Hottest Christmas Toys for 2007 - Webkinz, EyeClops, Nintendo Wii, Hannah Montana, High School Musical and More!

If you can't believe that it's almost Christmas again, join the club. The kids in your life are probably making their lists (or maybe they already did it back in July like my daughter) for Santa but if not here is a list of the hottest toys for Christmas this year.

1. Barbie Girls MP3 Player - Barbie meets iPod in this Christmas must have. This stylish Barbie inspired MP3 player works just like mommy's iPod but is sooooo much cooler. Just like the iPod with it's music upload site, iTunes, girls can upload their favorite songs from, where else, BarbieGirls.com. Different models with different memory storage that begins at 512MB and goes up to 2GB. Prices begin at $59.99 (Circuit City).
   


2. Webkinz - The Webkinz craze has been compared to the Beanie Baby craze of the 1990's. With limited supply runs and 'retirement' of certain models, Webkinz are a phenomenon in themselves. Each Wbkinz animal is given a unique identifying code that can be registered online. Your registration gives you access to a virtual Webkinz pet that must be taken care of (as in being fed and giving them exercise). Prices begin at $7.00 (Amazon.com) but can be much higher on the secondary, collectors market.
   
3. Nintendo Wii - The 5th home video console sold by Nintendo is currently the most popular game system on the market. This is the first time that Nintendo has been the market leader since issuing it's Nintendo Entertainment System in the 1980's. With it's huge demand, Nintendo has warned that throughout 2007, consumers can expect not enough supply. $687 (Wal-Mart)



4. Jakks EyeClops Bionic Eye - In other words, a handheld microscope for your TV. Simply hook the EyeClops up to your TV and point it at an object. The object is magnified up to 200 times on your screen. $49.99 (Target)
   
5. Anything Hannah Montana - From board games to backpacks; T-shirts to dolls; Nintendo games to DVDs... anything with the Hannah Montana stamp is a sure winner for the girls the season. The Disney phenomenon (real name Miley Stewart and the daughter of country star Billy Ray Cyrus) has been a staple of the pre-teen set since 2006. (DisneyShopping.com)



6. High School Musical 2 - If Hannah Montana isn't enough for you, then how about Anything with High School Musical 2 stamped on it? The Disney Channel exclusive movie has spun of High School Musical 2 (not to mention the first episode) toys, DVDs, books, games, clothing and much more. (DisneyShopping.com)



7. Nerf N-Strike Disk Shot - This award winning toy is like skeet shooting for kids. A remote controlled disk launcher shoots foam disks into the air. The object is to shoot them down with your micro dart blaster. Get ready to practice your targeting skills! $49.99 (Hasbr0)
8. Rubik's Revolution - Another award winning toy, the Rubik's Revolution is the next generation of the 1980's phenomenon. This version runs on battery's and has six different games based on speed and strategy or a combination of both. Caution: Very addictive! $14.99 (Amazon.com)
   
9. Spotz Maker - For the younger kiddies (6+), the Spotz Maker lets you be creative in 3 simple steps. The Spotz are little buttons that can be used to decorate anything (e.g. backpacks, clothing, lunch boxes, etc.) Simply choose a picture, punch it out in the machine and twist out the colorful Spotz. Kids can make them, wear them or trade them! $24.99 (Toys "R" Us)
10. Fisher-Price Smart Cycle - At first glance, the Smart Cycle looks like an exercise bike for kids (The new way to trick kids into getting exercise!). The Smart Cycle plugs into your TV and kids pedal for speed and control the bike for on-screen action. There are multiple levels of play - from Alphabet Valley to Math Mountain. Kids can even hook up with other Smart Cycle players for multiple player competition. $89.77 (Wal-Mart)
    

Best Christmas Parades in North America

Tis the season to be jolly! So let's go to a Christmas parade! Also, known as Christmas Pageants, there are hundreds if not thousands of Christmas parades around the United States and Canada. Wanna go to the biggest, oldest, or the most popular? Here are some of the top Christmas parades in North America. Ho, ho, ho!

1. Toronto Santa Claus Parade - One of the best known Christmas parades is also the world's longest running Children's event. Begun in 1905, more than a half a million people come out today to watch the procession. The first parade had just one float. Today, there are more than 25 floats, 24 bands and over 1700 parade participants.
   


2. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - Though celebrated on Thanksgiving, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is very much a Christmas Parade with Santa Clause as the Parade Guest of Honor. Inspired by the Toronto Santa Clause Parade, the Macy's Day Parade was created in 1920. The parade is famous for it's giant inflated balloon characters such as Superman, Garfield and Shrek to name just a few. More than 44 million people watch the Macy's Day Parade on television.



3. Peoria Illinois Santa Claus Parade - The oldest Christmas parade in the United States began in 1887 in Peoria Illinois. The parade today consists of fireworks, live reindeer, circus wagons, and parade floats. Though certainly not the largest, it is fun small town/small city parade.



4. Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade - The happiest place on earth gets into the holiday spirit with their own Christmas parade. Located at Walt Disney World since 1983, the parade occurs and is taped for television 1 month prior to Christmas Day. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofey and other Disney characters parade down Main Street USA during this magical Disney Christmas Parade.



5. A Christmas Fantasy Parade - Not to be outdone by their East coast park, Disneyland has their own parade with just as much magic.



6. Hollywood Christmas Parade - Lights, camera, Christmas! It's Hollywood's Christmas parade version. Originally sponsored by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to boost Christmas sales, the Hollywood Christmas Parade has been going on for over 75 years. Though nearly ending last year to lack of financial support, the city of Los Angeles has just breathed new life into one of California's oldest parades.



7. Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade - Who said parades had to be on land? For almost 100 years (99 to be exact), Newport Beach California has hosted an amazing assortment of "floats". From multimillion dollar floats, to tall masted schooners, the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade is a Southern California tradition.



8. Pathway of Peace - Though not a parade, people "parade" through this beautiful exhibit of Christmas trees representing the 50 states. The Pathway of Peace is part of the Peace Pageant in Washington DC on the National Mall. The centerpiece of the pageant is the National Christmas Tree.

Diaper Cream Diaries - Funny Parenting Stories

All parents have funny stories about raising children. Being a father of two, I have my own. Being the parent of two beautiful girls is a full time job in itself. With my wife, we are constantly trying to balance work, getting to school on time, sick kids, sick mommys and daddys, sleep time, bath time, fun time, dinner time and.... where did the time go? It is no wonder that we parents are bound to fumble from time to time.... after all, we are sleep deprived zombies!

My favorite story happened about 8 months ago. One morning, after a pretty eventful night of our 4 month old daughter Olivia waking every hour, it was a guarantee that one of us was going to do something funny. My wife, in a half state of wakefulness, meandered to the bathroom to shower and brush her teeth. The Desitin diaper cream (the creamy style, no less) was sitting by the sink alongside the toothbrushes. Apparently, the toothpaste had been put into a drawer and not noticing, my wife proceeded to paste her toothbrush with the Desitin! Still not noticing her blunder, she began to brush with quite a disgusting surprise!

ARE YOU A PARENT?
DO YOU HAVE A FUNNY STORY? LET'S HEAR IT!
Please post your story in the comments section so that we can all have a good laugh!

Best College Pranks of the Last 25 Years

1. Fire Truck on MIT Dome - On September 11, 2006, to mark the 5th anniversary of 9/11, students at MIT in Boston, managed to put a real 25 foot antique fire engine on top of the famous MIT dome. Fortunately for MIT, the perpetrators left instructions about how the prank was done and how to best get it down.
   
   
   
   
2. Gabe Pruitt wants to "c u so bad" - Prior to an important game between U.C. Berkeley and USC, Cal fans had posed as a UCLA student online, named Victoria, who Pruitt agreed to meet once he returned to L.A. Before the big game, he wrote to Victoria: "I want to c u so bad." When Pruitt took his first trip to the free throw line early in the game, the Cal student section hollered in unison: "VIC-TOR-IA, VIC-TOR-IA," and then yelled out a telephone number. Pruitt glanced back at the crowd in horror and bewilderment before missing his free throws. USC lost by 11 points.
   


3. We Suck! - Students at Yale pulled this prank at one of the Yale / Harvard football games in 2004. Colored signs were passed out to Harvard fans that were told that when held up, would say, "Go Harvard".
   
