Flavored clove cigarettes appeal to kids.  So they’re getting banned.

Is this all we have to go on?

Ok, so let’s think of other things in the world that are “bad”, unhealthy, or otherwise inappropriate for kids but yet that appeal to kids, and ban all of them.

• Wine Coolers and other “flavored” alcoholic beverages such as Mike’s Hard Lemonade, all the different flavors of Smirnoff, and the cool looking aluminum Bud Light bottles.
• Shot Glasses with teenage-themed designs on them.
• Mixed frozen drinks that look like slushies you get from Dairy Queen (frozen Strawberry Dacquieri with whipped cream on top, kiddies?)
• The “flavored” coffees you can buy at the store. Coffee is unhealthy and too much caffeine can kill someone. The chocolate-flavored Mocha and extra-yummy Vanilla makes it easier for the kiddies to down an entire pot of coffee for a caffeine high.
• Video games that involve killing targets. The sexier the female (Lara Croft, anyone?) killing the targets and the more bloodshed there is attracts kiddies. Who doesn’t like picking up a prostitute and taking her to a dark back alley in GTA: Vice City?
• Fast food.  Who doesn’t love a good heart attack first thing in the morning?  The more unhealthy it is, the better it tastes, and kids love junk food.  Goodbye, McDonalds, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, KFC, and whoever else exists out there.
• Movies and murder.
• Music about the gangsta life is glamorous and attractive to the kiddies and some even try to emulate it.
• Zippo lighters have neat collector’s themed designs, many of which appear to be targeted at teens.  Bye, bye, Zippo.

Doesn’t anyone else find this ridiculous?

I’m especially in awe of the fact that alcohol has never seemed to be at the same level of “danger” as cigarettes.  I guess the politicians enjoy being run over by 16 year olds who decided to sample every single flavor of Smirnoff before driving.

Is that the new material being used for speed bumps now?

Got more to add to this list?  Comment below!

Sometimes, the simplest of ideas can turn out to be one of the biggest moneymakers…

The apartment complex I live in is extremely controlling of their tenants.  Had I known how bad it was, I would’ve moved elsewhere.

When I first moved in here, the only landline company you could have was Verizon.  It was the only company with a telephone line running through the complex.  You could not have Verizon DSL, because that would require having to run new cable for the service.  The complex does not allow you to get services that require running new cable - you would have to get dial-up service through your phone line if you wanted Internet service.  If you wanted faster Internet, you better pay out an arm and a leg for mobile Internet, like AT&T’s Laptop Connect Air Card.

The only cable here was Time Warner.   Time Warner charges like $40+/month and offers like 20-30 channels (with really bad reception, I must add).  Out of those 20-30 channels, certain channels such as MTV were not part of the line-up because we are right in the middle of the Bible belt and MTV is not a classy channel (so they think).  You could actually have Showtime (or was it HBO?) but you had to pay extra for it - but no Cinemax… the late night softcore pornography is at the same level of inappropriateness as MTV!

You could not any other cable service, because Time Warner was the only one who had a cable running through the complex, and remember, no new cables.  No signing up for satellite either because you can’t put a dish on the property or on the side of the building.  Directv, however, recently put in a bid to put in shared dishes (although everyone would have their own dish service if they sign up) and we now can have Directv. (HughesNet Internet service is incompatible via Directv’s dishes - they require their own, so no HughesNet either.)

This guy, did not like AT&T’s wireless Internet restrictions, could not handle the slowness of dial-up, and could not live without Internet access at all.  Being turned down and arguing with the complex’s company about allowing at least Verizon DSL to put in cables to match their phone service here, the company doesn’t give in.  No new cables!!!!

So, what does he do?  Well, since he couldn’t run the needed cables for Internet service thru his unit, he figures, what isn’t on their property won’t hurt them.  So he sets up wireless routers all along the perimeter of the complex’s property.  Hey, they’re there and they’re visible but they can’t do anything about it because they don’t own the property that the wireless routers are located.  Now everyone living here can have faster Internet options!

Okay, so setting these things up at an apartment complex with say, 50 units, is not a huge moneymaker.  The most clients you would be able to have is 50, and that’s only IF everyone signs up for the service.  Think about it though.  Nearly all apartment complex corporations are controlling as far as service options for their residents like this.  Let’s set up wireless routes around the perimeter of complexes around the country and see how much money we’re making then!

I’m a typography nut.  I love to learn about the history of typefaces as well as the art itself.

WikiAnswers has a Typography category.

Someday, soon hopefully, the typography category will be a one-stop source for all the information anyone could ever ask for in regards to such topics as typeface history, theory, and design.

Such existing Q&As include:

• What is the history of the Ellington typeface?
• What is the history about the typeface Colonna MT?
• What was the design process for the typeface Calcite Pro?
• What is the classification of the typeface Warnock Pro?
• Who created the typeface Adobe Garamond Pro and when?

Are you a typography nut?  Browse the category to ask and answer more typography questions!