We’re all busy. Too busy to read. Too busy to exercise. Too busy to cook. Too busy to be smart shoppers, better lovers, better parents, etc., etc., etc. So why not a magazine for us? Everything in it is one page or less, and even that is presented in glanceable graphics form. Lots of briefs Read More …
Size and shape of a napkin, but thicker, like a triple-thick paper towel. Cook on it. Use it as a cover. Then use it to pick up hot food. Pre-dampening helps cooking, prevents paper from sticking. Thicker and made not to shred, it can absorb some moisture without falling apart. Need? Maybe Micro Mitts or Micro Grabbers. Or Potholder Napkins. Bet a Read More …
We have pills for depression, so why not pills to help people who are laugh-challenged? Could be bio-braino-chemical in nature. Or not. Know those Valentine’s Day hearts with the romantic sayings? Why not candy pills with a joke on one side, and the punchline on the other? Not enough room? Then make the “pills” really Read More …
Eye for an eye never works because the cycle never ends. So instead of retaliating, set an example for a better way to behave. It’d take some “vigilante” group to set this up, because no government ever will. But instead of deadly bombs, explode tasty ones. KABOOM! Candy’s rolling all over the streets. Ultimately, kindness strategies will win more hearts and minds and sympathy Read More …
I was telling a young shoe designer, Layla Hassoun, about my idea for “Marshmallow Duckies for Hot Chocolate,” and she said if the duckies themselves were chocolate, as they melted they could turn hot milk or hot water into hot chocolate. Take that a step further. Why couldn’t Hershey’s create Instant Hot Chocolate Kisses? They pack cocoa and Read More …
Alas, newspapers grow ever shorter on space, so it is with no great anticipation I share some ideas for features that readers might find of some interest. Consider this Part 1 of a series. Contest Mania. Who isn’t interested in free money and merchandise, ways to win them, and people who have done so? Are Read More …
Ever try to cut a big pizza slice in half so each person gets some crust? You get this skinny sliver you can hardly hold or eat. Or say you don’t want a big piece but the pie is huge. Do you grab an outer cutout that has crust, leaving a floppy, sloppy part without any Read More …
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 …
Gotta love Peeps, those marshmallow chicks and bunnies from Just Born. Assorted permutations appear for various holidays: ghosts, pumpkins, hearts, snowmen and Christmas trees. But departing from the holiday idea, how about this: Hot chocolate duckies! Instead of regular marshmallows, you float cute little creatures. Ducks are archetypal floaters, but swans and whales and octopi Read More …
Hot grapes, mmm. Try it.
Ever notice how bags of chips or popcorn or cheese curls resemble puffy balloons and weigh almost nothing? Why not take that concept a step or two further? Fill bags with helium for a truly “light” snack. Better yet, figure out how to make snacks that float in mid-air. Maybe whip helium into the mix Read More …
Going to have to post a drawing soon, but until then a description will have to do. Imagine a dome made of a clear semi-flexible plastic. Now curl the bottom edges inside to create an inner trough. If you floated this plastic hemi-bubble on a body of water out in the sun, evaporation and condensation Read More …
Hic. How wry I am. Anybody could brew a batch of wild possibilities. In fact, each episode could be a takeoff on some other reality show. Extreme Makeover: Beer Edition. Survivor: Beer Island. Beer Apprentice. Beer Swap. Weakest Clink. Who Wants to Chug Like a Millionaire. America’s Top Beer-Ad Model. Or maybe this whole premise Read More …
We’ve all seen wraps, those round tortilla-like flatbreads handy for holding all sorts of tasty ingredients. But they’re often so oversized, the carbs and calories add up. Got me to thinking: How about making them smaller, just big enough to fold over a veggie burger, or sideways over a hot dog? Call ’em Flaps instead Read More …