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Our Latest Posts About: Common Sense

Reality TV Shouldn't Feature Illegal Activity

Wednesday, July 12, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Reality TV needs a reality check.

I recently saw a "Reality TV" show that follows the ins and outs of a bunch of back woods Moonshiners. I don't know much about the show, but it seemed to me that entire premise of the show was that these guys were running an illegal still in the middle of the woods so that they could avoid being caught by the police. Even if they "faked" the whole thing, isn't it still wrong?

No matter how you slice it, the whole thing is wrong. If they weren't actually making illegal Moonshine, it was fake and they were deceiving the audience. If it was real, everyone involved, including the cast and their entire crew were breaking the law. Either way, they were glorifying criminal activity.

While I don't watch much TV, I stumbled on several other sho... [More]

Continue...Reality TV Shouldn't Feature Illegal Activity...

DRIVING with Bumper Guards is STUPID!

Saturday, July 8, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

What's the deal with all those stupid Bumper Guards?

Why are so many people DRIVING with Bumper Guards?

So let me get this straight. People buy these ugly looking things to put on their bumpers so that other cars won't scratch them. Meanwhile, the bumper guards are 1000 times uglier than the scratches they were designed to prevent. Brilliant. Meanwhile, I see DRIVING with them every day throughout New York City and it makes me scratch my head and wonder how the heck they became so popular.... and WHY don't they TAKE THEM OFF them when they drive?

It reminds me of the days when people put plastic on their couches to keep them from looking dirty.

As a New Yorker, I can totally understand the concept behind the idea itself. You get back to your car and notice a brand new sc... [More]

Continue...DRIVING with Bumper Guards is STUPID!...

Don't PEE on Toilet Seats!

Sunday, July 2, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Some people are disgusting PIGS!

One of the most disgusting things about public restrooms is walking into a stall and finding that the entire toilet seat is covered with PEE. Why on earth is this so common? I used to think it was mainly from young kids who aren't mature enough to manage their bathroom routines, but I often see this in office buildings, where the only people using them are so-called "adults".

Can you imagine that? These are professional office workers who don't have the common sense to simply lift up the toilet seat before they pee. Why... Why... WHY?

Artificial Food Colors are STUPID!

Saturday, July 1, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Why the heck do so many companies still use food coloring?

In spite of the trend in healthy food options, you still artificial colors in the ingredient list of many products. Most of them are unnatural and they don't enhance the flavor of the food... so what's the point?

For example, sports drinks like Gatorade are targeted towards athletes, who tend to be health conscious consumers, yet they come in the most un-natural colors like bright green and blue. Why not remove the colors? Even if the colors are safe... do they really need them?

Thankfully a few companies like General Mills are reversing the trend by removing artificial colors from all their cereal brands, including colorful brands like Trix, which is just as colorful as ever, but all the colors are from fruits.... [More]

Continue...Artificial Food Colors are STUPID!...

What Good Are Expiration Dates If You Can't Read Them?

Friday, June 30, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Why is it so hard to read product expiration dates?

I don't know about you, but I find it hard to read product expiration dates. Not only are they too small, but there doesn't seem to be any effort to make them easy to find or easy to read.

When I see a blurry, small, or hard to find expiration date, it makes me think the company is intentionally trying to hide them, which doesn't make any sense at all. If anything, you'd think they'd make them as big and bold as possible, because when customers know a product they already have has expired, they're likely to throw it out and buy a new one.

Conversely, when a customer doesn't notice the expiration, they'll keep the old (expired) product longer, and as the product loses freshness and flavor, they're less likely to buy a new... [More]

Continue...What Good Are Expiration Dates If You Can't Read Them?...

The Solution to Dirty Public Restrooms

Wednesday, June 28, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Public bathrooms STINK... but there's an easy solution!

We all know people can be disgusting pigs, but they're only PART of the problem. The real problem is that people have no way to clean up after themselves. The solution is as simple as giving bathroom patrons access to cleaning products.

