Actor Denzel Washington has a few words for Americans hitting the voting booths this November. He is urging us to take into consideration the needs of our youth as we consider casting our ballots. He's also urging our leaders to take these matters into greater account.
Washington is a strong supporter of the Boys and girls Club of America, and has taken youth issues to heart. Says Washington, the nation's leaders need to focus on the needs of our youth, including the increases in obesity and the high school dropout rate. The Oscar winner also commented on the violent crime among young people, which increases in the hours right after school.
Washington made his opinion known via a commentary piece for CNN.com and feels that if we don't deal with these issues our children won't be prepared to deal with the "challenges posed by a complex world." Well said!
Whether or not you would is one thing. Whether or not you SHOULD is another. Many business owners, especially those with smaller businesses, tend to rely on and hire members of their family to help them out. Some of those stints are short term and some of them are all the way up to partner (or, as I like to think of it, co-conspirator). But, is it a good idea to mix the personal with the professional? After all, you can't get any more personal than family.
The positive aspects of bringing a family member into the work fold include the fact that most likely the family member already knows a lot about the business and would require less training. Additionally, some family members are more likely to work harder than someone who is not family out of loyalty.
The downside of hiring family is that some of them might expect kickbacks or special treatment solely because they're related. Others are less likely to work as hard as their non-related counterparts because they think they don't have to. Then there's the whole mixing personal and professional rule of thumb we've always been told to avoid. Those two things are said to never really mix. Yet, many of the world's most successful businesses have been family operated. When things are going well, isn't it family you want to share your successes with the most? Likewise, when things aren't going well, most likely it's your family you turn to in hard times for support.
What do you think? Is it ever a good idea to employ or work for your family, or is it a bad mix? Would you or do you work with your family?
We all know that children are our future (thank you, Whitney Houston) but what do children think about our future? We Are What We Do, a British social change group, wanted to know, so they asked -- specifically, they asked about ways to make the world a better place. Thousands of children responded, and the answers have been compiled in a book called Teach Your Granny to Text & Other Ways to Change the World.
The idea behind the book is simple: simple actions, done by kids, can change the world. "You have a super power. It's not as whizzy as X-ray vision or flying. In fact as super powers go it's pretty ordinary. But if you use it you can change things. Big things like global warming, bullying, animal rights and why people don't smile any more."
The winning submission in the contest came from Erica Ritchie, who suggested that people teach their grandparents to text.
The book will be sent to every public school in England; the hope is that it will spark conversation and, of course, change.
Actress and sometime do-gooder Angelina Jolie claims she makes action movies for her children. I'm not sure who got her to come out of her shell long enough to hear this information--Jolie has been tucked away safely since the birth of her twins Vivienne and Knox--but perhaps this is old info just now being issued to keep us satisfied while we await her return to the media frenzy that is her life.
According to Jolie, she wants her kids to be able to see the films and be proud of her. I'm not sure how proud anyone would be of efforts like Tombraider 2, but hey, Jolie claims to also do all her own stunts--that would be pretty rockin' if it's fact. Jolie says she does that to prove to her children they can do anything to which they set their minds. Fair enough.
The star should be more proud of her philanthropic ways, which I am also sure she hopes to pass on to her kids. Learn by example, right? If that's true then there should be six more philanthropists among the Jolie-Pitt clan to carry on the work of Ange and Brad Pitt. Either that or they'll all want to appear in remakes of their parents' films!
Blame it on The Cure. Blame it on Edward Gory. Whatever you do, though, you can't deny the Goth. The culture, the fashion, hey, the eyeliner. It's alive and well now as it always seems to have been--at least since the late seventies/early eighties. And it shows no signs of slowing down. Eyeliner sales must be through the roof!
The New York Times has a funny article about one author's personal history with the Gothic culture, which could pretty much be any of our own histories. I grew up in the middle of the country, in Louisville, Kentucky, and even those well-manicured lawns and competing mall-lifestyles were susceptible to an outbreak of Goth every now and then. Perhaps we were a more likely target for Goth style because of all that sameness. No matter where you went as a teen, it seemed, there were some Goth kids hanging around comparing weird jewelry and competing for who could don the most dark apparel.
