But first:  Reboot the Regular Magnets

Our Original Persian-English Word magnets (Standard, Courtship, t’Arof)  are out of print, but easily reprinted, once we get 500 people to sign up to get them.  Sign up for your kit now!  Please help make that reprint a success, because once we get those funded, we can move on to these.  And I dream of these:

And Now: Our Draft Campaign Video For the Free Speech Kit:

Shot in one take.  Your feedback welcome!  A placeholder to give you an idea of our nefarious…er wonderful plans. Why are we doing this? I’m Iranian+American, you know.

What is This Project For?

This project raises funds to design, manufacture and deliver an all new “Where’s the Coup” Persian-English Word Magnet kit.  [What are Persian English Word Magnets?]

Our funding goal covers the costs of a minimum printing run of 500 magnet kits.  If we exceed the goal, we will be able to print more magnet kits.  More importantly, we can start working on our “stretch goals” of which we have many.

I’m Rezwan Razani.  I’m Iranian+American, and I approve this message.

Who are the Word Magnets for?

• Are you a blogger suffering from ranter’s block?
• ...An activist suffering from slogan block?
• ...A pundit or policy wonk suffering from spin block?
• ...A citizen suffering from ridiculous policies?
• ...The writer of a fake political news show who needs to procrastinate?
• ...A fresh faced espionage recruit who lied about your language skills in the job application?
• Do you long to exercise free speech, but have nothing to say?
• Does the absurdity of politics strike you mute, even as your sense of civic duty compels you to get up on your soapbox?

Then crack open a box of “Where’s the Coup” Persian English Word Magnets, play around with the words, rearrange them and find inspiration.  You, too, can compose some of the finest rants on the interwebz (causal connection to magnets not proven).

Words, Unchained!

Check out the history of word magnets.  As you see, these things are all about random association of words to inspire writers. Like a Rorschach, each person will look at the jumble of words in this kit and different words will leap out for them and inspire them to different thoughts.

The enlightened among you will see the soaring words of joy, celebration, humanity and victory.  You will compose empowering tributes to civil rights, equality and justice. Oh sweet, deluded souls.

The conspiracy theorists among you will start to decode reality and integrate the magnets into the freakish array of newspaper clippings, maps and string that wallpaper your log cabins.  There is no code in the magnets!  Please take your lithium.  Pay no attention to the pattern in the…OMG!  You’re right!  How did I miss that!

Why: “Where’s the Coup”?

“Coup” as in “Coup d’etat” (ku de tA):  the sudden overthrow of a government through unconstitutional means. “Where” as in, “Could it be right here, right now, masked by a sham election?”

We thought of having an “Election” kit to capitalize (go Capitalism!) on election fever.  But it looks like these magnets won’t be ready until after the US presidential elections (Don’t forget to vote). 

No matter the outcome of the election, of one thing we can be sure: at least half the country will feel like there was a coup (or an apocalypse, 8.2 on the pundit apocalypse scale).

Speaking of Coups, and quite a sore point in US-Iran relations, do you remember what happened back in 1953?  That guy named Mossadeq, the democratically elected Prime minister of Iran?  Remember how he was overthrown in that CIA backed military coup?  The USA’s CIA?  No?  You don’t go back past 1979? 

Why Persian+English? 

Circumstance.  I’m Iranian+American.  Also, it seems wasteful not to exploit every bit of real estate on these magnets. Front, back.  Double the verbal impact. That’s how it starts, isn’t it. First, we make the magnets bilingual.  Then the SCHOOLS!  BWAHAHAHA!

Not happy with the bilingual takeover?  Rant about it with word magnets!  Xenophobic rants (Yankee/immigrant go home) are possible if you are so inclined.  The words can be put into any order: Government, keep your hands off my magnets!  Magnets don’t kill people, people kil….acikHhhkhAAAH!  Sorry, I just choked on a magnet. 

Tech Specs

Word magnets are words printed on magnetic word tiles.  In a Persian-English kit, the magnet is double sided so you can print Persian on one side with the English translation and transliteration on the other.  Both sides will stick to steel surfaces.

For more about the magnets, watch the video.

Previous Magnet Experience

This isn’t our first barbeque.  Our previous Persian-English word magnet designs include:  The Standard (aka motedAvel, aka متداول ); Pleasantries (aka t’Arof, aka تعارف ); and Courtship (aka xAstegAri, aka خواستگاری ) kits.  We have a few in stock and are adding them into the rewards mix. 

Kits Include:

Each kit includes a cover (#1), sheets of magnetic word tiles which break apart into individual words (#2); an alphabet card (#3);  and a grammar guide (#4).  Shown below is the Standard Kit. The “Where’s the Coup” kit will have a different cover card (fresh art!).  And different words, of course.  And about half the words in English on the white side (previous kits are all Persian on the white side).  See sample Standard Kit.

Made in the USA

Because Iran has sanctions.

Manufactured by Kling Magnetics in Chatham, NY.  The magnets are made from .30 double magnetized materials with TC348 vinyl on the front.  Screen printed in two colors (black on the white surface and white on the black back side of the magnet).  Magnets die cut with existing die from previous template.  Kiss cut on sheets measuring 11” by 14.5”; then broken up and assembled with alphabet cards and grammar guides by myself and family members.

Bonus Solar Boost!  Kling Magnetics uses all solar power in their manufacturing process.  Go green energy!

Other Ways You Can Help:

This is fixed funding project.  If we don’t get all the money we’re asking for, we won’t be able to design the new kits, get them printed, delivered, assembled and sent out to everyone.

So feel free to:

  Get the word out!  Make some noise!  Help us find our audience.  We have no idea who is tilted enough to want these.
  Don’t forget to use the Indiegogo share tools!
  Suggest words for the kit.  Help us set up a web app to rank the top words for this kit.  It would be great if we could get a “people’s choice” thing going - contact us!

And that’s it!

Things to Add

OK, I’ve started this section here to paste snippets of words I want to add to the Free Speech kit.  If you have any suggestions, comment below.  If you like other people’s suggestions, vote up (or down).  Thanks!  And here are some words, ripped from the headlines.

@WideAsleepNima Note to self:  Include "bombastic" in Free Speech word kit.  Already had diplomacy.  Thx!  http://t.co/pJ2MS7ZPwp

— cool zabAn (@coolzaban) November 12, 2013

.@GEsfandiari Yes, this is called the "naive theory" by Galtung: economic pain becomes political gain and brings about regime change

— Holly Dagres (@PoliticallyAff) November 13, 2013