How safe are our children in the world of online activity and communication?
This pressing concern and consideration has been at the fore of parental discussion as popular internet sites, such as Myspace, field an ever-growing community of youngsters eagerly joining and reaching to make new "buddies".
In a world where it's necessary to warn kids about the danger of speaking to strangers, many parents and guardians alike have been taken aback by the thought that only a few keystrokes separate their children from a world of 7 billion strangers.
St. Hugo, a school in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, has made recent headlines as faculty has enacted a direct policy to curb and eventually eliminate Myspace use among its students.
The school has demanded all its students remove all of their files, personal information, pictures and enrollment within Myspace. Families were warned that students who did not comply would face suspension and not be able to return to the school.
While such demands most likely would only take place at a private institution, is such a policy good or bad?
Initially, it would seem parents should comply as nothing can be more important than a child's safety. The problem that can arise, however, is that by simply banning children from what is surely to become a standard norm for communication in coming years (already standard with some newer cell phones) important opportunity to instruct on proper communication and habits in an interconnected world can be missed.
Perhaps a better solution, for teen-aged children who have a good grasp of responsibility and recognize risk, is guided supervision to using new communication tools.
The thought is that children of today will continually use online mediums and the dangers posed by such communication tools will be continually present. As noted by American Studies Professor Jerry Herron, of Wayne State University, "'They (parents) may heave a sigh of relief and think maybe this problem will be solved, but a predator who wants to violate children will find a way, electronically or otherwise, sadly.'"
As online communities continue to grow and become as essential and debated as the telephone in teenage life, parents and technological experts will have to develop better strategies in ensuring safety for children.
While it should be a definite standard to block all access of young children to pre-teens from social sites, a gray area exists as teens reach their "I'm almost 18!" phase. What's a parent to do as that time approaches?
Completely blocking access to online communities at that time, of course depending on the child in question, may be a patently bad idea. In addition to encouraging rebellion, as mentioned earlier, it will be a failed opportunity to give instruction and teach your children the importance of limiting private information about themselves, in addition to the importance of not "meeting or talking" with strangers.
Instruction with supervision, and limited freedom, can go a long way.
Here are some resources that parents may find quite useful.
Alternatives To Myspace and Online Safety
Myspace Information For Parents
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Universal BBQ Ethics
The ten dictates of universal barbeque fun is a powerful tool, to be revered and respected by men and women worldwide. Deviation from said rules can result in a very unpleasant BBQ experience for hosts and guests alike. Please, pay reverence to what your eyes are about to witness. The happiness in your life, and good times, will be the reward.
The Ten BBQ Dictations
1. Garden Burgers: Garden Burgers are a condiment. While it is necessary to BUY garden burgers if you want to invite women to your cookout, one may never cook the garden burger on the grill unless an attractive woman has requested so and is within a five to six foot radius.
If said woman leaves to talk to a friend, feed the vegetable to the fire and say someone took it. Any bro' who asks for a garden burger gets excommunicated from your house for a month. Said criminal can make penance by doing multiple beer runs as allowed by law.
2. Marinade: Despite what you use to season your meat, the answer is always and invariably salt and pepper. You should not admit to having more than these two basic spices (even though you may have a cabinet full of others). If you are on a tight budget, Nadie Ice, Guinness, or Corona are all acceptable marinades and all male friends must praise your ingenuity for using such. A comment on the unique flavor beer provides is also in proper order. If you are high class, you may substitute liquor for beer.
3. Fire: The first thing one should do when going to a buddy’s BBQ is go to the patio and say "That's a good fire." The buddy will take pride and reply, "Yep." After this exchange, feel free to help yourself to any canned beer that your buddy owns. Make sure the beer doesn't belong to beer-miser roommates who are averse to sharing. If you notice the steaks need to be flipped, one may not say..."The meat is burning." That's called nagging. You say..."That's a really good fire." Your buddy will know to flip the meat and keep his pride at the same time. Have another beer.
4. Rotation: Always make sure you can flip steaks and Garden Burgers for girls with style. The key is the spatula. It must be able to do the job while letting you keep your distance so you won't...1. Smell like a smokehouse 2. Singe arm hair. 3. Easily flip meat that was consumed when the "fire got too good."
