WANJU: July 2009

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

site.

tips and lectures on how to give a presentation.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Maywa Denki is an art unit produced by Nobumichi Tosa. It was named after the company that his father used to run bygone days. Its unique style is indicated by a term he uses: for example, each piece of Maywa Denki's work is called "a product" and a live performance or exhibition is held as "a product demonstration." The products produced so far include "NAKI Series," fish-motif nonsense machines, "Tsukuba Series," original musical instruments, and "Edelweiss," flower-motif objet d'art. Although Maywa Denki is known and appreciated as an artist, its promotion strategies are full of variety: exhibition, live stages, performances, producing music, videos, writing, merchandising toys, stationery, and electric devices. As Nobumichi is still looking for a new scheme for a different approach to the public, Maywa Denki now in earnest begins to extend its activities to overseas, holding exhibitions in Europe (Paris, London) and selling Na-Cord in the United States in 2001. Maywa Denki is organized in 1993 as an art unit of two members (brothers), Masamichi (elder brother) and Nobumichi (younger brother) Tosa.

too bad not many people realize that...

Muwahahaha...for Liz & Win....

might be the oldest one...ladies

The carved animal figure above may be the oldest child's toy in Britain. Archaeologists from the University of Bristol found it last month near Stonhehnge and think it's at least 2,000 years old. They dug it out of a young child's grave. There is some debate about whether the toy is a pig or hedgehog.
The Bronze Age figurine was likely made as a toy or in memory of the baby being stillborn or dying in infancy, archaeologist (Joshua Pollard) said...Evidence of toys during this period in British history is "extremely scant," Pollard said. "In fact, it's very rare to find any kind of representational art in British prehistory—almost to the extent where you get the impression there's a bit of a taboo on making images of animals or people."

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/10/23/oldest-toy-in-britai.html

What Is All The Fuss About Chemicals In Toys?
by Jon Hamilton

House and Senate lawmakers this week moved toward banning some types of phthalates, a family of chemicals found in many soft plastic children's toys. Here, a look at where phthalates are found and the health concerns they raise.

What are phthalates?

They're chemicals widely used to soften plastics such as vinyl. Manufacturers use hundreds of million of pounds of phthalates each year in products including children's toys.

What kinds of toys are they found in?

They're found in a variety of soft toys, including some rubber ducks, bath books and soft vinyl blocks. However, about a decade ago, companies voluntarily removed phthalates from toys specifically designed to be chewed by children, such as teething rings and rattles.

What are the health concerns?

Phthalates are part of a group of chemicals called "endocrine disruptors." Some of these chemicals act like a hormone in the body; others block the effect of the body's own hormones. Health concerns center on what happens when children chew on toys containing phthalates, and small amounts get into their bodies. Just handling toys isn't a problem. There are more than a dozen phthalates in common use. Studies have shown that some of these phthalates can cause reproductive problems in rodents, but the effect on humans is under much debate.

Why are lawmakers acting now?

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has come under fire in the past couple of years amid a rise in recalls of unsafe products, including imported toys that contained lead paint. Both the House and Senate have bills to revamp the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The Senate version called for banning some phthalates in children's toys as part of the commission's overhaul. The House version did not. House and Senate lawmakers, who met to reconcile the two bills, told reporters that they had agreed in principle to adopt the ban. The final bill still needs to go to a vote.

If you're a worried parent, what should you do with toys that may contain phthalates?

That depends on whether your children are mouthing or chewing on those toys. A 2003 study by the CPSC found that most children spent only a few minutes a day mouthing soft plastic toys, and that after age 2 children pretty much stop putting these toys in their mouths at all.

Will toys containing phthalates be recalled?

Some consumer groups want that to happen. But there is no language in the current legislation to suggest a recall. The ban would apply only to toys sold after it becomes law.

Is the ban likely to meet resistance?

Some companies that make the plastic, like Exxon Mobil, have lobbied against the legislation. They say the science suggesting that children are at risk from phthalates is weak. President Bush has said he opposes the ban, but he has not said he would veto the bill.