Labor Day sale from Tues. Aug. 28 through Mon. Sept. 3.
To help celebrate the long weekend, Blockbuster is slashing 50%
off of all previously viewed movies -- family favorites, action and drama films
are available for as low as $4.98.
Popular DVD and Blu-ray titles are available with this 50%
off promotion and include hit movies such as: “The Time Traveler’s Wife”, “The
Holiday”, “A Christmas Carol”, “Cloud with a Chance of Meatballs”, “Angels
& Demons”, “District 9”, “Despicable Me”, “Bounty Hunter”, “Monsters VS.
Aliens”, “Date Night”, “Shutter Island”, “Toy Story 3”, “It’s Complicated”,
“Role Models”, “Red”, “Due Date”, “Cloverfield”, “Little Fockers”, “Black
Swan”, “G.I. Joe”, “The Rise of Cobra” and “The Happening”.
As the end of summer quickly approaches and folks are making
last minute holiday weekend plans, why not make it a Blockbuster night? The
Labor Day holiday is a day of rest from work and school, and what better way to
spend it than with a relaxing movie night with your family! As you can see,
there’s something for everyone to enjoy! Visit your local
Blockbuster store to pick up these and other great movies for as low as
$4.98.
Wish there was one close to me because we want, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Despicable Me, Monster's VS Aliens, and Toy Story 3
Catch a sneak peek of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood here!
Interview with
Executive Producers
Kevin Morrison and
Angela C. Santomero
This fall, Daniel
Tiger’s Neighborhood,
an engaging new animated series for preschoolers, will pounce onto PBS KIDS
(check local listings). The first television show from The Fred Rogers
Company since Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and inspired by the enduring legacy
of children’s television innovator Fred Rogers,the vibrantly colorful new program invites viewers
to explore the imaginative Neighborhood of Make-Believe with 4-year-old Daniel
Tiger and his best friends as they learn important skills and strategies
necessary for growing up. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood also
features an activity-rich website with free, interactive games for
preschoolers, online resources for parents and teachers and other valuable and
fun cross-platform content. Below is a conversation with the series’
Executive Producers, Kevin Morrison, Chief Operating Officer of The Fred Rogers
Company, and Angela C. Santomero, Co-Founder of Out of the Blue Enterprises.
Q. After so
long, why return to Mister Rogers’ beloved neighborhood now?
K.M. A few years ago, The
Fred Rogers Company set out to produce a new series for a new generation of
children. We developed a number of different program ideas, but Daniel
Tiger’s Neighborhood, based on characters familiar to generations of
children, was always everybody’s favorite. Although the series uses the
latest production techniques and looks beautiful, its essence is based on Fred
Rogers’ timeless techniques.
Q.
What made Fred Rogers a pioneer in children’s entertainment? How is his
trademark approach evident in Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood?
A.S. Fred Rogers
has been both an inspiration and a major career influence for me. In
effect, he created a blueprint for children’s television that works. And,
with this new show, we embraced the great level of respect that Fred had for
children, the way he communicated with them, his gentler pace and his
“interactive” inclusion of his young “neighbors” at home.
K.M. Fred was a pioneer in
the way he used the camera. In the 50s and 60s, children’s presenters
were addressing an audience. When Fred spoke, there was no doubt that he
was talking just to you. At that time, this was revolutionary.
Q.
Are there elements of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood in Daniel Tiger’s
Neighborhood? How is the new series fresh and different?
A.S. There are nostalgic
nods of “love” to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood throughout each episode of
the new show. The characters are the children of the beloved puppets from
Fred’s Neighborhood of Make-Believe and our series star, Daniel Tiger, is the
son of Daniel Striped Tiger, Fred’s first puppet. Like Fred, Daniel wears
a red sweater and sneakers and speaks directly to preschoolers to include them
in his day. Fred’s music can be heard, in some cases as cover songs, and
in others as inspiration for new musical strategies.
K.M. That being said, this
is a brand-new series with a very different look and feel. It’s animated
instead of live-action and focuses on the adventures of a 4-year-old and his
friends in an exciting and very different Neighborhood of Make-Believe.
