UNFUN

Introducing a new feature here on Seize the Play: Things that are decidedly UNFUN.

Curse of the Overcooked Pizza
Like lava that flows underneath the planet's crust, so is the sauce that waits, trapped beneath the hard, partially burnt cheese of an overcooked pizza.

Curse you inflexible cheese that does not vent and allow for normal cooling!

Will my hunger always trump my patience?

Will the roof of my mouth require skin grafts?

Only time will tell...

An Edge-of-Your-Seat Read

I had the pleasure of interviewing Jenga inventor, Leslie Scott for my book, Timeless Toys. After reading her new book, it was clear to me that I simply scratched the surface of her remarkable story.

About Jenga tells the tale of inventing one of the most popular games in the world, and like the game she made famous, her book is filled with edge-of-your seat suspense. From the game's humble origins in East Africa, to its trek to England, Canada, the US and then the world, this toy tale is punctuated with ups and downs, huge risks and vast reward. Yet this is much more than a recounting of the development and rise of a great game brand.

About Jenga: The Remarkable Business of Creating a Game that Became a Household Name is essentially a book on the business of creating and licensing games. Scott shares how she tried to patent her game (with a comical poke at her lawyer), but she also shares her somber, cautionary tale of signing an agreement (without a lawyer) that she unfortunately must live with to this day. I thoroughly enjoyed her detailed research and opinion on what makes a great game, but it was her deeper reflections on the nature of play that made this book a good read. While Scott delves into her own story and shares many family pictures, About Jenga is a much more than a memoir. It's a book on the business of game licensing and the universal human desire for play.

Oh, and by the way, it's also an inspirational story of a remarkable woman, who with creativity and grit, gave the world one of its greatest games.

Blurt at the Back-to-School Bash

We played Blurt with kids and their parents at the Lakewood Ranch Back-to-School Bash last weekend and fun was had by all! Enter my Twitter contest to win a free Blurt game!

Gaga over G.I. Joe

Check out this story about an obsession with all things JOE.

Also, here's an exclusive clip from the new movie!

Craft & Hobby Association Show

Do you think Obama has beady eyes? He does in this picture, no matter what your political leanings might be. This image is 9 foot wide and 11 1/2 feet tall and was made by fourth-grade students from all over the US as a publicity stunt for Photopearl beads. There are 300,000 of the beads lovingly placed in this Presidential portrait. Given that this was one of the first things I stumbled upon at the Summer Craft & Hobby Show in Orlando last week, you'd probably guess that it was the coolest thing I saw at the show. Well you'd be wrong. That prize goes to "the worlds first stick-in LED tech toy."


Imagine a Lite-Brite on steroids. That's HI-TECH ART. The novelty is in the LED pegs that can be plugged in anywhere in the surface of the unit. They magically "turn-on," but you're not just pushing translucent pegs through paper to allow light to shine through, you're actually plugging in mini-light bulbs! The creative possibilities are great. Check them out at www.hi-tecart.com




The pieces in this Hi-Tech Art Chess Set turn off when you pick up a piece and light back up after your move. I'll have me eye on this one.

Blurt Play Experiment #33

Here's an excerpt from my ongoing Blurt Play Experiment. I played the game with Michael Dixon and the listeners on KMOX radio in St. Louis. Men narrowly beat the Woman in the last game. Totals still have the Ladies up 10 to 5 over the Lads.