Strollerderby : diego

UPDATE: Time Warner and Viacom Reach Agreement, SpongeBob Saved

Brett Singer — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 03:52:00 GMT

The war has ended, and we are all winners -- the kids can watch Dora, the grown-ups can watch Colbert. Technically, the kids can also watch Colbert, and the grown-ups can even watch Dora.

Viacom and Time Warner have reached an agreement, terms to be fleshed out later, that will keep the various channels on the air for Time Warner Cable subscribers, according to the New York Times. Perhaps they took Dora's advice to "stop and think" for a minute.

One interesting idea did come from this, however, via the comments below: pay-per-minute television. I like it. They'll never DO it, but I like it. It would probably greatly reduce TV viewing in most households. "Hey kids, there's a Spider-Man marathon on! 65 episodes in a row!" (That was this morning, actually.) If you add, "It'll only cost us a dollar a minute!" I might just pick up a book, y'know?

Anyway, for now, everyone can keep watching their favorite shows. And thank goodness -- isn't there a new "Hills" spinoff? (Note: if there is, I don't know what it's called because I don't watch that show. But somebody must.)

Original post follows below:

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If you get your TV service from Time Warner Cable and your kids love them some SpongeBob and Dora The Explorer, you might want to stock up on DVDs.

Viacom wants an increase in the fee Time Warner pays to carry their channels, and Time Warner doesn't want to pay it. The deadline is midnight tonight. What channels are those? A partial list: Nickelodeon, MTV, VH-1, Comedy Central. So no Diego for the kiddies, and no Daily Show and Colbert Report for you. (Or for your kids, if they enjoy a humorous take on current events.)

Unsurprisingly, both sides think they are right. In a press release, Viacom says the following: " Ultimately…if Nickelodeon, COMEDY CENTRAL, MTV and the rest of our programming is discontinued - over less than a penny per day – we believe viewers will see this behavior by their cable company as outrageous." The fee increase Viacom is asking for is "about 25 cents a month, or $3 a year, per subscriber for its package of channels," according to the LA Times. Time Warner says its about Viacom trying to make up for decreased ad revenue: the LA Times quotes Time Warner Cable spokesman Alex Dudley as saying, "Advertising revenue stinks so they are looking to stick our customers for the difference. We have to hold the line for our customers. They are holding our customers hostage for a bunch of networks with sagging ratings and only one or two good channels."

Personally, I've felt for years that it should be possible to pick and choose which channels you actually want to receive. For example, Comedy Central, sure. But no one in my house watches Nickelodeon, so that one can go. Of course, that's not how it works. Oh well.

The thing is, while both sides may or may not have valid points in this matter, customers don't really care. It's not like Time Warner will offer refunds if they drop the Viacom channels from their lineup (although I suppose they might if it lasts long enough). But I think it you ask cable customers, the vast majority would say that they pay too much for their service. Take away channels that they actually want to watch, and that makes it even worse. It's two rich companies fighting with each other over more money, and while they fight, I don’t get to watch "The Hills." (Note: I don't actually watch "The Hills." That's just an example.)

Anyway, midnight tonight. If Viacom and Time Warner can't come to an agreement by then, bye-bye Dora and Jon Stewart. Let's see what happens.

Source: LATimes

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Desert Island Disks – Kid Music Edition

Cole Gamble — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Everybody has played the Desert Island Disks Game: if you were stranded on deserted island for the rest of your life, what 5 compact disks would you bring? That’s right; I said compact disks, no IPods. I know my list would at least have OK Computer and Weezer’s Blue Album on there somewhere. But I just concocted a variation on the game: what if the 5 disks you chose had to be kids’ music? Don’t claw you’re face off just yet; there’s some pretty decent kids music out there. I think I’d have to take some Backyardigans and that new Yo Gabba Gabba CD that came out.

What about you? What would you take if it could only be kids’ music? Let’s get a big, fat list going.

PBS Dropping Mister Rogers??!!

Cole Gamble — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 23:45:00 GMT

The bible tells us there are a number of clear and distinct signs the apocalypse is coming. Plague, pestilence, famine and the cancelation of Mister Rogers Neighborhood.

How could this happen? PBS has announced its plans to pull the venerable 40 year old show from their weekday schedule. While not a full on cancelation, MRN (that’s what we “Neighborheads” in the know call it) will be relegated to a single episode on the weekends.But there’s something you can do to save it.

It’s is hard, no, impossible to imagine the landscape of children’s educational television without looking at Mister Roger’s Neighborhood as the forbearer of all that has come since. In its time it was revolutionary, though revolutionary might seem an odd term for a snail’s pace TV program featuring the world’s most soft-spoken, cardigan loving gentleman. What Mister Rogers cared about most was healthy child development and giving kids the tools to look with hope and confidence upon a world that often inspires neither. That’s still a foreign concept to some.

But don’t strap on that black armband for just yet Mister Roger’s devotee Brian Linder has stared SaveMisterRogers.com an effort to reverse PBS’s decision. Go there now to find out how you can help keep MRN on. Need a little more motivation? Here’s Mister Rogers to tell you how proud he is of you.

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Walkie-Talkie Teaches 3-Year-Old About Drugs and Sex

Jen Chaney — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 15:33:00 GMT

Deborah Pancaro's three-year-old son recently heard some weird stuff on his toy walkie-talkie. First he heard some guys saying "10-4." Then he picked up some chatter about marijuana and plans to visit a strip club.

“They said we should go smoke some weed, and were talking about being in a strip bar, some really explicit things,” Pancaro told the Associated Press.

