Do you remember when restaurants smelled good? The place was filled with the warm smell of delicious food. Maybe butter or beef or even french fries. Those smells are mostly gone now. The need for huge fans over stoves to suppress fires means that if the food smells good the odor has gone through a filter to satisfy the EPA and then up a chimney somewhere. This problem is an opportunity for an enterprising entrepreneur. Continue reading ““Smells Good.””
Requiem for Hallmark
This photo shows most of the holiday cards we received in 2017. They look great on the wall.
Two observations are immediately apparent. There are many less cards sent than in previous years. People are making the rational and economical decision to use email or social media to reach out at the holidays. And less and less of them are Hallmark type generic cards and many more are photo cards that were created on line. I sent postcards that showed a cactus lighted for Christmas and said Greetings from Arizona.
On the back I wrote “We wish you a Merry Cactus.” and other clever Arizonian sayings. But back to the topic at hand.
The number of cards mailed will continue to decline. Like postcards they will become a nostalgic fashion item not a mainstream thing.
In the meantime Facebook has more than two billion active users.
Change is…..
But what will the people who dislike the openness of Facebook do?
There might be an opportunity for a ChristmasCardBook.com It is only active during December and January. You send “e-greeting” to your loose connections once a year but don’t have to stay casually in touch the rest of the year. It would be easy to test.
Stay Together
When your with a group hiking in Sedona or visiting Disneyland it is a waste of time and might be a serious problem if you get separated. There could be an app for that. Continue reading “Stay Together”
Amazon
Detecting Motion
Find the companies that make the motion detecting chips found in Fitbits, Apple Watches and Smart Phones. Invest in them. Study the industry. Continue reading “Detecting Motion”
Plane Rides for Charity
For a $400 donation you can have a ride over Scottsdale in this plane before it is retired to the Scottsdale Airport Veterans Memorial. It’s being organized by a group spearheaded by Steve Ziomek. Contact him at www.tbird2.org/ to organize your flight.
This is a good idea for a good cause. And is an excellent reminder that; “if you’re not different you don’t exist.”
2017 Hobel Prize Finalists Updated
Here is an update to yesterday’s Hobel Prize Finalist post. I have included two more finalists and updated the past nominees category. Please use the comments section below (that is now working) to vote for your choice to win the coveted 2017 Hobel Prize. Continue reading “2017 Hobel Prize Finalists Updated”
2017 Hobel Prize Nominations
The first four finalists for the 2017 Hobel Prize are:
Spiral Cut Ham
Two bit drill
Christmas light projector
Pop Top Water Bottle
Nominations are still pouring in. The deadline is Monday January 1 at 4:00pm ish. And to be completely transparent the judges can be influenced by your comments.
The Judges for this year are:
- Simon Burrow
- Gene Brogdon
- anonymous
- anonymous
Hobel Prize Explained
Every year the Nobel Prizes are awarded in Physics, Medicine, something else and Peace. They reward great scientific achievements and great peace efforts. But really these advances don’t affect most of us very much in the near term. The Hobel Prize is different. It is awarded annually to the new product that most improves peoples lives at the immediate organic level.
For instance the wheelie suitcase would have been a winner of the Hobel Prize. Travel is easier with wheels on suitcases. The people who created them need to be recognized.
Another obvious winner is the retractable dog leash. What a great idea. It made walking dogs easier, safer and more fun.
Click on the read more button to read a list of past nominees and come back next Tuesday for a look at this years nominees and the names of the distinguished committee that will be deciding this years winner. Continue reading “Hobel Prize Explained”
One Cap
Crystal Geyser has started using a new type of bottle cap on its plastic water bottles and it is a big improvement over the old screw off tops and the “sports tops.” It is much cheaper than the sports top and is one piece so there is less trash and it is easier to reclose. When I first saw them I was concerned that they would leak. I have given them a week of intensive testing and I can certify that they are less prone to leak than the old screw tops.
Well done Crystal Geyser the 1-cap is definitely a nominee for this years Homebel Prize. Continue reading “One Cap”