Posts Tagged ‘philosophy’

How much money is there in bumper stickers?

A friend of mine had a pretty awesome bumper sticker idea last weekend; I could see it going over well.  And then it turns out that he’s had this idea for a while.  I wonder where it could go if he would follow through.  Ideas are pretty valuable things – I would rather have a good idea than a good thing.  The guy who first put water in a bottle is a lot cooler than a guy who just has water in a bottle.  Or perhaps that’s a bad example; I mean, water and things to hold it have been around for a long time.  Maybe it would be better to say that the guy who thought up the helicopter (I’m looking at you, DaVinci) is a lot cooler than a guy who just has a helicopter.  You get the point.

So is there any money/glamour/future in the idea of a bumper sticker?  One could sell the idea to somebody who is already in the business of making stickers (deal with nothing but the idea), or make some stickers and sell those.  How much money do you think a good bumper sticker makes?  I wonder if the guy who made the “Endless—-this war” sticker (the most popular one I see) has retired off of the profits.

Okay, probably not.  But I wonder how many of these other ideas I can find if I start looking around for them – ideas that are good, and could be marketable with a little work.  Of course there are people who do make their living by providing the drive and perspiration for other’s inspiration – people like editors or agents, for instance.  I’m probably terrible at it – after all, I can’t usually turn my own ideas into reality – what are the odds I’ll have the follow through to work on someone else’s?

I’m off to see if I can turn somebody else’s inspiration into money.  Chances are I will give up and it’ll have just been an interesting exercise.  But if not… today, a bumper sticker.  Tomorrow – who knows?

Wherefore the political party?

I find it enlightening that every few years, the members of a political party (or more accurately, their delegates) get together to decide what, exactly, constitutes their party.  For a few days, as planks are added or withdrawn or recast in tones militant or conciliatory, the very ideas which may have brought some people to the party are in limbo.  It’s as if a political party is merely a vehicle, and every so often you get the chance to pull off and touch up the paint, hammer out the dents, or if you’re really ambitious, swap out the engine.

The great frustration is that there are only two serious vehicles in the whole country, and it’s pretty much a free-for-all for the driver’s seats.  Right now one of them seems to be a dusty Chevy truck with a few questionable bumper stickers, and the other one is an underpowered but conscience-soothing hybrid which annoyingly makes a big production out of obeying the speed limit.  If you’re not driving, you just better hope one of them is going your way.  Everyone else gets bikes.

Note how malleable the party platform truly is.  Republicans, the party of Lincoln.  Democrats, today’s doves, but yesterday’s FDRs.  Whigs.  Got nothin’ to say about Whigs.  It’s just that in my lifetime, “conservative” and “liberal” have pretty broad (and not inaccurate) associations with “Republican” and “Democrat”.

What do you want from politics?  And which party will get you there?  I think that either vehicle will do; it’s just a question of which one is easiest to steer that way.  Imagine yourself at the side of the road, and a car pulls up…
Option 1.) This guy say he’s going to Tehran.  It seems awfully far, and I’m not even sure you can drive there, but oh well, I’m bored sitting around here anyway.
Option 2.) Carpooling.  Tell you what, on your way to Tehran, why don’t you swing by the city, I’ve got a job interview.  See, we can both get what we want sometimes.
Option 3.) Dude, Tehran sucks anyway.  And haven’t you heard, we’ve got these awesome planes, we don’t have to go there to put the hurt on them.  Move over, I’m driving.  You’re good to drink with but totally not qualified for this job.
Option 4.) Screw it, I’m going with those other guys.  Their car is cleaner anyway.  Plus they’re handing out free condoms, they must know how to have fun.  Also they’ve got a chick and a token black guy.