Tom McMahon

Crayola 3D Sidewalk Chalk

Crayola 3D Sidewalk Chalk   

 

I saw this on TV, looked pretty neat.

The Avenging Narwhal Play Set With 4 Magical Tusks and 3 Adorable Animals To Impale!

The Avenging Narwhal Play Set With 4 Magical Tusks and 3 Adorable Animals To Impale!

Why Are Fire Engines Red?

Just Muttering has the answer from NostalgiaLand:

Well, to begin with, fire engines have 8 wheels and 4 people riding in them.
8 plus 4 is 12.
12 inches is a foot.
A foot is a ruler.
A famous ruler was Queen Elizabeth.
The "Queen Elizabeth" was a ship that sailed the sea.
The sea has fish.
Fish have fins.
The Finns fought the Russians.
The Russians are red [sic] and fire engines are always rushin' . . .
    . . . which is why fire engines are always red.

Lego: Milwaukee's Miller Park, Complete With A Working Retractable Roof

Lego: Milwaukee's Miller Park, Complete With A Working Retractable Roof

Built by Tim Kaebisch, a student at Milwaukee School of Engineering, where it is on display thru the end of August 2008. An excerpt from an interview with the web site Home Run Derby:

HRD:  Did you have blueprints or schemes to work from?
TK:  There was nothing like that out there.  So it was mostly trial and error.  I started with the roof before anything else.

HRD: Is it all made entirely of Lego?
TK:  It’s 99% Lego materials.  There’s some light string and twist ties in there.  The electronics are all from Lego Mindstorm. ...

HRD: What’s your major at MSOE?
TK:  I’m a Junior majoring in Architectural Engineering, specializing in Environmental Engineering, which includes HVAC, plumbing and fire protection.  I’ll graduate in May 2009.

Do you think he'll have any trouble finding a job? Me neither. By the way, Home Run Derby has a great page of other Lego ballparks as well. (via Cold Spring Shops)

Spelling Tip: Favre Is Your Favorite

1. F A V O R I T E
2. F A V O R I T E
3. F A V    R      E
4. F A V R E

Stickman: A Windows Program That Lets You Create Animated Cartoons

Stickman: A Windows Program That Lets You Create Animated Cartoons

The summary from SnapFiles.com:

Stickman enables you to create animated cartoons, without the need for any drawing skills. Instead of drawing, you can choose from a collection of enhanced stick figures that look like cartoon characters, and can be animated in the same way as stick figure animations, using control points. You can use full color backgrounds and choose from a variety of characters and objects that can be used in your animation. The program also includes a character editor (Elemento) that allows you to design your animation objects. Stickman supports multiple layers, adjustable camera angels, and more.

Safe Baby Handling Tips: A Book By David and Kelly Sopp

Safe Baby Handling Tips: A Book By David and Kelly Sopp

More here. The Sopps also run wrybaby.com

Contiguous State Pairs With Run-On Abbreviations

Contiguous State Pairs With Run-On Abbreviations

Examples:

• Minnesota & North Dakota: MNND
• Wisconsin & Illinois: WIIL

Exercises:

1. Can you find all the state pairs?
2. Can you can travel from coast-to-coast using these state pairs?
3. Can you can travel from Canada to Mexico using these state pairs?

Idea: Use this as a game with kids learning US geography.

Mnemonic: Scarry Is Not Scary

Scarry

Scary

When I saw one Milwaukee blogger criticizing another for his misspellings but then ending his criticism with "scarry" when he meant "scary", I thought everyone might benefit from this mnemonic.

Same and Different: A Children's Coloring Book

Same and Different: A Children's Coloring Book

"A dancing hippo, a magical dragon, happy fairies, and other fantastic creatures populate these pages. The characters look alike, but a closer look reveals subtle differences. With these 30 whimsical pictures, kids can sharpen their detective skills by figuring out the similarities and distinctions. The fanciful illustrations are fun to color, too!"

50 Rules Kids Won't Learn in School: Hey, I'm In That Book!

>
50 Rules Kids Won't Learn in School: Hey, I'm In That Book!

