Sex Sells

By Justin Sharon
Minyanville.com

Wall Street hits dizzying heights as conspicuous consumption runs amok. New technologies utterly transform America. A country loosens its collective collar, in the mood to indulge again after emerging from a dire decade during which war was everywhere. And mixed in with the rampant materialism, much hand-wringing and anxiety over a loss of moorings and meaning amid all the empty excess. 1922? Yes, but arguably an equally apt description of 2013. Thus, with due respect to The Great Gatsby's unforgettable last line, there is actually no need to be "borne back ceaselessly into the past," for many themes of F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic novel remain fresh as a Daisy, Buchanan or otherwise.

By Bruce Watson
Daily Finance

Have you ever wondered what happened to the great heartthrobs of the 1970s and 1980s? In some cases, it's an easy question to answer, as they managed to stay in the public eye, making the transition from hot young hero to mature TV father figure. In other cases, they disappeared, taking their TV residuals and riding off into the sunset.

Over the last few years, though, a third option has emerged: TV pitchman. After all, while casting agents might have forgotten yesterday's hunks, the women of America haven't: The young women who once tuned in to watch "Dallas" and "Hart to Hart" every week are still out there, still buying things, and still looking for a glimpse of the men who stole their hearts all those years ago.

So, in honor of Mother's Day, we're rolling back the clock to see who's trading on '70s stardom to sell things to Mom in 2013. Here are a few of our favorites:

By Matt Brownell
Daily Finance

Sick of all the terrifying and sad headlines that have dominated the news these last couple of weeks? So are we. As a partial antidote, check out our Retail Police Blotter, a semi-regular roundup of all the weird crimes that went down at the nation's retailers and fast food joints.

Popular beer company Heineken has brewed up a new innovation that has everything to do with the bottle and not the beer.

At Milan Design Week, the Dutch brewer launched Heineken Ignite, an interactive bottle that uses wireless technology to network beer drinkers and to react when people are clinking bottles together in a busy nightclub. This "lightshow in a bottle" has sensors that also react when a person takes a sip, or the ambient music in a nightclub or concert gets louder.

At the heart of the invention is a small disc with eight bright LEDs, a microprocessor and an accelerometer that together pick up on motions to light up the bottle. When the motion ceases, the light fades away. (The marketer in us wonders if this is a way of getting people to drink more beer faster.)

Another way to employ the technology is to remotely activate the bottles and synch their lights to the music. This got us thinking about all the crazy gimmicks that have been used in the beer industry in the past. Have a look at Heineken Ignite in action in the video above, and check out our slideshow of decidedly low-tech beer gimmickry right here.

"Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick."
― Gwenyth Paltrow

You would be hard-pressed to find a woman who doesn't have a lipstick, lip gloss or lip balm somewhere in her bag - and for most women, you may find all three.

No matter if the economy is good or bad, cosmetics keep selling, and for those who keep an eye on the industry, its all about encouraging us girls to have a bathroom cabinet bursting with multiple products.

The successful marketing of beauty has led to these companies to become the envy of the business world according to Brand Finance, with annual sales that are in the billions.So which brands are found in almost every bathroom across the country?

In our consumer-driven society, entrepreneurs are looked up to, innovation is celebrated, and shopping indulged in regularly. But not every product is worthy of notice. In fact, some things are a waste of time, money and the energy it cost to manufacture them.

For your pleasure, we've found a few things that have been produced, because incredible as it may seem, somebody actually thought they would sell. If they were to make it on to Dragons Den, it would only be there as a bit of comic relief.

But they actually do exist, so consider yourself forewarned. Friends don't let friends buy these products.

AOL Real Estate

For those of us who haven't read "Fifty Shades Of Grey," you might be as surprised as us to learn that the major events of the steamy book series take place in the penthouse of the Escala tower at 1920 4th Avenue in Seattle. Even if you haven't read the book, you're probably not surprised to learn that the real-life penthouse has sold for the massive price tag of $6.2 million. According to brokers, it's the highest price for a Seattle condo in three years.

No, author E.L. James wasn't the seller. She's never actually set foot in the penthouse she's made famous, merely using it as a stepping-off point for the one in her novels. However, the 5,100-square-foot condo with a 1,000-square-foot terrace looks extremely similar -- to those who have read them. We don't know much about buyers Ed and Cynthia Maletis, but we hope they understand that everyone is now going to assume they're constantly doing bondage role-playing all the time. Have fun, kids.

By Matt Brownell
Daily Finance

Tiger Woods' golf game is flowing again. And if he keeps it up, his endorsement dollars could start to flow again too.

Woods cruised to a two-stroke victory on Sunday at the Cadillac Championship, finishing 19-under for the tournament. It was his fifth PGA Tour win in the last year.

By Michael Comeau
Minyanville

If you've been looking for the next "Call Me Maybe," then you're in luck because the latest YouTube (NASDAQ:GOOG) mega-meme has arrive in the form of "Harlem Shake."

"Harlem Shake" is a song from electronic music artist Baauer that has inspired thousands upon thousands of people to produce 30-second music videos for it. Each begins with one person dancing alone (sometimes with a helmet or mask) in a crowd to the song for about 15 seconds. At that point, we see a cut and break in the music that kicks off a second segment with everyone gyrating around like mad.

The "Harlem Shake" video credited with popularizing the craze is from Australian longboarding crew The Sunny Coast Skate, and can be seen embedded right here. However, it may be NSFW (Not Safe For Work), depending upon your boss' tolerance for young men dancing around in their skivvies:

He's killed all the spiders in the bathroom, patched up the hole in the wall he made and fixed the kitchen faucet numerous times even though it still drips. Now you want to show him you appreciate his efforts (if not his skill). But what to get him for Valentine's Day? Here are a few suggestions you'll both appreciate -- him for your thoughtfulness and you for the money you'll save.