Lionel North Pole Central Christmas Tree Train Set

At Amazon, Lionel COS1900337 North Pole Central Christmas Tree 22.8 inch (57.8cm) Train Set.

BONUS: The Christmas Story: Drawn directly from the Bible.

Deal of the Day

At Amazon, Today's Deals.

More, Up to 40% Off Coleman Camping Gear.

And especially, Coleman 24-Piece Enamel Dinnerware Set.

Plus, Samsung Gear VR w/Controller (2017) - Latest Edition - Note 8, GS8s, GS7s, Note 5, GS6s (US Version w/ Warranty).

More, Olive Drab Green Warm Wool Fire Retardant Blanket, 66 x 90 (80% Wool) - U.S. Military.

Also, Carhartt Men's Arctic Quilt Lined Sandstone Traditional Coat.

Still more, Honeywell 360 Degree Surround Fan Forced Heater with Surround Heat Output, Charcoal Grey.

BONUS: Charles A. Murray, Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010.

Today's Shopping

At Amazon, Today's Deals.

See especially, Save Up to 40% on Maxi-Cosi & Safety 1st Car Seats.

Plus, Shop Fisher-Price Toys.

And, Save 30% or More on Toys from ECR4Kids.

More, Olive Drab Green Warm Wool Fire Retardant Blanket, 66 x 90 (80% Wool) - U.S. Military.

Also, Carhartt Men's Arctic Quilt Lined Sandstone Traditional Coat.

Still more, Honeywell 360 Degree Surround Fan Forced Heater with Surround Heat Output, Charcoal Grey.

BONUS: Douglas Massey, American Apartheid: Segregation and the Making of the Underclass.

Monday Shopping

At Amazon, Today's Deals.

See especially, Polaroid ZIP Mobile Printer w/ZINK Zero Ink Printing Technology - Compatible w/iOS & Android Devices - White.

More, AmazonBasics Lightning to USB A Cable - Apple MFi Certified - Black - 6 Feet /1.8 Meters.

And, Playskool Heroes Star Wars Galactic Heroes BB-8 Adventure Base.

Also, Extra Large 79" x 40"! Kids Carpet Playmat Rug City Life - Great For Playing With Cars And Toys - Play, Learn And Have Fun Safely - Children Baby Play Mat, For Bedroom PlayRoom Game Safe Area.

Still more, HP 23.8-inch FHD IPS Monitor with Tilt/Height Adjustment and Built-in Speakers (VH240a, Black).

Plus, DROCON Scouter Foldable Mini RC drone for kids with Altitude Hold Mode, One Key Take off Landing, 3D Flips and Headless Mode Quadcopter Easy Fly Steady for Beginners.

BONUS: Robert Bork, A Time to Speak: Selected Writings and Arguments.

Treasured Toys

Don't forget the little tykes for Christmas.

At Amazon, Holiday Treasures in Toys.

Plus, Amazon Devices - Kindle for Kids Bundle 16.

And, HP 61 Black & Tri-color Original Ink Cartridges, 2 pack (CR259FN).

More, AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable - 6 Feet (Latest Standard).

Check out, GoPro HERO4 Silver.

And, KIND Breakfast Bars.

Still more, Lasko 754200 Ceramic Heater with Adjustable Thermostat.

BONUS: Sean Trende, The Lost Majority: Why the Future of Government Is Up for Grabs - and Who Will Take It.

And, from James E. Campbell, Polarized: Making Sense of a Divided America.

'Etch A Sketch'

What an amazing day in politics.

See Robert Stacy McCain, "Romney’s ‘Etch-a-Sketch’ Platform: Santorum’s ‘Act of God’ Moment?" (via Memeorandum).

And at the New York Times, "Shaking It Up With a Popular Low-Tech Toy: Etch A Sketch Becomes a Symbol of Second Chances":

THE United States is the great land of second chances. Change your name. Change your location. Change your life. If you’re a politician, change your ideas, and in so doing, change your prospects. It’s a deep-rooted American tradition that the Mitt Romney campaign has now given a colorful symbol.

It was widely reported that Wednesday on CNN, Eric Fehrnstrom, a senior adviser to Mr. Romney, predicted a fresh start for his boss’s campaign after victory in the Illinois primary. “Everything changes,” Mr. Fehrnstrom said. “It’s almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and restart all over again.”

Mr. Romney’s political opponents seized on the image as a sinister expression of the candidate’s pliability. But to millions of Americans, the Etch A Sketch has offered a precious life lesson: No matter how badly you screw up, you can always make a fresh start. The past does not exist. The Etch A Sketch offers total deniability in a neat rectangular package.

The Etch A Sketch was invented in the late 1950s by André Cassagnes, a French electrician, and the first model was manufactured for the American market by the Ohio Art Company on July 12, 1960. The device is simple and ingenious: a framed plastic screen coated with aluminum dust on the reverse side. Two knobs move a stylus vertically and horizontally, allowing the user to draw pictures as the tip of the stylus leaves a dark line against a light gray background.

If the results do not please, the user simply shakes the screen, causing polystyrene beads to create a fresh surface by smoothing out and recoating the inside of the screen. History, with a flick of the wrist, vanishes.

Over the years, the company has added color and electronic features, but the essential appeal of the device has remained the same. No matter how bad the drawing, how distant the final product from the original intent, the clock can be turned back.

More at Pundette, "The Etch A Sketch candidate."

And the response at Astute Bloggers, "ROMNEY ETCH-A-SKETCH BROUHAHA IS BULLSHIT."

Shopping at Wal-Mart

Out with the family, yesterday morning:

This is the Wal-Mart in Foothill Ranch. It's beautiful out there. That's Saddleback Mountain seen from the parking at the second picture below:

Turns out that Wal-Mart had its annual meeting on Friday, "Wal-Mart CEO pushes plan to keep retailer growing." And it announced a huge $15 billion stock buy-back: "Wal-Mart to Buy Back Billions More in Shares."

Cruising around the toy section:

I love Wal-Mart. Great selection of products, and of course great prices. And environmentally friendly? "Wal-Mart's motive is no secret: Going green saves it money." Well, better late than never, I guess.

Okay, here's the kid's Holy Grail, the Beyblades:

I wrote about Beyblades last November. They're still popular.

And it's back to the skatepark later today!

Beyblades

My son likes Beyblades. At top is a cool extra-large stadium. We're gonna see if we can find one like that. The bottom clip is an ad originally found at the Beyblades website: