It’s a Barbie and Bratz Smackdown

It seemed inevitable that the two toy titans would clash. No, I don’t mean Superman and Batman, but Barbie and those annoying Bratz! And, millions of hard earned consumer dollars are at stake. I just heard of this doll catfight recently, but the trial has been going on for about a month now. Mattel Inc. has brought an infringement case against Bratz manufacturers MGA Entertainment Inc. Mattel claimed that 39 year old Bratz creator, Carter Bryant, created the Bratz dolls and name while still working for them as a Barbie designer. Mattel brought out the big guns to prove their … Continue reading →

Quickly Becoming Obsolete – Part 4

This is my final blog about formerly common things that you may not be able to find anymore! Honey Bees That is right, Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has spread across the U.S. and Europe lately and is wiping out the honey bees. Between 50 and 90% of the colonies of many beekeepers has been wiped out. Some are blaming CCD on climate change, some blame it on a virus, and even others think it may have something to do with beekeeping practices. I guess until the real cause is known, the honeybee will remain in danger. Printed Newspapers, magazines, and … Continue reading →

Quickly Becoming Obsolete – Part 3

I am still talking about things that were once popular, but are now vanishing: Handwritten Letters Oh, I hate this. What is more romantic than a handwritten love letter? I mean, an email just doesn’t do it, does it? Yet it is estimated that in 2006, 183 billion emails were sent – each day! Add in all the cell phones and all the text messaging and who has time to actually sit down and write a letter? Wild Horses In the early 1900s, there were approximately two million wild horses roaming the U.S. Now, the National Geographic News estimates that … Continue reading →

Quickly Becoming Obsolete – Part 2

In my last blog, I was talking about items we’ve probably all owned or have been to at one point that are becoming obsolete. Here are some more: Ham Radio I remember when I was about 12 and my dad had a ham radio. I could hear people from all around the world and I just thought that was the coolest thing ever. I guess with the Internet, we don’t really need ham radios anymore. The number of people holding ham radio operator licenses has dropped by 50,000 in the past five years. The Local Swimming Hole This one is … Continue reading →

Quickly Becoming Obsolete – Part 1

Not too long ago, I blogged about companies that are no longer in business. But, what about things that are still currently around, but are slowly becoming obsolete in today’s society? I found a list of things on AOL that may be going away sooner than you think! Movie Rental Stores I remember when video rental first came out. It seemed like everyone opened his or her own movie rental store. Then, Blockbuster and Hollywood came along and put most of the mom and pop places out of business. Now it seems like mail order places such as Netflix will … Continue reading →

Rachael Ray’s Food Going to the Dogs

She’s already gone public admitting that she is more interested in raising “four-legged kids than ones with two legs” so I suppose it should come as no surprise that celebrity chef Rachael Ray is expanding her culinary empire to include gourmet dog food. The super cook turned TV talk show host just launched a charity-driven line of dog foods based on recipes she has created for her beloved pet pit bull, Isaboo. The Food Network star is no stranger to designing meals for all types of eaters and she says she has no doubt that your pooch will gobble up … Continue reading →

“Mirror, Mirror on the Wall…”

Who says the queen in “Snow White” has dibs on the only magic mirror around? Not designers at Accenture Labs. The company is being hailed for creating a “magic mirror” that gives ordinary people access to extraordinary views. The mirror provides a computer-enhanced shot of what you might look like in the future. But not only does the mirror age you it also takes into account the bad habits some of us have. For example, if you are a junk food junkie, a smoker, a heavy drinker or live a sedentary life the “magic mirror” incorporates that information into the … Continue reading →

Twister Record and Twisted Employee

TWISTER RECORD The hula-hoop, Rubik’s cube and Twister are among the many inventions immortalized in the annals of popular culture. Despite the decades since their introduction to the masses, the toys’ popularity hasn’t diminished. In fact, hundreds of high school students in North Dakota are trying to make playing Twister the coolest activity in town… at least for one day. Approximately 450 teens are looking to set a world record for playing the largest game of Twister. According to event organizers, the students plan to tape together 180 Twister mats on Sunday and stretch their bodies along the path of … Continue reading →

The Cube Challenge

Remember the Rubik’s Cube? If you grew up in the 1980s you likely were as addicted to the mechanical puzzle as I was. The colorful 3×3 cube invented in 1974 by engineer Erno Rubik ignited a pop culture craze in the decade made famous by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and plastic jelly shoes. Today, those same jelly shoes have gone out of fashion, but the popularity of the Rubik’s cube lives on. In fact, this weekend, hundreds of puzzle junkies are in Budapest for the fourth annual Rubik’s Cube world championship–a three-day event offering big prizes to people who can solve … Continue reading →

Awesome Innovations: “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?”

How many times have you seen an infomercial for a product that seemed so practical, so innovative that you found yourself asking (out loud): “Why didn’t I think of that?” I had one of those moments when I heard about the newest umbrella headed to a store near you. It’s called the Ambient Umbrella, and it’s being billed as the world’s first umbrella that alerts users when rain is expected. Hold on! It’s a bit more advanced than that. According to its designer, the Ambient Umbrella automatically receives weather data from a national weather service and when precipitation is expected … Continue reading →