Once again, I’m echoing a lot of content from bookofjoe. I just can’t help myself.
Without the blog, how would I know about products like the Flatulence Deodorizer?
The Flatulence Deodorizer — U.S. Patent No. 6,313,371 — is “guaranteed to eliminate embarrassment from odors associated with flatulence – forever – or your money back.”
Says the site: “Try it, you’ll like it – and so will the others around you.”
How, indeed, would I know about Laver’s Law of Fashion? The law explains our fashion sense in a time-sensitive context:
Indecent – 10 years before its time
Shameless – 5 years before
Daring – 1 year before
Smart!
Dowdy – 1 year after its time
Hideous – 10 years after
Ridiculous – 20 years after
Amusing – 30 years after
Quaint – 50 years after
Charming – 70 years after
Romantic – 100 years after
Beautiful – 150 years after its time
Finally, and this is more serious, how would I know that musicians are using performance-enhancing drugs? It reminds me of an NPR All Things Considered story about cosmetic neurology that I’d meant to comment on. bookofjoe calls it Cosmetic Psychopharmacology, but either way, it’s about using drugs to enhance performance of many types: memory, eyesight, reaction time, calmness. On the other hand, musicians and artists throughout history have used drugs to ehance, stimulate, or inspire their work, so….