A LONG Overdue Update

Greetings fellow agents! I apologize severely; this is a LONG overdue update (hence the post title). I guess I'll start by giving you the latest news...

My former mentor, Top Secret, was promoted in the "agency", therefore he/she won't have much time to update his/her blog. He/she will still be around to comment on my blog occasionally, but his/her promotion will be taking up a lot of his/her time. What was he/she promoted to, you might ask? What a useless question; you should have guessed that it'd be classified!

Next matter of business: I am working to have an e-mail address created for fellow agents (and non-agents) like yourselves to contact me, whether with an inquiry about spying or a request for me to post on. I will update with this new e-mail address when available.

You may be wondering why I haven't been posting. I would like to say that over the summer I've been on a mission or that I have been on one of the most thrilling adventures of my life. To be honest, I've been sitting in my office for most of the summer with only a few minor missions that required looking into. So you could say that I've been procrastinating for those three months of bliss when everyone gets out of school. Yeah... I've been enjoying a little R&R in front of the television watching my Crime Scene Investigation shows, and spending countless hours playing Solitaire on the computer. Okay, I haven't been that lazy, but you get my drift. So I hope to be updating soon with book reviews and various projects.

Until next time...

Lemon Juice: Natural Invisible Ink

I'm so sorry that I haven't blogged in a while. As Top Secret said on his/her (hey, it's classified) last post, we both apologize for our lack of articles. Doing training with my mentor has taken up a lot of my time, and just because I'm a spy doesn't mean that I don't go to school, except for the fact that I go to a high-tech school connected with "The Agency." Anyway, back to the subject...

Everybody likes invisible ink, right? Here's a bit of information on using lemon juice - a natural ingredient - as invisible ink, and using it efficiently.

First, you'll need paper. I used "parchment" paper, a textured paper often used for calligraphy. You don't want to use regular notebook or white printing paper. Since lemon juice is a bit yellowish, it will show up clearly against the white. My advice is use something off-white.














You will also need a writing utensil. I picked up this quill pen at a general store.













Then, of course, you'll need your lemon juice! You could squeeze your own lemons, but it's much easier if you go to Dairy Queen and grab a handful of free lemon juice packets.
















Next, you will probably want a little bottle or something to store your invisible ink in. I used a small glass bottle. Empty perfume bottles also work well. If you use something such as this glass bottle, you will need a cork. Depending on the size of the bottle neck, you may have to experiment with different corks to make it airtight (or you could just store your lemon juice in a Tupperware container). I used an eraser.

*NOTE: I have not yet tested how long lemon juice will keep once it is opened, so I suggest storing it in the refrigerator.








One more thing! Lemon juice invisible ink can only be brought out with heat, so you'll need an iron.











Now, to get started, dip your quill pen or writing utensil (you can use a Q-tip if you want, but the writing will come out clearer with the fine point of a quill) in the lemon juice. Be sure to dip your quill in the ink often. The only down-side to this is the fact that when you're writing, sometimes you may dip your pen and then forget where you wrote your last letter or word. Try tilting your paper sideways for the light to catch on the wetness of the ink. Write a message on your paper, and let it dry thoroughly.



Now for the fun part: revealing your message! Turn your iron onto the highest setting. Once it heats up, begin ironing over your message. This make take several minutes, and you may have to go over it several times until all of your letters are clear.

*NOTE: Your paper may warp, especially if you have a steam iron. This is okay.

*WARNING: Irons are HOT!!! As with all household instruments, use with care. Please use adult supervision if you are under the age of 13, and even then I suggest that you be extremely careful. Don't burn your house down; your parents may not be pleased with me if you do so.

Voila'! Here is what your paper should look like. Now take note that this message was revealed within 10 minutes of the ink drying. I am going to conduct experiments on how different periods of time will affect the quality of the ink that shows up in your message. When I do, I will publish a post on this. For example, if you were sending this in the mail to a fellow spy, it will take at least a day to arrive at his or her house, and that may affect your message. Whether or not it has been cold or hot outside, dry or humid, may also affect the ink. I will test this and post on it later.


Hope you had fun with your invisible ink messages, and I'll post on other sources of invisible ink in the near future.

Books: Top Secret

Ever want to become a code-master? This book will show you how!

