This is a great time to be a toddler, isn't it? The powers-that-be apparently believe preschool kids are one hot demographic. Cool toddler gear is being churned out at a dizzying pace and it's becoming harder and harder to keep track of all the stars visiting the hippest children's television shows. From April 27th to April 30th, pop singer Beyonce Knowles will be a special guest on Nick Jr's Wow Wow Wubbzy. She will be the voice of the lead singer of the Wubb Girlz, an all-girl band. Then, on May 1st, Beyonce will return in the role for the hour-long “Wubb Idol”! Check your local listings for exact times.
Here's a quick sneak preview of Beyonce rocking Wuzzleburg with her original tune, "Sing a Song":
Beyonce Lends "Shine" to Wubbzy
Where the Wild Things Are
If you have a little one who loves to read (or be read to), chances are you already own Maurice Sendak's classic "Where The Wild Things Are" in book form. Well, soon it will be a feature film directed by Spike Jonze and produced by Tom Hanks. The cast includes Catherine Keener, Max Records, James Gandolfini, Forest Whitaker, Lauren Ambrose, and Mark Ruffalo. Like the children's book, the movie tells the story of Max, a little boy who creates his own world, including a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures.
The release has been pushed back a couple of times, but the current date is October 16, 2009. The trailer makes me think it might be worth the wait.
Oprah Comes To Twitterville: There Goes the Neighborhood?
First take a look at the picture on the left. Do you know what that is? It's a screenshot Oprah Winfrey's Twitter page. As you can see, the queen of daytime talk has tens of thousands of followers without uttering one tweet. But tomorrow, Oprah plans to dole out her first ever twit on her television show with Ashton Kutcher by her side- at which time all hell will break loose. Well, it will, won't it? Haven't all of the Twitter hiccups in the last week burned the Fail Whale into our weary retinas? What will happen when all those soccer moms, retirees, and other demographics hop online to discover the deliciousness that is Twitter? Can a system that is already creaking and groaning possibly take the strain? Just maybe it can bend a little more without breaking. It'll have to. Ready or not, here comes the most powerful woman in television.
Read more here and here.
The Fail Whale Martini
The Fail Whale drink, named for the illustration that pops up on your computer screen when Twitter is over-taxed, first appeared at the Shorty Awards in New York. Everyone says this is going to be the cocktail of the season, but it's almost impossible to find a proper recipe. It turns out there are two or three recipes. Thanks to some industrious Twitter buddies (and little help from @mixologist ) Black Twitterati has been able to piece them together. Choose your own adventure.
The Fail Whale Martini
1 part Absolute
1 part Cointreau
1 part Blue Curacao
Lime Slice
Pour over ice and mix in a shaker. Serve in martini glasses.
The Fail Whale Martini II (a variation on the Blue Whale
1 part Vodka or Gin (depending on who you ask)
1 part Blue Curacao
1 part Orange Juice
1 part Pineapple Juice
1 part Sweet and Sour Mix
Pour ingredients over ice and mix in a shaker. Strain into tall glasses.
Garnish with a plastic blue whale and a cherry. Serve.
The Fail Whale Drink, according to FailWhaleDrink.com is:
1 Glass of Heineken
.5 shot of Blue Curacao
.5 shoto of Vodka
1 Sardine (if available)
Drop the shot of Vodka and Blue Curacao into the pint glass heineken, garnish with a Sardine.
There's also the Fail Whale Iced Tea:
0.5 oz Blue Curacao
0.5 oz Gin
0.5 oz Rum
0.5 oz Triple sec
0.5 oz OVAL Vodka
Directions:
Pour all the ingredients over ice. Shake and garnish with a lemon squeeze.
If you decide to try any of these out, please come back and give a review! Also check out www.whatisfailwhale.info, which is the entire collection of fail whale sightings on the internet. Thanks to the original fail whale creator @yiyinglu for letting us dip our toes in her stream over at Flickr.
Throwback Thursday: Pinball Number Count
-by Erica
"1-2-3-4-5, 6-7-8-9-10, 11-12!"
When I was a child, the Pinball Number Count was my favorite cartoon skit on Sesame Street. I just didn't understand why the show couldn't run it every single day. Now, thanks to the internet I can share it with my little one who seems just as mesmerized as I was at his age. But, I only recently discovered it was sung by the Pointer Sisters! So here it is from the flashback vault, Pinball Number Count:
Debut: 1976 on Sesame Street
Produced in San Francisco for the Children's Television Workshop
Would You Pay To Tweet?
This is the question that's being knocked around quite a bit these days. That's because last week the Wall Street Journal reported that Twitter has plans to sell "premium" features. There are no real details, except that those special options (which could be anything from analytics to a higher quality of service) would reportedly be sold mostly to businesses.
