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The Vine

The Tomato Nation advice column addresses your questions on etiquette, grammar, romance, and pet misbehavior. Ask The Readers about books or fashion today!

Home » The Vine

The Vine: September 30, 2011

Submitted by on September 30, 2011 – 9:39 AM9 Comments

My brother and I had a toy when we were younger. It was very high-tech (for the time) and was a plastic, working headset. It came with various cartridge and book sets. The cartridge plugged into the bottom of the headset, and contained some kind of science- or history-based adventure, and you’d follow along in the book (the only specific one we can remember was about dinosaurs). It was interactive, so it would ask you a question and you could respond into the headset (probably just yes or no questions). 

What sticks out most about this toy, and why we really want to find it, is that you could chose the voice that led you on the adventure. At the beginning of each, about a dozen voices would say, “Would you like me to talk like this?” and you’d say “yes” or “no.” One voice was like a robot, and one was overly enthusiastic. All were hilarious to us then (and now…we’ve been known to act them all out after too many cocktails).

My brother and I have been dying to find this thing!  We probably had this thing between 15-20 years ago.  If the Nation can find this, I would be really, truly impressed!

Thanks so much!
A devout Nation-ite (National?)

*****

I figured this was worth a shot for the Ask the Readers section…

I love shorthand, and recently heard there was a movie out there (presumably made many decades ago) about World War II secretaries who were possibly spies, and when they were caught, the Russians couldn’t read their shorthand. Can’t find anything about it on Google. Anyone know what this movie might be? It sounds awesome.

Thanks,
Shorthand Lover

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9 Comments »

  • Lynda says:

    Hey, Shorthand Lover!

    Did the movie you’re thinking of involve an art museum being looted by the Nazis? If so, I believe you’re looking for “The Train”:
    http://maryrayme.suite101.com/the-train-looting-art-theft-and-world-war-ii-a266216

    The character you might be thinking of, who knew shorthand, was Rose Valland. Apparently, the Germans didn’t realize that she knew German, so she was able to listen in on their conversations about where the various pieces of art were being taken. She made notes in shorthand (which they couldn’t read), so after the war, paintings were able to be found based on her notes!

    I still haven’t seen the movie myself, but my husband swears by it. For more information, Google “Rose Valland”.

  • Kristina says:

    Wow, these are pretty obscure. I can’t wait to see them get found. Good luck, Nation!

  • K says:

    “The Train” is an awesome movie, but scenes with the museum manager who finds out about the paintings being moved to Germany before Paris is liberated are pretty short and pretty much just set up the movie–she’s not the focus of the movie. Most of the film is about how the French Resistance and a group of railroad engineers and workers try to foil a Nazi captain who is very determined to take the artwork to Germany. It’s a really great movie and completely worth watching, though!

  • Sophie says:

    Oh. My. God. That is absolutely the toy! I am so thrilled. I’m going to search for this sucker on eBay and get it for my brother for Christmas. (Unless anyone in the Nation has one that they would like to sell!)

    I have watched you guys impressively answer a lot of questions over the years, but I am really, truly floored by this one.

    Thank you so much!

  • Colleen2 says:

    FY!: “The Train” is available for instant streaming on Netflix.

  • M says:

    Could the movie be “They Got Me Covered”? IMDB reviews mention a small plotline about indecipherable shorthand http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036427/reviews

  • Amy says:

    Off topic but “talking toys” reminded me of the Teddy Ruxpin doll that you put a cassette in and he’d talk. My friend Jenny and I would steal her little sister’s Teddy Ruxpin and make him “sing” U2 tapes.

  • Bonnie says:

    I’m looking for the same thing! I remember the creepy voice that whispered “would you like me to talk like this.” My brother dared me to try to do it that voice, I couldn’t make it through the game. I’m looking for this thing too. I realize that this post was over a year ago, did you have any luck?

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