Friday, September 30, 2011

Has The Economy Changed The Way You Parent?

Is the Economy Killing Fatherhood?
Advocate Reveals Ways to Be
A Better Father in Trying Times

Tom Watson knows what it’s like not to have time to spend with your kids.

"It used to sting me when I was working hard at building my business and I’d hear my kids talking about me," he said. "One would ask the other to see if I had time to play with them, and the other would tell him not to bother, because he knew I’d be too busy. It was like a knife in my heart. With the economy as tight as it is, I know that I’m not the only father with the same issue. These days, many fathers are either unemployed and working hard to find work or they are working two jobs or more just to make ends meet. Either they don’t have much time for family, or they just aren’t in the mood for family because they are despondent or feeling helpless as a provider."

But, it doesn’t have to be that way, according to Watson, author of the autobiographical Man Shoes: The Journey to Becoming a Better Man, Husband & Father (
www.manshoes.net). Watson’s tips for dads in a tough economy include:
  • Share Time – Don’t spend time with your kids, because that term makes it sound like you are giving away time that you could be using for other things. Share time with them, because sharing indicates that you both get something out of that time. It’s important for your kids to know that you aren’t paying attention to them out of obligation, but rather, because you need to be with them as much as they need to be with you.
  • Make a Schedule – Stability and security are important to kids, so set up a time every week that is just for them, and do your best to make that time on your calendar immovable. Give them something they can look forward to on a regular schedule and it will show them how important they are to you and help you build a trusting relationship with them.
  • A Little Time is Better Than None – If you’re working two jobs or work out of town and commute home on the weekends, they will understand if you don’t have a lot of time to spend. Even if you can only block out a couple of hours every week, that can be enough. As long as you keep to the schedule and don’t let them down, that time will be as valuable as if you spent the entire weekend with them.
  • Don’t Plan Big – Parents who work a lot sometimes feel guilty about neglecting their kids, and they cater to that guilt by making big plans with their kids on a regular basis. They feel that doing something lavish and expensive will somehow be seen as a payback to their kids for not seeing them often. The pitfall is that the bigger the plan, the bigger the expectation. The truth is, kids don’t care. You don’t have to spend a lot of money or make big plans all the time. It could be as simple as going to the park to fly kites and eating a brown bag lunch together, and most kids would be happy with that.
"Life is a choice and the person you choose to be is in your control. No matter the hand you may have been dealt, there are no excuses," Watson added. "I grew up as an orphan and I acted out a lot, because I lacked the guidance of a family until I was finally adopted," he said. "And even when I found stability with my adoptive parents, the Watsons, it took some time for me to settle down. Having shoes on my feet, clothes on my back and food on the table were all good things, but it wasn’t those things that soothed me as a child. It was the time, love and attention I received from the Watsons that put me back on course and that’s what every child needs. While it may seem to some that working hard to provide for their families is their primary responsibility as a father, that’s just not so. Children are adaptable and can do without material things more easily than they can do without the love and attention of their parents. If my experience meant anything to me, it showed me that it takes more to be a dad than to just bring home the bacon. It’s not enough to just do for your children – you have to be with them, too."
About Tom Watson
Tom Watson is a survivor of child abuse, upheaval and 13 foster homes, so he learned how to overcome adversity at an early age.  Later in life, Tom was faced with heartbreaking tragedies which threatened to destroy him.  He drew from previous life lessons to persevere and show that new beginnings are possible at any age or stage of life - no matter what obstacles get in the way.  These principles and their applications are chronicled in his new book Man Shoes: The Journey to Becoming a Better Man, Husband & Father (www.manshoes.net).

Getting Ready To Review Book, The Big Year




The Big Year starring, Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Steve Martin comes out next week.The book is on top of my To Be Read pile. I am excited to get to it.

Great line up of comedic actors. I have high hopes for this movie


Power Rangers Promote Halloween Safety

POWER RANGERS PROMOTE HALLOWEEN SAFETY TO MILLIONS OF
KIDS AND PARENTS

In Addition To Halloween Safety, Power Rangers emPOWER To Also Implement New Initiatives And Partnerships For Health And Fitness This Fall

LOS ANGELES (September 28, 2011) – Saban Brands announced today a forthcoming multi-platform national Halloween safety campaign featuring the Samurai Power Rangers, along with additional activities for their Power Rangers emPOWER initiative for fall 2011. Beginning next month, Saban Brands will launch a multi-platform campaign focused on Halloween safety featuring the Power Rangers, designed to reach parents and children at schools, in theaters, online, and at home.

