mrs-roboto's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It's All About The Loot Ah, the holidays. A time for togetherness and family. A time to be thankful for all that you have and to give generously to those who have less than you do. A time of great joy. Or if you're an aunt to five living on the opposite side of the country, who knows nothing about children's likes and dislikes, a time to rely on the kindness of Amazon.com Customer Reviews to help you select gifts for those little rugrats. I started my research weeks ago by asking my sister-in-law what the kids were into this year. My niece Maggie happens to have developed a passion for the Spy Kids, who are just as they sound - kids who spy on people. So I typed Spy Kids into the Amazon.com gift generator and began my search and out popped The Spy Tool Kit by Wild Planet. The professional editorial review read as follows: "This handy blue briefcase (cunningly labeled "Spy Kit") contains every tool a budding agent needs to root out any secret. The most vital piece of equipment is a listening device that amplifies distant sounds, perfect for eavesdropping on the enemy! Simply plug in the earphones, unfold the microphone, and point it at your target. Press the button, and you can hear every whisper. The kit also includes a penlight (requires two AAA batteries), and a combination telescope/microscope that can be attached to the listening device for more advanced espionage activities. Agents can keep track of everything they see and hear in the included notebook. The listening device requires one 9-volt battery and you'll need a screwdriver to open the battery compartment, but once everything is set up you'll be ready for action. Winner of an award from Child magazine." Okay, that all sounds well and good but let's see how the kids feel about it. Customer Reviews as hijacked directly from Amazon.com (no changes to spelling or syntax have been made): Reviewer: TOY BOY BOOGER from EVERYWHERE, CA United States Um, okay Toy Boy - "mess with people's heads" you say? Hmmh, I'm not sure if that's one of Maggie's interests but I am pretty confident that my five year old niece has nothing to hide. I hope. Next review. Reviewer: The Real Baby-Doll Toy I'm not sure if Maggie is a real Baby-Doll or not. Next review please. Reviewer: Me of course from Ohain, Belgium I sure hope Maggie doesn't care about going undercover but if she does I'll explain to her about "stings." We'll watch a couple of episodes of Cops, dress her up like a prostitute and send her out to arrest some johns. We'll use the the listening device to know when we can go in for the kill. Oh the fun we'll have! Reviewer: An 11-year old toy enthusiast from Missouri Do we want to encourage this kind of behavior? Sneaking around and spying on siblings and/or parents (sorry Kathy)? What the heck? I say sure! After all, I do live thousands of miles away. Ain't going to hurt me none. Merry Christmas - one and all! 12:07 p.m. - 2003-12-09 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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