Month: March 2016 (Page 4 of 5)

The PopCulteer
March 11, 2016

The PopCult Toybox Bonus

We were a little surprised to see one of the nation’s top insurance companies with a booth at The International Toy Fair in New York, but once we found out what they were doing there we knew it would make for a great story. Oliver the Teddy Bear and his friends in Oliver’s Clubhouse all came to be for the purest of motives.

It turns out that this was a non-profit offshoot of UnitedHealthcare. The UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation (UHCCF) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides medical grants to help children gain access to health-related services not covered, or not fully covered, by their family’s commercial health insurance plan.

Families can receive up to $5,000 annually per child ($10,000 lifetime maximum per child), and do not need to have insurance through UnitedHealthcare to be eligible.

UHCCF was founded in 1999. Since 2007, UHCCF has awarded more than 10,000 grants valued at over $29M to children and their families across the United States. UHCCF’s funding is provided by contributions from individuals, corporations and UnitedHealth Group employees.

But they also have another method of fundraising. A few years back the folks at UnitedHealthcare decided that, while it was great to give the parents of ailing kids a check to help with their expenses, it might be nice to give the kids themselves, something tangible. So they created a new Teddy Bear named Oliver. It turned out that everybody seemed to want their own Oliver…and they were willing to pay for him.

Oliver, The Teddy Bear

In this video Scott Otto of UHCCF tells us how that all lead to an award-winning book series, a whole line of plush toys and a series of joke books, all of which are sold at participating retailers with the profits dedicated to UHCCF.

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RFCI006

Last week we told you how Radio Free Charleston International host, Rudy Panucci, is a huge Beatles Freak. That’s why he brought you two hours of Beatles songs and covers. This week on RFCI, get ready for two more hours of Beatles tribute music.

You will hear more lesser-know cuts from The Fab Four, live solo cuts from John, Paul, George and Ringo, and tons of Beatles covers by recording artists both obscure and of superstar status. A highlight of this episode is an attempted recreation of side two of the classic Beatles album, Abbey Road.

Tonight at Midnight (and Friday at 10 PM and Saturday morning at 11 AM, all times Eastern) you can tune in to hear this brand-new episode of Radio Free Charleston International. You can tune in at Appalachian Independent Radio, or just listen right up there in that handy little virtual transistor radio.

This show was produced and scheduled before we learned of the passing of Sir George Martin, the producer of most of the Beatles albums. We dedicate this program to “the fifth Beatle.”

Check out the playlist and enjoy.

Beatles “Free As A Bird”

John Lennon “Yer Blues”
Paul McCartney “Blackbird”
George Harrison “If I Needed Someone”
Ringo Starr “With A Little Help From My Friends”

Dawn Penn “Here Comes The Sun”
Vanessa Mae “Because”
hamilton de holanda you never give me your money
Beatles “Sun King”
Frankie Howerd “Mean Mr. Mustard”
Roy Wood “Polythene Pam”
Joe Cocker “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window”
Ben Folds “Golden Slumbers”
Phil Collins “Carry That Weight/The End”
Chumbawumba “Her Majesty”

The Smithereens “All My Loving”
Harry Nillsson “You Can’t Do That”
Lemmy “Back In The USSR”
Under The Radar “Eleanor Rigby”

Dons of Quixote “Savoy Truffle”
The Marlowes “Old Brown Show”
The Blue Cartoon “I Want To Tell You” The Sarah Vaughn version I mention in the show was not complete)
Jamie Hoover “Only A Northern Song”
Eytain Mirsky “Don’t Bother Me”
Journey “It’s All Too Much”

Frank Zappa “I Am The Walrus”
The Vines “I’m Only Sleeping”
Yes “Every Little Thing”
Robert Palmer “Not A Second Time”

Eddie Vedder “Hey, You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away”
Heather Nova “We Can Work It Out”
The Donnas “Drive My Car”
Sweet “Paperback Writer”

Sparks “I Want To Hold Your Hand”

Beware that the bonus mystery tracks this week are not for the faint of heart.

This week On The Road With Mel is part two of a two-part show wherein your host, Mel Larch, talks all about traveling to other cities to take in the theatre. You can here it Wednesday at 1 PM(EST) on Appalachian Independent Radio.

In part two, Mel finishes up her look at Chicago theatre, then covers many of the options for theatre festivals and outdoor theatre within driving distance of Charleston.

You can listen to On The Road With Mel at Appalachian Independent Radio right on this handy little virtual radio player…

You can hear On The Road With Mel every Wednesday at 1 PM on Appalachian Independent Radio and if you miss it, you can tune in for replays Saturday afternoon at 1 PM and Sunday evening at 9:30 PM.

RFCv4005

Tune in to Appalachian Independent Radio, or listen right in this here little radio player..

