Published documents by Victor Epand

2009

The wetsuit is a staple of many sports and pastimes. Athletes use them in scuba diving, surfing, windsurfing and other water sports. Although no single individual is credited with the invention of these garments, they have been used by hydro-friendly athletes since the early 1950s. A common misconception about wetsuits is that they keep the wearer warm by keeping him or her dry. In actuality,...

Does Anyone Remember The Cabbage Patch Craze? Published on 04/02/2009

If you are over 30 years old, you probably remember the craze of the Cabbage Patch Dolls in the 1980\'s. People waited in lines for hours just for the privilege of purchasing one of these dolls. Stores couldn\'t keep them on the shelves. Some people think it was the biggest marketing gimmick of the 1980\'s. The dolls were originally designed by a man named Xavier Roberts living in Georgia....

New Breed Of Camcorders Hits The Market Published on 04/02/2009

Cameras that can record have been around for awhile. They started as Super-8 camera that you could create grainy, jerky, silent films. This progressed in the 80s with the creation of VHS and 8mm video cameras. While these types of cameras were the cutting edge in the 80\'s they are now relics of an old age. The new age of camcorders is dominated by digital camcorders. These newer breed of...

Floral Wedding Traditions Around The World Published on 04/02/2009

A few years ago, I was the only \"gweilo\" (Caucasian) in my Chinese friend\'s wedding party. Even more interestingly, I was the maid of honor. Although the ceremony was quite Christian, there was one interesting Chinese influence. None of the flowers, especially those being carried by the wedding party, could be white. In China, white flowers are commonly associated with death, making the...

Renting Toys VS Purchasing Toys Published on 04/02/2009

Renting children\'s toys, is a trend that is not extremely popular right now, but may become increasingly popular in the future. How many parents have ever thought about renting toys? Well at least one parent did, hence we have sites like BabyPlays, BrickRental, Rent-A-Toy, ToyBox etc. BabyPlays is a website where parents can choose from over 200 different toys for children up to 5...

Toys In The Early 1900S Published on 03/02/2009

The early 1900s were very different from today. Toys, though they have evolved in many ways, were still the delight of children everywhere. Explore the history of toys, as charted by the History website. Theodore Roosevelt\'s Presidency marks the beginning of the \"Teddy Bear.\" In the year 1902, toy bears were named \"Teddy\" after the president\'s nickname. The Teddy Bear became known...

Toys That Take Children Outdoors Published on 03/02/2009

After all the time spent indoors playing with video games and watching television, nothing compares with getting a child outdoors to play. This has become a concern for many parents since electronic games have practically absorbed our kids. Getting kids outdoors to play is good for their physical as well as their mental health. One effective way parents can encourage their children to play...

The History Of The Teddy Bear Published on 03/02/2009

It is hard to imagine a world of stuffed animals without teddy bears; they are a staple item of every toy collection. Oddly enough, the teddy bear did not develop simply as a stuffed version of a real bear. In fact, the teddy bear has only been around since the early years of the twentieth century. According to most sources, the teddy bear first surfaced in both the United States and Germany...

The Difference Between Dolls And Action Figures Published on 03/02/2009

When you hear the word \"doll,\" the first thing that comes to mind is \"Barbie\". The major difference between dolls and action figures is that the former is oriented towards girls, while the latter is oriented towards boys. Dolls usually include matching outfits while action figures generally include clothing and accessories that you might not see every day. Look at Barbie. Since her...

Board Games That Feature Auto Racing Published on 03/02/2009

One of the most popular American hobbies is the avid following of Nascar and other forms of auto racing. Fans pick their favorite drivers and follow the careers of these drivers with a zeal that is nearly unmatched by any other sports fan. Many of these fans yearn with a longing to be out there and racing themselves. While this particular dream is not incredibly likely to happen, however, there...