I'm in Rule #24. I'm not sure how exactly, or even what Rule #24 is ("24. Never wear a hat. It makes you look like an idiot.") But hey, that's all part of the fun.

Diagram: How The 50 United States Are Connected To Each Other

Diagram: How The 50 United States Are Connected To Each Other

Click on the diagram to see a bigger (aka readable) one. Click here for more diagrams.

The Long-Ago Boyhood Pasttime of Metal Casting Toy Soldiers: Kids and Hot Molten Lead, What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

The Long-Ago Boyhood Pasttime of Metal Casting Toy Soldiers: Kids and Hot Molten Lead, What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

We used to do this all the time when we were kids. If you can say the same, then you're probably over 50 too. And really, it was all perfectly safe, just as long as you didn't accidentally pour the hot molten lead on your hand or foot, in which case all bets were off. If all went well, you ended up with something like this:

The Alamo: Mexican Soldier

But that wasn't the final output, it was just a prerequisite for putting the finished toy soldier into the molten lead and making all manner of screaming noises and sound effects. Great fun!! Sooooo much better than the classic boyhood pasttime of setting objects on fire with a magnifying glass.

If you've grown up a little, you can even cast your own Nativity Set. While you could put the Wise Men into the molten lead, I wouldn't advise it. Do that to the Little Baby Jesus and brother, you're on your own.

What made me take this stroll down Memory Lane was Brian Kane's link to One Man's Blog's summary of Radar magazine's article The 10 Most Dangerous Toys of All Time. Those toys, dangerous? Maybe for girls.

A Generation Of Entitled Children

An article by Kidtips.com parenting expert Tom McMahon:

Have you noticed the growing trend of children and teens who believe the world owes them something? They feel entitled to the good life -- preferably without any effort on their part. The recipe that leads to this self-centered attitude in children usually contains a guilt-ridden parent or two and a child who watches an average of 40,000 slick commercials each year. The children want; the parents give; the parents feel less guilty.

Here is one common scenario: Many parents -- especially mothers -- feel guilty for working long hours away from home. Some try to make it up to their children by doing and buying more and expecting less from them. Before long, they become indulgent, permissive parents; they cannot say "no" to their children. The children become self-centered and demanding. The term "spoiled brat" comes to mind. Permissive parenting seldom has a positive outcome for children.

If this issue resonates with your family, refocus your efforts by promoting what is important in life: family and friends, the values of compassion and honesty, helping others (have your kids volunteer for the sick or needy), religious beliefs, working toward an important goal, etc. Assign household chores. Listen carefully when they talk. Remember, they need your love, boundaries and discipline more than the material things you can give them.

Cut And Assemble A Pre-9/11 New York Harbor Full-Color Diorama

Cut And Assemble A Pre-9/11 New York Harbor Full-Color Diorama

Hollywood Zombies Trading Cards

Hollywood Zombies Trading Cards

Renews my faith in our youngest generation. Guys, didn't we all grow up with our particular generation's version of these? Of course we did, and look at how well we turned out. Plus, check out this disclaimer: THIS PRODUCT IS NOT AUTHORIZED BY THE CELEBRITIES PARODIED. What more do you does your kid need? (Thanks, Janice!)

Topps 1961 Civil War News Trading Cards

Topps 1961 Civil War News Trading Cards

An excerpt from Bob Heffner's excellent site:

The United States Civil War Centennial Celebration was still going strong in 1962 when Topps produced a set of cards titled THE CIVIL WAR. The cards were the idea of Len Brown and Woody Gelman. Gelman recalled an earlier series of cards from the 1930's called HORRORS OF WAR that had made a large impact because of the graphic violence that was shown. They felt that boys would react strongly if they did a combination Civil War Chronicle with the feel of the old Horrors of War cards. Because of the title of the "newspaper-like journal" on the back the set has become known as the CIVIL WAR NEWS. The cards were graphic, bloody and extremely successful. This was the first of the the three "bloody" sets (including Battle and Mars Attacks) by famous 'pulp' artist Norm Saunders. CWN made a bundle and got Topps to invest some time and effort on the other two series.