So what is the point, you ask? If Goth has been around for so long, and none of today's teens are exactly reinventing the wheel, why bother with the eyeliner (so to speak)? Why has Goth culture endured? Fashion historian Valerie Steele (who shares a name with my best friend), who was interviewed for the article, says Goth, which originated in the Victorian era by way of mourning garb, that while it started out representing death and abuse, now it's just about plain old rebellion. How rebellious can you be though, when everyone else is wearing the same thing? Show up to school in a white suit or a gold lamé cocktail dress and we'll talk!
I love camping. Being out amidst the trees, the rocks, and, yes, even the dirt is relaxing and comforting to me. If I could live in the woods year-round, I would. Not everyone is quite the Grizzly Adams type that I am, however. If you've got kids, though, it's worth it to take them camping now and then. I came across this great video that offers some insight into what's so great about camping, put together by the website Joy of Camping:
And if you're convinced, you might be interested in their list of ten things to bring for kids when camping. I wholeheartedly agree about the flashlights and whistles, and have to admit I wouldn't have thought of the bug jar or the star finder -- both fantastic ideas. I'd also include some reading and coloring books for down times and some musical instruments -- shakers, rattles, and the like -- to save your pots when the kids want to form a marching band.
All in all, I can't recommend camping more -- it's a great experience for the kids and it's a cheap vacation. If you've never been and are a little hesitant, get together with other families who are more outdoorsy and plan a group trip. The kids will enjoy it even more and you'll be able to sit back and just watch the swarms of kids running around.
Besides being an actress, Jenny McCarthy is probably best well known for her autism advocacy, especially her controversial stance on vaccinations. But her concerns over children's health doesn't stop at shots. She's also worried about toxins in the environment and their long-term effect on kids.
The star -- who is also mom to son Evan, 6 -- is turning her activism into a line of non-toxic products for children. The line, which will be called "Too Good," will feature bedding, clothing, toys, feeding and cleaning products, and gluten-free food and drink, among other products. McCarthy hopes to get her goods out to the average parent, so these won't be high-end, swanky baby goods, but instead sold in department stores.
The line will be out next spring or summer, so if you're a parent living the non-toxic way of life, look for Jenny's goods in a store near you.
Riding the school bus to school has traditionally free -- except there really is no such thing as a free lunch. The funds to pay for the school bus itself, fuel, and insurance have to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is from the school's budget which is funded by taxes. So it's not really free. With diesel fuel costing more than four dollars a gallon on average, it's not even close to free these days.
So, the venerable school bus may soon become a thing of the past. According to the American Association of School Administrators, more than a third of school administrators have cut back on or eliminated school bus service in order to save money. The Capistrano Unified School District in California cut two-thirds of their bus routes, putting between four and five thousand students back on the sidewalks to walk to school.
Walking to school is probably the best option all around, healthwise, environmentally, and fiscally, but that's not always going to be the choice that is -- or is able to be -- made. It's more expensive to have a whole lot of individual cars driving kids to school than a single bus -- Mike Martin of the National Association for Pupil Transportation notes that "on average, one schoolbus replaces 36 private vehicles."
For us, we have no choice but to drive my son to school -- the school is halfway across town, the nearest bus stop is nearly as far in the opposite direction, and public transit is simply not an option for a first grader in the big city.
When Beverly Hills 92010 hit television screens some fifteen-odd years ago, it may have been somewhat controversial, but ultimately it was about good kids finding themselves in tough situations--drinking, drug use, premarital sex. it was really just a modern version of Jackson Junior High or an after school special with better clothes and a warmer climate. Not content to let what was perhaps Aaron Spelling's greatest achievement rest comfortably in its grave, some folks decided to bring 90210 back. Same zip code, indeed, but racier subject matter.
And naturally, along with that reprisal came the interest groups opposed to it. For example, the Parents Television Council is none too pleased, and they are speaking out against the show. I guess they're either over or have made enough issue of Gossip Girl, which makes the old 90210 look like an episode of Sesame Street. In fact, in response to the PTC's protests over GG, the show has used their harsh criticism to basically secure a spot on the rotation forever. Why is it that reverse psychology always wins?
