing Robot Dog Because America
Great headline from Jalopnik, even though the article seems to be anti-flamethrower robot dog. Losers.
How much would you pay for this mechanized arson mutt? The price is surprisingly reasonable, as Ars Technica shares: You can now buy a flame-throwing robot dog for under $10,000
If you've been wondering when you'll be able to order the flame-throwing robot that Ohio-based Throwflame first announced last summer, that day has finally arrived. The Thermonator, what Throwflame bills as "the first-ever flamethrower-wielding robot dog" is now available for purchase. The price? $9,420.
Thermonator is a quadruped robot with an ARC flamethrower mounted to its back, fueled by gasoline or napalm. It features a one-hour battery, a 30-foot flame-throwing range, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for remote control through a smartphone.
Bluetooth is a nice touch, I think.3
The less imaginative among you may wonder, sure, this is great, but what exactly can you do with a flamethrower robot dog?
The good people at Throwflame, maker of the Thermonator, have several practical suggestions:
Wildfire Control and Prevention
Agricultural Management
Ecological Conservation
Snow and Ice Removal
Entertainment and SFX
Tired of those squirrels getting into the bird feeder and eating all the seed? Thermonate them!
Snow and ice? Snow problem!
Need to start a prairie fire, and short on time? Thermonator gets it done!
Inviting some friends over for a backyard cookout? Your trusty flamethrower robot dog can grill the steaks and barbecue the entire backyard!
Just don’t try to play fetch.
I will name mine Sparky.
You can order your flamethrower robot dog here (with free shipping!)4: “Thermonator is the first-ever flamethrower-wielding robot dog. This quadruped is coupled with the ARC Flamethrower to deliver on-demand fire anywhere!”
And who among us doesn’t need a little more warmth on demand? 🔥
Sparky was here. Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash
Buffet quote buffet
Part of the remit of Thursday Things is to share interesting items I find in my roaming around online. I’m interested in investing — and any investor is interested in the insights of one of the greatest living investors, Warren Buffet.
This page is a concise summary and explication of the 30 Warren Buffett Quotes To Inspire Your Investment Goals (2024)
I’ve seen and pondered most of these aphorisms of the Oracle of Omaha before, but they’re always worth reviewing. And if you’re new to investing, these are some important ideas to guide you on your way.
Here’s one of my favorites out of the 30 quotes:
“The most important quality for an investor is temperament, not intellect.” — Warren Buffet
And here is the site’s mini-essay on the quote:
A disciplined investor is a wealthy investor because they have learned that market fluctuations are normal and that patience pays off.
In this quote, Buffett touches on the psychological nerve of most investment failures. Humans are by nature irrational beings and are often tempted to make trades when they think the market is working against them. In contrast, it is the well-tempered investor that learns to not watch the market. This is the person that ultimately ends up reaping the most rewards over the long term.
Buffett extols that to build more wealth does not require you to be necessarily smarter than another investor, but rather that you become more disciplined with your reaction towards the irrationality of the market.
“You don’t need to be a rocket scientist,” goes a similar Buffett quote. “Investing is not a game where the guy with the 160 IQ beats the guy with 130 IQ.”
When the market is tanking, most people panic and sell along with everyone else. That’s a fear-driven response. But with a cooler head — and perhaps with the perspective of having seen a few financial crises come and go — a wiser investor would see that stocks are on sale in such an environment and it’s a great time to buy great companies at a discount.
Or, to quote Buffet again: Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.
I’ll add that I’m not familiar with Sarwa Digital Wealth, which seems to be an investment firm based in Abu Dhabi, so I’m not in any way recommending or endorsing their services. I just found this to be a nice collection of Buffet quotes.
Listen to Uncle Warren and you will soon be able to afford an entire army of flamethrower robot dogs. You think Buffet doesn’t have a thousand of those things already? I would!
I mean … uh, I’m saving for retirement. Yeah. That’s it.
Bad dog! Bad dog, Sparky! Photo by Jp Valery on Unsplash
Thank you for reading!
Please click the hearts, leave a comment, and use the share feature to send this issue to a friend who might enjoy it. See you next Thursday!
What are the two loser states that regulate flamethrowers? Maryland and, of course, California.
I have some Bluetooth speakers, but they don’t spit fire.
Not a paid endorsement. It’s a flamethrower robot dog! I share this because it’s awesome.