Archive for July, 2010
Jul
16
Ex-Black Sabbath frontman and prominent foul-mouthed madman Ozzy Osbourne recently decided to dedicate his body to science when he dies because, in his words, “It’s amazing I’m still alive.” Before the dark prince bit the heads off doves, bats, and whatever else he could get his hands on, the man was known as John Michael Osbourne.
Ozzy received his nickname in primary school and refused to go by John for the rest of his days. He suffered some learning problems early on, which he claimed were based on dyslexia, and often said that he was molested by older classmates. He attended Prince Albert Road Junior School and Birchfield Road Secondary Modern School during this time period. He would meet Tony Iommi at Birchfield, and would many years later go on to put together Black Sabbath with the future guitarist.
Ozzy always loved music, however, and starred in many school plays. At 14, he became obsessed with the Beatles, which would lead him to leave school at 15 to break out on his own. He was quoted as saying, “”When I left school I wanted to become a plumber. When I heard the Beatles I wanted to become a Beatle.”
He’d take on many odd jobs, such as construction site laborer, apprentice toolmaker, car factory worker trainee plumber, and slaughterhouse worker. He also spent six weeks in jail after not being able to pay a fine for a burglary charge at a local clothing store. Later he would be back again for punching a cop in the face. It was in Winson Green Prison where he tattooed the now famous letters O-Z-Z-Y across his left knuckles, which he did with a sewing needle and graphite.
Soon, after playing in various bands that would go nowhere, Ozzy found success with Iommi by forming Black Sabbath. The rest, as they say, is history.
Black Sabbath is for babies! No, really. Check out Lullaby Renditions of Black Sabbath, out now. Want to hear an exclusive full-length sneak peek of “Iron Man”? Click here! Need a free Lullaby Renditions of Black Sabbath coloring page? Yup, we’ve got that too.
Jul
15
Black Sabbath is for babies! No, really. Check out Lullaby Renditions of Black Sabbath, out now. Want to hear an exclusive full-length sneak peek of “Iron Man”? Click here! Need a free Lullaby Renditions of Black Sabbath coloring page? Yup, we’ve got that too.
Jul
14
Does it feel like you have a blood-thirsty little vampire on your hands these days? Or are you awake most nights at some ungodly hour for yet another feeding? Then have we got a contest for you. If you’re a fan of the Twilight Saga, that’s all the more reason to enter. Five lucky recipients will each win an “I Run With the Wolves” Organic Baby Onesie from CafePress (valued at $20 apiece).
Simply leave a comment below about why you love the Twilight Saga, or why this onesie is perfect for your little one, and we’ll notify you if you’ve been selected. Five entries will be chosen at random. The contest ends July 29, 2010 at noon PDT.
Even if you won’t be able to catch the Twilight Saga: Eclipse until it comes out on DVD—yes, we sympathize with you, new moms and dads—this is your chance to get in on the fun. Good luck!
Jul
13
Happy birthday to us!
Our newest little devil is out today. Look for it at your coolest local baby boutique or on our website.
Is your family going through changes? If your days are filled with tears because baby kept you up until the witching hour, try these soothing versions of Black Sabbath’s metal classics to rock your little one to sleep. You’re going to feel sweet relief as the hauntingly familiar melodies cast an enchanting spell over the whole family.
Says Rock & Rolla:
“The Verdict: Lullabye Renditions Of Black Sabbath will be greeted with open arms and horns in the air by die hard rock and metal fans who have had an addition to the family.”
Want to hear an exclusive full-length sneak peek of “Iron Man”? Click here!
Can’t wait to learn more and hear samples of all the tracks? Click this!
Need a free Lullaby Renditions of Black Sabbath coloring page? Yup, we’ve got that too!
We wish we could tell you that we were going to get a nice long nap after this, but we’re hard at work on Lullaby Renditions of Elvis Presley, coming this August.
Jul
12
Our newest little devil, Lullaby Renditions of Black Sabbath, is out tomorrow. In honor of that auspicious nativity in black, check out our new coloring page.
Click here to download, then print and color. (Coloring outside the lines encouraged.)
Want more free Rockabye Baby coloring pages and print & play activities? Click here. We’ve got healthy baby food recipes too!
Can’t wait to hear it? Listen to an exclusive sneak peek of “Iron Man” here.
Jul
09
Does your little one have the makings of the next Lady Gaga? Does he love to jam like Bon Jovi? If your kid loves to sing and dance, then we’ve got some plans for you this summer. The Juno Company, makers of kids’ educational DVDs, is hosting its Rising Stars Search for children ages 8 and younger across the country. Budding performers are invited to sing, dance and perform to Juno Baby music with a chance to win three days and two nights in San Francisco and an appearance in an upcoming Juno Baby production, among hundreds of other prizes.
Children can download Juno Baby songs to practice their performance and register for the event at http://risingstars.junobaby.com.
Here are the remaining audition dates. Good luck!
