This article by the Massachusetts Eagle Tribune's Krystal Hicks arrived at an uncanny time. My daughter Neve had her 10th birthday party last night at a local Embassy Suites hotel. (Which, by the way, my ; it costs as much as a traditional wife highly recommends for tweens and teens; it costs as much as a traditional party, and lasts a lot longer.) She came with two Webkinz, a clever marketing ploy by the Ganz collectible company. The dolls are a cross between old-fashioned dolls and a Tamagotchi: each stuffed animal comes with an online code that lets you "adopt" and care for the pet online
Hicks reports that the Webkinz craze has taken off, with many retailers saying they can't keep the toys stocked on shelves. I can see why: they're cheap ($10 a pop), and the free Web site is hella-good fun for the wee ones. All of my kids have become addicted to it. Hey, I'd rather have them hanging out here than on that goddamned Postopia - which is to "educational value" what Tammany Hall was to honesty in government.
