On Friday I taught my nine year old son how to make a volcano because he wanted to do some experiments at home. He had a blast! We were laughing and telling jokes and then it was time to make it erupt. When it did the look on his face was priceless. Sheer joy and amazement. I love showing him new things and spending time with him. He is so full of joy and wonder of the world and is so keen on making new things or taking things apart to discover how they work. He is a very intelligent child and is always asking inquisitive and indepth questions of which I am supposed to always have the answer. As he gets older I find myself going to the computer with him more frequently saying "Mom is not sure of the answer so let's research that together so we both can learn about it". I find this strategy works well because he gets in the habit of looking up the information instead of guessing or putting aside the question. He was so excited that he decided to write about it on his blog "Tommy's World" at http://tommysworld09.blogspot.com/
Please check it out and leave a comment and subscribe. Show him some love. The blog encourages him to write more.

Must See for Young Drivers

Please click on the title above to watch the video called EVERY 15 MINUTES. Share it with any young drivers in your family.

FLU SHOTS

Many people are still deciding on whether or not to get the regular flu shot or the swine flue shot.  I don't think there is a clear enough understanding of the contents of the shot and it's side effects for anyone to make an informed decision.  Many people with various health problems such as asthma need their yearly flu shots to maintain good health.  However there hasn't been enough information given to the public and there is no transparency with the information. Everything is just rushed and is being crammed down our throats like a shady pushy salesperson.  The media is creating an atmosphere of fear and making the public feel guilty if they don't get the shots because they will be putting their kids at risk or themselves if they don't.  They are creating a state of fear in everyone that will result in people rushing out to take the vaccine without really thinking about the ramifications of its use. 
     You have to weigh both sides of the issue - the pros and the cons.  One day my seventeen year old son came home from school greatly upset.  He said, "Mom, you have to see this video.  Oh my God you will not believe it."  He goes straight to the computer and looked it up.  It was a Fox news video.  I was shock and disturbed myself at seeing it.  I just shook my head and gave God thanks.  Click on the link below to see what he showed me.  Please make your own decisions about the flu shot with the help of your doctor and loved ones.  Speak to your doctor and express any concerns before making a decision.  Everyone is different but and I've included this video for informational purposes only -  it is not intended as medical advice.    Leave a comment. Thanks.
 
Below are the links. Click on each one to see a different video.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mScGC7nFDxM
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LapyKiMT2tc
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_9SU6vM_BA&feature=related
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU5UimENyAg&feature=related
 

The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861 A History of the Education of the Colored People of the United States ......

The full title is - The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861 A History of the Education of the Colored People of the United States from the Beginning of Slavery to the Civil War / Woodson, Carter Godwin, 1875-1950. I am a prolific reader of just about anything informational. Lately I have been reading and listening to a lot of old material I have collected over time. Most of these materials are in the public domain. This was an interesting book by Carter G. Woodson and so I am sharing it with you. Click on the link above to go to the book. I will be adding others from my collection over time. Enjoy and please leave a comment. Thanks.

Removing Undesirable Backgrounds From Pictures

Do you have pictures that you really like but they have a background that you are not happy with? Maybe you would like to share the pictures with others but the background stops you (for what ever embarrassing reason)? Here is a way to solve the problem. This article might be just what you need. It shows you how to remove the background using your computer. Click on the link above to go to the article. Try it an let me know what you think -Leave a comment.

Pharell had a bunch of tattoos removed

Don't bother to get all those tattoos in the first place. Who wants to go to this much trouble and pain to remove them ?

New Vendors At NYC Schools Must Cut Kids' Calories

Good news for health conscious parents and students who need reduced calorie diets. At least the temptation will be removed from school. For many years schools were being hypocritical to children by teaching about good healthy choices and still had soda machines, flavored beverages in machines filled with sugar, while others sold candy, cakes and other sweets daily as fundraisers. Below is an excerpt from the Gothamist. To read the full article click on the link above.

...Starting next fall, beverages sold in elementary and middle schools will be limited to a maximum of 10 calories per ounce in 8-ounce beverages, while high school students will be permitted 25 calories per ounce. As Snapple's controversial $40 million vending contract comes to an end, the DOE plans to ban juices and other beverages with artificial colors or flavors, the Post reports. It's all part of a crusade to combat what many deem a childhood "obesity epidemic," and the city is now seeking proposals from new vendors who must limit their snack selection to items under 200 calories, with less than 200 mg. of sodium and less than 10 percent saturated fat....

Should Sexting Be a Crime?

(Taken from an email I received from Common Sense Media)

I would love to think that "sexting" was only a theoretical issue in my family, but with two teens constantly using their cell phones, I can't make any promises that one of them hasn't sent off a racy snapshot or two (after all, 22% of teens say they have...). But I bet they didn't think they'd have to register as sex offenders if the police ever got hold of one of their sexts...

Mentacide: What exactly is it?