Top Secret: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing contains all the information you'll need to learn how to make and break a wide variety of codes and ciphers. Written by Paul B. Janeczko and illustrated by Jenna LaReau, you now hold in your possession top secret files. Your mission: Read this book!

*Check for Top Secret: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing @ your local library!

Books: The Master Spy Handbook

Meet Agent O. She's a full-time student at the Spy Academy, studying to become the best agent she can be. Not only is the world's most trusted agent, but she's the most top secret agent there is. Not even the teachers at the Academy know that "O" is still "just a kid." So join our intrepid hero as she struggles to thwart the enemy plans of the criminal mastermind Felicia. Learn how to use simple codes and ciphers, easy-to-build spy gadgets, cook up clever disguises, and much more! Written by Rain Newcomb and illustrated by Jason Chin.

*Look for The Master Spy Handbook @ your local library!

McDonald's Happy Meal Toys

Greetings! Just a quick post to let you know about the McDonald's Happy Meal toys that are currently at McDonald's! If you're a spy, professional or in training, in the United States (I'm not sure how widespread this blog is, for all I know there could be someone on the other side of the world reading this and just not posting comments), you should know that McDonald's fast food restaurants are now including Spy Gear with their Happy Meals. I'll tell you a little about them...

Secret Wrist Beam
This is a plastic wrist bracelet with a structure on the top. You push a button, and a small red light pops out, turning on only when opened. I have this piece of spy equipment. (I may be a professional spy, but hey, you're only a kid once, so enjoy it as long as you can!)

Spy Guard Motion Alarm
This piece of equipment is shaped like a lock. A switch in the back turns the alarm on. Any motion will set off the alarm.

Spy Disc Defender
This hand held device is a small disc shooter. Three plastic discs (they may be foam, I have not seen this in action for myself quite yet) are placed in the "canon" and then shot by pushing a button.

Invisible Writing Pen
This device is a rectangular shape. By pushing a switch, a rolled up piece of paper is revealed on which to write a message. The rectangular structure splits in half, revealing two pens. One is used to write an invisible message, the other is used to reveal it.

Rear View Spy Scope
Not only is this a binocular (rather a monocular; there is only one eyepiece), but it is equipped with a mirror to see things behind you.

Mobile Message Bot
This is a pull back and release toy. You pull it back to wind it, then let go, and it goes quite a distance depending on how back you wind it. When it stops, a cover pops up, revealing a message that can only be read clearly (if you can read upside down and backwards you'll be alright!) by using the mirror concealed in the flip top cover. There are four secret message templates included: Take Cover, Mission Complete, Backup Needed, and On My Signal. By tracing these templates onto cardstock you can easily make more templates (as long as you can write upside down and backwards!).

So even though these are inexpensive toys, they can be utterly useful. I'm in the process of collecting all six items, myself!

To see pictures and demos of all six pieces of Spy Gear, go to HappyMeal.com, click "Toys", select "Spy Gear", and then click "View Toys". Then you can easily scroll through them and click "Demo" when you want to see the equipment in action.

Gadget Review: Keyhole Spy Tool

I recently constructed a keyhole spy tool out of a clear glass marble and paper tube. I got the idea from the Top Spy Secrets website (for link click here). I rolled a piece of paper (8 1/2" x 11", but I ended up cutting it a little smaller) into a tube and secured it with tape, rolling it to size judging by the size of my marble. Here's my end result:















Here's the pros and cons to this neat little device.

Cons:

• Most doors are not made with keyholes anymore! But this can be used to peer through large cracks in walls, or used for other things.
• When looking through your keyhole tool, everything will appear upside-down! This is because the marble reverses any light that passes through it.
  
• Everything is a bit small, but you should be able to get a good idea of what's going on in the room.

Pros:

• Although small, this tool is very effective and and fun to use!
• I've tried it out myself, and believe me, this could help you out of some very tight situations!

Have fun!

Books: Secrets, Lies, Gizmos, and Spies

Written by Janet Wyman Coleman with the International Spy Museum, this book portrays the history of espionage and stories of the world's most famous spies. Heroes, villians, traitors? You decide. But each and every one of the stories you'll read is true, its characters making their mark on history. Will you be the next among them?