Most of us, at one time or another, have been exposed to the smell of an electrical fire or a burned-out motor. It's the dank, dark, heavily spiced smell of burning copper, electronics and plastics all combined with a pinch of cumin for taste. It's distinct, and when you smell it, you tend to seek out the cause with great concern and immediacy. After all, the shorting out of a hair dryer or the overheated washing machine motor can lead to greater issues in the home beyond wet locks and dirty dishes. An electrical fire in the home can bring the house down. Literally.
Tonight, while cleaning dishes and moving about the kitchen, that very smell caught my attention while close to the toaster and cappuccino maker. It was strong enough to make me stop in my tracks and start wildly sniffing about in search of it's origin. I unplugged both of those appliances, inspected them closely, and while I could not isolate them as the cause, the scent persisted in that immediate area.
As I moved some stacked papers to better evaluate the potential source, I noticed a drying finger-painting or two made by the kids earlier during the day. As I moved them aside in order to gain easier access to the outlet behind the counter, the smell of an electrical overload disappeared. Or better stated, it travelled with the paintings.
Yes. I'm hear to tell you that Crayola finger paints have the exact same smell as a burnt-out electrical appliance.
You would think, given that there's literally nothing 'natural' in the ingredients of that stuff, and that it's already one chemical away from a street-light and two chemicals away from a terrorist's weapon, that the makers might have found a simple way to neutralize the smell in the lab. Yet somehow, they've overlooked the olfactory impact of that particular product on the adults who buy it and bring it unknowingly into their homes.
Perhaps it was intentional. Perhaps there actually is an additive already there, intended to elicit momentary confusion in the lives of already harried and disoriented parents, just for some executive malfeasants own disturbed personal pleasure and satisfaction.
That, at least, I could respect for the mere creativity and innovation.
