Strollerderby : Winnie the Pooh

Terrible Ideas, Cookbook Edition

Kate Tuttle — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:01:00 GMT

Okay, so we all know the economy's in the crapper. But no matter how bad things get, we'll be looking for better eats than this. Is there any excuse for a cookbook title this unappetizing?

I mean, I realize it's the lovable bear's name and all, but why not call it "Cooking With Winnie"? And no, this is a real book, unlike those lists of imaginary hilarious book titles (like "Bi-Curious George," and "What Is That Dog Doing To That Other Dog?").

It makes you wonder how many people -- writers, editors, designers, marketers, publicists -- saw this title and didn't notice anything wrong (in which case, ewww) or didn't say anything.

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Dad Battles Kangaroo, Can You?

JeanneSager — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:28:00 GMT

Proof that children's books can really skew your view of the world - I've always thought of kangaroos as sweet and lovable, not unlike mama Kanga and her irascible youngster, Roo.

If you've got a similiar kangaroo crush, this story might make you whistle a different tune. An Australian family was awoken in the middle of the night by their ten-year-old screaming that a kangaroo had broken into his room. Nightmare? You don't know the half of it.

The frightened creature thrashed his way around the house, breaking glass and trouncing on Mom and one of the kids huddled under a quilt until a burst of adrenaline sent Dad flying for the six-foot-tall creature. He wrestled it to the ground, and aware that kangaroos get the bulk of their power from their massive legs, kept her close to the ground as he dragged her to the front door and shoved her out onto the porch to hop away.

His wife says it was probably the stupidest thing he could have done - considering the danger posed by those powerful legs - but he's definitely her knight in shining armor. The kangaroo was like a "ninja" or "Jackie Chan" busting around her house.

You probably don't have much to worry about if you don't live next door to a kangaroo reservation like these folks, but can't you imagine being that dad? The one who sees baby bear in trouble and just goes for it? I've read stories over the years of parents lifting entire cars off of their children or dads who have never shot a gun taking perfect aim at a dog that's chewing on their baby's face.

But bringing down a kangaroo? Only down under . . .

Image: Stanford

Would you Spend $50,000 on Pooh?

SunnyChanel — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

As parents, there is a unwritten rule that there has to be at least one piece of Pooh paraphernalia in any and all households with with a childunder the age of seven. In my house, we have a Winnie the Pooh stuffed bear that costs about $15. Now that’s a reasonable amount for some Winnie-dom. But would you spend $50,000 for a piece of Winnie the Pooh ephemera? Well someone did. At a recent auction, a German bidder spent about 50k on a original oval pencil sketch by E.H. Spepard that includes not only a honey hungry Pooh but a Piglet and Tigger.

If you are feeling like you missed out on spending your retirement money on Pooh, you have a chance to do some of your own bidding at the December 17th auction at Sotheby’s of "the finest single collection of Shepard's original drawings for the Pooh books” which is set to bring in up to about one million bucks. Perfect for the Holiday Season! Or not.

Via Reuters

Facebook Kicks Teddy Bear Offline

JeanneSager — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:01:00 GMT

Christopher Robin wouldn't fit in at Facebook. Winnie the Pooh's best friend treated his stuffed teddy bear like he was a real live bear. Facebook, meanwhile, has kicked a British teddy bear offline, stranding his growing friend list without a bear buddy.

Bartie Bristle's creator Amanda Middleditch put up the page as a "bit of fun." But the English bear shop worker says she got "a very abrupt e-mail saying they felt Barty could be somebody masquerading as somebody else and it could be dangerous." The page was deleted, and calls to Facebook by the British newspaper the Daily Mail were met only with reference to the social networking site's terms of use which cite a user must be at least 13 years old. Bartie is only 2.

Before you start creating a site for your daughter's favorite dolly or your son's beloved bear, take heed: the terms also warn against impersonating "any person or entity, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent yourself, your age or your affiliation with any person or entity."

If your kids want to be friends with Bartie, they still can. He's found a new home at the Ning site, McBears, and his fan base is thumbing its collective noses at Facebook.

Image: McBears.com

News from Darkest Peru: Paddington Turns 50

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News from Darkest Peru: Paddington Turns 50

JeanneSager — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:05:00 GMT

The bear of very little brain may get more press, but I've always had a soft spot in my heart for another bear of English origins. Pad dingt on bear is still looking smart in his little blue duffle and jaunty felt hat – despite today's celebration of his 50th birthday.

Tales of the bear with an especial affinity for sticky marmalade sandwiches have been translated into 40 languages and sold more than 35 million copies since it was first published by Harper Collins on October 13, 1958. So why do I still feel like he's tromping in his wellies far behind Pooh?

