MT Sunday interesting reads

It's Sunday, which is a great time to relax and read. Hopefully you have a mimosa or a cup of coffee in hand, because here's a couple pieces you should read right now:

• "The Unnatural History of the Dixie Cup" by Peter Smith — Smithsonian

Last week, we spent some time with the "Biography of the Inflatable Tube Guy," which got us wondering: What other essentially useless items exist that society still makes a point to use? Instantly, the ubiquitous Dixie cup came to mind. Sure enough, the Smithsonian already took up the task of unraveling the history of the one-shot drinking vessel. From Smith's piece:

Soon they were the Individual Drinking Cup Company of New York and had renamed their sole product the Health Kup, a life-saving drinking technology that could help prevent the transmission of communicable disease and aid the campaign to do away with free water offered at communal cups, “tin dippers,” found in public buildings and railway stations. Make no mistake, because of this scourge, one biologist reported in a 1908 article, there was “Death in School Drinking Cups.”

• "Biography of the Inflatable Tube Guy" by Sam Dean — Medium

Hopefully the title of this piece gave you pause. You know that bizarre inflatable gangling guy that typically posts up at the local used auto dealer? Here, Dean gives you the entire back story on how this object came to life, and it is incredible. From Dean:

They dance on street corners and used car lots, waving their stubby arms in the wind. Tirelessly they shimmy, collapse, and bob up again, stupid grin permanently glued to their stupid faces. They are wacky inflatable tube guys, a ubiquitous advertising product that manages to be mesmerizing, hilarious, and existentially bleak, depending on your mood.

Sitting at a stoplight with nothing else to stare at, it’s easy to watch their erratic performance and wonder: How did something so strange take over our commercial streetscape?

To find out, I called a man named Doron Gazit.

Have a recommendation? Send an email to [email protected] or throw it in the comment section below.