Saturday, July 10
Denver Film Society
900 Auraria Parkway, Denver, CO 80204
Event hours: 9 AM – 10 PM
Tuesday, July 13
Toddler Tuesdays / Mall of America /Best Buy Rotunda
Minneapolis, MN
Event Hours: 10AM – 12PM
Saturday, July 31st
Bebe Paluzza/ Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center
1551 North Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, IL 60173
Event Hours: 11 AM – 4 PM
Thursday, August 5th
Brooklyn’s Children’s Museum
145 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11213-1900
Event Hours: 2PM – 6PM
Saturday, August 14th
Please Touch Museum
4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, PA 19131
Event Hours: 10AM to 2PM
Jul
08
Our kids are going to grow up listening to music on their computer, iPod, iPhone or whatever new contraption makes it easy to carry tunes around. But years ago we used to have these things called LPs, as in long playing records, and while music wasn’t as portable as it is today, the size of the album cover artwork more than made up for it. The album art was as much a part of the experience as the music was.
Good design lets you in on what the artist is thinking about and what they are trying to convey with their music. Certain CD covers are so great, they overcome the size limitation, but I wonder if the album cover is becoming a lost art in this age of digital music delivery. I hope not.
So I thought I would make a list of the top 5 rock album covers that you should share with your kids to get them talking about music, art, or anything the pictures suggest to them. Be sure to add your favorite album covers in the comments!
5) Jay Z – Blueprint 3
Yes, the album just came out in 2009 but the cover is both striking in its simplicity and grand in its message. Combining all the instruments into one big bland white structure, Jay may be asking “Whatever happened to all the great music?” Kids will get a kick out of the structure and trying to identify all the instruments.
4) Supertramp – Breakfast in America
Their 1979 album takes a cheeky look at New York City from an airplane window. Instead of the Statue of Liberty, we see a woman holding a glass of orange juice. I think kids will like the funny perspective, and it seems like the recording industry did too because the album won the 1980 Grammy Award for Best Recording Package.
3) Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon
Simple yet colorful, Pink Floyd’s eighth studio album remained on the charts for over 741 weeks, longer than any other album in history. The prism that shines the colorful spectrum was exactly what the band wanted, something smart, neat and classy. Kids will dig the rainbow and it is definitely a good catalyst to spark a conversation on colors.
2) Nirvana – Nevermind
According to Kurt Cobain he conceived the idea for Nevermind’s album cover while watching a television program on water births. Nirvana’s second album showed infant Spencer Elden chasing a dollar bill on a hook in a pool. Kids will probably find the image funny and engaging.
1) Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Like most lists about rock music, this one ends with the Beatles. There were many trippy images on album covers in the sixties (see Jimi Hendrix) but the Beatles dressing up as a psychedelic marching band surrounded by cardboard models ruled them all. The cover was art directed by Robert Fraser who was a London art dealer and a friend of McCartney’s. The collage included over 70 people such as Marilyn Monroe and Bob Dylan. So if nothing else it could be a good history lesson for the kids. See who else you can spot!
Jul
07
What is the purpose of the diaper? Is it to stop your baby from leaking or is it to create a fashion statement?
Huggies recently released the new Jean Diaper. They claim to have the same leakage protection, design and technology as Huggies Little Movers Diapers except now they look like your baby is wearing Daisy Dukes. They are available for a limited time and feature realistic looking images of pockets in the back and a fly in the front. Too bad they don’t say Jordache anywhere. (Did I just date myself?)
The diapers have created a bit of a buzz online, as most people use them for practical reasons only and rarely let their kids go out in public wearing nothing on the bottom but a diaper. Fans of the Jean Diaper say it’s a cute alternative to having to dress kids up, especially in the hot summer months. Hey, as long as the diapers keep in what they’re supposed to, then they’re doing their job. We think this baby to the left looks a bit like Bruce Springsteen on the cover of Born in the USA! What do you think?
Jul
06
Parenthood certainly has its ups and downs, and some days, it can sure feel like the minuses outweigh the pluses (how many diaper blowouts should you have to endure in one day?). In celebration of being a new mom or dad comes My First Baby, a new series of webisodes from Meredith Video Studios and Graco that chronicle the experience of caring for a baby and all the joy (and madness) that goes along with it. Now through February 2011, each of the 36 three-to-four-minute webisodes will feature clips from real-life moms, peppered with tips and advice from TV personality Jill Cordes.
A “dream team” of experts that includes designer Liz Lange, a personal trainer and a baby planner help guide newbie parents through an overwhelming sea of baby gear and more. Our favorite part is the homegrown videos submitted by viewers who share the good, the bad and the ugly of parenting, like traveling with a newborn and getting back into shape. If you upload your own video to the site, you’ll have a chance to be featured in one of the webisodes and win prizes from Graco. So, if a Babies ‘R Us shopping spree gets your blood pumping, go grab that camera and get started…
Jul
05
Every year on Labor Day weekend, Gulfport, FL hosts a huge parade and street festival with tons of local music and activities for kids. Hailed as one of the best festivals of the summer by many top publications, the Gecko Fest has been a family favorite for years. People describe it as a “family-oriented Mardi Gras, Renaissance Faire, and British Loony Party gone Gecko in Gulfport, Florida.”
Attendees wear Gecko hats, fish hats, colorful hats, and costumes to celebrate the many colors of Geckos. Visitors are invited to bring along drums, rattles, noise makers, kazoos, musical instruments, balloons, even decorated umbrellas. You can actually join in the parade or be a spectator.
Located on Beach Blvd in Gulfport, FL, the festivities start on September 4th. Performers will include belly dancers, pirates, fire show, drum circle, clowns, mimes, magicians, local music and more. Admission and parking is free, so no excuses if you’re a stone’s throw from Gulfport.
For further information, call 727-322-5217 or visit the official site. More details will be announced as the weekend gets closer.
