New Brainpower Book

I am working on a new brainpower e-book. It will have:

A thorough explanation of how to use at least twenty diiferent creative problem solving techniques.

Step-by-step exercises for increasing your innovative ability.

Techniques for coming up with new inventions.

Creativity enhancement methods.

100 or more ways to boost your IQ or brain function.

Techniques for creating good mind-power habits.

And more... It won't be done for a few months, but when it is, I will be announcing it here, so be sure to check back from time to time. It will probably be under $30 and come with several bonus e-books on related topics. I also will announce it the Brainpower Newsletter. If you want to subscribe to that (free) you can get more information HERE.

Hasta pronto,

Steve

P.S. Thanks for the nice comments Joy.

How To Quit Your Job

Newest page : How To Quit Your Job

Why should you take my advice on how to quit your job? Because I'm a job-quitting expert, and my expertise has been gained through experience. I've quit many jobs in many industries. In fact, I can think of fifteen jobs that I've quit off the top of my head.

Anyhow, there are a few new ideas about the topic, and that is what the site is about. The title above is the link if you want to see the page.

Adios,

Steve

New Marketing Ideas

Here are a couple new marketing ideas:

Hour coupons. This idea is for offline businesses that want to increase the traffic to their web sites. Announce in any other advertising that you'll have an "internet coupon" good for a free drink (or whatever) up for an hour on Friday. It takes about two minutes to change a web page, so it is easy to have it up for just an hour. Meanwhile, visitors will be returning again and again to try to be there at the right time to get the freebie. If you collect pay-per-click advertising fees, this repeat traffic might be especially profitable.

Word links for sale. You may have heard about the entrepreneur that sold a million pixels on one web page for a dollar each. You could buy a minimum of 100, and the image would link to your site. There have been many copycats so far, but I haven't yet seen anyone selling words. This would be even better for the advertiser, because they could buy the words that are relevant to their product. Of course, a page full of random words isn't pretty, but these things get publicity and traffic for their novelty.

Cereal box advertising. People spend a lot of time staring at cereal boxes. You might get a good rate on advertising on them. There has been some advertising there, of course, but not a box covered in ads yet. Brokering ad space on cereal boxes might be a good business to get into.

For more, see the page on New Marketing and Promotional Ideas.

New Concepts

New concepts in several areas.

New Concepts - Inventions

Human kites. I used to design and build kites while living alone in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Hang gliders are like kites, I always thought, but since there isn't much altitude in Michigan, I often wondered if you could use them in high wind, instead of from high hills. I can't think of a reason why, if tied to the ground by a strong line, you wouldn't rise up in a hang glider, just like a kite. To come down, you would just detach the line and glide back down.

Magnetic paintings. Start with a flat "canvas" of magnetic material, and an assortment of many colors of iron dust or small shavings. Apply the metal dust carefully to create any "painting" you can imagine. Like a Buddhist sand mandala, it could be very intricate and beautiful, and slightly more permanent. You could even hang it on the wall.

Wipe it clean if and when you want to start a new painting. The fact that the colored metal dust couldn't be salvaged and separated is a good thing from a marketing standpoint. It means that users have to buy more in order to "paint" more.

For the rest ofthe page, including new concepts in Justice, TV shows and more, visit the page New Concepts.

New Innovations

How do you generate ideas for new innovations? Try extracting some basic ideas from existing products and inventions, and then applying them to new areas.

If you look at a thermostat, you might think "A device to control the indoor climate." That is certainly an idea that can be used to come up with something new. Look deeper, though, if you want more creative innovations. Think, "It measures the temperature and then, using that information, turns the heater on or off, to keep the house comfortable."

Or, "using measurement in order to control something." That is the deeper concept. With the technology already existing today, we can make things happen automatically, according to almost anything we can automatically measure. This is a powerful idea that can and will lead to some fantastic new innovations.

In the post on thought control I pointed out that since we can measure the changing activity of the brain as we change the nature of our thoughts, we can already build a device that is operated just by our thoughts.

I suggested suggested a sign that changes it's message according to the weather. A restaurant, for example, could have the sign say "Come in out of the cold," when it was cold, or "Cool off with an ice cold drink," when it was hot, and so on.

Other New Innovations

To come up with many such ideas and new innovations, you just have to look around and start applying the basic concept of control by measurement. When I look at the television, and think of measurable things related to it, time is an obvious one. Already there are "sleep timers" that turn the TV off after a certain amount of time. How about a device that only allows the TV to be on for three hours in any given day. The kids can watch when they want, but they won't be able to watch too much.

