"As we move into the future, most everything's going to end up wireless and as it ends up wireless, [the government is] going to be auctioning off bandwidth," Lucas told the House Energy and Commerce's subcommittee on telecommunications and the Internet. "As you auction this off, why don't you just hold some back for schools and libraries?"

Lucas appeared at a hearing about universal service (USF), a fund intended to provide all Americans with access to telecommunications service. Though providing technology services to underserved areas of the country is a laudable goal, USF funding has been a point of contention for years.

The program is currently funded by surcharges on interstate telecom services, which show up on consumers' landline and cell phone bills. Broadband providers, however, do not pay into the fund, which telecom providers claim is unfair given that some of the USF funds go to provide Internet service to schools and libraries under a program known as "e-rate".

A number of bills have been introduced to combat the problem, from Rep. Joe Barton's more market-based approach to Reps. Rick Boucher and Lee Terry's idea to broaden the base of USF contributors.

"I believe that the eventual goal should be to make these connections free for all schools and libraries," Lucas said. "I think that possibly an educational Internet, a third Internet that is only for education and that is not charged and that the carriers cannot charge would be a rather simple way to solve the problem."

Lucas started the non-profit George Lucas Education Foundation in 1991, which encourages innovation in kids via its Edutopia magazine, Web site, and documentaries.

Lucas acknowledged that his "goal is ambitious" but said it was as "important as free public schools and libraries themselves."

The idea of taxing people via USF surcharges and then giving it back via government-subsidized telecom services "seems like a very cumbersome way to do it," according to the director. "If you're making [wireless providers] pay for the right to have the frequencies, why don't you just say you can have it for a little less, but you have to give the schools something for free?"

Lucas did not offer any concrete funding mechanisms to get his idea off the ground. "Arguing about whose going to pay and how it's going to work, that's basically the job of you guys to figure that out," he told subcommittee members. "That has to happen somehow, so you have to figure out how to do that."

Several members took advantage of Lucas' appearance to make Star Wars-themed jokes.

"The universal service fund needs to be blown up like the Death Star," said Pennsylvania Republican Mike Doyle.

"Rick Boucher and I are the Luke Skywalkers riding in to save the universal service fund by those who want to destroy it, the Darth Vaders," Rep. Terry said of his USF bill.

Can superhero style save the world?

June 24 2008

More than at any other time since they hit the comic book stands during the Great Depression, superheroes are capturing the American imagination. Two of the biggest movies of the summer are “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk,” with the latest Batman adventure, “The Dark Knight,” due out in July.

There’s an escapist thrill that comes with watching the exploits of these brave men and women saving the world while wearing their underwear on the outside. Now, in New York — the theoretical setting of a lot of comic-book dramas — superhero fans can get a little closer to that Marvel magic.

Just so long as they don’t touch it. At “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy,”

an exhibition showing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through Sept. 1, spectators can ogle, at less than arm’s length, the original outfits of most of the superheroes who have graced the silver screen.

A fashion exhibition put on by the Met’s Costume Institute might not seem like a likely place for comic- book addicts to get their fix. The institute has been known to assemble tributes to such designers as Paul Poiret — titillating for a select few, perplexing for most.

But there’s a method behind the mixing of fashion and heroics. Just as a red cape transformed Clark Kent into Superman, a tool belt allowed Bruce Wayne to become Batman and a metal suit made Tony Stark Iron Man, most of us like to think Chanel, Manolo Blahnik or even Banana Republic can transform us from mere mortals into movie stars, if not superheroes.

Depending on your mood, the exhibition can be about as profound as you want it to be. You could mull over the simple beauty of the human form, as showcased in a unitard, or ponder the sexualization of violence in the Armored Body section of the exhibition, where women’s armor fails to cover the vulnerable breast and belly areas. You also might spend time contemplating the ubiquity of branding, from the logos on Superman’s chest to those on Ralph Lauren’s polos.

That, or you could just gape at the lifelike Rebecca Romijn- Stamos mannequin, dressed as Mystique from the 2000 film “X-Men”— it’s not naked, but it might as well be.

The exhibition’s curator is Andrew Bolton at the Costume Institute, and its sponsor is Giorgio Armani. Much of the collection is couture runway fare, selected by Bolton for its comic-book parallels. There are also plenty of costumes, including the original Wonder Woman outfit and the Superman ensemble once worn by Christopher Reeve. If you’re looking for something more down to earth, so to speak, you can find real-life athletic gear — including a hooded tracksuit and a swimsuit fashioned from sharkskin that will be worn by Olympic swimmers in Beijing this year. There’s also a working jet pack that looks like some kind of cross between a bird and a plane.

Admission is $20, which might seem like a lot until you realize you’ve also just paid for access not only to “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy” but also to some of America’s most hallowed artworks in one of its most grandiose museums.

The Producers' not to be missed

"The Producers," the Mel Brooks musical that opened Friday night at Eastlight Theatre, doesn't waste a minute getting down to the slapstick vaudeville or the chorus girl lines.

From the "It's Opening Night" dance, this show is off and running, and it never stops.

Director Chip Joyce promises it will make you laugh from beginning to end, and he's right.

Even admirers of Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder in the original 1968 movie will be swept away by Mike Reams as Max Bialystock and Jimmy LaHood as the meek accountant Leo Bloom who discovers you can make money on Broadway if you produce a flop.

Both bring their theater experience to the stage, and it's a perfect fit.

"Springtime for Hitler" looks to be a surefire failure, but how to produce it is the plot line, and along the way are some of the zaniest, funniest moments you'll ever see on the Eastlight stage.

Desperate to sign up the rights to the play, Max and Leo set off to Greenwich Village to meet the playwright Franz Liebkind, played by Dave Montague.

Montague's performance as a leftover Nazi still committed to Der Fuehrer is simply a stunning act, earning roars of laughter and blistering applause as he blunders his stormtrooper way through every scene, straight-arming his "Sieg Heil!" salutes.

And there's Ulla, the Swedish bombshell played by Ingrid Weiman, whose accent is as much fun as Franz's. Part secretary and part office distraction, she proclaims "When You've Got It, Flaunt It."

She teases the prim, repressed Leo into dropping his ever-present hankie - the equivalent of Linus' blanket in the "Peanuts" comic strip.

Director Joyce has a blockbuster on his hands here - it's a rendering of the Mel Brooks longtime hit that's so professional it could be a national touring company.

Brooks hit every possible national nerve in this long-running farce mocking its Jewish producers, gays - in the characters of Roger DeBris (Rex Yancey) and Carmen Ghia (Andrew Werner) - sexy showgirls and Hitler.

The book by Brooks and Thomas Meehan keeps pace with all the frenzied action on stage. "I'll tell you when we're getting in too deep!" Max assures the cautious Leo.

To raise the $2 million to put on the show, Max has to cozy up to the "little old ladies" whose dance routine, complete with walkers, brought down the house opening night, with a final twist as they "go down" gracefully like the toy soldiers in the Rockettes Christmas show.

As for the big "Springtime for Hitler" revue scene, it's a knockout with a dramatic set and archway through which parades a spectacular line of overdressed "Ziegfield Follies"-style models.

Dance routines from gala Yiddish roundabout dancing to jackbooted girls are marvels of precision and style.

Well, even the fun has to end, and Max goes to jail. It's one of the poignant moments of the show, with his ballad "Betrayed" sung from a holding cell. But it's soon over, and the show ends on a high note.

The audience was on its feet in a standing ovation, applauding madly.

Kathy Chitwood, Eastlight Theatre executive director and producer, said early on "this show is huge, sets, costumes, everything." And she was right.

Eastlight is one of the first community theaters in the country to get the rights to present "The Producers."

Nick Myers is musical director in charge of the OrchExtra score; Dan Fisher is choreographer, Steve Cordle is technical director and in charge of set and lighting design; and all those costumes are the work of Jan Sullivan, Kathy Chitwood and Charles Killen, with props by Sue Cordle.

Credit: pjstar.com

Children and Their Families Invited to Come Aboard Frostburg Pirate

The Dark Knight: The Set Visit!

June 16, 2008

Star Wars affection-ados come out in full force

Costume display at Bozeman museum

  June 11, 2008 11:14 AM

REDLANDS - The 12th annual Charlotte S. Huck Children's Literature Festival, featuring several well-known authors and illustrators, will be held March 7 and 8 at the University of Redlands.

Registration costs $175, and includes five meals and a March 7 afternoon autograph party. The festival is limited to 300 attendees.

