Daily Dose of Common Sense

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.

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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.

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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!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CB2MVZgt5Y

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!]

We love wacky products, and it seems this is a worthy candidate. A company has created a chastity belt for dogs. Called PABS, the Pet Anti Breeding System, it is a device worn around the dog’s nether regions that prevents breeding.

Once an animal is fixed, there is no possibility of ever breeding them. Many pet owners would like to eventually breed their female dog. Others do not want to fix their pets for health reasons. The PABS – Pet Anti Breeding System will allow dog owners to exercise responsible control over when and if they breed their pet.

How about just spaying and neutering your pets? It’s not just a tag line from Bob Barker, you know. It’s good common sense.

[Thanks, Asylum!]

From the Huffington Post, here are 15 toys to avoid for your kids this holiday. Some of them are weird, some disturbing, and some just plain wrong.

Enjoy!

Are you planning on getting up at the crack of dawn on Friday to snag some sales? The stores hope you will. The name “Black Friday” refers to the fact that retailers generally move into the black (in other words profitable) on that day. But, look deeper into the fine print on the sale items and you may decide to stay home instead.

Many stores pull some sleazy shenanigans to get customers in the door. Here are some things to look out for.

Limited quantities
Yes, those deals on the flat-screen tvs look too good to be true. The sales are real, but only for the first few people who can grab one. The stores knowingly limit the amount of items for sale–and there are NO rain checks. So, if there are four tvs available for the deal price and you are number five…so sad, too bad.

Sears has not officially revealed its Black Friday sales. However, the company confirmed to CNNMoney.com that two of its post-Thanksgiving deals include a Samsung 40-inch 1080p LCD HDTV for $599.99, “Only while quantities last, minimum three per store, no rainchecks.”

“Sure, you probably have more, but how do you put out a circular to millions of households and only have three?,” Dworsky asked.

Taking advantage of not-so-tech-savvy consumers
Stores knowingly offer the killer deals on lower-quality products, especially electronics, because consumers won’t know the difference. These have far less features than the standard models in a product line.

Dworsky cautions that retailers usually don’t advertise these models as derivatives. “There’s no way the average consumer will know that the TV model they are buying is not the standard one unless they are savvy enough to compare their model numbers,” he said.

The risk
A Black Friday stampede at Wal-Mart last year resulted in the death of an employee. This year, some stores have changed their policies to avoid chaos, either staying open throughout Thanksgiving night or giving numbers to those in early morning lines. However, not all stores have revised the “winner-take-all” atmosphere of Friday morning. If you’re in the market for one of the hot items, be prepared to hold your own against the masses.

Also, you risk getting up at THE CRACK OF DAWN to come home empty handed. Talk about presentus interruptus. That would be too depressing for words.

Me, I’ll be in bed at 5AM on Friday. I’ll wait for the Cyber Monday deals and shop in my pajamas.

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I’m all for supporting local zoos, but reindeer poop necklaces?

The enterprising “gem”ologists at Miller Park Zoo now are offering necklace pendants from dried reindeer droppings, joining the explosively popular ornaments that debuted last year.

The necklaces go on sale this Friday for $15 each. So, get ‘em while they’re, er, steaming.

[Via PatsPapers.com]