…for this week’s radio version of Radio Free Charleston. It’s another laser-blast of new local music, mixed with cool stuff from deep in the RFC archives. We kick it off with brand-new music from John Radcliff, then follow through with the best local music from the last quarter-century, all in one neato-keen, two-hour package. There’s more music and less talk this week as your host, Rudy Panucci, tries to conserve his ailing voice.

Listen at 10 AM and 10 PM Tuesdays, with replays on the weekend.

This week’s playlist:

John Radcliff “Muse”

Todd Burge “Longer”
The Nanker Phelge “I’m Coming Home”
Kevin Scarbrough “Divorce”
The Company Stores “Rollin’ In”
Hellblinki “Row”
Bud Carroll “I’m No Stranger”
Mark Bates and the Vacancies “Spiral Down”

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Your PopCulteer ran into some technical issues, and our promised flood of Toy Fair 2016 video reports turned out to be a mere trickle. We have two more posts to share with you in the coming days, then we have to wait until next week, when we return from our annual pilgrimmage to JoeLanta. Rest assured that we will have fresh content for you every day here in PopCult. It just won’t be as bountiful as I had hoped.

With Toy Fair and JoeLanta happening so close together, you can expect plenty of coverage of both starting next week. Until then, check back for a couple of videos and updates on our radio programs.

This week we kick off with an original digital painting which combines the style of Vincent Van Gogh with Urban Noir. It’s either pretentious or very clever, though the possibility exists that it could be both. Click to enlarge.

Check PopCult regularly to keep up with our Toy Fair coverage, which seemingly may go on forever.

The PopCult Toybox

Some people just can’t get enough of Halloween. And for those people, this cool seasonal creation, The Skeleton In The Closet, can be a year-round treat. Tricks and treats play into The Skeleton In The Closet concept, which is sort of a cross between an undead Elf On A Shelf and a series of practical jokes that family members play on each other.

In the above video, Chad Shea, the creator of The Skeleton In The Closet tells us all about the genesis of his idea and where we can find this cool toy/book/running prank combo. You can find out more about The Skeleton In The Closet at their website.

The PopCult Toybox

Mensch on a Bench was created by a Jewish father who wanted to teach his sons about the Jewish holiday while adding new traditions to the family. First came the story of Moshe the Mensch who helped Judah Maccabee at the temple. Moshe played dreidel, loved gelt, and was a true Mensch. Next came the doll which could hold the Shamash candle and watch over the Menorah.

This very popular Jewish take on The Elf on a Shelf has been seen on Shark Tank and is expanding this year with new characters and products. PopCult talks to its creator, Neal Hoffmann, to learn more about how he came up with this fun idea.

You can learn more about Mensch on a Bench and how you can get in on the fun at their website.

The PopCult Toybox

The Irish Fairy Door is a wonderful new toy that blends old-world craft with high-tech wizardry and combines these two worlds into fantastic and imaginative experience for kids of all ages. We spoke with Gavin Lawler, their director of sales, about this fun new concept.

As the name would suggest, this is a door for magical fairies. It’s made of wood, about five inches tall, and comes with a key in a glass jar for the fairy who moves in to it. That’s the low-tech part. The high-tech part is the website where a parent registers the fairy for their child (or themself) and that opens up access to Magical Matters, the fairy website, which is filled with great Irish Fairy Tales and fresh content every week.

It’s a great way to spark a kid’s imagination and also spur an interest in Celtic culture, which is pretty big here in Charleston this weekend, with so many Celtic Calling events going on. This would be a terrific St. Patrick’s Day gift from any parent who wants to teach their child that the holiday is about more than just green beer.

Of course, the fairies are invisible, but you’ll know they’re there. The doors are available in multiple colors and come with lots of extras, as their PR describes:

This handcrafted wooden fairy door is made and decorated in Ireland, sprinkled with a little magic and ready for your fairy to move in!

Includes Magic Key in a glass bottle to invite your fairy in. All you need to do is believe!

Guaranteed Irish product, suitable for indoor or outdoor use. Each door is approximately 5 inches (12cm) tall.

Includes secret code to access magical content online at www.theirishfairydoorcompany.com

A Magical Matters App is available to view stories from Fairy Valley on any device. They even have a Facebook page.

It’s cool that fairies today have access to tablets and smartphones. You can find The Irish Fairy Door at their website and Amazon, and look for them in stores later this year.

The PopCult Toybox

Noel Shuffle is a Christmas challenge that connects family and friends through continuous play of shuffling gingerbread characters to create words. PopCult kept seeing the life-sized Noel and Leon, from the book and game around Toy Fair, so we went by their booth and met Noel Shuffle’s creator, Jane E. Rogers.

This cool holiday toy is a book with four small plush gingerbread men (and women) who have letters on their chests that spell out “NOEL” It’s a lot of fun and in the video, Jane tells us all about its origins.

PopCult will remind you about Noel Shuffle when it comes time to get in the holiday spirit. It’s a toy, a game, a book and a Christmas decoration. Check their website and Facebook page for more info.