"Our intention is to keep the festival small enough that everyone can interact with the authors," organizer Marjorie Arnett said. "The focus of this conference is celebrating children's books with the objective of providing teachers the opportunity to learn more about quality books and their creators."

The authors and illustrators who are participating this year are Andrew Clements, Kristine O'Connell

Some of the books by authors who will be at the Charlotte S. Huck Children's Literature Festival at UR.

George, Susan Goldman Rubin, Susan Guevara, Daniel San Souci, Lauren Stringer, Christina Das and Diane Adams. Also on hand will be editor Allyn Johnston of Harcourt Children's Books.

Members of the planning committee are Arnett, Sue Hardy, Sherry O'Sullivan, Gretchen Pelle and Alayne Sullivan.

Huck was an internationally known children's author and professor at Ohio State University who helped create the Redlands Children's Literature Festival in 1996 with Katherine Thomerson, a children's literature instructor and former owner of the Frugal Frigate bookstore; O'Sullivan, formerly with the University of Redlands; and Arnett, an educator in the San Bernardino school district.

According to Arnett, the conference was named for Huck during its fifth year. Huck died in April of 2005 at the age of 82, and was active in the planning of the festival until her death.

At the festival

The festival will take place around the University of Redlands, and offer a variety of activities for participants.

"The conference aims to get a balance of fine writers for different age groups and different genres," Arnett said. "The conference is about getting good materials into the hands of teachers, librarians and students, bringing children and books together in order to develop readers who will find a lifetime of pleasure in reading good books."

Despite the fact that times are tough these days, there is still a lot of interest in the festival.

"With the midyear budget cuts, a number of school districts are not sending teachers to conferences and workshops," Arnett said. "But we find that many of these teachers are coming on their own."

During the festival, attendees will be able to meet and interact with the panelists, as well as attend small group sessions that are descriptions of classroom and library activities. There will also be a book signing party during Friday afternoon.

"Literary conferences are a wonderful way to stay connected with readers, librarians, teachers and other authors," author Christina Das said. "I enjoy sharing my current projects as well as learning about others' works. These events inspire me to be a better writer, and remind me why I started writing for children - to share my love of story and to educate and enlighten young readers."

Those looking for books by festival authors and illustrators, in addition to classic literature and new releases can check out an on-site bookstore.

The Book Market will be in the Orton Center. Vendors include Book Events, O.W.L Professional Books, Usbourne Books and Every Picture Tells a Story, which sells artwork from children's books.

Organizer Sherry O'Sullivan wrote a book, "A Festival of Talent: Wisdom from the First Decade of the Charlotte S. Huck Children's Literature Festival," which celebrates the first 10 years of the conference with observations from 30 of the authors and illustrators who have participated in the festival. It will be available for purchase, with all proceeds going to the Charlotte S. Huck Children's Literature Festival Endowment Fund.

A major event will be a lecture given by Andrew Clements, this year's Charlotte Huck Endowed Speaker. He will speak at 7 p.m. March 7 in the Casa Loma Room. For a $25 donation to the Charlotte S. Huck Children's Literature Festival Endowment, a limited number of seats have been made available for the public to attend this lecture.

Some of the authors have been to the festival in the past: Diane Adams first attended eight years ago, before her book "Zoom!" was published.

"It was an amazing event with well-established authors, whom we were able to talk to one on one," she said. "They had great camaraderie with each other, hilarious stories to tell, and it was evident through their stories that they truly loved what they did. I walked away from that event knowing that I wanted to write children's books."

The authors and illustrators at the festival all share a common bond: They've dedicated their lives to sharing their words and pictures with children.

How the authors got their start

Christina Das has been interested in writing since she was young.

"I had a lifelong dream of writing books," she said. "And then, I became a mother. When I started reading to my daughter, I rediscovered all of my favorite childhood books and longed to share them with her."

Inspired by her favorite authors, Das started creating rhymes and stories for her daughter, which eventually became picture books that are now shared with many children.

Susan Rubin first wanted to become an illustrator.

"As a young mother living in the San Fernando Valley and without money to finance a trip to New York to show what I thought was a portfolio, I decided to write a story to give myself something to illustrate," she said. "After many revisions with help along the way from interested editors and colleagues, that story became my first published book - five years later. I illustrated that book and the next two for Albert Whitman & Company."

Lauren Stringer fell into writing.

"I did not choose to write and illustrate children's books - it sort of chose me," she said.

Stringer studied art and art history in college, moving to New York City to become an artist. For eight years, she painted, sculpted and created sets and costumes for dance and performance art, while working part time in museums to pay the bills.

After moving to Minneapolis in 1988 with her husband and setting up studios to continue painting and sculpting, she met author-illustrator Debra Frasier.

"I began working in the schools with Debra as an artist-in-residece" Stringer said. "For fun, she would stop with me at the Red Balloon Book Store in St. Paul, which specializes in children's books. Childhood memories of favorite picture books welled up, but at that time I had no sense that one day children's books would be my life."

After having her daughter in 1992, Stringer made painted sculptures that were very small and had doors that the viewer could open and close. At an exhibit of these small "box" sculptures, Frasier commented on how opening the doors was like opening a picture book.

"She took slides of my sculptures to her editor and her editor at Harcourt thought I should be illustrating picture books," Stringer said. "She sent me the manuscript for my first picture book, `Mud,' written by Mary Lyn Ray. Since `Mud,' the world of children's literature and all of its wonders has opened up to me."

Daniel San Souci came from a creative family.

"Writing and illustrating children's books came from a love of literature when I was growing up," he said. "I was fortunate to have a father who once was an aspiring artist and a mother who wanted to be the next Jane Austen. Because of circumstances like having to support and raise a family, neither of them were able to pursue their dreams, so when my brother, who is a writer, and I came along, we couldn't have had more enthusiastic supporters.

"It seemed my young years centered around reading books, the role-playing it encompassed, and spending all my free time writing and drawing," he said. "From my wonder years right up through my days at art college, creating children's books was a dream that always persisted."

`The best job I've ever had'

The participants enjoy their careers for different reasons.

For Rubin, it's the whole process that gets her excited.

"My favorite parts of the job are getting excited about the idea, doing the research, then struggling to write chapters that finally entertain my writers' group and gain their seal of approval," she said. "I come away from our weekly meetings on a high if they like what I've done."

Das likes the challenge and meeting with the kids she writes for.

"Being a children's author is the best job I have ever had," she said. "Creating the picture book is a challenging and satisfying creative experience. However, the most rewarding part is sharing my work with children."

Das regularly visits book festivals, schools and libraries to share her work.

"Being part of a child's growing years is a humbling experience," she said.

Stringer enjoys the first steps in the writing and illustrating process.

"I love the very beginning, whether it is writing a new idea for a picture book or my editor has sent me a new manuscript to consider for a picture book," she said. "The newness of it it exhilarating. And in the end, when my work on the book is done and the illustrations hang on my studio wall before being sent off to the publisher, I have such a wonderful feeling of accomplishment and relief."

For Adams, it's getting in touch with her audience.

"One of my favorite parts of writing for children is reading the story out loud with students at school visits," she said. "Their laughter and joy, and their comments about their favorite parts, make me want to keep writing."

Kristine O'Connell George likes entering the world of children through her writing.

"Writing for children brings me joy," she said. "A child's world is new and filled with surprise and discovery. I love the challenge and joy of writing for this audience."

San Souci appreciates getting to use his imagination.

"My favorite part of doing my books is creating the characters," he said. "There's something about having nothing and creating a character who can sustain an entire adventure. I love to do this both literally and visually."

An invaluable experience

It's not just the teachers, librarians and book lovers who benefit from attending the festival, but also the authors.

"I find it invaluable to hear what other writers and editors say about children's literature," Rubin said. "I come away with new insights about the process of writing and even promoting a book, and a greater understanding of what makes a good book good."

"Most often I return home with a renewed sense of hope for good children's books and their important place in the lives of children and adults," Stringer said. "The company of `lovers of children's literature' is always stimulating to me. I come home with lots of stories and new friends."

"Going to these festivals is important to me," San Souci said. "My profession is solitary. I spend my time by myself in my studio creating my books. Festivals like this give me the opportunity to meet so many book people - other authors, teachers, book lovers. I always come back from these conferences feeling more connected and uplifted. It's like running a marathon, then you stop to have that drink of water, and start running again, feeling refreshed."

To register for the Charlotte S. Huck Children's Literature Festival, call Colleen Quesada during the day at (909) 748-8791.  (redlandsdailyfacts.com)

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Create a child-friendly home

It is said that a child who is truly at home in his house is likely to be much more happier and pleasant.

