You may be saying, 'Wait, haven't I already heard about this? Wasn't there already a kite festival with a tragically high number of deaths?' Yeah, but that was a couple years ago when nine people died in 2004. The government in Pakistan banned in it in 2005, but finally lifted the ban for a few days in 2007. I guess they figured people learned their lesson and would stop using "sharpened kite twine". Well they figured wrong, with 10 (some reports say 11) dead in two days, the government's warning about using razor and glass shards to better your kite's odds were obviously unheeded. But lets not blame this all on the kites, some people got so pumped up about the kites that they couldn't help but fire off a couple shots of celebratory gun fire. But that's not the kite's fault.
Showing posts with label toys. Show all posts
Showing posts with label toys. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Nothing Beats A Good Kite Festival.
Oh yeah, the tranquil beauty of a kite soaring above. The loops the twists, the oohs, the ahhs, the screams, the gunfire, the wail of ambulances. Sounds great.
You may be saying, 'Wait, haven't I already heard about this? Wasn't there already a kite festival with a tragically high number of deaths?' Yeah, but that was a couple years ago when nine people died in 2004. The government in Pakistan banned in it in 2005, but finally lifted the ban for a few days in 2007. I guess they figured people learned their lesson and would stop using "sharpened kite twine". Well they figured wrong, with 10 (some reports say 11) dead in two days, the government's warning about using razor and glass shards to better your kite's odds were obviously unheeded. But lets not blame this all on the kites, some people got so pumped up about the kites that they couldn't help but fire off a couple shots of celebratory gun fire. But that's not the kite's fault.
You may be saying, 'Wait, haven't I already heard about this? Wasn't there already a kite festival with a tragically high number of deaths?' Yeah, but that was a couple years ago when nine people died in 2004. The government in Pakistan banned in it in 2005, but finally lifted the ban for a few days in 2007. I guess they figured people learned their lesson and would stop using "sharpened kite twine". Well they figured wrong, with 10 (some reports say 11) dead in two days, the government's warning about using razor and glass shards to better your kite's odds were obviously unheeded. But lets not blame this all on the kites, some people got so pumped up about the kites that they couldn't help but fire off a couple shots of celebratory gun fire. But that's not the kite's fault.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Yeah, I'll Get Right On That.
There's a post on Engadget about Uncle Milton Toys requesting them to discontinue the use of the trademarked phrase "Ant Farm." Really? You guys are the original Ant Farm creators? I guess I never really thought there was just one place this started, I mean kids putting bugs in jars is as old as the sun. And I had an actual ant farm when I was little. That was the worst bug prison ever, those mofos were all over my room. (and no, they didn't grow shit.) I just find it hard to believe that Uncle Milton is still keeping up the good fight to ward off the genericide of their brand. I mean, sure when you do a Google search Uncle Milton comes up as a related search term, but they're not directly among the results. And while I don't think I've ever heard of Uncle Milton, I definitely haven't heard of a formicarium, which is what an ant farm technically is. But hey, maybe they are the only ones making these things and the brand is so prolific that I just assume there must be competitive formicary suppliers out there. Basically I'm going to have to plead ignorant on this one, but I think I associate any glass box with ants inside with the term ant farm. I guess I could start using ant rodeo, or ant commune, or ant walden two. But I doubt I will.And I like Engadget's response, basically "pfff... whatever." Cause they know that defending your mark is part of the process of fighting genericide. Wikipedia notes that: "One risk factor which may lead to genericide is the use of a trademark as a verb, noun, plural or possessive" So I'm thinking about working the term into my vernacular as a verb. You know, boxed in, contained, captive, existing to proliferate, having tunnel vision. Here are some examples I've thunk up:
I've been so ant farmed all week I haven't even had time to watch TV.
I'm gonna ant farm the crap outta her after we get married.
The next time that guy ant farms my car I'm gonna smash his window.
I think it works.
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