Fancy That Friday – I Got No Strings To Hold Me Down

Admit it. You’re singing that song now aren’t you? You just can’t beat a wooden doll who dreams of becoming a real boy. But this week’s fancy that post isn’t about a possessed puppet. It’s about something far more bizarre. A cordless jump rope.

Here’s the story as I heard it on NPR:

Morning Edition, May 30, 2006 · He is the man who invented the cordless jump-rope. Think about that for a minute. It's a jump-rope, but with no rope, just the handles. He says you can pretend to jump over the rope, which feels like it's there because of moving weights in the handles. Or at least that's the plan in the patent he filed with the U.S. government. So far, the inventor has only been able to afford to build one of the two handles.

So next time you have an idea that you think might just be a little “out there,” go ahead and do it. Slap a patent on it. And who knows?! You might even be able to drum up enough money to build the crazy thing.

Oh, and I’m guessing that this guy’s invention wouldn’t quite cut it for a good game of double dutch. So any of you corded jump rope stockholders out there who were contemplating “jumping” ship might just want to hang tight for awhile.