With the 4th of July coming up, I got curious about the history of celebrating Independence Day with fireworks and other noisy displays. Did you know that the United States doesn't really have national holidays? It's up to state or local jurisdictions to determine their own official holiday schedules. Even though the Federal government sets holidays only for its own employees, most states observe the eleven Federal holidays. I guess that's why we call them "national holidays."
Of the eleven unofficial national holidays, Independence Day is the only holiday that celebrates the United States of America and from what I can tell, the very first celebration was a noisy one. On July 4, 1777 in Bristol, Rhode Island thirteen guns were fired, once in the morning and then again at night. Philadelphia also celebrated the first Independence Day with 13-gun salutes. Over the next couple of years, the tradition of firing guns and cannons was adopted nearly everywhere:
In 1778, General George Washington ordered a Fourth of July artillery salute, a salute was fired from a captured enemy cannon at Princeton, New Jersey, and guns and "sky rockets" were fired in Philadelphia.
In Boston in 1779, ships fired a "grand salute" from their cannons and in Philadelphia, an official dinner was followed by a display of fireworks.
In 1782 in Saratoga, New York, the "officers of the Regiment" of the Continental Army celebrate with toasts and a "volley of Musquets at the end of each."
In 1783 the governor of South Carolina gave a dinner at the State House. The guests drank 13 toasts, the last one accompanied by artillery guns firing 13 times.
Fireworks are cool, but to celebrate the 4th of July like they did in the early days, I think I'll buy a field cannon this year and fire it once for every state in the Union.
We have a super loud 25-inch field cannon with an automatic charger mechanism and flint ignitor. That means it handles rapid, multiple firing, which I'll need to pull off a "50-gun salute" with only one cannon. No need to worry about safety, the cannon operates on the same principle as a car's gas engine.
You just add powdered calcium carbide "ammo" and water in the chamber of the cannon, which forms acetylene gas. The auto flint firing mechanism creates a spark to ignite the gas and BOOM! This cannon even produces a realistic flash that makes it seem like a cannon ball has been fired.
I can't wait to see the look on my nephew's face when he sees this Thing on the 4th of July. If my sister will allow it, I'll even let him fire a few rounds. The cannon is made of metal with a heavy-duty cast iron chamber and wheels, so it's sturdy and safe, but we recommend adult supervision for kids under sixteen.
Happy Independence Day.
I'll see you next week,
Bobby
6.18.2008
saving gas
Gas prices are still on the rise. I looked at GasBuddy's web site today to get the averages across the nation. Per-gallon prices are between $3.759 (Missouri) and $4.779 (Alaska). Here in Florida, the average is $3.948. I've been staying home a lot these days and I know I'm not the only one. I'm doing my shopping online and spending a lot of time playing with toys for my computer. That's why I thought I'd show you some Things you can find on our web site that will give you something to do with all that extra time at home.
I'm probably dating myself by telling you this, but I have about a thousand records. Remember those? They were also called "albums." They were really big and made of vinyl that scratched, broke and melted easily. Some popular titles have been digitally remastered and re-issued on CD, but a lot of the older, more obscure stuff will probably never make it to the new digital medium. So I bought this Instant Music gadget. It plugs into your computer's USB port and you can use it to record from any analog source, like a turntable or cassette player. Then you just choose the format you want and convert your music into digital files that you can download to an MP3 player or burn to a CD. This Thing has kept me busy for hours!
Along the same lines, our Digital Picture Converter digitizes your old 35mm negatives and slides. You just put your slides and negatives a tray, position in scanner and press the "copy" button. Five seconds later, your old photo is a digital image that you can store on your computer. It even includes photo editing software. The scanner plugs into your computer's USB port for both power and photo transfer.
I got this Digital Microscope for my nephew, but I had so much fun "testing" it for him, I think I'm going to buy one for myself. It displays magnified images right on your computer screen. With 6x - 130x digital zoom, you can see a live image of everyday Things on your computer monitor. You can also store the images with the click of a shutter button.
If it's too expensive to go see your friends and family this summer, keep in touch with the Talking Email. It's really easy-to-use. You just plug the microphone into a USB port on your computer, press a button and start talking. When you're finished with your message, press the button again and then press send. The recipient gets your e-mail in their inbox just like a regular e-mail, but instead of reading it, they listen to it. And they don't need any special software or hardware to listen to the message.
I don't know about you, but I'm saving gas by shopping online. These days, there aren't many Things you can't find on the Internet.
Time to go back to my records and old pictures. See you next week,
Bobby
I'm probably dating myself by telling you this, but I have about a thousand records. Remember those? They were also called "albums." They were really big and made of vinyl that scratched, broke and melted easily. Some popular titles have been digitally remastered and re-issued on CD, but a lot of the older, more obscure stuff will probably never make it to the new digital medium. So I bought this Instant Music gadget. It plugs into your computer's USB port and you can use it to record from any analog source, like a turntable or cassette player. Then you just choose the format you want and convert your music into digital files that you can download to an MP3 player or burn to a CD. This Thing has kept me busy for hours!
Along the same lines, our Digital Picture Converter digitizes your old 35mm negatives and slides. You just put your slides and negatives a tray, position in scanner and press the "copy" button. Five seconds later, your old photo is a digital image that you can store on your computer. It even includes photo editing software. The scanner plugs into your computer's USB port for both power and photo transfer.
I got this Digital Microscope for my nephew, but I had so much fun "testing" it for him, I think I'm going to buy one for myself. It displays magnified images right on your computer screen. With 6x - 130x digital zoom, you can see a live image of everyday Things on your computer monitor. You can also store the images with the click of a shutter button.
If it's too expensive to go see your friends and family this summer, keep in touch with the Talking Email. It's really easy-to-use. You just plug the microphone into a USB port on your computer, press a button and start talking. When you're finished with your message, press the button again and then press send. The recipient gets your e-mail in their inbox just like a regular e-mail, but instead of reading it, they listen to it. And they don't need any special software or hardware to listen to the message.
I don't know about you, but I'm saving gas by shopping online. These days, there aren't many Things you can't find on the Internet.
Time to go back to my records and old pictures. See you next week,
Bobby
6.06.2008
what is a novelty?
X-ray gogs, the Whoopee Cushion and the Joy Buzzer are some of my favorite Things. We've been selling novelty items for over 90 years, both through our catalogs and through advertisements. When I was a kid, we used to take out full page ads in comic books to show off our best novelties. We even advertised in the very first Superman comic book. I was looking at some of those old ads the other day and that got me wondering...what makes an item a novelty?Dictionary.com1 says a novelty is "an article of trade whose value is chiefly decorative, comic, or the like and whose appeal is often transitory." Okay, that fits pretty well. But I think Wikipedia2 gets closer to the mark, "Novelty items are generally devices that do not fit into another category such as gadgets, by virtue of being impractical, but this distinction is often blurred."
By virtue of being impractical. I like that. Not all Things have to be useful. Sometimes Things can be just plain fun. With that in mind, I thought I'd show you some of my favorite classic novelties and some new spins on old ideas.X-ray Gogs have been around for years. Maybe you even remember the old comic book ads that show a man wearing the gogs and seeming to see through his own hand. Of course, the gogs don't really x-ray anything, but the effect is pretty good. (I can't tell you how they work. You'll have to look that up yourself.) I remember wearing them as a kid, mostly to rile the girls who weren't exactly sure that the specs couldn't see through their clothes.
In the 1930s Alfred Johnson Smith wrote one of the best lines ever written when describing the Whoopee Cushion. He said it, "gives forth noises better imagined than described." (We still use his description.) Today, technology has given us funnier and funnier ways to "give forth" such noises. The Remote Control Fart Machine is one of our bestsellers, for example. Plus we have farting bears, farting gnomes and even a farting keychain for the prankster on-the-go.
Shocking Things have always been popular, too. Invented in 1928, the wind-up Joy Buzzer is still one of my favorite Things. But shocking people has also been enhanced by technology. The Shocking Pen and Shocking Lighter are two of our top pranks. We even have a Shocking MP3 Player.
Not everything has been changed by technology though, some of our staple novelties, like fart powder, fart candy and fake poo haven't changed much over the years and they still cost less than a dollar.
Maybe the value of a novelty is "chiefly comic" and maybe they are "impractical", but they're still Things I couldn't possibly live without.
See you next week,
Bobby
By virtue of being impractical. I like that. Not all Things have to be useful. Sometimes Things can be just plain fun. With that in mind, I thought I'd show you some of my favorite classic novelties and some new spins on old ideas.X-ray Gogs have been around for years. Maybe you even remember the old comic book ads that show a man wearing the gogs and seeming to see through his own hand. Of course, the gogs don't really x-ray anything, but the effect is pretty good. (I can't tell you how they work. You'll have to look that up yourself.) I remember wearing them as a kid, mostly to rile the girls who weren't exactly sure that the specs couldn't see through their clothes.
