July 05, 2005
"Hello and welcome to Target. My name is Satan. Can I Tempt You With Anything?"
We had the neighbors over for a 4th of July barbeque. They recently had their second child and we got around to talking about car trips with small kids. It was then that they mentioned this: the Kawasaki portable DVD system.
Oooooooh.
In the matter of teevee in the car, the Llama-ettes live under what we call the Four Hour Rule: If the trip is longer than four hours, we bring along a portable tee vee that plugs into the cigarette lighter and plays videotapes. Frankly, the thing is a pain in the arse - it sits on the armrest between the two front seats and hampers one's freedom of movement. Also, the speakers are built into the sides, so most of the audio goes right into Mom and Dad's ears.
But this, this may be a different matter. Screens hang off the seatbacks and, most importantly.....headphones.
We're coming up on Big Trip season here. The Missus heads off to the beach with the Llama-ettes next weekend and a month from now we all pile into the car for the annual trip to Maine.
Ooooooh.
Lawd knows I'm something of a Luddite when it comes to electronic gadgetry, but I can feel the sweet seductive power of this one.
UPDATE: Walmart does, indeed, have a cheaper one, with three headphone jacks instead of two. On the other hand, I've never heard of Durabrand.
Oooooooh.
Posted by Robert at July 5, 2005 01:49 PM | TrackBackFunny you should mention it. My sister visited recently; her kids have one. They said that Wal Mart was running a special on these. She then related her buying experience.
Wal Mart was advertising a special on them. She gets there, and the price was markedly higher in the electronics department. But . . . she walked over to the automotive department and the price was correct. She bought one from the automotive department.
My sister, good citizen that she is, went back to the electronics department to tell them that the other department had it at the correct, advertised, sales price. She said she got blank stares -- evidently the electronics department at her Wal Mart didn't feel any need to a) know what the other departments were charging for the same item, or b) care about what price was being advertised in specials.
So, if you end up buying one -- shop around and make sure you get a good price.
I can see my kids listening to an endless loop of "Bear in the Big Blue House" episodes with that slack jawed, glassy-eye look usually associated with hard core drug addiction. Mrs. LMC knows the words to all the songs by heart.
Posted by: LMC at July 5, 2005 01:58 PMLMC - I know well the power the Bear has over your young'un. Fortunately, the only BITBBH song I know is the "Woodland Valley Cha Cha" from the Playhouse Disney 2 CD.
Posted by: Robert the LB at July 5, 2005 02:14 PMBest investment we made so far individual DVD players for the kids (6 & 3; boy and girl respectively) I think this option would almost be as cheap and eliminates fights over whose turn it is to pick the DVD.
Posted by: JFH at July 5, 2005 02:32 PMThat's true, but we generally try to force them to work things out: if they can't come up with a mutually acceptable solution, nobody gets to watch anything.
Posted by: Robert the LB at July 5, 2005 02:38 PMOr godd*mn "Blues Clues". It's like crack cocaine for the under 6 set.
Posted by: The Colossus at July 5, 2005 02:45 PMI've gotta admit we have a Blues Clues CD that has some half-way decent music on it. I particularly like a ditty called "I've Got A Silly Hat" - it has a Latin American feel to it.
Posted by: Robert the LB at July 5, 2005 03:02 PMFriends should stage an intervention immediately.
Posted by: The Colossus at July 5, 2005 03:26 PMColossus - HAHAHAHAHA
Posted by: red at July 5, 2005 04:03 PMAny discussion of modern children's programming that fails to mention Veggie Tales is unworthy of further consideration.
And that's all I gots to say about thayat.
Posted by: Brian B at July 5, 2005 04:28 PMAh yes. You must admit that Target is more aesthetically pleasing, as a shopping experience;-)
Posted by: sadie at July 5, 2005 06:19 PMGot the Target version for our trip on the weekend of the 4th. Worked perfectly. Kept the kiddies more or less calm. Get it.
Posted by: Doug at July 5, 2005 08:09 PM
