So I was reading the latest Dog Whisperer book, by the Cesar Milan guy, and he was writing about how Americans put a great deal of emphasis on what things are called--on names, that is. We even name weather (hurricanes, right?).
Then I was fixing Lillie a bowl of cereal, the generic stuff that isn't Froot Loops but is just like it. You've either bought them or seen them, I'm sure--those cheaper cereals that come in bags instead of boxes. They're imitations of the name-brands, but have names like Fruity Generic Stuff or Choco-Puffy-Not-A-Name-Brand-Delite.
And I got to thinking: What a strange country we live in. It's totally legal to manufacture something that looks just like Froot Loops, tastes just like Froot Loops, and smells just like Froot Loops. It's legal to sell this stuff on a shelf right by the Froot Loops, and to make a profit on it.
The only thing that is not legal, is to give it the same name. Amazing.