However, if the house is one in which he or she is often made to feel unwelcome, or is constantly meeting in accidents, the effect will be a markedly negative one.

Parents and caregivers should start to create the child-friendly home by making it safe.

"Dangerous situations should not be object lessons or training grounds for obedience," states Natia Meehan, certified Montessori teacher.

Keep your home neat and well ordered. This appeals to children's sense of order (strongest between the age of one and three) and will help them to be neat also.

Provide them with low drawers, baskets and shelves or clothes, books and toys. Children, if grown in an accessible environment, will enjoy placing their own clothes and toys in the right place and keeping their room neat, without quarrels from Mom or Dad.

Cleaning game

If you provide your child with child-sized mops and brooms this will also make the real work of cleaning floors as enjoyable as a game, the experts note.

In the kitchen, dishes stored down low and child-sized cooking utensils will encourage them to do their own mixing and 'cooking' while you cook, instead of watching television or hanging on to your feet asking for attention.

Place their clothes for the day where they can reach them, and even choose what to wear before coming out for breakfast.

At www.lowes.com, it is noted that decorating your house to accommodate children doesn't have to mean giving up beautiful fabrics and decorator hues for a collection of cartoon characters and primary colours.

It is quite possible to let your home make a statement about your tastes and satisfy your child's needs at the same time.

Baskets under a coffee table make convenient toy storage. Make your children's toys accessible to them.

Make sure that the things your children are allowed to use are placed within their reach.

Make sure things they aren't allowed to play with are well out of reach. Keep plants, flowers and decorative items off tables where little hands can reach.

Children are also happier when they see the things they want around them. Let the children help with decisions on how their spaces will be decorated. (jamaica-gleaner.com)

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Star Wars nerds target Moby

Apparently, You Can Be Too Sexy

Victoria's Secret likes to ask in its marketing, "What is sexy?" Now the lingerie chain is trying to figure out, "What's too sexy?"

The chief executive of the brand known for its provocative televised fashion shows and alluring stores made an admission yesterday. In her mind, the brand has become "too sexy" -- or at least the wrong kind of sexy.

"We have so much gotten off our heritage," CEO Sharen Jester Turney said in a conference call with analysts. Responding to the past year's weak sales and focus-group feedback, she said, "We will return to an ultra-feminine lingerie brand to meet [customer] needs and expectations."

A Victoria's Secret model in the company's recent Super Bowl ad.

Whatever Victoria's Secret does could shake up the $10-billion-plus U.S. lingerie industry, which the chain owned by Limited Brands Inc. dominates, with sales of more than $5 billion for its most recent fiscal year. Following a dismal holiday season, during which sales at stores open at least a year dropped 8%, executives have been doing some soul-searching and preparing to take steps to overhaul the brand's image.

Ms. Turney cited the brand's recent Super Bowl television commercial as a small move in that direction, describing it as "less seductive." The ad showed a model wearing a modest gray camisole and panties, sitting in a white armchair.

Victoria's Secret blamed its weak sales in the fiscal quarter ended Feb. 2 on the economic downturn and offerings that have veered too much toward young shoppers.

Ms. Turney said Victoria's Secret needs to win customers back to its core lingerie business by producing more sophisticated merchandise. It plans to improve the quality of its sleepwear, and has hired executives, including a new head of its beauty division, to bolster its product and store design.

The chain, which has about 1,020 stores, also is slowing its expansion plans. Victoria's Secret has been pouring money into a major program of remodeling stores and enlarging them by an average of 50%. In the fall, it opened 23 stores and refurbished 73 locations.

While the remodeled stores have produced sales gains, Ms. Turney said, they haven't performed as well as the retailer had hoped. This spring, it will open 31 stores and remodel 45.

Victoria's Secret still plans to hold a fashion show before Christmas. However, Ms. Turney said, executives "want to continue to re-invent" the event, which has featured models wearing tiny, sparkling lingerie sets, enormous angel wings and teetering heels.

Limited, based in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday reported a 12% decline in net income for its fiscal fourth quarter. Its shares fell more than 11% to $15.85 on the New York Stock Exchange yesterday. Standard & Poor's placed Limited's corporate credit ratings on review yesterday for a potential downgrade. Its current long-term credit rating is BBB-.

Changing customer views will be a huge challenge. Sheri Coulter, a 42-year-old secretary in Flower Mound, Texas, worked at a Victoria's Secret store three years ago. "It was like pulling teeth to get the women our age to come in there," she says. "In our 40s and up, we are sexy -- just not the same sexy a college gal is."

For a time, she says, the store where she worked stopped carrying sizes 38 or larger, embarrassing some older customers who were turned away.

Limited bought Victoria's Secret in 1982, when it had just four stores and a catalog. Under Limited Chief Executive Leslie Wexner, Victoria's Secret improved its quality and toned down racy styles to appeal to mainstream customers.

In the 1990s, professional women shopped the pastel-painted stores for colorful, European-inspired lingerie, supplementing underwear wardrobes previously filled with black, white and beige styles. Soft music played in the background while saleswomen discreetly offered help.

But over time, Victoria's Secret adapted to a changing culture. Women began wearing camisoles and bustiers as outer garments, the growth of the Internet made skin-baring photographs ubiquitous, and teen pop stars such as Britney Spears gyrated on stage in revealing costumes.

One reason Victoria's Secret got off track, Ms. Turney said, was the success of its Pink brand, which launched in 2002 and aimed to introduce college students to Victoria's Secret stores. Pink has grown tremendously; in October, an executive said it would probably reach $900 million in sales for 2007.

But as teens and 20-somethings snapped up Pink underwear and pajamas, too many other product lines at Victoria's Secret shifted to target that same customer, Ms. Turney said.

Today, Victoria's Secret stores are lacquered black, with neon-pink accents and oversize images of scantily clad models. Pounding music pumps through the loudspeakers. Malls endure protests from parents who are outraged by window displays that feature suggestively posed mannequins.

Although basic colors and styles still account for much of the Victoria's Secret bra business, new merchandise lines, such as one from French lingerie brand Chantal Thomass, are far less modest than older fashions.

The word "sexy" is everywhere: on the "Very Sexy" makeup and bra lines, on the "Sexy Little Things" room of risque underwear, and on the chain's Valentine's Day list of "What is Sexy." (Victoria Beckham and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo made the cut this year.)

Older shoppers have noticed the brand's orientation toward a younger, flashier look. They don't want the merchandise to become dowdy, but their image of "sexy" is more refined.

"As a customer over the years, I believe their trend toward a youth-oriented pop style is anything but sexy," says Cecil Van Houten, a 53-year-old shopper from Bath, N.Y.

While purchasing perfume at a Victoria's Secret store with his wife recently, Mr. Van Houten noticed that most of the display area "was taken up by product that looked as though it were designed for teenage girls rather than adult women." The rest of the merchandise, he says, "varied between trashy and uninspiring."

As the giant in the marketplace, Victoria's Secret is vulnerable to competition from all directions. Discounters and department stores, such as Target Corp., J.C. Penny Co. and Kohl's Corp., have been revamping their lingerie offerings. Teen chains such as American Eagle Outfitters Inc. have gone after the business, too.

The latest entry is Gilly Hicks, a small intimate-apparel chain started by Abercrombie & Fitch Co. With its more-romantic and casual feel, Gilly Hicks has been described by industry-watchers as a less-provocative alternative to Victoria's Secret for younger shoppers. But Abercrombie Chief Executive Michael Jeffries has said he doesn't envision the two brands competing for customers.

Meanwhile, lingerie purveyor Frederick's of Hollywood Group Inc., which has more than 130 stores and calls itself "the original sex symbol," has focused in recent years on affordable fashion inspired by red-carpet styles. While she wouldn't speak directly to the changes at Victoria's Secret, the chain's Chief Executive Linda LoRe said, "We feel very strongly that there are a lot of different interpretations of sexy. It's about confidence; it's about how you feel."

Ms. Turney said Victoria's Secret sees opportunities to introduce both higher-priced and less-expensive merchandise to fend off rivals. That's a strategy that has tripped up other industry leaders, such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., that strayed from their roots. Wal-Mart stumbled in its efforts to upgrade its apparel offerings and introduce pricier products. Its sales recovered after it returned to its historical focus on discounting. (online.wsj.com)

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Let's Rewrite the Rules for Kids' Media

Four decades ago, Joan Ganz Cooney and her colleagues created the gold standard for using mass media to educate children when they founded the long-running kids' program Sesame Street. Today, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, the nonprofit research organization Ganz Cooney founded, is pushing for an overhaul of children's media legislation that may prove no less far-reaching.

