via

Twitter has been the social media starting point for a number of businesses, effective in branding their product in a new and interesting way.¬† Mattel capitalizes on Twitter’s accessibility with their new Ken and Barbie Valentine’s Day campaign.¬† The viral campaign is being used to promote Mattel’s new ‘Sweet Talking Ken Doll’, inspired by the latest teen heart throbs.¬† Not only can you vote for Barbie to make-up or break-up with Ken, but their is an integration with their FaceBook, Twitter, Foursquare and even Match.com.¬† If that doesn’t push the envelope enough, head over to Hulu to watch The Genuine Ken, a new reality show.

Some people saw Beyonce and Lady Gaga half-naked, toying with a hyper-sexual and violent storyline and got outraged at the idea that kids could readily see it on MTV and the like. Not Andrew Kolb. This brilliant artist was so inspired he thought to turn the song on its head, tone it down and make it into a 50s style children’s book. Bite it, Dick & Jane. See the full book here.

SOURCE

A few years back, Hijme Stoffels conducted a study of the children of Preachers, and how that experience affected their childhood and growth.¬† Growing up in a religious household, I was interested in taking a look, and found myself identifying with a lot of the findings.¬† While Preacher’s Kids aka PK’s are often labeled as wild and out of control, the study looks behind the behavior and into the emotional highs and lows that being in that position takes you.

72% of Preacher’s Kids identified with the following statements:

1. It was hard to cope with the ‘front stage’ and ‘back stage’ behavior of their parents.

2. Felt like public property or like they lived in a glass house.  Forced to set an example and standard, even if they hated it.

3. Felt under-appreciated, like an unpaid extension of the ministry.
   

4. Never felt like a strong personal identity was built.  When it was, it was a painful process.

5. Was an outsider at school, or often made fun of.

6. Acted out to break free of the stigma – becoming the class clown, promiscuous, or participated in illegal activities.

7. Took 4-7 years to free themselves from the stigma and develop their own religious beliefs.
   

8. Guilt ridden and depressed about their own spiritual beliefs.

9. Wished their parents would step back from the Church.

Thrustmaster, the innovative PC and console accessory brand from Guillemot Corporation, is proud to unveil the T-Freestyle NW, the ultimate controller for snowboarding and skateboarding WiiTM fans. Experience the extreme action of boarding this winter from the comfort of your living room. Available just in time for the holidays, the T-Freestyle NW is available now for $29.99 SRP.

With the T-Freestyle NW (patent pending), now more than ever before, it’s more fun and intuitive for gamers to land perfect maneuvers and link up slides from one rail to another. WiiTM snowboarding and skateboarding gamers can use the T-Freestyle NW to execute freestyle tricks and to control their boarding runs with the same spirit of “freedom” and the sensation of “no limit” that makes these sports so popular.

Crafted of genuine maple – just like real boards, the T-Freestyle NW offers the perfect balance between flexibility and resistance reproducing the real sensations of boarding. Maneuvering half-pipes and rail jams in games has never been this realistic. Designed to reflect the extreme attitude and style of boarders, the T-Freestyle NW features a “Skull” logo and the size allows for positioning just like a real board.

“In order to achieve this striking realism for gamers, Thrustmaster has employed Rolling Motion Board technology, allowing for true lateral movement capabilities just like in boarding sports, as well as a Safety Stopper feature to eliminate any risk of tipping over, for maximum fun and safety,” says Winn Keaten, Thrustmaster Marketing Manager.

Users can attach the T-Freestyle NW to their Balance BoardTM* quickly and easily, then get on and enjoy endless hours of fun playing their favorite boarding games with a level of realism that has never been possible until now. This is the ultimate accessory for current and future ultra-realistic snowboarding and skateboarding games on WiiTM.

Want to grab one for yourself..or to give as a gift this Holiday season?  Good news, we are giving one away!

Here’s How to Enter: (this entry is mandatory)

• Fan Level Up on FaceBook!
  

Additional Entries [leave a separate comment for each one]

• Comment on another non-giveaway post [comment below w/post name]
• Subscribe to this site via RSS.
• Friend us on Google Connect [see sidebar]
• Follow us on Twitter!¬† @nerdlikes!
  
