If you want to avoid the constant queries of "Are we there yet?", try mixing rest with your ride.

When John Hammond decided to clone dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, everyone knew it was going to end badly. But what if you could give your child the excitement of meeting a "real" live dinosaur, without worrying that you'll be devoured for dinner?

The dinosaur experts at the L.A. Museum of Natural History may have accomplished just that. Check out this walking, snorting, growling, menacing dinosaur in the hallway of the museum. It doesn't actually roar or even attempt to strike, but it sure looks like it could at any moment!


Extinct, my ASS! from The Original Joe Fisher on Vimeo.

A lot of people are choosing to skip the traditional summer vacation -- thanks to the cost of gasoline being nearly five dollars a gallon -- and instead are staying close to home -- a staycation. One Texas Minnesota county is suggesting a way to spice up your staycation -- turn it into a "fair-cation". The 124th annual Mower County Fair will be happening in early August at the fairgrounds in Austin, Texas Minnesota.

Before we had kids, my wife and I went to a lot of local fairs around the Northwestern US and hit the California state fair on a regular basis. There is always a lot to do and see at state and county fairs, including plenty of interesting exhibits and great music. I love hearing new musical groups that I might not have heard anywhere else. The Breeders' World website maintains a list of fairs around the country and it looks like almost every state is represented. A quick search on the internet, however, will likely turn up fairs in your area, even if you don't see any listed at Breeders' World.

So pack up the kids and head on over to the fair this summer for a good time close to home. And if you hear any great new bands, be sure to let me know!

Update: Thanks to reader Julie for pointing out that this particular Austin is in Minnesota, not Texas!

Do you like baseball? Any kind of sport? What about traveling or other activities? If you said yes to any of the above, do you enjoy doing so with your spouse? A new report from a set of studies, some of which have been going on for more than a decade, seems to think that if you do, your marriage has more of a chance at surviving. You know the old saying "those that play together stay together?" Well, turns out there may be something to that after all. Howard Markman, co-director of the University of Denver's Center for Marital and Family Studies, believes that having fun with your spouse is essential to your marriage.

Seems like a no brainer, sure, but when was the last time you went on a date with your spouse? That's one of the questions asked of couples by Markman and Scott Stanley, the other co-director of the study. The results were interesting, especially when they found out that women and men have very different views on what constitutes a date. The last time you spent time with your spouse could seem forever ago due to the economy, raising kids, demanding careers and commutes, among other things. Still, I think any married couple will tell you it's critical to have fun in your shared lives if you want to get something meaningful out of your time together.

According to another study, marital interaction is actually on the decline. Paul Amato, a sociologist at the Pennsylvania State University, surveyed over 2000 couples in 1980 and another set of roughly the same amount in the year 2000 and found that the number of couples who consistently participated in leisure activities together declined. The good news? Markman, in a separate study, noted that cities with major league baseball teams had a divorce rate 28% less than cities who wanted one but didn't have one. Why? Well, it certainly gives married couples something to do! No comment on whether or not the couples were happier if their teams won the pennant.

As I type this I'm on a plane traveling to San Francisco for BlogHer, and seated behind me is a small boy, sitting between his parents. I'd guess he's somewhere in that troublesome zone between 18 and 24 months, which is to say he's got a fair amount of control over his running and screeching abilities but is clearly still unpredictably Godzilla-esque in his motor functions and generally seems to be, well, let's not mince words: a major pain in the ass to deal with.

He's kicking the seat of the fellow sitting next to me (earning his mother a grumpy complaint: "Hey, can you keep him from doing that?"), he's wailing almost nonstop, he's whining and crabbing and his high-pitched irritating voice is causing all of passengers within the nearest five rows to roll their eyes and shift uncomfortably in their seats.

This is the sort of seating arrangement that has always annoyed me in the past: you pay hundreds of dollars for the dubious privilege of being treated like a frothy-mouthed terrorist as you stagger through various unpleasant security measures until you're finally squashed into your rigid chair, at which point the person in front of you lowers their seat into your lap, you're served a packet of pretzel salt as a meal (if you're lucky), and your flight is delayed several hours, giving you plenty of time to appreciate the screaming snot-nosed rugrat at your side, fully engaged in the activity of making your travel time even more miserable than it already was.

