Ideas
Angel Investor(s) Wanted for Unique Web Application
For my 200th post to my blog, I thought I’d post a brief summary of a funding request. I’m interested in developing, with a small team, a unique web application. I just wish I could post about it in detail here. Except that would be stupid of me. [must... not... post details... online... ]
So, I’ve posted below what basic information I can.
Producers v. Consumers
I’ve been thinking a bit lately about the kind of life we lead. Or tend to lead in this modern culture of ours. It started out with hearing about Google’s OpenSocial initiative which is a way that social networking profiles can be linked automatically and will (one day) allow you to fill out your profile information just once. As you join other networks (or websites), OpenSocial will be able to grab your info and pre-fill in the profile information in the new site. Saving you the time and hassle of typing it in all over again. Eventually, it may automatically update and sync the data.
T-Shirt Ideas
Here’s some ideas for t-shirts that I once had. Take ‘em. Us ‘em. Their free. I like to share.
- I’ll decide whether you’re relevant, interesting, or laughable.
- With a few keystrokes, my genius can be published to the world.
- But, I know where we can find the answer: the internet!
- I can’t seem to recall the exact clarity that led me to do that.
- Baseball is not a sport. Neither is napping or smoking.
- Why can’t we start hacking Al-Qaeda’s websites?
- If you want more information than this, you are a process server.
George Eads and Trish Suhr - Separated at Birth?
Photos by Trish Suhr & RetnaEverytime I saw Trish Suhr on Style’s Clean House television show, I kept thinking she reminded me of someone. Someone I knew, someone on television, someone… Finally, it hit me a few days ago. Her mannerisms, her vocal inflections, her accent, and her looks are all very similar to actor George Eads.
Of course, I’m all too familiar with George Eads because I think I’ve seen nearly every episode of CSI in which he plays character Nick Stokes. According to their bios, I’m supposedly dead wrong. But maybe they have a common ancestor because the similarities are uncanny. If you know Trish or George, have them check out their genealogies together (they could use Geni which is a great way to share family histories).
The E-Book Experiment
I hinted yesterday’s post about Alan’s 30-Day Blogging Challenge that I was going to unveil another blog that I have been preparing to start. Except that it’s not a blog. Except that it is a blog, too.
In fact, it’s a book. Or more accurately, it will be a book. Most likely an e-book. But I’ll be writing it one chapter at a time. And not necessarily in order. In fact, most likely not in order at all.
Fast Food Drive-Thru Ordering
I’m hardly a Seth Godin. If you want ideas for the small little improvements in business, Seth is definitely who you need to read. In fact, I’d argue that if you aren’t reading Seth, and you run a business, you are seriously impairing your ability to get that little percentage of an improvement which could reap huge dividends in the long run.
However, I don’t think Seth has talked about this yet, so I’ll give it a shot.
Two parts here: The first part below is how you can make your life easier when ordering from a fast food drive-through. The second part is how fast food resturants can improve their drive-through process.
Genuine Surveys
I must be alone. Apparently, the thought level on this subject is so high I can not hope to understand it. Or it is so common as to be unquestionable by anyone. I’m talking about those surveys that are handed out to college students near the end of each semester asking them to rate their professor on a variety of skills. The surveys are supposed to be anonymous, although I’m sure I’m not the first student to be highly suspicious of this administration claim. Considering the time and expense for all involved, I struggle to comprehend how these surveys could be of any use - to anyone. The only sad answer I keep coming back to is that they are a token gesture toward students who don’t think very far beyond their #2 pencil. Maybe I’m wrong.
A Few Free Ideas for Movie Theater Owners
Techdirt recently wrote about some of the dilemmas facing movie theater owners. I thought I’d give away a few of my secret ideas. The rest stay in my head until some theater owner pays me for them.
I don’t want to give away every idea of mine, but since you are on the subject… here’s what theater owners need to do to fight back — and quit blaming Hollywood.
Are there any Handheld Phones worth buying?
I’ve been helping a client setup a Treo 600 to send and receive email and I started getting curious about these devices. I’ve owned two PDA’s over the years, but after I got rid of my last one a few years ago, I vowed to wait until I could better integrate the device with a phone. I just wasn’t going to be one of those guys who carry a PDA, a phone, a laptop, a thumb drive, etc… you know who you are, guys.
So, I jumped online to see what the latest offerings are and I have to say I’m very disappointed in what is available.
Laura Ingraham is my Second Wife
I created a small shop at Cafe Press to sell one of my ideas. If it goes okay, I’ll do a full-blown e-commerce site and put all my other ideas on there - ideas that, for the moment, are sealed hermetically in my brain.
As a huge fan of Laura Ingraham, I’ve often told folks that if I could have second wife, she’d be my first pick for sure. If you’ve never listened to Laura, you must stop reading this and find what station she is on in your area and what time. If you’ve read my talk radio post, you understand why I enjoy listening to Laura so much.
The $39 Experiment
Under the “Why didn’t I think of this?” category, I found about this guy, Tom Locke, who decided to use a roll of stamps and mail letters to 100 different companies asking them for free stuff. He has received all sorts of things back, but what I find typical of mis-managed companies is what some of the companies wrote back in their rejection of his request. Amazing. Tom includes all the text of his letters, each individually tailored to each company he wrote to. My favorite letters of Tom’s are the ones he wrote to Energizer (hysterical), Subway, and Industrial Tool & Die. While some cool companies sent him a few coupons or a free product sample, a special few sent him some big time stuff. Fellowes sent him 4 cans of compressed air! What? I pay through the nose for that stuff. It’s like crack to a techie.
Nametags
I have a friend who once told me that he knew he had finally “made it” because he no longer had a job where he had to wear a name tag to work. For a long time, that defined for me the essence of “making it” as well.
Can Newspapers Be Saved?
Was talking to a few friends over the weekend about a Florida Today article. We got to talking about newspapers in general… the general decline of their business (due to the net)… their need for new revenue sources… and then the overall blandness of their articles.
In essence, we rarely feel that we are getting the “inside scoop” anymore. In fact, most of our local paper (Florida Today) is filled with AP wire stories. The local stuff is only somewhat interesting.
Signs of the Times
I wrote this as sort of a spoof or comedy bit. Maybe you’ll find it funny. Maybe you won’t. If you love to drive I’m thinking you might.
If any driver thinks that the open road is freedom or that their independence is found in their vehicle, let them rethink the situation. We can not drive without being reminded at every quarter mile by some sign that we are bound by the whims and fancies of rogue puppet dictators: city planners, homeowner associations, and worse, the state department of transportation. Whether we realize it or not, these groups exact a toll upon our driving that we often succumb to without even realizing it. Many of the signs do not make sense. The chief of all nonsensical signs is the “Do Not Pass” sign, which if obeyed, would put an end to most trips real quick. All that is needs to be added is “Do Not Collect $200″. But, the dictators’ attempts to control our driving doesn’t end there.