I'm not suggesting that patrons are going to spend an hour cleaning a filthy bathroom, but the bottom line is that SOME of them will take the time to clean up after themselves when they make a mess, as long as they have the tools to do so. Without placing cleaning products in the bathroom, there's a zero percent chance they will do it.

Even if NOBODY cleaned up after themselves, EVERYONE will use those products to at least clean the toilet seat BEFORE sitting on it. That's a fact.... [More]

Continue...The Solution to Dirty Public Restrooms...

The Problem With Tagless Underwear

Monday, June 26, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Some Doctors and Nurses Set a BAD Example

Friday, June 23, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Why do so many doctors and nurses smoke?

What's in YOUR Wallet?

Tuesday, May 16, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

If you lost your wallet today, would you remember what was in it?

Losing your wallet can be a real pain in the neck. You need to contact all your banks and credit card companies to get replacement cards and that's not easy if you don't remember what's missing.

One solution is to periodically take inventory of all your cards. It could be as simple as writing down all your card numbers along with the customer service phone numbers written on the back. If you don't like writing, you can make photocopies, scans, or simply take photos of the front and back of each card.

Once you've gathered the information, put it in a safe place and update it whenever you add or remove a card. If you lose your wallet, you'll have all your information in one place, making it easy to get repl... [More]

Continue...What's in YOUR Wallet?...

Tire Changing 101

Friday, May 12, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Why do so many people risk their lives changing tires on busy highways and bridges?

The other day I saw somebody in the middle of a bridge changing a flat tire. Can you imagine that? Right in the middle of a bridge! Why on earth would anyone do that?

As I passed the driver, dozens of questions rolled through my mind. When did he notice the flat? Didn't he notice it before getting on the bridge? Did he think something bad would happen if he waited until he reached the other side? Doesn't he realize he could get killed doing this?

Simply stated, you should never change your tire on an active roadway... Ever. The safest thing to do is to slow down, turn on your hazards and slowly drive until you reach a safe place, preferably off the highway and away from busy traffic.... [More]

Continue...Tire Changing 101...

The Airlines Dragged This Out of Me.

Saturday, April 29, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Why do airlines ask people to get off an overbooked flight?

With all the controversy over the recent dragging of a United Airlines passenger this past week or so, I can't help but wonder one thing... Why do they even have to ask in the first place?

While I've never seen anyone dragged off a plane before, I've been on quite a few flights where the airlines have made announcements asking for volunteer passengers willing to accept a cash payment in exchange for giving up their seats. That's pretty common, because airlines traditionally overbook seats due to the potential for last minute cancellations.

If overbooking explains the reason for their volunteer program, what I can't understand is why they have a need to ask passengers who have already been seated. That's is what d... [More]

Continue...The Airlines Dragged This Out of Me....

Replacing Batteries Too Soon?

Monday, April 24, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Replacing batteries too soon is a waste of money.

Sometimes it's the little things that can drive me crazy, like when my Mac tells me to change the batteries in my wireless keyboard and trackpad, just because the power level drops under 20%. That's a huge waste!

The batteries in the Mac keyboard are good for months, so changing them too soon is a complete waste of money, especially since I get get several weeks of use with the remaining 20%. It's like throwing out 20% of the price of the batteries.

2-Sided ID Bages

Monday, April 10, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

What good is an ID Badge, if you only see it 50% of the time?

I spent time in a lot of hospitals and nursing homes over the last couple of years, and one thing that is common to all of them is that everyone is required to wear ID badges. Unfortunately, half the time they were upside down, and you couldn't see the name. Why is that?

Doesn't it make sense to simply put the name on BOTH sides, so that you are guaranteed to see it, whether it flips over or not?

How Large is a Large Drink?

Monday, March 20, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

It's impossible knowing the real size of drinks in restaurants because they use different cup sizes.

When you order a small drink in a fast food restaurant, do you know how big it will be? If you ask for the same size in another restaurant, you'll probably get an entirely different size than you expected. That's because there aren't any standards for cup sizes in restaurants.

