Here is another brilliant article from one of my favorite authors, Ben Stein. He wrote it following the Mark Foley scandal.
.....'But this is a nation endlessly selling teenagers -- sometimes younger than teenagers -- as sex objects. This is how teenagers are merchandised -- and watch the cheerleaders at any high school football game for more proof. It should not surprise us if, with all of that selling, there are buyers, both gay and straight for all of this selling''...
Read Entire Article....
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Monday, January 15, 2007
My "Mommy Guilt" is Gone for a Moment
I made it a goal this weekend to place a big-hearty checkmark by 10 of my "to-do's". That meant, cleaning the closet...organizing several cupboards...posting items on Ebay...sorting old clothes...decluttering the kitchen...cleaning the fridge, and more....
Well, I can proudly say, "I did it!" Woo hoo! But at the expense of my two preschool-aged children. Okay, before you think I am a horrible mommy, I did get them involved in the tasks and we had fun with it. My daughter sprayed a bottle of water as she helped me clean the fridge and my son ran around with a soaking wet sponge.
But, I did feel a tiny bit of "mommy guilt" when I let them watch four hours of Saturday morning cartoons and eat fruity-cheerios in ziplock bags.
Tonight, I was finishing up a few of my New Year's decluttering resolutions when I looked online for an activity for my preschool daughter. I was absolutely THRILLED when I found this site! It offers several books read aloud by celebrities! Not that my kids know who they are...but *I* think it is pretty neat, nonetheless! Now, when I am having a Saturday morning "Mommy Guilt" prop the kids in front of the TV set - moment...I am going to allow a celebrity to read them a few books while I clean. While I personally think Sponge Bob is a hoot...I feel much better about online story-time!
Check it out, and let me know what you think!
BookPALS Storyline Online
Well, I can proudly say, "I did it!" Woo hoo! But at the expense of my two preschool-aged children. Okay, before you think I am a horrible mommy, I did get them involved in the tasks and we had fun with it. My daughter sprayed a bottle of water as she helped me clean the fridge and my son ran around with a soaking wet sponge.
But, I did feel a tiny bit of "mommy guilt" when I let them watch four hours of Saturday morning cartoons and eat fruity-cheerios in ziplock bags.
Tonight, I was finishing up a few of my New Year's decluttering resolutions when I looked online for an activity for my preschool daughter. I was absolutely THRILLED when I found this site! It offers several books read aloud by celebrities! Not that my kids know who they are...but *I* think it is pretty neat, nonetheless! Now, when I am having a Saturday morning "Mommy Guilt" prop the kids in front of the TV set - moment...I am going to allow a celebrity to read them a few books while I clean. While I personally think Sponge Bob is a hoot...I feel much better about online story-time!
Check it out, and let me know what you think!
BookPALS Storyline Online
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Miracle In Missouri - Boys Found!
Breaking News: Shawn Hornbeck, Ben Ownby Found: A Missouri Miracle - The Post Chronicle
I have been fixated on the news all day. It isn't very often that you hear *good news* about a child abduction case but today is a new day. They found two children, alive and well in Missouri. Praise God.
Shawn's step-father is speaking at a news conference as I write this. Something he said struck a nerve with me. He looks like he is in his forties. He talked about how our society has changed. How, when he was a child, he could play outside all day and come in again in the evening without worrying about strangers, kidnappings or sex offenders lurking in our neighborhoods.
I am in my early thirties and it has changed for me as well. I remember long bike rides to the beach where my older sister and I would spend the day getting sunburned with our friends. I remember taking my allowance to a small-town grocery store where we would buy too much candy and sit at the local park and eat it until our bellies were sore. We would stay ourside until it was time to race the sunset on our banana-seat bikes.
I have a three year old son, and two year old daughter. It saddens me that they will not have memories like mine.
This is a miracle. This is a tremendous news story. I pray that it will reawaken us to the dangers our children face in our own backyards. I want my kids to have fun, to play and not to worry about strangers when they get off the school bus. At the same time, I am realistic.
One of the reports I read indicated that the man who took the boys was an unregistered sex-offender. Sadly, I am not surprised. When are we going to start taking these people seriously? When are we going to start "tagging" them like the animals that they are? GPS tagging technology works. We just need the manpower to monitor the monsters. Imprisonment works better. Don't let your lawmakers get away with minimum sentences. You can get involved. You MUST get involved.
Let's use this miracle as an opportunity to make some changes. Here are some related links that will help you get involved.
Technorati Tags: shawn, hornbeck, ben, owenby, missouri, abduction, michael, devlin, sex, offender, sex offender, registry, r
I have been fixated on the news all day. It isn't very often that you hear *good news* about a child abduction case but today is a new day. They found two children, alive and well in Missouri. Praise God.
Shawn's step-father is speaking at a news conference as I write this. Something he said struck a nerve with me. He looks like he is in his forties. He talked about how our society has changed. How, when he was a child, he could play outside all day and come in again in the evening without worrying about strangers, kidnappings or sex offenders lurking in our neighborhoods.
