foot notes

The holiday shopping season is here and the Footnotes staff has again been tirelessly working, compiling its annual holiday gift guide highlighting the unaffordable, the ridiculous and other cool stuff.

* For those guilt-ridden parents in the “I have more money than I could possibly know what to do with” category, we have the gasoline-powered, child-size version Lamborghini sports car for ages 8 and older. Powered by a 5-horsepower engine, it comes with a faux leather interior, disc brakes and rack-and-pinion steering. You can make your 8-year-old very happy for a very short time while totally distorting his world view for the rest of his life. It’s available through FAO Schwarz for only $40,000. (https://www.fao.com)

* Last year Sony introduced its AIBO robot dog. AIBO is not a remote-control toy, but an autonomous robot that actually responds to its environment and can “learn” reactions and tricks. It initially sold for $2,500, but now is available at https://www.sharperimage.com for $1,590. This year, toy makers have come out with their own robotic dogs at more affordable prices, including I-Cybie, Big Scratch and Lil’ Scratch, Rocket the Wonder Dog, Tekno the Robot Puppy and Poo-Chi. They range in price from $22.99 to $129.99.

* Closer to home, maybe Dad needs something to jazz up the backyard. How about a statue? Or a fountain? Garden Concepts in Santa Clarita offers all types, ranging from a 6-inch bunny for $20 to an Italian-style 12-foot tall scalloped bowl fountain for about $5,000. Delivery and installation available. (661) 251-4037.

* Meanwhile, the Center for a New American Dream is promoting its Simplify the Holidays campaign with the slogan: “More Joy and Less Stuff.” The Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing and shifting consumption to enhance the quality of life and protect the environment. Its Web site, https://www.simplifytheholidays.org, offers inexpensive and eco-friendly gift ideas.