When I was in middle school, I tried to construct a Rube Goldberg type machine to win the science fair. Alas, my entry was a Rector Set-domino-Lincoln Log disaster. And…I didn’t win. But the band OK Go would have! Remember, the genius treadmill dance routine for Here It Goes [...]

At #moderism week been out shopping. Bought some treasure, including some 1960s toys. Memba the battle of the century? I enjoyed countless bouts between eternal heavyweight rivals Red (my brother) and Blue (me), but what’s the history behind the famous plastic pugilists? The toy was designed by Marvin Glass and Associates, a Chicago toy design [...]

Fred Morrison, former World War II veteran and inventor of the iconic Frisbee, passed away on Tuesday. Morrison got his start playing with cake pans on the beach, and eventually sold his toy idea to Wham-O, where it almost instantly became a terrific hit. Hundreds of millions of Frisbees have been sold since, and the [...]

It’s Valentine’s Week-the week of LOVE. In case you missed it on the CBS Early Show, here are some of my ideas for cute ways to feel the love and make Valentine’s Day fun with the gorgeous Julie Chen.

There are few toys simpler or more fun than the Hula Hoop. The Hula Hoop was born in 1957, when an Australian company began manufacturing large wooden rings for sale. The rings quickly caught the attention of Wham-O who began manufacturing the toy in a range of vibrant colors, and the rest is toy history. [...]

Use of the internet and “emoticons” have made him (and his various friends and family) ubiquitous these days, but have you ever wondered about the origins of the Smiley Face? He was invented in 1964 by Harvey Ball. A life insurance company had recently gone through a difficult merger and the staff was unhappy with [...]