Inventor Spot

Yesterday, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) scientists announced their creation of antimicrobial paint that kills the influenza virus and other harmful microbes like E. coli. Worldwide, influenza affects three to five million people and kills nearly a half a million annually, including 36,000 Americans. The groundbreaking paint’s compound mixture is thorny, stabbing holes in the membranes of the viruses and killing them. So, who’s funding the research? How will it be used? How effective is it?

The New BondI can’t shake this feeling that I’m being pushed into a holiday season full of movie-related cross-promotions that have been shoddily scraped together. Let’s see…Has Daniel Craig earned his role as Bond? Could Casino Royale draw first blood as the top grossing movie of the new holiday season? Will electronic sales of surveillance products increase for the holidays?

Heard all this already? Me too. Have you seen all the 007 related products they want to shove in your face? Me too. So let’s forget the marketing: I’m here to offer a helping hand so we can get through the comodification of our holy days together.

Hey Folks:

I seem to have poultry on my mind this week.

So , since I could not find the perfect wacky product with a turkey theme to celebrate Thanksgiving with you, I decided that this is close enough since it has feathers.

My wacky product of the week is a Chicken in a Bag Purse. The merchant for this product says "one of the traditions for the chinese new year is to sacrifice a whole chicken, usually brought to the temple in a paper bag. for those who prefer less mess, this innovative bag has a chicken-- or a rooster, rather-- built right into it. ... the chicken is double-sided and is designed to expand when things are put into the bag."(Purse )

Well, is this something you or your lady would buy? Do you like the idea? What do you think? I am thinking my wife would kill me if I came home with this. Someone please say something funny and make us all laugh...

Time Magazine is out with its Best Inventions of 2006.

What made the list?

Put the hypo-allergenic cat outside, get off your floating bed and take a look.

Bottlecap Loteria BraceletIf you like jewelry, art, and recycling, then you should take a look at the treasures I’ve found. Very creative people have come up with very innovative ways to turn discarded items into decorative jewelry. Are they alluring? It depends on your point of view, but if nothing else, at least they are environmentally friendly.

It’s that time of year again when ghosts and goblins and Flappers and Ninjas hit the streets in search of loot. Halloween is upon us, so it’s time to get those thinking caps on to help dream up the perfect costume for the loved ones in your family.

For years, I have gussied up our dogs for the holiday so they can join in on the festivities. We have a pair of pups, so we usually opt for theme costumes. We have had Hula Boy and Hula Girl. (Yes, my dog did don a coconut bra.) I’ve rounded up some adorable costume ideas for you here to get you going on your Halloween brainstorming.

If anyone read my last article, Adorable Animal Backpacks, they probably think that I'm on some kind of animal kick. These great bicycle bells are crafted of durable baked enamel. They come in variety of designs including: lady bug, bee, pink poppy, frog, dots, rainbow, clown, fish, hearts, flower, pond, and spring.

Book Purse In my last article, I introduced you to the world of inspiring chairs and their recycled parts. This time I’d like to show you that inspiration doesn’t always have to be so big and loud. Some times something as simple as a purse can make an impact on our society and the way we think about recycling.

 

frogBackpacks were always a big hit at my house. Both my boys love wearing them. I guess it makes them feel like big kids.

I think these pictures say it all. Is it possible for someone to make a cuter backpack? (I would love to see a link if these are not the cutest ones you've seen).

Relationships are hard work. Unfortunately, some relationships are harder work than others. How do you know when you should stop working and start walking?

There are times when it becomes crystal clear that things are not good. But most times, it's not so clear. So what are the good reasons for running and what are the stupid reasons that you are going to regret later?

Being the sage guy that I am, I realize it's a waste of my time to go over all the bad reasons for breaking up with your girl. So rather than creating an exhaustive list of all the bad reasons, I've distilled it down to a list of Five Really Good Reasons You Should Dump Her:

Power PurseSolar energy isn’t just for your backyard. You can carry it with you too, wherever you go. Whether you’re traveling to a remote place for business, vacationing on a mountain, shopping nonstop for hours, camping in the wild, visiting family out of town or just walking from class to class on campus, you can power up with solar energy. How? More and more, solar panels are being added to clothing, bags and accessories as people become aware of the value and convenience of solar energy.

Money CologneWant to be sizzling hot?

If you are pining to be treated like a prime piece of steak rather than dried beef jerky, you got to change your ways and get sexy.

In my relentless pursuit to help out my readers (and of course to see what I need to do to get sexy again), I have studied up this week on how to be hot.

So after doing all this research, I decided to write an article that really addresses the challenges men face in their quest to be hot. And you know I am not going to be so lame as to suggest some excruciatingly pitiful things like diet, exercise and plastic surgery.

Here are my exclusive super secret discoveries on some nifty solutions to the challenges men commonly face in the quest for hotness or 5 Easy Ways to Get Smoking Hot:

Wish you could perform better as an athelete?

Our Guest Blogger, Scott Fetters, is a self-described "freelance writer extraordinaire, adventure sports enthusiast, and professional extrovert", who is "riding out this train we call life through some fresh powder, until the wheels fall off." Scott thought it'd be fun to helps readers of AmericanInventorSpot.com become better performers.

Here's his article:

Holding Hand MittensAre you a walking self improvement project?

If you ask your gal, your mom or your sister, she'll probably answer "yes".

It's been my experience that women always yabber on about wanting to fix you, so I mostly ignore them. But when the constant fussing becomes increasingly strident and reaches the point that she is threatening to walk out of your life, it's probably time to pay some attention to what she is saying.

Now, if you have already considered whether you really want her in your life and you decide that you DO want to save your relationship, then I have some great suggestions for you.

Here's my helpful list of the 10 Easy Ways to Save Your Relationship or 10 Ways to Fix Yourself Without It Really Hurting (or Really Changing):

Child ID BraceletEver wish you could attach important messages to your kids?

Karen Magarelli, our newest guest blogger, is a mother of two, community volunteer extraordinaire, a fashion jewelry diva and is always on the look-out for a great new frugal find for the family. She has the solution for readers of AmericanInventorSpot.com.

Here's her article: