Friday, July 18, 2008

LP RhythMix Mini Bongos

Our Rythmic Bongos are two-headed drums that produce hearty, authentic sound. They stand 6" tall, with 4" and 5" diameter sturdy synthetic heads - like two drums in one! Includes a musical activity booklet. Ages 2 and up.
Customer Review: Not easy to play with bare hands and too pricey*, but not all bad
Trying to play these myself, I have to play pretty forcefully to get a decent pitch. It's not nearly as easy to play as a better quality, non-toy version of bongos, but then, it's a whole lot sturdier than a quality wood & skin drum. The colors are vibrant and very appealing. These have withstood the abuses heaped on them by my kids from their toddler through preschooler years, and still look great. Buy a pair of mallets or drumsticks to go with these: it makes it a whole lot easier to play, and gives children more immediate gratification. *The "too pricey" comment was made when these were retailing at $35. The new list price of $20 seems much more reasonable, and a real bargain at the sale price of $13.99!


As a dad, I can tell you what works for Father's Day and what doesn't. Over the years, I've received ties with flashing lights, "World's Greatest Dad" T-shirts, picture frames, electronic singing and dancing hamsters, and even a set of tires. While I've worn or used every one of those gifts even if it was just for making my kids happy. There are some things I'm hoping to find under my "Father's Day Tree" this year.

Making the top of my list is the Sirius Stiletto 100 with the car kit. This thing is so cool. Not only can I listen to Sirius radio, it's got a built in MP3 player that lets me listen to my own music, as well as record whatever is playing on the radio. What's really neat about this little guy is that I can use the Stiletto 100 over any public Wi-Fi network. That means I can sit in my favorite coffee shop and listen to satellite radio without having to have a high-gain antenna of some sort. If the Sirius 100 with the car kit is out of the price range, I could live with Stiletto 10. It's a more barebones option, with no Wi-Fi connectivity, but it still gives me access to my MP3s.

I'm also hoping to get a nice set of portable speakers to go with my MP3 player on Father's day. The Altec-Lansing InMotion series is pretty slick, as is the LG MSP-100. These guys will look great sitting on the desk in my den. I can almost hear the Jazz bouncing off of the bookshelves now. Every dad should have some sort of portable music option so we can have music when working in the garage or enjoying a nice spring day on the deck out back.

If I can go way out there and dream for a minute, I'd like to think that my kids have been saving their allowances for the last six years or so, and that they've been working a part-time third-shift job I don't know about. If that's the case, I'm hoping for the Hitachi P50T501. With 50 inches of pure High Def, I'll be in heaven come World Series. A high definition receiver with a DIRECTV HD subscription would add even more enjoyment to the mix.

I know, I know, I'm more likely to get a tie. But kids, if you're reading this, please know that this year, I'd prefer a Van Heusen, Robert Talbott, or Josh Bach designer tie. The multi-colored, flashing light tie that reads "BEST DAD EVER" is sweet and all but I prefer something we can enjoy together. Buy dad some new music from satellite radio so we can dance. Buy dad that new TV so we can cuddle on the couch with some popcorn on movie night. Play your cards right and convince mom to buy me something we both can use.

Don't worry, though. No matter what you make me, I'll be wearing it to work the next day and it will be the best Father's Day Gift ever.

Bob Maines is a satellite radio specialist with several years of experience selling and installing SIRIUS Radio

90s dance music

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