Filed under: Preschoolers, Kids 5-7, Media, That's entertainment

The hype has been building for months, ever since word first got out last fall about Pixar's new film WALL-E. It's the story of WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter -- Earth-Class), a determined robot who falls for a sleek new robot named EVE who shows up one fateful day. WALLL-E ends up chasing her across the galaxy and saving the world in the process.

As a fan of quality animation and a total Pixar groupie, I have been looking forward to seeing this film for quite a while. With all the trailers, adverts, and WALL-E's face plastered all over the streetcars here, my kids have been eagerly awaiting its release as well. They squeal with joy whenever they see him, and my older son has been reminding me that the movie was coming out June 27 practically non-stop.

So, does the movie live up to the hype? Is it as good as we have come to expect from Pixar, the studio that brought us such modern classics as Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., and one of the best children's movies ever, Cars? Well, since June 27 just happened to be my daughter's birthday, I took my son Jared (six years old) and daughter Sara (turned four that day) to find out.

Continue reading WALL-E: The little robot that could

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Filed under: Weird but true, Birthdays

You know how shops are now putting your photographs on birthday cakes? You bring in a photo and they scan it and use, basically, an inkjet printer to print it out only, instead of ink, they use food coloring and, instead of paper, a thin sheet of sugar. At my nephew's last birthday party, the cake featured a picture of him dressed as Teddy Roosevelt, a few other presidents, and Spongebob. So, pretty much anything goes.

Well, almost anything. One mum thought it would be cute to put a picture of her son when he was five-months-old on the cake for his twenty-first birthday. Cute and, perhaps, a wee bit embarrassing, since the picture showed the youngster with a bare bum. Unfortunately, the folks at the store didn't find it so cute; they said the picture violated their no-nudity policy. "It was a photo of my son at five-months-old," said Gail Jordan. "I could not believe it"

Sadly, this does not surprise me. I'm not sure what has happened over the last half century or so, but a naked child is no longer seen as cute -- it's considered pornographic. I think our children's childhood is suffering because of it. Not to mention our children's twenty-first birthday parties.

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Filed under: Health & safety, Shopping & recalls

Earlier this week, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of about 6,000 Arctic Cat Youth ATV's due to a problem with the speed controller. Now, they are adding about 1,700 KYMCO ATV's and 6,000 Kawasaki ATV's to the recall list for essentially the same issue.

The KYMCO recall involves the 2008 Model Year Mongoose Youth ATV's. A manufacturing defect in the carburetor can cause the throttle to stick in the open position. Made in Taiwan for KYMCO USA, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, the recalled ATV's include the 2008 Mongoose 50cc, 70cc and 90cc Youth ATVs. You can find KYMCO printed on a label located on the front of the vehicle, and the model name on a label located on each side of the fuel tank.

The recalled ATV's were sold by KYMCO dealers nationwide from August 2007 through June 2008 for between $1,700 and $2,100. If you have one, you should immediately stop using it and contact any authorized KYMCO dealer to schedule a free repair. If you are a registered owner, you should have received notification of this recall via direct mail. For more information, contact KYMCO USA by calling (888) 235-3417 anytime, or by visiting their Web site.

The Kawasaki recall involves 2008 Model Year KFX 50 and KFX 90 Youth ATV's. On these, the throttle can fail to return to the idle position when released or could fail to be at idle on startup. The recall includes 2008 model year KFX 50 (50cc) and KFX 90 (90cc) youth ATV's. The affected models are green or white with black trim and the model name can be found on either side below the handlebars.

These were made in Taiwan for Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A., of Irvine, California and sold by Kawasaki dealerships nationwide from August 2007 through June 2008 for about $1,750 (KFX 50) and $2,200 (KFX 90).

If you have a recalled ATV, you should immediately stop using it and contact any authorized Kawasaki dealer to schedule a free repair. If you are a registered owner, you should have received notification of the recall via direct mail. For more information, contact Kawasaki by calling (866) 802-9381 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or by visiting their Web site.

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Filed under: In the news, Education, Religion & spirituality

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal -- surprisingly, a biology major in college -- has signed into law a bill that allows school boards in Louisiana to select materials to be used in science classes in order to critique scientific theories. The law is supposed to be used to promote "open and objective discussion of scientific theories... including, but not limited to, evolution, the origins of life, global warming, and human cloning."

Given that the law was written and promoted with the help of the Discovery Institute, the Seattle "think" tank that orchestrated the Dover debacle, the point of the law seems clear: to allow school boards to select texts that question evolution -- such as the one produced by the Discovery Institute itself. Unfortunately, this will open school districts to very expensive lawsuits, a la Dover. In Oklahoma, the Governor vetoed a similar law, noting that school districts would suffer from "an explosion of costly and protracted litigation that would have to be defended at taxpayers' expense."

The scientific community, naturally, has opposed this legislation. The law will "unleash an assault against scientific integrity, leaving students confused about science and unprepared to excel in a modern workforce," according to Alan Leshner, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Biologist PZ Myers offers up a scathing analysis that includes an alternative to the Discovery Institute's materials.

Personally, I think Louisiana has enough to worry about, thanks to Hurricane Katrina, and doesn't need the financial burden of school boards trying to push Intelligent Design into classrooms, but that's just me. Luckily, my kids don't go to school in Louisiana, but I'm sure they'll feel the effects of this for a long time as they end up having to deal with others who were "educated" with the help of the Dover Institute.

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Filed under: Just for moms, Just for dads, Love & sex

When I was single, online matchmaking was pretty much unheard of. There were a few sites where you might hook up with another person (anyone remember Prodigy.com?), but chances were good that person wasn't actually single. Or employed. Or remotely attractive. Things have come a long way since then and online matchmaking is quite popular and for some, very successful. And now, online dating has taken the next, logical step: online marriage counseling.

Created by Les and Leslie Parrot, the same people who brought you eHarmony.com, eHarmony Marriage is a computerized program promising to help couples communicate better, rekindle romance, and resolve conflicts more compassionately. Leslie Parrott is a marriage a family therapist who says that this is the perfect solution for those who aren't quite ready for traditional counseling, but want to improve their relationship.

The program involves each partner answering an online questionnaire covering everything from finance to spirituality. The responses generate a report outlining the couple's strengths and weaknesses and a proposed marriage action plan. "It will reveal where you guys are really strong and where you will find the most benefit if you invest in this area," Parrott says.

As far as the investment, the program costs $150 and takes six to eight weeks to complete. Dr. Parrott admits that online therapy might not be the best choice for couples on the brink of divorce, but sees it as a cost-effective option for those needing to open up the lines of communication.

I tend to agree. Whether you get it from a book, a counselor's office, or online, learning to communicate better is pretty much the key to everything, right?

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Filed under: Money & work, Chores

I made a to-do list this morning of things that MUST get done tomorrow; it includes going to the grocery and the cleaners and the UPS store, paying the bills, and writing three thank-you notes. Oh and I also have to work. And I may have promised to take my kids to the pool in the afternoon as well.

I have no idea how I'm going to get everything done.

Fortunately, if I were so inclined, I could outsource some of my list; according to an article at CNN.com, more and more Americans are doing just that, hiring virtual personal assistants to book doctor appointments, pay bills, and shop for gifts for them. The price is apparently less than you might expect, particularly when weighed against what you would be earning if you were actually WORKING instead of waiting in line at the toy store to pay for that birthday present or crafting that thank you to Aunt Mary for sending dinner over when you were sick.

I like the idea of outsourcing, and I've done some myself -- I have automated bill pay for regular bills, and the dry cleaners picks up and drops off our laundry each week. I can think of a few more things I would like to turn over to someone else -- the grocery shopping, for example, and the cooking, at least a couple of nights a week. But I wonder about things like gift giving and thank you note writing -- don't we lose something if we hire that out? And what does that teach our kids about being gracious and polite?

For most parents, outsourcing errands is less about being able to work more and more about having that time with the family. Have you outsourced anything recently? What do you wish you could turn over to someone else? And what would you do with the time that no dealing with the UPS store or the grocery would free up?

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Filed under: Just for dads, Love & sex, Pregnancy & birth, Health & safety, In the news, Resources

Back in the days before Eve Ensler, the word 'vagina' was the verboten V-word. Now, it seems, there is another V-word on the horizon that people--well, guys--refuse to discuss, let alone think about: the vasectomy. Women have long-regarded the vasectomy as an easier, safer way toward permanent birth-control. Well, it's semi-permanent, actually, because it is a reversible procedure. men regard it as little more than butchery. Women could get their tubes tied, the men say. Men could wear a condom, the women say. Men say that would reduce their feeling. Women say, well, tough!