The group is asking sponsors to boycott the new 90210 due to the insinuation about ten minutes in that some guy is getting a BJ from his girlfriend. The show airs during what they refer to as the "family hour" meaning, I suppose, before 10:00 PM. The CW Network, who can proudly claim this little gem as their own right along with Gossip Girl, have responded that they screened the episode for said sponsors and no one batted an eyelash. Hey, if you can live with what occurs on GG, then by all means keep those eyelashes unbatted for wanna-be 90210.
Teen shows have always been edgy and envelope-pushing. Do you think what kids see today is any worse than what we watched when we were growing up? Oh, and BTW, that picture of the old 90210 folks is made out of what appears to be macaroni and dried beans. Seriously.
OK, is it me or is a national convention no place for a baby? As was widely covered (yet not as much as the Democratic National Convention, interestingly), the Republican National Convention showcased many of Sarah Palin's children (and a would-be teenage groom). Among them, Palin's infant son, Trig. I thought it was a lot to take my newborn to the local diner when he was born!
Now, while the Republicans seemed a little more calm and collected than their boisterous Democratic opponents, they were still a relatively rowdy bunch. The whole point of a convention is to get people riled up for the cause, and there was a lot of that going on, especially from Palin herself. It was a loud, crowded, noisy place, which, to me, is no place for a baby. Babies need stimulation and interaction with the social world, I'm sure, but the RNC is a far cry from what good old Doctor Spock imagined. I am sure that kid was terrified. He seemed ok in the arms of family members as the rest of the RNC wailed on, but I couldn't help but think he should have been home with a nanny or a sitter.
Of course, the whole point of having her family there was to drive home the point that she's a mom and that she is a working mother, too. And, naturally, rather than focusing on real issues that truly matter to the election, the focus was all on her family. Trig has down syndrome. Bristol is pregnant. Levi will we her. Both Palin and the press have done their best to constantly remind us of these things--things which matter, sure, but they shouldn't be a part of the race for the White House. Should they? Palin and her people say keep the children out of it, yet there they were, even the littlest one, at the convention. Obama was no better--he trotted his kids out for the cute factor, no denying that.
Thoughts? Should we keep candidates' kids out of the political spotlight? If so, shouldn't they NOT be on television?
According to a new report, actress Leighton Meester was essentially born in prison. The Gossip Girl star's mother was allegedly in prison serving time in federal prison in Texas for drug-related charges when her now-famous daughter was born.
Mom was allowed to live in a half-way house until little Leighton was three months old, but then had to serve out the rest of her sentence behind bars. The report appears in the questionable if anything Star magazine, where it is noted Leighton was raised by a relative until mom was released.
The magazine also claims other members of Meester's family, including her grandfather, spent time in the slammer, again for drug-related charges. Do we believe it? Sure, why not--plenty of women have had children while in prison. Can't stop mother nature. Do we care? That I'm not so sure about. With Gossip Girl's second season opening to its largest audience ever, I doubt the show needed such a publicity stunt, but they got one anyway!
Suicide rates among the nation's youth continue to climb. Many experts fear the reason for this is due to fewer antidepressants being prescribed. After a fifteen-year decline the rates are climbing--what was seen as a possibly random increase in 2004 was repeated in 2005. The outcome of the study of 2004 and 2005 tracked outcomes based on actual instances from 1996 through 2003. After more than a decade of decline, suicide rates among those from 10-19 years of age skyrocketed by 18% in 2004, the largest increase in a one-year time period over fifteen years. Researcher Jeff Bridge feels, based on this study, that we could be on the verge of a public health crisis.
Bridges sites possible reasons for the increase, including online and social networking as well as returning from deployment overseas in Iraq along with the controversy over giving youth antidepressants. In a 2003 a public health advisory was issued noting children who were prescribed SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, were more likely to attempt suicide or engage in suicidal behavior. The result was the black box information on such medicines as well as doctors being less confident in prescribing them. In another study, however, Bridge noted that such treatment could be beneficial for children in the short-term.
