News: Little Thomas Chugs into Eskdale

For some reason, I thought the traveling "A day out with Thomas" was just a US phenomenon. This article talks about one in the UK. The neat thing about this one is that the train in the picture appears to be a small, narrow gauge one... Kid sized.
Small Thomas

News: Another Corporate Parent Buyout

IDTES (IDT Entertainment Sales), a subsidiary of IDT Corp, a phone card company, which owns the licensing rights to some Thomas the Tank Engine videos among others has been sold to Liberty Media, which among other things owns QVC, Encore, Starz, and News Corporation. I don't think this matters all that much. I'd never heard of IDT or IDTES until this press release. At lease Liberty Media is in the media business. I get the impression looking at the Liberty Corporate History that they only really exist to create paper money by merging, spinning off, creating tracking stocks, etc. I guess it keeps their accountants busy.

Read the news story here: North Jersey Media Group providing local news, sports & classifieds for Northern New Jersey!: "'This transaction furthers our strategy of converting investments into strategic operating businesses that have synergies with our current companies. IDT Entertainment and Starz is a great combination,' Gregory B. Maffei, CEO of Liberty Media, said in a statement"

In a related note, see "Funtastic Nabs Madman Group" for yet another Thomas related acquisition.

I'd love to see an algorythm or map or something showing all the companies involved it wringing that extra dime out of Thomas the Tank engine around the world. I have no idea who is involved until one of them issues a press release that they've been bought.

Note to self: Start tracking stock involved in the distribution or licensing of Thomas the Tank Engine in some capacity; Agree to be bought by some other opportunistic acronym company no one's ever heard of; Retire to Cancun; repeat.

News Another local article about Ride the Rails with Thomas

All aboard for Thomas the Tank Engine tour - 04/21/06 - The Detroit News

There's nothing all that special about the article except it has a great picture of the actual Thomas train that's touring the country.

Comment: Is the mom a hero for catching the crooks?

OK OK the article doesn't really have anything to do with Thomas (though the kids were watching it at the time of the crime). In short, the SUV driving Mom chased down some bank robbers with her kids in the back seat watching a DVD of Thomas. They could have been killed. One of her kids was almost shot. It's only money. Good grief. There are police officers with weapons who can do that sort of thing. The question I think that's on everyone's mind though is, "Which Thomas Video were they watching?"

NewsChannel 5 Network: "deputies caught them before they got too far."