Tappahannock's Chris Brown is featured on a new video dance-game Oct 16, 2008
" Cathy Jett: 540/374-5407 Email: U-DANCE is only one of Toy Wishes magazine's 2008 Holiday Hot Dozen. Here are the rest in alphabetical order: ANIMAL SCRAMBLE (Wild Planet; ages 3 $19.99 to 29.99) This game features an electronic handheld tagger shaped like a giraffe and four fist-size friends (a monkey, parrot, tiger and elephant). The giraffe calls out which animals kids should run to and tag, and tracks the amount of time taken to complete each course. BAKUGAN (Spinmaster Ltd.; ages 5 years... (Fredericksburg.com, VA)
Five-step check for nano safety Oct 15, 2008
Carbon nanotubes are one of the building blocks of nanotechnology. A team of experts has drawn up five "grand challenges" in order to evaluate the safety of nanotechnology. (Yahoo News -- Nanotechnology)
Chinese toy firms forced to close Oct 15, 2008
Software blocks car phone users. Millions mark UN hand-washing day. (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
Riding dinosaur, robot top hot holiday toy list Oct 8, 2008
It includes blocks to build a truck that opens into a command center and other pieces including a jet-boat, plane and two cars. VTech's Sit-to-Stand Alphabet Train, which sells for $49. (MSNBC -- Politics)
Candler Park home keeps charm, reduces carbon footprint Oct 8, 2008
Their neighbors, Victoria and Paul Niblock, were moving, and the Dusenburys were able to purchase the home from the Niblocks directly ... Now almost completely covered with Carolina jessamine, it blocks the morning sun from the living room and provides a pleasant place to sit and enjoy the front garden. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Home & Garden)
South Sioux City kicks off fall cleanup today Oct 6, 2008
-- Construction and demolition materials such as lumber, plywood, wallboard, plaster, lathe, nails, shingles, roofing paper, siding, bricks, concrete blocks or broken concrete. -- Hazardous materials such as petroleum products of any type, pesticides and herbicides, batteries, glass, caustic or acidic substances, oil base paint or poisonous substances. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
C'est la vie, Kahala neighbors Oct 6, 2008
Cars up on blocks are no big deal on some streets. On Kahala Avenue, folks expect the brass dolphins on security gates to be nicely polished. (Honolulu Advertiser)
Scoop: Will Britney move back to the Big Apple? Oct 3, 2008
Her arrival at the station was entirely random: one rep for the station confirms that Z-100 received a call from the Spears camp saying she was just two blocks away and wanted to come in. Of course we were happy to have her, says the rep, who also confirmed that her entourage was limited to one person her on-again, off-again manager Larry Rudolph. (MSNBC -- Gossip)
Too much math too soon Sep 25, 2008
Manipulating simple building blocks and creating stuff from other stuff (remember homemade go-karts built from scrap lumber and repurposed wheels ... Disconnect your kids (from cellphones, computers, dvds, etc) and reconnect WITH them (Legos, building blocks, Memory game, reading, building stuff from other stuff, etc. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Weekend calendar Sep 25, 2008
" Here Lewis' works nurture ideas and imagery to manifest into new forms of implied purpose and aesthetic ambiguity. Pegasus Gallery is located on the first floor of Chapman Hall and open Monday and Wednesday, 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., when classes are in session. For information, contact Matthew Weber, art curator, at mweber@mxcc.commnet.edu or (860) 343-5806. MIDDLETOWN - Stephen Bemont is displaying his turned wood creations in the lobby at Russell Library, 123 Broad... (Middletown Press, CT)
Local Kiwanis group helps with flood relief in Iowa Sep 24, 2008
They drove through this desolation to the work site just six blocks south of downtown in the arts and theater district. On arrival, crews from the Downtown Club of Cedar Rapids were there to greet the DeKalb Kiwanis volunteers. (DeKalb Daily Chronicle, IL)
3 Mosquito Pools Test Positive For West Nile Virus Sep 24, 2008
Mosquito pools collected in the 3500 and 8100 blocks of Granby Street, tested on September 18, 2008, as well as a site in the 6300 block of East Virginia Beach Boulevard, tested on September 19, 2008, have all yielded positive results for West Nile Virus. The Vector Control Division will fog these communities as soon as the weather permits and has already begun implementing mosquito control and surveillance activities, to include storm drain treatments, backyard inspections, trapping and... (WTKR.com, VA)
9 Accused Of Importing Cocaine In Toys, Puzzles Sep 24, 2008
The gang used U.S. Postal Service Express Mail to send cocaine hidden in toy tool boxes, boxes of building blocks, puzzle cartons and other containers, prosecutors said. Investigators arrested eight people in the Bronx and on Tuesday, said. (WNBC.com, NY)
MEGA Brands' Smart Builders Piano Selected as one of Dr. Toy's Top 10 Toys of 2008 Sep 18, 2008
Without Mega Bloks, the Smart Builders Piano plays as a normal instrument, but by layering or removing blocks, aspiring young Beethovens can change the instruments, add beats and even songs to create their own musical masterpiece. Research also shows that there is a direct correlation between playing an instrument from a young age and enhancing creativity, concentration and coordination in children. (Canada Newswire)
Doing more with less at UGA Sep 18, 2008
They run full speed or pick up blocks every single play. It s good to keep a solid rotation. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Sports)
Baby eyes are taking in the world, applying self-experience to other people Sep 17, 2008
During these games, children learned that "an opaque cloth blocks their own perception and they immediately generalized this to others, a very early form of role-taking," said Meltzoff. "This illustrates that infants treat others as 'like me'.". (EurekAlert!)
