Peeps, those squishy marshmallow treats that come in bright colors, have their own Web site, PeepsShow.com. I haven't eaten Peeps since I was a kid, so I was surprised when checking out the site to find out that Peeps come in all kinds of different colors and shapes now. (I knew them mostly as Easter-time treats that were shaped like chicks, and came in neon-bright pink and yellow.)
Apparently the Peeps folks recognized the sales limits of a product seen as just an Easter confection, and the Peeps Show site proclaims that they're not just for Easter anymore. There have been new products and colors, including tulip-shaped Peeps in the traditional bright yellow color (new for this year). The tulip Peeps look good, but other ideas are less appealing: like the brown, cocoa Peeps that look like they should be called Poops.
Peeps always get attention at Easter time, and the CBS Sunday Morning show obliged today with a story about Peeps and those who love them (including the guy who created the Peeps Show site).
I personally prefer chocolate or jelly beans for my Easter candy bingeing, but Peeps are definitely a pop culture phenomenon all their own.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
The Easter Bunny Tracker
Lots of people are trying to find an Easter Bunny Tracker online to follow the furry fellow's progress on Easter Sunday.
This seems odd to me, because I don't recall the Easter bunny going around from house to house giving out Easter goodies. Yes, Easter is well known for baskets filled with candy and colored eggs... along with some of those eggs hidden for scavenger hunts. But he's not Santa Claus, going around to homes all over distributing the loot himself.
I'm guessing the whole "Easter Bunny Tracker" got started as a spin-off of the Santa Claus Tracker, wherein some organization set up a Web site where kids could supposedly follow Santa's progress as he gave out gifts all over the world.
But the Easter bunny? That's not how he rolls, as far as I know. Given the volume of searches on the Web for "Easter Bunny Tracker," I'm sure it's only a matter of time until somebody comes up with a Web site that claims to provide a tracker service for following the Easter bunny as he goes hopping around on Easter.
This seems odd to me, because I don't recall the Easter bunny going around from house to house giving out Easter goodies. Yes, Easter is well known for baskets filled with candy and colored eggs... along with some of those eggs hidden for scavenger hunts. But he's not Santa Claus, going around to homes all over distributing the loot himself.
I'm guessing the whole "Easter Bunny Tracker" got started as a spin-off of the Santa Claus Tracker, wherein some organization set up a Web site where kids could supposedly follow Santa's progress as he gave out gifts all over the world.
But the Easter bunny? That's not how he rolls, as far as I know. Given the volume of searches on the Web for "Easter Bunny Tracker," I'm sure it's only a matter of time until somebody comes up with a Web site that claims to provide a tracker service for following the Easter bunny as he goes hopping around on Easter.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Thinking About Trisha Meili, the Central Park Jogger
Trisha Meili was a 28-year-old investment banker when she was brutally attacked by several young men while jogging in New York's Central Park in 1989. She was was left for dead by her attackers, and was in a coma for a number of days.
Because she was believed to have been sexually assaulted, her name was not released in the press, and was known only as "the Central Park Jogger." The woman eventually made a remarkable recovery, and in 2003 revealed her name to the public in connection with a book she had written: "I Am the Central Park Jogger." Trisha Meili's Web site details her story and the work she is doing on behalf of crime victims and people with disabilities.
Trisha Meili has been back in the news this weekend because a jogger was attacked at knifepoint in Central Park Thursday night very close to the area where Meili had been attacked nearly 19 years ago. The victim in this attack was a 23-year-old man who was jogging to prepare for the Army physical fitness test.
Because she was believed to have been sexually assaulted, her name was not released in the press, and was known only as "the Central Park Jogger." The woman eventually made a remarkable recovery, and in 2003 revealed her name to the public in connection with a book she had written: "I Am the Central Park Jogger." Trisha Meili's Web site details her story and the work she is doing on behalf of crime victims and people with disabilities.
Trisha Meili has been back in the news this weekend because a jogger was attacked at knifepoint in Central Park Thursday night very close to the area where Meili had been attacked nearly 19 years ago. The victim in this attack was a 23-year-old man who was jogging to prepare for the Army physical fitness test.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Watch All NCAA Tourney Games Free - March Madness On Demand
Want to keep up with all the NCAA Tournament games? You can now watch every game FREE on your computer with March Madness on Demand (MMOD). In past years the NCAA has offered MMOD, but not for every game. It's completely free to watch every game, and you don't even need to register.
