THE LEFT LANE
Cuttin' a rug, dude

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Here's a concept that's a little, ah, different: Someone at the Simtec Co., the maker of sliders for moving furniture, must have been a little bored. The company has come up with foot-sized plastic slides you strap on your shoes to glide around on carpet. It's even selling "carpet pucks" so you can play indoor hockey in the living room. (Carol Brady never would have stood for this.)

Both products will be featured on the KB Toys Web sites, www.kbtoys.com and www.etoys.com. The FunSlides Carpet Skates are $14.99, and a set of three Carpet Pucks is $9.99.

Seniors wanted

Wanna see what the kids are up to? If you're a retiree with time on your hands, check out the sixth annual Senior Volunteer Kickoff for FELLOWS, a mentoring program that puts school kids in touch with volunteer elders. The kickoff is from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Thursday at Wai'alae School in Kaimuki.

FELLOWS, an acronym for "fellowship, education and lifelong learning opportunities with seniors," provides mentoring and tutoring to schoolchildren from kindergarten to sixth grade.

Volunteers must be available weekdays either during classroom hours from 8 to 11 a.m. or after school from 2 to 4 p.m. Training is provided for eligible volunteers who complete the screening process.

Eric emotes for you

If you could put your emotions down on paper, what would they look like?

Think red is rage? Is fear a series of colored, jagged lines? Go to www.emotioneric.com to find out.

The concept is simple: Send in a request for an emotion and Eric (above, portraying "love") captures it on his digital camera. He posts it on his Web site, Eric Conveys an Emotion.

The site has attracted international attention, from newspapers in Germany, Italy and Britain, in addition to USA Today and the L.A. Times, among others. The Web site marked its fifth anniversary on July 25.