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GIVEAWAY: $75 RIDEMAKERZ GIFT CARD

I drive a Hyundai. I’m not embarrassed by that fact - it’s practical, sturdy and affordable. But I do fantasize about the sports car and the Big Body Benz. So when RIDEMAKERZ contacted me for a giveaway I was in! And it didn’t hurt that I was familiar with the brand. Dev and I once tried to build a car at their Myrtle Beach store - think Build-A-Bear with pimped out rides - with no luck because the lines were crazy and the kids inside building were in a frenzy. The option to order online is a sweet alternative.

Below is the car we “built” at RIDEMAKERZ.com. It’s a Chevy Corvette C6RS in Piston Fire Red. An all-American sports car for the Fouth of July. You put the body on the chassiz (their spelling, not mine), the wheels and rims, and you can order spoilers, sounds, decals and a bunch of other stuff. It’s fun to put together with the kids, and even more fun to play with. We went with the remote controlled option.

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To win the gift card Dev and I will choose from the best comment about why your kid loves cars more than anyone else. Be unique, and be honest. You also have to promise to email me a pic of the car you build so I can add it to this post at a later date. Entries/comments will close on this post on Monday, July 6th at 12 noon Eastern time.

Trust me, this is a VERY cool giveaway. And this is not just for the boys!

See you at the finish line…

Posted: July 2nd, 2009 under GIVEAWAYS.
Comments: none

KINDERGARTEN: DONE!

On Friday Dev completed his year in kindergarten. He loved it the way we hoped he would. He does wonder why he has to go to the 1st grade - he has an “if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it” theory that he’s been tossing around on the situation. But he assures us that he is ready to tackle the next stage in his education. Time certainly does fly.

I have to keep it brief. We are loading the car right this second and heading down to the beach in Delaware for a few days. We’re celebrating the end of a school year and the week off we have before camp starts. If you are in the area and you see a guy who looks like me, feel free to say hi.

Cheers to Dev, and to the future!

Posted: June 28th, 2009 under SCHOOL DAZE.
Comments: 1

MJ

We sang along.

We danced for hours, years.

We celebrated.

We competed.

We tried to frighten one another.

We moon walked, badly.

We made love.

We connected.

We laughed.

We pumped our fists.

We nodded our heads.

We fantasized.

We smiled.

We listened, loudly.

We two-stepped.

We grew up.

We played with friends.

We started our own families.

We cried.

…All while listening to the music of Michael Jackson. He was the brightest star of my youth, and his light faded out today. A flawed hero, yes. But that’s what made him human. He was also a dad. We were hard on MJ and we were good to him, our own flaws becoming apparent as we ponder his death, and watch random clips of his life.

The music lives on, and we all know the music speaks for itself. I raise my glass to a remarkable life.

Posted: June 25th, 2009 under DO YOU REMEMBER..., LIFE.
Comments: 5

‘B is for BOB’ CD GIVEAWAY!

I’ve been a Bob Marley fan since the weekend in my teens when I visited my brother at the University of Pennsylvania and discovered that he had the Reggae master’s full library on CD. I was mesmerized - it was some of the best music I’d ever heard. So when I found out that there was a kids version of the Marley classics being released I was all over it. At first I thought that the CD would be cute kids singing the songs we all know and love, but it’s not. It’s remastered, revised and there is a kids chorus added to several songs, but it’s all Bob. I played the CD for Dev last week and now it’s all he requests.

Since I am a true Bob fan and trust Dev’s musical taste I am participating in a FREE giveaway of B is for Bob. Here’s how to get your hands on a CD:

The first FIVE people to correctly guess Dev’s favorite song from the CD will get a copy. It’s that easy. Everyone get’s two guesses so make them count. If you know Bob and Dev then this should be easy. (Hint: His favorite song is in the first half of the CD.)Click on this link to get the list of songs on the album to choose from (scoll down when you get to the page). Leave your guesses in the comments section and don’t forget to add your email address so I can reach you if you win.

INFORMATION ON THE RELEASE:

Original Bob Marley songs re-imagined for kids!

Marley’s eldest son, four-time Grammy winner Ziggy Marley, executive produced this adorable new album, which bridges the gap between the timeless Bob Marley and a new generation of kids. Eight of Bob Marley’s songs have been transformed while four of Marley’s other masterpieces remain untouched. In stores June 23, this is the perfect summer album for the entire family to enjoy!