I came across a very interesting concept today so of course I had to investigate. i came across the word mentacide and was absolutely clueless except I knew it had to do with the mind and also with some type of destruction. Other than that I was clueless. So I googled it and discovered it is explained thoroughly in a book written by Mwalimu K. Bomani Baruti. I recommend that you check it it out. The description below is taken from his website called Akoben House.

Mentacide and other essays
Mentacide occurs when you willingly think and act out of someone else's interpretation of reality to their benefit and against your survival. It is a state of subtle insanity which, over the last few hundred years, has come to characterize more and more Afrikans globally. This collection of essays addresses various aspects of this self-negating confusion. For we, as an Afrikan people, cannot possibly attain an independent, self-sustaining empowerment without a clear understanding of who we are and are not. We cannot be someone else and ourselves at the same time, especially when that someone else is hell-bent on destroying us. For that reason, a number of these essays look into this confusion by critiquing our refusal to accept responsibility for consciously rearing our children, the political treason of some of the intellectuals who still pretend to speak for us, the flight of our emotions from european faiths to Afrikan spiritual systems designed to cater to our unchanged european ways and the systematic incarceration of our men and women and boys and girls

Free and Inexpensive Media Classes

I copied this information to share with you from their Blog page.

March 19, 2009...2:17 pm
Brooklyn Center for Media Education Spring 2009 Classes Announced
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Hooray! The Spring 2009 Brooklyn Center for Media Education classes and workshops have been announced.
Not familiar with the Brooklyn Center for Media Education? Well, now you can be! Here’s a brief tutorial:
Training over 500 Brooklynites a year, the Brooklyn Center for Media Education provides media services, educational classes, and mentoring programs that enable Brooklyn residents to produce their own television programs. Brooklyn residents and individuals representing Brooklyn organizations, ages 18 and over, can enroll in the Brooklyn Center for Media Education’s low-cost classes to learn television and multimedia production. Upon successful completion of basic courses, students become BCAT Media Center Certified Producers and have free access to equipment they’ve trained on to produce programs for cablecast on Brooklyn Free Speech TV.
Nice.
It’s very simple to take a class at the Brooklyn Center for Media Education. First, you need to attend an Orientation*:
Orientation (2 hours) Cost: FREE (Space available on a first-come, first-served basis)
§ Tuesday, April 7, 6pm-8pm
§ Saturday, April 11, 11:30am-1:30pm
§ Tuesday, May 5, 6pm-8pm
§ Saturday, May 16, 11:30am-1:30pm
§ Tuesday, June 2, 6pm-8pm
§ Saturday, June 6, 11:30am-1:30pm
§ Tuesday, July 7, 6pm-8pm
§ Saturday, July 18, 11:30am-1:30pm

(*The CME Literary Series does not require an orientation.. learn more about these seminars below!)
Then you take a look at the classes we’ve got and decide which one you want to take… (Deciding is the hard part– they all look so darn good.)

Click on the link above for more details including costs, class schedule and requirement.

Only Place to see Historic Stevie Wonder Concert

Only Place To See Historic Stevie Wonder Concert is by the Library of Congress. The video is approx. 55 minutes. This Library of Congress honored Stevie Wonder as he was awarded the Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Stevie performed a piece that the library commissioned him to do for the first time. Most people only know about his R & B music that plays on the radio and they don't pay attention to his composing skills. The piece he performed was called "Sketches of a Life". This webcast will show you another side to the 'Wonder' that we know and love as Stevie Wonder. VIEW THE WEBCAST HERE. It’s definitely worth watching. He performed the piece with a an orchestra of talented performers and he played different instruments which was wonderful. At one point he played the harmonica and believe me when I tell you that it sounded like a classic wind instrument found in an orchestra. At the end there were two encores in which he did familiar songs, which shows just how wonderful it was.

After viewing let me know what you think of the piece?

Cool Sites for Parents, Students and Educators

Here are a few sites that are worth the visit for parents, students and educators. The Smithsonian has created virtual tours for parents, teachers and students to learn about and explore African American and Latino History. Another resource is The Library of Congress. It is the nation's research arm of Congress. It is also the oldest federal cultural institution and it is also the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections.

http://latino.si.edu/education/LVM_Main.htm (for Latino history)
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/heritage_month/index.html (for African American history)
http://www.loc.gov/about/ (Library of Congress)

Drugging of Our Children by Gary Null

Click the video link below on this page to see a very important video by Gary Null on The Drugging of Our Children. What doctors are doing to them that creates disturbing outcomes. When we hear about drugs we don't immediately think of children and we certainly don't think that our children are being harmed by doctors. Check out this very informative video.

$50 Netbooks

Check out this article by ConsumerReports.org.