The cards were even a hit in England. Here's creator Len Brown from a 1988 interview:

{Len} Yes....We worked with a company in England: A.B&C. Limited, I believe their name was. They found it more efficient to print the cards a little smaller. They reprinted many of our 1960's sets, only a little smaller. I remember seeing them do Mars Attacks that way too. I think they paid Topps a royalty plus a cost for the artwork. They had great success with Civil War cards we were told. That surprised Woody and myself because we wouldn't have thought that British children would give a hoot about our Civil War...But I guess blood and guts and good artwork will win every time.

Hey, that formula worked on my brother Tim and me  --- we bought a big bunch of these cards when we were kids. (Hey Tim, check out the French and Spanish sets, as well as these other links!)

Life of the Party: A Visual History of S.S. Adams, Makers of Pranks and Magic for 100 Years

Life of the Party: A Visual History of S.S. Adams, Makers of Pranks and Magic for 100 Years

(via the author's blog, Secret Fun Blog)

The New Book By Danica McKellar, aka Winnie Cooper: Math Doesn't Suck: How To Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind Or Breaking A Nail

The New Book By Danica McKellar, aka Winnie Cooper: Math Doesn't Suck: How To Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind Or Breaking A Nail

(via Cheap Ass Guy for the Poor Guy)

Tom Terrific

Tom Terrific

Excerpts from Wikipedia:

Tom Terrific was an early animated series on American television, presented as part of the Captain Kangaroo children's television show.

Created by Gene Deitch under the Terrytoons studio (which was a subsidiary of CBS, the network that broadcast Captain Kangaroo), Tom Terrific ran in a series of five-minute cartoons created specifically for the Captain Kangaroo show from 1957-1959, and was rerun on Kangaroo for years thereafter.

Drawn in a simple, even clumsy, style, it featured a gee-whiz boy hero, Tom Terrific, who lived in a treehouse and could transform himself into anything he wanted thanks to his magic "thinking cap" funnel hat, which also enhanced his intelligence. He had a comic lazybones of a sidekick, Mighty Manfred the Wonder Dog, and an arch-foe named Crabby Appleton, whose motto was "Rotten to the core!" Other foes included Mr. Instant, the Instant Thing King, Sweet Tooth Sam, the Candy Bandit, and Isotope Feaney. ... Tom Terrific was ranked by TV Guide magazine among its "50 Greatest TV Cartoon Characters".

And from Don Markstein's Toonpedia:

Tom's appeal did not lie in the cartoons' production values, which, like most early TV animation (e.g., Clutch Cargo, Col. Bleep), were nothing short of shoddy. No, it was in the clever writing, the likeable characters, and the fact that the series was just plain fun. The latter quality was considerably enhanced by the talent of voice actor Lionel Wilson, who played all the roles. As chief villain Crabby Appleton ("He's rotten to the core!"), Wilson would sneer and hiss in the best melodramatic tradition; while as Tom, his breathless enthusiasm made every little plot development seem like a Major Event.

Another possible source of the character's appeal was in his basic situation. Besides being a superhero (he could transform his body into whatever he wanted), Tom was a kid on his own. His headquarters was a tree house, where he lived with his ever-faithful companion, Mighty Manfred the Wonder Dog (possibly the world's laziest heroic sidekick), and nobody else. The only adults in Tom's life were guys he could have fun adventures with — villains like Captain Kidneybean the Pirate and weirdos like madcap inventor Isotope Feeny. What kid wouldn't want to identify with a guy like that?

Die-hard fans looking for DVD's might want to try here.