Meanwhile, a lot of people poke fun at Starbucks for having strange names like "Venti" for their drinks, but in reality, the Venti is probably one of the few cases where the name actually means something. Venti is Italian for "Twenty", so a Venti is a 20 ounce drink.

It would be so much easier if you could order your drink by size, in ounces, at any restaurant... instead of ambiguous names like Smal... [More]

Continue...How Large is a Large Drink?...

Hey... Shoe Makers... Ever Heard of a Ruler?

Friday, December 30, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

What's the deal with extra long shoelaces?

It drives me nuts when I get a new pair of shoes and the laces are way too long. Why on earth would they do that? You end up with laces that literally drag on the ground unless you tie a double knot. Don't they know how to measure?

Look, I'm sure there are some people out there that like long laces, but for the most part, most of us simply want to tie our shoes the old fashioned way, with one simple not, so why not include normal sized laces? For the small number of people who actually prefer long laces, let them buy their own laces and go to town and let the rest of us have normal laces.

It's not rocket science. All they need is a ruler to see how much lace is left after you tie the shoe and then they'll know exactly how long... [More]

Continue...Hey... Shoe Makers... Ever Heard of a Ruler?...

Car Radios Should Always Start Off at Low Volume Levels

Wednesday, September 7, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Don't you hate when you get into the car and the radio blasts way too loud?

We've all done it before. You're in your car and one of your favorite songs come on, so you crank up the volume to the max. You shut off the car, close the door and head inside without realizing you forgot to lower the volume before you shut it off.

Unfortunately the penalty for forgetting to lower the volume when you shut the car takes place the next morning, when you get a sudden blast of the latest boy band song that's loud enough to wake the neighborhood. When this happens, it's hard to even imagine that you had it that loud the night before, but there's a big difference between cranking up your favorite song while driving full speed, versus listening to some lame top-40 nonsense while parked in... [More]

Continue...Car Radios Should Always Start Off at Low Volume Levels...

What is REALLY... REAL?

Wednesday, August 10, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

What makes some ordinary objects better than other ones?

A new baseball costs about $10, but if a famous baseball player even touches the ball, the price goes up. If the same baseball player takes it out of the box, signs it, then puts it back in the box, the price goes up even more, because the signature proves they touched it. Take to another level, even if they don't "touch" the ball, but simply hit it with their bat, the price goes up even more, especially if it was an important home run.

The funny thing about it is that in each and every case, all you really have is a the same $10 baseball, and some kind of magical feeling that comes with knowing the baseball is somehow transformed from being ordinary, to something completely different and valuable, simply because you b... [More]

Continue...What is REALLY... REAL?...

No More Daylight Savings Time. Just Adjust Our Schedules

Monday, June 13, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Instead of adjusting our clocks... Why not adjust our SCHEDULES?

I've talked about Daylight Savings Time a few times on the blog, mainly because it boggles my mind that it even exists. The premise that the entire world changes every single clock and watch twice a year is simply insane.

One of my readers posted a very simple solution. Let time be time... and let people decide if they want to adjust their own schedules every season. Instead of working 9-5 all year, then adjusting the clock in the spring and fall, why not decide to work from 8-4 in the spring?

Isn't that a lot simpler?

Detergent Pods Shouldn't Look Like Candy

Wednesday, May 11, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Why the heck are laundry and dish washer detergent pods so colorful?

On the surface, detergent pods seem like a brilliant idea. You just pop them into your washing machine or dishwasher. There's no more measuring messy powders or liquids, what could be wrong with that? I don't actually have a problem with the concept. It's the execution that's completely messed up, and it's not the fault of the inventors.

The problem comes from the marketing departments of these companies. Instead of being satisfied that people will want to use them simply because of the convenience alone, they decided to make the pods more appealing by adding colorful dyes and flowing swirls that resemble... CANDY.

When a child bites down on a detergent pod, they literally explode into their mouth caus... [More]

Continue...Detergent Pods Shouldn't Look Like Candy...

Large Cardboard Boxes Should Always Have Handles

Saturday, April 2, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Doesn't it drive you nuts when you've got to carry a large box, and it doesn't have some kind of handles?