But what about the vasectomy, really? Modern medicine would say it is a simpler and safer procedure than tubal ligation. It's also cheaper. There's also a new non-scalpel version on the market (my husband says don't even think of mentioning the words 'scalpel' and 'penis' in the same sentence; it turns him green). The result of unwanted pregnancy after a vasectomy is also low at 1 in 1,000.

It's also a procedure no one is really using. Why? Well, there is the obvious concern that my husband put so well. Then there are the myths that having a vasectomy reduces testosterone, etc. that still float around us like so much hot air. There's also the fear of having a needle stuck in one's weewee, which has been replaced by jet-powered anesthesia.

What about your family? Once you reached the optimal number of children (or no children!) what method of birth control did you or are you employing? Was vasectomy an option, or was it verboten?

Pic by Marshall Astor-Food Pornographer.

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Filed under: Development, In the news

We all know the perils of kids and computers -- I don't mean that whole thing about how sexual predators find kids online, I'm talking about things like kids buying term papers on the web or skipping actual research for school projects by deferring to the not-always-accurate entries at Wikipedia. The Internet is an incredibly useful way to connect with people and find information, but new research is showing that too much web surfing may be changing the way our brains work.

In a long essay in the current issue of The Atlantic Monthly, Nicholas Carr looks at how Google is making us stupid. He talks about a phenomena that is familiar to many of us who spend long hours online: we've lost our ability to read, to lose ourselves in text. "My mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles. Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski."

Scientists and theorists are looking at how this kind of virtual jet skiing is changing our brains, moving us from readers who follow the sense of long, complex sentences to decoders who "power browse" for information only. Because our brains -- even our adult brains -- are plastic and malleable, this constant skimming may be rewiring the way we think.

As parents, it seems important that we are aware of this, for a couple of reasons. We all know how important it is to read to our pre-literate kids, but once they are old enough to read on their own we may slack off. But the new findings about the Internet and reading offer one more reason to push traditional books on our kids -- and on ourselves as well. Because while it's easy to skim a blog post for information, there is great value in real books, with long sentences and complex ideas. We just need to keep our brains in shape for that kind of reading.

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Filed under: Health & safety, Shopping & recalls

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 102,000 "Thunder Wolf" Remote Controlled Indoor Helicopters. The rechargeable battery in the helicopter can overheat and cause the helicopter to melt, burn or otherwise cause some unwanted indoor destruction.

The manufacturer, Westminster Inc., of Atlanta, Georgia, has received seven reports of overheating and/or melting helicopters, including one where there were actual flames.

The "Thunder Wolf" remote-controlled indoor helicopter is made of foam and plastic, and measures about 7 inches by 3 inches. They were sold in multiple accent colors and come with a controller and a separate charger. "TW0996" is printed on the tail of the helicopter. Only helicopters that do not have "Made in China" stamped on the underside of the helicopter are included in this recall.

These were sold at retail stores nationwide from June 2007 through December 2007 for about $20 each.

If you have one, stop playing with it now before you burn your house down and contact Westminster Inc. for a refund. You can reach them by calling (800) 618-0023 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET Friday, by visiting their Web site, or by sending an email to info@thunderwolfhelicopter.com.

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Filed under: Toddlers, Eating & nutrition

It's a common parental complaint: "My child is SO PICKY!" Picky eaters come in all forms -- those who will only eat a certain color food, or who choose fruits over vegetables, or who insist on having the same thing for lunch every day. No matter what picky profile a child fits, parents worry.

But here's an extreme case: two-year-old Bobby Glarvey eats ONLY yogurt. That's it; nothing else. In a day he will consume 14 pots of yogurt (five for breakfast, three for lunch, four at supper, two or three more before bed. Bobby has been diagnosed with a food phobia that makes it impossible for him to bear lumpy food in his mouth.

Bobby's parents have consulted with medical professionals who have advised them not to make Bobby eat anything else; they have been told that he will outgrow his phobia but that forcing him to try other foods will only make things worse. His mother confirms this: "We have tried all ways to get him to eat other food but he just spits it out. He's never had a hot meal in his life."

But what concerns me is this: according to Bobby's father, "Bobby is really lively and bright but he is under weight and very tiny and it's because he won't eat other food." Yogurt is a fairly healthy food, but it would seem that an all-yogurt diet can't be good for a growing toddler.

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