CJ and Thomas

If you have met CJ, you know that he is obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends.  Our friend Emi started us on this odyssey when she handed down a huge tub of engines and tracks to CJ.

CJ LOVES Thomas.  We have take along trains, lead along trains (CJ made up that name for the trains that go on the wooden tracks) and battery-powered trains.  We have a huge collection of tracks, as well as books and DVDs.

It turns out that YouTube has a gigantic collection of Thomas movies as well.  On most nights, we let CJ watch a few Thomas movies that have been uploaded by Thomas fans.  There are real episodes (surely illegal), and homemade movies using CGI and real Thomas trains and tracks.  It's obvious that adults and kids alike have gotten into the game of creating their own Thomas episodes.  Some episodes are less than a minute, while some are 8-10 minutes long and quite extravagant in their plot and effects.

Now CJ wants to make his own Thomas movie and "watch it on TV."  Stay tuned for a Thomas movie by CJ and mommy.

Pythagoras Switch

About six months ago, Maki's dad sent us a DVD of a program that had aired on Japanese television. The DVD is called Pitagora Suicci or Pythagoras Switch. It seems there is a huge underground of Rube Goldberg fans in Japan: schools host competitions, programs are aired on TV, and there are countless videos on YouTube devoted to what CJ calls "marble games." CJ calls them marble games because many involve rolling marbles through elaborate mazes, tracks and contraptions.

Here's a video from the Japanese program
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uv1eFphpLQ
-- at the end of each segment, you hear "pitagora suicci" or Pythagoras Switch
-- if this is what they are airing on Japanese TV, no wonder the schoolkids are so interested in math and science!

Here's one of our favorites. It involves rolling balls and marbles up and down ramps to finally create a bowl of ramen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kvdq8cRNBM

Remember the Honda Rube Goldberg ad? It's on YouTube!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UScbWzhieNc&NR=1

Here's a French Rube Goldberg Video Involving Pool Tables and Dominos - unbelievable!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fPnsCPGhvE

We are addicted to these videos and watched a ton of them on New Year's Day, courtesy of the Apple TV! Hope you enjoy them, too!

Surfing YouTube as a Family

As I mentioned earlier, the lack of HD content on iTunes for the Apple TV has been disappointing. We have enjoyed some HD podcasts, but there are no TV shows or movies in HD.

It turns out that the Apple TV is fabulous for surfing YouTube as a family. On the weekends especially, Maki and CJ take turns watching YouTube videos that interest them. It goes something like this. Maki will watch a video on glass blowing or how to make speakers. Then CJ will ask for a Thomas video. Maki will then search for videos on Stonehenge or soldering. Then CJ will ask for a Thomas video. It's hilarious. Best of all, we get to watch these crazy videos in our TV room, on our comfy purple couch, on the big screen. Some of the videos look better than others on the big screen, but it almost doesn't matter.