Q.
How have Fred Rogers’ groundbreaking concepts been updated to appeal to a whole
new generation of young viewers and their parents?
A.S. Fred’s
curriculum is timeless. But our approach to his curriculum was planned
with today’s preschoolers in mind because we wanted to make sure that we were
reaching them most effectively in terms of appeal and learning.
Q. Why choose
animation instead of live action?
A
.S.
We wanted to animate the Neighborhood of Make-Believe to put a unique spin on
the “neighborhood” with this new series. Plus, animation allows us to
make our stories visual – for example, we can let viewers peek inside Daniel’s
colorful imagination.
K.M. We considered live
action, but animation gives us powerful tools for storytelling. Our
research-based curriculum is wrapped inside engaging stories for the very
youngest children.
Q. How did
you develop the characters for the show?
A.S. Although
the characters were initially based on the puppets in Mister Rogers’
Neighborhood, our goal was to give them a multi-dimensional feel so they’re
true to the personalities of preschoolers.
K.M. We want children to
feel that they’re friends with the characters – and hopefully aspire to be like
them so they are engaged and learning the strategies right alongside Daniel and
his cohorts.
Q.
What role does music play in Daniel
Tiger’s Neighborhood and why do you think using song-based strategies is so
effective?
A.S. Music is an
integral tool for learning in Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.
Our musical strategies are unique and catchy. Parents and children will
be singing them all day long! For preschool viewers, music propels the
curriculum forward, ensuring that they truly understand why a particular strategy
was needed and how it helped our characters.
K.M. And couching a key
strategy in an easy-to-remember song makes it very simple for parents to help
their children incorporate that new skill into their daily lives.
Q.
Recent research shows that early development of solid social and emotional
skills leads to success later in life. How did this help inform the
creation of the show?
A.S. Pro-social
values have been shown by numerous studies to be imperative to later social and
academic success for children. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
helps hone the skills that prepare young viewers to be optimal learners in
kindergarten and beyond. Encouraging children’s self-confidence, combined
with the ability to regulate their impulses and appreciate adult guidance,
gives them the solid foundation they need going forward.
Q.
How can Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood be a useful tool for parents and
preschoolers beyond the television screen?
A.S.
Moms and dads who
have previewed the show have called it “A user’s guide for today’s
parent!” We’re finding that parents and caregivers are writing down our
strategies and using them when they need to encourage their kids to be patient,
when they’re nervous about a new experience or when they’re disappointed.
We hope to have a useful strategy for every situation a parent could find
themselves in!
I am happy to report on one of my favorite shows although we are always a season behind!
On Aug. 26, FX’s Sons of Anarchycast led the morning motorcycle charity ride with 450 riders/300 passengers
following behind as they traveled from Route 66 Classic Grill in Santa Clarita
to Happy Endings bar in Hollywood
Proceeds from the ride and rally tickets
purchased as well as on-site merchandise benefits The Boot Campaign, which
looks to raise funds for military personnel returning home from combat
All ride and rally tickets were completely
sold out by the Thursday prior to the event as the venue was already sold to
complete capacity (1,400 rally attendees) – a huge leap from last year’s
inaugural event
The event celebrated Sons of Anarchy Season4 on Blu-ray & DVD with a giant DVD promotional stand prominently placed on
the red carpet and press line and the riders/passengers received the Blu-ray in
their VIP rider packs
After the ride and the VIP meet and greet,
the cast of Sons of Anarchy walked the red carpet chatting with press and
posing for photos for promotions and fans alike.
Those in attendance included, Ron
Perlman, Theo Rossi, Charlie Hunnam, Kim Coates, Kurt Yeager, William Lucking,
Ryan Hurst, Winter Avezoli, Chris Reed, Dayton Callie, Mark Boone Junior, Tommy
Flanagan, Maggie Siff, Chris Browning, Emilio Rivera, Michael Ornstein, and
more.