Every time I have to carry a large box, the first thing I look for is a handle, or at the very least, a strategically placed cutout on the side that serves as a handle. When none can be found, all I can think of is how inconsiderate the company that makes the product and the box are about the people who actually have to carry it.

It's not that it costs them anything to make a simple slit on the side to make a cutout handle. There's simply no excuse.

Don't Pee On Toilet Seats

Wednesday, February 10, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

It's not rocket science, so why do some idiots still do it?

For what it's worth, there's no reason for me to post this "Idea". It should be self-explanatory. Nobody likes to sit on a toilet seat full of piss, but somehow there are still people out there that just don't get it.

We see it all the time. We walk into a public restroom, enter the stall and there it is, a disgusting mess. For the life of me I can't imagine the kind of jerk that would leave a mess like that behind. You'd think that anyone with half a brain would figure out that if you simply lift the seat up with your foot before you pee, you'd have a nice big target... and show courtesy to the next visitor.

I see this so often it's pathetic, and most of the time it's in office buildings where you assume eve... [More]

Continue...Don't Pee On Toilet Seats...

Gas Prices Rounded To The Nearest Penny

Saturday, January 30, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

9/10th of a penny is just plain stupid!

Why do gas prices still have an extra 9/10 cent in small letters at the pump?

Last time I filled up, I paid $1.639 per gallon. For all intents and purposes, I paid $1.64, so what's the point of hiding it? Most tanks today only hold around 20 gallons or less, so the net price of a typical fill-up would only be impacted by an extra 20 tenths of a cent, 2 cents

In a time where there's a debate over getting rid of pennies, it's it time they stop pricing gas with fractions of a penny?

I could understand using fractions of a cent if the last digit wasn't always a 9, but a changing number based on some market variables, but it's always a 9 and it's only purpose is to make people think the gas is a penny cheaper than in actually is.... [More]

Continue...Gas Prices Rounded To The Nearest Penny...

Normal Sizes at Costco

Friday, January 22, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Sometimes bigger isn't better.

We get it. Costco has great prices on items because they come in big packages. Does that mean every product in the store has to come in packages so large you can barely carry them?

For what it's worth, there's a lot of items in Costco that I'd love to buy, but I know for sure that either I don't have the space for the oversized packages, or I don't buy because I know more than half of it will spoil before I run out.

The savings you get in larger sizes is often lost when you end up throwing half of it out because it eventually spoils.

The bottom line is that some things are fine in larger sizes, but some things should still come in regular sizes, especially if they're too large to carry or have a short expiration date.

[media]679[/... [More]

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Alerts When You Leave ANY Car Light On

Wednesday, January 6, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Why don't cars remind you when you leave the interior lights on?

For drivers with kids, one of the most frustrating things is when the car won't start, because one of the kids left an interior light on. In an earlier idea, I talked about why Interior car lights should use momentary switches so you don't forget to turn them off, but if car makers don't do that, the least they can do is make sure the car warns you when one of the lights are left on.

It's pretty strange that in this day and age, people still manage to drain their batteries because one of their lights were accidentally left on overnight.

Warning drivers that they left their headlights on is a great start, so why not change the system to warn you

... [More]

Continue...Alerts When You Leave ANY Car Light On...

Reality Shows Shouldn't Feature Criminal Activity

Monday, December 7, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Do we really need reality TV shows that feature illegal activity?

I saw a show on the Discovery Channel about Moonshining that features a disclaimer telling you it's illegal. Most of the show centers around the ins and outs of hiding their operations from the police. One segment focused on looking for a new place to hide their still, and other segments were about delivering their product to customers without getting caught.

Because of the popularity of the show, the Moonshiners eventually built a "Legitimate" version of their product, but it bothers me that they focus so much of the show on hiding from the law.

They spend so much time on the show talking about how they hide from the police that I couldn't help but wonder if the camera crew would be just as guilty if the

... [More]

Continue...Reality Shows Shouldn't Feature Criminal Activity...

