Brilliance Casserole

Tip of the Cap to Someone Working Outside the System: Team Colors Party Mix

2008-02-05T15:48:00.000-08:00

Saw this in line at my neighborhood Walgreen's. This certainly is one way to sidestep licensing deals. (I'm guessing the Bears aren't getting a cut of the sales here. And it is packaged as generically and cheaply as possible. So whatever sales are made are going straight into some wily entrepreneur's pockets, helping pay the lease on his Nissan 350Z, no doubt.)

I don't know who would eat this crap, but I don't even want to think about the bare bones operation that must put this stuff together (I'm picturing bottom of the barrel pretzel remnants that other food processors can't make any use of and 100% liquid sugar coating applied with third-hand machinery), but I'm sure some suckers will buy this and whoever is behind it will laugh all the way to the bank.

An Incredulous Testimonial: My First Neti Pot Experience

2008-02-05T14:20:00.000-08:00

I have been losing a battle with a sinus infection over the past few days, despite trying multiple over the counter remedies. I started with sudafed and dayquil / nyquil, which were largely ineffective for ~48 hours. I've now moved onto Tylenol Sinus and Theraflu, plus some antibiotics from my doctor that I have high hopes for. But what looks like it could be the clincher for me is something I was steered to by a colleague at the office - a neti pot.

I'd never heard of a neti pot before, and given the wording of the reco I received, I was actually kind of wary of it.

The initial reco:

"This is going to sound weird but the Neti Pot really does help clean out your sinuses. ... Hope that's not too much info but you should check it out during your next Walgreens pit stop..."

Hmm.

So I asked my doctor about it while she wrote my prescription and she said, "Yeah, I was thinking about that. It's kind of nasty, but some of the pulmonary guys (or maybe pediatric guys, either way, some of her colleagues) swear by it."

"Kind of nasty"? What is this thing?

More info from Wikipedia:

"Nasal irrigation is reputed to help prevent colds and otherwise promote good nasal health by cleaning out the nasal passages and helps alleviate stuffiness, dryness and the symptoms of allergies"
Note: the bolding is mine

When in doubt, check YouTube. Wow. 100 results for neti pot. I can't say I've watched them all, but I do have two early favorites.

The Martha Steward sound-alike 'how to'

(This woman is probably some local struggling actor somewhere, but, whoa - the look on her face makes me feel like she's someone's hostage, or maybe this is what the Heaven's Gate folks were up to before they cashed in their chips)

And the WTF random demo in one's kitchen

I have only performed one neti pot treatment, so I can't yet say it is delivering brilliant results for me personally. But I don't have any reservations about pronouncing it generally brilliant. Seriously, who thought of this for the first time?

Brilliant TV show / commercial: The Chopper Show

2008-01-13T08:43:00.000-08:00

During what was otherwise a somewhat lackluster trip to Vegas, I did discover something brilliant: The Chopper Show, which is Towbin Dodge's genius variation of the usually boring local car dealership ads. I seriously watched almost as much of this as I did coverage of presidential debates and NH primary.

Clip below is just a taste of the 30 minute entertainment-rich blocks that I absorbed:

For more of The Chopper, see these links:

* MySpace profile

* YouTube channel

"Tap the gas."

Funny & Opportunistic Idea: Lilly's Cafe Serving Humble Pie

2007-11-25T09:18:00.000-08:00

Image Source: Lilly's Cafe & French Bakery

Just saw a clip on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown about a woman who has starting offering 'Humble Pie' at her bakery, inspired by the New England Patriots catchphrase of the season.

Smart, inspired entrepreneurial idea. Hope she does good business through the rest of the season. And 'Go Pats'.

Thank you, Alex P., for the Web 2.0 Logo Creatr

2007-11-24T11:16:00.000-08:00

Image Source: h-master.net

I know this is meant to be a joke that mocks the inanity that has become commonplace in startup company naming practices, but it is still helpful. It allowed me to add some dimension to a domain name I was about to register and, based upon what I saw, I figured 'what the heck? - buy it'. (Sites with dumber names have thrived).

For the record, here is what I came up with:

You Should Check Out Expo TV, Reviewer Hunted339

2007-11-23T05:48:00.000-08:00

I stumbled upon this review while checking out ExpoTV, a site that "features thousands of Videopinions reviews - short, unbiased, consumer-generated videos of products and services" (from their About Expo TV page).