5. Greed: Never leave a bro' hanging. A proper cookout will have pool or coed volleyball going on. Don't get tempted by the bathing or jumping girls and leave your bro with a line full of hungry guys. Start taking food away and back inside after everyone has made a good two rounds.
6. Waistline: Remember that foods like potato chips, hamburgers, and hotdogs can really pack your waistline. One could opt to buy skinless chicken, replace the chips with fruits and veggies, and let the floodgates of water quench your guest's thirst. If your name isn’t Jack and you’re not staring at Suzanne Somers on the set of Three’s Company, the veggieque menu isn’t an option. If you find yourself losing the battle of the waistline bulge, make sure to buy both lean cuts of meat and also increase the amount of exercise you are getting.
7. Clothing: Under no circumstance may one dress in this manner. While it may be acceptable in some places or events, the answer is no at BBQ’s. Such clothing risks getting caught by the fire. Appropriate attire consists of a simple t-shirt, jeans, or even board shorts. Beyond this, one may wear an apron if he/she is able to grow a powerful man-beard.
8. Music: Under NO circumstance should the BBQ vibe be ruined by musical abominations like Smash Mouth and Milli-Vanilli. Be careful when dusting off those burnt 90's era mix-cds. If any abomination to music is present at your party, guests shall hold the rights to leave in a fury, say bad things about your horrid taste in music, and confiscate any beer from your premises. In some regions you may need to serve time for your poor taste.
9. Cleaning: The hardest part of throwing a good BBQ is cleaning the massive mess. Such Herculean tasks are hard to perform, especially when one is full of meat, tired, has beer in hand and is relaxing poolside.
If you are one with girlfriend, under no circumstance should you make the mistake of asking her to clean your BBQ mess. This brings the risk of incurring the slapping-effect or nagging, which well not let your steak digest well. Instead, employ the pre-asking technique on a friend.
Several days before your BBQ, make way to a friends house to “borrow” a small yet essential item, like perhaps an X-box controller or Ipod. As the BBQ winds down, your friend will try to make an early exit as to avoid cleaning. Simply walk up to your buddy and say “Hey, I have your Ipod. I’ll be able to get it back, once this mess is clean.” Make no real effort to clean until you see your friend start to gather loose plates and such. The wheels are now in motion.
10. Fun: The most important part of any outdoor event is having a good time. You’ll notice that in soda commercials as well as beer, the characters usually look like they are having a ridiculously good time. From these commercials you begin to associate good times with said product. Employ this technique to ensure that your house becomes the nucleus of social life.
The technique is simple. When throwing your first BBQ, make sure to have a high-quality digital camera on hand. Recruit a lazy roommate to take pictures by offering free food. Next, make sure to take note and point out any ridiculously beautiful people who come to your party. Make sure these people participate in games in the pool as well as volleyball. Get many pictures of you and the pretty people frolicking, splashing, and perhaps even canoodling.
You now have a permanent advertisement for your next party. People will say…”WOW! Lookit, it’s __insert your name here__ and some ridiculously hot people romping all over the place. This is what hangin’out with __insert your name here__means? I want in.” Congratulations, you are now a product association.
Follow these dictates, young Padawans, and your upcoming cookouts will overflow with guests.
The Ten BBQ Dictations
1. Garden Burgers: Garden Burgers are a condiment. While it is necessary to BUY garden burgers if you want to invite women to your cookout, one may never cook the garden burger on the grill unless an attractive woman has requested so and is within a five to six foot radius.
If said woman leaves to talk to a friend, feed the vegetable to the fire and say someone took it. Any bro' who asks for a garden burger gets excommunicated from your house for a month. Said criminal can make penance by doing multiple beer runs as allowed by law.
2. Marinade: Despite what you use to season your meat, the answer is always and invariably salt and pepper. You should not admit to having more than these two basic spices (even though you may have a cabinet full of others). If you are on a tight budget, Nadie Ice, Guinness, or Corona are all acceptable marinades and all male friends must praise your ingenuity for using such. A comment on the unique flavor beer provides is also in proper order. If you are high class, you may substitute liquor for beer.
