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Article #93: Beanie Babies Anonymous

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The Beanie Babies syndrome has really the masses. Show them the light. Have
caught on with no end in sight. Read on them send their Beanie Babies to me. You
to see some of the effects of this mania are getting sleepy... Remember, if you
and some tips on how to cure it. can change the life of just one person
A wise man once said, "If you ignore and they in turn pass the message along
something long enough, eventually it will to someone else, soon the world will be a
go away." Actually, he said it several sane place once again.
times, but nobody listened so he left. A "retired" Beanie Baby, one that has
That old saw is one reason I've never been taken out of circulation, can go for
done a column on Beanie Babies. I thought a thousand times its original cost. A
that if I could just resist the urge to complete collection of Beanie Babies (600
poke fun and ignore their existence long in all) is valued at $100,000. Here are
enough, they would eventually go the way the top ten most valuable.
of Cabbage Patch Dolls and Tickle Me As further proof of the need for an
Elmos. Of course, ignoring them didn't organization like Beanie Babies
work and I should have known better. I've Anonymous,read the following transcripts
been ignoring my kids for years and and media accounts of how Beanie Baby
they're still around, standing right Mania is affecting our world.
outside the bathroom door, pounding on From the Disassociated Press:
it, asking me what I'm reading in there. OAK BROOK, IL (DP): Shares in McDonald's
My oldest caught me looking at the Corp. rose to a 52-week high Wednesday in
newspaper on the front porch the other response to the news that the fastfood
day and asked if I shouldn't be doing giant will stop selling food effective
that in private. I think it's time to immediately and will instead become the
talk boarding school. Russian boarding nations top retailer of Beanie Babies.
school. But first, comrade, back to the McDonald's stock jumped over three
subject at hand. dollars per share after the announcement.
I think Beanie Babies are cute, cuddly A company spokesman said, "Nobody wants
little creatures, and I will admit to our food anymore, but everybody wants
having spent a few of my hard- earned Beanie Babies. The change just makes
dollars on Beanies for my baby girl to sense."
play with (I can hear many of you Tom Brokaw, NBC Nightly News:
screaming, "They're not meant to be "Addressing a large crowd in Lahore,
played with!"). But never have I sat Pakistan on Saturday, Pakistani Prime
outside a McDonald's at two in the Minister Nawaz Sharif defended his
morning waiting for it to open so I could country's decision to detonate six
get an Egg McMuffin and a Teenie Beanie nuclear devices last week and said that
to go. And I apologize in advance if I Pakistan will continue nuclear testing
insult anyone, but I think people who go until India signs the "No Nuke" test
to such great lengths to buy a child's treaty and the Ty Corporation gives every
toy need help. And that's what this man, woman and child in Pakistan a Nana
column is all about. the Monkey Beanie Baby. More now from
You see, my sister, a normally sane, Christiana Amonpour in Lahore..."
rational human being, is awash in the Bernard Shaw, CNN Headline News:
Beanie Baby craze. She has tiny synthetic "This just in: Independent Counsel
pellets racing through her veins and they Kenneth Starr has announced that he is
are starting to affect every facet of her issuing subpoenas to executives of the Ty
life. She is the reason I am willing to Corporation, the company that markets
break my vow of ignorance and speak out Beanie Babies. Starr claims his
against these demons in plush clothing. investigations have revealed that
The thought of her sitting outside a President Clinton gave Monica Lewinsky a
Hallmark store at three in the morning 'Grunt the Razorback Pig' Beanie Baby as
staring blindly at a dog- eared copy of a gift after a sexual encounter in the
"The Beanie Baby Bible" just sends chills White House."
down my spine. The woman needs help, my Mike Wallace, 60 Minutes:
friends, and I am willing to take on the "The Ty Corporation, the company that
task at hand. sells Beanie Babies, is so secretive that
So, to help my dear sister and the not even the US government knows who is
millions of others who have fallen under in charge. The company continually
the spell of Beanie Baby mania, I am refused our requests for interviews and,
officially founding Beanie Babies in an anonymously-signed statement, said
Anonymous, an organization dedicated to that, quote, '...if you do not
helping you just say no to Beanie Babies. immediately cease with your investigation
BBA will follow a simple 4-step program into our operation we will have no choice
designed to help even the most severely- but to send out a very large blue bear to
addicted junkie kick his/her Beanie Baby bite your head off.' Unquote."
