Lemony Snicket, MTV help explain Occupy Wall Street to kids


Lemony Snicket, the unlucky narrator of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” (and pen name for the real-life Daniel Handler), has posted 13 of his observations on Occupy Wall Street for kids. Snicket posted them on the Web site Occupy Writers, which launched last week as a means for writers to show their support of the Occupy movement.


The cover of “Lemony Snicket: The Lump Of Coal.” In the mid-19th century, it was believed that if you were poor, it was because you did bad things, so poor kids were punished by only getting coal in their stocking. (AP)Written in Snicket’s trademark black comedic voice, the observations range from the instructive to the cheeky: “People who say money doesn’t matter are like people who say cake doesn’t matter — it’s probably because they’ve already had a few slices,” he writes.

As kids continue to watch theOccupy Wall Street movementunfold around the world, Snicket isn’t the only one trying to teach them what anti-capitalism means.

Some parents are instructing kids by taking them to the scene of the protests. Kirby Desmarais told parenting blog “The Stir” that she took her 18-month-old daughter Georgiah to Wall Street, carrying a sign: “This child can’t afford health care,” because she thinks kids can reinvigorate the protest. Desmarais is just one of many moms who belong to the subset movement, Parents for Occupy Wall Street. On Columbus Day, more than a dozen children spent their day off helping out at Wall Street.

Another parent in New York decided the best method of instruction would be the protesters themselves. After asking those camping out at Liberty Square to explain the movement to a six-year-old, this was the very earnest response:

If black comedy or exposure to the protesters doesn’t help kids grasp the difficult economic issues at stake, MTV2’s kid-show sketch “Wonder Showzen” just might.

Long before there was Occupy Wall Street, there was “Wonder Showzen,” a show in which a very young, very intrepid reporter walks Wall Street and asks men in suits as they pass by: “Who did you exploit today?” among other probing but oh-so-charming questions.

Jim Thome reaches deal with Phillies

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ST LOUIS, MO - FILE: St. Louis Cardinals 1982 World Series pitcher Bob Forsch throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to Game Seven of the MLB World Series between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on October 28, 2011 inSt Louis, Missouri. According to reports on November 4, 2011 Forsch, 61-years-old, died near his home in Tampa, Florida.

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Apparently, Jim Thome doesn't wear out his welcome.

He's returning to one of his former teams again, receiving a one-year, $1.25 million contract with the Phillies, which will become official if he passes a physical today.

In August, Thome returned to the Indians, his first big-league team. Now he's heading to the Phillies, for whom he played from 2003 to 2005.

"I'll keep playing," Thome said last month. "I just need teams to call me. I can't go play in the backyard by myself. I don't know the demand for a 41-year-old DH, but my passion is I want to continue to play."

Philadelphia, eliminated in the playoffs' first round by St. Louis, could use his power from the left side, though where - and if - he'll play in the field is a big question. Thome has not played defensively since 2007 and might be a little rusty at first base, should he be called on to play there as Ryan Howard recovers from surgery on his left Achilles tendon.

Thome, 41, has 604 homers in 21 seasons. He'll reunite with Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. The two formed a bond from their days in Cleveland.

Cards eye Matheny: Ex-catcher Mike Matheny was interviewed for the Cardinals' vacant manager's job.

Matheny, who has no managing experience, is a Cardinals minor-league instructor and won four Gold Gloves, including one with the Giants.

A's moves: The A's traded Trystan Magnuson to the Blue Jays for cash and signed pitcher Edgar Gonzalez and infielder Wes Timmons to minor-league deals. Magnuson made his big-league debut with Oakland last season and had no decisions and a 6.14 ERA in nine relief appearances.

Gonzalez pitched for the 2009 A's and was in the Rays' and Rockies' farm systems in 2011. Timmons hit .341 in 95 games for two A's farm teams.

The A's may not hire a hitting coach until next week at the earliest because leading candidate Mike Aldrete is being wooed by the champion Cardinals, who are interested in retaining him on their staff.

