I keep the ties to use for bundling my cables together. Rick
-----Original Message----- From: Aaron Rouse [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, December 26, 2004 3:59 PM To: CF-Community Subject: Re: Dumb-Ass Toys We got some power ranger toy that must have had 20 wire tires on it plus was in that hard pressed plastic that you need a torch to open. On Sun, 26 Dec 2004 16:56:05 -0500, Critter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > i've not installed my son's interactive tv gig yet... but I am totally > with you on the friggin wire ties... he received quite a few > transformers... holy shit... what are they afraid they will escape the > packaging?? Small Soldiers II ? they are definitely over done. > > On Sun, 26 Dec 2004 13:00:25 -0500, Jim Davis > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > A few observations from a dad who spent many hours setting up toys. > > > > 1) The Fisher Price "Interact TV". > > > > The unit itself is actually pretty well done. Essentially a universal DVD > > remote it offers your children a large touch pad of options allowing them to > > interact with episodes of their favorite shows ("Dora the Explorer" for > > example). > > > > Setting up the unit was fairly painless (if a little obtuse) and it runs on > > three AA battery (like so many other things lately that simply refuse to use > > an even number of batteries) which, of course, are not included. > > > > The problem here was in the packaging. The face of the box featured a > > button which, when pressed, regaled the listener with a recorded speech > > about the product. Upon opening the thing it's discovered that this speaker > > unit is quite large and has printed in large type on it back-side: > > > > "Please discard this sound unit when disposing of package. It is not a part > > of the toy." > > > > So, they provided a complex thingamajig just for marketing. As a good geek > > however I, of course, took a screw driver to the four small screws holding > > the unit together. What do I find inside? Three brand new Energizer AA > > batteries. > > > > So, essentially, they included batteries with the toy, but decided to have > > them power a useless marketing device and instruct you to throw them away > > immediately. > > > > 2) "Klondikers" > > > > My son likes these building toys. That's why we bought them. They are > > flower-shaped plastic widgets that dove-tail together. > > > > My beef is the idea that these toys are, as is emblazed on every square inch > > of the packaging, "educational". I understand that building sets that use > > same-shaped blocks tend to make children exercise their imaginations a bit > > more, but "educational". It seems a silly stretch to me, personally. > > > > 3) Big boxes. > > > > With all of the practical, environmental, and just plain obvious benefits to > > smaller box sizes why do we still have board games being shipped in these > > cardboard coffins? I know - store shelf space is valuable, but that can be > > settled with an in-store display (a cardboard frame the size of the old box > > to display much smaller actual boxes). > > > > "Battleship" is still a pair of simple folding units, but the box the game > > comes in could hold six of them easily. Several rolls of stickers > > ("Spongebob" and "Dora the Explorer" stickers to be precise) are in boxes > > 18" on a side. > > > > 4) Wire Ties > > > > Yes, wire ties. Tightly wrapped, machine crimped, taped closed, impervious > > to scissors, holding-down-every-God-damned-piece-of-the-friggin-toy WIRE > > TIES! > > > > 5) Hermetically Sealed Blister Packs > > > > When did it become a 50/50 proposition that you would break a toy just > > removing it from its packaging? And goodness forbid that you might want to > > actually return the piece of crap with its accompanying pile of twisted, > > sharp-edged plastic and cardboard slag. > > > > 6) "Robosapian" > > > > Actually (since I've already talked about packaging) I've got nothing to say > > about this little guy. It's really freakin' cool. ;^) > > > > Merry Christmas! > > > > Jim Davis > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Special thanks to the CF Community Suite Silver Sponsor - RUWebby http://www.ruwebby.com Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:140942 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