The center's recent report, D is for Digital, analyzes the impact of digital media on kids and reaches some striking conclusions. "Federal regulatory bodies, such as the Federal Communications Commission, and voluntary industry, public interest advocacy and philanthropic organizations, should advance policies that protect children from commercialism," the center writes. "A revitalization of the Children's Television Act needs to be undertaken to modernize the child protections now called for in a digital age."

I heartily second the recommendation. I do not profess to be an expert on regulation, but I am a student of the impact of interactive media on children and young adults. I have been chronicling the explosion of virtual worlds for children over the past year and a half at Ypulse, a Web site that covers marketing to young people. Last autumn I held a conference on younger teens, or "tweens," and technology.

Digital Marketing Is Interactive and Immersive

We clearly need to develop standards when it comes to kids' digital media. One of the major goals of the Children's Television Act was to increase the quantity of educational broadcast TV programming for children. But it was enacted in 1990 and predates much of the digital era. And other than subsequent FCC rules on digital TV and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, which prevents personal data collection from children under 13 without parental consent, there's a dearth of rules and guidelines for kids' digital media. What's more, the standards for what constitutes "educational" content are weak at best.

Digital media—whether delivered via the Internet, cell phones, Apple iPods, or mobile gaming devices—is saturated with ad-supported content. And unlike TV ads, much digital marketing is interactive and immersive. Even broadcast TV is changing how it delivers commercials in an age where multitasking youth have become adept at using ad-skipping technology like digital video recorders. Marketers are increasingly placing products within shows, or even crafting entire shows or vignettes around a brand, using so-called branded entertainment. For instance, various companies promote brands on youth-targeted networks like the CW through "content wraps," serialized vignettes that appear at various intervals throughout a show.

Companies including Disney and Viacom's Nickelodeon plan to spend hundreds of millions of dollars developing virtual worlds and casual games for kids; we're seeing the proliferation of Web sites connected to real-life toys, including Webkinz, Build-a-Bear, LEGO, and Mattel's Barbie.

Dressing Avatars in DKNY

There's little doubt as to the reason behind these efforts. At this year's Consumer Electronics Show, a Mattel executive proudly announced that the company won't run any outside advertising in its Barbie Girls virtual world. Come on. The entire site is a Barbie ad. On Web sites like Stardoll, children under 13 can dress their avatars in virtual DKNY clothes.

There are no requirements or standards for labeling online advertising or for transparency around this type of sponsor integration within virtual worlds. There are also no requirements for any amount of educational content on commercial Web sites or any criteria for vetting kids' sites or electronic toys that claim to be educational.

Why all the fuss over messaging to kids? An American Psychological Assn. task force has recommended limits, citing research that shows that kids under the age of 8 can't critically comprehend TV ad messages and that they're prone to accept advertiser messages as truthful, accurate, and unbiased.

Advocacy organizations like the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) argue that exposure to marketing exploits children's developmental vulnerabilities. A recent British study found that "the pressure to consume and conform can lead to excessive levels of materialism and competition among children leading to bullying." CCFC also argues that marketing is a factor in the childhood obesity epidemic. But unlike some European countries that have banned marketing to children on TV or in schools, the current U.S. regulatory climate makes such proscriptions unlikely.

Updating the Children's Television Act

Marketers do try to self-regulate, through such bodies as the Better Business Bureau's Children's Advertising Review Unit, which aims to ensure that messages for kids are "truthful, accurate, and sensitive." But experts say comparable efforts in Europe are far more effective in promoting healthy development.

So how do we redefine the Children's Television Act for the Digital Age?

• Reach out to industry. Several groups are hard at work investigating the impact of digital media on children. Among them are Common Sense Media's Digital Kids Initiative, the MacArthur Foundation's research into digital learning,  and of course the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and others. These organizations need to reach out to the entrepreneurs and large corporations creating these new kids' spaces and begin a dialogue.

• Create research-based universal standards for what constitutes educational content. This applies to TV, online, and other electronic content and should be broken out by ages and development stages. If TV networks are required to provide educational content, let's hold their feet to the fire and make sure it's educational. They can still create fluff, but they shouldn't be able to pass it off as educational content. In the digital space, where there is no regulation yet, companies that comply could be given some sort of educational seal of approval. Let's reward sites that encourage kids' creativity and learning. These standards should be updated and informed by the latest research.

• Build new, ad-free business models for sites targeting children. Many people argue that subscription models make high-quality children's content inaccessible to low-income families. I agree. So let's come up with creative alternatives.

• Increase transparency and labeling of sponsored digital content. If the only way marketers can effectively reach youth is through product placement and branded entertainment, we need more transparency about who's paying the bills and what content is sponsored. Young people respect this sort of transparency and understand sites need advertisers to keep the lights on, but they don't always recognize branded entertainment, advergames, or brands in virtual worlds as advertising.

These steps alone won't reinvent how marketers get their messages before kids. But they could go a long way toward protecting children who are living long stretches of their lives immersed in ad-saturated digital media. (businessweek.com)

BARBIE® pairs up with the Lollipop Theater Network to host a "BUTTERFLY BALL" at the CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES in celebration of the all-new "BARBIE™ MARIPOSA

The "Barbie™ Mariposa™" Movie Inspires Self-Confidence, Reminding Viewers that "The Most Beautiful Thing You Can Be is Yourself"

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.- Barbie® celebrates the anticipation of spring with the launch of an all-new, butterfly fairy-themed DVD movie "Barbie™ Mariposa™" Featuring incredible CGI animation, the full-length made-for-DVD movie is released today by Universal Studios Home Entertainment and features a heartwarming storyline, including a wonderful lesson to inspire self-confidence and remind viewers that "the most beautiful thing you can be is yourself" The new supporting "Barbie™ Mariposa™" toy line, complete with glittering butterfly-winged fairy dolls, styling heads, accessories, playsets and lifestyle products, allows girls to bring the Mariposa™ story to life and relive their favorite whimsical moments from the movie.

To celebrate Barbie® doll’s newest release "Barbie™ Mariposa™" and the movie’s exciting new butterfly fairy-theme, Barbie® co-hosted a first-ever "Butterfly Ball" on February 22 at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles with the Lollipop Theater Network (a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing the magic of movies to children staying in hospitals nationwide). The "Butterfly Ball" brought the enchanting world of Mariposa™ to life by transforming the children’s hospital into a beautiful butterfly fairy garden. Barbie® kicked off the festive "Butterfly Ball" by announcing a $20,000 donation to the Lollipop Theater Network. Children in attendance were treated to an exclusive sneak preview of the new Barbie™ Mariposa™ movie and were gifted with special EB Butterfly Necklaces designed by actors Courteney Cox and David Arquette to support the EB (Epidermolysis Bullosa) Medical Research Foundation. Other keepsakes included butterfly fairy-themed Barbie™ Mariposa™ toys and dolls.

"Barbie movies continue to grow in popularity around the globe and are considered the new classics in home family DVD libraries, with more than 48 million units sold worldwide since 2001" said Barry Waldo, Vice President, Entertainment Marketing, Mattel. "Families watch our Barbie movies together because, in addition to having engaging and original magical storylines, each movie features positive messages and values that parents and grandparents appreciate for their kids"

"The brand new world of ’Barbie Mariposa’ gives girls a way to celebrate spring with an entire new line of butterfly fairy-inspired dolls in vibrant, glittering colors with magical transformation features that truly bring the butterfly theme to life" said Jamie Wood, vice president, Barbie Marketing, Mattel. "’Barbie Mariposa’ engages and delights girls in ways that only Barbie doll can"

Barbie™ Mariposa™ DVD

This spring, Barbie® stars in "Barbie™ Mariposa™" an all-new story set in the world of Butterfly Fairies! Mariposa™ (which means "butterfly" in Spanish) is a beautiful butterfly fairy who loves to read and dream about the world outside her home in the land of Flutterfield™. The land of Flutterfield™ is protected by the Queen’s glimmering magical lights, but when the Queen is poisoned by an evil fairy, the special lights begin to go out one by one. It’s up to the brave Mariposa™ and her friends to journey beyond the safe borders of the city in search of a hidden antidote that will save the Queen forever! The heartwarming storyline of "Barbie Mariposa" features a wonderful lesson to instill self confidence among its viewers, showing them that "the most beautiful thing you can be is yourself" Join the butterfly fairy friends on an exciting and enlightening adventure that will transform them. Available on February, 26, 2008, for a suggested retail price of $19.98.

