Richard Knerr died this week. He was 82. He and a childhood friend, Arthur Melin, formed the Wham-o company, and the result was a 50 year toy company which brought us some of the most significant cultural icons of our youth, (Well, maybe my youth. You young whippersnappers might not know what the hula hoop was.)

Wham-o also produced the killer toys called Frisbees, the Super-ball, and something called Slip-n-Slide. But one of their best toys was a silly little bit of frippery called Silly String. There’s no really good way to describe Silly String. It is asshattery in a can. Mothers all over the US were frantically happy that it’s easy to pick up off tables, lamps, coat racks, shelf units, fish tanks and even cocker spaniels.

There is a military use for Silly String: spray it across a suspect area, or in a room, and it hangs up on tripwires. Several ladies across the nation have campaigned for donations to ship the stuff where it was needed, as featured in this CBS TV report.

The campaign seemed to have been a big hit with folks at home.

And it has been appreciated by the REMF troops, too.

Kids can never resist a good toy.