Frogwatch wrote:
Back when I was discussing coord systems for navigating on weird shaped
worlds, someone pointed out that I could actually buy a Kleins bottle
from a company called "ACME Kleins Bottles" so I ordered one. They
also have a great thing called "The Mug of Tantalus" which is a blown
glass beer mug with a siphon built into the handle. You can fill the
mug about halfway with no problem but if you go any higher ALL the
liquid drains out via the siphon. Of course, I bought one for a beer
drinking friend.
The proprieter who refers to himself as "Chief Klein's Bottle Washer"
sent it along with terrible puns and inside math jokes and
certification of zero volume. I e-mailed back a few of my own and his
name started to sound familiar. It turns out that he is Cliff Stoll
who wrote several books about the internet, was briefly famous for
catching some criminal hackers and wrote an article in Sci Am. about
the Curta calculator.
The Klein Bottle is not as cool as I thought it would be primarily
because none of my friends know what it is so they do not appreciate it.

Sure, I remember Cliff Stoll. Thx for the update. I think I'll get
myself one of them there Klein bottles.