| 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.
September 2007
Alice L. Baumann, 86, of Watertown, died Thursday afternoon, Sept. 27, 2007, at the Watertown Memorial Hospital, from pneumonia, following a major stroke. She was proud to have survived two courageous bouts with cancer.Funeral services will be held on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at the Hafemeister Funeral Home in Watertown with the Rev. Ray Bezanson of the Advent Christian Church of Watertown, presiding. Burial will be at the River Road Cemetery in Ixonia.Family and friends may call to pay their respects on Monday at the Hafemeister Funeral Home in Watertown from 5 to 8 p.m. and on Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the service. Memorials may be given to the Advent Christian Church or to the charity of choice.Alice was born in Watertown on June 13, 1921, daughter of the late John and Edna (Schroeder) Fredrich.
PRESS RELEASE: Nintendo Kicks Off The Holidays With Two New Nintendo DS Bundles
REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 20, 2007 – Starting Nov. 23, Nintendo gives the holiday season a fresh blast of color with the launch of two special-edition Nintendo DS™ bundles. Each pairs a custom-color Nintendo DS system with one of the platform's hottest titles. The new Gold edition comes with The Legend of Zelda®: Phantom Hourglass, while the Metallic Rose Nintendo DS comes with the "Best Friends" version of Nintendogs™. "Nintendo DS remains the portable system of choice for gamers," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Our new bundles will be collector's items for current gamers while offering an attractive way for people new to video games to play with style." With its dual screens, touch-screen, amazing franchises and innovative games, Nintendo DS has been a cornerstone of Nintendo's efforts to expand the world of video games to new audiences and to get as many people playing as possible.
Games Asylum ยป The Simpsons Game
EA recently said that they were going to pull their socks up when it comes to DS development, and you can't argue with the effort they've put into this. It comes on the largest DS cart available, contains over twenty minutes of FMV, some 3,000 speech samples, a virtual Homer to play with and a handful of retro game parodies including Frogger, Space Invaders and Gauntlet. The thing is that EA themselves aren't responsible for the effort - Amaze did all the work. Oddly their company logo has been emitted from the start up sequence and isn't shown until the end credits. Bad show, EA. Although now in 2D, it follows the same story as the bigger console versions, right down to each Simpson having their own special skills. That story being that the yellow fellows know that they're in a videogame and eventually discover that they have to face their creator if they want to escape.
For your gamer's wish list
Someday Mario and Master Chief might replace Santa Claus as spokespeople for the holidays. Mario and Master Chief are the main characters of two of this season's hottest video games, and unlike jolly ol' St. Nick, all kids believe in Nintendo and Xbox. As always at this time of year, video games — specifically, the latest video game systems — are on the top of many wish lists. But what kid has the cash to drop on a new piece of hardware that can cost upwards of $500? It's up to the parents to pony up the coin. "X-Box 360 rocks 'cause the first-person online experience of 'Halo 3' is seamlessly integrated with the wireless technology." Um. What? Discussing video games with your child requires learning a somewhat foreign language. Don't worry about it; we'll keep it simple.
Where to check for information about toy recalls
- Consumers can sign up for recall alerts on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Website www.cpsc.gov. The site has a complete list of all toy recalls dating back to 1974, where each one can be reviewed in detail. - For more information about thrift store safety, contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission at (800) 638-2772 or visit www.cpsc.gov or www.recalls.gov to download or order free of charge a new publication called, "Dangerous and Recalled Products Reference Guide." - The Toy Industry Association details toy safety measures and industry actions at www.toyinfo.org. This site lists toy recalls, tips on buying toys, safety facts and so forth. It's a good site for anyone concerned about toy safety and their purchases. - Recalls.org is a non-profit organization from which all recalls can be researched ranging from cars to food to toys and much more.
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