Soda or "Pop" Controversy

Every time we go visit my wife's family in the midwest something really odd bothers me. It's not the red-state blue state thing, rather it's something I find much more provoking. It's how they call soda, "pop". Maybe because I grew up with (normal) people who called it soda, or maybe because pop sounds like something out of the 1800's era when people said things like golly gee willikers, supper, and till the fields. I think a good compromise is just do what the south does, call everything a Coke. Sprite, Mountain Dew, Orange whatever, it's all a Coke to them. Either way, I'm teaching my daughter to call it soda - and to drink something else, like water instead.

The Great Pop vs. Soda Controversy

Mp3 player for hip kids

Pretty funny things come out of Taiwan and Japan and this Mp3 player is no exception for the Sanrio crowd. Though you have to wonder what they were they thinking when they placed the USB cable-Which is conveniently located on the bear's behind.

Bear Blue mp3

Arrow Micro

Children's parties and singing Gorillas

My wife and I have been to a million kids parties even before we had one of our own. Most of them are the same - cake, inflatable jumper, chicken nuggets, margaritas, whatever. Well, even though my daughter is just 6 weeks old I'm already planning the festivities for the big 'numero uno'. I'm not quite sure what kind of food we're going to have, or even the cartoon character she'll be into at the time (it just won't be Dora, Elmo, or PooBahs!). What I do know is that there's going to be a singing Gorilla. And hopefully we can find one that even does magic tricks. One that could make all the parents SUVs disappear and then reappear into candy! Boy- that would be some kids party...

Singing Telegrams

Gorilla Grams

Where's the Drive-In movie theater?

Remember going to the movies and choosing "drive-in" or "walk-in"? Well, after having a new baby I want to hear those words again. My wife and I use to go to the movies all the time. Things change when you have a newborn and your baby isn't old enough for a sitter just yet, but some new flick you really want to see just came out (and taking a baby to a theater just isn't very civilized). Wouldn't a drive-in make sense? Baby cries - just roll-up the window or turn up the radio. I just read how there's an explosion of new drive-ins happening in Texas, the Midwest and overseas (!?) like Germany and Norway! Here in L.A. our remaining haunts are now transformed into shady weekend swap meets and on occasion play old unpopular titles like Fletch Lives. Movies that would even make 'the Fonze' avoid the place

Drive-In Theaters

First day of school horrors!

Schools around my neighborhood began this week-yes in the middle of August. In my school hood days summer was blocked between memorial and labor day, any shorter could have very well started youth riots, public outrage and gang/drug wars (well, that's exaggerating a bit). These days it's welcomed to hurried and overscheduled parents. I say bring summer back, write your school board, congressman (or woman) and to Santa. I want less traffic during the entire summer!

School is coming