For the rest of this article, visit the page on New Innovations.

New Thoughts

Some Random New Thoughts

One way to have new thoughts is to just look for new ideas to replace old ones. Then you can expand on the idea, to see what value you might find in it. Here are a few examples of new thoughts, without expanding on them (help yourself).

- Do we really want to encourage uniformed people to vote? Maybe it's better to encourage people NOT to vote, unless they are willing to educate themselves on the issues.

- Is multi-tasking really a sign of efficiency? Perhaps the fact that we need to be so busy just to get what we want shows that our actions aren't effective enough.

- Why shouldn't we pay less for a surgeon who kills more people on the operating table? Why not recognize that there are better and worse doctors, have that information available, and pay accordingly?

- Can we replace faith with wonder? Faith is just believing without reason. Wonder is to marvel at the world and accept that we don't have reasons or explanations for everything.

Our level of creativity, and ability to have new thoughts isn't just something that is set at birth. It is a systematic process, one that may not be recognized by those who use it, but can be identified and copied. All of us can train ourselves to have creative new thoughts.

More new thoughts: New Thoughts

Thought Control Machines

This will sound like a futuristic science fiction invention to some, but a machine that you use to control things with your mind is a possibility right now.

How would you like to be able to turn on your television just by thinking? Or have the door to your house open by mind power when your hands were full? This isn't something that will remain science fiction for long. The technology necessary to make this happen is here now.

First of all, you have basic thought control now, meaning you can control and direct your thoughts. You can imagine a friend talking in your mind, for example. Then you can choose to hear music in your imagination. If you are hooked up to an electroencephalograph when you do these things, it will also be clear that these two thoughts are handled in different parts of your brain.

This electroencephalogram, or EEG, is important, because what we can measure, we can use to do things. Think about this for a moment. Modern electronics has made it possible to easily operate things as a response to measurement. A thermostat measures the temperature, for example, and turns the heater on or off according to that measurement. Security lights turn themselves on when light levels get low.

How do you apply this to making a simple invention that would let you think thoughts and have your thoughts operate things? Read the rest of the explanation on the page:
Thought Control.

Until next time,

Steve

A Few More Ideas For Inventions

A few more ideas for inventions today.

Are there solar-powered cell phones out there yet? Why would they be needed? I was out in the wilderness with a friend and his battery went dead. Since cell phones have saved lives in many cases of wilderness emergencies, it would be good to have a way to recharge them while away from electricity. Certainly, this would appeal to backpackers and other adventurers.

Here's a fun invention or novelty. Have extremely realistic fake fish that are three times normal size. The idea here is that a guy out fishing with his buddy could pretend to pull in a huge bass or perch. Hey, they sell singing fish that hang on the wall, so...

Another fun invention: A giant plastic ball that you can walk inside of. It floats on water, and because the outside has ridges to catch the water, it moves in the direction you walk. You can just wander around on the surface of the lake.

An invention and business idea: Solar powered pop machines. There are times when electricity isn't available, like at events that take place in the desert or beach. If a machine could keep pop cold, using photo-voltaic cells, it might be the only reliable source of a cold drink. Maybe the machine could be anchored in the back of a pick-up truck for easy transport to events.

Here's an invention for the kids: Giant story books. Have you ever looked at kids books? Some of them only have a few dozen sentences. You only need a few pages. Why not make them more interesting by making them four-feet high? Many kids would love to have one of these leaning against the wall in their room.

That's it for today. Adios! .... Steve

New Brainpower Newsletter

Just a quick post today to let you know that I changed the Brainpower newsletter. If you have been to my web site, IncreaseBrainPower.com and subscribed to the newsletter, you know that you just recieved a paragraph and a link to the newsletter in your e-mail. The newsletter was hosted on the site, so you had to click through.

No longer. Now the newsletter will be in your mailbox. There will be links to specific pages on the site as I mention them, of course, and to any other relevant resources. However, the bulk of the content will be there in your mail. I am also lengthening the newsletters and striving to include even better content.

So if you are interested in increasing your brainpower, and haven't yet subscribed, now is the time. And yes, it is still free. You can use the link below to go to the homepage:

http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com

Easy Invention Ideas

Here are some easy invention ideas, because sometimes it is just too intimidating to think about building a new type of car, television, or other invention. These are ideas for garage or basement tinkerers. You can come up with a prototype for most of these for the cost of the money in your pocket. Like all the ideas on this site, they are not patented yet, as far as I know.

