| Moments in time / Twenty-five years after The Catch and The Play (and the home run), consider these the Bay Area's 10 ...
More than 25 years ago, at the start of 1982, Bay Area fans had no way of knowing they soon would witness two of the most memorable moments in sports history. Those images became partners in upper-case lore: Dwight Clark reaching halfway to the stars to make The Catch and Kevin Moen weaving through Stanford's band to complete The Play. Clark's catch counts as one of the most famous moments in NFL history and the landmark play in 49ers history, launching the franchise toward the first of its five Super Bowl titles. Moen's moment was more about sheer craziness, punctuating Cal's unforgettable five-lateral kickoff return to beat Stanford in the Big Game. The Play qualifies as the most famous play in college football history, an unmatched blend of drama, spontaneity and absurdity.
[watch out for webcreepz]
[W]hen Gail Devery's 9-year old daughter received a $29.95 membership in the Miley Cyrus Fan Club as a gift, Devery figured online access to the MileyWorld.com site that came with the membership would allow Dani to watch music videos of the Hannah Montana star or play games.What she didn't know was that MileyWorld also features an interactive chat room, and there's no way to know who is lurking in there."I wasn't very happy about that. I told her I was going to limit what she would be allowed to do," said Devery, who lives in Bloomington. Her concern grew after she learned that when Dani registered as a member, she used her own name plus a five-digit number. "The first time I heard this voice say 'Hi, Dani' when she logged on, it really scared me," Devery said. With fun names like MileyWorld, Club Penguin, Webkinz and Neopets, social networking sites specifically targeting elementary- and middle-school kids are exploding.
Adults seek to restore bond between kids and nature
On any given Saturday, if you want to find Alex and Matthew Weber, you'd better put on hiking boots. Alex, 9, and Matthew, 7, aren't going to be at soccer practice, watching TV or playing computer games. They're probably going to be exploring the woods or tromping around a nearby creek. And it's not just on weekends. After school, the kids play in the stick teepee in their woodsy south Charlotte backyard. When darkness falls, they walk with their parents to hear night sounds. Many Americans recall a kind of feral existence as a kid, scrambling down ravines, building forts and climbing trees, returning home only when the street lights blinked on. But ask these adults what their own kids' lives are like and you hear something else. Homework, sports, music lessons, video games and TV cram most corners of their lives, and if they're outside it's often on a playground or sports field.
SPECIALS: The Pokemon Trading Figure Game
Now we've gotta spin' em all! Discuss it in Talkback! If you're a Penny Arcade reader, you've probably learned of the Pokemon Trading Figure Game. Gabe has been hawking it for a few weeks now. In fact, that's how I first learned of the game, and I swore on my dead lizard's grave that when I saw the game on the shelves of the local comic shop, I'd give it a shot. So barely more than a week ago, that day came, and I bought everything I'd need for a two-player game. And then—and this is the magical part—I got my wife to play with me. The Pokemon Trading Figure Game (TFG) is tough to understand without actually playing it. Each player has three (or six) Pokemon, and a Trainer figure. The players lay out a map, on which the action takes place.
Have yourself a sarcastic Christmas
The people at Yellow Tape Construction Company — which is a theater collective, not an actual construction company — really do take the spirit of the holidays seriously. Yeah, believing in the spirit of belief is a warm and lovely thing. Really. "We just wanted to have a little fun with it," says Yellow Tape co-founder Jonathan Morgan. .
Christmas season is full of hot toys … and recalls
Years ago, I remember tromping from store to store during the Christmas season looking for a large Buzz Lightyear toy for my son. I was desperate to find the item, knowing it was at the top of my son's list. Luckily, someone returned a Buzz to a local toy store just as I called. The store held the toy for me and the story had a happy ending. Or so I thought. As many parents will attest, the toy of the moment can quickly lose its luster. Buzz was buried at the bottom of a toy box in no time. A few years later, he was garage sale fodder. I'm not sure if my son ever even played with the darned thing. Buzz wasn't the only toy I chased through the years. I have vague memories of Pokemon card quests, Power Ranger missions and WWF matches. And all of the items have wound up sold, boxed in the garage or headed to the Salvation Army.
How Guitar Hero Shook Gamers All Night Long
On the fateful evening of Nov. 7, 2005, as youthful little gamers dreamt with childlike wonderment at the whimsical appeal of Nintendogs and Pokemon, a sinister force in rock was almost ready to be unleashed upon the world. Headed by a game developer named Harmonix Music Studios, this monster of a title would forever change the worlds of rocking and gaming, mixing and mashing the once completely differing entities into common allies in the struggle against authority. This game, known as Guitar Hero, would come from out of nowhere to sweep the nation, spreading shock and awe as any common gaming geek could now become a rock god. Apparently Harmonix Studios struck a vein in the body of the American gaming public and created a game that capitalized on the desire to become a rock and roll superstar.
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