JovialJMan - Loom Band (Rainbow Loom)

Image is a screenshot of loomband.co.za. TCSA is in no way related to or endorsed by loomband.co.za or it's associates.

Odds are if you went to school at any point in your life, as strange a concept as that may seem, you likely encountered one of the many strange fads that school children begin to follow such as trading cards or spin tops. The most recent of these fads is the "Loom Band", woven elastic bands that are gracing the arms of many a school student.

Loom Bands are a craze at the moment among the younger generations which was invented one day in 2011 when Cheong Choon Ng noticed his daughters weaving elastic bands over their fingers to make bracelets. He tried to join in but found it difficult, and so made a "loom" which consisted of pins in a wooden slab, to try and help himself. His daughters were impressed with the different patterns this would allow, and thus the idea for Loom Bands was created.

Fast forward 2 years to when one store ordered 24 kits and sold them all within days. This was the start of the the craze that is Loom Bands. There are many children and younger people that are showing off their creations at school and trading them with friends. This is similar to the yo-yo, marbles and tops which were fads of earlier generations, which commonly every child in the school wanted to do it. There are so many things which can be made with these little elastic bands from bracelets to phone cases to minions, (Yes... minions).

Image taken from Pinterest

Image taken from Coolmompicks

The talk show host Jimmy Kimmel wore a whole suit made from these bands when he spoke about this craze. There are so many things about wearing such a suit that are strange though, like if you are a hairy person, you are going to go through a lot of pulling and it must be rather heavy. There was even a dress made from Loom bands which sold for $291 000 on Ebay. With the current exchange rate that is just over R3.1 Million. (That is a lot of money... You could could feed your elephant with that).

South Africa is usually about 2 years behind when it comes to some trends among the younger generations. So the fact that only after a few months the craze is already in SA, shows how much this strange thing has blown up. There are primary schools here that have just exploded with bands and you can see wrists everywhere with these bands in every shape, size and design. My sister has recently purchased some of these bands and I have finished making one so far myself, which I gave away because a friend of mine asked me to make her one, (plans to make another one is still in motion), I have to say; some kids have patience.

In the UK, there have been rogue bands which have dangerous levels of "phthalates", which can cause cancer with prolonged exposure. Since children are wearing these bands 24 hours a day for weeks, this is a rather large danger. So many of these fake bands have been found and taken off shop shelves. The UK has advised that South Africa take them off their store shelves as well, but most shops have said that their products have been bought in from reputable places which means that they are safe. (I doubt we have anything to worry about it, right?)

There was a boy that fell asleep while making a bracelet and had the bands still on his fingers which stopped the blood flow to the 2 of his fingertips. His dad checked up on him later on in the evening which is when he saw this his sons fingers had turned blue from the bands.He then quickly took a picture  to show his son in the morning and then proceeded to remove the bands. If they had been left on all night, then he might have had to get his fingers amputated depending on the damage caused. The father then also shared the photo on Facebook and warned parents of this risk. (Personally, I don't think you should do it until you fall asleep, then this risk wouldn't exist.)

I shall end on a good note though. It is very creative how many things people make with these bands. These days with babies and children playing on tablets and smartphones almost exclusively for entertainment, it is refreshing to see that there are still things that connect children together and encourage physical creativity. It is a hands on task which teaches children that, if they work hard on something, the end result will be that much better. (OddballGreg has spoken about that before.)

So if you have made any loom bands or have any opinion on them, please let us know down in the comments below, over Facebook or on Twitter. We love to hear from all of you. Any sharing of the post/blog is much appreciated and if you would like to see the newest posts as they're made then please be sure to like our official Facebook page or follow us on Twitter using the associated buttons on the bar to the left, to see them as they are published. Thank you for reading today's post and I hope you have/had an amazing day. Talk again soon.

Loom on buddies.

OddballGreg - Funerals (Respects For Those Passed)

The Riderless Horse from the funeral procession of Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the USA.

Death is a somewhat unfortunate reality of life. It has been said that in life, there are only two things for certain: Death... and Taxes. While perhaps not the most lighthearted of subjects, it is an important part of allowing those of us still living to grieve, pay our respects, and move on while remembering those who had an impact on our lives.

In the post "Social Awkwardness" from the 2nd of September, I mentioned that I was at a funeral of sorts that weekend past. Although in technicality, it was more of a sober wake for one of the good gentlemen of the N-Gauge Guild Of South Africa, who I have mentioned before on this blog. My condolences to his family again. It is always a shame when the world loses good people.

Being the first funeral/wake that I had ever been to, I will admit to have been being unsure how exactly to deal with going to such a thing, despite my sureness of wanting to pay my respects to him and his family. Today's common media had led to me to expect people crying while wearing very dark clothing and very little talk or laughter while the actual event was a lot more akin to a pleasant remembrance of the passed with a few somber jokes about his habits for good measure. 

It is an interesting thing to consider how precisely it is that people in the world want to be remembered once they are no longer among us. Some wish to have grand funerals in cathedrals, with every person they ever met there to see their passing. Others wish to have small and fairly jovial gatherings of those that were important to them, so that they can happily reminisce about their experiences with those no longer among us.

It is perhaps one of the most revealing factors of who a person is to see how it is precisely that they wish to be remembered. The proud and ambitious wish for a large and grandeur filled funeral. The friend oriented hope for a wake, with a drink taken in their memory, and a kind-hearted joke in their honour. And others have many other ways that they wish to be remembered, too numerous in their counting to all be mentioned. 

It has been said by many in a variety of ways, but it is commonly believed that a persons legacy is not what they leave behind after they pass on, but in the stories told about them when they are no longer there to hear what is said. Some people are forgotten with snide remarks, and others praised for generations more as paragons in their lifetimes. In the case of the kind gentleman from the aforementioned funeral, I believe his stories will all be fondly remembered and retold for a long time to come, their joy as happily passed on through words as they were by his presence and actions.

By the way, if you happen to ever come to my funeral by any chance, I will mention that my will is going to entail the hiring of bodyguards to eject anyone who cries from the event. If you aren't laughing by the time "Another One Bites The Dust" starts playing or when they start telling jokes about all the miserably unintelligent things I've done in my life already, then do me a favor and kick whoever planned the event in the shins. I've always made a point of trying to bring joy to peoples lives in life, I would prefer that I do that afterward too if that's alright with you.

In any case, that's enough about this morose subject. If you found this post particularly thought provoking for any reason, then be sure to let us here at TCSA know in the comments below or via Facebook/Twitter. We love to hear from you guys. And of course, your sharing of our posts with people is always thoroughly appreciated, as is your liking of our official TCSA Facebook page and/or following of us on Twitter in the event that you would like to read more articles like this, as they're posted to the web. Regardless of what you do though, I thank you for having taken the time to read this post; hope that you have/had an absolutely FANTASTIC day, and I will speak again soon.

Live long and prosper my friend.