Las Vegas Stars Paper Dolls

Las Vegas Stars Paper Dolls

Sing A Song Of Sixpence

Explained by the BBC:

Sing a song of sixpence
A pocket full of rye
Four-and-twenty Blackbirds baked in a pie
And when the pie is ready
The birds begin to sing
Isn't this a dainty dish to set before the King

What sensational sibilance the phrase, 'Sing a Song of Sixpence', is. But more than the way it sounds, it's the hidden history which the rhyme alludes to, with all its little interpretations, that make it such a fascinating piece. Take for instance the notion of, 'Four and twenty Blackbirds baked in a pie'. Back in days of old, little clay whistles were baked into the pastry on the top of pies. These whistles were shaped like the heads of blackbirds with the beak wide open. The theory was, and this does actually work, that when the pie was cut, and the crust was broken, the cold air outside would meet the hot contents inside creating lots of steam. The steam would then rise up through the whistles, making the 'birds' heads' indeed appear to sing.

And if you imagine 24 birds' heads, you can imagine the size of the pie - fit enough, indeed, for the king's table.

Make Your Own Pizza Sticker Activity Book

Make Your Own Pizza Sticker Activity Book

How do you like your pizza? With pepperoni? Mushrooms and olives? Broccoli? Peppers? Make it exactly the way you want it with this generously proportioned pie crust, printed on the inside covers, and 80 colorful sticker toppings. All stickers are reusable, so you can customize your pie for every order.

Splenda Pumpkin Pie: The Sneaky Way To Get Your Kids To Eat Their Vegetables

Pumpkin Pie made with Splenda contains eggs, milk, and pumpkin, one of the world's healthiest foods. Easy to make, bakes in one hour. Just don't tell them that pumpkin is a vegetable!

Hidden Picture Books For Kids

Hidden Picture Books For Kids

When I go to the dentist or the doctor, I always scour the waiting room for their copy of Highlights for Children just so I can find the hidden pictures. It puts me in a foul mood when I find someone's beaten me to it. Well now Dover Publications has come out with several books of nothing but hidden pictures. A great stocking stuffer idea in the winter, and a great time-occupier for those long vaction drives in the summer.

Strength

Strength

A US Flag With 50 Stripes

A US Flag With 50 Stripes

When the first new states came to join the original 13 colonies, they added both a star and a stripe to the flag. After just a couple of new states, they figured out this plan really wasn't going to work and went back to 13 stripes, and just added a star for each new state. If they hadn't revised their plan, the drawing above is what you would be singing the National Anthem to at the ballgame.

Pass this along to your grade-school teacher friend. I bet the kids find this flag both funny and interesting.

Free Downloadable Wrigley Field Do-It-Yourself Paper Model

Free Downloadable Wrigley Field Do-It-Yourself Paper Model

A good way to keep busy in the off-season, which for Cubs fans pretty much every year starts the day after the regular season.

How Toddlers Toddle

How Toddlers Toddle

Yeah, I realize that a 4-year-old isn't exactly a toddler, but still it's pretty neat that they've figured out how to quantify this.

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother: Father Flanagan, Boys Town, And A 1969 Hit Song For The Hollies

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother: Father Flanagan, Boys Town, And A 1969 Hit Song For The Hollies

An excerpt from Wikipedia:

The origin of the title of the song has caused great speculation. In 1924, the first editor of Kiwanis Magazine, Roe Fulkerson, published a column carrying the title "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother". Dated September 1924, the article speaks of Fulkerson's encounter with "a spindly and physically weak lad" carrying a baby and "staggering towards a neighboring park".

" 'Pretty big load for such a small kid' I said as I met him. 'Why, mister,' he smiled, 'He ain't heavy; he's my brother.' "

Fulkerson goes on to examine his profound regard for that statement and how it could perhaps help us to view life in a better way.

The phrase is also associated with Father Edward J. Flanagan, the founder of Boys Town. Father Flanagan came across a line drawing in the Christmas 1941 edition of the Louis Allis Messenger, a company publication. The "Two Brothers" line drawing of a young boy carrying his brother featured on Page 44, in gold & black ink. The caption read "He ain't heavy Mister - he's m' brother!" It was created by Mr. Van B. Hooper who later became the editor of Ideals Magazine. The drawing was subsequently repeated in the first issue of Ideals in December of 1944.

(Inspired by Woody!)