No Carpets in Restaurants

Monday, October 19, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Carpets don't belong in restaurants.

The other day I went to a fast food restaurant that had carpets in the main dining area. To be honest, I didn't even notice it at first. I just sat down and started eating, until I started to notice an odd smell. I eventually realized the smell was coming from the carpet. It was not only smelling up the whole place, but it felt a bit sticky, like an old movie theater.

That's when I started to imagine how often food and drinks fall on the floor and soak into the carpet. Night after night, customers drop a little soda here and there, a few french fries, a pickle, maybe even a few dairy products. Then I picture the staff vacuuming the surface, and having it shampooed from time to time.

By contrast, restaurants with hard floors end ea

... [More]

Continue...No Carpets in Restaurants...

Take The Stickers Off Your Hat.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

For some reason, there are a bunch of people walking around with price tags and other stickers on their hats.

For whatever reason, I see more and more people following this trend. It's as if they all are trying to show off their new hats. I've got news for you. Most of us don't care how new your hat is, with or without the sticker. The sticker only makes you look like a mindless robot who follows every Tom, Dick, and Harry without noticing that Tom, Dick, and Harry look like idiots.

It doesn't matter how many people I see doing it, I'll never do it. It's just plain stupid. If keeping stickers on your hat is trendy, then I guess I'm just one of those guys that likes to be different. Trendy is one thing, but when something stupid becomes trendy, I'm glad I'm just a regula... [More]

Continue...Take The Stickers Off Your Hat....

Open Backed Shoes. Why Don't Some People Know About Them?

Monday, July 6, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Why do so many people have shoes with crushed backs?

I can't count the number of people I see wearing shoes or slippers with the back crushed to the point that they essentially use them as an open backed shoe. Don't these people know they buy open backed shoes? What's up with that?

Since open backed shoes are pretty common in stores, I often wonder what is going on in their minds. Buying a regular shoe, then crushing the back turns it into an open backed shoe with a lumpy back. How is this better than simply starting with a properly designed open backed shoe?

I'm sure there's some benefit to starting with regular shoes, then crushing the back, but for the life of me, I can't figure it out.

I've seen so many sensible people walking around with crushed shoes it makes m... [More]

Continue...Open Backed Shoes. Why Don't Some People Know About Them?...

Price Stickers... Stick... Too Much.

Thursday, February 12, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Doesn't it stink when you're stuck with a price sticker that won't unstick?

I don't know why some companies use price stickers and other labels that refuse to come off. Post-It glue has been around for decades, and there have always been glues that were designed specifically to come off with minimal effort, so why on earth would anyone intentionally put a sticker that's hard to remove on an item that the consumer clearly needs to remove as soon as they get home?

I realize that for some items, the sticker often has a barcode that they don't want to fall off, but there are plenty of adhesives that will stay in place, yet still come off with minimal effort.

I will even acknowledge that in some cases they are worried that a shoplifter might pull off the sticker and swap it wit... [More]

Continue...Price Stickers... Stick... Too Much....

Eliminate Weekly Street Cleaning Days

Wednesday, January 21, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Have you noticed that some of the cleanest cities don't have any No Parking / Street Cleaning rules?

I've got news for you. Some of those cities not only manage to have clean streets, but some are actually cleaner than New York's streets.

Some of you are shaking your heads in disbelief, and asking... "How on earth can those cities possibly have clean streets when they don't force cars to scramble around and double park twice a week so that the street sweepers can clean them?"

Instead of the city sweeping the streets, the building owners do it.

I'm sure by now, some New Yorkers have passed out. I'll give you a moment to regain your composure and let this sink in. Relax. It's not the end of the world.

Believe it or not, if the city didn't sweep the curb in fr... [More]

Continue...Eliminate Weekly Street Cleaning Days...

Fast Food Drinks Sizes Should Be Based Upon Volume, Not Small, Medium, Large, etc.

Sunday, January 11, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

When you order a drink in a fast food restaurant, you never know how big the drink will be. Isn't that stupid?