This time, though, I just feel sorry for the parents, and I feel bad for the kid, who's surely bored and cramped and just as uncomfortable as the rest of us -- his only crime is that he's too young to socially conform, to suck it up and sit quietly for several hours while his bladder threatens to explode, his eardrums bulge painfully, and his brain slowly atrophies from boredom without even the benefit of an overpriced gin-and-tonic to help the time go by.

I am, however, unbelievably thankful my own kids aren't with me, and that I don't have to deal with air travel and small kids any time soon. There but for the grace of etc, etc, etc. I'd like to think I could stop my own kid from kicking seats or acting like a miniscule jackass, but, ah, I can't guarantee I could -- not without a straitjacket, anyway.

How about you? As a parent, do unruly kids on planes drive you nuts? Or do you feel more sympathetic now?

You may think you know everything there is to know about the town where you live, but chances are you don't.

Backyard barbeques are standard fare for summer suppers, but try this to add some adventure to yours.

If you've ever seen television or been the recipient of junk mail, you are probably familiar with the lingerie chain Victoria's Secret. In addition to selling teddies and thongs, they sell apparel aimed at the college set. Their brand, Pink, has licenses with many colleges to sell hoodies, t-shirts, tote bags and that sort of thing.

Now, one college campus seeks to remove such gear. University of Minnesota has decided to remove themselves from the 33 other colleges who sell gear through the Pink Collegiate line. At this time, Victoria's Secret is still offering the merchandise. Instead of dealing with the colleges directly, VS made a deal with the Collegiate Licensing Bureau.

Although the site I sourced has an opinion on this, University of Minnesota hasn't explicitly said it feels the ads are too racy. The school was concerned about their reputation however. A representative quoted stated the school did not feel it was in their best interests to have Gopher gear sold through the apparel giant.

Pic by Sweet~Vanilla.

Spontaneous dancing is one of those childhood traits that you can easily take for granted and miss desperately when kids start getting self-conscious. Matt Harding has become an unlikely internet celebrity through amazingly touching videos of himself doing his signature (and endearing) primitive dance move all over the world.

I'm not sure whether it's the childlike quality displayed by Harding,or getting even a split-second glimpse at some of the amazing places all over or the world, or the reminder that anything is possible that makes me cry when I watch it, but I do.

Share it with your kids, it's a great reminder that you can a friend to dance with (even a whale!) no matter where you are.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

It's a parental nightmare -- a kid who really has to go and no bathroom in sight. A reader of the Consumerist web site wrote about an experience she and her daughter had: "I explained she had diarrhea and couldn't hold it and told them she was about to go on the floor. They refused again and never offered me any alternatives. I begged them to have a heart and that she was 5 but by that time she had lost it all over herself and me."

What makes it worse is that the manager, when she later called to complain, laughed at her and suggested she sue "if it makes [her] feel happy". Now, there are always two sides to every story and we're only hearing one here. Some have suggested that there are insurance issues to consider and that the store may not have even had a bathroom at all. Still, that wouldn't excuse the manager's callous response afterwards. It seems to me that the manager missed an opportunity to turn an irate customer into a happy one just by showing a little sympathy and concern.

It is not often that I have the opportunity or the desire to visit a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory store; reading this story certainly hasn't given me any added incentive to do so. My heart goes out to the mom and the little girl who suffered this embarrassing situation. It's also a good reminder to always keep a change of clothes in the car -- for you and your kids, just in case.

Depending on who you talk to, Summer officially started yesterday evening. In short order, the street fairs and other summer festivals are set to make their debuts, if they haven't already. Amidst all the fun, thrills and excitement, the lights and sounds--and smells--of the fairs, there's another main reason people of all ages travel to such things: The food. It's deep-fried, a lot of it, it's greasy, and it sure is tasty. It also presents some precariousness for a parent of a child with a serious food allergy. After all, who knows what exactly is in that stuff? Most of the time, we'd rather enjoy it and not know.

Dr. Amal H. Assa'ad, a member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology warns parents to inspect every molecule of food their children may come in contact with, and recommends children with severe allergies such as peanuts and tree nuts carry an Epi-pen with then at all times. I would add to that, from personal experience (I have one of these life-threatening allergies) that you SHOULD ALWAYS WEAR YOUR MEDICAL EMERGENCY ID BRACELET. As my CPR instructor noted, if my throat is closed up and I can't speak, and I'm not wearing my bracelet, no one is going to know I have a nut allergy and to give me the Epi-pen shot.