The album also includes fun extras — The CD unlocks bonus online digital content including coloring book pages and a sing-a-long music video plus for Mom there’s a FREE one-year subscription to Parents magazine inside.

“My father’s music spans generations and with B is for Bob we give the youngest their very own Bob Marley record.” - Ziggy Marley

VIDEO CLIP ‘ZIGGY MARLEY TALKING ABOUT THE RELEASE’

B is for Bob -

Posted: June 22nd, 2009 under AAD ON TV, MUSIC, MOVIES.
Comments: 11

KEEP DAD ALIVE THIS FATHER’S DAY

In the age of sky rocketing healthcare costs it’s wise to take the idea of prevention seriously. Add kids to the mix and working toward preventing life threatening ailments becomes a no-brainer. We have to do our absolute best to stay alive for the sake of our kids and families. Of course not everything is preventable. Pick any 10 o’clock news broadcast and you will learn first hand of the random tragedies that befall families every single day. But there is something to be said about doing what is in ones power to help prevent serious illness.

If your family has a history of diabetes, perhaps you should watch your intake of sugary stuff. If heart disease runs rampant in your genes, maybe you should quit smoking, limit your salt intake, and exercise. I could be healthier myself (I can stand to lose a few pounds) but I practice the other important method of prevention: seeing my doctor regularly. Check-ups can mean the difference between being warned to change your diet and up your daily activity level, or being prescribed insulin injections or some other medication.

For those of you who read this blog you know where I’m going next… Cancer. I don’t know about you but cancer has been hitting too close to home for me lately. Too many colleagues, family, and friends are either suffering from, or have someone they know and love who is suffering from the Big C. Knowing your family history and taking the necessary steps to address that history can help you prevent (or at least get an early diagnosis of) some cancers. Many of you know I get regular colonoscopies because my dad had colon cancer in his mid thirties and his father in his seventies. That means my brothers and I must be diligent if we are to keep that crap in check. Luckily colon cancer is highly treatable when caught early.

In fact my last colonoscopy was just last month. I have provided a photo (below) of the cool end of my colon - just before it transitions into the small intestine. I think GI doctors takes a photo of this particular point to prove that they have run their little camera through the entire colon. The problem with this being the “proof” is that I can’t tell the difference between my cecum and yours. How do I know that this is the inside of my body? It’s 2009 - with the right software I can put my head on Will Smith’s body and post it on my Facebook profile. I could probably even get my hands on a photo of his cecum if I pay the creepiest paparazzi on the planet. Well, I guess I just have to trust my doctor!

Should I have really posted this colon photo?

Should I have really posted this colon photo?

Remind dad (or consider this your reminder if you are a dad) to get a colonoscopy if he’s 50 and over and has never had it done. If he’s younger and has a family history (mother, father, sibling) get his butt in gear and have him talk it over with his physician. Same thing goes for getting his prostate checked out. Not a fun procedure but it can be potentially life saving. And let’s work on these spare tires too!

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

Posted: June 19th, 2009 under CANCER.
Comments: 1

IMAGINE THAT - QUASI REVIEW

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Eddie Murphy’s new film Imagine That is a weird family comedy that I enjoyed despite its slow start. Dev and the wife liked it too, so it appears to have hit the family mark right on target. I’d expect nothing less from Nickelodeon Movies, the studio that is distributing the film.

The movie is conventional in the sense that you know there will be a happy ending, and it flows as expected. But there’s something quirky about it. I suppose part of it could be that Eddie Murphy plays a very successful, divorced father, in a sweet family comedy. Sure he’s done the family thing in the past with Daddy Day Care and has had success, but there is something about his performance in this film that makes you forget it’s the Eddie Murphy. It may be that the girl who plays his daughter is the cutest thing since I don’t know who. Or perhaps it’s Thomas Haden Church playing a Navajo Indian finance guru. Or it could just be that the silent co-star is a blanket. I suspect the latter. Overall the film is a worthy alternative to the other family fare that’s out there, even if a little formulaic.

Posted: June 11th, 2009 under AAD ON TV, MUSIC, MOVIES.
Comments: 1

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