Lego

With unemployment idling near 10%, the negative effect of job loss on mental health has assumed a sharp relevance. Losing work has been linked to depressive symptoms, heavy alcohol use and even long-term psychological damage. But research suggests that loss of income explains only part of this pain. The rest has something to do with the deep connection people forge between themselves and their work. In several recent studies, social scientists have zeroed in on why paychecks alone can't explain the link between work and well-being.

The Planetary Society and the Lego Co. are sponsoring a contest for children to name NASA's two Mars-bound rovers, now simply known as MER-A and MER-B. The contest, open to children from 5 to 18 years old, will take submissions through Jan. 31. NASA will announce the winner before the launch of the rovers in June and July. For more information go to www.nametherovers.org.

The premise of British artist Michael Wilkinson's exhibition at Blum & Poe is immensely appealing: The social and political tumult of May 1968 as seen through the lens of punk, anarchism and art history? Sign me up.  It's a shame the resulting works are so bloodless - austere to a fault, controlled to the point of preciousness - although the exhibition does have some lovely moments. In the center of the gallery sits “Black Citadel,” a cube over 6 feet high made of 52,250 black Lego bricks.

The Polar X-Plorer roller coaster at Legoland Billund in Denmark will take riders around a snowcapped mountain and under a frozen waterfall before sending them crashing through an ice-covered lake. PHOTOS: Polar X-Plorer roller coaster at Denmark's Legoland Billund Themed to look like a ski mobile, the free-fall drop coaster will serve as the centerpiece of a new $13-million Polar Land themed area set to debut at the theme park in May. The 70-foot-tall Zierer family coaster will reach a top speed of 40 mph as riders navigate high-banked turns and camelback hills while zipping past Arctic animals built with Lego bricks.

Halloweenis today! Whoohooh. Candy galore will soon be in the hands of your kids. In honor of this day, we published two articles in the L.A. Times Health section: One asked experts what parents should do with all the excess candy: Let the kids eat it all? Let them choose the pieces they like the best and dump the rest? (Would emotional trauma ensue from such deep betrayal?) The other article asked prominent nutrition activists and health/nutrition experts what THEY hand out on Halloween.  Michael Jacobsen of the nutrition advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest hands out raisins, for example.

The weather forecast for Legoland California this summer calls for a 100% chance of getting 100% soaking wet. PHOTOS: Pirate Reef water ride at Legoland California The new Pirate Reef water attraction opened over Memorial Day weekend at the Carlsbad kiddie park with a pair of life-size Lego pirate ships flanking the splash zone of the classic shoot-the-chutes ride. For its relatively modest size, the 25-foot-tall attraction built by Florida-based Hopkins Amusement Rides generates a surprisingly enormous splash.

Gray Line New York , best known for bus tours, is launching a discount card for Big Apple visitors that offers savings for up to four people on restaurants, attractions, stores and even some theater tickets. The card is good for 30 days from the first day you use it and costs $24.99 plus tax. The deal: The Gray Line New York Eat and Play Card covers discounts at more than 100 sites in the city. For example, you receive 10% to 20% off at some McDonald's outlets (discount varies by location)

"Cars 2" is a hit with the younger crowd, thrilled to see familiar animated friend Lightning McQueen engaged in action-packed motor racing and fender-deep in cool, spy-world gadgetry. The new Pixar animated sequel also features Mater the tow truck and many of the characters from the original 2006 film as they travel overseas to compete in the World Grand Prix and become entangled in James Bond-esque intrigue. But young visitors to Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre can take the adventure further.

Awkward Family Pet Photos Mike Bender and Doug Chernack Three Rivers Press, $15, paper The guys who brought us "Awkward Family Photos" are back with an edition devoted to cruel and unusual punishment to animals. Sort of. It's not that we don't love our pets; it's that we love them too much. That's why we make them sit in the lap of a gigantic Easter bunny (one unfortunate cat is about to have cardiac arrest), wear them on our sleeves (like a pair of sugar gliders in a young couple's photo)

Are you a knight, a pirate or an adventurer? Those are the room themes offered at the new Legoland California Hotel in Carlsbad, Calif., that's set to open ahead of schedule on April 5. Pick your favorite theme and reserve a room starting at $149 a night and a kid-friendly package starting at $209 a night. The deal: The three-story, 250-room hotel will feature more than 3,400 models made from 3 million Lego bricks, a company statement says. Smoke-breathing dragons, a Castle Play area and a pool are some of the amenities that come with a stay at this amusement park hotel.