26 February 2008

a brilliant idea...

...that's what we need, a brilliant idea.

working a part-time job as a corporate sellout, part-time teaching English 101, being a full-time grad student, keeping/setting up a new house, and working on side projects, i don't have a lot of time.

(isn't it cute, when i think i'm busy)

So, in the interest of the betterment of humankind, will offer up some great ideas, nearly* free of charge here, for anyone who wants to take them and adapt them (p.s., if anyone knows where these ideas already exist and are in action, please point me to them):

1. ok... so the first idea is one my former roommate, nathan & i came up with during the death throes of the dot-com burst. He was working for wwwrrr, i for Padco and we came up with a pair of 'sister websites' called http://www.wheretogo.com/ & http://www.whoyouknow.com/. Both of these sites have since been co-opted, but back in the Gau Haus days these two sites were going to revolutionize the internet. Aside from the annoying classmates.com and the kevinBacon-y sixdegrees.com social network wasn't anything, yet and dexonline couldn't really find you what you wanted. The site was going to conjoin these services, in a way that frappr really didn't. The idea would be that people would submit there 'cool places' so you could find cool places anywhere, and write 'Let's Go' style reviews of them, but the sites included, first, an access level (so only those who you want to know can know the info you post about places, but also about your itinerary {see what follows}). There was also a calendar feature that would allow you to, say, submit that you were going to be in Orlando from, say, hypothetically, March 19-23, so that people you know, but don't really keep contact with will also know you're in town... I think google probably does (or can) already do this, but i can't figure out how to make it work...

2. My whole idea for this post came shortly after the primary election in Wisconsin last week. I was terribly disappointed in Nebraska's level of online election info, but somehow Wisconsin is almost worse. It doesn't seem too difficult to construct a website where we have every election and every race listed with at least the names (infinitely google-able) and maybe cursory descriptions. This is the bare bones of what should be a much more useful site. They may or may not be ideologically motivated, but at least one that has all of the candidates.

C. (2.5). The Utne Reader had an article several years back about putting the 'party' back into politics. Here's a study that suggests something similar, but the general idea was that we try and increase voter turnout by throwing parties on election day (hell, having a holiday), giving free drinks to folks with "I Voted" stickers, and having a million dollar lottery for everyone who voted...

3. somebody ought to buy the empty building that was Geneva Lakes Kennel Club (which may be some sort of simulcasting place now, but it ought to be empty). Anyway, i hate greyhound racing as much as all of you should, but since they have a big track there, here's what i think we should develop... Amateur Dog Racing. The place becomes a doggie day care/vacation getaway for dogs (and perhaps other animals, i'm just into dogs lately), and then they have the dogs race... if they want to. No training, no mistreatment, just good dog fun. You let the 8 dogs who are going to race against each other hang out for a while in a room (supervised) and let them get to know each other... then you bring them out to the track and send "Bucky" coasting around the track and have amateur dogs race... Maybe people come and bet, maybe they just come watch (sounds cool to me)... Mostly, i want to see this, because i totally think Rex Grossman will beat any of your dogs asses in a footrace...

4. Teleportation (please see footnote)

5. ...i think we should keep adding to this list. Whenever you have an idea that you want to "give" away (you can make .001% of any profits made off of your ideas added in the 'comments' section {idea submitters, please don't bother to read the footnote, it's not important}).

6. More people should stay up and watch Craig Ferguson. I think the world would be a better place if everyone watched Craig Ferguson. Seriously. How 'bout he host the Oscars next year?

7. Rent-a-lemon: I currently own a shitty car that I don't want to own much longer.  This is my second such car that I've just come to the point where I no longer want to own it, but my thought is, we could (as the commune) all hold on to our old shitty cars and rent them, discount, to people coming to our town.


* any future profits made off of these ideas will hereby (that means it's legally binding) entitle me, joel seeger, to .003% of said profits. If individuals, corporations, or organizations adopt any of these ideas in the future and create a business or organization that gets in the habit of employing people in the implementation of these ideas, i, still joel seeger, am entitled to request a cushy, cool job from said individual, corporation, or organization.

6 comments:

Sarah said...

As for your post on my blog, you're right -- film purists would not like my film, nor YouTube or anything of that nature.

I, however, think it's more about the medium (ie the format in which you deliver the message) instead of what it does, etc.

Thanks for commenting. I promise next time I will use better blog etiquette.

Us said...

... ok...

So, i had another idea (see, this is how this post will permanently work)...

The writer's strike was settled by a compromise that allows writers money from online content AFTER 17 days of its original posting. So, everyone should start downloading old content off of their favorite shows, even if you're not going to watch it. Just have it running while you're vaccuuming or painting or something...

Us said...

Oh, of course, i will restate my original idea of the franchise commune.

I haven't checked my lottery ticket today (all lottery tickets i purchases are commune tickets), but i assume we still have no (or next to no) monies...
But the idea is that... we all create a sort of global village. We decide to be part of a large conglomeration that has decided they might want to live apart (or aside from) the normal requirements of corporate life...

Essentially, we all buy in to a large group of people who want to live among friends & not rely on institutions to tell us how to live.
Every city, eventually, will have a franchise & people who want to move from city to city can trade their living space. There will be apartments, private homes, and tents... we all just live where we want to live.... alternate living situations...it's good, i think.

Us said...

ok... 2 ideas, one large one small...

a) the small idea is that i create a link on the sidebar to this page, so when people have a brilliant idea they can click on it and come directly here so i don't just keep adding ideas & talking to nobody in particular.

b) The larger idea is for a website. I'd like to call it www.gottaGo.com (but that's already taken). It would be a database (and rating system) for public restrooms. Where are good ones, clean ones, quiet out of the way ones. It would work like any map system where people can add content and rate public restrooms. It would need easy mobile capabilities (as that's really when people need it) & be downloadable to GPS handhelds, etc.

Us said...

One Direction) a new fine dining / upscale restaurant in Milwaukee - in the same vein as Jalapeño Loco (perhaps even with the exact same menu!). I think we should call it Jalapeño Serioso, and it should probably find a location in the 3rd Ward/5th Ward fluidity. A lofty, industrial space - if Hugo and Janet want to start it, that would be awesome (!), but if they don't want to, that's okay... your spot is a favorite already.

Us said...

To close the loop, I submit the idea for a new TV show...