Kid-Powered Merry-Go-Round Water Pumps

Kid-Powered Merry-Go-Round Water Pumps

They have about 700 of these working in South Africa already.

Toy Guns

From Bernie DeKoven, who writes more from a fun perspective than a gun perspective:

The "enlightened" parents of our culture seem to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to keep kids from playing. From playing in the living room or classroom. From playing in front of the house or in the trees or on the computer.

Toy guns, for example. No reasonably peace-loving parent would even consider letting their kids have a toy gun in the house. Guns, the reasonable parent reasons, are bad. Toy guns, the rational parent somehow therefore concludes, are even worse. "Let there therefore be no toy gun in my child's toybox. Nor let there be anything that can be construed as a toy gun, or toy gunlike, or as a component of a gunlike toy. Nor let there be in neighborhood or mailbox any dealer in or advertiser of anything that could possibly construed or used as a toy gun."

And wherever you see these restrictions enforced, you find kids pointing their fingers at each other and saying "bang."

Wherever you are, if you are in this world at all, you know about guns. You see them everywhere. In the movies. In the stores. On the streets. You know what guns are used for. You know that there are people who would have no compunctions about using them on you. You know this, in our culture, from the age of, say, three on. In most cultures, you learned it earlier.

The stuff of kids play is reality. Safe in the fiction of the game, kids can deal with the truth of their world, even though their parents are in denial. Like the evermore present possibility of death by violence, for example. Playing dead they learn how long death really is. Shooting toy guns, they begin to understand the ultimate fiction of power.

So why would any enlightened parent worth their wattage want to keep their kids from toy guns? Especially the ones that really look like toys. That couldn’t be anything else. The supersoaking, the raygunning, rubber-band shooting….

It must be a trust thing. Parents must not really trust their kids. Most parents definitely don't trust play. Play can get crazy. Totally out of control. And so can kids. And so can parents. Especially parents. Especially people who act like our parents, even though they're only elected representatives.

Check out Bernie's other articles too!

Taffy Was A Welshman, Taffy Was A Thief

Taffy was a Welshman,
Taffy was a thief.
Taffy came to my house
And stole a leg of beef.
I went to Taffy's house,
Taffy was in bed.
I picked up the leg of beef
And hit him on the head.

Taffy was a Welshman,
Taffy was a thief.
Taffy came to my house
And stole a piece of beef;
I went to Taffy's house,
Taffy wasn't home;
Taffy came to my house
And stole a marrow bone.

I went to Taffy's house,
Taffy was not in;
Taffy came to my house
And stole a rolling-pin.
I went to Taffy's house;
Taffy was in bed;
I took up a poker
And flung it at his head.

Taffy was a Welshman,
Taffy was a thief,
Taffy came to my house
And stole a piece of beef;
I went to Taffy's house,
Taffy wasn't in;
I jumped upon his Sunday hat,
And poked it with a pin.

Taffy was a Welshman,
Taffy was a sham,
Taffy came to my house
And stole a leg of lamb;
I went to Taffy's house,
Taffy was away;
I stuffed his socks with sawdust
And filled his shoes with clay.

Taffy was a Welshman,
Taffy was a cheat,
Taffy came to my house
And stole a piece of meat;
I went to Taffy's house,
Taffy was not there;
I hung his coat and trousers
To roast before a fire.

I first learned of this little ditty as an adult from a Richard Scarry book of nursery rhymes we read to the kids. They say this is traditionally sung on the 1st of March, St David's Day, on the Welsh borders and other parts of England.  And I recently learned from a Welshman that "Taffy" is a generic name for a Welshman, much like "Paddy" might be for an Irishman. (from here via here)

Science Fair Idea: Make Your Own Victrola

Science Fair Idea: Make Your Own Victrola

(via vvork and Make: )

Musical Toys From The Blue Man Group

Musical Toys From The Blue Man Group

The styling can best be described as PVC tubing meets Apple G5 meets Fisher Price. Available in July.

On Top Of Spaghetti, All Covered With Cheese

An excerpt from, of all places, the Jewish World Review:

Q: Where does the song "On Top of Spaghetti" come from? — Sister Therese Poli, Waukesha, Wis.