MLB wins again: An MLB contingent improved to 3-0 against the Taiwan national team with a 6-2 win at Taipei. Nationals first baseman Michael Morse hit a towering home run and doubled in a run. Kansas City's Felipe Paulino scattered three hits over four innings.

Briefly: The Diamondbacks extended the contracts of GM Kevin Towers and manager Kirk Gibson three years through 2014. ... Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is pushing for the next Dodgers owner to come from the team's hometown, according to a letter he wrote to Commissioner Bud Selig. ... Former catcher Scott Servais, who played for three teams including the Giants, was hired as the Angels' assistant GM, working under new GM Jerry Dipoto.

Staff writer Susan Slusser contributed to this report.

Dippin' Dots files for bankruptcy

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The ice cream of the future may not get there – at least not without some restructuring.

Dippin’ Dots Inc., which makes ice cream in masses of little beads that’s sold in malls, theme parks and other venues, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company, based in Kentucky, has a debt of about $11 million owed to Regions Bank.

The bank sued earlier this year, according to an Associated Press report, saying the ice cream manufacturer had defaulted on its debt.

Company spokesman Steve Heisner said that Dippin’ Dots plans to stay in business while going through bankruptcy proceedings.

Dippin’ Dots, which calls itself the “ice cream of the future” in advertising, was invented by microbiologist Curt Jones in 1988. Heisner said the product is sold in 142 standalone stores across the country, plus booths in recreation areas and in vending machines.

Dippin' Dots Tries to Avoid Meltdown

The ice cream of the future is struggling to survive.

After a four-year battle with its biggest lender, Dippin' Dots Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Paducah, Ky., to avoid foreclosure.

Dippin' Dots, the self-described "ice cream of the future," filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Katy Stech has details on The News Hub.

The manufacturer of the quirky and colorful ice cream beads, which are flash frozen using liquid nitrogen, owes $12 million, the bulk of it to a unit of Regions Financial Corp., which moved to foreclose on the loan this week.

The 170-worker company, which calls its frozen treat "ice cream of the future," fell into technical default four years ago at the peak of the economic crisis, when customers were no longer willing to spend the few dollars it cost for a cup.

It has about 140 Dippin' Dots retail locations, which are mostly controlled by franchisees, and agreements with 9,952 small vendors who sell the ice cream at fairs, festivals and sports games. It isn't sold in grocery stores because of its extreme cooling requirements.

Its sales woes came at the tail end of an expensive legal battle—one that the company ultimately lost—over whether founder Curt Jones properly filed the patents that protected its special freezing process.

[DIPPIN]Alamy

A patent fight preceded a sales drop for ice cream vendor Dippin' Dots.

"All of that hit us at the same time," said Steve Heisner, the company's director of administration, customer service and information systems.

Mr. Heisner said that Dippin' Dots offered Regions several proposals to pay a portion of its loan, but the bank rejected the offers before posting a foreclosure notice on Tuesday. A representative for Regions Bank declined to comment.

The company said its assets are valued at $20.2 million. It owns a 120,000-square-foot plant in Kentucky that can produce more than 25,000 gallons of frozen dots a day.

Mr. Heisner said the company doesn't expect to sell its operations, which are still mostly owned by Mr. Jones, a microbiologist who started the company in 1988. The company has been hailed as an achievement in entrepreneurship by celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey.

The company said it sales are slowly recovering. As of Thursday, it reported having $27.7 million in revenue, above last year's $26.7 million.

Company executives sought court permission to spend some of the cash collateral that secures the Regions Bank loan to enable it to continue operations. The court set a Nov. 17 hearing on its request.

"Without use of the cash collateral...[the company] will not be able to pay its vendors, and its vendors will likely cease to provide goods and services to the debtor on credit," the company's attorneys explained in court documents.

According to the company's proposed spending budget, it will need at least $23,000 to pay for liquid nitrogen alone through the end of the year. The liquid nitrogen is used to keep the ice cream dots below the necessary temperature of minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

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