3. Fire: The first thing one should do when going to a buddy’s BBQ is go to the patio and say "That's a good fire." The buddy will take pride and reply, "Yep." After this exchange, feel free to help yourself to any canned beer that your buddy owns. Make sure the beer doesn't belong to beer-miser roommates who are averse to sharing. If you notice the steaks need to be flipped, one may not say..."The meat is burning." That's called nagging. You say..."That's a really good fire." Your buddy will know to flip the meat and keep his pride at the same time. Have another beer.
4. Rotation: Always make sure you can flip steaks and Garden Burgers for girls with style. The key is the spatula. It must be able to do the job while letting you keep your distance so you won't...1. Smell like a smokehouse 2. Singe arm hair. 3. Easily flip meat that was consumed when the "fire got too good."
5. Greed: Never leave a bro' hanging. A proper cookout will have pool or coed volleyball going on. Don't get tempted by the bathing or jumping girls and leave your bro with a line full of hungry guys. Start taking food away and back inside after everyone has made a good two rounds.
6. Waistline: Remember that foods like potato chips, hamburgers, and hotdogs can really pack your waistline. One could opt to buy skinless chicken, replace the chips with fruits and veggies, and let the floodgates of water quench your guest's thirst. If your name isn’t Jack and you’re not staring at Suzanne Somers on the set of Three’s Company, the veggieque menu isn’t an option. If you find yourself losing the battle of the waistline bulge, make sure to buy both lean cuts of meat and also increase the amount of exercise you are getting.
7. Clothing: Under no circumstance may one dress in this manner. While it may be acceptable in some places or events, the answer is no at BBQ’s. Such clothing risks getting caught by the fire. Appropriate attire consists of a simple t-shirt, jeans, or even board shorts. Beyond this, one may wear an apron if he/she is able to grow a powerful man-beard.
8. Music: Under NO circumstance should the BBQ vibe be ruined by musical abominations like Smash Mouth and Milli-Vanilli. Be careful when dusting off those burnt 90's era mix-cds. If any abomination to music is present at your party, guests shall hold the rights to leave in a fury, say bad things about your horrid taste in music, and confiscate any beer from your premises. In some regions you may need to serve time for your poor taste.
9. Cleaning: The hardest part of throwing a good BBQ is cleaning the massive mess. Such Herculean tasks are hard to perform, especially when one is full of meat, tired, has beer in hand and is relaxing poolside.
If you are one with girlfriend, under no circumstance should you make the mistake of asking her to clean your BBQ mess. This brings the risk of incurring the slapping-effect or nagging, which well not let your steak digest well. Instead, employ the pre-asking technique on a friend.
Several days before your BBQ, make way to a friends house to “borrow” a small yet essential item, like perhaps an X-box controller or Ipod. As the BBQ winds down, your friend will try to make an early exit as to avoid cleaning. Simply walk up to your buddy and say “Hey, I have your Ipod. I’ll be able to get it back, once this mess is clean.” Make no real effort to clean until you see your friend start to gather loose plates and such. The wheels are now in motion.
10. Fun: The most important part of any outdoor event is having a good time. You’ll notice that in soda commercials as well as beer, the characters usually look like they are having a ridiculously good time. From these commercials you begin to associate good times with said product. Employ this technique to ensure that your house becomes the nucleus of social life.
The technique is simple. When throwing your first BBQ, make sure to have a high-quality digital camera on hand. Recruit a lazy roommate to take pictures by offering free food. Next, make sure to take note and point out any ridiculously beautiful people who come to your party. Make sure these people participate in games in the pool as well as volleyball. Get many pictures of you and the pretty people frolicking, splashing, and perhaps even canoodling.
You now have a permanent advertisement for your next party. People will say…”WOW! Lookit, it’s __insert your name here__ and some ridiculously hot people romping all over the place. This is what hangin’out with __insert your name here__means? I want in.” Congratulations, you are now a product association.
Follow these dictates, young Padawans, and your upcoming cookouts will overflow with guests.
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