In the 1930s Alfred Johnson Smith wrote one of the best lines ever written when describing the Whoopee Cushion. He said it, "gives forth noises better imagined than described." (We still use his description.) Today, technology has given us funnier and funnier ways to "give forth" such noises. The Remote Control Fart Machine is one of our bestsellers, for example. Plus we have farting bears, farting gnomes and even a farting keychain for the prankster on-the-go.
Shocking Things have always been popular, too. Invented in 1928, the wind-up Joy Buzzer is still one of my favorite Things. But shocking people has also been enhanced by technology. The Shocking Pen and Shocking Lighter are two of our top pranks. We even have a Shocking MP3 Player.
Not everything has been changed by technology though, some of our staple novelties, like fart powder, fart candy and fake poo haven't changed much over the years and they still cost less than a dollar.
Maybe the value of a novelty is "chiefly comic" and maybe they are "impractical", but they're still Things I couldn't possibly live without.
See you next week,
Bobby
things for life's little emergencies
As May comes to a close, Floridians start thinking about the approaching hurricane season. It's a fact of life here, so you have to be prepared. But life's emergencies can happen anywhere, so I've compiled a list of Things to help you prepare for the unexpected.
An Emergency Radio is a must for every storm season emergency kit. This one monitors all 7 NOAA weather channels plus AM/FM frequencies. It even has an LED flashlight and the capability to charge your cell phone. It works with a solar-powered rechargeable Ni-MH battery, hand crank or an AC adapter. The worst thing about storms around here is losing power--and air conditioning--when it's 90-plus degrees outside. Our battery operated Portable Fan can help you stay cool until the storm passes. And don't forget the flashlights. Our LED Flashlights are shock proof, highly water-resistant, and virtually indestructible. Around here people joke that the mosquito is the Florida state bird, but if you've ever been outside at dusk, you know that the bugs in Florida are no joke. This portable Mosquito Shield emits a scent that mosquitoes, no-see-ums and other biting bugs hate. Now you can enjoy the great outdoors without getting eaten alive.This Mighty Putty is the just the Thing for leaks and other small home repair emergencies. It seals leaks and fills cracks instantly. You can fix almost anything with it. It's strong enough to support up to 350 pounds and works on almost any surface. Just mold it to any shape, knead the putty to activate the epoxy, apply it to the leak or crack and let it dry.
For auto emergencies, we have the Porta-Jump™ that recharges your car's battery in about ten minutes using power from your car's cigarette lighter socket. It comes fully charged and recharges as you drive. And it's small enough to keep in your glove compartment so you don't have to worry about losing trunk space. And this Liquid Transfer Pump is a handy Thing for when you run out of gas. It can siphon over a gallon per minute so it's perfect for pumping gas from a can to your car or boat. It also works great for emptying aquariums.Stay healthy with this UV Scanner that destroys 99.9% of all bacteria and viruses like E-coli, hepatitis, and the flu. It's the same technology hospitals use so you know it's is safe. You just pass it over the surface you want to disinfect. If you do come down with something, look up your symptoms in the famous Merck Home Manual. It's one of the most widely used medical references in the world for understanding symptoms, causes and treatments. The home edition gives you access to the same reference that doctors use, but in language anyone can understand.
I bought this Language Translator for my sister when she went to Europe and she loves it. It can help you ask for directions or locate a doctor in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian or Dutch. The database contains 5,000 words and it comes preprogrammed with common phrases and questions. It does exchange rate conversions and you can even use it as a calculator.
My dad always taught me to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Hopefully, you'll never need any of these Things, but just in case...
See you next week,
Bobby
An Emergency Radio is a must for every storm season emergency kit. This one monitors all 7 NOAA weather channels plus AM/FM frequencies. It even has an LED flashlight and the capability to charge your cell phone. It works with a solar-powered rechargeable Ni-MH battery, hand crank or an AC adapter. The worst thing about storms around here is losing power--and air conditioning--when it's 90-plus degrees outside. Our battery operated Portable Fan can help you stay cool until the storm passes. And don't forget the flashlights. Our LED Flashlights are shock proof, highly water-resistant, and virtually indestructible. Around here people joke that the mosquito is the Florida state bird, but if you've ever been outside at dusk, you know that the bugs in Florida are no joke. This portable Mosquito Shield emits a scent that mosquitoes, no-see-ums and other biting bugs hate. Now you can enjoy the great outdoors without getting eaten alive.This Mighty Putty is the just the Thing for leaks and other small home repair emergencies. It seals leaks and fills cracks instantly. You can fix almost anything with it. It's strong enough to support up to 350 pounds and works on almost any surface. Just mold it to any shape, knead the putty to activate the epoxy, apply it to the leak or crack and let it dry.
For auto emergencies, we have the Porta-Jump™ that recharges your car's battery in about ten minutes using power from your car's cigarette lighter socket. It comes fully charged and recharges as you drive. And it's small enough to keep in your glove compartment so you don't have to worry about losing trunk space. And this Liquid Transfer Pump is a handy Thing for when you run out of gas. It can siphon over a gallon per minute so it's perfect for pumping gas from a can to your car or boat. It also works great for emptying aquariums.Stay healthy with this UV Scanner that destroys 99.9% of all bacteria and viruses like E-coli, hepatitis, and the flu. It's the same technology hospitals use so you know it's is safe. You just pass it over the surface you want to disinfect. If you do come down with something, look up your symptoms in the famous Merck Home Manual. It's one of the most widely used medical references in the world for understanding symptoms, causes and treatments. The home edition gives you access to the same reference that doctors use, but in language anyone can understand.
I bought this Language Translator for my sister when she went to Europe and she loves it. It can help you ask for directions or locate a doctor in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian or Dutch. The database contains 5,000 words and it comes preprogrammed with common phrases and questions. It does exchange rate conversions and you can even use it as a calculator.
My dad always taught me to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Hopefully, you'll never need any of these Things, but just in case...
See you next week,
Bobby
where else in the world would you find these things?
Our buyers never cease to amaze me. They always manage to find some of the most strange, interesting and funny Things in the world.
This Washington Error Dollar is one of the most controversial minting errors ever because it was the first coin of the new presidential series and it was put into circulation without the lettering "In God We Trust." It was also missing the date and mint mark. It's unknown how many are out there, but you can get one before they're gone.
We also like to look for the the biggest Things in the world. This jigsaw puzzle contains 24,000 pieces. The picture, entitled "Life," is so detailed it's hard to believe anyone could piece it together. It comes in four sections of 6,000 pieces each, so you can put each section together and then assemble it from there. But if you're a master puzzler, challenge yourself by mixing all 24,000 pieces together before putting it together. This might not be the biggest laser pointer, but it's the brightest. The Green Beam Laser Pointer is about 50 times brighter than any red beam pointer and has a nighttime range of about 10,000 feet. The beam itself can be seen on clear nights and the dot is visible on low clouds.
For jokesters, we have the World's Largest Underpants and the World's Largest Bra. You could fit an entire party into these "size 100" shorts. The bra has to be seen to be believed. Over three feet wide, it's made with yards and yards of material and a truly staggering amount of foam padding. Both make great gag gifts for anyone with a sense of humor. And our Giant Bubble Kit makes the biggest bubbles in the world. You can make bubbles 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide, a bubble within a bubble, a chain of bubbles, and even donut bubbles with this amazing kit.We also like strange and mysterious Things like the Life On Mars DVD. Based on recently released NASA/JPL photos taken by the Mars Global Surveyor, it shows artificial structures like monuments, gigantic glass tube systems and "T" shaped craters on the Red Planet and other proof that life once existed on Mars. The Mystery Top is a truly amazing combination of Magic, Mystery, & Science. It spins for days on end at 2500 RPM with no apparent energy source. Explanations range from perpetual motion to psychic power and anti-gravity--it baffles people at science fairs and conventions. Another Thing that defies explanation is this Saint Joseph Statue that's supposed to help you sell your house. We don't know if or how it works, but a lot of people who asked St. Joseph for help say they sold their homes faster and and at a higher price.
Finally, how would you like to own an Acre Of Pacific Ocean floor? Now you can. The "property" is Located in the Pacific Ocean midway between California and the Hawaiian Islands. With the deed, you can lay claim to the land and any minerals under it, plus right of free passage in the water above it.
No wonder I spend so much time poking through our warehouse...I don't know anywhere else you can find so many fun, amazing and mysterious Things in one place.
See you next week,
Bobby
This Washington Error Dollar is one of the most controversial minting errors ever because it was the first coin of the new presidential series and it was put into circulation without the lettering "In God We Trust." It was also missing the date and mint mark. It's unknown how many are out there, but you can get one before they're gone.
We also like to look for the the biggest Things in the world. This jigsaw puzzle contains 24,000 pieces. The picture, entitled "Life," is so detailed it's hard to believe anyone could piece it together. It comes in four sections of 6,000 pieces each, so you can put each section together and then assemble it from there. But if you're a master puzzler, challenge yourself by mixing all 24,000 pieces together before putting it together. This might not be the biggest laser pointer, but it's the brightest. The Green Beam Laser Pointer is about 50 times brighter than any red beam pointer and has a nighttime range of about 10,000 feet. The beam itself can be seen on clear nights and the dot is visible on low clouds.