March Madness on Demand streaming games include an exclusive halftime show. The downside: demand for some (many?) games is high, so you may have to wait until you can view the game. The MMOD Web site says that each game will be archived shortly after it's finished, so you'll be able to keep up with the action later if you want.
Check the official March Madness on Demand Web site above for FAQs, system requirements, etc.
March Madness on Demand streaming games include an exclusive halftime show. The downside: demand for some (many?) games is high, so you may have to wait until you can view the game. The MMOD Web site says that each game will be archived shortly after it's finished, so you'll be able to keep up with the action later if you want.
Check the official March Madness on Demand Web site above for FAQs, system requirements, etc.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Designer Cats are Here from Lifestyle Pets
Last year we heard that the company Lifestyle Pets was planning on selling hypoallergenic cats (cats that would not cause sneezing, wheezing, and other symptoms in people with cat allergy). And they are apparently offering other "exotic" type cats from different breeds.
One of the Lifestyle Pets is said to be called the Ashera cat, which sells for over $20,000. There's been some controversy over whether the Ashera (a Lifestyle Pets trademark) is really just a Savannah cat ... not your average cat by any means, but much less pricey than the Ashera. One recentarticle says that Savannahs got for about $5,000, and says that Dutch authorities have seized some cats from Lifestyle Pets, citing laws that forbid "the sale or trade of protected species and their offspring."
Lifestyle Pets also sells the Allerca GD and the Chakan GD cats ("GD" stands for "genetic divergences," I've read). The Allerca cat is the hypoallergenic cat, although it sounds like the other cats can be bred in hypoallergenic forms.
One of the Lifestyle Pets is said to be called the Ashera cat, which sells for over $20,000. There's been some controversy over whether the Ashera (a Lifestyle Pets trademark) is really just a Savannah cat ... not your average cat by any means, but much less pricey than the Ashera. One recentarticle says that Savannahs got for about $5,000, and says that Dutch authorities have seized some cats from Lifestyle Pets, citing laws that forbid "the sale or trade of protected species and their offspring."
Lifestyle Pets also sells the Allerca GD and the Chakan GD cats ("GD" stands for "genetic divergences," I've read). The Allerca cat is the hypoallergenic cat, although it sounds like the other cats can be bred in hypoallergenic forms.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
2008 New York St. Patrick's Day Parade: Route, Map, Viewing Sites, More
Monday, March 17th is the 2008 New York St. Patrick's Day Parade, and here is some good info on where the parade runs, where to watch it, what streets will be closed and when, and much more.
The parade steps off at 11 a.m. If you can't be there in person, you can follow the action on WNBC Channel 4 in New York, as well as a Webcast at the official Web site of the 2008 New York St. Patrick's Day Parade.
As always, the Parade runs north on Fifth Avenue, starting at 44th Street. It passes many New York landmarks along the way, including Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the American Irish Historical Society, Central Park, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The parade ends at Fifth Avenue around 86th Street, and should finish between 4:30 and 5 p.m.
Where are the best viewing spots? The parade Web site suggests going north of 66th, which I think is good advice. The 40s and 50s are mobbed with people, including many tourists as well as people coming out from their workplaces for a look.
The Web site also suggests that the top steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (83rd Street) are good viewing spots.
There will be many street closings and frozen zones in Manhattan; check the NYC Department of Transportation's advisory for details.
Happy St. Patrick's Day, and Slainte!
NOTE: Public drinking on the street is not tolerated during the parade; drinks will be confiscated (best case scenario) or you will be ticketed (not so good) or arrested (worst case scenario).
The parade steps off at 11 a.m. If you can't be there in person, you can follow the action on WNBC Channel 4 in New York, as well as a Webcast at the official Web site of the 2008 New York St. Patrick's Day Parade.
As always, the Parade runs north on Fifth Avenue, starting at 44th Street. It passes many New York landmarks along the way, including Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the American Irish Historical Society, Central Park, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The parade ends at Fifth Avenue around 86th Street, and should finish between 4:30 and 5 p.m.
Where are the best viewing spots? The parade Web site suggests going north of 66th, which I think is good advice. The 40s and 50s are mobbed with people, including many tourists as well as people coming out from their workplaces for a look.
The Web site also suggests that the top steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (83rd Street) are good viewing spots.
There will be many street closings and frozen zones in Manhattan; check the NYC Department of Transportation's advisory for details.
Happy St. Patrick's Day, and Slainte!
NOTE: Public drinking on the street is not tolerated during the parade; drinks will be confiscated (best case scenario) or you will be ticketed (not so good) or arrested (worst case scenario).
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