Additional red carpet appearances were made by After party will feature a live performance by hit artists, Blackberry Smoke Leeann Tweeden (Fox Sports); Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch including Matt Bradley, Edgar Hansen, Mike Fourtner, Scott Hillstrand and Sig Hansen; Blackberry Smoke
After red carpet arrivals, Boot Ride and Rally event ambassadors Theo Rossi and Kim Coates introduced the party portion and announced performing band Blackberry Smoke who played hits from its new album The Whippoorwill
•With Hurricane Isaac nearby, and only one year since Hurricane Irene, we are reminded emergencies can happen anytime
•OEM (Office of Emergency Management) is urging New York residents to sign up for Notify NYC, the City’s official emergency notification system.
Subscribers receive text messages, e-mails, phone calls or Tweets about significant citywide events, as well as smaller events happening in their own neighborhoods.
These notifications cover topics such as severe weather, school closures, subway disruptions, and traffic advisories in all areas of the city.
•Anyone can sign up and customize the alerts they would like to receive by visiting nyc.gov/notifynyc or following @ Notify NYC
•To learn more about Notify NYC and OEM, please check us out on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @ Notify NYC, or visit nyc.gov/oem.
Giveaway:
• One $50 Gift Card to a National Home Improvement Store, for purchasing home preparedness supplies
The winner will be
chosen on or around 9/12/12 through Rafflecopter and will have 48 hours
to respond to notification email or another winner will be selected. US ONLY!
Disclaimer: OEM (Office of
Emergency Management) is providing the prizing and information for this giveaway. No monetary compensation was received.
Reading,
writing and arithmetic may be on the minds of kids heading back to school, but
walking safely?
According
to a study released today by Safe Kids Worldwide and FedEx, child
pedestrian injuries are the highest in September.
The
study, which examines 15 year trends in child pedestrian injuries and deaths in
the U.S., reported some positive findings and some startling ones; overall, the
number of children injured or killed is down, but the most kids at risk today
has shifted to a surprising demographic: teenagers.
·Back to school time requires extra vigilance for kids and
drivers
oMore
children are hit by cars in September than any other month
oThe
number of injuries is highest in months when most students end and begin school
(June, August and September)
·Teenagers are now the most at-risk youth for pedestrian
injuries
oThis
is a shift from 5-9 year olds to 16-19 year olds in the last 15 years
oThe
death rate among older teens is now twice that of younger children
oSafe
Kids hypothesizes that distractions from digital devices could be a cause
oThe
youngest walkers, those 1 and 2 years old, are also vulnerable because of their
new mobility. Death among children in that age group are second only to
teenagers.
·Overall, the number of children injured or killed while
walking has decreased in the last 15 years
oChild
pedestrian deaths are down 53% and injuries are down 44%
oStill,
more than 61 child pedestrians are injured every day and 500 killed every year
Tips For Walkers
·Developmentally,
most kids can’t judge speeds and distances until at least age 10, so younger
kids need to cross with an adult
·Did
you know most walking injuries happen mid-block or someplace other than
intersections? Whenever possible, cross the street at corners, using
traffic signals and crosswalks
·Look
left, right and left again before crossing the street, and keep looking and
listening while crossing
·Walk,
don’t run, when crossing the street
·It’s
always best to walk on sidewalks or paths, but if there are no sidewalks, walk
facing traffic as far to the left as possible
·Remove
headphones when crossing the street
·If
you need to use your phone, stop walking
·Distraction
among drivers is at an all-time high today, so try to make eye contact with the
driver before you step into the road
Tips For Drivers
·Slow
down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods and school zones,
before and after school hours
·Most
walkers are injured mid-block, not at intersections, so watch out for kids who
may dart into traffic or cross where they shouldn’t
·Give
pedestrians the right of way at a crosswalk
·Using
cell phones, even hands-free, makes it harder for drivers to be alert to
walkers who may also be distracted on cell phones
** The report was the third in a series
sponsored by FedEx, who has collaborated with Safe Kids on the Walk This Way
program to teach drivers and child pedestrians about safe behaviors and create
safer, more walkable communities