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BOOK RECOMMENDATION – March 2010

What Should I Do with the Rest of My Life?

TRUE STORIES OF FINDING SUCCESS, PASSION, AND FULFILLMENT IN THE SECOND HALF OF LIFE

By Bruce Frankel

It is a common refrain. Be it the loss of a job at middle age or an impending retirement, many of us find ourselves asking “What Should I Do with the Rest of My Life?”

A scientific revolution has been slowly brewing. The stereotypes of old age have been tossed aside and a groundswell of research has emerged, confirming that our brains can remain fit as we get older. We need only a goal to motivate and a little discipline to spark a new life.

WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH THE REST OF MY LIFE shares inspiring tales of thirteen people who looked 60 in the face and realized it was only the beginning. These thirteen are doing what many want to do – living their dreams and succeeding in the improbable and the significant.

Myrna Hoffman is honored to be one of the lucky thirteen.

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Personal Profile: Reflections on a ‘Fun House’ Mirror
West Seattle inventor has won 25 national awards.

By Patrick Robinson,  West Seattle Herald,  July 20, 2009 …………………(VIDEO)

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Toy Testing?  Award-Winner OOZ & OZ Welcomes it!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  –  Seattle, WA,   July 24, 2009 …………………………………….. While many U.S. toy manufacturers and importers are decrying stricter lead and phthalates safety standards that go into effect on August 14th, the head of one Seattle-based toy company “OOZ & OZ” is urging enforcement by the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission. “Now that we are aware of these chemical dangers, it’s time for the government to insist all toy makers concern themselves as much about children’s health as their companies’ bottom line,” says Myrna Hoffman. “OOZ & OZ has always held in trust the safety of children’s little bodies while nurturing their precious minds. We welcome safety testing.”

The ban on lead and phthalates in toys for children under 12, except in very small amounts, is the result of a national outcry for tighter safety measures for toy makers after more than 25 million toys were recalled in 2007 because of lead paint hazards and defective designs. Under the new standard, the government will slap a $15 million fine on manufacturers for violations, eight times higher than the previous maximum fine. Many small toy manufacturers say they will stagger under the financial burden of additional testing at a cost of $1,000 to $5,000 a toy, and some say they will be forced out of business.

“We believe that manufacturers should be able to prove they produce safe toys, or they shouldn’t be in the toy business,” Hoffman says.

As of this date, the CPSC still has not decided whether to require testing of each toy per se, or testing of separate toy components. Component testing would considerably ease companies’ financial burden since many small and medium manufacturers use the same components in a variety of products.  If whole toy testing is mandated, “it will throttle new product development by the same manufacturers,” predicts industry guru Lutz Muller, and likely thousands of small and medium size companies will indeed go under.

For more than a decade, Hoffman’s Morph-O-Scopes Kits have won dozens of coveted national toy honors for their educational fun, but this year Hoffman is especially proud of the recognition earned from The Toy Man Product Guide and International Parenting Institute, industry leaders in making safety an integral part of each toy evaluation. “Morph-O-Scopes Kits, Packets, and Party Fun Packs have always met or exceeded CPSC safety standards; it is very gratifying now to have our commitment validated.” Hoffman says.

Morph-O-Scopes are 21st century inventions inspired by an ingenious 16th century Chinese mirror device called an “anamorphoscope.” Morph-O-Scopes consist of three components: flexible mirrors of DuPont Mylar (MSDS safety sheets), US-made crayons from school supplier Sargent Art (MSDS Safety Sheet) and printed activity pages.

To visualize the concept think fun house – only in reverse. Think weird, warped alien looking into a wavy mirror, magically reflected back as a perfectly gorgeous person. Now think mysterious, twisted-picture pages and blank, flexible mirrors. Kids curl a mirror and position it on a page. When they crayon morphed shapes on the page, color magically appears in the right places in the perfect cartoon reflections. Beyond coloring, kids connect dots and lines to complete morphed drawings, create their own morph picture, navigate morphed mazes, decode slant art, etc.

The unique activities engage them in explorations of optical physics. The challenges provide brain-tickling eye-hand play that sparks the imagination, nurtures spatial intelligence, tests logic, exercises fine motor skills, and stimulates inquiry. No batteries needed.

OOZ & OZ’s original Morph-O-Scopes Circus Kit has earned an unprecedented nineteen national toy awards.  The Morph-O-Scopes Sports Kit (released in November 2008) has already won five national toy awards and high praise for its developmental play: Dr. Toy Best Children’s Vacation Products, The Toy Man Editors Choice, The Toy Man Award of Excellence, The Toy Man Seal of Approval, and it is “Recommended” by the National Association for Gifted Children.  Grandparents.com reviewers recently proclaimed the Sports Kit “a HUGE hit!”

If the CPSC values both the interests of American families and American small businesses, and wisely chooses component testing over whole toy testing, OOZ & OZ is already there.

For additional information about anamorphosis, jpg images, or a sample Morph-O-Scope contact Myrna Hoffman.  Morph-O-Scopes are available through the OOZ & OZ website, Amazon.com, and select specialty toy stores.

About OOZ & OZ:
OOZ & OZ was originally established in New Jersey to bring to market products Myrna Hoffman had invented for her daughter’s seventh birthday.  OOZ & OZ llc was founded in Washington State in 2005. It is a state certified woman-owned business.

Ms. Hoffman is a 2001 winner of Oprah Winfrey’s Oxygen Media TV “Build Your Own Business” Contest and the 2004 winner of the Small Business Administration Entrepreneurial Success Award for the Washington, DC Metropolitan District.

Contact:
Myrna Hoffman
Managing Director
OOZ & OZ llc
Seattle line: 206.344.3338
Cell Phone: 206.949.3338
Toll Free:    888.750.3338
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