For jokesters, we have the World's Largest Underpants and the World's Largest Bra. You could fit an entire party into these "size 100" shorts. The bra has to be seen to be believed. Over three feet wide, it's made with yards and yards of material and a truly staggering amount of foam padding. Both make great gag gifts for anyone with a sense of humor. And our Giant Bubble Kit makes the biggest bubbles in the world. You can make bubbles 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide, a bubble within a bubble, a chain of bubbles, and even donut bubbles with this amazing kit.We also like strange and mysterious Things like the Life On Mars DVD. Based on recently released NASA/JPL photos taken by the Mars Global Surveyor, it shows artificial structures like monuments, gigantic glass tube systems and "T" shaped craters on the Red Planet and other proof that life once existed on Mars. The Mystery Top is a truly amazing combination of Magic, Mystery, & Science. It spins for days on end at 2500 RPM with no apparent energy source. Explanations range from perpetual motion to psychic power and anti-gravity--it baffles people at science fairs and conventions. Another Thing that defies explanation is this Saint Joseph Statue that's supposed to help you sell your house. We don't know if or how it works, but a lot of people who asked St. Joseph for help say they sold their homes faster and and at a higher price.
Finally, how would you like to own an Acre Of Pacific Ocean floor? Now you can. The "property" is Located in the Pacific Ocean midway between California and the Hawaiian Islands. With the deed, you can lay claim to the land and any minerals under it, plus right of free passage in the water above it.
No wonder I spend so much time poking through our warehouse...I don't know anywhere else you can find so many fun, amazing and mysterious Things in one place.
See you next week,
Bobby
5.15.2008
as seen on tv
Being a pop culture junkie, I watch a lot of TV. Where would I be without reruns and retro commercials? But television is also a great place to find cool new Things. You can click here to see our entire stock of As Seen On TV Things, but here are a few of my personal favorites.
Protect your eyes with the Eagle Eyes® Sunglasses that were developed by NASA. They block all harmful blue, violet and ultraviolet light. You can actually see better with these glasses whether it's sunny, smoggy, hazy, or even overcast. They're polarized, so they're great for water sports and they weigh almost nothing.
I love new exercise gadgets, especially since I get bored with working out. The Ab Scissor machine is perfect for me. It's easy to use, the workout doesn't take a lot of time and you don't have to worry about pulleys and weight stacks. Plus, you can't do it wrong because the machine puts your body in the right position to work your stomach muscles. There are lots of Things from TV to help your health, like these Verseo Detox Pads, which contain an ancient herbal remedy that is said to draw toxins out of your body just by putting them on your feet at night. I admit I was skeptical, but I tried them out and I can say this: when you wake up, you'll be shocked at what the pads draw out of your body while you sleep.
Leverage is everything when you're trying to lift heavy Things. I should know—my sister thinks the main reason I exist is to lift and move Things around her house. I tried out these Forklift Straps last week when she wanted me to move some file cabinets. They really do make lifting and moving a lot easier and I didn't strain my back for a change! Of course, since I moved the cabinets, she wanted me to move her pictures and a couple of shelves, too. I tried out these Hercules Hooks because she has some pretty big picture frames and a shelf that is so heavy it was almost falling off the wall. I'm impressed with how strong they are, especially since you install them without hammers or drills. But I didn't do all the work. She helped out—she installed a Handyswitch™ all by herself. It gives you a light switch anywhere you want it without rewiring.
For fixing Things, try out our Mighty Putty epoxy. It seals leaks, fills cracks and works on almost any surface. You just mold it to the shape you need and then activate it. You can even sand and paint it when you finish your repair. For cleaning up, you have to try the reusable ZorbEEZ™ cloths. The amount of liquid they can absorb is really amazing. Like paper towels, they're made for household spills, but when was the last time you were able to dry your dog with a paper towel? For the car, we have this Simoniz Fix It™ Scratch Repair. I tried it on my car, which is white, and my dad's truck, which is blue. It's easy to use and it really works.
Finally, we found these little household helpers. The One Touch Can Opener opens any can, cutting the lid off from the side so there are no sharp edges. You just put it in place and press a button. And with the One Touch Jar Opener you can finally open jars without a struggle. The outer jaws clamp onto the jar while the inner jaws grab the lid and twist it loose. What's really cool is they both work automatically. Look, Ma! No hands!
See you next week,
Bobby
Protect your eyes with the Eagle Eyes® Sunglasses that were developed by NASA. They block all harmful blue, violet and ultraviolet light. You can actually see better with these glasses whether it's sunny, smoggy, hazy, or even overcast. They're polarized, so they're great for water sports and they weigh almost nothing.
I love new exercise gadgets, especially since I get bored with working out. The Ab Scissor machine is perfect for me. It's easy to use, the workout doesn't take a lot of time and you don't have to worry about pulleys and weight stacks. Plus, you can't do it wrong because the machine puts your body in the right position to work your stomach muscles. There are lots of Things from TV to help your health, like these Verseo Detox Pads, which contain an ancient herbal remedy that is said to draw toxins out of your body just by putting them on your feet at night. I admit I was skeptical, but I tried them out and I can say this: when you wake up, you'll be shocked at what the pads draw out of your body while you sleep.
Leverage is everything when you're trying to lift heavy Things. I should know—my sister thinks the main reason I exist is to lift and move Things around her house. I tried out these Forklift Straps last week when she wanted me to move some file cabinets. They really do make lifting and moving a lot easier and I didn't strain my back for a change! Of course, since I moved the cabinets, she wanted me to move her pictures and a couple of shelves, too. I tried out these Hercules Hooks because she has some pretty big picture frames and a shelf that is so heavy it was almost falling off the wall. I'm impressed with how strong they are, especially since you install them without hammers or drills. But I didn't do all the work. She helped out—she installed a Handyswitch™ all by herself. It gives you a light switch anywhere you want it without rewiring.
For fixing Things, try out our Mighty Putty epoxy. It seals leaks, fills cracks and works on almost any surface. You just mold it to the shape you need and then activate it. You can even sand and paint it when you finish your repair. For cleaning up, you have to try the reusable ZorbEEZ™ cloths. The amount of liquid they can absorb is really amazing. Like paper towels, they're made for household spills, but when was the last time you were able to dry your dog with a paper towel? For the car, we have this Simoniz Fix It™ Scratch Repair. I tried it on my car, which is white, and my dad's truck, which is blue. It's easy to use and it really works.
Finally, we found these little household helpers. The One Touch Can Opener opens any can, cutting the lid off from the side so there are no sharp edges. You just put it in place and press a button. And with the One Touch Jar Opener you can finally open jars without a struggle. The outer jaws clamp onto the jar while the inner jaws grab the lid and twist it loose. What's really cool is they both work automatically. Look, Ma! No hands!
See you next week,
Bobby
5.07.2008
things to keep you safe
I've talked a lot about security in these blogs, but it's a fact of life that we can never be too careful these days. That's why our buyers are always on the lookout for Things to make you safer.
Check out our Camera Sunglasses…the latest in surveillance technology. The glasses have a pinhole camera that captures high resolution color snapshots. With the remote or the button on the frames, you can take pictures of your surroundings as you walk or drive. You can also listen to your favorite MP3 music with the earbuds and you can even control volume and track selections. The sunglasses are polarized and lightweight so they're great for everyday use or for outdoor activities like fishing. If I ever manage to catch a fish, I'll take a snapshot and post it here.
To help ensure your home and family are safe while you're away, hide this Mini Wireless Camera almost anywhere. It's perfect for monitoring children, caregivers, entrances, store rooms—anywhere you want to keep track of what's going on when you can't be there. It comes with a receiver that hooks up to a TV or to a DVR or VCR so you can watch what's happening in real time or play back recordings later. If you don't want to hook a camera up to your TV, our Wireless Camera and Monitor comes with everything you need and it's really easy to set up. The camera transmits picture up to 300 feet without wires so you can put it in any room. What's cool about this Thing is you can connect up to four cameras to a single monitor to watch what's going on in different areas of your home or office at the same time.
This new Stealth Camera is my favorite. I set one up in my living room and nobody even knew it was a camera because there are no pinholes or no cords--it's a plain black box that just blends into the background. You can set it to record video or set up the motion detector to take snapshots when something in the room moves. You can also use the remote control to manually start continuous recording. To play it back, you just connect it to your TV or insert SD card into your computer. It's never been easier to keep an “eye” on your home or office.
For staying safe at home, our indoor/outdoor Motion Activated LED Security Light automatically comes on when it detects movement. What's cool about it is the LED light bulbs. They never need replacing, so you don't have to worry about them being burned out when you need them. I have four of them outside my house and they really come in handy, not just for protection, but also when I forget to turn on my porch light. I just walk up to the door and the light comes on, making it easier and safer for me to get inside fast.
