Daily Dose of Common Sense

This pillow freaks me out. It’s called the Hug Me, and it’s a pillow in the shape of a man’s clothed arm.

I understand loneliness and the need for human contact. But, this pillow seems hardly the answer. It just comes off as creepy. And sad.

Please, buy a cat, fish, parrot, guinea pig…anything, instead.

Thanks to Sara B. for the link!

Ok, not really. But, two clever guys did illustrate the ink usage of different typefaces and Garamond proved to use the least amount of ink.

In this quirky demonstration they drew enlarged versions of eight fonts with eight ball point pens and used the remaining ink in each pen to create a telling bar chart. The results are here:

http://flowingdata.com/2010/01/29/save-pens-use-garamond-font

Frankly, it never occurred to me that fonts had an ink footprint, but I know I’m not only one who thinks the price of ink cartridges is ridiculous.

And, who doesn’t want a way to stick it to the printer cartridge industry? I see a whole lot more Garamond in my future.

It’s water-proof, flexible, self-adhesive and dishwasher safe. And it’s taking the world by storm. In fact, many folks are calling it the best invention since Duct tape or Blu tack. It’s called Sugru.

Sugru is the brain child of Jane Ni Dhulchaointigh, a former product design student, who thought one day, “I don’t want to buy new stuff all the time. I want to hack the stuff I already have so it works better for me.” Aside from unleashing your inner inventor (C’mon, we’ve all had the “I could’ve made that better” thought), Sugru is the ultimate reduce-reuse-recycle tool.

But what exactly is it? Essentially, it’s a silicone based play-dough for adults that you can adhere to surfaces to improve, repair or hack them.  Scissor handles pinching? Use Sugru and mold a fix. Wish your mobile phone had a bigger volume control button? Make one.

Still a little confused? The Sugru website and blog do a beautiful job demonstrating its many uses. And as Jane says herself on the website “People are natural hackers, we’ve just gotten out of the habit of it.”

Watch more about Sugru here:

If it’s between this and flowers for Valentine’s Day… FLOWERS! Dear god, let it be flowers.

[Via MomLogic]

In economic downturns, it seems like everyone is looking for a way to stretch a buck. Whether it’s cutting back on luxury expenditures or simply getting back to budgeting, we all appreciate a little more green in our pockets.

Enter AltUse.com. A relatively new website fueled by user-generated content, their purpose is to provide alternative uses for everyday products you most likely already have in your house. Suggestions range from using dryer lint to make firestarters (I’ve actually done this and it works!) to smelling coffee ground to alleviate car sickness.

While I won’t be wasting my Vodka stash to help my cut flowers stay fresh anytime soon, I might try the hangover cure.

So whether your goal is to go green, save green or simply experiment, AltUse is worth checking out.

Photo

Do you want to sleep in jeans? Me neither. That’s why this product really makes me wonder.

Called Pajama Jeans, they are PJs that are also jeans. The site claims they are really comfortable, but also says the pants include:

High contrast stitching, brass rivets and an unbeatable fit.

Do you want to roll over onto a rivet in the middle of the night? Nope, didn’t think so. Also, I don’t need an unbeatable fit in my PJs. I need baggy, comfortable, and soft. Rivets and a tight fit doesn’t really do it for me.

But, maybe I’m just wrong. At the very least, these folks need to change their marketing copy. In full disclosure, I haven’t tried them, so if you have $39.95 to throw away, feel free to send some my way.

[Thanks to Leeanne for the link!]

This product cracks me up:

It’s a chewing gum that increases breast size. It’s so popular in Japan that it is sold in convenience stores. But, as with anything promising non-surgical enhancement, the jury is out on whether this works effectively. One British nutritionist said you may have to consume/use the product (whether pills, gum, or cream) every day for the rest of your life to maintain the effect. That doesn’t sound cheap. And it’s not known yet what the long-term side effects may be.

Save your money, ladies.

This is one product I don’t get at all. AT ALL. Hanging a scrotum from your car bumper…what exactly is that supposed to symbolize?

Slap a pair of these flesh nuts on any kind of vehicle. You will certainly show the world who owns the road.

I guess that about sums it up.

While I am not offended at the site of a pair of balls, it’s not really what I want to stare at while I’m sitting in traffic. Besides, the idea just seems goofy. What would prompt someone to buy this product? The site claims they are good gag gifts, and I suppose that is true as long as you don’t actually PUT THEM ON YOUR CAR. Have some dignity, people.

Large image

I wasn’t aware that labia color was a huge beauty issue. Apparently, some feel that the color fades over time and becomes less “youthful” and pink. Older ladies, are you horrified? Do you feel less attractive now that you know this fact? Yeah, me neither.

But, nonetheless, someone created this product:

It’s called “My New Pink Button” and it is a genital cosmetic designed to change the color of your labia. It even comes in different shades depending on your skin tone. The cost: $29.95.

I’m all for decorating and bedazzling your labia, if you wish. But, do it for the right reasons (fun, sex, a lark). Don’t let the “you’re old and no one wants your old-looking labia” marketing ploy be the reason.

[Via BlagHag.com]

Then, the EZCracker is here to solve all your egg-cracking problems!

Really? Is this how pathetic we’ve become? Cracking an egg is neither difficult nor time consuming. I think this product should only be purchased by amputees and people with severe arthritis. Anyone else who owns one has surely lost his or her dignity.

What’s next? A product that will shovel the eggs into our mouths for us? I can hear the informercial now…. “Using a fork is hard! And, how many times have you poked yourself in the eye? Well, put down that fork because now we’ll do it for you….”

[Thanks to Ken S. for the link!]