For the record, Twitter founders say there are no fees planned for individuals using the regular service. But, the question lingers: Would you be willing to pay to gain high-powered information about Twitter users and traffic? If so, how much would something like that be worth to you per month?
Mommy Crushes: Wow! Who Knew?
I am deliciously amused and shocked by the scandalous confessions of moms who, apparently, watch WAY too much television. I'm not saying that I haven't succumbed to a slight TV crush from time-to-time, but who knew that children's television was entertaining mothers to this degree? Take a look at Babble.com's article on the 10 Most Crushworthy Children's Show Hosts.
Not for nothing, but they could have probably included the brother from the Let's Go Show on Sprout:
I'm just saying.
Is all.
The Golden Rule: Should You Give to Receive
What's the best way to go about increasing your influence on social medium platforms such as Twitter? It's a question that draws a range of answers from the so-called experts. But among the most controversial of strategies is the one that tells you to increase your following by following lots of other people, including ones you might not have much in common with. In fact, this week we read a VERY interesting article making the rounds on this very subject, called The Twitter Law Of Reciprocity . So we pose the question to you: Does it make sense to follow lots of people with the expectation of getting many followers in return? Should you follow those who follow you (or use apps that do this for you) willy-nilly? In the end, what's the benefit?
Richard Pryor on the Alphabet
If you're a 30-something (or better) we're pretty sure you'll appreciate this, along with your little one.
Oyin Handmade Whipped Pudding
We're fairly new to Oyin Handmade goodies in my house. But we're already calling Oyin Handmade Whipped Pudding our all-purpose butter. We use it on every part of our bodies. We use it to tame toddler frizzies. We use it on chapped lips. We use it as a hair conditioner. We smooth it onto the little one's face before he goes out in the cold. 
If we could only have one product for everyone in the house regardless of gender and preferences, this would have to be it. Whipped Pudding is completely handmade with good-for-you ingredients like shea butter and cocoa butter. The very gentle vanilla-y, cocoa-buttery, slightly chocolate-y scent is just tooooo heavenly.
Groundhog Day Redux
We wanted to share our favorite video about groundhogs. It's from Jack's Big Music show and it stars musicians Steve Burns (former Blues Clues host) and Steven Drozd (of the Flaming Lips). Learn some fun facts you DIDN'T know about the groundhog! Or at least file it away in your mental Rolodex for next year.
"I Hog The Ground"
Erykah Badu Welcomes New Baby Girl
Congratulations to singer Erykah Badu and music producer Jay Electronica. They are the proud parents of a new baby girl. Badu gave birth yesterday at her home with a midwife... and managed to keep all us updated through Twitter! Best wishes to the baby girl and her happy parents.
Sesame Street Stars In "Scrubs"
Good news for Muppet fans! When the popular TV show Scrubs airs tonight, stars of Sesame Street will be part of the cast. The episode, called "My ABCs", will feature the Sesame Street characters Elmo, Grover, and Oscar the Grouch. The gang will be helping to teach the show's star, J.D., about the gift of compassion.
Again, the program airs tonight on ABC at 9 PM eastern, 8 PM central.
Here are a couple of still photographs of the episode from our from our friends at Muppet News Central:
Jack Johnson: Upside Down
As we wind up a truly exciting and inspiring week, we thought we'd leave you with a song that sums it all up with child-like wonder. Leave it to a 2-year-old (mine)to pick out the perfect tune and video. It's Jack Johnson's "Upside Down". We dare you to listen or watch without cracking a smile.
Who´s to say what´s impossible?
Well, they forgot this world keeps spinning
And with each new day
I can feel a change in everything
And as the surface breaks reflections fade
But in some ways they remain the same
And as my mind begins to spread it's wings
There´s no stopping curiosity
I want to turn the whole thing upside down
I´ll find the things they say just can´t be found
I´ll share this love I find with everyone
We´ll sing and dance to mother nature´s songs
I don´t want this feeling to go away
Who´s to say I can´t do everything?
Well, I can try, and as I roll along I begin to find
Things aren´t always just what they seem
I want to turn the whole thing upside down
I´ll find the things they say just can´t be found
I´ll share this love I find with everyone
We´ll sing and dance to mother nature´s songs
This world keeps spinning
And there's no time to waste
Well it all keeps spinning spinning
Round and round and upside down
Who´s to say what´s impossible and can´t be found?
I don´t want this feeling to go away
Please don´t go away
Please don´t go away
Please don´t go away
Is this how it´s supposed to be?
Is this how it´s supposed to be?