A: Sister, thanks to you, a whole buncha people are now humming a song they haven't thought of in years. As you might recall, it's sung to the tune of one of the great American folk songs, "On Top Of Old Smokey." Folk singer Tom Glazer wrote the lyrics to the spaghetti ditty. They begin like this:

On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese

I lost my poor meatball when somebody sneezed.

It rolled off the table, and onto the floor

And then my poor meatball rolled out of the door.

Now, a lot of Q&A columns (beware imitations!) would end right there, with all you good people wondering what in the world happened to the poor meatball. But not us at Glad You Asked, no sirree! For one thing, I love meatballs. And for another, following this one leads us down a saucy path, fragrant and juicy with trivia.

"On Top of Spaghetti" peaked at No. 14 on Billboard magazine's pop music chart in 1963. And the song's staying power was demonstrated by its inclusion in Mike Meyer's 2002 movie "Austin Powers: Goldmember."

But Tom Glazer was no flash in the pan, no one-meatball wonder. He was an important figure in helping popularize folk music - along with greats like Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie and Burl Ives. He worked at the Library of Congress and befriended Alan Lomax, who established the library's archive of American folk songs. Glazer died in 2003 at 88.

But there's something else you should know about him ... (HERE COMES THE TRIVIA!) He composed songs for "A Face In the Crowd," the movie that made Andy Griffith famous.

So there you have it. A Roman Catholic nun writes in to the Jewish World Review to find out in-depth information on a song called On Top Of Spaghetti. Only in America.

Top 5 Things To Do To Keep Your Kids Occupied At IHOP

From Michelle Malkin:

5. Paper placemat origami (turn the kids' menus into fortune tellers).
4. Hide the IHOP mint.
3. Blind taste testing: Guess the syrup flavor.
2. Sugar packet finger soccer.
1. Half-and-half towers!

My Little Pony: The End Of Flutter Valley

My Little Pony: The End Of Flutter Valley

From Rhino.com :

A miniseries that plays like a movie! It's a race against the clock as the Ponies try to save Flutter Valley from Queen Bumble and the witches from the Volcano of Gloom. Catch My Little Pony, the timeless animated TV series based on the best-selling line of Hasbro toys. It's at its finest on this feature-length DVD. [93 MIN.; COLOR; NOT RATED]

World Trade Center Paper Model

"As a result of many modellers asking for the entire World Trade Center Complex, Joe Cangero got to work and designed the models you see here and you can have it in seconds as a downloadable model... $4.95 You're going to find the WTC model EASY to build and magically (honestly!) therapeutic to recreate. Please feel free to make a few copies to share with your friends."

Mohamed Atta Paper Doll

Mohamed Atta Paper Doll

One of the bombshells in the 9/11 Commission Report was that Mohamed Atta liked to dance around in women's clothes and admire himself in the mirror (it was in the small print, right there in the footnotes, or so I'm told). After the serious observances for 9/11 are over, what better way to spend the day than by dressing up this Mohamed Atta doll in various ladies' outfits? If you click on the illustration above, you'll get a full-size Mohamed, suitable for printing. Then go here to get some really girlish outfits for him to wear.

Can't you just imagine Li'l Mo looking up from the Fiery Depths of Hell, seeing millions of folks around the the world playing with the paper doll of him in womens' underwear? I realize it's not nearly the same as bringing back all the people we lost or the WTC, but don't you feel better already?

100 USSR CCCP Pins And Badges For Less Than $1 Each

100 USSR CCCP Pins And Badges For Less Than $1 Each

They were wrong about Communism ending up on the trash heap of History; it landed in the Bargain Bin instead.

The Childrens Library

One from Wigderson Library and Post:

Caught this little tidbit from Ed Garvey while reading the Badger Blog Alliance,

The first book I recall given to me by my parents was Hiroshima by John Hersey. I read it and could not stiffle my horror. We did not know then how many would ultimately die of cancer, but more than 100,000 died from the blast.