Turns out the Diego walkie-talkie the West Virginia mom bought at Wal-Mart was intercepting -- you guessed it -- truckers talking via CB radio. (Either that, or it was picking up dialogue from "Pineapple Express.") Pancaro sent a letter to Fisher-Price, manufacturer of the product, asking them to either recall it or fix the toy so it won't be so sensitive to interference. A spokeswoman for Fisher-Price says the company has tried to call Pancaro twice to no avail. Meanwhile, the Wal-Mart Web site says the walkie-talkie has been discontinued. No word on whether the boy has developed a sudden interesting in visiting a place called The Bada Bing.

Neither Diego nor his cousin, Dora the Explorer, had any comment on the matter. When approached by a reporter, Baby Jaguar said he didn't have time to talk because he was really busy trying to score some weed.

(Kidding! Kidding!)

The 20 Best Kids Movies

Cole Gamble — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:00:00 GMT

So what are the best kids movies of all time? You can find them neatly compiled here at Entertainment Weekly. Agree? Disagree? What do you think should have made the list and what should be torn from the list immediately? Here’s my question: do adults have any business deciding what makes a great kids movie? If there is anything I have learned from my 4-year-old it is she and I have a difference in opinion when it comes to children’s entertainment. I am always trying to direct her toward shows like The Backyardigans and Yo Gabba Gabba because I think they are actually pretty jazzy, clever, and in the case of Yo Gabba Gabba delightfully absurd (read: bizarre). However, Jillian turns her nose up at these suggestions in deference for Dora and Diego. Nothing against Dora, but compared to The Backyardigans she can’t carry a tune. So, do the pop culture hipsters at Entertainment Weekly have it right? Would your six-year-old sit through to Kill A Mockingbird?

10 Worst Toys of 2007!

Karen Murphy — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:33:00 GMT

Oh yes, the year isn't complete until this list comes out. Compiled by World Against Toys Causing Harm, Inc. (W.A.T.C.H), which should totally have been on Get Smart, the annual Ten Worst Toys is a list of the toys (also known as the What the Fuck Were They Thinking? Awards) that have the most potential to cause childhood injuries or even death to children. Ready for the list?

1. Go, Diego, Go! Animal Rescue Boat. Covered with lead. Don't lick it.

2. Sticky Stones. Magnetic "stones": how many ways can these be wrong? They're a choking hazard and they're magnets which cause all sorts of problems (like death) if swallowed. Avoid.

3. Jack Sparrow's Spinning Dagger. Hard plastic dagger straps to a kid's wrist and spins. You're gonna poke your eye out, kid.

4. Dora the Explorer Lamp. Problem is, kids are instructed to unplug it when not in use. Otherwise? It's a fire, shock, and burn hazard. Yeah, somebody was thinking there, eh?

5. Lil "Giddy Up" Horse Sassy Pet Saks. Also wins Worst Name Award. But the tag on the horse states it's for newborns while the tag on the carrier says it's for toddlers 18 months and older. Huh? Plus, the wooden bead on it is chokable as are the long fibers of the fur. Bleh.

6. Spider Man 3 New Goblin Sword. The sword part extends swiftly from the handle when a button is pushed. Kind of like an automatic umbrella, and I don't see those being complained about (yet they're not sold expressly for kids, those umbrellas). You're gonna poke your eye out, kid.

7. Hip Hoppa. It's a foot board attached atop a ball. Clearly, a fair amount of falling will be involved. Don't hit your head on the hard pavement, 'kay?

8. B'loonies Party Pack. Put a gob of molten chemical waste on the end of a tube and blow: instant balloons! Sort of. I have owned these, and they're kind of lame. Apparently, that toxic chemical waste can also be aspirated if the kid forgets which way to blow. Oh, and it's, uh, flammable. Not to mention emits toxic fumes.

9. My Little Baby Born. Aww, cute baby doll comes with a pacifier that's detachable and you KNOW your kid is going to put it in their own mouth = choking hazard.

10. Rubber Band Shooter. You're gonna shoot your eye out, kid.

More Mattel Recalls! (Stop, Diego, Stop!)

Karen Murphy — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 17:22:00 GMT

Oh, Diego, I'm so very disappointed. You see, I've been prepared to try to actually like you, since you do seem marginally less annoying than Dora. And, jaguars! We like jaguars (though the automobile kind are horribly expensive to maintain...you can tell anyone that who thinks they want one. My advice about that is...don't.), yes indeed we do. But the lead, the lead kills...

Though parents are warned! to keep everything in perspective! because the lead in toys is still minimal compared to all that damn lead paint in those peeling flaking windowsills in your house!

But still, Diego has to Go! Go, Diego, Go! And take your 38,000 Fisher-Price Animal Rescue Boats with you! (Ooh! rescuing animals with BOATS! AWESOME! I think I like you again!) And it squirts water! I think I'm in love...

(And then everyone say, all together: "Poor Mattel...")

Have one of these? Then you paid about $15 for it, and can get it alllll back by contacting Fisher-Price with your tale of woe. Woe, Diego, woe.

Toddler Survives 12 Days in Amazon; Will Endure Diego Comparisons Forever

Alisyn — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 14:29:00 GMT

Either this kid is extremely lucky, or extremely smart. That, or he's seen so many episodes of Go, Diego, Go! that he knew instinctively how to bore the wild animals that would otherwise prey on his small body to death.

Either way, this little 3-year-old is something of a miracle after surviving 12 days alone in the Brazilian rain forest. That's no small feat, even for experienced wild man-types... but for a preschooler? It's simply unfathomable. Most kids couldn't survive going to the bathroom alone at that age, for pete's sake.

Lost when he veered off course on a walk with his father, the little guy stayed alive by eating wild plants until he was found by a search party of rescue workers, family members and friends. After being treated for dehydration and rashes, he is resting comfortably with Sao Paolo, laughing at what a total wimp that other kid who hangs in the rain forest is.

12 days, bitch! Put that in your rescue pack and smoke it.