Saturday, March 25, 2006

Make: The Magazine

Passing through the Los Angeles airport last week, looking through a magazine rack, an odd-sized magazine caught my eye. Actually, it was probably the water rocket and zip line on the cover that grabbed my attention, but I knew immediately that it was for me! The magazine, Make:, is a fascinating view into the world of "DIY" (Do It Yourself). But don't confuse Make: with a magazine like Popular Woodworking. While each issue contains several "how to" projects of things like building an electric wind turbine or weather station, it also celebrates the creativity and resourcefulness of the geeks, inventors, and do-it-yourselfers who are pushing the envelopes in their very own garage workshops. In fact, I was so inspired by the magazine that upon my return home, I immediately ordered their t-shirt which carries the following motto: "Void your warranty, violate a user agreement, fry a circuit, blow a fuse, poke an eye out.." While I'm in no way advocating that our customers poke their eyes out (in fact I highly discourage it), this aphorism is an affirmation for many of the things that we're trying to achieve at Fat Brain Toys. Think different. Push the envelope. Challenge conventional wisdom. Think outside the box. This is where genius and innovation live. As it relates to toys, resist the temptation to buy the cheap plastic toys that have no redeeming value. Put open-ended, creative toys in the hands of children today, and they'll become the innovators and problem-solvers of tomorrow. To find out more about Make:, visit their website at http://www.makezine.com