Helium Kites

Perhaps its been done, but I haven't seen them sold yet. The idea is that with some lift from the helium, these kites could be flown in any amount of wind. With proper design, they would still fly something like a kite, and with some maneuverability if designed like a stunt kite. Your first prototype might be a kite with a small helium balloon attached. How's that for an easy invention?

Kite Ads

This is more of a marketing idea than an invention. Put ads on kites and get paid to fly them at the beach or during big outdoor events. Even in my former small-town home they paid for planes to drag ads around during festivals, so the market might be there.

Deer Carrier

Hunters regularly die of heart attacks while carrying their bucks out of the woods. My idea is to have an inflatable wheel, using coated nylon that won't puncture easily. When you get your deer, you blow up the wheel, and using the clamps on either side you attach two poles or sticks that you cut on site. A nylon sling attaches between the sticks. This gives you a wheel-barrow-like device that will carry a deer over even rough trails. It shouldn't weigh more than two pounds, so it can be carried easily in a day pack.

For the rest, see the new page, Easy Invention Ideas.

Inventing Short Story Ideas

Here's a new idea for inventing stories.

Remember that car travel game I created called "Explain This?" It was in a recent post. A player suggests an unusual scenario in a sentence or two, and then each player explains it in a plausible way. I discovered it's also a great way to come up with short story ideas.

Use anything that pops into your head, and write it down. Here's an example: "Todd handed out the dollar bills to the people as they walked by, trying to distribute as many as he could quickly, before the police could stop him." Try to explain that. Our minds insist on explaining things, so you will find an explanation if you try, and if it's an interesting enough explanation, you have your next short story.

Personally, I imagine the dollar bills are signed or otherwise identifiable, and they can be traded at a big seminar for a gift worth even more. Spend it and get a soda? Or get something truly valuable for it? This may go in the marketing ideas file instead of the short story ideas file.

Maybe Todd is handing out the last of his money as per the instructions of his spiritual leader. It could be a "get rich quick" cult that requires all members to start from zero. A religious movement based on getting rich? I think someone could make it into a plausible story.

For more on inventing new short story ideas, visit the new page, Short Story Ideas.

New Ideas For Travel Games

Travel games help fill the time, entertain us, and sometimes even educate us. Here are some new ideas for games of every type. They are mostly designed for car travel, but can be adapted to travel by plane, bus, or other means. They're all new games, or at least I hope they are, since I invented them.

The "explain it" game. Someone starts the game with an unlikely scenario, described in one or two sentences. Then each player tries to come up with the most logical and plausible explanation for the scenario. For example, a player might start with, "A car is on top of a house in Kansas City, and a dog is jumping around inside it." The explanations might include floods, tornadoes, an promotional stunt, or whatever else anyone can think of.

Random presentation game. Here's a travel game that starts with someone looking out the window and randomly selecting an object. Players then try to imagine a creative way to make money with it. Old houses become places to sell advertising, llamas are rented out for kids parties, and an RV becomes a traveling discotheque.

Radio word search. In this game, each player chooses a word. The player whose word is spoken (or sung) first on the radio is the winner. You may want to require words of five letters or more.

For ten more travel games, visit the new pages, Travel Games and Car Travel Games.

Speculators and Speculation

Speculators get a bad rap. Speculation in stocks, currecies and commodities futures is a necessary part of our economy. Many people have the idea that there is no added value in people "gambling" on commodities prices, for example. The truth is, most people just don't understand of the role of speculators and speculation.

The Truth About 'Speculation'

Speculative trading is crucial to a modern economy. Let's use corn for an example. A farmer can plant his corn, and then see the price drop so low by harvest time that he loses his investment, and possibly goes bankrupt. How can he prevent this?

By selling some of his future production now, at a set price, he can plan ahead safely. The contracts he creates and sells will go up and down with the price of corn, but the risk is all in the hands of the speculators who buy them. They profit by re-selling them if the price goes up, and they lose money if it goes down. Our farmer, though, has his price, and can plan his business now.

Now, on the other side, a cereal company needs predictability in the prices of their basic commodities, in order to plan future production. They can't hire new employees and buy new equipment, only to see the price of corn triple, making consumers unwilling to buy their expensive corn flakes. Buy a contract for future delivery at a set price, and they can plan, and again, the speculators take on the risk. They sell a contract, planning to buy the corn necessary for delivery. They make money if the price drops, and lose if it goes up, because they have to deliver at a set price.

Not just farmers, but all industries based on basic commodities would go through terrible swings in fortune if it weren't for these "gamblers," who take on the risk. Without them, there would be more bankruptcies, and more dramatic swings in consumer prices. In all markets with speculation, speculators provide the liquidity and ability to plan ahead that is needed.