Have you noticed that drink sizes in fast food restaurants are completely arbitrary?

Every restaurant has their own definition of drink sizes. A Small in one restaurant could be the same as the Large at another. To make matters worse, some restaurants like to use their own names.

Today they have names like:

Child Size
Extra Small
Small
Medium
Regular
Large
Extra Large
Biggie
King Size
Short
Tall
Grande
Venti
Gulp
Big Gulp
Super Big Gulp

So is a Biggie at Wendy's bigger than a Large at Burger King?

Starbucks Venti is actually the only one that makes sense, because it means 20 (ounces). The rest are arbitrary names.

This made me... [More]

Continue...Fast Food Drinks Sizes Should Be Based Upon Volume, Not Small, Medium, Large, etc....

Greeting Cards Shouldn't Have Slick Paper Inside

Monday, January 5, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Happy Birthday Alice. Here's a $6 card with a blurry message from me on the inside, Ralph.

Let's say Ralph Kramden wants to give his wife, Alice a beautiful card to go along with that special gift he's been saving up for (perhaps a horse with a clock in it's stomach).

He goes to the store, and heads right for the expensive section, after all, Alice is the Greatest. He spots a truly special card. It's expensive, but she's worth it. While she steps away to visit Trixie upstairs, he takes out his pen and starts to fill out the card. Seconds later, the whole thing is a big blur, and it's too late to fix it.

Because of the slick paper inside, that expensive card makes the ink blur like a rorschach test.

Why on earth would an expensive card use slick coated paper on... [More]

Continue...Greeting Cards Shouldn't Have Slick Paper Inside...

Cell Phones Shouldn't Make Sounds When You Turn Them OFF.

Monday, December 8, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

You're at a wedding, and you just realized you forgot to turn off your cell phone. Don't bother, it'll make even more noise turning it off.

File this under "Stupid", "Pointless" and "Huh?"

I can't understand why some phone manufacturers insist on playing a sound whenever you turn them on or off, especially off.

Yes, Motorola, your Android phones are nifty. Does it have to say "D-R-O-I-D" every time you hit the power button?

It's pretty simple. Most people keep their cell phones on 24/7, but there are rare times when you've got to turn them off, because you don't want to distract people when it rings. In fact, that's the only time people turn them off.

Since the ONLY time people use the power button is in places and times when we don't want the distraction of... [More]

Continue...Cell Phones Shouldn't Make Sounds When You Turn Them OFF....

Why Don't Public Restrooms Provide Cleaning Products?

Monday, December 1, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

We've all faced that moment where we walk into a restroom, and seconds later, we walk out without using it, even though we really needed it.

Yes. I'm venting again. I'm not complaining about how dirty public bathrooms are. We all know some that are good, and some that are pretty bad. What I'm venting about is that people are complaining, when there is a simple solution. Provide some bathroom cleaning products to the public a and let people clean up when needed.

People fall into two camps. They either blame the last person to use it, or they blame the management. The way I see it, it doesn't matter. If companies at least provided cleaning products, there's no doubt that the restrooms would be cleaner.

This reminds me of a classic moment on the Howard Stern Show,... [More]

Continue...Why Don't Public Restrooms Provide Cleaning Products?...

Don't Drive Around With Bumper Guards. They look Bad.

Friday, November 28, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Do you remember when people put plastic on their sofas so they would last longer? How dumb was that?

Seems like a simple idea. You put the plastic on your expensive new sofa, then you didn't have to worry about spilling anything on it. To me, it was like the Emperor's New Clothes. Nobody wanted to admit that although it protected your prized possession from stains, they looked ridiculous and were completely uncomfortable.

If you think about it. Plastic covered sofas were so ugly and uncomfortable we now look back at them and wonder why anyone would want to sacrifice beauty and comfort every single day for years, just so they could extend the life of that ugly, uncomfortable sofa for a little longer. A little longer? In other words... You're stuck with sitting on that ug... [More]

Continue...Don't Drive Around With Bumper Guards. They look Bad....

On-Screen Volume Should Always Show a NUMBER.

