Any use for old CDs?

[Timothy Murphy]

Has anyone got an interesting use for old CDs and DVDs?

[mike]

If you're a taxi driver, you can hang them from your driving mirror to defeat speed/number plate recognition cameras.

[Chris French]

Sounds like an urban myth

[mike]

No, really. Stephen Hawking's got one on his wheelchair.

He told me he loves flipping the bird at the speed cops.

[michael adams]

Bird scarers for keeping pigeons and the like away from your cabbages etc. On sunny days at least. Apparently sticking two back-to-back shiny side out is even more effective.

All allegedly, rather than personal knowledge.

michael adams

...

[dennis]

On ten foot of string so they dangle over the numberplate?

[harryagain]

You can hang them in the garden as bird scarers. Works for a while, as with other bird scarers.

Beer mats.

[Martin Brown]

It works slightly better if you cut them along a radius and lock two together at right angles with a spot of glue to hold it. The resulting crossed pair will spin in the wind and work reasonably well.

Birds get used to ignoring anything that doesn't move.

[BobH]

Use them as cup mats, then when they get dirty, just bin them and use another lot.

[HarpingOn]

I sold all mine to music magpie for 3p each. Other such miserable offers are available.

[Syd Rumpo]

Microwave them.

Cheers

[Graham.]

No, taxi drivers are real, just not very bright.

[Ian Jackson]

And soon after they get used to ignoring things that don't move, they get used to ignoring things that DO move. More likely, when they're preening, they'll start using them as mirrors.

[Bod]

Mirrors/coasters.

[Bod]

[Sam Plusnet]

True.

The birds in our garden even know the difference between one neighbour's lazy tabby and another fairly similar cat which is a real hunter.

They soon work out what is a real threat to them.

[Bill Wright]

I made a little windmill using CDs as the blades.

Bill

[Another John]

My son had a university-career-built collection of CDs which numbered

375, and weighed [a large number of kilos]. When he moved to Canada, they went in our spare room (not in the loft, because I was worried about the weight!).

Recently he told me he didn't want 'em (hoorah!), because they're all in his iTunes. But (boo!) I was tasked to get rid of 'em.

I absolutely didn't want to throw them out; and I didn't want to give them to a charity either, as they wouldn't do justice to what is really a great collection of Heavy Metal CDs (featuring bands you've never heard of, believe me).

I googled 'heavy metal newcastle' (Newcastle being our nearest city) (hoorah!), and after a hiccup[1] found a shop who feature metal music, and were dead chuffed to take them at a wholesale rate of 25p per CD: my son got ?90, they got a great collection, and I got rid of 'em!

Long story that - apologies.

John

[1] To make it even longer: I immediately had a google hit on 'heavy metal newcastle' which featured a specialist shop. We had a useful exchange of emails, and I told him I'd bring them in to him, as I live not far away in Gateshead. It was only when we started talking pounds and pence that he asked me if I was in Newcastle, Australia, where they also, naturally, have a Gateshead.

[Mrs Bonk]

I started to cut them up in the hope I would have a new hobby making mosaic type things like this bird bath :

one day I may try again....

[www.GymRatZ.co.uk]

Tesla Turbine?

:)