Reno: Tweaks can transform Sep 15, 2008
Ample blocks accommodate sizeable spreads out here and most are large, solid-brick dwellings for growing families. Jodi Longmore-Scott, husband Simon Greaves and their four children had plenty of room to move in their two-storey, neo-Georgian home with four bedrooms, large living areas and a terraced backyard with towering gums. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Man weathers Ike -- from his porch... Sep 15, 2008
"I watched automobiles floating by," like a Volvo that traveled for several blocks before ending up in a ditch ... Just two blocks away, homes were ripped off their wooden pilings and crushed together. (The Drudge Report)
Circuit behind Web turns 50 Sep 15, 2008
The circuits became building blocks for microprocessors, the increasingly powerful and compact chips that are the brains behind the internet and most of today's "smart" electronic devices. "It's been only 50 years, but think of the dramatic improvements in everything we do around the world today," Intel spokesperson Bill Calder told AFP.. (iAfrica.com)
Experts say autism may have helped boy survive ordeal Sep 11, 2008
Yet she said his autism -- the brain development disorder that blocks Christopher from telling his mom what it was like to be all alone, drifting away from his dad in the dark -- might well have helped save him. Such is the paradoxical nature of autism, say researchers and therapists. (Daytona Beach News Journal)
The Liberals are effectively saying ''let them drive Ferraris.'' Sep 8, 2008
The Liberals are not angels here but after Labor Senate blocks of Liberal policy over the years I think it is a bit rich to be claiming the economic (much less moral) high ground now. Try rasing the luxury tax threshold to, say, $100,000 and you will indeed catch your Porche, Lamborghini and Ferrari drivers that seem to worry you so much and deal with the tourist operators and farmers at the same time. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Business)
More of this story Sep 6, 2008
Crockett, whose penchant for teaching sports to area youth brought on the nickname Coach Ron, lives blocks away from the Huntington in another South Main Street hotel. He too had been eager to do something positive for the youth in the community, he said. (Los Angeles Downtown News, CA)
Parents report progress with kids in new autism program Sep 5, 2008
Playing on the floor with his mom, Michele, he smiled at her and said, "Look at that," as he stacked blocks ... Parents follow the child's lead, playing with balls, blocks and sensory toys or even jumping up and down. (Daytona Beach News Journal)
Big fun for kids in Baltimore Sep 4, 2008
Just a few blocks from the aquarium is a four-floor indoor attraction created for ages 2 to 10. The most time is spent in the new Wonders of Water exhibit that opened this year, which is the museum s 10th anniversary. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
NYC Neighborhoods: Turtle Bay Sep 1, 2008
Unlike some neighborhoods, though, it also lacks a department store, although Saks Fifth Avenue at 49th Street and Fifth Avenue is just a few blocks outside the neighborhood. Tiffany's, which also qualifies as a point of interest, is also a few blocks away at Fifth Avenue and 56th Street. (Suite101.com)
The first day of the rest of their lives Aug 28, 2008
Tristan immediately went for the Legos, and two girls joined him in tinkering with the building blocks. They had these at my old school, Tristan said. (Half Moon Bay Review, CA)
HEALTH BLOG: Digging into the latest cancer studies Aug 28, 2008
It blocks infection by two types of the , or HPV, which account for about 70% of cervical cancer cases. It also blocks infection by two other HPV types that cause about 90% of genital warts cases ... Finasteride, which blocks production of a hormone that causes the prostate to enlarge, can cause decreased sexual desire, impotence and decreased semen volume. (USA Today -- Money)
30 Years of the Lego Minifig Aug 26, 2008
g axles, rotating blocks) to make things interesting ... I'm running out of blocks to build my 1:1 scale car. (Slashdot)
State police respond to standoff of man with weapon Aug 25, 2008
Residents were kept back two blocks from this home at 209 S. Buchanan where police believed the man was a danger to himself and others. Heyworth Police, McLean County Police and Illinois State Police responded to the situation by blocking roads, and access to the area. (The Pantagraph newspaper)
Giants Poised for Super Repeat Aug 24, 2008