I am in my early thirties and it has changed for me as well. I remember long bike rides to the beach where my older sister and I would spend the day getting sunburned with our friends. I remember taking my allowance to a small-town grocery store where we would buy too much candy and sit at the local park and eat it until our bellies were sore. We would stay ourside until it was time to race the sunset on our banana-seat bikes.
I have a three year old son, and two year old daughter. It saddens me that they will not have memories like mine.
This is a miracle. This is a tremendous news story. I pray that it will reawaken us to the dangers our children face in our own backyards. I want my kids to have fun, to play and not to worry about strangers when they get off the school bus. At the same time, I am realistic.
One of the reports I read indicated that the man who took the boys was an unregistered sex-offender. Sadly, I am not surprised. When are we going to start taking these people seriously? When are we going to start "tagging" them like the animals that they are? GPS tagging technology works. We just need the manpower to monitor the monsters. Imprisonment works better. Don't let your lawmakers get away with minimum sentences. You can get involved. You MUST get involved.
Let's use this miracle as an opportunity to make some changes. Here are some related links that will help you get involved.
Online Amber Alert Systerm
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Place a banner or a link to www.missingkids.com on your web site.
Wireless AMBER Alerts
Receive AMBER Alerts as text messages on your wireless device.ID Events
Organize an ID event in your community.Internship Opportunities
Become an intern at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.Missing Kids Online Alerts
Download this free program to be instantly notified of missing-children alerts issued by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.Pictures Work!
Join a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of pictures in recovering missing children.Poster-Partner Program
Volunteer Opportunities
Receive E-mail alerts about children who become missing in your area.
Become a volunteer for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
STOP Sex Offenders: Your Source for Child & Family Safety ...
National Sex Offender Registry
Technorati Tags: shawn, hornbeck, ben, owenby, missouri, abduction, michael, devlin, sex, offender, sex offender, registry, r
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Body Image for Mothers and Daughters - FamilyEducation.com
Body Image for Mothers and Daughters - FamilyEducation.com
When Laura M.'s daughter Jackie, age 7, complained that she didn't have a flat stomach, Laura was taken aback. When Jackie came home from school and said she thought her nose was too big, Laura was puzzled: Where was this coming from? But when her little girl began talking about the size of Britney Spears' breasts, Laura was totally floored.
"Someone told her at school that Britney Spears had something put in her breasts to make them bigger," Laura remembers. "I didn't want to put down Britney Spears, because my daughter loves her, but I said that sometimes women get infections from doing that or they can't nurse their babies. She was surprised to hear that."
Continue Reading...
Technorati Tags: body image, anorexia, eating disporders, mothers, daughters, teens, girls
Thursday, November 16, 2006
State's highest court upholds internet child-sex laws
TALLAHASSEE -- Two state laws designed to crack down on sexual predators who use the Internet to prey on children do not violate constitutional rights of free speech and interstate commerce, the Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
The justices unanimously upheld statutes that make it a crime to use online services to lure or entice a child and transmit material harmful to a minor.
The state has a compelling interest in protecting the physical and psychological well-being of minors from harmful materials,'' Justice Peggy Quince wrote for the court.
Continue Reading...
This article is copyrighted material, the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner
The justices unanimously upheld statutes that make it a crime to use online services to lure or entice a child and transmit material harmful to a minor.
The state has a compelling interest in protecting the physical and psychological well-being of minors from harmful materials,'' Justice Peggy Quince wrote for the court.
Continue Reading...
This article is copyrighted material, the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Jame Lee Curtis Bares All
Kudos to Jamie Lee Curtis for showing us that it takes a team of 13 hair-stylists, makeup artists...and more to make even the most beautiful women cover-girl worthy.
You can read more about her transformation here....
On a sidenote, my sister recently gave me a couple of children's books written by Jamie Lee. They are wonderfully engaging and cute stories that help promote self-esteem.
My favorite is...
I'm Gonna Like Me - Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem
Clearly, Jamie walks the walk.....
You can read more about her transformation here....
On a sidenote, my sister recently gave me a couple of children's books written by Jamie Lee. They are wonderfully engaging and cute stories that help promote self-esteem.
My favorite is...
I'm Gonna Like Me - Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem
Clearly, Jamie walks the walk.....
Teens' T-Shirts Make Educators Squirm
Suggestive Messages Challenge Dress Codes
By Ian ShapiraWashington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 27, 2006; Page A01
Ashli Walker rifled through a rack of designer T-shirts one recent afternoon, pondering which one she should buy and wear the next day to Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Prince George's County. The big black one that read, "TRUST ME..I'M SINGLE"? Or the snug white T-shirt emblazoned with, "I KNOW WHAT BOYS WANT"?
They're blatantly sexual, occasionally clever and often loaded with double meanings, forcing school administrators and other students to read provocations stripped across the chest, such as "yes, but not with u!," "Your Boyfriend Is a Good Kisser" and "two boys for every girl." Such T-shirts also are emblematic of the kind of sleazy-chic culture some teenagers now inhabit, in which status can be defined by images of sexual promiscuity that previous generations might have considered unhip.This article is copyrighted material, the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner
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