The "Barbie™ Mariposa™" DVD also includes exclusive extras that will fuel young imaginations and provide hours of fun activities, including:

* Flutterpixie™ Dress Up Game

* Flutterfield™ Scavenger Hunt

"Barbie® Mariposa™" Dolls and Accessories

The Barbie™ Mariposa™ DVD is partnered with a magical toy line that captures the vibrant, glittery aesthetic and whimsy inspired by the movie. With beautiful bold colors and incredible features, the Barbie® Mariposa™ toy line is a great way to inspire girls to use their imagination and celebrate the spring season. Girls will enjoy playing out their favorite scenes from the full-length adventure with butterfly-themed dolls, styling heads and much more. The Barbie® Mariposa™ toy line includes:

Barbie® Magic Wings Mariposa™ Doll

Based on Barbie® doll’s newest made-for-DVD animated movie Barbie™ Mariposa™, the Magic Wings Mariposa™ doll features a beautiful transformation. With the press of a button, Mariposa™ doll’s butterfly wings change and grow from pretty purple wings to giant, sparkly, pink wings. The doll also features beautiful accents, including a butterfly tiara and removable skirt. Suggested retail price is $17.99 for ages 3 and up.

Willa™ Doll

In the Barbie™ Mariposa™ made-for-DVD movie, Willa™ is not only the best friend of Mariposa™ but also of the beautiful butterflies! Girls can play out the feature of Willa™ speaking with the butterflies by pressing a lever on Willa™ doll’s back. When the lever is activated, girls can watch her butterfly friend flutter up Willa™ doll’s arm to share a "secret" in the doll’s ear. Suggested retail price is $12.99 for ages 3 and up.

Barbie® Mariposa™ Color Change Rayla™ and Rayna™ Dolls

Catch butterfly fairy twins Rayla™ and Rayna™ - the beautiful sisters and best friends of Mariposa™ from the Barbie™ Mariposa™ DVD - on their exciting journey to save the Queen. Each fashionable butterfly fairy doll features color change sparkly wings and beautiful color change hair when girls apply icy cold water. Their pretty butterfly wings and gorgeous reversible skirts can also be mixed and switched between sisters and friend Willa™ doll for a dramatic transformation Each doll also comes with a brush to style their beautiful long hair. Suggested retail price is $12.99 for ages 3 and up.

Mariposa™ Styling Head

The Mariposa™ styling head offers girls fashion play, hair play and transformation play all-in-one! Girls can use the pretty tulip hair braider for the styling head or themselves by snapping two pieces of hair in and squeezing the handle to create beautiful twists! There are lots of share-and-wear pieces including a tiara with removable butterfly clips that also become barrettes, a necklace, hair extensions, ribbons and more. The Mariposa™ styling head also includes a color change feature. When girls use the special applicator and cold water, eye shadow, lipstick as well as a cute little butterfly design on the cheek are revealed. Suggested retail price is $19.99 for ages 3 and up.

Other items in the toy collection include:

* Barbie® Mariposa™ Prince Doll

* Barbie® Mariposa™ Mini-Character Giftsets

* Barbie® Mariposa™ Flutterpixies™ Dolls Assortment

* Barbie® Mariposa™ Playset

Additional "Barbie™ Mariposa™" Products

"Barbie™ Mariposa™" Learning Laptop (Oregon Scientific)

Now girls can learn the basics with Barbie™ Mariposa™ and her butterfly friends! With eight fun  learning games including counting, colors, shapes and ABCs, the Barbie™ Mariposa™ Learning Laptop features an animated LCD screen, colorful ALPHA numeric keyboard and a butterfly-shaped handle perfect for preschoolers (age 3+). Cute Barbie™ and butterfly graphics decorate the stylish laptop. Available at Wal-Mart and other national retailers for a suggested retail price of $24.99.

"Barbie™ Mariposa™" Dress-Up

Girls can role-play being a butterfly fairy with the new "Barbie™ Mariposa™ dress-up featuring glittery butterfly wings and fashion accessories including a tiara, fun pretend make-up in a pretty Butterfly shaped tote, fashion accessory sets with a handbag and pretend jewelry and more! Available at toy retailers nationwide for suggested retail prices ranging from $4.99 to $19.99.

"Barbie™ Mariposa™" Publishing

Girls will adore the rich new line of "Barbie™ Mariposa™" coloring, activity and story books from Random House, Scholastic and Reader’s Digest available in March at toy retailers nationwide for suggested retail prices ranging from $3.99 to $9.99. (webwire.com)

Hasbro's Star Wars

Battle Packs
There's only one image for the Battle Packs in the press kit, but we saw a few others in the showroom, as well as one that wasn't on display. The Battle Packs assortment will be a mix of TLC and TCW, meaning we'll see both styles released simultaneously.

In the TLC line, there's a Hoth Speeder Bike Patrol set, featuring two Imperial Hoth scouts on their bikes, plus a Rebel Hoth set with Han, Chewie, K-3PO, R5-M2, and a Probot.

Over in TCW, look for a Speeder Bike Recon set, featuring two clones on their BARC Speeders, plus another set called Battle at B'Omarr Monastery with figures unknown.

Evolutions
The popular Evolutions series of 3-packs continue, and have been rumored for months. But no amount of rumors can take away the excitement one gets when first viewing the actual figures. According to the rumor mill, this is only the first Rebel Pilot set we'll be seeing in 2008, and there will also be an Imperial Pilots set as well. Since they're not due until the fall, we'll just have to settle with the ones currently hitting retails, including The Fett Legacy set shown above.

Vehicles
Ah, "the beast". Really, words cannot describe the beauty that is the AT-TE.

By now, you've seen the photos, you've watched the video, you've mopped the drool from your chin. This really is a work of art. Loaded with everything you could want from a vehicle: electronic lights, sounds, and voices! Slow-moving spring-loaded opening hatches! Launching projectiles! An exclusive figure! This baby is HUGE, and can hold an army of troopers (roughly 20).

Whichever style of action figures you prefer, they will both fit inside and alongside this vehicle. Which brings up an interesting point. The vehicles (also look for V-19 Torrent Fighter and Federation Spider Droid, plus some repackaged TAC ships as well) are the same style as we've seen them in the past. As with the animated series, where the digital models are the exact same as those seen in the films, the same thinking holds true here. The vehicles (both land-based and flying starfighters) will be the same sculpts, and will fit both TCW and TLC styled figures inside.

Galactic Heroes
Over in the super-cute and super-popular Galactic Heroes line, there are a few new sets planned, but we'll also see the return of some past favorites. Which makes this no different from any other year really, does it?

But what does set this year apart is the return of the GH vehicles. there will be several returning favorites, as well as some all-new ships coming in 2008. Plus look for several exclusive multipacks later in the year.

Mighty Muggs
Ah, the Mighty Muggs! Love them or hate them, this line is here to stay for awhile at least. The second wave is starting to show up in stores now, and we've already seen a third and fourth wave planned for 2008, for a grand total of nearly 30 by year's end (including an SDCC-exclusive General Gree). And the line is also expanding into other Hasbro properties as well, so there's no stopping this "made from 100% recycled awesome" line!

Role Play
For the fan who likes to dress up and recreate favorite scenes, the always available lightsabers and blasters are returning for another go-round, with some slightly new color schemes. Plus, look for an all-new Clone Trooper voice-changing helmet.


Wrapping It Up
Star Wars is going to be BIG in 2008. I'm not talking about the AT-TE (although, hey, that sucker is HUGE!) With The Clone Wars slated for a theatrical release in August, this fall and holiday season will see an onslaught of new toys released centered around the new animated series, with a new market of fans seeing it for the first time.

What's a little concerning for longtime collectors like me is that nearly everything shown by Hasbro during Toy Fair is slated for a Fall release. The major kick-off for both TCW and TLC takes place on 7/26/2008 (hopefully this means another midnight madness launch party!), and last year's TAC toy line will still have a handful of spring exclusives released March-May, but there's going to be something of a drought for Star Wars fans. The big promotional crossover event, The Force Unleashed, has fizzled out due to the game's frequent delays, turning it into a non-event really.