Videos about Halloween safety featuring the cast of the #1 kids action series Power Rangers Samurai will air in movie theaters nationwide before PG and G-rated films. Some of the many important tips that the Power Rangers will share include:
·       Do not eat unwrapped candy.
·       When trick-or-treating, make sure to also take a glow stick or flashlight, or add reflective tape to your costume so that cars may more easily see you.
·       Never go trick-or-treating alone. Use teamwork and stay in groups or with a parent.

Special bulletin board posters reinforcing safe trick-or-treating guidelines will be distributed to 5,000+ elementary schools across the country. Also, online, kids can visit powerrangers.com/Halloween for more Halloween Halloween safety tips, videos, activities, games and resources throughout the month of October. The Power Rangers will also be reaching parents and kids through some of the most popular parenting blogs, entertainment websites, and gaming portals.

“Saban Brands is committed to sharing the message of Halloween safety with young Power Rangers fans and parents worldwide,” said Saban Brands president Elie Dekel. “In addition, we’re also continuing to encourage families to live a more active and healthier lifestyle with the Power Rangers emPOWER program.”

As part of Saban Brands and Power Rangers’ commitment to promote the health and well being of millions of young Power Rangers fans nationwide, additional initiatives tied to the Power Rangers emPOWER program are also scheduled for this fall, including Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play, a partnership with Every Body Walk!, where the Rangers will participate in Walk To School Day, and the newest cycle of the Power Rangers emPOWER Sweepstakes.

Power Rangers emPOWER was developed in conjunction with the hit television series Power Rangers Samurai to inspire kids and families to put the Power Rangers values of teamwork, confidence, health and physical activity into action. The initiative shows kids and parents how to make healthy choices through programs at schools, online, and at live events in local communities.

Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play
On September 24, the Power Rangers participated in Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play, which was the biggest celebration of active play in the eight-year history of the initiative. Nickelodeon and its partners hosted an entire day of activities and games for kids and families on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. to encourage active and healthy lifestyles. Additionally, Nickelodeon’s networks and websites went dark from 12 to 3 p.m. (ET/PT) as a signal to kids and families to get up and get active. Leading up to the D.C. event, the cast of Nickelodeon’s hit series Power Rangers Samurai starred in a special PSA promoting Worldwide Day of Play that is airing exclusively on Nickelodeon and online at Nick.com.


Every Body Walk! And Walk To School Day
Beginning this month, Power Rangers emPOWER is partnering with Every Body Walk!, an online educational campaign aimed at getting Americans up and moving. Every Body Walk! and Power Rangers emPOWER are launching a new program focused on encouraging kids to walk to school for health and fitness. As part of this new initiative, Every Body Walk! included the Power Rangers in their upcoming “Walking School Bus” event at the Center for Total Health in Washington, DC on September 23. This event brought together educators, kids, parents, and health professionals to encourage kids nationwide to walk to school. This event also raised awareness of “Walk To School Day” on October 5. The Power Rangers will celebrate this year’s “Walk To School Day” by accompanying students in Los Angeles as they walk to school, taking part in a national campaign that is activated at more than 5,000 schools nationwide.

Power Rangers emPOWER Activities Kit Sweepstakes
Once again, the Power Rangers emPOWER Activities Kit Sweepstakes is offering schools and youth organizations the chance to win a $10,000 donation and a visit from the Power Rangers by activating “Ranger Training” within their organizations. Schools and local non-profit community groups can enter now through November 11, 2011. For more information on how to enter, along with parenting tips, healthy recipes, and news about upcoming live Power Rangers emPOWER events, please visit PowerRangers.com.

About Power Rangers Samurai
Combining comedy with action-filled storylines, the all-new half-hour series Power Rangers Samurai features a new cast of Rangers and never-before-seen villains, as well as high-octane action, martial arts and advanced special effects. From SCG Power Rangers LLC, an affiliate of Saban Brands, the long-running hit kids’ TV phenomenon, now heading into its 19th season, is helmed by Haim Saban, who created and produced the original “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” series in 1993. New episodes premiere Saturdays at noon (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.

Following its introduction in 1993, Power Rangers quickly became the most watched children’s television program in the United States. Emphasizing the importance of teamwork, responsibility and helping others by following the adventures of a group of ordinary young people who “morphed” into superheroes, the series was seen in more than 60 countries, translated into numerous languages, and was a mainstay in the most prominent international children’s programming blocks.

About Power Rangers emPOWER
Since the debut of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in 1993, the Power Rangers have been role models for generations of children. Through Power Rangers emPOWER, the Rangers from the #1 kids’ action series Power Rangers Samurai are teaching kids and families how to put the Power Rangers values of teamwork, confidence, health and physical activity into action. Developed in partnership with leaders in children’s services, this initiative has successfully been activated in more than 5,000 school programs nationwide as well as online and at live events. Just as the Power Rangers use teamwork to solve a different challenge in every episode, Power Rangers emPOWER provides parents and community leaders the tools they need to work together to grow healthy kids. This initiative is positive and fun, emphasizing kids’ strengths and potential by providing children and parents with accessible resources to reinforce healthy choices.