will make all the catches he's supposed to make and miss some blocks he's supposed to make. But offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride will make sure Boss creates mismatches for the defense instead of creating mismatches for the offensive line. (GiantInsider.net)
Girl, 9, waved knife at mom's killer Aug 23, 2008
Jaume's husband, Jason, then 28, was working that day in the kitchen at Copeland's restaurant, just two blocks from the Wal-Mart, where he was training to become a manager. The family had moved from Jefferson Parish about a year and a half earlier because of St. Tammany's lower crime rate, according to Jaume's friends and family. (Nola.com -- Sports)
Mideast peacemaking; Bashir visits Turkey; The right balance; A badge of shame Aug 22, 2008
Mideast peacemaking; Bashir visits Turkey; The right balance; A badge of shame - International Herald Tribune (International Herald Tribune -- Ed/Op)
American man fights to keep century-old family farm Aug 21, 2008
We dont want to open it up to the point where all of a sudden theres corporations from all over the world owning big blocks of land here as a farmer I think that would hinder my business, said Bjornerud. Theres a level playing field in the middle here and we have to find that balance. (Winnipeg Sun)
GC 2008: Warhammer Online - Beyond Launch Aug 21, 2008
Likely expansions and then blocks of free content updates, then. "Mythic has a long history of good, solid, free supporting content. They've always done that and they'll continue to do that. That's the plan.". (IGN PC Games)
Smackdown in Toyland Aug 20, 2008
In the other is Canada's humbled but feisty Mega Brands Inc., attempting a comeback with a new line of magnet-based construction toy sets as a marquee product, and keen to return to the good old days when it wrenched market share away from dominant player Lego with its own line of colourful interlocking blocks ... The Canadian upstart's strength has always been in its preschool offerings, with its oversized building blocks a segment that it pioneered, Ms. Zwiers said. (Globe and Mail)
Child of a lost bohemia Aug 20, 2008
A few blocks away, over lunch in New York's Chinatown, Jacobs explains that documenting the strange private landscape of his parents' rent-controlled apartment -- and the vanishing world of unmoneyed or anti-moneyed 1960s-era New York artists that it epitomizes -- was "first and foremost the inspiration for making 'Momma's Man,' way before I cast my parents and way before thinking of Mikey's story." As an adult, he says, he has come to realize how odd and wonderful it was to grow up in a... (Salon)
Easy solutions to kid clutter Aug 17, 2008
Campion's also a proponent of labeling clear plastic bins with photographs of the items stored inside, such as blocks or dolls, helping kids who can't yet read identify the proper homes for their toys. "Parents probably want to have all the pretty pink wooden boxes, but little kids can't manipulate that stuff. I'm not a big believer in fancy furniture for little kids. It just doesn't work. Wait a few years, and go with the simple stuff initially," Campion says. (Albany Times Union)
Toys 'R' Us pinning hopes on new superstores Aug 15, 2008
One stop, she said, hauling the loot that the kids grandmother and great-grandmother had just bought for them, including blocks, coloring books, school supplies and baby food. Storch said that s the point. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Business)
Plot thickens in Denver death Aug 14, 2008
On Monday, he was found in a fourth-floor room at the ritzy Burnsley Hotel about four blocks from the Colorado state Capitol. He had been dead for several days. (Canoe.ca)
Fairfax buys a brick in the wall Aug 12, 2008
After stealing market share from Lego in the toddler and preschool market with its bigger, multi-coloured plastic blocks, Mega developed a line of smaller bricks for older children, taking aim at Lego's core market. But Lego has staged something of a comeback of late and it's Mega Brands' turn to grapple with the fallout from its success, including an expansion-related debt load. (Globe and Mail)
Research care providers for kids, experts urge Aug 11, 2008
Is the program well-supplied with equipment and supplies, such as books, games, blocks and other manipulative toys and creative-art materials. Are there spaces for active and quiet play. (AZCentral)
Anchorage homeless families have a street-wise 'Mom' Aug 11, 2008
She knows the neighborhood well, with its pawn shops and blocks of low-end rentals. She lived there in some of her toughest years. (Anchorage Daily News)