So where will fans be able to satisfy their need for adventure and excitement during the bulk of the year? I hear there's a certain swashbuckling, whip-cracking archaeologist marking his territory in the toy stores as we speak. I'm betting this return may have something that fans are looking for. While a Jedi may not crave these things, we toy collectors certainly do!  (theforce.net)

Barbie tries on-line comeback

High Tech And Affordable Prices Key To 2008 Toys

High-tech playthings remain the darlings of the toy industry this year, from new robotic dinosaurs to a joking, leg-crossing Elmo and a Spider-Man toy that really climbs walls.

But with many consumers strapped for cash and toy prices expected to rise, companies at the American International Toy Fair in Manhattan last week also aim to give parents more bang for their toy-buying bucks in 2008.

“You're seeing a lot of innovation at lower prices,” said Chris Byrne, an independent toy industry analyst. “Toys are kind of the last area to go when you pull back on spending, but parents are looking at things a lot more critically.”

Byrne said major manufacturers have fewer high-end items costing $100 or more this year. He said they are focusing more on their core business of “goofy, collectible, plush” toys.

At the showroom of industry leader Mattel Inc., the first exhibit is for the 40-year-old Hot Wheels brand. To celebrate that anniversary, Mattel next month is rolling out tiny cars designed by automakers including Ford, Honda and Lotus. The price: $2 each.

Hot Wheels Turbo Driver, costing $21 in the fall, adds a high-tech twist by allowing kids to plug car-like cartridges into a controller that connects to a computer. Players can then go online to customize and race their cars.

Mattel also is throwing a new candidate into the election season with a new Barbie for President, a $15 doll coming in June.

“The bulk of toys are really pretty affordable,” said Neil Friedman, president of the Mattel brands division. He said most Mattel toys cost less than $20.

Upcoming products from No. 2 Hasbro Inc. include an overhaul of the $15 mystery board game Clue, a $40 amusement park play set marking the 25th anniversary of My Little Pony, and the Nerf N-Strike Vulcan EBF-25, a $40 toy with a canister that feeds a continuous supply of soft-dart ammunition.

This year is important for the toy industry after some recent bumps.

After recalls of Chinese-made toys, toy makers and sellers are working to tighten safety standards.

Toy makers face continuing competition from hot consumer electronics items like the Apple iPod and Nintendo Wii.

Prices also are expected to inch up because of the rising cost of energy, plastic and labor in China.

Despite these concerns, toy makers know there are consumers undeterred by price tags when it comes to the most advanced toys.

As part of a 2008 dinosaur theme across the industry, Hasbro's Playskool brand has its upcoming $300 Kota the Triceratops, a robotic creature more than 3 feet long that responds to touch and sound. It doesn't walk, but little kids can sit on its bouncy back while it plays jungle noises.

Hasbro, which helped define the pricey toy trend of recent years with its $300 Butterscotch pony, now has the $180 Biscuit, a barking, tail-wagging, touch-sensitive golden retriever that responds to spoken commands such as “sit,” “give me a paw” and “do you want a treat?”

Targeting parents familiar with smashed portable DVD players, Mattel's Fisher-Price brand this summer is selling the $180 Kid-Tough Portable DVD Player for preschoolers. The oversized player has a built-in screen, a kick stand, two big handles and is designed to survive being dropped repeatedly.

“Technology has just infused itself into every aisle of the toy store,” said Reyne Rice, a toy trend specialist for the Toy Industry Association.

Rice said parents this year are also looking to balance all that technology with toys that teach science and discovery or get kids active.

Many upcoming toys blend the appeal of technology with prices under $100.

Jakks Pacific Inc. is turning the heads of industry experts with its EyeClops Night Vision Infrared Stealth Goggles. For about $80, kids can use the goggles to see about 20 feet in the dark. (Source TheDay.com)

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Star Wars Galaxies Reveals Sith Lord Exar Kun

Star Wars Galaxiesis offering players a preview of the upcoming Chapter 9, which centers around Yavin 4.

“That place… is strong with the dark side of the Force. A domain of evil it is. In you must go.” - Yoda

Players will be pitted against the spirit and twisted minions of a fallen Sith Lord, Exar Kun. This fallen jedi is the very power that started the Sith War. Kun absorbed the lifeforce of the entire Massassi people in his last stand. Although his body and the Brotherhood of the Sith were destroyed, his spirit lingers on, far from powerless. Players will explore unearthed Sith temples and take on the abominations that haunt Yavin 4 as they hunt for Sith artifacts.

Somehow I can’t help but think of the dark lord Sauron from the Lord of the Rings. Still Sith history has been of great interest to Star Wars fans, and is very much the cool thing right now. Just look at the anticipation of the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Unleashed where the main charcter is by default Vader’s secret apprentice.

Who can really blame people for being fascinated by the bad guy. Awful good characters can become tiresome in their insistence that everybody be good or else. It’s often easier to identify with the villain who is rarely perfect. Besides a character needs a challenge to make them heroic. (source news.filefront.com)

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Weekend event shows off "dream toys"

 

 

NORTH BEND - With spring just around the corner, thoughts are already starting to turn towards having fun in the great outdoors.

And this past weekend, at the Pony Village Mall in North Bend, everyone had a chance to start planning ahead. That's thanks to a special day-long event called "Big Boys and their Dream Toys."

There was something for almost every outdoorsman, from quads and campers to a fashion show for young and old.

But as much as it was a day for the consumer, it was also a pretty big day for the vendor's.

Top Quad is a family owned business and Daniel Pruett says these kind of events are vital for a small business, giving them a chance to get out and be seen and to meet with the consumer face to face.

It's events like this that can really give small businesses a boost, and Pruett says they were already considering this event a big success form their perspective. (Source kcby.com)

 

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Glitch puts off effort to detect lead in toys

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Rain can't stop S.F. Chinese New Year Parade

Rats were king at the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco on Saturday night, as crowds of people turned out to celebrate the animal known for its witty, generous and cunning behavior.

And rats are quick.

"They're the first ones out of the rain," said Karen Eng, spokeswoman for the parade that began winding through the city as a storm drenched San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area.

The humans watching the parade and those participating in it had to rely on their own craftiness to avoid being completely soaked during the celebration, which included more than 100 entries and 27 floats on the parade route.

Luann Choy of Alameda, who has been coming to the parade for 24 years, staked out a prime spot.

Choy, 53, was sheltered under the walkway outside the Hilton hotel at Kearny and Washington streets. Around her were about 30 folding chairs reserved for family and friends.

"It's a family tradition to come," said Choy, who arrived at 11:30 a.m. to get the spot along the route. Her family does not miss a thing, staying till the very end. "We try to touch the final dragon. It's good luck."

The parade and festival have been mainstays of San Francisco since the 1860s. In 1958, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce began organizing the event.

This year, the five mascots of the Summer Olympics in Beijing served as the parade's grand marshal. They are called Fuwa, and represent a fish, a panda, a Tibetan antelope and a swallow - all popular animals in China. The fifth represents the Olympic flame. San Francisco will be the only city in North America to host the Olympic torch as it makes its way from Athens to China.

Retiring KTVU anchor Dennis Richmond served as the human grand marshal.

At the start of the parade route on Market and Second streets, scores of participants wore plastic coats over their colorful costumes. Some sought shelter in bookstores and coffee shops before the event began.

Despite the rain, which Eng said is a good omen that means a bountiful harvest, participants said the weather would not bring them down.

"It has been wet, but we've been practicing for five months," said Margaret Liu, a parent coordinator with the 130 children from West Portal Elementary School who marched in the parade.

Many participants have spent the last few days waterproofing their floats and costumes for the parade.

About 50 young people from Tat Wong Kung Fu Academy in San Francisco marched in the parade, wearing makeup and costumes to look like rats. They added plastic sheets to the costumes, in the hopes of staying at least somewhat dry.

"We're still very happy to be here," said Jaime Brown, a student from the academy.

Marilyn Chan, 26, wore a traditional Manchu Dynasty outfit, along with an elaborate headdress that she kept in the plastic packaging that it came in.

"It's very cold, but I'm very excited to be here. It's my first time," Chan said.

Not everyone was celebrating, however. Practitioners of Falun Gong gathered at California and Kearny streets, protesting the Chinese Chamber of Commerce's decision to bar the organization from the parade.

The controversial spiritual group was allowed to participate in 2004, when it applied under the name Falun Dafa.

"This parade belongs to everyone, and we should not be denied the right to participate. This is not right," said Jane Qi, 38, a Falun Gong follower who participated in the protest at the parade.

The crowd at the parade this year was thick in some areas - up to six people deep on the sidewalk - but sparse in other places along the route.

Around the corner from the end of the parade, Sasha Froyland of San Francisco sat at an outside table at the Macaroni Sciue Sciue restaurant, ordering wine and appetizers with an unimpeded view of parade participants as they finished up.