• Tweet about this giveaway (daily entry, can use the following [ Win a Thrustmaster deck for the Wii! http://nerdlike.com/npyhn ]
• Digg or Stumble this giveaway [leave your username in the comment]
• Like us on Facebook [see the sidebar]

The  giveaway runs until November 26, 2010. Good Luck!

While I wouldn’t consider Big L to be ‘gangsta rap’, he is in fact included in this interesting book done by aye jay. Just as it sounds, the book is done in the fashion of pure novelty, featuring a series of images in thick black lines of the most popular gangsta rappers from hip-hop.¬† Expanded from 20 to 48 pages to include even more of the music’s superstars, this collection is a witty hall of fame of gangsta rap.¬† via deadalicious

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A few weeks ago, Hexbug’s sent us a party kit to host a phenomenal party for the kiddos.¬† 10 little ones gathered in our home, where we held Hexbug races and building competitions, with the winner going home with a Hexbug Habitat of their own!

The Miz walked into the WWE & Mattel panel giving us the show we are used to seeing from him.  He is The Miz, and folks, he truly believes he is awesome.  If you remember him from the Real World, then you know that he has a touch of ADD mixed with long winded speech, proving to be an interesting combination for a press panel.  He was all over the place, going from talking shit about Ryan Seacrest to the future of his career;

When I went on the Real World, it really expanded my mind.¬† I mean, when I got home I was having fun in college, but lets face it, the classes got in the way.¬† So I started training, and I was the underdog.¬† I think it was until I won [the MITB] that people took me serious.¬† And you know what?¬† I will be bigger than Hulk Hogan.¬† I will be bigger than Steve Austin.¬† I will be bigger than the Rock.¬† I am The Miz, and I AM AWESOME.”

However, even with the three piece suit and the Money in the Bank Briefcase, he far from overshadowed the beautiful Eve.  Almost demure, Eve spoke very little, but entertained a bit of banter between her and the Miz.

We also got to see the teaser trailer, inclusive of the new line of toys to be released in January, known as the Defining Moments series.¬† The first action figure to hit the shelves is the Randy Savage joint, showcased by the jerky eating wrestler himself.¬† I think it’s important to note that the figurine is a replica of Savage in his hayday, with the release being a true Defining Moment, since he has not had an action figure released in more than 12 years.

The Defining Moments pack will come out bi-monthly, with each one featuring 2 figures.  Check for the debut on January 11th.

The entire universe has been taken over with Gabba-Fever, with kids and adults alike running around singing all of those remixed eighties jingles.   It seems that the excitement has recently spilled into the fashion industry, with the recent release of the DJ Lance Rock! Dunny from Kid Robot.  He is so official, with his fuzzy orange hat and ghettoblaster.  Check for them at Kidrobot’s booth at this year’s Comic Con, or in the Fall at Kidrobot.com.

Just like everything else we played as a kid, rock paper scissors has been replaced with something a little more  modern.  The newest game taking the youth by storm is Monkey-Pirate-Robot-Ninja-Zombie; check out the rules:

Monkey
* Monkey fools Ninja
* Monkey unplugs Robot
Suggested noise: ee-ee-eek!

Robot
* Robot chokes Ninja
* Robot crushes Zombie
Suggested noise: ex-ter-min-ate!

Pirate
* Pirate drowns Robot
* Pirate skewers Monkey
Suggested noise: arrrrr!

Ninja
* Ninja karate chops Pirate
* Ninja decapitates Zombie
Suggested noise: keeee-ah!

Zombie
* Zombie eats Pirate
* Zombie savages Monkey
Suggested noise: braaaaaaaaaainsss!

[via Boing Boing]

Review

At first glance, this cardboard rocket ship looks like it would be a piece of cake to put together.¬† The box was light enough for me to carry around on my own, so I assumed that the assembly would be a breeze.¬† Soon after unboxing, I realized that that would not be the case.¬† Due to my small size, the rocket ship over powered me.¬† My arm span wasn’t wide enough to connect the pieces and hold it together at the same time, and so it actually took two of us to put together.