Aside from debating the merits of nuking Hiroshima and Nagasaki (which I think is really undebateable when all the facts are presented in context), what kind of sick parents did Ed Garvey have? What kind of parent say, "Here little Eddie. Read all about death and destruction and radiation caused disease. Sweet dreams." This is the kind of story you expect to hear in the Oswald family. Did they kill a puppy in front of him, too?

What kind of anti-social miscreant were they trying to raise? I never thought I would feel sorry for the man that caused the 1982 NFL players strike.

And I thought I was the only one with The Silence of the Lambs coloring book or the video of Reservoir Dogs ... for Kids!

So Whose Fault Is It Really?

An excerpt from her article The Boredom Machine by Marylaine Block:

Often, when we complain about kids these days, what we're saying is that it's all their fault -- they're ignorant, unmotivated, lazy, with an undeserved sense of entitlement.

But WE're the ones who created their stultifying world. In the name of safety, WE moved them to the suburbs, supervised their every moment, and forbade them to go exploring. In the name of their future success, WE made them into test-takers and robbed them of the sheer joy of finding things out. And many of us, because we're too busy, too frantic, too stressed, gave them entertainment instead of our attention. WE're the ones who gave them the products of other people's imaginations instead of setting free their own.

The way I see it, these kids aren't just bored. They're deprived.

When somebody complains about the younger generation, I won't be nodding my head approvingly. As the kids would say, "That's so-o-o boring." I'd much rather talk about what we can do to give them a world that isn't.

War Of The Worlds Coloring Book

War Of The Worlds Coloring Book

How To Use Your Watch As A Compass

How To Use Your Watch As A Compass

Click on the picture for the full explanation.

The Old Penny On A Spinning Coat Hanger Trick

      
The Old Penny On A Spinning Coat Hanger Trick

You put the penny on the hanger and spin it around. The penny stays on due to the Coriolis Effect or The Third Law of Thermodynamics or something. I got pretty good at this when I was a kid. A great non-job-related skill for the kids to master over summer vacation.

Free Geography Web Games

Free Geography Web Games

If you want to feel humble, try the game where you name the capitals of the African countries. (via Public Brewery)

The Mammoth Book Of Maneaters

The Mammoth Book Of Maneaters

This could be just the thing for that hard-to-buy-for junior high school age boy that you know. Over 100 terrifying stories of creature who prey on human flesh, so it's a darn good value too!

Your Backyard Swimming Pool: Like Living Next To The Grand Canyon

From the Arizona Daily Star:

They're pulled from backyard pools and bathtubs each year, tiny limp bodies, blue and not breathing. A young life can vanish quickly under water. A survivor can endure a lifetime of disabilities. Either way, families are torn apart by an almost always preventable tragedy.

Standard summer companions in our desert climate, swimming pools can be deadlier for children than guns. A child is 100 times more likely to die in a swimming accident than in gunplay, writes Steven D. Levitt, University of Chicago economics professor and best-selling author.

Levitt analyzed child deaths from residential swimming pools and guns and found one child under 10 drowns annually for every 11,000 pools. By comparison, one child under 10 each year is killed by a gun for every 1 million guns, according to his research, outlined in a new book "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side to Everything," which he co-wrote with journalist Stephen J. Dubner.

In part because they are so familiar, swimming pools are less frightening than guns, Levitt writes. But the danger is clear - drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children younger than 5 in Arizona and the second-leading cause of injury-related death nationally among children younger than 15. Water kills an average of three children each year in Tucson and, even with proper fences, swimming lessons and caution, danger lurks.

"Living with a swimming pool in your back yard is like living next to the Grand Canyon," said Dr. Bob Berg, a pediatric intensive specialist at University Medical Center and a UA professor. "You should never feel comfortable there."

The Puzzled Fox

The Puzzled Fox

Just one of many hidden animals drawings. If you're going to try to find the hidden animals in this one, click on it to go to a larger size image.

Artsy Dominoes For Kids

Artsy Dominoes For Kids

Pinky Gigglehead's Name Generator

Name Generat