   



4. UW time capsule from '50s reveals "extras" from '70s - A "Time Capsul" that was sealed in the 1950's at the University of Washington was opened 50 years later but somehow the contents managed to increase. The original reel-to-reel films, newspapers and other items were still inside but other items were added over the years including Playboy magazines from the late '70's and early '80's, woman's panties, clip-on ties and nearly petrified Twinkie. The time capsule was locked away, implanted in the wall of the Communications Building, with an inscription that said it should be opened on the 100th anniversary of the first journalism classes at the university. The department was planning an event to reveal to the general public the original contents of the capsule. The more recent additions to the capsule will be part of that display.
   
   
5. Hey Teach! A Lecture Musical Prank!!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. NCAA Overturns Stanford's Loss - In 1982, after Berkeley's football team beat Stanford with a wild last-second kickoff return that involved five laterals, Stanford retaliated by replacing Cal's student newspaper with an impostor edition that claimed NCAA officials had overturned the touchdown and made Stanford the winner. Click Here for the fake edition proclaiming the news.
   
   




7. College Prank Gone Wrong
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. College President's First Day on Job - It was the first day for MIT's new President and the students wanted to welcome him... well, right?? When the new president got off the elevator at the floor that he thought was where his new office was, he found nothing but a hall with a large student bulletin board. As it turned out, students covered the door to his office with the bulletin board.
   

Amazing Cuban Refugee Rafts that Dared the High Seas in Search of Freedom

The Cuban refugee crisis has been an ongoing issue every since Fidel Castro took control in the 1950's. Though there have been a number of surges of note in the past including the Mariel Boatlift of 1980, dozens of refugees try, succeed and often fail to make the 90 mile crossing to Florida on a weekly basis. Many refugees from Cuba pay thousands of dollars to smuggler's but more must depend on their own ingenuity to create seaworthy vessels to withstand seas of up to 10 feet (and more) in height. The following are pictures of some of the more unique "vessels" that have been created. No matter what your opinion is of immigration (legal or illegal) from Cuba or other countries, these are people like you and me that have decided to risk everything for themselves and their families.

1. On July 16, 2003 a group 12 Cubans were found in the Straights of Florida by the United States Coast Guard in a 1951 Chevy pickup converted to a boat. The dozen refugees were caught just a few miles south of Key West. The truck's drive shaft was attached directly to a propeller and the craft could reportedly reach (8 mph). 55-gallon oil drums were welded together and were used for flotation.This ingenious and first attempt of this sort of crossing gave the Cubans on the vessel the name "camionautas" (truckonauts). Click here for the original CUBANET.com article.
   
   
2. In a second attempt, 3 of the original "camionautas" attempted the crossing with 11 others in a 1959 Buick. Initially picked up at sea, there tale eventually had a happy ending as they made their way from Guantanamo, to Costa Rica, through Mexico, and finally to the United State. pic 2 For more information on this attempt, click here.



3. Not to be outdone, yet another of the original "camionautas" made the attempt in a 1959 Buick Taxi. The 13 people were apprehended just off of Key West. At this time, the fate of this most recent group of truckonauts is at this point uncertain. Their families are calling on the U.S. to provide them political asylum. pic 3



4. The rafters that constructed this vessel made use of many different types of materials including a sealed metal tank, innter tubes from tires, sticks for a sail, and other pieces of wood and rope for framing.




5. Another material widely used in the construction of a typical raft is Styrofoam. This raft below is constructed of Styrofoam, small inner tubes, and a wood frame and platform. Styrofoam was a common material as it could be frequently found on beaches where it washed up as flotsam from cruise ships or as discarded packing waste.



6. An incredibly "flimsy" and obviously un-seaworthy raft discovered on Melbourne Beach, Florida during the Cuban exodus in 1994. The distance from Havana to Melbourne Beach is over 250 miles.
   
   
   
7. This vessel was discovere in 1995 on a beach in New Smyrna, Florida... a distance of about 350 miles! This abandoned raft is made from tires, metal barrels and recycled wood.




8. Many of the rafts that are created for the crossing to the United States are grossly overcrowded. The photo below depicts 5 adults on a raft constructed of just a few tires and a wooden frame. Remember, the crossing from Cuba to the United States is at a minimum 90 miles. Often, due to currents and winds, the journey can be much longer (150 miles and more). Compound that challenge with extremely high seas, dehydration and extreme tropical sun, and you have an extremely difficult journey.