After E-Dub and I started working together, the rest was a breeze.  The directions were easy to put together and we had no fitment problems.  The Shuttle is much bigger than I anticipated, allowing more than enough space on the inside for  both my eight year old and my three year old.  The canvas of the Shuttle was as promised; completely bare with astrological cut outs.  The first thing that Zion and Sevyn wanted?  The top to be red, so that it could be uber fast.

After that, the kids really just wanted to add a night sky and get inside.  With ample space, they got inside and built a fort on the outside.

After 22 days, my boys still play with this thing daily.¬† They get inside with a portable DVD player and a bowl of popcorn.¬† They use it as a tag base.¬† They made it a clubhouse.¬† It’s their own special place…emphasis on their own.

We highly reccomend the Shuttle Imagination from KidsCraft.¬† If I could give it 5 stars, I would.¬† It’s an amazing way for kids to create as well as use their imagination.

If you have ever had a baby, then the world Medela should be in constant rotation in your vocabulary.¬† The leader in breastfeeding products and accessories, the company focuses on making quality and long lasting products to help moms deliver the healthiest meals to their babies.¬† While the art of breastfeeding seems like it’s just ‘plug and play’, believe me, it’s not [they don't call it an art for nothing].¬† Luckily, Medela’s products are easy to use by helping moms to successfully breastfeed their babies and to do so for as long as they choose.

Medela was gracious enough to send me one of their Pump In Style Advanced breast pumps [otherwise known as a PNSA] which comes in two different options; either the Shoulder Bag, or the Backpack. While I used both with Sevyn, who just turned three, my good friend just had a baby, so I had her try it out for a couple of weeks to see how it was.

Review

As a first time mom, Sarah had no idea what to expect.   After working with a lactation counselor, she learned how to get her little one to latch and was eventually ready to return back to work and start pumping [note: you should wait a couple of weeks after birth to do so].  The Medela PSNA system was a perfect fit for her, since her job is fast paced and she is always on the go.  It comes with a bag that is easy to disguise [who wants to be seen toting around a breast pump in the office or the mall?], including everything you need to not only pump, but store as well.   The system itself is easy to put together, and is ready to go in as little as 30 seconds.  It comes with two BPA free bottles to screw onto the tubes, which in turn connect to the pump itself.  After the initial let down period, the pump can be adjusted to a comfortable pressure and should be finished within 10-15 minutes [dependent on your flow].  After you are through pumping, you can store the milk in the collapsible ice chest inside of the bag for a couple of hours.

Product Specs:

• Daily use ¬? double pump ¬? electric
• Adjustable speed/vacuum dial lets mom choose her most comfortable setting.
• Removable PVC-free cooler bag with contoured ice pack keeps milk cool for up to 12 hours.
• Battery pack lets mom pump anywhere, anytime. (Optional 9V vehicle lighter adapter available).
• More milk in less time with 2-Phase Expression¬Æ technology when pumping at Maximum Comfort Vacuum‚Ñ¢.
• Everything included in an attractive PVC-free microfiber bag for fast and easy pumping.
• Helpful storage pockets for organization.
• Convenient integrated work surface for mom.
• Double pumping kit includes PersonalFit‚Ñ¢ breast shields.

Do you have a newborn or know someone who does? Are you getting ready to drop a little bundle of joy? Well, you are in luck! Medela is giving away a Pump in Style Advanced to one lucky reader [valued at $280]

Here’s How to Enter: (this entry is mandatory)

• Leave a comment below letting us know how you came up with your baby’s name!
  

Additional Entries [leave a separate comment for each one]

• Comment on another non-giveaway post [comment below w/post name]
• Subscribe to this site via RSS.
• Friend us on Google Connect [see sidebar]
• Tweet about this giveaway (daily entry, can use the following [ Win a Medela Breast Pump PNSA at NerdLike! http://nerdlike.com/ahlgf ]
• Digg or Stumble this giveaway [leave your username in the comment]
• Like us on Facebook [see the sidebar]

The  giveaway runs until June 17, 2010. Good Luck!