Doctor, Doctor, Give Me The News
I heard about a new toilet recently that opens as you approach it, has a heated seat, sprays and drys your bottom when your done, and has an MP3 player in it. That's not the most interesting part: in addition to all of that, it also analyzes your "leavings" and prepares a summary, which it then emails to your doctor. These toilets are gaining popularity in Japan. From a consumer standpoint, this is pretty easy...
Spoiler Alert
Earlier this month, I was driving across town with a friend of mine to see the movie Iron Man 2. My friend is an aficionado of comic book movies, so he had seen the first Iron Man and mentioned that he thought it was a great movie. En route, I confessed that I hadn't seen the first one and, so I wouldn't be completely lost while watching the sequel, I asked him to describe the...
Book Commercials
When was the last time you were watching TV and you saw a commercial for a book? I don't watch a whole lot of TV, but it was a long time ago and I think it was for Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. Basically, a book that has mass, mass appeal. That begs the question: why don't more new books that comes out get a commercial? Why aren't there trailers or spots for books sandwiched...
The Theory of Constraints
In the world of business, the theory of constraints basically says that in any system, there is a small handful of bottlenecks that are keeping the system from reaching maximum efficiency. This applies to any business with a complicated manufacturing environment; according to the theory, there's bound to be something that's keep the output from getting higher. If you isolate and fix that problem, then you're golden. This applies at the individual level, but in...
What Did You Expect?
One friend of mine on Facebook had the privilege of hearing Google's own Larry Page speak in public once. (She works for Google.) Afterwards, she posted a comment on her status to the effect of "Wow. Larry Page is a genius." Going into it, I'm sure she expected him to be very smart. In anticipation of seeing him speak, she imagined what one of the most successful entrepreneurs of the 21st century must be like....
What You Don't Know
In the software world, lots of computer programmers load up their resumes with all the relevant acronyms, buzz words, and technologies that anyone might need. Lots of job posters are no better; since human resources doesn't understand the language they're attempting to speak, they err on the side of listing all of the buzz words, too. It's a wonder the right person ever gets hired for the right job, and that anything ever gets done....
There's Art, and Then There's Art Castle
If you grew up in the northern suburbs of Detroit, like I did, you might have heard of Art Castle. I went there once when I was very young for a classmate's birthday party. Basically, you pick a while plaster shape (I chose a T-Rex), paint it however you like, spray glitter on it, and then the thing is baked in some kind of oven, to solidify how you made it look. You get to...
Happy Friday
Before the madness of Friday sets in, here's a song for you to listen to. Wherever you are, turn up the speakers you have and play it out loud for everyone to hear: If you're playing this at work and someone ask you to "Turn that crap down", then quit your job. Life's way too short to spend in close quarters with anyone who can't let this Satchmo classic inspire them. Enjoy the long weekend....
Postage Stamps Shouldn't Expire
Does anyone remember a time when postage stamps used to cost 25 cents? I do. I remember it very distinctly because a series of postage stamps came out that had dinosaurs on them. Suddenly, the prospect of having to write all those thank-you notes to relatives after they sent me money and gifts on Christmas and my birthday became really exciting because I got to use one of these dinosaur stamps. Here was my favorite...
A Digital Ice Glass Method
If you're having trouble controlling yourself as far as spending goes, I heard about the "ice glass" method in order to control your spending: put your credit card in a glass of water and then put it into the freezer. Next time your feel compelled to run out and buy a stack of clothes or shoes or electronics or whatever, there's a forced "cooling off" period, during which time you have to let the ice...