# What do you do w/ free AOL CDs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 19, 2001, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378 "2001-06-19T19:58:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/1 "2001-06-19T19:58:24Z")
Well, what do you do w/ them? ---
**Author:** ![Ad\_Noctum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@Ad\_Noctum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ad_Noctum)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/2 "2001-06-19T20:01:15Z")
I, personally, use them as “clay pigeons” for my Remington 870 espress MAGNUM 12 gauge shotgun ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/3 "2001-06-19T20:10:10Z")
Easy. Send them [here.](http://www.omnigroup.com/~cirocco/plea.html) ---
**Author:** ![Skerri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Skerri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skerri)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/4 "2001-06-19T20:10:19Z")
1. Handy dandy coasters. 2. Inter-apartment alley wars. (They fly really well.) 3. Break them into little bits and build a disco ball. 4. Find out how many times you can throw a cd into a brick wall without it shattering. 5. Line them up on your ceiling to get that “mirror-effect” (ha ha) 6. Use as a convenient hand-held mirror when in a pinch. 7. Write messages on them, and fling them out of your window. (Message-in-a-bottle like) 8. Glue a large stack of them together on top of a piece of solid plastic to make an interesting vase for rosebuds. 9. Use them as a tanning aid. Hold several under your chin. 10. Paint a few funky colors on them and hang on a coat hanger. An interesting mobile! I have too much time on my hands, Skerri ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/5 "2001-06-19T20:17:36Z")
I use them to shim my dado blades and as stabilizers for blades in my table saw. They also serve nicely as decorations in my garden. Helps to keep critters away from my veggies. ---
**Author:** ![Bubble\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@Bubble\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bubble_Girl)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/6 "2001-06-19T20:18:05Z")
I haven’t been sent any in a while but the last one I used to show my future mother in law how they look in the microwave when you put them in there for a few seconds. Lots of pretty sparkles! ---
**Author:** ![jaimest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/48db29/32.png) [@jaimest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaimest)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/7 "2001-06-19T20:20:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skerri \* > \*\* > 10. Paint a few funky colors on them and hang on a coat hanger. An interesting mobile! > > I have too much time on my hands, > Skerri \*\* So do some librarians. I was at the local library earlier today, and they had mobiles made from the AOL and Compuserve CD-ROMS hanging from the ceiling. That’s what the title made me think of… ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/8 "2001-06-19T20:32:09Z")
I give them to my 7yr old and he uses them for frisbees until they break. ---
**Author:** ![Spatula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Spatula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatula)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/9 "2001-06-19T20:39:50Z")
I used to use them as frisbees until my friend got hit with one and cut his forehead open. That scared me away from them. ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/10 "2001-06-19T20:41:25Z")
I take them to work and we use them as coasters. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/11 "2001-06-19T20:42:54Z")
I’ve seen people glue them on walls to make art. ---
**Author:** ![robgruver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@robgruver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robgruver)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/12 "2001-06-19T20:43:19Z")
I use em as coasters. They are perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/13 "2001-06-19T20:44:52Z")
How can they be perfect for coasters? There’s a HOLE in the middle, and they don’t absorb moisture! ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/14 "2001-06-19T20:49:07Z")
I cut them up and make pins out of them (with a bunch of other crafty supplies). no, thanks, I don’t need any more. ---
**Author:** ![Tyklfe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@Tyklfe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tyklfe)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/15 "2001-06-19T20:56:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bubble Girl \* > \*\*I haven’t been sent any in a while but the last one I used to show my future mother in law how they look in the microwave when you put them in there for a few seconds. Lots of pretty sparkles! \*\* This girl has the right idea - If you’ve never put AOL disks into a microwave, then this is something you must try! Watch them though! They only need to be in there for about 2-3 seconds If you’re not careful you could get in a bad place really quick. once they’re done, you can use them for extra special wall decorations! ---
**Author:** ![Winnowill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/16 "2001-06-19T21:17:37Z")
I miss the floppies. What better thing than recycling them for data you could actually USE? When the CDs come in those big DVD wraps I save the packages and toss the CDs. The packages I use to send out my presentation info! The cardboard wraps are useless. (Yes, there actually is someone with a semi-legitimate use for the things.) ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/17 "2001-06-19T21:21:38Z")
May I direct all of you here? [http://www.usadata.com/current\_newsletter/may-01.html](http://www.usadata.com/current_newsletter/may-01.html) ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/18 "2001-06-19T21:30:21Z")
Ha ha ha ha! Jeez, sorry about that. Try writing an email to your boss and posting at the same time. Let’s try that again. May I direct all of you here? [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=73107&pagenumber=1](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=73107&pagenumber=1) ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/19 "2001-06-19T21:52:36Z")
I crochet covers for them and use them for coasters. This fills in the center hole, and then they absorb moisture, and don’t get stuck to the bottom of the cup. No really. No, I am _not_ joking. There is one right next to the keyboard right now. There is _too_. Patterns: [http://members.aol.com/crochettalk2/CDcoast.htm](http://members.aol.com/crochettalk2/CDcoast.htm) [http://members.aol.com/\_ht\_a/dorism3560/cd\_coaster.htm](http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/dorism3560/cd_coaster.htm) [http://www.crochetmemories.com/archive/misc4.html](http://www.crochetmemories.com/archive/misc4.html) [http://www.crochetnmore.com/cdcoaster.htm](http://www.crochetnmore.com/cdcoaster.htm) ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378/20 "2001-06-19T22:00:49Z")
The same thing I do with all those free trial offer Internet CDs: make them into postcards. Really. I’ve sent out about 30 of them so far and they’ve all arrived safely. Cover the holes with white labels. Put two postcard stamps on the front, just above the recipient’s address. Put your little address label on the side, vertically. Write a short message on the flip (shiny) side with a Sharpie pen. Send it. I’ve also done this with Altoids tins in which I place little goodies. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-w-free-aol-cds/69378.md?page=2)