This week, there was no way to avoid the “snowicane” coverage (a word that will be deleted from our vocabulary as of…now) but you have to admit playing in the snow was a lot of fun. The real disaster came from Albany, where after weeks of bad press and allegations of misconduct Gov. David Patterson announced he would not seek another term. As for everything else you might have missed...

Earthquake in Chile – How You Can Help
Chilean residents in New York City are frantically trying to reach relatives in the quake zone but with power and communications down in the country, it is proving to be difficult. If you want to help the citizens of Chile, The Huffington Post has a list of legitimate relief organizations you can donate to.

Smile for the Camera A thoughtful article from Sunday’s New York Times Magazine asks, “Has the curating of digital photos come to define modern parenting?” This examination of the multimedia-publishing machine that is documenting your family is a must read.

A High Five for Success A fascinating New York Times article examines research on how physical touch can communicate powerful messages. Something as seemingly insignificant as a supportive touch from a teacher on the shoulder of a student can lead to increased participation in class. Guess that’s why those athletes are always doing high fives.  

The City of the Future If you thought the new cab sharing program that started this week was revolutionary, then you really haven’t seen anything yet. The New York Post has a nifty prediction of what Manhattan could look like after more proposed changes in transportation. Imagine a city with fewer cars and more public spaces for your kids to roam—it’s not as impossible as you might think. 
 
Brooklyn Ice Cream Truck Now a Store Having trouble holding back from running to the Van Leeuwen ice cream truck? No need to chase it down anymore—the owners are opening a store in Greenpoint. Hmm...maybe you'll have to run to burn off all that yummy ice cream.

Celebrity News
* Angelina Jolie invited her estranged dad Jon Voight to Venice, where he had the chance to meet his grandkids for the first time. “Angie and Brad are the world’s greatest parents,” Voight declared. Does this mean the end of their strained relationship?
* Websites were smoking with the news that Carly Simon's remastered version of "You're So Vain" would finally reveal who she wrote it for. On the new recording, you can hear the name “David” backwards in the background, and media jumped and said it was music producer David Geffen. Unfortunately, it’s not him and the mystery has yet to be solved. Listen to the whisper at USA Today’s site and let us know who you think it is.

Video You Have To Watch Now If you loved the Muppets version of “Bohemian Rhapsody” from last year, then you’ll really enjoy the latest Muppet Studios YouTube brilliance. Could we ever get tired of seeing Beaker in painful situations? A fun video even your kids could enjoy.

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