Howdy, Bubba! Hey, if you're new around these parts, I just want to say how much I appreciate you dropping by! Oh, and you may want to subscribe to my feed. Thanks, and a tip o' the hat to ya!

I haven’t been to a movie theater in quite a while, but recently my wife and I started attending one of those new satellite church services being held on Sundays in a local movie theater. I have to admit, it’s a pretty good example of cooperative marketing, and in my humble opinion, quite effective. (I must admit, though, we’re still “old school” enough to be bothered by the thought of bringing cups of coffee INTO the church service. Gasp! We just now got over people wearing casual clothes to church. I’m not old. Really.)

RANT: We rarely never go to the movies anymore. Mainly because there’s nothing on the big screen that’s worth the ridiculously high cost of a ticket, paying $10 for a small soda and small popcorn or $5 for a $.99 candy bar, all for the privilege of hearing multiple profanities tossed out by even the youngest of actors. No matter how “good” (a debatable point for the most part) the story might be it’s just not worth it. /END RANT

One thing that caught my attention (but not during church, of course!) were the armrests between seats – they have built-in cup holders! I expect you’ll be somewhat less than amazed at this revelation, since apparently movie theaters have had them for quite a while now, but the thing is – my wife invented that!

OK, how about this? How many times have you been seated at a restaurant table that, due to uneven floors, every time you put your elbow on the table the coffee spills everywhere? Maybe it’s an etiquette training device? Well, my wife invented a clever little gizmo (basically a small wedge of plastic) that you slip under the uneven table-leg and eliminates the wiggle. There’s a little display tree in the center of the table with these wedges stuck in them, and each one has the restaurant’s name and logo on it. You can take one with you (it’s free) and use it anywhere.

Or how about the Master Gardener, a device I invented that you attach to your hose, that knows and adjusts exactly how much to water every different plant in your garden? Or the adjustable couch, that can reshape itself to virtually any butt on the planet? What’s that? Never heard of them? Gee, perhaps it’s because… they don’t exist, except in our minds.

Here’s the thing. I don’t want you to think innovation is just an exercise restricted to “someone else”. Any one of us can have a great idea, given even half a chance. The trick is to not think about practicality when you’re generating ideas. (There’s no more of a downer than coming up with all the reasons an idea is NOT practical!) Have some fun, be creative! Shake up the ol’ grey cells a bit. Get out of the same old way of looking at things.

Oh, sure, taking something from the idea stage to “on the shelf at stores” is quite an undertaking, and something not everyone is cut out for. I know that. But sometimes it’s fun to just toss ideas around and see what sticks. It keeps the brain cells busy, it opens your mind to new ideas and thought processes, and you never know, you might just accidentally (or on purpose) come up with something truly practical in the real world, like those armrest cup holders.

Maybe subconsciously there’s another reason my wife and I no longer go to movies – so she won’t have a chance to poke me in the ribs and say, yet again, “Hey – my idea!”

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!