habit. Dan Rather, CBS Evening News:
Here are the 4 steps of BBA. Follow them "Good evening. The bottom fell out of the
to the letter and soon your life will be Beanie Baby market today when it was
yours to live again: revealed that the man in charge of the Ty
Step 1) Corporation, the mysterious company
Admit you have a problem: The first step behind the popular line of plush toys, is
in any recovery program is admitting that none other than Microsoft CEO Bill Gates
you have a problem. Here are the three himself. Competing manufacturers of teddy
warning signs of Beanie Baby Addiction. bears and other plush toys have come out
If you can relate to at least one of accusing Gates of trying to monopolize
them, you are a Beanie Baby Junkie. the plush toy industry, prompting the
(1) You would willingly camp out all Justice Department to order an immediate
night outside a McDonald's in the highest investigation."
crime district in town just to be the Alright, I made those up. But the
first in line on Teenie Beanie day. following accounts are real, as reported
(2) You have no qualms about snatching by the Associated Press:
Beanie Babies from the hands of little Forty guns were handed over to police in
children and if it makes them cry, well Kanakakee, Ill., in exchange for Teenie
tough patootie! And Beanie Babies, miniature versions of
(3) If you can't swing a dead cat (is Beanie Babies given out by McDonald's as
there a dead cat Beanie?) anywhere in a Happy Meals premium. The
your house without hitting a display of no-questions-asked swap brought in 23
Beanie Babies, you have a problem. A big pistols and 17 shotguns in one day.
problem. In an attempt to thwart the smuggling in
Step 2) of Beanie Babies available only in
Admit that your addiction is harmful to Canada, the U.S. Customs Service strictly
others: You've probably been too busy enforces a one-Beanie rule. "A consumer
feeding that Beanie Baby monkey on your is allowed to have one Beanie Baby for
back to notice that the rest of your life personal use every 30 days,'' says
has gone to pot. Your addiction not only Customs officer Ralph Hackney. Any more
affects you, but those closest to you. are subject to seizure.
Have your children moved in with Customs agents seized an incoming
relatives because you forgot to fix shipment at O'Hare International Airport
dinner eighteen nights in a row because last December. Their catch: 456
you were busy dusting the tags in your imitations of Beanie Babies. Most were
Beanies' ears? Did you angrily take the fake versions of "Grunt," the toy red
family dog to the pound and order them to razorback pig that is considered a
"Gas the SOB!" just because he growled at collector's items and sells for as much
your Princess Di Beanie Bear? Have you as $130 each.
been served with divorce papers that The Minnesota Better Business Bureau runs
contain the phrase "refuses to consummate a Beanie Baby hotline to warn consumers
marriage because it would disturb Happy of suspected counterfeits.
the Hippo's nap?" If so, you owe everyone Basketball's Philadelphia 76ers handed
you know a big apology, especially your out 5,000 Beanies to children 12 and
dog, God rest his soul. under during a game this year against the
Step 3) Golden State Warriors. It was only the
Cast the snake from the garden: This is second sellout game of the 76ers season.
perhaps the most difficult, yet most The other was against the Michael Jordan
important mile marker on the road to and the Bulls.
recovery. This is where you rid your life A crowd of thousands lined up outside a
of the furry, little monsters that have store in San Mateo, Calif., for the
almost driven you to the point of no chance to buy new and retired Beanie
return. Follow my directions to the Babies at below-market prices. The store
letter and do it quickly, without gave out tickets, then called out random
thinking, because if you stop to think numbers. Those selected got to go in and
about what you're doing, your addiction buy the toys for $5.99 each.
will take the upper hand and you will be Burglars broke into a suburban Chicago
lost again. With that in mind, here is home in mid-April. They left the TV,
the biggest step you must take: Box up stereo and most other valuables, but made
every Beanie Baby you own, especially off with a gold ring and a number of
Peanut the Elephant and Brownie the Bear, Beanie Babies, all valued at $4,000.
and send them to me, Tim Knox, Director In Orange County, California, owners of a
of Beanie Babies Anonymous, in care of collectibles shop were treated and
this website. Send me your kids' Beanie released for head injuries in early April
Babies, too! I will take these vile after being clubbed with an iron barbell
creatures and dispose of them for you by thieves who made off with $6,000 worth
free of charge so that they will never of rare Beanie Babies.
infect the lives of normal people again. The final divorce decree for Randy and
Don't forget, box them up and send them Jan Staffan of Minneapolis stated that he
to me as soon as possible. I guarantee got the house, much of its furnishings,
that both our lives will be enriched. and a few vehicles. She got to keep her
Step 4) Spread the gospel to others: This salon business and half the couple's
is the final step in overcoming Beanie Beanie Babies.
Baby Addiction. You must go out into the Shocking, isn't it? Friends, let's stop
world and tell everyone you meet the this madness before it's too late.
story of your addiction. Give witness to Send those Beanie Babies to me today!






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