New Ideas In Speculation

Maybe we need more speculation, not less. Wouldn't it be nice if businesses and even individuals could guarantee that gas for their cars would be near the same price next year? Speculators could provide that guarantee, and some businesses would love that kind of predictability.
You buy a contract, for example, to get your next 1000 gallons of gas at $2.20 per gallon. You put down a small deposit, and pay as you go, but you know that the next 1000 gallons will be $2,200, guaranteed.

A speculators role is to back the other side of the contract (to sell it). He is the one guaranteeing your price, so if the average price for the next 1000 gallons is $1.80, you still pay $2,200 in the end, but his cost is $1,800, so he makes $400 on the contract. Now if the price averages $3.30, he pays $3,300. You still pay $2,200, so he gambled and lost $1,100.

Speculators, like most gamblers, will probably bet on almost anything. We need to find more ways for them to take on our risks. Just imagine the many contracts could be invented, based on speculation.

Do It Yourself Rollercoaster

This came to me in a dream. It was a rollercoaster for cars. You could drive your car on this track, and signs told you how fast you had to go to do certain things, like the loop. Yes, you could actually drive through an upside-down loop if you had enough speed.

Now, obviously the technical challenges aren't nearly as much of a problem as the safety and legal liability issues. This is not an idea that will become reality (although it was REALLY fun). It does make me wonder about the possibility of a self-directed multiple-route rollercoaster ride, though. There might be a safe and fun way to make that work.

Hidden Pet Cameras

I saw a new product for pets the other day. It is set of three steps that you put next to the bed, couch or even car seat, so your dog or cat can easily get up there. "Pet Steps," I think they called them. It got me thinking about pet-related inventions, and little surveilance cameras came to mind.

I imagine it's been done a number of times by those who play with - I mean work with - surveillance equipment. It seems natural to look at the dog one day and say, "Hey, let's put a camera on Fido." It's probably been done, but we need someone to make it into a workable product.

Most likely, the cameras would have to be attached at the collar of either dogs and/or cats. The weight isn't an issue now, since there are cameras that weigh an ounce out there. Hiding the camera might be the real challenge. Perhaps a flower or bow on the dogs collar might do the trick, with the lens in the center.

Of course, the camera would have to transmit the image to a remote monitor or recording device. The range on these types of cameras is enough now to get a clear image from around the neighborhood.

Why Hidden Cameras For Pets?

Novelty value is a start. Just strap the camera on Spot, and let him go wander the neighborhood while you watch the show. Just don't tell the neighbors you saw what happened in their backyard. Naturally, all the surveillance enthusiasts out there would have to add this invention to their collections.

With a trained dog, you could use this system for more specific spying. It has probably been done before, whether or not such a camera has been marketed yet. The first such use might be for a reporter's expose of the conditions in dog kennels.

Now the people at PETA might not like this next idea for these hidden cameras, but it is a natural. In a war zone, dogs could go into areas that are too dangerous for soldiers, and provide a view of what's going on. There might be similar applications in criminal investigations too.

Finally, have you ever wondered where your cat goes all day? Or where the kids go when they have the dog along? You could easily find out with these hidden cameras.

Corporate Crime?

Corporate crime? I'm not sure that there is such a thing. And if we want to reduce the crimes that are given that lable, we need to quit handing out large punitive fines to corporations. The idea isn't as radical as it sounds.

First of all, when I say that there isn't such a thing as corporate crime, I simply mean that it is always individual people who commit crimes. With that in mind, you can imagine what my better way to reduce this crime is: Go after the criminals!

Who Pays For Corporate Crime?

Exactly who pays when a large corporation is fined for breaking the law? To begin with, the stockholders pay. Many of these are innocent retirees who have money invested with the company and had no idea they were breaking the law. Then the employees pay with the loss of jobs, if the financial situation of the company is damaged by the fines. Who doesn't pay? Just the criminals - the individuals who chose to break the law.

All crimes are committed by PEOPLE, not companies. When a company dumps poisons into the environment, a PERSON made the decision to do that (or several people). When a company steals from a pension fund or violates workers rights, INDIVIDUALS made those decisions. People commit corporate crime, not corporations!

If you want to stop corporate crime, start putting the individuals who are involved in the crime in PRISON. Our current system often has company officers making cost/benefit calculations as to whether the profits from certain crimes are greater than what the occasional fines add up to. Even though laws are broken, they stand little chance of being held personally responsible. Why not hold them responsible?

