Poor taste marketing

TPP is late to this issue; so what?  In one sense Urban Outfitters marketing a bloodied Kent State University sweatshirt almost deserved no comment, so utterly tasteless is this idea. Who in bloody hell would order one?  If you actually remember the event at Kent State that spurred this product then you are over 60, and if you think such a shirt if clever, then you never gunna grow up. It does occur to TPP that all discussion about militarization of the police, Kent State is what happens when you let the military take care of something that should have been a police problem. Innocent people get shot. This was the event that produced the anti-war national student strikes across the country that disrupted TPP's senior year. Nothing like having to cross picket lines to take organic evolution to make you think about what was important. People too young for the Vietnam War era wouldn't get the "message" Urban Outfitters was selling, so what demographic were they aiming (sorry) at? The whole thing boggles the mind. In protest the administration building was occupied immediately; ended up playing cards with the undergraduate dean, which seemed pretty non-violent. So this still just leaves one big question: what kind of person of what age actually thought this was a pretty good idea? TPP's boycott of Urban Outfitters will continue, as will his boycott of HoJo's. So don't risk his fiscal wrath.

Pitcher Plant Predator Micro Terrarium

Who wouldn't want one of these?  Hey, kids let's grow a pitcher plant predator!  TPP discovered an entire display of "micro -terraria", basically a plastic egg with a jiffy 5 (? smaller than a jiffy 7) inside and a tiny packet of seeds (2 and a third doubtful one).  Well, for under $3 why not try this out for fun?  Now the materials here are all of 30 cents worth, so clearly a lot of the cost is in the marketing, a handsome, dramatic display in one of those dreadful hobby shops (TPP had a print to frame.) where kids must be regularly placated to deal with the boredom.  The instructions say that this is indeed a Sarracenia, a pitcher plant, probably a hybrid.  After hydrating the jiffy 5, planting the seeds, and assembling the micro-terrarium, all of 10 mins of intense fun, the whole thing was placed in a fridge for a 6 week period of vernalization, a cold treatment to promote germination.  Yeah, the kids will certainly get a thrill out of this item; imagine their excitement as they check out their micro-terrarium week after week and see that nothing whatever is happening.  Heck, TPP has lost interest and it's only been 4 weeks, and you think what the heck is that red egg thingy?  Even forgot taking the picture of the packaging.   Wonder how long a pitcher plant seedling will take to out grow its micro-terrarium?  Sure hope my plant has a nice big red tongue like that so it can be watched eating bugs alive!  Okay, kids, TPP hates to burst your balloon, but this trap doesn't move, but watching a fly drown is mighty exciting stuff, just like the rest of the botany.  You do have to wonder how much interest this type of hype promotes?  Ah, professional curiosity is a weakness.