FIRST MULTI-STORY GREEN INDUSTRIAL FACILITY

Check out this article: Mayor Bloomberg Opens Nation's First Multi-Story Green Industrial Facility and Announces New Green Manufacturing Plant at Brooklyn Navy Yard

'Sexting' lands teen on sex offender list

I just became aware of something called sexting that is very disturbing to me. Apparently this is a growing trend among many teenagers. As the mother of three teenagers I am very troubled by this apparently new trend. My children, thank God, have not sent any naked or sexual pictures of themselves or their friends by texting or on the Internet. However, when I asked about it they admitted that their friends have sent jokes of a sexual nature by text to them. We have a very open relationship, which I am grateful for, so it is easy for me to speak to them about this. I had to show them the article and told them to make sure their friends know that they should not send such things because the consequences could be great. Some teens have been charged with pornography and made to register as a sex offenders. Their whole future just gets screwed up over this nonsense.
Give your kids a heads up on this because teenagers do things like this for fun, for retaliation or for spite against someone and then they end up getting a criminal record. It is very disturbing that so many children are being locked up for this type of 'teenage mischief'. There has to be a better way to teach them to be more responsible instead of putting them in jail where they only learn how to become real criminals instead of learning how to be responsible young adults.

The article below was emailed to me by the health department and I thought it was worth sharing.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEPress Release # 007-09Wednesday, March 18, 2009CONTACT: (212) 788-5290Jessica Scaperotti/Sara Markt, PressOffice@health.nyc.gov
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Health Department Reminds Parents to Keep Hazardous Household Items Away From ChildrenNational Poison Prevention Week is March 15 - 21
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March 18, 2009 – Common household products, such as bleach and laundry detergent were a leading cause of poisonings in New York City last year, prompting a fourth of all calls to the city’s Poison Control Center, the Health Department reported today. To mark National Poison Prevention Week, health officials urged parents and caregivers to protect young children by keeping these and other toxic substances safely out of reach. The city’s Poison Control Center received nearly 70,000 calls in 2008, 37% of which were for children under five. About 90% of poisonings occur in the home.

While the majority of poison-related hospitalizations result from ingesting medications, most calls to the Poison Control Center involve the ingestion of common household products. “Keep cleaners, medicines and cosmetics out of children’s reach or locked in cabinets,” said Dr. Robert Hoffman, Director of the Poison Control Center. “And if your child is exposed to something dangerous, call 212-POISONS right away for help.”
Top Reasons for Calls to Poison Control Center forChildren Under Five (2008)

Hazard / Examples Number of Calls
1. Cosmetic/personal care, hand soap, shampoo 2,152
2. Household Cleaners/ Bleach, ammonia, detergent, 1,686
3. Analgesics/ ibuprofen, acetaminophen 1,511
4. Foreign Bodies/ silica packets from bags/shoes 1,498
5. Topical/ diaper rash cream, petroleum jelly 1,225
6. Vitamins/ tablets 641
7. Pesticide/Rodenticides bait pellets 588
8. Arts/Crafts - crayons, glue 517
9. Cough & Cold/ cough syrup, cold medicine 488
10. Antihistamines/ tablets 427

Poisoning prevention: What you should do to keep your family safe. Most poisonings are preventable. Parents and caregivers should take the following steps to poison-proof their homes:
Identify the things inside and outside your home that are poisons.
Keep poisons out of children’s reach and use cabinet safety locks.
Keep household products in their original containers and make sure bottles are labeled.
Use child-resistant containers. Be sure they are closed.
Never keep non-food items with food.
Install carbon monoxide detectors in sleeping areas.
Keep plants out of children’s reach.
Post the Poison Control Center number near all telephones and be sure that babysitters and family members know where the number is posted.
Poisoning in kids: How to know andwhat to do
Some signs of a poisoning are:
an open container nearby
pills, berries, etc. in the mouth
strange odor on the breath
burns around the mouth
upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, dizziness or unconsciousness
If you suspect that a poisoning has occurred, call the Poison Control Center at 212-POISONS (764-7667). All calls are kept confidential. Do not stick your finger down the person’s throat to make the person vomit or give anything by mouth unless told to do so by the Poison Control Center or a doctor. If the patient is unconscious, convulsing, or having trouble breathing, call 911 right away.
Poison Control in New York City
In 2008, the Health Department worked to prevent household poisonings by distributing 176,000 multilingual brochures, providing 65 educational sessions, and placing newspaper advertisements in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Educational materials are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Russian and Bengali.
The New York City Poison Control Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Pharmacists and nurses are always available to give advice. All calls are free and confidential. Translation services are provided in more than 150 languages.

As a parent this is vital information that must be shared.

Hi there, my name is Cheryl and this is my blog. I am an avid reader and lover of cool products, awesome gadgets and seeker of information. I read everything and anything and I love informational products, shows, and videos . I enjoy going to workshops, conferences and educational forums. I spend a lot of time volunteering in schools and with children and teenagers. I love solving problems and planning events. I craft, sew, crochet, cook, write term and research papers, make jewelry, paint amongst other things. I consider myself a renaissance woman and I love to share information and help people to better their lives. On this site I will be adding anything that is of interest to me, that I think might interest you. I will also have great products that might interest you so check back often.