Monday, November 24, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

How loud is that? I don't know, I'd say about 6 or 7 squares.

There's a certain comfort knowing exactly how loud the volume on your gadgets are set at. If you leave the room and somebody changes the settings, with a quick touch of the button, you can set it just the way you like it, unless on-screen display is just a bar-graph, making it more of a guess.

Think of the "Sleep Number Bed". Before it was sold by that name, it was called the "Select Comfort Bed". It had a remote that could change how firm the air was, but it didn't have a number. Once they added the number, it became a huge hit, because people eventually found their favorite number and from that point on, they might change the setting from time to time, but their number was the reference point... a couple of... [More]

Continue...On-Screen Volume Should Always Show a NUMBER....

Microsoft Should Release Just One Version of Windows

Tuesday, November 18, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Client: I can't figure out how to turn on Remote Desktop? Me: That's because your version doesn't have it.

I can't tell you how many people ask me questions like that. Once again today's idea of the day is about something that bugs me.

Starting with Windows XP, Microsoft decided to release more than one version of Windows at different price points, with certain key features removed at the lower prices. This bone headed idea started with the idea that corporate users had different needs than home users, so they should have a different version. Sounds reasonable, but then again... it still sounds bone headed to me.

Here's why.

They took that simple premise and totally confused consumers. Over the years they cranked out confusing names like versions called Media Editi... [More]

Continue...Microsoft Should Release Just One Version of Windows...

Pop-Tarts Should Be Individually Wrapped!

Tuesday, November 11, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Don't you hate to eat dried out Pop-Tarts? So why don't they wrap them individually?

Some of the stuff I post here can get a bit technical, but this is one that needs no explanation. You buy a box of 8 Pop-Tarts, open it up and find only four pouches, with 2 in each package. What if I only want one?

You have three choices...
1) Share one.
2) Eat both.
3) Put one back without a proper seal and try to eat it before it dries out or becomes inedible. Then throw it out and feel terrible about wasting food knowing there are so many people in the world without Pop-Tarts. Eventually, you'll feel so bad about wasting them that you'll say you'll never buy another box again. Then in a few months, when they put a limited edition Gingerbread or Red Velvet flavor, you buy another... [More]

Continue...Pop-Tarts Should Be Individually Wrapped!...

Car Lights... Should Turn OFF Automatically.

Thursday, November 6, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Today I saw a parked car with the interior lights still on. Isn't this the 21st century?

Do I actually need to draw attention to this?

Isn't this pathetically obvious?

I guess not.

Do I need to spell out the solution? Okay. But I'll keep it short.

Step 1. Within a few minutes after the car is turned off, the car turns off all the lights.

That's it. There is no step 2.

I could write a long post about why this is so easy for car makers to implement, how most of the cars electrical system is automated, and how some cars already have this feature... yada, yada, yada. The very fact that the owner of a relatively new car will get up in the morning only to find that his car won't start because somebody left the interior lights on is just plain stupid.

If Your Parents Are Still Around... Have You Called Them Recently?

Monday, October 13, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Last week I realized I had to scroll 5 pages of recent calls to see my parents. Had it been that long? I felt terrible.

Life can be busy at times, but I try to keep in touch with my parents. Did I actually have to scroll that far in my recent call list to see the number? Had it been over a week?

All I can say is, I won't wait that long again.

If your parents are still around... Check your Recent Call List on your phone. How far do you need to scroll to find your parents?

If it takes you a while to find them. What are you waiting for? I'm sure they would love to hear from you.

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* Note: The ideas on "Idea of the Day" were posted without any formal research into existing inventions.

In some cases, patents may already exist for these ideas, in other cases, there may not be any existing patents and you are free to develop and explore the viability of developing and patenting the ideas.

The authors make no claim that any of the ideas are safe, practical, or suitable for any particular purpose. You are responsible for the results of trying, developing, patenting or using any of the ideas on this site.

For some people, our ideas are just an interesting read, but our goal is to encourage you to take action. If you see an idea that you like, do something with it... Take action.

- Joe

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