For the Kiddies

Though I keep this blog clean, many of the podcasts I review use adult language. The shows do this mostly for shock and because the Peter Pans who make up the male audience for these shows, still think rude is rad. I am often surprised when a stream of rudeness comes out of a podcaster’s mouth, followed closely by a reference to their young children just upstairs. Well this posting is definitely for those dudes who also happen to be charged with raising children. If they really want to shock someone they should bring home this book for the tots. Not because the book is shocking, but because their wife will be astonished to find there is unexpected maturity and caring beneath that veneer of retarded behavior.

What To Do About Alice? is the story of Teddy Roosevelt’s eldest daughter and the shenanigans she gets into before, during, and after her father's presidency. It's a picture book for young readers. The writing is clever and presents the events in Alice’s life like bullet points as easy to absorb as M&Ms in the trail mix. The illustrations are topnotch with a great deal of energy and movement. The story would be a great story for a father to share with his daughter. I think young boys would be less interested in the book for the central story, but may be curious about Theodore Roosevelt as a person. And again the pictures hold a lot of fun for boys and girls.

The book is written by Barbara Kerley; illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham; Published by Scholastic Press. It's for ages 4-8, It's hardcover, 48 pages. 12.1 x 8.4 inches.

It is $11.55 new and as low as $7.00 used on Amazon.

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

I want to be classy about this so, all I want to say is one of my favorite podcasts has bitten the big one. It didn't podfade. It didn't even change that much. But now it displeases. I have to break up with it. It just slipped across a line in my mind between good and bad taste. Elements of immature frat-humor were always present, but when I start to feel like I'm getting dumber listening to a show and embarrassed to think anyone might associate me as a listener of a show, It is time to vote with my feet.

It might sound like I'm upset. It is a lost for me. It was free. It was fun. For awhile there was the illusion I was having fun with the podcasters and that was a high. But Podcasting should be the most fun for the show hosts. Otherwise, why do it? Now other shows need my support.

Here is a show that I urge you to try: Decoder Ring Theater This would not be for everyone's taste. It is a nostalgia trip. It would be great to play in the car on a trip with kids. The show is a group of voice actors bringing back the golden age of radio. In the past they have created Sci-Fi and The Shadow like serials, that are pretty much pitched to kids. The Red Panda series is “cute”. I prefer their current show of Black Jack Justice. A show about two detectives one male and one female. They are equal to the task and equals to each other. This series on Decoder Ring Theater is also cute, but a little more adult cute. I would say that kids 5-10 might go for the Red Panda and kids 12-45 might enjoy Black Jack Justice. Decoder Ring Theater holds the honor of being one of the few shows this tightwad has ever contributed actual money too.