Waffle Hero: The Job of the Future

An Icon was born during my spring 2023 semester at Maryville College. After my retirement from Airforce firefighting i continued having success with my development of the BVRS system. I enrolled in college and continued to pitch my ideas in germ prevention. My blueprint after which I modeled the BVRS (Building Virulent Rating System) is the Fire Prevention Act of 1974 giving us fire defense technology in our living and working spaces. With pandemics being the norm, isn’t it time for an update to our life safety codes within our buildings? We need the tactics the fire dept uses to target fires and apply it towards germ prevention with technologies such as self-sanitizing bricks and tiles.

Germ killing lights (UVC), Germ fighting paints, just to name a few examples of what i engineered and implemented in my designs which have won me honorable mentions (Hermes creative Awards 2021) and even local recognition by the organization “keep Knoxville Beautiful” acknowledged my efforts. I submitted the BVRS in a category called “New Architecture under Covid”(2022 submission titled: Building Virulent Rating System) I used both passive and active measures in construction of the future.  The evolution in germ prevention and detection lies with space travel. I continued pursuing my beliefs in germ prevention by means of cloning the fire protection act.

Certainly, by now (2024) advanced measures and precautions have undergone into the post pandemic solutions for our buildings? What about clothing? Maybe vehicle interiors? The answer is no, not quite. While solutions exist such as “Cuverro” (Self sanitizing surfaces) and UVC germ killing lights no laws exist to make the germ fighting products mandatory. The automobile industry has yet to put existing solutions into the interior of vehicles. Surely space voyaging vessels leaving earth to go to Mars have this section covered. The real question is why did Nasa or any of the space agencies fail to help humanity during our biggest crisis in 2020? Real Space travel is dangerous and has unseen elements such as radiation. An encounter like this creates an IDLH situation (Immediate Danger to Life and Health). The obvious solution is lining the vessel in lead.

The famous picture of the astronauts talking to President Nixon will always remain burned into memory. Not for the love of space but because of the distraction it caused in my mind. The picture showed the returning astronauts in a small capsule speaking to the president from behind a self-contained enclosed protective measure. Apparently, it was well understood that even in outer space filth and disease such as germs and viruses could in fact survive the harsh elements of space. Almost as if designed to survive and make it to any habitable planet, germs and viruses remain mysteries.  The picture hung in Mr. Fullerton’s class and one day I asked why the astronauts needed to be inside a bubble? The answer was quick and to the point “Space Germs” he answered. That was middle school and now with my 18-year career as a fireman behind me my experiences shaped the solutions i had in mind. which lead me to develop self-sanitizing building interiors, self-sanitizing vehicle cabins and yes even germ fighting clothing. My repeated attempts to persuade various fire chiefs and even Governor Lee to adopt germ fighting preventive measures have gone unheard.

I truly believe the concepts I’m preaching will be the standard not because we decided to turn what I’m describing into law but because I’m describing a standard we need to adopt. An entrepreneur will inevitably use and implement these solutions in their new vehicle division, or a new fast-food franchise equipped with germ fighting technology in their dining rooms.

So, what happens when you have ideas, and you want someone to take you up on what you have to offer? You find gaps to fill with solutions. I started thinking and remembered that Richard Nixon photo with the astronauts. If the engineers and space specialists thought enough to isolate the returning astronauts as a matter of precaution from a moon plague what else should be considered in the matters of space travel? I bet they only pack water for the space travelers. The idea turned into a conversation in my head. Why only water? Well, it’s the source of hydration for humans, everything other than water is non-essential to bring to space.

The persistent notion and theory that I was having seemed solid to me. Not even Coca-Cola is going to be packed on the space shuttle, I said to myself with pure conviction! Let’s think about this together. The famous dark and sweet soft drink Coca-Cola is carbonated which causes a major problem in space. Standing here on earth one can enjoy the classic and refreshing beverage. When you take a drink gravity assists in pulling the liquid down allowing gases to rise making us burp and have fun. Not in space, however. Without gravities help to pull liquids down gases are mixed with the liquids giving space travelers “wet burps”.

The conclusion I came to in my head was a major discovery and turning point for me. You see Coca-Cola is the poster child of marketing. Time Square? Yup you think about Coca-Cola. The plot to my comic book (The Rise of Waffle Hero) came to me when I realized Coca-Cola the drink would never make it upon a space rocket to mars or to space at all. Coca-Cola is an earth-based beverage that needs gravity to be properly enjoyed and I for one can only see it that way. With the resources available to the Coca-Cola company the solution I crafted on behalf of Coca-Cola is a space flight suit with germ fighting elements woven into the fabric itself. With Coca-Cola and all carbonated beverages getting banned from space travel how would the brand find itself on space missions? The answer is clothing. All cargo and even the very paint of the space vessel must be considered. every bit of weight added means more fuel spent. Most parts of the spacecraft will remain “bare” or have a polished metal finish. To paint the various rooms and spaces on the Mars vessels would total hundreds of gallons worth of paint on walls which really equates to more fuel needed.

Advertisements aboard the space vessel will be projections. The same projections will be used to provide color to walls saving unnecessary weight from paint. The space travelers will be issued only one suit, the MIC (Marketing Integrated Coveralls) these advanced space suits protect you from the environment, self sanitizes and most importantly advertises only Coca-Cola. Beating all other spacesuits Coca-Cola developed the most advanced wearable technology and secured its passage to Mars by means of its other powerful attribute its marketing. That spring semester at Maryville college I went the length of designing several suits and bringing the characters to life.

In the most awesome of coincidences’ i came across the story of Kin Takahashi. A former student at Maryville College from the year 1895. Kin Takahashi was responsible for a student lead project the construction of the first YMCA on a college campus Bartlett Hall. I took it as a little nod from the universe because I was looking to invent the world’s first self-sanitizing brick and wouldn’t you know it Kin Takahashi and the students right there in 1895 made bricks by hand and constructed the YMCA themselves! I was given an opportunity to present my germ fighting ideas to the science and biology professors.

The presentation was going well until one professor couldn’t bear to stand what I was describing. This professor left after only a short 25ish minutes into my “Ted Talk”. The rest of the professors and attendees sort of took cue to walk out as well. I really don’t know what I said or did to them for the college to turn their back on me. After that disappointing meeting I had a thought. I made Coca-Cola Suits I’m going to use them and impress the public on a job of the future. It is my belief the future of advertisement is human “ad space”. We will compete with static billboards, walk where it can’t and have fun while doing so.

Here you can see I came up with the iconic pose “Drink a giant Coca-Cola” posing in front of the White House. I also take credit for the largest wearable object while walking in front of the white house. I honestly thought the secret service would stop me because of the giant obstruction on my back but they didn’t. I guess I look official enough for them to think I’m funded by the Coca-Cola Brand. It is with great desire I have asked the Coca-Cola Company to collaborate with them. Together we can make the ultimate suits.

The food trucks of DC loved every minute of the Coca-Cola man that was a lot of fun!