Right now I don't really have the words to describe what I am feeling about this goldmine of unintentional comedy. I urge you to explore this mother lode of brilliance on your own, but here are a couple of starting points for you if you're interested:

* Hunted339's review of Bush's Baked Beans
- "I always like to dress it up a little bit"
- "This is a really good brand. I like the taste."

* Hunted339's review of Suave hand & body lotion
- "Nourish your body"
- "The sensuous scent of cinnamon and sandalwood will unleash your alluring side"
- "This is an 18oz bottle that I picked up at Dollar General for, like, uh, three bucks."

* Zoesmommy27's review of Durex Love condoms
- "You can buy bigger boxes, if that's what you need"
- "Because sometimes you feel like a little devil, and you should use a condom"

* Jdavitt's review of Budweiser
- "I'm gonna have to say that the advertising is pretty, pretty right on the money"
- "Drinking it right out of the, the bottle it comes in is a unique experience."
- "I would recommend it highly to anyone who wants to imbibe."

A Brilliant Service Everyone Can Use: Catalog Choice

2007-11-23T05:27:00.000-08:00

Image Source: Dishly Mix

I learned of Catalog Choice from Susan Bratton's Dishly Mix blog. Unsubscribing from unwanted catalogs is something I have dreamed about many times, wishing someone would make it simple for me. Sounds like Catalog Choice has, but I'll know more in 10 weeks (the lag time they say it takes before your opt-outs take effect). Tell everyone you know. This could have a huge positive impact if even a fraction of the people who are tired of being inundated with catalogs use the service to unsubscribe.

You Should Be Watching Googlecurrent

2007-07-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

The Google Current segments are consistently solid, but recently I saw one that was extra brilliant. Subjects of their satire this time: national advertising campaigns and promotional efforts of Georgia and Israel.

A couple of quotes that will come off much better if you watch the full video at Current.tv [annoying that their embeddable videos aren't full clip]:

"Coming to Israel based upon a few pictures I saw in Maxim was the best decision of my life."

"The women are so hot here things just blow up when they walk by. Which is all the time. I'm going to retire here as soon as my Georgia investment money pays off."

But clip below gives you good sense of the primary comedy value.

Captain Curt - Barbeque's Dr. Feel Good

2007-07-13T10:50:00.000-07:00

0711070001.jpg
Originally uploaded by sindlinger

I love this stuff. Everything about it. First, it's a mighty fine sauce, with a flavor that works - oh yeah, it works. But even if it sucked, I think I'd use it. You absolutely cannot deny the appeal of Captain Curt, aka Barbeque's Super-Sized Heavyweight Champion. Recognize.

You Have to Love the Holiday Inn Express Commercials

2007-07-11T05:30:00.001-07:00

I don't think I'll ever stay at a Holiday Inn Express as my life just never takes me in that direction where it's an option. But if the choice ever did come down between HEI and a La Quinta or a Residence Inn or whatever else you might find in the smaller cities of America, these commercials would definitely tip the scales. The lead guy is freaking brilliant.

"A little stock car humor there"

"I'm getting that sound in my head again ... every time you argue with me"

"So, in the end, it wasn't a half bad trip"

"She's crowing about her accomlishments on the World Wide Net Web"

WTF? - Sparkler Bomb on You Tube

2007-07-06T05:07:00.000-07:00

Brilliance can be found in many forms. Two days ago I had no idea what a 'sparkler bomb' was. But I was assured by fellow guests at a 4th of July gathering that I needed to learn about them. Yesterday I had this video forwarded to me. And now I'm semi-obsessed with homemade explosion clips on YouTube. One of my favorite parts about this particular clip is the comment "this is by far the best one yet". "Yet".

If this is your kind of thing, Pipesmkr420 has more clips that are right up your alley.

Teen Girl Squad #11

2007-06-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

Image source: hrwiki.org

Brilliant dialogue snippet from Teen Girl Squad #11:

"I thought this was Coach Conrad's sit up camp for shirtless boys"

Originally posted 3/17/07

Wish I thought of this ...

2007-06-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

Visit the site for more info and order some stickers. Do your part to let infuriating morons know that we're on to them.

Originally posted 3/3/07

The Holiday Pickle

2007-06-13T04:21:00.000-07:00

I don't even know what to say here. This ad ran in Time Out Chicago, promoting an exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry.
Needless to say, the ad stopped me in my tracks. It even prompted me to consider checking out the exhibit.
I think this would make a great ad lib template:
It's just not _______ until someone ______s the pickle.

Originally posted12/17/06