The CPSC has teamed up with the Justice Department to enforce the legal sale and distribution of fireworks. Last month, a federal judge sentenced Jon Cea and Vincent Cea to 24 months and 36 months in federal prison, after they pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in explosive materials, involving the illegal sale of more than 1,000 pounds of explosives. The defendants and their customers were not licensed, yet they purchased and sold professional display fireworks.

While the federal and state government remain committed to stopping the manufacture and sale of illegal fireworks, the CPSC has issued a press release encouraging consumers who decide to purchase legal fireworks to:

• Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.

• Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.

• Avoid buying fireworks that come in brown paper packaging, as this can often be a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and could pose a danger to consumers.

• Adults should always supervise fireworks activities. Parents often don’t realize that there are many injuries from sparklers to children under five. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees – hot enough to melt some metals.

• Never have any portion of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Move back a safe distance immediately after lighting.

• Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not fully functioned.

• Never point or throw fireworks at another person.

• Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.

• Light one item at a time, then move back quickly.

• Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.

• After fireworks fully complete their functioning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding to prevent a trash fire.

Of course, the safest way to celebrate the festivities is by going to your local fireworks display. If you live in Los Angeles county follow the link below to find out where and when they are showing.

Sited Articles:
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission | Press Release
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission | Press Release [video]

Helpful Links:
Fireworks Shows in LA County [schedule]
Safe July 4th

Not really, it’s a NBC Universal site so it is really just a clever way for them to exploit their library of odd and aging programs, much like Turner’s 1992 brain-child, Cartoon Network which was a way for him to play Hannah Barbara cartoon and such. Then again, that gamble seemed to work out in his favor.

If you haven’t browsed its library, do so sometime. It is a mish-mash of documentaries, classic cartoons, sitcoms and movies, and a few amusing odd-balls. Each program is packaged with pre-roll advertising at the begining of each program, and a spattering throughout as well as a post-roll ad at the end, so you will have plenty of time to re-fill that bowl of popcorn.

In the Kids & Family section, you will find everything from classic Woody WoodPecker, Abbott & Costello shorts, and animated Spiderman to original 1974 episodes of Land of the Lost and Charles in Charge (with a young Scott Baio) to newer programs like Veggie Tales, Harold and the Purple Crayon. Currently the Family Channel only has 72 programs but the array is promising. They even have a few documentaries to choose from including Dinosaurs; Giants of Patagonia and Cosmic Voyage, narrated by Morgan Freeman.

I have been casually shopping around for a video projector for my laptop, so I can project streamed movies against a sheet in our backyard for my kids and their friends in the neighborhood. Whether it is a a special occassion or a family affair, consider Hulu’s Family Channel another option for the family.

Premiering on October 16th, is a Spike Jonze adaptation of Sendack’s famed story, starring Mark Ruffalo, Catherine Keener and Max Records. Jonze, director of Being John Malkovich, Adaptation and many memorable Beastie Boys music videos, this film should be an interesting ride.

Evidently there are a lot of lessons to be learned from this classic. Whether you are willing to admit it or not, as a parent you are your kid’s first teacher, so pull up a chair and create a custom ‘Wild Thing’ word puzzle and show him or her how it’s done.

Lesson Plan’s Page – Math & Social Studies Lesson for Kindergarten

Easy Fun School – Literature Unit for Pre-k

The Teacher’s Corner – Where the Wild Things Are custom crossword puzzles

A Guide for Using Where the Wild Things Are in the Classroom

Other Related Links and Articles:
Where the Wild Things Are [Amazon]
Where the Wild Things Are [Google Books]
Where the Wild Things Are [movie]

Get ready to load up the kids and geek out in grand style humming along to the theme to Halo 3 with Video Games Live (VGL) because they may be coming to the concert hall near you. They are an amazing multimedia concert event featuring music from the most popular video games of all time. Top orchestras & choirs perform along with exclusive video footage and music arrangements, synchronized lighting, solo performers, electronic percussionists, live action and unique interactive segments to create an explosive entertainment experience!

VGL are touring all over the world, and are hitting the Los Angeles area in June right around the time of E3. They are doing pre-sales for their LA show (password HALO) taking place at the historic Greek Theater. In the next six months, they also are touring throughout Canada, Singapore, Romania and of course the U.S.

Video Games Live vis a vis KidPoop.Com