I bought the Electronic Watchdog for my aunt when she was thinking of getting a dog for protection. It gives you all the advantages of a watchdog without the hassle of taking care of a pet. Plus, it can “see” through walls and doors. When an intruder is 15 ft. away, it barks intermittently and then barks louder and more frequently if the intruder draws closer. It also has a built-in siren so you can set it to bark and then sound an alarm. My aunt loves it.
To protect yourself in public, this Street Safe DVD by Paul Vunak, who taught the U.S. Navy SEALS his system of hand-to-hand combat, is a fast easy way to learn real-world self-defense. Paul teaches you how to deal with attackers twice your size. Even if you've never been in a real fight before in your life, you can use his techniques with confidence after just a few hours of instruction.
Until next week, stay safe.
Bobby
Check out our Camera Sunglasses…the latest in surveillance technology. The glasses have a pinhole camera that captures high resolution color snapshots. With the remote or the button on the frames, you can take pictures of your surroundings as you walk or drive. You can also listen to your favorite MP3 music with the earbuds and you can even control volume and track selections. The sunglasses are polarized and lightweight so they're great for everyday use or for outdoor activities like fishing. If I ever manage to catch a fish, I'll take a snapshot and post it here.
To help ensure your home and family are safe while you're away, hide this Mini Wireless Camera almost anywhere. It's perfect for monitoring children, caregivers, entrances, store rooms—anywhere you want to keep track of what's going on when you can't be there. It comes with a receiver that hooks up to a TV or to a DVR or VCR so you can watch what's happening in real time or play back recordings later. If you don't want to hook a camera up to your TV, our Wireless Camera and Monitor comes with everything you need and it's really easy to set up. The camera transmits picture up to 300 feet without wires so you can put it in any room. What's cool about this Thing is you can connect up to four cameras to a single monitor to watch what's going on in different areas of your home or office at the same time.
This new Stealth Camera is my favorite. I set one up in my living room and nobody even knew it was a camera because there are no pinholes or no cords--it's a plain black box that just blends into the background. You can set it to record video or set up the motion detector to take snapshots when something in the room moves. You can also use the remote control to manually start continuous recording. To play it back, you just connect it to your TV or insert SD card into your computer. It's never been easier to keep an “eye” on your home or office.
For staying safe at home, our indoor/outdoor Motion Activated LED Security Light automatically comes on when it detects movement. What's cool about it is the LED light bulbs. They never need replacing, so you don't have to worry about them being burned out when you need them. I have four of them outside my house and they really come in handy, not just for protection, but also when I forget to turn on my porch light. I just walk up to the door and the light comes on, making it easier and safer for me to get inside fast.
I bought the Electronic Watchdog for my aunt when she was thinking of getting a dog for protection. It gives you all the advantages of a watchdog without the hassle of taking care of a pet. Plus, it can “see” through walls and doors. When an intruder is 15 ft. away, it barks intermittently and then barks louder and more frequently if the intruder draws closer. It also has a built-in siren so you can set it to bark and then sound an alarm. My aunt loves it.
To protect yourself in public, this Street Safe DVD by Paul Vunak, who taught the U.S. Navy SEALS his system of hand-to-hand combat, is a fast easy way to learn real-world self-defense. Paul teaches you how to deal with attackers twice your size. Even if you've never been in a real fight before in your life, you can use his techniques with confidence after just a few hours of instruction.
Until next week, stay safe.
Bobby
4.25.2008
indoor fun
I thought I'd give you a few ideas for the days when spring showers make it impossible to have fun outdoors. Our buyers have come up with some cool new games this year.
One of my favorites is this plug and play kickboxing game. To get ready to fight, all you have to do is plug it in to your TV, DVD player or VCR, strap the kick sensors onto your legs and slip the "gloves" onto your hands. The game uses real-time body motion to simulate kick boxing with the virtual opponent. But maybe boxing isn't your bag. Our virtual baseball game lets you play baseball indoors. The console connects to your TV and the wireless bat shows the power of your swing while the run pad shows how fast you run. My nephew loves both games. I do, too. They're fun and they're a great indoor exercise.
For less taxing activities our touch screen video poker or touch screen chess games are perfect. The poker game is a lot like the machines found in casinos right down to the sounds, automated scorekeeping and flashing lights when you hit the jackpot. It has seven different games so you never get bored. If you like to play chess and want to get better, there's no better way than our touch screen game. It's so sophisticated it's almost unbeatable. It has 56 levels so you can start at the beginning and hone your skills. Play against the computer, with a friend or use it to solve chess problems. Or for a lower-tech chess game, our South Park chess set has all your favorite characters including Chef (King), Big Gay Al (Queen), Cartman (Knight), and Kenny (pawn, of course.)
My nephew's favorite of our new board games is Gremlins. Just like the movie, you battle Stripe and his horde of Gremlins for control of Kingston Falls. It has hilarious weapon cards to use against the Gremlin tokes, like a snack tray or the Peltzer juicer. And the "Feeding After Midnight" event card can send everyone back to start or cause more gremlin tokens to appear.Of course, there are the old favorites, too. Our tabletop versions of the Space Invaders™ & Frogger™ arcade games are just like you remember with multi-level play and authentic sounds and graphics. And a new twist on old arcade favorite is this Mario Kart Race Set where you race Nintendo® characters, Mario and Donkey Kong against each other on a slot car track.
I like to play pool, but I don't have room for a full-sized table in my house so I got one of these mini pool tables. It really does play like the real thing. It's a lot more sturdy than most tabletop models so it doesn't tilt. The wood grain finish, felt top and ball return makes it feel like a real pool table. Finally, for a more relaxing but still challenging game, we have the world's largest jigsaw puzzle. With 24,000 pieces that make up an incredibly detailed picture, titled "Life," it's more than enough to keep you busy on a rainy spring day. It comes in 4 packets of 6,000 pieces that you can assemble separately and then connect in sections, or you can make it really challenging and mix all 24,000 pieces together and piece them together as a whole.
Happy gaming!
I'll see you next week,
Bobby
One of my favorites is this plug and play kickboxing game. To get ready to fight, all you have to do is plug it in to your TV, DVD player or VCR, strap the kick sensors onto your legs and slip the "gloves" onto your hands. The game uses real-time body motion to simulate kick boxing with the virtual opponent. But maybe boxing isn't your bag. Our virtual baseball game lets you play baseball indoors. The console connects to your TV and the wireless bat shows the power of your swing while the run pad shows how fast you run. My nephew loves both games. I do, too. They're fun and they're a great indoor exercise.
For less taxing activities our touch screen video poker or touch screen chess games are perfect. The poker game is a lot like the machines found in casinos right down to the sounds, automated scorekeeping and flashing lights when you hit the jackpot. It has seven different games so you never get bored. If you like to play chess and want to get better, there's no better way than our touch screen game. It's so sophisticated it's almost unbeatable. It has 56 levels so you can start at the beginning and hone your skills. Play against the computer, with a friend or use it to solve chess problems. Or for a lower-tech chess game, our South Park chess set has all your favorite characters including Chef (King), Big Gay Al (Queen), Cartman (Knight), and Kenny (pawn, of course.)
My nephew's favorite of our new board games is Gremlins. Just like the movie, you battle Stripe and his horde of Gremlins for control of Kingston Falls. It has hilarious weapon cards to use against the Gremlin tokes, like a snack tray or the Peltzer juicer. And the "Feeding After Midnight" event card can send everyone back to start or cause more gremlin tokens to appear.Of course, there are the old favorites, too. Our tabletop versions of the Space Invaders™ & Frogger™ arcade games are just like you remember with multi-level play and authentic sounds and graphics. And a new twist on old arcade favorite is this Mario Kart Race Set where you race Nintendo® characters, Mario and Donkey Kong against each other on a slot car track.
I like to play pool, but I don't have room for a full-sized table in my house so I got one of these mini pool tables. It really does play like the real thing. It's a lot more sturdy than most tabletop models so it doesn't tilt. The wood grain finish, felt top and ball return makes it feel like a real pool table. Finally, for a more relaxing but still challenging game, we have the world's largest jigsaw puzzle. With 24,000 pieces that make up an incredibly detailed picture, titled "Life," it's more than enough to keep you busy on a rainy spring day. It comes in 4 packets of 6,000 pieces that you can assemble separately and then connect in sections, or you can make it really challenging and mix all 24,000 pieces together and piece them together as a whole.
Happy gaming!
I'll see you next week,
Bobby
get out there!
Spring is my favorite season. It's finally warm enough to get outside. Sure, there's yard work to be done and cleaning and all that, but I'd rather go out and play with my nieces and nephews. While my sister pounds dust out of carpets and launders the drapes, I'm "babysitting" outside with my newest finds from the Things warehouse.