The vantage point, Froyland's secret viewing spot, is ideal because participants "go wild. It's the last bastion of fun."

Jasper Rubin and his wife, Rebecca Jones, live in San Francisco and brought daughter Adrienne, 6, to the parade. They said there were some advantages of the bad weather.

"I think we actually have a chance to get a spot at a good restaurant after the parade is over," said Rubin, adding, "This is my favorite event in San Francisco, and our daughter is old enough to enjoy it now."

 

(Source sfgate.com February/24/2008)

 

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Galactic news: 'Star Wars' again

 

Coming soon to a family near you: All "Star Wars," all the time — again. In case you missed it, the franchise that changed cinema history is once again coming back to dominate pop culture.

According to StarWars.com, "Star Wars: Clone Wars" is "coming to your galaxy" on Aug. 15. For this film, the seventh in the franchise, computer animation will replace real actors.

Don't be too upset, kind friends, this trend won't continue. The robots haven't replaced us yet, and I think we can hold off the computer animation from replacing us, too. Either way, the kids are going to dig the movie.

As if our children won't be enthralled enough by the hype and subsequent release of this film, a television show will follow in the fall on the Cartoon Network. With the new show and movie, of course, comes an onslaught of merchandising. As the character named Yogurt said in "Spaceballs," the Mel Brooks cult classic and "Star Wars" spoof, "Merchandising, merchandising, where the real money from the movie is made."

You just wait; soon enough, Wal-Mart will be selling the "Star Wars" iPod, Toys R Us will have "Star Wars" Webkinz, and convenience stores will be selling some energy drink that is the same color as Yoda the Jedi Master's skin. Here's hoping ingesting the stuff doesn't do the same to our skin; I'll let you know. Hey, if this drink can help tap into the mysterious "Force" we've been hearing about for 30 years, I'll not only buy it by the case, I'll bathe in the stuff.

This, of course, means a whole new batch of "Star Wars" toys, too, which will come out just in time for the holidays. Not that new "Star Wars" toys are needed. In case you haven't noticed, new toys related to the franchise are always coming out and are hot sellers in stores and online outlets around the world.

I know this because my 5 ½ half-year-old son (Note to soon-to-be first-time parents: If you forget the halves when mentioning how old your child is, he or she will remind you) has taken control of my mind and convinced me over and over again that he should have more of these toys.

Not sure about any of you, but this new movie and TV show are going to be life-changing events in my world. Not because I'm one of those adults who dresses up like Darth Vader and goes to the movie premiers with his lightsaber — that would just be creepy — but because my son believes he is the second coming of Luke Skywalker.

Based on his mad skills with a toy lightsaber, I'm inclined to believe him. Although since Luke Skywalker is Darth Vader's son, that makes me ... dressing up in all black and attending a movie premier with my lightsaber. Wow, maybe it's unavoidable. My darkest hour awaits me, as do a black cape and form-fitting black pants.

A new "Star Wars" film is also significant to me because it allows my son to continue enjoying the wonderful fantasy world he is in right now, as are most of his friends. They talk about the characters, play them, read the story books, incorporate the movies into their artwork — all in healthy ways.

The other day, my son informed me that he was too tired to walk inside on his own after playing in the back yard. Why is this relevant? Because he told me, "Daddy, I need you to carry me, my Force ran out of batteries."

For those unfamiliar with the term "May the Force be with you," you've either successfully avoided television for your entire life or you are being way too constructive with your time. Either way, I'm jealous. According to Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was played by the late, great Sir Alec Guinness in the three original "Star Wars" films, the Force is "an energy field created by all living things, that surrounds and penetrates living beings and binds the galaxy together."

My son is keenly aware of the Force. He even taught his 16-month-old sister to yell "Yoda" whenever she sees the little, Jedi-trained muppet. I have "Star Wars" movies to thank for all these developments.

I must admit, though, "Star Wars" makes me feel kind of old on certain days, maybe because my son calls me "Obi-Wan" instead of "Dad." Hey, at least the kid recognizes me as a Jedi master.

It could be worse, I suppose. He could always equate my height with one of the taller characters in "Star Wars," the Wookie Chewbacca. I suppose then my son would call me "Chewie," which I don't want to hear because as anyone dealing with the lack of sleep that comes with having young children knows, some days I feel pretty chewy. Don't need the reminder.

"Obi-Wan" it is, then, unless he really wants something and tactfully throws a "Dad" in there for good measure. His tactics make me proud, prouder than his skills with a lightsaber.

And so it is that Aug. 15 will be a red-letter day in my dwelling. "Star Wars" is coming back, and my son is going to witness the never-ending marketing hype machine up close and personal. Somehow, I don't think he's going to mind. After all, the Force is strong with him.

May the Force be with you, folks. If it isn't, check the batteries.

Mike Sullivan is a Seacoast Sunday columnist. You can also read him every Monday in Portsmouth Herald Sports. Sullivan can be reached at sullywrites@comcast.net.

 

 (Source seacoastonline.com February/24/2008)

 

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The force was strong with many children at the Jedi Training Academy Friday night

 

 

With a lightsaber still clutched in her hand, Kenadee Bole, 11, gave some insight into the favorite part of her training to become a Jedi Knight.

"When I helped destroy and defeat Darth Maul," said Kenadee, still smiling from her encounter with the evil Sith Lord.

The force was strong with many young padawans Friday night as children from across the region attended the Star Wars Jedi Training Academy in the College Center of Aims Community College, 5401 W. 20th St. in Greeley. The event, in its first year, offered children the chance to learn more about the characters and themes behind the blockbuster films that have grossed $4.3 billion worldwide.

Click to Enlarge D'Angelo Duran, 6, right, practices his lightsaber skills with Braydon Bole, 7, during the Star Wars Jedi Training Academy held at Aims Community College. JIM RYDBOM / jrydbom@greeleytribune.com

According to thesoon-to-be-conquered Darth Maul, also known as Jonathan Adolf, a junior at Aims, the event was a way of giving children a chance to do something they might not ordinarily take part in.

"I just kind of like to get kids involved in everything and I thought, I don't know, this would be an interesting way of doing this," he said before the event.

Paul Hasty of Greeley, there with his son Garrett, 9, his daughter Carolyn, 6, and his wife Brandi said the cross-generational appeal of the film series was one of the biggest things that brought them to the event. A fan for life, Paul Hasty said he first saw Star Wars when he was 7 years old when "A New Hope" was released in 1977.

"Star Wars is such a cultural phenomenon even from when we were kids and our kids enjoyed it too so I thought it'd be a great thing to see," Paul Hasty said.

More than 40 children attended the event hosted by the Student Programming Council in association with the Associated Students of Aims Community College.

After a slide show detailing the history and characters of the film series, the young padawans -- or Jedi Knights in training, as they are known in the series -- received lessons about fighting techniques with a lightsaber from Jedi Mensa, also known as Zack Heimbegner, a sophomore at Aims. The children were later allowed to take home the new toy lightsabers when the event was finished, along with other prizes and gifts.

Watching his daughter, Kenadee, and his two sons, Braydon, 7, and Peyton 7, as they tried out a few new moves with the lightsabers, Donald Bole said that the greatest benefit of the night was simply the chance to spend more time with his children -- as well as learn a few new ways to defeat the Dark Side.

"From all the times we've seen the movies -- because I have the whole series at the house -- I would say it's going to help the kids a lot," he said, taking note of their technique with the lightsaber, before adding "If absolutely nothing else, they're having fun."

 

 (Source greeleytrib.com)

 

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The computer-animated film will act as a feature-length preview for George Lucas' new cable television series.

First " Indiana Jones," and now "Star Wars" -- this summer is turning out to be the season of George Lucas .

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars," a new stylized, computer-animated feature film, will open Aug. 15 in theaters and set the stage for a tie-in television series with the same name and mode of artwork that will begin airing as a 30-minute weekly series in the fall on the Cartoon Network and TNT.

The film and series will center on the wartime tales of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi and feature Padme Amidala, Mace Windu, Count Dooku and the other characters introduced in the second trilogy of live-action "Star Wars" films that began in 1999.

For casual fans trying to keep track of the timeline, this film and series would take place after the events of the 2002 movie "Attack of the Clones" and right before those in the grimmer 2005 installment "Revenge of the Sith," which shows Anakin succumbing to the dark side of the Force and donning the black cape of Darth Vader.

