Apple’s signature earbuds were inspired by Star Wars’ iconic Stormtrooper

The best iconic designs tend to share inspiration with other inspired creations, and it turns out Apple’s instantly recognizable white plastic earbuds, and by extension the current EarPods and AirPods) were in part influenced by Star Wars: specifically, by the Empire’s ubiquitous enforcer, the Stormtrooper.

Once you hear it, the connection seems apparent – Stormtroopers are clad head to toe in gleaming white plastic body armor, and Apple’s earbuds are known by their glossy white plastic shell. The iconic earbud look is what helped Apple create an indelible advertising campaign for the original iPod line, and it’s also what makes the current AirPods extremely easy to pick out in a crowd.

Apple design lead Jony Ive told Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams that he was thinking of Stormtrooper garb when he came up with the design for Apple’s earbuds, according to The Wall Street Journal^[1]. But the inspiration works both ways: Abrams took cues from Jony Ive for the unique design of Kylo Ren’s lightsaber, which has a rougher blade projection that occasionally flickers off sparks, something the director said was a direct suggestion from Apple’s design guru.

This is excellent information to have, since it means that when I wear my AirPods while donning full Stormtrooper regalia (I’m always only a single impulsive act away from buying a prop-quality set of full Stormtrooper armor), I won’t be doing anything wrong from a design canon perspective....

While the highly inflated value of the U.S. Retirement Market reached a new high this year, something is seriously wrong when we look behind the scenes. Of course, Americans have no idea that the U.S. Retirement Market is only a few steps from falling off the cliff, because their eyes are focused on the shiny spinning roulette wheel called the Wall Street Stock Market.

Yes, everyone continues to place their bets, hoping and praying that they will win it big, so they can retire in style. Unfortunately, American gamblers at the casino have no idea that the HOUSE is out of money. The only thing remaining in their backroom vaults is a small stash of cash and a bunch of IOU’s and debts.

According to the ICI – Investment Company Institute, the U.S. Retirement Market hit a new record $26.1 trillion in the first quarter of 2017:

This new record high in U.S. Retirement assets is most certainly a good moral booster for Americans. As their retirement assets continue to increase, this provides them a wonderful incentive to fork over more of their hard-earned monthly income to feed the DARK HOLE I label the U.S. Retirement PAC-MAN Monster.

Regretably, Americans have no idea that their monthly retirement contributions are not being saved or stored in a nice gold vault, rather they are being used to pay the lucky slobs who retired before them. Now, when I say SLOBS or POOR SLOBS, I am not being derogatory. However, I am using the word as a Wall Street Banker would label those they prey upon.

Regardless, as the U.S. Retirement Market continued higher over the past several years, the amount of net contributions have gone into negative