meta-dad

Sonic Boom Alarm Clock!

Been changing diapers all night? Working extra hours these days? Now there’s no excuse for not getting up with these Bad Boys! Complete with ground shaking super-charged bed shaker, and turbo-charged 113db extra loud alarm this model is appropriately named the Sonic Bomb SBB500ss AKA “The Bomb” (Sweetheart version for Her pictured above).

How loud is 113db, you ask. Well, here’s some point of reference; a normal conversation is about 60db, a normal alarm clock is about 70db, a football crowd is approximately 110db and your average gunshot is around 150db!

So yes, even if you just got up to change the baby’s diapers and hour and a half ago, you will get up! Good luck sleeping through that blast, Big Guy.

His and hers Sonic Boom Alarms for $42 bucks (+ shipping) 

Tags: design, kinda funny, technology

Stinky Raw Toon for the Tikes

Evidently, there is a monster who lives in the swamp just outside of town, and his name is, Stinky. He is surrounded by his other swamp-bound friends like Wartbelly the toad, slimy slugs and a family of possums.

In a paired down and somewhat simplified graphic novel style, Writer and Artist, Eleanor Davis spins the clever tale of how Stinky the swamp monster haunts, pesters and eventually befriends a little boy. Initially, Stinky doesn’t like him because he’s different. Little boys like to eat things like candy and apples and more importantly they take baths, whereas Stinky likes to eat pickled onions and play in the mud. After a bunch of failed attempts to scare the little boy away, Stinky starts to realize he has a lot in common with his little nemesis.

Having grown up with comic books, and fully embraced the underground movement of the genre in the eighties (including RAW Magazine!), it is fascinating to watch my four year old eagerly try to follow along with the flow of panels and make sense of the dynamic style of story-telling. Sure, this is a far cry from the simple panel work Caldecott Winners like Mo Willem’s, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, or the open flow of Ian Falconer’s, Olivia, but it was obvious mid-way through the story that my son was up for the challenge. The chapter breaks are perfect for spent parents, like myself, who need a good break-point for story time (so far my efforts have been fruitless).

Stinky is one of many new stories are published by Raw Junior, under the tutelage of Art Spiegelman (acclaimed Pulitzer-prize winning graphic novel, Maus) and Francoise Mouly (of The New Yorker & RAW Book fame). Raw Junior seems is tapping into the rich soil of the comic book genre to reinvent and redefine the world of childrens books.

Even though this is a bit of a challenge for the younger Reader’s, I highly recommend this book. The adorable illustrations and clever story-telling draws our boys into the page and keeps their attention, as a parent, what more could you want? The only problem I see with this line of storybooks is that they won’t be able to make them fast enough for our voracious little Readers.

Sited Links;
Wikipedia | Caldecott Medal
Mo Willem’s | Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
Ian Falconer | Olivia

Related Links;
Eleanor Davis | Stinky
Jay Lynch & Dean Haspiel | Mo and Jo: Fighting Together Forever
Jay Lynch & Frank Cammuso | Otto’s Orange Day

Tags: 3-5 years, 6-8 years, childrens book

Delta Recalls Prompt Crib Warning to Parents

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has urged parents and caregivers to closely inspect the hardware and stability of their cribs to ensure all parts are in place and secure. This press release is on the heels of two seperate recalls for Delta Cribs (Delta Enterprise, Inc.) today due to an infant death.

These two recalls involve a number of models and represent a total of 1.5 million cribs that were sold between 1995-2007. This is a sizable recall, to say the least. The CPSC believes the performance requirements can be strengthened to deal with the problems identified by their Early Warning System so they are scheduling to vote to issue an Advanced Notice of Proposed (ANPR) rulemaking to examine and assess potential design and durability issues and possible mandatory performance requirements to prevent future entrapments and strangulations to children. Essentially, they are going to make efforts to evaluate cribs before they hit the market so more infant deaths do not occur due to faulty design or manufacturing practices.

As issued by the CPSC, here are safety tips for reviewing you child’s crib;

• Parents should not use any crib with missing, broken or loose parts.
• Hardware should be inspected from time to time and tightened to keep the crib sturdy.
• When using a drop side crib parents should check to make sure the drop side or any other moving part operates smoothly on its track.
• Always check all sides and corners of the crib for disengagement. Any disengagement can create a gap and entrap a child.
• Do not try to repair any side of the crib without manufacturer approved hardware or with tape, wire or rope.
• Putting a broken side up against the wall does not solve the problem and can often make it worse.
• Do not to use any crib with missing, broken, or loose parts.
• Make sure to tighten hardware from time to time to keep the crib sturdy.
• When using a drop side crib parents should check to make sure the drop side or any other moving part operates smoothly.
• Always check all sides and corners of the crib for disengagement. Any disengagement can create a gap and entrap a child.
• Do not try to repair any side of the crib, especially with tape, wire or rope.

Parents and Caregivers are advised to immediately stop using the Delta cribs that are missing a safety peg (described in the recall press release) on any leg of the crib and contact Delta to receive a free, easy-to-install repair kit.

The kit will include safety pegs in a bold color and warning labels to be affixed to the mattress board. Consumers with cribs that have all safety pegs installed may continue to use the cribs; however, it is recommended that these consumers contact Delta for the repair kit for future assembly purposes.