"I felt like there were a lot more 'Star Wars' stories left to tell," Lucas said in a Tuesday press release. "I was eager to start telling some of them through animation and, at the same time, push the art of the animation forward."

There already was a 2-D animated series called "Clone Wars" that centered on the conflict between the Jedis of the Republic and separatist groups and their battle droids, but this new film and series will be later in the continuity and have a dramatically different look that melds photo-realistic battle sequences (think of an enhanced, top-flight video game) and stylized characters that sometimes resemble marionettes.

Lucas has also said that he is working toward a live-action television series based in the "Star Wars" universe but that it would not feature the central characters of the iconic franchise, which has grossed $4.3 billion in theaters worldwide. "It's about minor characters," the filmmaker told The Times in October. "It has nothing to do with Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader or any of those people. It's completely different. But it's a good idea, and it's going to be a lot of fun to do."

The other famous franchise associated with Lucas is swinging back this year as well. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" arrives on Memorial Day and brings the feisty archaeologist of the title back to theaters for the first time since 1989. Lucas, who created the character, is executive producer and shares writing credits with David Koepp. Steven Spielberg returns as the franchise's director.

(Source LA Times  02/13/2007)

 

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars makes its theatrical debut as an all-new, computer-generated feature film in August 2008, followed by a television series in the fall.

The new adventures in a galaxy far, far away apparently take place between the second and third Star Wars prequel films, similar to the Clone War series of the same name that ran between 2003 and 2005. Returning characters include Anakin Skywalker – who later becomes Darth Vader – along with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padme Amidala. New heroes also join to battle familiar villains from the Star Wars prequels, such as Darth Sidious, Count Dooku, and General Grievous.

"I felt there were a lot more Star Wars stories left to tell," said George Lucas, Star Wars creator and executive producer of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. "I was eager to start telling some of them through animation and, at the same time, push the art of animation forward."

Combining a signature animation style with all computer-generated graphics, Star Wars: The Clone Wars opens in North American theaters on Friday, Aug. 15. The brand new television series then premieres in the fall on Cartoon Network, kicking off regular airings on TNT. The television episodes each amount to a 30-minute "mini-movie," and will showcase action-packed battles along with new revelations about the Star Wars universe.

Lucasfilm Ltd., Warner Bros. Pictures and Turner Broadcasting System Inc. announced their partnership yesterday to produce and distribute the new film and television series.

"Warner Bros. and Turner are uniquely positioned to deliver on the enormous potential of The Clone Wars because together they offer a world-class opportunity: the theatrical and home-video distribution of Warner Bros. and the broad reach of the Turner Networks," said Micheline Chau, President and Chief Operating Officer of Lucasfilm Ltd. "This terrific combination hits the key demographic groups, ranging from kids to adults, that make up the Star Wars audience."

Lucasfilm Animation has already produced more than 30 all-new episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and continues to work on new episodes.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars marks the latest expansion for the Star Wars universe following the 30th anniversary celebrations for the original film in 2007. Last year saw rollouts of related videogames and events such as the launching of Luke Skywalker's lightsaber with space shuttle Discovery.

 

(Source space.com  02/14/2007)

 

 

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Toy Fair's Latest Idol: Indy

 

If Toy Fair has a name, it must be Indiana Jones.

The toy industry's annual confab in New York City swung into action over the weekend, and based on the exhibits of Hasbro and Lego, IndianaJones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the Hollywood plaything of choice this year.

With the sequel set to unspool May 22, Hasbro is readying 30 action figures based on key heroes and villains from the original trilogy, replete with accessories and top-secret relics, as well as play sets from the new movie—including the Lost Temple of Akator, where the fedora-wearing fortune hunter makes some of his most daring escapes with his new sidekick, Mutt Williams, played by Shia LaBeouf.

And Indy fans who've been scouring every frame of the first teaser trailer, released last week, for clues to the film's plot might have better luck looking at Hasbro's loot.

[Avert your eyes—possible spoilers ahead!]

A cursory glance at the Akator play set reveals a devious obelisk puzzle Dr. Jones and company must solve to gain entrance to the kingdom. There's also a deadly quicksand trap and boulder blasts reminiscent of Raiders' legendary opening sequence. Throw in a bunch of Ugha warriors for good measure, and Crystal Skull is shaping up to be quite an adventure.

Hasbro also showed off a talking 12-inch Indiana Jones that plays the classic Raiders march and comes with a whip (with motion-activated cracking sounds) that can be coiled and slipped onto a kid's belt. There's also Mutt Williams' sound-effects sword, a two-foot extendable plastic blade and two additional knives, one of which is hidden in the handle (the other is a projectile). All feature sword-clashing sounds.

Finally, the company unearthed a new Mr. Potato Head, the "Taters of the Lost Ark" edition, featuring the spud decked out in Indy's leather jacket, fedora and whip. He also plays the Raiders march.

Separately, Lego rang in 50 years of brick laying with the debut of its own Indy stash. Aside from a series of sets based on the first three movies, the Lego folks are introducing four Crystal Skull-specific items: Jungle Duel, featuring a scary-looking jungle-cutting vehicle, sort of a giant mechanical weed wacker; River Chase, which presumably re-creates the cliffside chase in the trailer; and Jungle Critter and Temple of the Crystal Skull. There's also an assortment of Lego minifigures, including skeletons and aliens.

And for gamers, the toy company is teaming with LucasArts to roll out a Lego-ized Indiana Jones-based videogame.

Hasbro also will update its Star Wars line, unleashing toys from Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated movie, unspooling in August. Apart from new figures based on usual suspects like Obi-Wan, Padme Amidala, Count Dookoo and the Emperor, one new hero making her debut will be Anakin's padawan learner, Ahsoka.

There's also a Clone Trooper Helmet, which allows its wearer to amplify and disguise his/her voice and also contains a number of signature phrases; new vehicles such as the Star Wars At-Te; a customizableClone Wars Ultimate light saber; and an assortment of new droids and Star Wars Transformers.

 

To read the rest of this article not related to Star Wars Click here.

 

(Source eonline.com  By Josh Grossberg
Tue, 19 Feb 2008 04:15:54 PM PST )

 

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Thursday Feb/21/2008

 

Animated 'Star Wars': Same old toon for Lucas?

It smacks of flogging a dead Jedi, but we suppose it was inevitable that the first project from George Lucas and Lucasfilm Animation would be a return to a galaxy long ago and far, far away, rather than something fresh and original.

The question is, can this perpetual cash cow of the cosmos still moo?

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars" will be released theatrically by Warner Brothers on Aug. 15, something curiously omitted from the studios' 2008 preview packages dispatched to the media. How big a deal could it be? Well, big enough for the core fandom, one gathers, and tied to the debut of a "Star Wars" TV series slated for fall on the Cartoon Network and TNT.

"I felt there were a lot more Star Wars stories left to tell," said Lucas in a press release. What a shock. "I was eager to start telling some of them through animation and, at the same time, push the art of animation forward."

Pixar pushes the art of animation forward. Lucas just keeps repeating himself. Will this man never grow up?

The principal purpose of "The Clone Wars" movie is to launch the TV show, which will showcase a series of 30-minute "filmlets" that are said to feature a "new look and feel" to the "Star Wars" universe. Web-only documentaries that chronicle the development of the film and series can be found at www.starwars.com.

Those inclined should break out their light sabers.

Weightier 'Trekkers'

The cast for "Star Trek XI," which chronicles the meeting of the young Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) at Star Fleet Academy and their first adventure together, has added some heftier (if rather curious) members to its cast of relative unknowns: the fine Australian actor Eric Bana ("Munich," "Troy") as the putative villain of the piece, the unlikely choice of New Zealander Karl Urban (the baddie of "The Bourne Supremacy") as Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Ben Cross as Spock's father, Sarek (ably played in the past by Mark Lenard), Winona Ryder in Jane Wyatt's old role of Spock's mother, Amanda, and Canadian star Bruce Greenwood as Enterprise commander Capt. Christopher Pike.

Rounding out the playbill are Zoe Saldana as Nyota Uhura, John Cho as Hikaru Sulu, Simon Pegg as Montgomery Scott ("Scotty") and Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov.

Leonard Nimoy also makes an appearance. Now, if only director J.J. Abrams ("Mission Impossible III") can only dispense with his usual comic book sensibilities.

Will this revive the faltering franchise or simply find Paramount Pictures giving up the ghost at last?

Meantime, look for the brief teaser video, now playing, for the planned summer, 2009, release.

To read the rest of this article not in relation to Star Wars Click Here

 

(Source charleston.net)

 

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