The Best Rs. 150 Ever Spent

For little more than three dollars, Lindsay brought home a toy that is all things; practical, the likely source of hours of entertainment, and quite probably the “John is going to be a really bad influence” gift for any of our friends at home with children between the ages of six and eleven. Please note, this “toy” is NOT two bottles of Kingfisher Premium Lager. It is, however, the Badminton Bug Zapper.

The Badminton Bug Zapper serves the exact purpose as those mosquito zappers you’re all familiar with that glow blue around your backyard barbeques (or other places of general gathering during the summer) that go, “zzzz-zzzz” every few seconds indicating the glorious demise of yet another biting pest. The Badminton Bug Zapper, however, is literally shaped like a badminton racket, which has obvious ramifications; not the least of which is turning mosquito hunting into a bona fide sport in the apartment. So as not to confuse the Badminton Bug Zapper with any other Badminton rackets you may have laying around the apartment, the manufacturers were responsible enough to put a lightning bolt design in the head, clearly indicating there is electric current involved. The manufacturers were also generous enough to put an on/off switch with a safety mechanism (i.e., you have to push a button to complete the circuit) to ensure it’s only by those whom are qualified. In addition, there’s a cool little electrical current whirring sound that gets produced when you turn the switch to “on” and press the safety, so it’s pretty obvious when the juice is flowing. The manufacturers were also ingenious enough to not require batteries; this beauty plugs right into the wall.

Now, with the first sight of mosquitoes, I grab my trusty Badminton Bug Zapper and chase them around the apartment; not only is it fun to hear the “crack-pop-pop” when you get a big one (yes, big mosquitoes make a different and grossly more gratifying sound), but it feels nice to do my share around the house.

Last night was the first night that I heard the annoying buzz of a mosquito hovering over my head. After a few minutes, I decided to break out the Badminton Bug Zapper, turn on a light, and make the little buzzer pay. Of course, Lindsay was still asleep. Lindsay also has a tendency to attract mosquitoes. Needless to say, she wasn’t too excited to be woken up from a deep sleep, being told to move quickly, and then hearing the near instant crack of yet another successful kill. Had the hunt been less successful, I’m certain she would have been even less excited. Regardless, the Badminton Bug Zapper has found a much needed place in our home. Personally, I can’t wait to turn Badminton Bug Zapping into an official athletic competition.

Feel free to pass along any suggestions.