I hate to say this too, but parents should consider packing and bringing snacks they know are safe to any event, whether it be a potluck or a street fair. Sure, the food is tempting, but most of the people selling it didn't make it, don't know what's in it--oils, for example, are known to be terrible allergens but most servers don't know if what they're serving was made with peanut oil or soy oil--and don't understand how severe the consequences can be when the provide misinformation. Bringing your own food is sure to be healthier, too. Dr. Assa'ad also recommends that parents who suspect a child may have any sort of allergy get it checked out immediately. Honestly, as a kid, I never did. I just had the reaction and we thought, ok, we'll avoid that FOREVER. It's not a great way to navigate through the endless purveyors of things that smell delicious, but could be deadly.

Some of you may have read recently that the famous chimp Cheeta didn't receive enough votes to earn a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. Tinkerbell, however, animated fairy from Peter Pan, did. She is the most recent cartoon character to be considered for and receive the coveted star.

The Walk of Fame Committee (yes, there is one) for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce choose the recipients of the stars based on the votes, and their choices are then ratified by the Board of Directors. The recipient of the star must agree to attend a ceremony and shell out $25,000 to the Trust to cover things like security. I assume Tinkerbell's estate will handle all of this.

Other stars of the living kind to receive the star this go around are Ben Kingsley, Hugh Jackman and Harry Shearer, as well as the Village People, The Miracles (you know, Smokey's backup group) and Shakira. Her hips are probably the real recipient, but Shakky will accept on their behalf.

Pic by Photos o' Randomness.

As our economy continues to tank, so another alarming trend seems to rise. Consumers, parents readily included among them, are resorting to shoplifting. Recently a man in Massachusetts was apprehended with his daughter attempting to steal shrimp and baby formula.

No longer is it a case of the simple thrill of the five-fingered discount. Experts weighing in say what we all know to be true too well: salaries aren't rising at the same rate as inflation. This, in turn, leads to temptation. What's being stolen has changed, too. More often, regular grocery items are being pilfered.

According to the National Retail Federation, among the 116 retail stores surveyed, 74% felt the incidents of shoplifting had increased from 2006. Retail theft is responsible for $4.5 billion per year, which means increased prices for non-shoplifting customers in the future. When you have a family to care for and feed, I can see how tempting it might be to swipe an extra can of ravioli. if you're caught, though, are the penalties worth the risk?

Pic by haledavid1@msn.

Strange question to ask, but the answer might surprise you even more--a lot. Other than the fact that both are viewed by female audiences, have television programming with big turnout and are being released from silver screen to the big screen, both brands are proving that women of all ages are taking back the cineplex.

In a recent New York Times article, the relationship between the two is explored, along with thoughts about the upcoming release of the American Girl movie, titled "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl" after one of the American Girl characters who tries to make it as a young reporter during the Great Depression. Abigail Breslin, who was recently nominated for her work in Little Miss Sunshine, stars. Among the movie's producers is Julia Roberts. By all accounts, along with the fan base created by the television programming and the characters (they're never referred to as dolls), the movie should be a rolling success.

The American Girl movie, along with Sex in the City, should also provide direct competition to summer blockbusters and action films which are traditionally seen as male-oriented. The products (the, uhm, dolls) are marketed to and beloved by girls between the ages of 7-12. If the movie can win them over, then there's sure to be a sequel, even a trilogy. More than that, the girls who love American Girl characters can be consumers of the brand for life. They can grow up to be the same women who flocked to the Sex and the City movie in droves! Unfortunately, to my knowledge, there are no Sex and the City dolls on the market, but goodness knows they'd sell like hotcakes!

Are you planning on seeing Kit? Are you taking your daughter(s)?

It cost us a fair bit of change when we visited Disneyland last year, which is a big part of why we haven't been back since. Now, we can save all that money and avoid the hassle of crowds and cross-country travel by visiting Disney World in Florida virtually. Last week, Google and Disney announced that the entire Disney World park would be available within Google Earth, a free mapping software that lets users virtually explore the entire planet.

Disney has built an "interactive, three-dimensional tour of Walt Disney World Resort that brings you one step closer to a true park experience." According to Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, the virtual tour of the park is the "next best thing to being there." Guests can fly down Main Street to the Cinderella Castle and through the rest of the park.

I'm not sure I could pass it off as a substitute for a Disney Vacation, but it sure sounds like a great planning tool, especially if you've never been there.