Blog Archives
…try your luck
Chuck E Cheese is one of those childhood memories that is either surrounded by warm, fuzzy or traumatizing moments. There is no in-between and it really comes down to which end of the masked character spectrum you tend towards.
But whether you smile at the thought or break into a cold sweat, odds are you went there as a child. Little did you know you were participating in illegal activities.
Recent legislation meant to combat Internet Cafe gambling (apparently it’s a thing), has brought to light the sinister nature of some Chuck E Cheese entertainment. The new legislation could technically define some of their games as illegal under-age gambling. Read the rest of this entry
…Stick With It
In the never ending battle between children and fruits and veggies, many tactics have been used. Aerial reinforcements have been brought in, lines have been drawn and even the occasional choo choo train has been known to make an appearance.
Yet, with a few exceptions, the barricade set up by kids through out the ages remains impenetrable.
Until now.
A recent study showed that kids are more likely to choose the healthier food option if it has a sticker with a well known character (Let’s say, Elmo) on it. This is assuming that the unhealthy option doesn’t have a cooler cartoon character (SpongeBob beats Elmo every time) on it.
Some might point out that this tactic has been proven for years (cough…Ronald…cough…McDonald), but obviously they don’t understand the power of scientific research.
So here’s to fighting fire with fire, even if the other side has a head start.
___________________________________
More on the Story: NBCNews.com
…just for fun:
…Learn The Best Policy
From an early age we’re told that honesty is the best policy.
We’re taught that telling the truth is good, and lying is bad (it’s a lovely black and white world). However, a new study shows that this lesson might not be sticking as well as we might hope.
For the study, a group of children’s honesty was tested by telling them not to peek at a toy.
Their reactions were monitored by video, and then checked against their responses as to whether or not they had peeked.
Only a fifth of two-year-olds were able to lie. But by age four, 90 percent were capable of lying. By age 12 the study wasn’t willing to release their results, but let’s just say it peaked. And after that most kids knew what a video camera was.
Don’t worry, your children aren’t turning into pathelogical liars (well, most of them aren’t), they’re simply developing their intelligence. I’m sure that makes the parents of those exceptionally gifted 20 percent of two-year-olds feel much better.
Did you hear that kids? You’re not lying, you’re making yourselves smarter. Feel free to try that out the next time you’re caught with your hand in the cookie jar.
Although, the really smart ones don’t get caught.
_______________________________________
More on the Story: MSNBC
…just for fun:
…Live Forever
A recent study of kids’ television programming found that fame is presented as the number one value.
It is followed by achievement, popularity, image and financial success, and replaces the previous values: tradition, community feeling, benevolence, and self-acceptance (image was also included in the original top values).
Of course, this list has raised a slew of concerns. The most obvious being: What are we teaching our kids?
Which I’d like to counter with: What’s wrong with fame?
Or, rather, what’s so wrong with aspiring to be better? I agree that fame should not be the sole motivation and value of the television-viewing youth, but it’s also not inherently evil.
Fame has long been the desire and obsession of many people.
This human desire to leave a mark, and not vanish into obscurity is nothing new.
No one ever launched a war or built a pyramid with the hope that the history books would leave them out.
Fame was once a good thing, to be famous meant that you had accomplished greatness. Okay, so there are exceptions, mostly due to some confusion over the difference between famous and infamous.
So what’s changed? Well, to name a few things: society, technology, your ”average joe’s” access to this technology and what qualifies someone as famous (or infamous).
Okay, it wouldn’t hurt to see a little more tradition, community feeling, benevolence, and self-acceptance in our television programming.
But get rid of fame altogether, and you might as well take off ambition and challenging the status quo too.
Maybe it’s not about demonizing the new values, but finding a balance between the old and the new. And possibly a reevaluation of what fame has become.
________________________________________
More on the Story: LiveScience.com
…just for fun:
…Wash Up
A startling discovery has been remade in the war on germs.
It turns out that soap isn’t quite as clean as we thought.
Now don’t let the fact that we already knew that soap is less than sanitary at times put you off your guard.
It is very important that we all keep a clear head so that we can freak out properly.
It turns out soap can also hold on to germs at grade schools.
A study of the soap dispensers at a grade school in Ohio revealed lots of nasty bacteria.
This high level of germs puts children at risk for contracting rashes, eye infections and other things that are also caused by being a kid.
We’ve lost one of our own to the allure of bacteria and scum. Thank goodness we haven’t let a little thing called common sense get in the way of our mission.
_________________________________
More on the Story: Soap’s Dirty Secret
…just for fun:
Others at risk for possible infection-
Zer
Stephanie
The2Women