Product Recalls Aug 8, 2008
Description: This recall involves Learning Pots and Pans toy sets with stackable pots and pans, a lid and shape-sorting blocks. The toys have light and sound features that operate on three AA batteries. (Florida Today)
Fisher-Price recalling toys due to choking hazard Aug 8, 2008
This recall involves Learning Pots and Pans toy sets with stackable pots and pans, a lid and shape-sorting blocks ... This recall involves Learning Pots & Pans toy sets with stackable pots and pans, a lid and shape-sorting blocks. (FOX23.com, OK)
Q&A: What can you do to keep your children safe? Aug 5, 2008
A variety of products are on the market that address consumers concerns of chemical contamination for children and families, including the Born Free baby bottle, Seventh Generation baby laundry detergent, Adiri natural nurser bottle, Bumpking waterproof Superbib and HABA Baby's First Blocks. TOXIC LEGACY. (USA Today -- Money)
Dogapalooza makes a fetching debut at Cowlitz County Fair Aug 2, 2008
Ms. Z wrote on Aug 1, 2008 5:19 PM:" Thought, I live near the fairgrounds. I do not have a driveway to park in, my daughter had to park three blocks away after work because people not only took up every spare inch of space in front of the house, they were also kind enough to throw all their trash in our front yard. Oh yeah and then there is the drunk couple screaming profanity at their children while arguing over who was the most capable of driving. Not whining, valid complaints. ". Thought... (Longview Daily News, WA)
Fun times in store at indoor playground Aug 1, 2008
"I always had a dream of starting my own business; incorporating my love of children and my business knowledge," she said "I was always throwing out ideas to my friends and family to see if they would find ideas useful. In addition to being an indoor playground with the addition of a drop off care center, the facility has state-of-art equipment suitable for infants and young children "We offer children a place to fuel their imaginations as well as receive valuable exercise," said Petzold. "We... (Hopkinton Town Crier, MA)
Photos: This Summer Stephen King's 'N.' is Coming to a Small Screen Near You Jul 26, 2008
At the same time, paid download customers will be able to purchase blocks of 5 episodes for $0. 99 or buy a Season Pass for the entire series for $3. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Green Trend Hits Wellesley Diaper Set Jul 25, 2008
I use everything I sell, the 31-year-old said while sitting on the floor of her new store this past week, watching her sons play with the blocks she sells. If it can withstand my children, it s doable in my stores. (Wellesley Townsman, MA)
Countdown to Cabelas under way Jul 24, 2008
- There are more than 30,000 concrete blocks in the store's exterior walls. - The interior contains the equivalent of 2. (Rapid City Journal, SD)
Shiny new malls have so far to fall Jul 22, 2008
Hotels, apartments and office blocks will be added through cooperation with the private sector. The city planning agency already has blueprints on the table. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- City)
Stimulating the senses Jul 17, 2008
In addition, expose your baby to different textures such as smooth satin sheets, a cool marble floor, fleecy toys, soft terry towels, hard wooden blocks and dads prickly stubble. You can make him a rag book with different types of cloth corduroy, denim, silk, chiffon, lace, rayon, cotton, velvet and many others. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Just having the TV on can distract kids, cut down on playtime Jul 15, 2008
Perhaps most significant: When the TV was on, kids of all ages played with a given toy a jack-in-the-box, a baby doll, blocks, a toy telephone, a school bus with toy passengers for about 30 seconds, on average. Without TV, it was 60 seconds. (USA Today)
Has Congress called it quits until the next president is elected? Jul 14, 2008
bnhuman wrote on Jul 13, 2008 11:24 PM:" Bush has been lame? Tax cuts for EVERYONE who pays taxes! Yep Lame. Taliban on the run! Yep Lame. Being blamed for high oil while congress blocks the ability to get our own oil. Yep Lame. You 9percenters who support congress need to get a clue. ". observation8 wrote on Jul 13, 2008 9:15 PM:" Boy, so many clever Bush bashers. Just a reminder--gas was below $2 per barrel when Nancy Pelosi took over as the House Majority Leader. What about the tons of Yellow... (The Pantagraph newspaper)
'Toxic Trader' Puppet Leads Washington D.C. Demonstration Jul 13, 2008
