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Fushigi Ball, Is it Amazing or What!?

July 24th, 2010

The Fushigi Ball infomercial actually is very controversial among the hard core contact juggling artists that do this on the street, sidewalks, subway, etc.

They feel as though an infomercial guru and large manufacturing plant in China is attempting to rebrand their art form known as “contact juggling” to “Fushigi”.

They also believe that they are hoping for these commercials to create the new Hackie Sack phenomenon among emo and wolf pack teenagers in highschool.

This fad would than spread throughout the world as Fushugi instead of it’s proper name, “contact juggling”.

Wow! The controversy has me dumbfounded as I would have never imagined there was a pist off “contact juggler” out there crying fowl.

Has anyone in Tyler seen the Fushigi Ball on TV? There is an ad spot on kids TV channels showing this amazing ball.

They say things like “Gravity Defying” and other amazing language.

All it is is a metal ball incased in a transparent bouncy ball type inclosure.

There are several adults and kids on the commercial moving these balls around on their arms and hands and exclaiming how amazing they are.

What the commercial doesn’t tell you is that these people are all skilled “contact jugglers”. I don’t think I could roll a basketball down my arm very well and definitely not a rubber bouncy ball with some metal in it.

The balls seem to have a little bit of a gyroscope type of movement.

Is this ball worth $19.99? Heck no! I don’t think the infomercial is going to make any money although when they use the infomercial to launch their product in local Walmart’s as well as our very own Tyler Walmart I think they will make some serious money on this.

For whatever reason people love new and different ball creations. I gave personally been the recipient of those balls that have goo and smaller balls inside them with netting on the outside.

I have broken a couple of them in the process of playing with them. I think I only paid 99 cents for these balls. I don’t think I would have paid $19.99 for the experience of squishiness.

Would I pay 19.99 for the therapeutic feeling of defying gravity on my hands and arms? I would not but I might pay 99 cents for it if I saw it on the “as seen on TV” section at Walmart in Tyler.

These infomercial guru’s may very well create a whole new hackey sack type of phenomenon and we will see these things everywhere.

Tyler TX teachers will be taking them up in class along with hackey sacks, yo yo’s and the all new glow in the dark Fushigi Balls.

You can learn more about the ridiculous Fushigi Ball at www.fushigiball.com

Redeeming Tattoos, A Christian Tattoo Parlor in Tyler

July 23rd, 2010

Tyler Texas Tattoos

Tyler Texas Tattoos

Some subjects overwhelm me when I sit down to write about them. Either because I recognize it as a great subject that needs to be covered and I know nothing about it or I know a great deal about it and don’t know where to begin. Both of these can be really difficult and I often find that the writing process begins very slowly.

Then there are topics like the one I’m leading into, of which I know just enough to be dangerous, but the topic is so much fun, I look forward to getting started. Well, there is a new business in Tyler that will most likely cause a small stir. It’s called Redeeming Tattoos, and much of their art is of a religious nature. So yes they operate a Christian tattoo parlor.

Now I have to admit this is a very unconventional idea for Southern Baptist East Texas and I look forward to hearing the responses from the more conservative quarters of that community. In fact my personal take on this subject may surprise readers who know me. I’m not a collector of tattoos, although I have a number of close friends who are. I’m not covered ink, although I’m not a stranger to the tattoo parlor either. I’ve watched a few artists work, and I find the process and artistry quite interesting.

In recent years the culture around tattooing has certainly changed. It’s not just the bikers and skaters who wear them anymore. I’ve known teachers, pastors and corporate bosses who wore them albeit often discreetly hidden beneath their clothes. I am myself a practicing Christian, and while I don’t endorse the art form as being for everyone, neither do I believe it to be a mortal sin. Furthermore I find nothing in Scripture where it is stipulated as such.

The closest reference I find is the Biblical mandate that we (Jews and Christians) are not to “mark yourselves for the dead,” meaning that we are not to accept tattoos as a function of occult worship or practice, something common in the non Judeo- Christian religions. Obviously the concern there is less with the actual ink and more with the association with paganism. The argument I hear most often is “But, my body is a temple!” To which a friend of mine responded, “And is a temple not full of ornate carvings and works of art?”

The fact is this argument would carry more weight if it was not so often used by individuals who were in excess of two hundred fifty pounds and subsist almost exclusively on a diet of Doritos, red meat and Dr. Pepper, (not that I’m against any of those things in moderation). The fact is, we all have our vices, the trick is to keep them to a minimum, and enjoy them in manageable doses.   

As best as I can tell, Redeeming Tattoos is a clean reputable shop, with solid artists, who’ve been practicing their art for quite some time, and a satisfied client list. Part of their purpose is to share their faith with their customers. As Christians we need to strive for excellence in whatever our field. The folks at Redeeming Tattoos are, by all accounts doing just that.

A new shop, they are located at 12982 State Hwy 31 W. in Tyler. Were I in the market for a tat, I would much sooner visit them than most of the other seedier businesses in town. For more information, or to see samples of their work, they can be found on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tyler-TX/Redeeming-Tattoos/112980208736318. To make a reservation they can be reached by phone at (903)360-4863.