I bought three of these motorized bumper boats last year--one for each of the kids and one for me. It's pool float with a motor and steering wheel—it goes about two miles per hour. It's also super heavy duty. I've run mine into the side of the pool more times than I can count and it just bounces right off. The key to maximum fun is having two or more of them in the pool at once so you can run them into each other.
We have lots of new radio-controlled Things for outdoor fun, too. Check out this radio controlled hopper helicopter. Its twin rotors spin in opposite directions to create a very smooth flying helicopter. It has a weighted fly-bar for a stable, ready-to-fly chopper. Even if you don't have experience flying RC helicopters, this one is pretty easy to operate. It's probably the best one I've seen for this price. If radio controlled copters are too much for you, you can try this Stunt Copter. It's a cord-launched copter so it doesn't need batteries or controllers. You just launch it and wait for it to return to you like a boomerang.
If flying Things isn't your thing, how about some water toys? Our radio controlled hydrostorm boat flies across the water. It can do up to 20 mph! It's pretty impressive to watch. It has twin propellers and it runs off a rechargeable batteries. The controller is really easy to use and has a range or up to 150 ft. Now this Thing is completely ingenious. It's a radio controlled fishing boat. I'm not kidding, you can actually catch fish with this Thing. It even includes tackle! You just attach the tackle to the boat and set it on the water. Just watch the bobber--when it dips, steer the boat to shore see what you caught. It will handle a fish up to two pounds. It even has prop guards to help prevent tangles in line or weeds. I love any Thing that makes fishing fun or easier.
Speaking of fishing, I had to have the pen fishing rod. It looks like a fountain pen, but it's actually a working fishing rod. It blows people away. Wait until you see the looks on people's faces when you start fishing with your pen. I'll admit, I've never caught a fish with it, but that's probably not the pen's fault. I have several expensive fishing rods and I never catch anything. At least the pen makes it a little more fun to feed my bait to the fish.
For Things that are just plain fun to play with, we have this geyser tube and giant bubble kit. You've probably seen the dozens of demonstrations of the soda geyser on the Internet. It's a remarkable Thing that works with Mentos candy and diet soda. You just put 6-8 Mentos in the plastic tube, place the tube over the mouth of a two-liter soda bottle, pull the trigger and run. To make huge bubbles that last long enough to float up the sides of buildings, use this special bubble kit. With the specially designed bubble maker and the “secret bubble recipe,” (soap and water) you can make bubbles within bubbles, donut bubbles and chains of bubbles.It's time for some fun in the sun. Grab your favorite Things and get out there!
Until next week,
Bobby
I bought three of these motorized bumper boats last year--one for each of the kids and one for me. It's pool float with a motor and steering wheel—it goes about two miles per hour. It's also super heavy duty. I've run mine into the side of the pool more times than I can count and it just bounces right off. The key to maximum fun is having two or more of them in the pool at once so you can run them into each other.
We have lots of new radio-controlled Things for outdoor fun, too. Check out this radio controlled hopper helicopter. Its twin rotors spin in opposite directions to create a very smooth flying helicopter. It has a weighted fly-bar for a stable, ready-to-fly chopper. Even if you don't have experience flying RC helicopters, this one is pretty easy to operate. It's probably the best one I've seen for this price. If radio controlled copters are too much for you, you can try this Stunt Copter. It's a cord-launched copter so it doesn't need batteries or controllers. You just launch it and wait for it to return to you like a boomerang.
If flying Things isn't your thing, how about some water toys? Our radio controlled hydrostorm boat flies across the water. It can do up to 20 mph! It's pretty impressive to watch. It has twin propellers and it runs off a rechargeable batteries. The controller is really easy to use and has a range or up to 150 ft. Now this Thing is completely ingenious. It's a radio controlled fishing boat. I'm not kidding, you can actually catch fish with this Thing. It even includes tackle! You just attach the tackle to the boat and set it on the water. Just watch the bobber--when it dips, steer the boat to shore see what you caught. It will handle a fish up to two pounds. It even has prop guards to help prevent tangles in line or weeds. I love any Thing that makes fishing fun or easier.
Speaking of fishing, I had to have the pen fishing rod. It looks like a fountain pen, but it's actually a working fishing rod. It blows people away. Wait until you see the looks on people's faces when you start fishing with your pen. I'll admit, I've never caught a fish with it, but that's probably not the pen's fault. I have several expensive fishing rods and I never catch anything. At least the pen makes it a little more fun to feed my bait to the fish.
For Things that are just plain fun to play with, we have this geyser tube and giant bubble kit. You've probably seen the dozens of demonstrations of the soda geyser on the Internet. It's a remarkable Thing that works with Mentos candy and diet soda. You just put 6-8 Mentos in the plastic tube, place the tube over the mouth of a two-liter soda bottle, pull the trigger and run. To make huge bubbles that last long enough to float up the sides of buildings, use this special bubble kit. With the specially designed bubble maker and the “secret bubble recipe,” (soap and water) you can make bubbles within bubbles, donut bubbles and chains of bubbles.It's time for some fun in the sun. Grab your favorite Things and get out there!
Until next week,
Bobby
4.15.2008
go green for spring!
Spring has sprung here in Florida! But even if the snow is still flying where you live, it's never too early to start getting ready for spring. Our buyers have come up with some pretty cool Things to celebrate the beginning of the outdoor season.
Have you ever wanted to grow your own tomatoes? I have, but I just don't have the space for a lot of plants or the time to keep up with weeding and feeding. Enter the Topsy Turvy™ tomato grower. This ingenious Thing lets you grow up to 30 pounds of tomatoes without any hassle. You just put a plant and potting soil in the grower, hang it up and add water. Hanging in the air eliminate fungus and bacteria and you don't even need pesticides. Now I'll have fresh tomatoes all season with no digging or weeding.
Planting trees is a proven way to help the environment, and these Grow Your Own Elm and Pine Tree kits make it easy. The Siberian Elm is known for its hardiness, even in droughts and cold winters and the Austrian Pine is the an urban-tolerant tree that resists road salt damage. These trees will grow virtually anywhere. And, a portion of all proceeds from the sale of these U.S. made kits is donated to reforestation charities around the world.
If plants aren't your Thing, why not try raising some bugs? Our Praying Mantis Kit lets you raise your own praying mantises. The kit comes with a net habitat and accessories. Just mail in the coupon for the mantis egg sac and you're on your way. Praying mantises are known for their hunting and camouflage skills. With this kit, you can raise these little critters in your own home, watching them hatch, grow, and hunt for food in an authentic but controlled habitat.
Finally, we have two tees you can wear to go green. You can either be “serious-green” in our Conserve Energy tee promoting clean transportation or you can be “silly-green” in the Give A Toot tee that promotes “alternative” gas emissions. Either way, you're stylishly promoting a healthy planet.
Well, I've got some spring cleaning to do.
See you next week,
Bobby
Have you ever wanted to grow your own tomatoes? I have, but I just don't have the space for a lot of plants or the time to keep up with weeding and feeding. Enter the Topsy Turvy™ tomato grower. This ingenious Thing lets you grow up to 30 pounds of tomatoes without any hassle. You just put a plant and potting soil in the grower, hang it up and add water. Hanging in the air eliminate fungus and bacteria and you don't even need pesticides. Now I'll have fresh tomatoes all season with no digging or weeding.
Planting trees is a proven way to help the environment, and these Grow Your Own Elm and Pine Tree kits make it easy. The Siberian Elm is known for its hardiness, even in droughts and cold winters and the Austrian Pine is the an urban-tolerant tree that resists road salt damage. These trees will grow virtually anywhere. And, a portion of all proceeds from the sale of these U.S. made kits is donated to reforestation charities around the world.
If plants aren't your Thing, why not try raising some bugs? Our Praying Mantis Kit lets you raise your own praying mantises. The kit comes with a net habitat and accessories. Just mail in the coupon for the mantis egg sac and you're on your way. Praying mantises are known for their hunting and camouflage skills. With this kit, you can raise these little critters in your own home, watching them hatch, grow, and hunt for food in an authentic but controlled habitat.
Finally, we have two tees you can wear to go green. You can either be “serious-green” in our Conserve Energy tee promoting clean transportation or you can be “silly-green” in the Give A Toot tee that promotes “alternative” gas emissions. Either way, you're stylishly promoting a healthy planet.
Well, I've got some spring cleaning to do.
See you next week,
Bobby
4.10.2008
exclusive tees
It's hard to say when and where the T-shirt was born. Wikipedia says “claims reach at least from California to Britain, and from 1913 to 1948.”1 From its humble beginning as an undergarment, the T-shirt has become a staple piece of clothing in most Western cultures. According to Wiki, the first American company to decorate T-shirts with designs was Tropix Togs, a Miami company that was the original licensee for Walt Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse and Davy Crockett. Of course, now everyone's expressing themselves with T-shirts and you can even print and apply your own designs at home.
Since everyone around here has a great sense of humor, it only made sense to us that we should get in on the act. So we've come up with several exclusive T-shirt designs to help you let people know what's on your mind. We have something for every personality and every mood.
