Pop Culture Updates: Harry, Sampson and “The Simpsons”

Posted on July 23, 2007 by Michele Cheplic

JUST WILD ABOUT HARRY We all know by now that Harry Potter, the fictional boy wizard, is a pop culture icon. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” smashed all sales records this weekend (8.3 million copies of the book were sold in the first 24 hours). But, there’s another record the book has earned that you may not have heard about. According to the National Braille Press, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” was made available to the blind at the same time sighted readers could purchase their print versions. The Boston-based publisher says that is an extremely rare occurrence … Continue reading →

What NOT To Donate To Toys For Tots

Posted on November 15, 2006 by Michele Cheplic

If you plan to make a donation to the Marine Reserves’ annual Toys for Tots program, you can cross the “Talking Jesus Doll” off your gift giving list. The charity has decided against accepting the doll because of its religious nature. The decision comes after a suburban Los Angeles company offered to donate 4,000 of the foot-tall dolls, which quote Bible verses. The toy company planned to make the donation so the dolls could be distributed by the Marines to needy children this holiday season. The battery-powered Jesus is one of several dolls manufactured by the California company–one2believe–a division of … Continue reading →