A Solution to Foreclosure Crisis? Play Dominos … or Mortgage Musical Chairs

More than two million homes are expected to be foreclosed this year. What a waste. All because the owners can’t affort the particular payment on that house. Hmm. So what if we switched the people and the houses? Orchestrated a kind of mortgage musical chairs? Take Joe. Can’t afford his $600,000 house. But he could afford the Read More …

Overnight Energy-Free Shipping! And the National Wish Fulfillment Chain!

This a wild idea. Maybe it’s more of a stunt than a service. But with the power of the Web perhaps it’s possible: A way to ship something cross-country in just one day using almost no extra energy. Really puts the UNITED in United Parcel Service. Or maybe call it the Hand-Off Shipping Network. Basically people go to Read More …

CompuSleeve

I’m writing this on an Acer mini netbook I recently bought. Love its portability (2 lbs!) and affordable price ($350). Screen’s glarey in sunlight, but keyboard’s big enough for even my large paws. Anyway, for even more portability, why not invent the CompuSleeve? suggests a friend, Danielle Comisky. It’s a touch-screen computer that curls around your Read More …

Stooge Idol

Have tryouts to find a new Three Stooges. The national search! The embarrassing auditions where the losers can’t help coming across with dignity and intelligence! The judges … who … hit each other with seltzer and pies? My best reality-TV idea since “Beer Factor“?

You Know It’s Coming: Talking and Singing Food

If they can put talking or singing chips in birthday cards, you know it’s gotta happen with food. Probably a no-brainer figuring out how to add this feature to parts we don’t eat, like lollipop or popsicle sticks or cups or lids or bags or wrappers. But why? Contests (“You’re a winner!”). Advertising. Product identity. Read More …

Make Presidents More Accountable: Divide up the Job

The presidency’s too much for any one man. Or woman. So divide it up. Besides, the more responsibilities a leader has, the more failures are accepted, and the more elections focus on likeability instead of issues. So suppose there were multiple “presidents,” (or commissioners) each independent with only one problem-solving job: Improving education. Winning the war on drugs. Making Americans Read More …

Make Political Ads Admit Side-Effects

“Vote for Me! My ugly opponent’s pro-death and he wants to raise everybody’s taxes! This ad, brought to you by the Committee to Re-Elect Joe Jerkweed at Any Cost, not only just wasted $20,000 that could have gone for several children’s health-care premiums, but it may cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, gullibility, insensitivity, and major regret. Read More …

Pop Culture Talk Radio Station

There’s sports talk. Opinionated political talk. Even shows all about money. But why not TV-movie-music-media-Web-celebrities-and-maybe-also-a-little sports-and-sex talk? Key to good talk radio is having two lively hosts who often disagree (a la WIP in Philly), and who can juggle several hot topics at once, to hook a wide audience. Keep the whiny politics out of Read More …