For days when you're feeling sarcastic, check out these tees: “Tact is for people...” and “I'm not good at empathy...”. When you're feeling irritated, you can wear this tee. At least people can't say they weren't forewarned. We also have tees for days when you're disinterested or disgruntled or dormant.Do people tell you you're opinionated? Are you proud of it? How about this one: “I'd agree with you...” or this one: “I'm not opinionated...” Both of those also make good gifts for friends who can't or won't refrain from telling you what they think. In fact, all our shirts make great gifts. I have a friend who's a total cynic, but he'd never admit it. I got this “...everything just sucks” t-shirt for his birthday. Amazingly, he actually laughed out loud.
We also have some mischievous and funny tees. One of my favorites is the evil twin shirt. Since the shirts are cheaper if you buy two or three, I also picked up this one for a friend of mine who swears like a sailor and always makes the most inappropriate jokes at the most inopportune times. I wonder if he'll take the hint? And I got this miracles shirt for one of my golfing buddies. Oddly, he seemed less amused than my friend the cynic.
Whatever your mood, outlook or personality or whether you're buying for yourself or your friends (or both), we created our exclusive t-shirt collection to help you express yourself.
Until next week,
Bobby
Since everyone around here has a great sense of humor, it only made sense to us that we should get in on the act. So we've come up with several exclusive T-shirt designs to help you let people know what's on your mind. We have something for every personality and every mood.
For days when you're feeling sarcastic, check out these tees: “Tact is for people...” and “I'm not good at empathy...”. When you're feeling irritated, you can wear this tee. At least people can't say they weren't forewarned. We also have tees for days when you're disinterested or disgruntled or dormant.Do people tell you you're opinionated? Are you proud of it? How about this one: “I'd agree with you...” or this one: “I'm not opinionated...” Both of those also make good gifts for friends who can't or won't refrain from telling you what they think. In fact, all our shirts make great gifts. I have a friend who's a total cynic, but he'd never admit it. I got this “...everything just sucks” t-shirt for his birthday. Amazingly, he actually laughed out loud.
We also have some mischievous and funny tees. One of my favorites is the evil twin shirt. Since the shirts are cheaper if you buy two or three, I also picked up this one for a friend of mine who swears like a sailor and always makes the most inappropriate jokes at the most inopportune times. I wonder if he'll take the hint? And I got this miracles shirt for one of my golfing buddies. Oddly, he seemed less amused than my friend the cynic.
Whatever your mood, outlook or personality or whether you're buying for yourself or your friends (or both), we created our exclusive t-shirt collection to help you express yourself.
Until next week,
Bobby
4.01.2008
a new look of "things"
I missed writing my blog last week because I was busy with our brand new web site! I'm sure you've already noticed the new look with more room for lots of cool Things on the home page. But I want to tell you about a few of the features we've added that you might not have seen yet.
Want to know if a Thing is in stock? Now you will—instantly. If we're temporarily out of it, we'll tell you when it will be back in stock. Sometimes we have to discontinue Things that we can't get right away, but that doesn't mean they're gone forever. Now when you see a discontinued Thing on our web site, just enter your email address and we'll let you know when we have it again.
We have a lot of Things that come in different colors or styles. For example, our college watch. With our new web site, we can post pictures for every team. Just mouse over the small pictures to bring up a larger one. And we've added the stock and pricing information to each style, too. That comes in handy for Things with different prices for different sizes, like T-shirts.
I always read customer reviews when I buy something on the web. I want to know if other people like the Thing I'm thinking about buying. Now you can review all of our Things, too. Loved the fart machine? Tell us about it! Tell us how you used a prank or practical joke and how it worked – or if it backfired! And our new wish list makes it easy to keep track of the Things you find interesting and might want to buy later on. Just add the Thing to your wish list and we'll save it for your next visit.
I'm always dying to know when a Thing I've bought will arrive. I'll check on my package progress at least once and sometimes twice or three times a day, especially if it's a gift that I've waited until the very last minute to order. (Who? Me?) Now you can track your package right from our web site, too. Just look up your order and follow the link to see where it is.
We think our new site makes shopping for Things a lot more fun and a lot easier, too. We hope you like it!
Want to know if a Thing is in stock? Now you will—instantly. If we're temporarily out of it, we'll tell you when it will be back in stock. Sometimes we have to discontinue Things that we can't get right away, but that doesn't mean they're gone forever. Now when you see a discontinued Thing on our web site, just enter your email address and we'll let you know when we have it again.
We have a lot of Things that come in different colors or styles. For example, our college watch. With our new web site, we can post pictures for every team. Just mouse over the small pictures to bring up a larger one. And we've added the stock and pricing information to each style, too. That comes in handy for Things with different prices for different sizes, like T-shirts.
I always read customer reviews when I buy something on the web. I want to know if other people like the Thing I'm thinking about buying. Now you can review all of our Things, too. Loved the fart machine? Tell us about it! Tell us how you used a prank or practical joke and how it worked – or if it backfired! And our new wish list makes it easy to keep track of the Things you find interesting and might want to buy later on. Just add the Thing to your wish list and we'll save it for your next visit.
I'm always dying to know when a Thing I've bought will arrive. I'll check on my package progress at least once and sometimes twice or three times a day, especially if it's a gift that I've waited until the very last minute to order. (Who? Me?) Now you can track your package right from our web site, too. Just look up your order and follow the link to see where it is.
We think our new site makes shopping for Things a lot more fun and a lot easier, too. We hope you like it!
3.18.2008
tick-tock, tick-tock
Spring forward, fall back—all this fooling around with the the time really messes with my internal clock. One day you wake up and it's light outside, the next day you wake up at the same time and it's dark. It's just not natural. Oh, I know about all the benefits of Daylight Saving Time and once my body gets used to it, I'll be happy for the extra daylight at the end of the day. But right now, my body is just sleepy and confused and every time I look at a clock, I'm surprised at how late it is.
The Dayclock that only keeps track of the days is the only clock that makes sense to me right now. It does have a noon marker so you know when to go to lunch. For people who don't care what time it is, the Whatever Clock and Watch are perfect—all the numbers have fallen to the bottom of the face in a pile. And the Backwards Clock, which keeps perfect time—backwards—sort of puts the whole idea of keeping time in its place. It's a great reminder to slow down and enjoy the journey.
Some people are just obsessed with time and have to know what time it is all day and night. The Smith & Wesson Tritium Watch is guaranteed to glow for 25 years. It's powered by Tritium, which gives it enough power to illuminate the hands and hour markers for a full 25 years and it doesn't need any light to recharge. The glow is continuous and doesn't fade even in total darkness.
Keeping time can be fun, too. Being the pop culture junkie that I am, I had to have this Star Trek® Watch. It plays the original Star Trek theme song and the second hand is a tiny U.S.S. Enterprise™ second hand that orbits around the dial. It's the coolest (or geekiest, depending on your point of view) way to keep time.
I've always liked pocket watches. Our Military Mascot Pocket Watches play "Reveille" any time you want to hear it—even at night. They're high quality, precision time pieces that showcase the official mascots of the U.S. Armed Forces—the Marine Bulldog, the Army Mule, the Navy Goat, and the Air Force Falcon.
For more eclectic tastes, check out this Stonehenge Watch. It's a pocket watch that lets you tell time accurately—well, like the ancient Druids, to within an hour. The ancient stones are reproduced to scale on the inside and it includes a compass so if you point it due north, you can quickly determine almost exactly what hour it is on a sunny day. With extreme patience, you can tell which season it is, determine significant days like the winter solstice and significant events like the next lunar eclipse. You can also read the time on the face of the outer watch, but that sort of takes the fun out of it.
The Dayclock that only keeps track of the days is the only clock that makes sense to me right now. It does have a noon marker so you know when to go to lunch. For people who don't care what time it is, the Whatever Clock and Watch are perfect—all the numbers have fallen to the bottom of the face in a pile. And the Backwards Clock, which keeps perfect time—backwards—sort of puts the whole idea of keeping time in its place. It's a great reminder to slow down and enjoy the journey.
Some people are just obsessed with time and have to know what time it is all day and night. The Smith & Wesson Tritium Watch is guaranteed to glow for 25 years. It's powered by Tritium, which gives it enough power to illuminate the hands and hour markers for a full 25 years and it doesn't need any light to recharge. The glow is continuous and doesn't fade even in total darkness.
Keeping time can be fun, too. Being the pop culture junkie that I am, I had to have this Star Trek® Watch. It plays the original Star Trek theme song and the second hand is a tiny U.S.S. Enterprise™ second hand that orbits around the dial. It's the coolest (or geekiest, depending on your point of view) way to keep time.
I've always liked pocket watches. Our Military Mascot Pocket Watches play "Reveille" any time you want to hear it—even at night. They're high quality, precision time pieces that showcase the official mascots of the U.S. Armed Forces—the Marine Bulldog, the Army Mule, the Navy Goat, and the Air Force Falcon.
