Play with your food: On a box of special tea leaves, include instructions for how to read tea leaves to foretell the future. I’m especially thinking these little leaves should have shapes like letters and words like “buy” so when the letters float together into abbreviations for stocks, presto, instant stock tip. (Probably should call it Instant Read More …
Go to yougraffiti.com (available!), pick from a wide selection of walls (even photos of real buildings), pick your can of spray paint, and leave your message or art for all the world to check out. Of course, have a voting/rating system so folks can find the best. Here’s a cartoon I once did related to graffiti. Read More …
“Hello, Peter and Anne can’t come to phone right now, but if you have a question, just ask.” Well, where the heck are they? And you wouldn’t have a cellphone number I could try, would you? “Actually, they are home but they’re just too lazy and/or rude to answer the phone. So it wouldn’t do any Read More …
Now lawn inflatables move, with penguins that pop out of igloos and Santas and snowmen that wave. What’s next? How about inflatables turned mid-air balloons? Use helium, hot air or much more powerful fans keeping tethered characters aloft. The hot-air system would probably need flaming gas jets, which might not be too safe, but, hey, if you want to make Read More …
OK, I know this is a dumb idea … unless somebody’s really desperate. But when it comes to losing weight, some people are. Instead of locking the fridge, which makes others suffer, lock the dieters’ hands with Diet Mittens. They’re so puffy and plump, you can’t hold a fork or even a burrito. Or even a can Read More …
How about a cereal called Puzzles & Games? The back of the box has a flap that pulls down into a game board. Edible bits inside would be game pieces (like chess or checkers, letters or numbers). Maybe the pieces vary for different editions. Or maybe the box come with a Magic Pen for solving invisible ink puzzles Read More …
Build into each club a device that (a) senses where the flag is, (b) calculates where the clubface is actually aiming, (c) and tells aloud how much the trajectory is off. Super-deluxe version also (d) inertially monitors the swing, (e) tells you why you hooked or sliced, (f) is made of an indestructible material because, well, you know why, Read More …
Who says Jack can’t play and learn at the same time? Suppose balls and bats and hockey sticks were covered with vocabulary words. With definitions, of course. Casually, those words would work their ways into minds and conversations. Heck, maybe cover a whole playground with words, names and ideas worth learning. Those in some jokes for Read More …
If YouTube can sell to Google for $1.65 billion, how much would a site of short quality videos be worth? Imagine a conglomeration of the best bits from Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show, Late Night With David Letterman, and all sorts of sitcoms and cartoons. Not whole shows, just quick clips. Be fun to Read More …
You know you need to be told what to do. So call 1-900-GRANDMA. Press 1 to be told to get a job. Press 2 for her rap on keeping your pants on. Press 3 to be scolded for using sauce that comes in a jar. You suggest the rest …
“Beep! Beep! Uhooogah! Warning! Warning! Water level too high! Do not flush! Repeat! Do not flush! I warned you. Blub-blub-blub.” It’s dark, you don’t think to check, but that sucker’s already backed up. It’s times like this you wish there was a Tidy Bowl Man — or a device — that bullhorned a warning.
Posted this idea on the Millions of Hundred-Dollar Ideas website, because its madcap maven, Drew Anderson, was nervy/nutty/nice enough to invite some folks to do a little ghostbloggging while he was on a trip.
Expect more and more products to serve the short-term memory-challenged and/or absent-minded scatterbrains (like me) as more boomers board the geriatric bandwagon. I’ll get out a prescription, get distracted, then forget: Did I take that pill or not. Sure I could use those multibox thingies with several compartments for each pill. But that would require me to be Read More …
Ever notice how many current and once-popular brands sound like baby talk or nonsense? Google. Barbie. Madonna. Sudoku. Bambi. Yahoo. Howdy Doody. Coca-Cola. Pokemon. Pop-Eye. Wham-O. Oreo. Goobers. iPod. eBay. Frisbee. Gumby. ABBA. Barbra. Pizza. The Doobie Brothers. Dydie Diapers. Tutti frutti. The Bee Gees. BVDs. Jeep. Fuji. Hula Hoop. Uma. Oprah. Subaru. OK I’m exaggerating, but simple nonsense is (a) simple, (b) Read More …
Those Segway Human Transporters have yet to revolutionize the world. Maybe one reason is that the joy of riding them can’t be shared. So make one so two people can ride. Standing. (Not expecting it’d work with one on the handlebars.) Even more economical. Fun on dates. And one person could hold the umbrella. Hey, look there already is Read More …