January 28th, 2011

Read More »

Good

Commercially Sponsored Websites for Kids: Chapman’s Kids Club

September 22nd, 2010


“Wow! Angry Dad, an internet cartoon! I’ll be in cyberspace next to the Nabisco cookie website!” – Bart Simpson, “I Am Furious Yellow”

In an otherwise typically mediocre later-season episode of The Simpons, Bart’s enthusiasm for the opportunity to have his work placed alongside the online home of a leading manufacturer of junk food says much about the corporate sector’s thoughtfulness in providing free entertainment to the internet’s largely neglected school-age audience. While parents and grown-ups enjoy the full vastness of the World Wide Web and its myriad shopping, at-home stock trading and kink-oriented social networking sites, kids often face a veritable needle-in-a-haystack challenge to find even one new website that meets their hard-wired need for product-related games and activities. Fortunately for the morning cartoon contingent the path to browser-window fun can often be found as nearby as the kitchen pantry, the fridge freezer or on a favourite television station. With these words in mind I invite you to read and play along as I seek out the best in children’s online amusement in this, the first installment of Commercially Sponsored Websites for Kids!

Today I take a “lick” at Chapman’s Kids Club, the interactive webzone from Canada’s leading manufacturer of economy-priced frozen desserts. Will children love Chapman’s games and activities as much as they love their Super Lollies and checkerboard ice cream? Find out after the jump!

Read More »

Good

The Lesser Vandals’ Greater Hits

September 15th, 2010

As undisputable greatest punk band of all-time The Vandals find themselves once again the target of frivolous legal action from entertainment trade rag The Daily Variety, some so-called “old school” or “classic Vandals” fans have cited their hard luck as a case of karmic comeuppance for bassist Joe Escalante’s alleged misappropriation of the Vandals’ name, songs and master tapes following the successive departure of his then-bandmates during the mid-to-late eighties. It’s messy stuff, and impossible for me to say who did who wrong way back when, but I can say that the ‘new’ and to-this-day fixed incarnation of The Vandals is leaps and bounds better than the original in just about every way possible. That being said, the cruder, less polished Stevo-fronted Vandals of yore wrote and recorded some gems themselves, and though they were an almost entirely different band it would be unfortunate to overlook their contribution to the group’s stellar discography.

And so, preamble aside, here’s a list, in no particular order, of my five favourite songs by the early-eighties era Vandals. They can all be found spread over their debut Peace Thru Vandalism EP (Epitaph, 1982) and When in Rome Do as the Vandals full-length (National Trust, 1984). Listen to these songs, cherish them, and one day pass them on to your children as I have to you. Streams and comments after the jump:

Read More »

Good

  • Info

    Photobucket

    Adam Medley (pictured above) is a gifted young man living in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Keep in mind his despairing, vacant face as you browse the content of this website.

    Contact

    medladam (at) gmail (dot) com

    Curriculum Vitae