To fine companies for the actual costs imposed on others by a crime is appropriate. We have to clean up toxic messes, and in other cases compensate those who suffer damages. This also means that shareholders have a reason to be careful in who they elect to the board of directors. However, "punitive" fines are ridiculous unless they are levied against the individual criminals. Make the person who committed the crime pay the fine.

Is this such a radical idea? I don't think so! By the way, which do you think is more likely to deter a corporate officer from committing a crime, a fine that is paid by the company, and doesn't even affect his salary, or ten years in jail? The answer to that gives us the answer to corporate crime.

New Ideas For New Years Resolutions

New years resolutions. You promise yourself you'll quit smoking, lose ten pounds, take that vacation or buy that dream car. Did you know that 93.5% of new years resolutions are never followed through on? Okay, I made up that statistic, but it's believable, isn't it? Time for some new ideas.

New Ideas For New Years Resolutions

How about a resolution to do the things which make all your goals more achievable? You can't make a lot of money if you don't have the habits that lead to that. You can't have better physical conditioning if you just start another exercise program and then quit. You have to change your mind before the rest will change. Here are some new ideas for that interior self improvement.

Kaizen For The New Year

Kaizen: "Japanese for continuous and incremental improvement, a business philosophy about working practices and efficiency." What does this have to do with self improvement and new years resolutions?

First came the "continuous improvement" theories of efficiency expert W. Edwards Deming in the 30s and 40s. After the war his ideas were picked up by the Japanese and developed into "Kaizen," a method for efficiently creating quality products through small and continuous changes. Guess what? This is perfect for accomplishing your personal goals, too.

Want to quit smoking? The kaizen way might be to stop smoking in your car, as the first small step. Then you could switch to a brand with less nicotine, stop smoking in the house, and so on.
Kaizen uses "small questions." In factories this meant no more questions like "What are you going to do to improve the company profits this year?" That elicits fear more than creative ideas. A better question is, "What small change could we make in your department to reduce expenses or improve quality?" This approach was found to be far more productive.

For purposes of improving your life, this means asking small suggestive questions, like, "What could I do to free up five minutes for my meditation practice?" or "What small change could I make if I wanted to improve my relationships today?" Small questions dispell the fear, intimidation, and procrastination that come with facing the issue head-on.

Small questions, small comfortable changes, and continual progress - that's kaizen. Imagine where you'd be if you had consciously made one small change in your life each week for the last few years. Better yet, imagine where you'll be next year, if you start the process today.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step." - Lao Tzu

Forget The Affirmations

Stand in front of that mirror if you want, repeating to yourself "Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better." If it doesn't do what you hope, though, here's a new idea (okay, an old idea renewed): Evidence is more convincing than affirmation. To that I add: What you look for, you find, and it changes your mind.

Prove this to yourself by watching for nice people for a few days, making a mental note each time you see one. It will change your experience of people in a positive way. Then, to test the idea further, watch for rude people for a few days, and you'll see them all over. Do this exercise, and you'll quickly come to understand that you experience the world not just according to what is there, but even more according to what you pay attention to.

To use this to motivate yourself towards positive change, find your successes. If your new years resolution is to exercise more, notice when you remember to park farther away from the store so you have to walk. Write it down even. Point out your successes to yourself, and you'll start to have more of them. If you want to lose weight, note everytime you walk past the refrigerator without opening it. Focus on and remember any success. You can start doing this right now.

First things first. Resolve to change the habits in your mind. Isn't that better than the typical new years resolutions?

Some More Ideas

Here are some more creative concepts.

100 Bad Ideas. This is my creative concept for a hopefully funny book. The bad ideas might include putting poetry on cereal boxes, hitchhiking through Iran with a Salmon Rushdie t-shirt on, and a new super-hero doll called "Super Bin Laden."

Door To Fantasy. Have a door on the wall that doesn't actually go anywhere. Instead, when it is opened, it reveals a beautiful painting of an outdoor scene.

Disposable Pets. Breed dogs for a short life, preferably less than two years. "Genetically guaranteed short life pets." These are for those who don't want a long-term commitment.

Horrible Foods Cookbook. Want a serving of tuna fish ice cream? How about chicken pudding or anchovy soda?Homeless To Hopeful. This comes from a creative concept I read about. Shy, non-social kids watched films that showed non-social kids like themselves joining in the activities with the other kids. They immediately began to change and join in activities with others. This is the power of an example. My idea is to create a book of true success stories in which homeless people turned their lives around, with and without help. The book would be distributed in the streets, to provide models and examples for the people living there.

There are a lot more of these at the site, of course.