For more eclectic tastes, check out this Stonehenge Watch. It's a pocket watch that lets you tell time accurately—well, like the ancient Druids, to within an hour. The ancient stones are reproduced to scale on the inside and it includes a compass so if you point it due north, you can quickly determine almost exactly what hour it is on a sunny day. With extreme patience, you can tell which season it is, determine significant days like the winter solstice and significant events like the next lunar eclipse. You can also read the time on the face of the outer watch, but that sort of takes the fun out of it.
3.11.2008
security things
From personal safety to protecting your belongings to identity theft, it's important to be security conscious today. It seems that almost every night I see stories of break-ins, burglaries and other attacks on the evening news. A lot of the time I find myself thinking that the victims might have protected themselves, their loved ones, their homes or their property with one of our simple little Things.
Our Wall Clock With Hidden Safe looks like a regular wall clock at first glance. But it's actually a battery operated wall safe that cleverly hangs in plain view. There are three shelves inside for valuables such as cash, jewelry and other precious items. When I got this Spare Key Hider for my aunt, who constantly locks herself out of her car, it didn't occur to me that it would contribute to her personal safety. Now instead of having to wait outside the safety of her car for the auto club (or me), she has a spare right under her license plate. Within a minute or so, she's back in her car and out of harm's way.
We've all heard the horror stories about household helpers who mistreat the children or steal or commit other crimes against the family. This Color 5.8 GHz Wireless Camera transmits signals on the newer 5.8 GHz frequency band, which makes it much less likely that neighboring electronics (like cordless phones, microwave ovens, and wireless LANs) will interfere with the signal. The color CMOS camera has 12 infrared LEDs for "night vision" surveillance and the receiver connects to a computer monitor or TV for viewing and/or recording.
With the Audio Jammer you can keep your private conversations private. It emits an unfilterable white noise that varies in frequency and amplitude to desensitize any bugs in the room. As long as your conversation is lower than the volume of the jamming noise, it masks human voices. Bugging devices can't separate the white noise from your voices--all the listener hears is a loud hissing noise.
Identity theft is one of the biggest topics on television, Internet newsgroups and office water coolers these days. Since I'm trying my best to go “paperless” both at work and at home, I burn a lot of backup CDs to store data I don't want to print. But my shredder won't shred a CD when I don't need it anymore. So this CD Destroyer is perfect. A rotating head with three steel points deeply scratches the surface of the disc. In just a few seconds, the disc is completely unreadable and you can throw it away with confidence.
My dad has this Driveway Patrol. At first I thought it was kind of silly that he had to know every time a car pulled into his driveway. But it detects more than expected visitors—it also detects people walking up to the door and the kids across the street who sometimes use his driveway as part of their skate park. And this Alarm Security Bar does the same thing for your doors. You just put the yoke against the doorknob and if anyone touches it, the alarm sounds. Or you can set it to play a recording of a barking dog to scare away intruders.
It's a shame, but the world we live in today requires us to be vigilant and security-minded at all times, so I'm sure glad these Things exist.
Our Wall Clock With Hidden Safe looks like a regular wall clock at first glance. But it's actually a battery operated wall safe that cleverly hangs in plain view. There are three shelves inside for valuables such as cash, jewelry and other precious items. When I got this Spare Key Hider for my aunt, who constantly locks herself out of her car, it didn't occur to me that it would contribute to her personal safety. Now instead of having to wait outside the safety of her car for the auto club (or me), she has a spare right under her license plate. Within a minute or so, she's back in her car and out of harm's way.
We've all heard the horror stories about household helpers who mistreat the children or steal or commit other crimes against the family. This Color 5.8 GHz Wireless Camera transmits signals on the newer 5.8 GHz frequency band, which makes it much less likely that neighboring electronics (like cordless phones, microwave ovens, and wireless LANs) will interfere with the signal. The color CMOS camera has 12 infrared LEDs for "night vision" surveillance and the receiver connects to a computer monitor or TV for viewing and/or recording.
With the Audio Jammer you can keep your private conversations private. It emits an unfilterable white noise that varies in frequency and amplitude to desensitize any bugs in the room. As long as your conversation is lower than the volume of the jamming noise, it masks human voices. Bugging devices can't separate the white noise from your voices--all the listener hears is a loud hissing noise.
Identity theft is one of the biggest topics on television, Internet newsgroups and office water coolers these days. Since I'm trying my best to go “paperless” both at work and at home, I burn a lot of backup CDs to store data I don't want to print. But my shredder won't shred a CD when I don't need it anymore. So this CD Destroyer is perfect. A rotating head with three steel points deeply scratches the surface of the disc. In just a few seconds, the disc is completely unreadable and you can throw it away with confidence.
My dad has this Driveway Patrol. At first I thought it was kind of silly that he had to know every time a car pulled into his driveway. But it detects more than expected visitors—it also detects people walking up to the door and the kids across the street who sometimes use his driveway as part of their skate park. And this Alarm Security Bar does the same thing for your doors. You just put the yoke against the doorknob and if anyone touches it, the alarm sounds. Or you can set it to play a recording of a barking dog to scare away intruders.
It's a shame, but the world we live in today requires us to be vigilant and security-minded at all times, so I'm sure glad these Things exist.
2.27.2008
political things
It's that time of year again. You know, the time when the politicians and pundits are filling the airwaves with incomprehensible rhetoric, yard signs and bumper stickers are going up all over town to make sure you know just who your friends and neighbors will be voting for and everyone's talking about a change. Honestly, it all just makes me weary. Don't get me wrong—I've voted in every single election since I was eighteen—but I sometimes need a bit of a distraction from all the chatter. So I found these Things in the warehouse to help take my mind off of it for a while.
No matter which side of the aisle you favor, we have something for every political taste. For example, these non-partisan Politicards and cast today's political players—left, right and center—in roles from classic feature films. See John McCain as Rocky Balboa, Barack Obama as Moses and Mitt Romney (“We're on a mission from God!”) as Elwood Blues from The Blues Brothers. It's the most fun you can have playing a card game, especially at this time of year.
If you'd like to have some fun with the current administration, check out these George W. Bush playing cards. Our Commander In Chief's face is pasted over the faces of bathing beauties and a few other crazy bodies. Talk about gender (and species) confusion! Our Bush Toilet Paper is great for home use and for a great gag gift. Liberals will love it and conservatives will love to hate it. Each sheet shows the classic “Dubya” face with quotes like “They misunderestimated me.” Finally, you can use our Head of State to clean your head with this Bush Bowl Buddy. Now that's a mission accomplished!
Of course, we can't neglect poor Hillary! The Hillary Bowl Buddy is an amazing likeness of Senator Clinton, right down to the prim and proper dress and sensible shoes. Just pour in some cleanser and swish her head around the toilet for a sparkling clean result. She's tough enough to get the job done! I mean, just look at this Hillary Clinton Nutcracker made in her honor. With “legs of steel,” she can crack anyone's walnuts.
We have a whole host of political Things to help you laugh your way through the upcoming election season. Just don't get laughing so hard that you forget to vote!
No matter which side of the aisle you favor, we have something for every political taste. For example, these non-partisan Politicards and cast today's political players—left, right and center—in roles from classic feature films. See John McCain as Rocky Balboa, Barack Obama as Moses and Mitt Romney (“We're on a mission from God!”) as Elwood Blues from The Blues Brothers. It's the most fun you can have playing a card game, especially at this time of year.
If you'd like to have some fun with the current administration, check out these George W. Bush playing cards. Our Commander In Chief's face is pasted over the faces of bathing beauties and a few other crazy bodies. Talk about gender (and species) confusion! Our Bush Toilet Paper is great for home use and for a great gag gift. Liberals will love it and conservatives will love to hate it. Each sheet shows the classic “Dubya” face with quotes like “They misunderestimated me.” Finally, you can use our Head of State to clean your head with this Bush Bowl Buddy. Now that's a mission accomplished!
Of course, we can't neglect poor Hillary! The Hillary Bowl Buddy is an amazing likeness of Senator Clinton, right down to the prim and proper dress and sensible shoes. Just pour in some cleanser and swish her head around the toilet for a sparkling clean result. She's tough enough to get the job done! I mean, just look at this Hillary Clinton Nutcracker made in her honor. With “legs of steel,” she can crack anyone's walnuts.
We have a whole host of political Things to help you laugh your way through the upcoming election season. Just don't get laughing so hard that you forget to vote!
2.18.2008
gadgets & things
As I mentioned last week, I've been on a quest to find cool new gadgets. A short trip through the warehouse was all it took to uncover some very handy Things for the car, for your health and just for fun.