Born in Darkest Peru and raised by his Aunt Lucy after being orphaned as a very little bear, Paddington falls into the lives of the Brown family of London much like he does any of his goofy predicaments. He's sitting with a suitcase and a tag that reads "please look after this bear," when the Browns stumble over him on their way to collect their daughter from the train. Thus ensconcsed in their London home, he proceeds to show he's made of much sterner stuff than Pooh - getting into the types of troubles the other, more wussy, bear would think, think, think about and never get around to. As Paddington says, "Things happen to me. I'm that sort of bear."

They share a taste for sweets and the resulting stout form, and like the other bear whose moniker starts with "P," Paddington has also been immortalized on the small screen. But without currying the favor of the Disney magic wand, the ever-polite Paddington has kept a stiff upper lip in the manner of all things British and let Pooh get all the play.

But with news late last fall that a producer of Harry Potter (you know, that other British import that's made movie magic stateside) is working on a Paddington Bear movie, there's hope that some day all American kids will be looking after the bear as he waddles into middle age.

Image: PaddingtonBear.com

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Five Nonsense Kids Character Names Explained

JeanneSager — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:27:00 GMT

Sometimes the names they give to our kids’ favorite characters sound like they had a kid in on production. I mean, Pikachu? I say Gesundheit.

But listening to Mike Myers explain the Yiddish origins of everyone’s favorite ogre on NPR’s Fresh Air last week made me wonder – are all characters like onions? Do they all have layers? Thanks to my anal retentive side and too much time to spend in front of my computer, I offer up the first edition of children’s character names explained.

Shrek: According to his creator, his name came not from the swamp but the Yiddish word for “scary.” We’ll trust the former Linda Richman on that one – after all, if we ask too much she might get a little ferklempt.

Pikachu: I always thought the yellow Pokemon had a rodent-look to him, and no wonder. Pikachu loosely translates to “Electric Sparkling Mouse” in Japanese. Known for storing electric in his puffy cheeks and a tail that looks more like a bolt of lighting shooting out of his rodent rear, we could boogie woogie woogie with that description.

Lightning McQueen: Since we’re on the subject, lightning is an obvious name for a fast car. But the source of Cars’ sexy red racer’s surname is often mistaken. He was dubbed “McQueen” not for bad boy actor Steve who spent many a movie shifting gears but for Pixar animator Glenn McQueen, who died in 2002 from skin cancer.

Nemo: The movie that proved even a scaredy clownfish can take on the big bad ocean, Finding Nemo is technically named for “no one.” At least that’s the Latin translation of “Nemo.” We’ll take it from the seagulls – he might be no one, but our kids wish he was “mine, mine, mine.”

Winnie the Pooh: A secondhand name is just fine for a bear of very little brain. Winnie is short for Winnipeg, the hometown of a Canadian soldier who gave his black bear of the same name to the London Zoo. That’s where author A.A. Milne and son Christopher Robin (natch) met the friendly female who Milne later immortalized in print. Pooh, by the way, is also secondhand – it was the moniker of the real Christopher Robin’s pet swan.

More to come . . .

Image: Dan-Dare

YouTube Goodness: In Soviet Russia, Winnie the Pooh visits YOU

Patti — Thu, 03 May 2007 12:28:00 GMT

The crude, hand-drawn animation of this Soviet-era cartoon looks more like Connie the Cow than the glossy stylings of Disney. Pooh himself is brown and frankly, kind of rude. But even without the subtitles, there's no doubt that Vinni Puh Goes Visiting is the classic tale of a visiting bear who eats so much that he gets stuck in the door when he leaves. My four-and-a-half-year-old caught on the minute she saw Vinni and his friend Piglet, and though she can't read well enough to follow the subtitles, she offered her own running translation as we watched. She'd also like to note that bears don't really speak Russian, they speak Growl.

I'd like to note that "Vinni Puh" would be a great name for a band. While I work on that, please enjoy:

(via quixoticals)

Is that a bomb? Nah, It's just Winnie the Pooh

Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 12:03:00 GMT

Let's just say you go to the post office to pick up the novelty phone you ordered online. Let's also say that you freak out because the box is ticking and you think it's a bomb.

Fear not. This happened to a guy near St. Louis, and it turned out to be nothing. One of the features is that when the phone rings, the head spins around (apparently a la Exorcist) and makes sort of a ticking sound, assuming it is in a box and the head continually hits the cardboard.

This caused the evacuation of the Wright City Post Office, and I'm sure the guy was really embarrassed. I don't know if he was embarrassed about the bomb scare, or ashamed that he was buying a Winnie the Pooh novelty phone. Either way, I'm glad it wasn't me.

Strollerderby : Winnie the Pooh

Terrible Ideas, Cookbook Edition

Dad Battles Kangaroo, Can You?

It's a Circus Out There for The Wonder Pets

The New Pregnancy Test: Your Dog

Meet Your Kids' New Superhero: Ladybug Girl

Would you Spend $50,000 on Pooh?

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News from Darkest Peru: Paddington Turns 50

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YouTube Goodness: In Soviet Russia, Winnie the Pooh visits YOU

Is that a bomb? Nah, It's just Winnie the Pooh