modern day dad

"Disney" wrist bands with "USB Flash Memoring."

Sometimes when your chocolate gets in my peanut butter, it doesn't really make a better product. According to this post at the Inventor Spot, kids love to wear wristbands, and kids love computers, so a wrist band / USB thumb drive must be a home run. I realize my oldest is only in pre-school, but do kids need a USB thumb drive so often that they need to wear one on their wrist? Do kids even use USB thumb drives?

But even more bizarre than the product itself, is the "Disney" characters they use to decorate them. Is this really a product approved by the Walt Disney Corporation? Am I supposed to believe they approved the use of their trademarks on a box that says "USB Flash Memoring"? Or maybe the company that made them figured as long as they put "Disney©" in small letters on them it would cover it.

Disney© USB Wristbands Mix Fashion with Function [InventorSpot.com]

Nintendo's Wii - probably the best video game system for families.

It's no secret I'm a big fan of the XBOX 360, but after playing with my new Nintendo Wii for a week or so, I have to say that it is much better suited for families. Although it's missing some features in my opinion, it's got the other systems beat in a few key areas.

First is the price. If you can find one in the stores, it's only going to cost you $250, which is $100 cheaper than the standard XBOX 360 and $250 cheaper than the standard Playstation 3. Sure it's not going to play BlueRay DVDs (or even regular DVDs) but for a next generation video game system (that plays great games) it's a bargain.

Next is the interface or "usability" of the system itself. Everything is based around using a remote control (or "Wiimote") and everyone that's tried to use it in my house - from my 3 year old daughter to my parents - understand how to use it immediately. Not only does the game know you're pointing it at the television, it also knows if you're rotating, tilting or moving it around anywhere. Personally I think it's easier to use than an XBOX 360 controller and way more approachable to kids and novice video game players.

And let's be honest, the biggest reason it's probably best for families is - it's Nintendo. Nintendo did something smart and didn't try to create a system that would be all things to all people. Instead they created a great little console that plays games (that are challenging but easy to play) with some of the most classic names in video game history like Mario, Zelda, Metroid and all the rest. One of my personal favorite things is that you can download via an internet connection old-school Nintendo games like Temco Bowl, Super Mario Brothers, Punch Out, and Wave Race 64 right to your Wii.

There are a few things I wish were different. You can view pictures on your Wii, but unfortunately you can't connect it to another computer in your house to view photos or listen to music like you can with an XBOX 360. I was able to download a web browser and view pictures on my flickr page, so it's kind of possible, but not as simple. The web browser (which the 360 doesn't have) is pretty useful - my aunt uses the web browser to listen to her Sirius Satellite Radio online through her home stereo, which works out well.

So if you're starting to think about a video game system for the family for Christmas this year, I'd definitely give the Wii some serious consideration. If you can find one.

Shop for Nintendo Wii stuff on Amazon.com.

Tip the magician.

So the other night I'm out with my ladies eating dinner, and a table-side magician approached us. Before I had children I would have tried to avoid it if I could, and if I couldn't I would just tell him that I wasn't interested. But now I've got a three year old who, although her experience with magic is very limited, her experience with balloon animals is not.

So after it was all over, it occurred to me that I should give the guy a tip for the floating card trick and the pink dog on a white balloon leash. So I handed him $4, to which he thanked me and went onto the next table. But it occurred to me, how much are you supposed to tip the magician?

As it turns out, I happen to know a guy through a friend of mine who is a magician and who has some experience working table-side, so I emailed him (quite out of the blue from his persepective) to find out what was appropriate. As a magician with an MBA, he gave me a rough frequency estimate of what people tend to tip:

$2 (20%); $5 (60%); $10 (15%); $20 (5%)

He said the high-end would be for tables of many adults where he "freaks them out" for 7-10 minutes, and small families like mine with a few tricks and some balloon animals would be $2 - $5. He also said many restaurant magicians are paid by the restaurant and shouldn't accept tips (I've never seen one), and those that work solely for tips usually work it into their act somehow ("A person wanted to leave me a tip once, but all he had was this poker chip...").

So I guess $4 is a decent tip for the situation I was in. And if you've finished this lengthy post about tipping magicians, chances are you have way too much time on your hands.

(A person was looking to figure out how much to tip the magician, but all they had was this random blog entry...)

[Big thanks to Frank from ConnectWithMagic.com - the best slight of hand guy I've ever seen close up.]

Halo 3. My most recent obsession.

I've written here before about how much I love my XBOX 360, but recently I haven't been using it very much to listen to music or view photos on the TV. Halo 3 for the XBOX 360 launched a week and a half ago, and I have to admit all of my free time since then has been spent in front of my TV with a controller in my hand. Everything about it rules, but the multiplayer aspect is the best. I'm not sure exactly why other game companies don't just copy what Bungie Studios does with Halo, but it is hands down the best online multiplayer game on a console.

But from a dad's perspective beware, this isn't a game for kids. It's a violent shoot-em up that, while fun, probably isn't appropriate for small children. Also, if you've got a son (or daughter? but I doubt it) playing the game at home and online, know that the language among the players might not be what you would ideally want him to hear. But then again, if he's playing Halo 3 online, it probably isn't anything he hasn't heard before.

So if you're a dad and you've got an XBOX 360, it's a must-own game. In fact, it's probably worth buying an XBOX 360 for too.

Buy Halo 3 for $59.99 from Amazon.com.

And if you don't have an XBOX 360 yet, you can always pick up an XBOX 360 Elite system at Amazon.com.

My new favorite kitchen tool.

With a 3 year old and a a 14 month old in the house, it's the small discoveries that I tend to get the most excited about.

A lot of the food that I serve my girls for meal times first gets cut up into smaller pieces. Most often it's to make bite-sized pieces for my youngest, but sometimes it's simply for the unpredictable whim of a three year old. I used to use all kinds of methods - tearing it up, using a case knife or whatever I had handy. Then the other day while I was cutting up a piece of cheese pizza I had a moment of clarity. I can use the pizza cutter to cut up anything.

Grilled cheese? No problem. Don't want that crust on the sandwich? No problem. Cut the chicken nuggets in half so they'll cool quicker? It takes two swipes. And I'm betting you already have one sitting in your drawer somewhere. I know it's not going to change the world or anything, but like I said, it's the small discoveries that can make your day.

And if you don't have one (or can't find yours) you can get the one I have (pictured) here from Amazon.com.

Jack's Big Music Show DVD this month.

I must be slipping, because there's a DVD of Jack's Big Music show releasing in less than three weeks and I didn't even realize it. But thanks to MDD reader Andrea, now I'm fully caught up. Hopefully in my house Jack's Big Music Show: Let's Rock! will hopefully take the mantle of favorite DVD from Dora the Explorer: Super Babies (which, quite frankly, if I have to hear that "Super Babies" song one more time that DVD might have to disappear).

And for those of you also asking, I haven't heard any word on any other Jack's Big Music Show merchandise, but if I hear anything I'll pass it along.

In the meantime, you can pre-order the DVD (releasing October 23) from Amazon.com here.