

The Secret Life of Yo-Yos - pmcpinto
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/04/the-yo-yo-effect/389868?single_page=true

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bradleysmith
I sold high-end yo-yos to kids at my school growing up in Saudi Arabia. I
would research the badass ones on the internet (only available from company
office at the time, I'd go into my dad's), print out a Word-doc 'order form'
to show kids at school (most were known names that kids had around already
like Duncan and Yomega, but I'd find crazy ones w/ enough description to
convince people to buy sight unseen), collect money with my profit already in
it, then take orders and have them delivered to my house in the states. We'd
pick them up on yearly re-pat. I usually had the money spent before they were
even delivered, because I'm a goober.

Those, tech decks and magic cards. My first entrepreneurial endeavors.

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mmcclure
When I was in elementary school there was a huge resurgence in popularity,
leading to waiting lists for popular Duncan models that stretched into a month
or more. I saved up every penny I had and eventually got a Turbo Bumblebee,
which was one of my most prized possessions for way longer than I'd like to
admit.

I found it in a box last time I was visiting my parents. I ended up changing
the "brake pads" and oiling the bearings and played with it for hours. Can
confirm, as an adult, Yo Yos are still a really pure, inexplicable kind of
fun.

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mitchell_h
I keep a few yo-yos in my office on the shelf. Keep them next to a cricket
ball, and a hacky-sack. I find they're great fun when on long conference calls
and awesome conversation starters. Generally the younger group, 90s kids,
stare at that hackysack like it's a long lost treasure. The folks in the upper
30s to 40s go for the yoyo. I'm early 30s but tend to play with the yoyo a
lot.

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MrFoof
>In the end, I had to unpack and demonstrate each of the yo-yos in turn, much
to the amusement (and eventual applause) of the security team.

So, quite literally, security theater.

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Zikes
I've heard of being made to do a lot of unsavory things by the TSA, but this
is the first I've heard of being forced to perform party tricks for them.

~~~
fit2rule
I once travelled to the United States from Europe with a prototype synthesizer
I'd built to demonstrate .. after waiting an hour and a half in the TSA line,
I was made to turn it on, play something on it, prove that it made music, and
do an impromptu jam session for the TSA agents. I guess they get bored with
their jobs too, but it was definitely denigrating to be made to dance like a
monkey for the privilege of going freely on my way. It definitely left a bad
impression on my entry to the USA ..

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Vexs
I can't blame them for double guessing a prototype synth. I'm pretty sure they
use them in movies for "hacker" rooms or whatever.

Doesn't mean they're not asses.

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abandonliberty
For a clear demonstration of the offensive use of a yoyo, I direct you to The
Substitute 2
[http://rutube.ru/video/bc0c854a249afe8f1cce248d0ab55444/](http://rutube.ru/video/bc0c854a249afe8f1cce248d0ab55444/)
(sadly in russian)

~~~
cJ0th
Disney's Fantasia offers another example:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=x4...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=x4H3icCCiXY#t=102)

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jarnold
I had the fortune of getting wrapped up in the Chico yoyo scene of the late
90's. It was amazing to see the transformation around that time. There were
only one or two metal, ball berring yoyos on the market at the time. Got to
help teach kids and was enlisted by Prima (game guide publisher) to do a book
on yoyo play too. Good times...