Things I found for the car make life both easier and safer. The Porta-Jump™ recharges your car battery in about 10 minutes using the power from your car's cigarette lighter socket. Plus, it's small enough to fit in the glove compartment of most cars. It's a lot more convenient and a lot safer than waiting for the auto club or carrying jumper cables and depending on strangers for assistance. Speaking of safety and convenience, I bought a Spare Key Hider for my aunt. Since she drives an older car, it doesn't have an alarm to alert her when she leaves her keys in the ignition. Of course, it doesn't have electronic locks either, so she doesn't realize she's locked her keys in the car until right after the door slams shut. I've rescued her enough times to make this handy little Thing a good investment. The Grip It Power Brush is a great car gadget. It connects to your hand drill to make cleaning road grime out of your wheels a lot easier. I tried it out last night—it really works. The cleaning tip gets around lug nuts and into other nooks and crannies. It's completely safe for chrome and other surfaces and it also works great on head lights, tail lights, grills, bumpers and mirrors.
I found a few Things that can help improve your health, too. Who knew that keeping your wallet in your front pocket not only makes it less accessible to pickpockets, but helps prevent backaches? It seems that sitting on a wallet is a major source of back pain for a lot of men. This Front Pocket Wallet is designed to match the contour of your front pocket. It's very slim so it doesn't show even through lightweight slacks.
For insect sting and bite relief, I found this Therapik. It neutralizes the venom in about 20-30 seconds. I'm going camping next month and I'm definitely taking one of these with me! For travel, I think this Portable UV Scanner is one of the best Things ever invented. We've all seen those awful stories about hidden filth in hotels and motels. In just a few seconds, this gadget destroys bacteria and viruses like E-coli, hepatitis, influenza and others with the same technology that is used in hospitals. The UVC light turns on when you flip it open—you simply pass it over surfaces you want to sterilize.
I like useful Things, but Things for just plain fun are my favorite. These Wireless Headphones make it easy for two people to listen to music or television at the same time, even in different places and at different volumes. I think they're more comfortable than ear buds and without being wired to the stereo, you can work outside or just roam around the house without getting out of earshot of whatever you're listening to. Digital Picture Converter makes 35mm negatives and slides into digital images. It's a smaller, less expensive version of high-end negative scanners. My sister and I were playing with it here in the office and she had a great idea: we're going to “steal” some old photos from our parents and create a digital scrapbook for their wedding anniversary.
I think I'll head back out to the warehouse and see what other great Things I can find.
Things I found for the car make life both easier and safer. The Porta-Jump™ recharges your car battery in about 10 minutes using the power from your car's cigarette lighter socket. Plus, it's small enough to fit in the glove compartment of most cars. It's a lot more convenient and a lot safer than waiting for the auto club or carrying jumper cables and depending on strangers for assistance. Speaking of safety and convenience, I bought a Spare Key Hider for my aunt. Since she drives an older car, it doesn't have an alarm to alert her when she leaves her keys in the ignition. Of course, it doesn't have electronic locks either, so she doesn't realize she's locked her keys in the car until right after the door slams shut. I've rescued her enough times to make this handy little Thing a good investment. The Grip It Power Brush is a great car gadget. It connects to your hand drill to make cleaning road grime out of your wheels a lot easier. I tried it out last night—it really works. The cleaning tip gets around lug nuts and into other nooks and crannies. It's completely safe for chrome and other surfaces and it also works great on head lights, tail lights, grills, bumpers and mirrors.
I found a few Things that can help improve your health, too. Who knew that keeping your wallet in your front pocket not only makes it less accessible to pickpockets, but helps prevent backaches? It seems that sitting on a wallet is a major source of back pain for a lot of men. This Front Pocket Wallet is designed to match the contour of your front pocket. It's very slim so it doesn't show even through lightweight slacks.
For insect sting and bite relief, I found this Therapik. It neutralizes the venom in about 20-30 seconds. I'm going camping next month and I'm definitely taking one of these with me! For travel, I think this Portable UV Scanner is one of the best Things ever invented. We've all seen those awful stories about hidden filth in hotels and motels. In just a few seconds, this gadget destroys bacteria and viruses like E-coli, hepatitis, influenza and others with the same technology that is used in hospitals. The UVC light turns on when you flip it open—you simply pass it over surfaces you want to sterilize.
I like useful Things, but Things for just plain fun are my favorite. These Wireless Headphones make it easy for two people to listen to music or television at the same time, even in different places and at different volumes. I think they're more comfortable than ear buds and without being wired to the stereo, you can work outside or just roam around the house without getting out of earshot of whatever you're listening to. Digital Picture Converter makes 35mm negatives and slides into digital images. It's a smaller, less expensive version of high-end negative scanners. My sister and I were playing with it here in the office and she had a great idea: we're going to “steal” some old photos from our parents and create a digital scrapbook for their wedding anniversary.
I think I'll head back out to the warehouse and see what other great Things I can find.
2.12.2008
movie mania
If you follow this blog, you know I love movies and movie memorabilia. Not just collectibles like film cels, but toys, posters, stamps, action figures and just about anything that reminds me of my favorite movies. Our buyers are always looking for cool Things to collect from the movies—and there are a lot of them this year.
The Harry Potter series is one of my favorites. I've read all the books and seen every movie so I had to have this framed set of Harry Potter Film Cels from the original prints of all five movies. I also bought one for my cousin, even though his birthday is several months away. You never know when we're going to sell out of these Things.
The Lord of the Rings is arguably the greatest fantasy film series of all time. These are movies that you don't see just once, but twice or even three times. (Who? Me?) I got The Lord of The Rings Trilogy Cels to display on my bookcase between my worn out old copies of the books.
I honestly can't see why, but my sister is totally crazy for Johnny Depp. She was the very first to buy the Pirates of the Caribbean Film Cels from us. True, I was second, but because I think the series is one of the best Disney has ever released, not because I want to make googly eyes at Jack Sparrow's picture. Sheesh. Maybe I don't always understand her, but my sister can be kind of cool sometimes. For example, she knows that Star Wars is one of my favorite science fiction movie series. She bought the History of Star Wars Film Cels collection for me before I even knew we had it. It was just hanging in my office when I came to work one morning.
Toys from the movies are fun, too. Especially if you actually play with them like I do. I got this Star Trek Phaser for just that reason. It has sound and light effects and a break-away design that lets you remove the “type one” phaser from the pistol grip. I keep it on my desk, right next to my Alien Vs Predator action figures. If you ask me, memorabilia you use is the best kind.
That's why I always end up buying Things like this Scarface Gun Lamp and Indiana Jones Hat. I use the lamp in my home office and, yes, I do wear the hat—not just for Halloween, either. It's a cool hat and it's well made.
Sometimes useful Things are purposely transformed into collectibles. This Harry Potter Stamp Set is a perfect example. Issued by Britain's postal service on July 17, 2007, the stamps are canceled with the official "First Day of Issue" Quidditch postmark, so even if you lived in Great Britain, you couldn't use them. Because they're a piece of British memorabilia celebrating the Harry Potter phenomenon, of course I had to have them.
Now that I have my collectibles in order, I'm going to head out to the warehouse and see what kind of new gadgets we have to play with. I love my job.
The Harry Potter series is one of my favorites. I've read all the books and seen every movie so I had to have this framed set of Harry Potter Film Cels from the original prints of all five movies. I also bought one for my cousin, even though his birthday is several months away. You never know when we're going to sell out of these Things.
The Lord of the Rings is arguably the greatest fantasy film series of all time. These are movies that you don't see just once, but twice or even three times. (Who? Me?) I got The Lord of The Rings Trilogy Cels to display on my bookcase between my worn out old copies of the books.
I honestly can't see why, but my sister is totally crazy for Johnny Depp. She was the very first to buy the Pirates of the Caribbean Film Cels from us. True, I was second, but because I think the series is one of the best Disney has ever released, not because I want to make googly eyes at Jack Sparrow's picture. Sheesh. Maybe I don't always understand her, but my sister can be kind of cool sometimes. For example, she knows that Star Wars is one of my favorite science fiction movie series. She bought the History of Star Wars Film Cels collection for me before I even knew we had it. It was just hanging in my office when I came to work one morning.
Toys from the movies are fun, too. Especially if you actually play with them like I do. I got this Star Trek Phaser for just that reason. It has sound and light effects and a break-away design that lets you remove the “type one” phaser from the pistol grip. I keep it on my desk, right next to my Alien Vs Predator action figures. If you ask me, memorabilia you use is the best kind.
That's why I always end up buying Things like this Scarface Gun Lamp and Indiana Jones Hat. I use the lamp in my home office and, yes, I do wear the hat—not just for Halloween, either. It's a cool hat and it's well made.
Sometimes useful Things are purposely transformed into collectibles. This Harry Potter Stamp Set is a perfect example. Issued by Britain's postal service on July 17, 2007, the stamps are canceled with the official "First Day of Issue" Quidditch postmark, so even if you lived in Great Britain, you couldn't use them. Because they're a piece of British memorabilia celebrating the Harry Potter phenomenon, of course I had to have them.
Now that I have my collectibles in order, I'm going to head out to the warehouse and see what kind of new gadgets we have to play with. I love my job.
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