They chanted as they marched several blocks, from the AFL-CIO headquarters to the Hyatt, with the aid of a Washington, D.C., motorcycle police officer motorcade. Chants included, "Gas is lead-free, why can't toys be?" The "Toxic Trader" carries a Thomas the Tank Engine replica in one of its gigantic hands because Thomas was among the beloved toys made in China that was recalled because of toxic levels of lead paint. (PR Newswire)
Middle Kingdom deciphered Jul 13, 2008
The author is not fooled by the exterior calm and orderliness projected by the Chinese government and speaks of "isolated bubbles of tension" that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) blocks from "merging into larger, more powerful forces" (p 70). She slams "the cruel fangs of China's autocratic regime" (p 122) that coercively relocated half a million households to beautify Beijing for the Olympics. (Asia Times Online)
Tractor fun at Old Soldiers Reunion July 11-12 Jul 7, 2008
Free coffee and donuts will be served prior to the ride at 7 a.m. at Bierbaum A.C. Museum, located on Cass Street, three blocks south of Griswold s Main Street, and the ride will officially start at 8 a.m. Drivers will arrive in Lyman at The Deere Shop at 9 a.m., and then arrive at Schuler Manufacturing Co. at 10:30 a.m. where drivers will receive a free lunch along with a tour. Drivers will arrive at the Hitchcock House in Lewis at 2 p.m. and then arrive at the Rush Ford Collection at 4 p.m.. (Atlantic News-Telegraph, IO)
Hunt for a savior, Part 1: Man searches for truck driver who saved his life in 1945 Jul 7, 2008
One container was crammed full of the children s building blocks. The other, however, held a bigger prize: 120 silver dollars and a note. (Longview Daily News, WA)
Cold comfort Jul 5, 2008
"She knows how to make, to give, without the qualifying - It's mine ... Anne was unhurried, calm, dexterous ... Grace tripped over toys and books and blocks. Anne laughed." As for Philip, I just hope I wasn't as plonkingly earnest as he is drawn, though I have a sinking feeling that I might have been. "He gestured readily, he was eager, lively ... A spasm of sympathy crossed Philip's face ... Sometimes Philip turned to glance at Grace as he made a casual guest-warming and including remark." Oh,... (Guardian Unlimited -- Books)
Nation's capital: An ever-changing American mirror Jul 4, 2008
This holds true, too, in the blocks beyond the central monuments, where a panoply of new museums in recent decades invite visitors beyond America's foyer and into more specific, and intimate, inner rooms ... They have already run off to ascend a series of enormous blocks splayed around the memorial with words like "hate" and "war" etched upon them. (Yahoo News -- Politics)
Dollar stores gain favor in slumping economy Jul 4, 2008
Isabelle Escudero, of west Phoenix, said Family Dollar's savings are worth the 20 blocks she recently drove to get there ... Sherrie Koehler, who teaches fifth-grade math and science at Acclaim Academy, a charter school a few blocks away from Family Dollar, said she spends more than $200 of her own money a year at dollar stores on prizes for students. (AZCentral -- Business)
Unusual Baby Shower Gift Ideas Jul 3, 2008
Be sure that everyone signs their own block in some way and have the blocks returned by a certain date in order to have it put together. This can also be used as a decoration at the shower. (Suite101.com)
Beloved bulldog deserves preeminent place in sports Jul 2, 2008
I once saw a man nearly suffocate when he was driven to center ice dressed in a giant pig costume and stuffed into the chamber of a Zamboni with blocks of dry ice (for dramatic, oxygen-depriving effect) while a professional hog caller bellowed "Sooie!" until someone realized the seizures the poor guy was having weren't part of the show. The mascot survived that promotional scare, but the NHL club was none too pleased with neither my published science lesson on why they nearly killed him nor my... (The Augusta Chronicle)
Toys And Technology For Rehabilitation In Cerebral Palsy Patients Jul 2, 2008
26, 2007) Old-fashioned retro toys, such as red rubber balls, simple building blocks, clay and crayons, that don't cost much are usually much healthier for children than the electronic educational toys that. (Aug. (Science Daily)
Hooked on Books - How to Raise Life-Long Readers Jul 1, 2008
Library use by low-income families drops dramatically if they live more than six blocks from a public library. And when school closes for holidays and vacations, these children often don't have access to any books at all. (Courier Publications, ME)