If you do not have a Delta crib, but have a drop side crib of another brand it may be prudent to check it for any compromises. Also, please spread the word of this recall and share it with you neighbors, daycare, and family members.

Call Delta toll-free at (1-800-816-5304) anytime after 5pm today or log on CribRecallCenter.Com to order the free replacement kit.

Sited Links;
CPSC Press Release | Infant Death Prompts Recall To Repair 600,000 Drop Side Cribs…
CPSC Press Release | Defects Identified by CPSC Early Warning System Prompt…
CPSC Press Release | Infant Death Prompts Recall to Repair 985,000 Delta
Delta Childrens Products | Crib Recall Center

Tags: 0-1 year, baby health, health alert, recall

Smart Ass Thongs for the Wife

Here’s a gift concept that guys can wrap there heads around, thongs for the wife with snarky things written on them. Brings new terms to the idea of “back talk.” Some of the quips that really “speak to me” are;

• “Something Blue” (newlywed),
• “Eye Candy”,
• “Ooh La La”
• “Yummy Mummy,” and of course,
• “Bottoms Up”

You now some marketing brain-child is going to turn this into the next billboard concept. All eyes are on them anyways (the thongs not the marketing brain-child).

Here’s the hard sell when she opens it up and throws you the Look;

a thong with the perfect rise for comfort, a cut to fit and flatter and surged edges so there are no visible panty lines under any clothing. Made from 90% polyamide, 10% spandex, with a 100% cotton gusset, they feel like butter on the skin.”

But I know what’s going on, all you hear is, “blah, blah, blah, blah, feels like butter.” You can thank me later.

$20 bucks (+ shipping) @ Say It With Undies

Tags: better living, wife

And Now for a Moment of Zen…

During the course of the Great Depression, the market fell from 380 points to 41 points in just under two and a half years. Year-to-date the market has fallen from a high of just over 14,000 to today’s close of 8,500.

Look at the most recent snapshot of the market (above), pay close attention to the right side of the chart, especially the month of October (in the last week it has fallen from 11.4k to 8.5k!). Yes, this is a superficial look at a complex issue but it is still something to marvel at. This is one for the history books!

Sited Links;
Yahoo Finance | Dow Jones Industrial Average

Tags: family finances

Save Your Family Thousands of Dollars

Without really thinking about we throw away our hard earned money on things that are by-in-large minor conveniences - coffee, bottled water, cigarettes, etc. Here’s the breakdown based on recent reports of the top ten biggest daily expenses.

• Coffee - Average price for brewed coffee is $1.38 a cup. Considering the U.S. average consumption is 3.2 cups a day, we’ll assume one of those cups is purchased on the go. There are 260 weekdays a year - that’s $358.80 a year on a modest Starbucks routine.*BTW - Women indicated that having a cup of coffee was their way of relaxing whereas a cup of “joe” for the guys, was inspiration to get the job done.
• Cigarettes - Current national average are hovering around $4.54. In NYC they are as high as $8 a pack on the street. Pack-a-day smokers fork over $1,660-$2920 a year! Weekend smoker? Buying a pack once a week adds up, too: $236-$416 annually.
• Alcohol - Depending on your “poison” and the mark-up of your favorite “watering hole” be-it the local Sports Bar or the VIP Room, we can set an average of $5 per beer including tip, buying two beers per day adds up to around $3,650 annually and you can figure twice that for two mixed drinks a day at the local bar which is a whooping $7,300 a year annually for celebrating the spirits.
• Bottled Water - A very common vice for soccer moms, kids and dads on the go. A average bottled water costs about $1 at the convenience store. One bottle of water per day costs $365 annually - never mind the negative impact on the environment with all those plastic bottles. Buy yourself a reusable water bottle (preferably a non-toxic kind) and fill it up with filtered water at home or at work. Actually you could add a positive offset to this line item - recycle your other bottles at the end of the week. At a nickel a pop, and that starts adding up quickly!
• Manicures - Surveys found that the average cost of a manicure is about $20. A weekly manicure sets you back about $1,040 per year. And if you indulge in a Mani’ and a Pedi’ expect an annual set-back of $1,560.
• Car Washes - It is common to get a basic wash once a week here in LA primarily because of all the pollution (sediment) that’s about $12 per car or $14 for a SUV — that’s $676 a year. The average cost for a basic auto detailing package is $58, according to Costhelper.com. The tab for getting your car detailed every two months: $348 per year.
• Weekday Lunches Out - $7-9 will generally cover a decent lunch most work days. If you buy rather than pack a lunch five days a week for one year, you shell out between $1,820-$2,350 annually.
• Vending Machines Snacks - The average vending machine snack costs $1. Buy a pack of cookies every afternoon at work and that’s another $260 per year.
• Interest charges on Credit Card - According to a survey released at the end of May 2007, the median amount of credit card debt carried by Americans is $6,600. Rate tables on Bankrate.com indicate that fixed interest rates on a standard card average 13.44 percent. Making the minimum payment each month, it will take 250 months (almost 21 years) to pay off the debt and cost

More »

Tags: dad hack, family finances