According to Diana Zuckerman, National Research Center for Women & Families, children may be more likely to attempt suicide now due to the lagging economy, the stress of not having enough money for college and because those with depression go undiagnosed. She also noted a factor could be that families aren't spending enough time together.
An Australian school who recently banned cartwheels may be reversing its decision. Both parents and children protested after cartwheels, somersaults and other gymnastics were banned during recess.
According to the school, safety was at the the heart of the decision to ban the "acrobatics." Now officials of the Queensland education system are saying they are willing to be flexible and work toward a balance. Gymnastics were given a risk rating of 2 by the school. Parents became upset when other sports such as soccer, tennis and the ever-popular cricket were also rated with a 2 but allowed to continue.
Was the school trying to do the right thing to protect its students, or did they take things too far? Ever had anything like this happen at your child's school? If so, what was your stance?
Do you read parenting books? For real, as in from cover to cover? Did you get anything at all out of the book? Was it overall a great buy with an excellent philosophy, or was there at least one nugget of sage advice that has helped you shape your parenting style? If the answer to that last question was yes, then perhaps parenting books are good for you. For others, not so much.
I remember when I first started writing for ParentDish--way back in the Blogging Baby days. I was pregnant and trying to figure out if I had what it took to be a parent. I bought oodles of parenting books and tried to plow through them as best as I could. I found lots of conflicting information, some of it outdated. I had lots of conversations with other parents and got more of the same. I even asked them what parenting books they recommended. Some loved certain books, some hated said books. One such book was "What to Expect when You're Expecting." I wrote a post about that and got innumerable comments of both praise and abhorring. So it is with any sort of parenting advice.
Once you become a parent, generally all the things you were so scared of dissipate. You become more confident in your decision making and parenting abilities. Most of the time, you actually become a better wife, daughter, friend, sister, etc. in the process. Did the parenting books help? Maybe, maybe not. Being a parent did. The things we all fear--that we'll be bad parents, that we'll hurt our children, that they'll be taken from us through our own negligence--seem to go away the more we actually practice parenting. And that means whatever parenting style comes most naturally to us or works out best for us. And it is different for every person. I don't think it really matters how much attention you paid to WTEWYE--you're probably doing OK in the mommy or daddy department. Parenting books, if you actually have time to read them (see: before children) might offer some insight, but only you will be able to determine the right approach to raising your kids.
How do your kids get to school? How did you get to school when you were a kid? Taking the yellow school bus, walking or riding a bike may all seem like normal methods of getting to school. In the modern world, we drive and carpool as well. But what about in urban environments where a lot of parents don't drive or even own a car? They take the subway.
And they do it ALONE. That's right--I've seen it myself. Kids popping onto and off of the subway without a parent in sight. How do they manage it? And why, you might wonder, do their parents let them do it? Well, necessity is the mother of invention and a lot of other things, it turns out. Kids are going in one direction, their parents in another (to school versus work), and the main way to get around town in New York, for example, is underground.
Turns out, it's probably safer too. Driving in this city is a disaster on a good day. You're a LOT less likely to get into an accident on the subway than you are in your car. Plus, the kids tend to travel in packs on the subway. I never see a kid get onto an empty car at an odd (non-rush hour) time. They pick which car to meet up on and collect as the train makes its stops toward their final destination. I know because I can hear them screeching above my iPod.
We all know that children are our future (thank you, Whitney Houston) but what do children think about our future? We Are What We Do, a British social change group, wanted to know, so they asked -- specifically, they asked about ways to make the world a better place. Thousands of children responded, and the answers have been compiled in a book called 
Besides being an actress, Jenny McCarthy is probably best well known for her autism advocacy, especially her controversial stance on vaccinations. But her concerns over children's health doesn't stop at shots. She's also worried about toxins in the environment and their long-term effect on kids. 
Riding the school bus to school has traditionally free -- except there really is no such thing as a free lunch. The funds to pay for the school bus itself, fuel, and insurance have to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is from the school's budget which is funded by taxes. So it's not really free. With diesel fuel costing more than four dollars a gallon on average, it's not even close to free these days.