About Saban Brands
Formed in 2010 as a subsidiary of Saban Capital, Saban Brands (SB) was established to acquire and develop a world-class portfolio of properties and capitalize on the company’s experience, track record and capabilities in growing and monetizing consumer brands.  SB applies a strategic transmedia management approach to enhancing and extending its brands in markets worldwide and to consumers of all ages.  The company provides full service management, marketing, promotion and strategic business development for its intellectual properties including comprehensive strategies unique to each brand, trademark and copyright management and enforcement, creative design, retail development, direct-to-consumer initiatives and specialized property extensions.  SB is led by a superior management team with decades of experience in licensing, marketing and finance. Visit www.sabanbrands.com

About Every Body Walk!
Every Body Walk! is an online educational campaign aimed at getting Americans up and moving. Through the help of its partners, Every Body Walk! is working to spread the message that walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week really can improve overall health and prevent disease. Every Body Walk! provides news and resources on walking, health information, walking maps, how to find walking groups, a personal pledge form to start walking, as well as a place to share stories about individual experiences with walking.


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Family Fire Drills Can Save A Life + Help Your Local Fire Department Wiin A Grant


Schools and businesses practice periodic fire drills, why stop there? Protect the people you love the most by holding Fire Drills in your house, apartment, and hotel room.
October 1st is National Family Fire Drill Day! This annual celebration was started last year by Liberty Mutual, Walt Disney World along with the Reedy Creek Fire Department.
Did you know that

Nearly 40 percent of parents have never discussed or created a fire escape plan with their children 

Only 28 percent of parents with children under the age of 12 say their kids have ever had a fire drill at home

61 percent of parents who haven’t developed a family escape plan say it simply hasn’t occurred to them to do so

88 percent say their kids have had an in-school fire drill, but escaping from a classroom in orderly, single-file fashion is far different from when an alarm goes off in your home, possibly in the middle of the night
Take the 10 question fire safety pledge quiz and find out  if you know the basics. This isn't only important to your safety it you can help your local fire department and firefighters. How?
From now through October 31st by taking this quiz your local fire department and your local firefighters could be one of ten departments to receive $10,000 from Liberty Mutual.
   
Helping your local fire department is easy!
  1. Take The Quiz.  Take our 10 question quiz to test your fire safety smarts!
  2. Credit Your Local Fire Department.  Search for your local fire department in our database.
  3. Rally Support.  Spread the word to your family, friends and neighbors because this is based on community participation! 
Help those you love and those who help you.

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Being Kendra: Cribs, Cocktails, and Getting My Sexy Back: in her latest book, Kendra Wilkinson picks up right where Sliding Into Home left off. The star discusses all aspects of her life, from motherhood to marriage to maintaining her trademark figure. Fans of her hit television show won't want to miss this memoir - Kendra's infectious optimism shines throughout. Get an autographed copy today!


deal expires on
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Kendra Wilkinson is the star of the hit reality series Kendra, and former star of the massively popular show The Girls Next Door.  Read More...


Bookperk is a site for all of us book lovers. For the first time, readers get access to exclusive merchandise and experiences from their favorite authors and books. Bookperk is a business unit of HarperCollins Publishers.


Thursday, September 29, 2011

Aim High on Facebook from Warner Brothers Entertainment


WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT BECOMES FIRST HOLLYWOOD STUDIO TO LAUNCH A
“SOCIAL SERIES” ON FACEBOOK
 
VIEWERS CAN BECOME PART OF A SHOW BY TAPPING INTO THEIR PROFILE TO CREATE A UNIQUE, SEAMLESS SOCIAL VIEWING EXPERIENCE WITH THEIR PHOTOS, TEXT AND FRIENDS INTEGRATED INTO EACH EPISODE
 
 “AIM HIGH” PREMIERES AS FIRST 'SOCIAL SERIES' OCTOBER 18

BURBANK, CALIF., September 29, 2011 – Warner Bros. Digital Distribution (WBDD) today announced the first-ever “social series” from a Hollywood studio will debut on Facebook starting October 18.  Consumers can now become part of the show by seamlessly integrating their profile information - including photos, text and friends – by simply opting into the application on the show’s Facebook page.  The action comedy series "Aim High" produced by Warner Premiere and Dolphin Entertainment, staring Jackson Rathbone (“Twilight”), Aimee Teegarden (“Friday Night Lights”), and Greg Germann (“Ally McBeal”) will debut as the first "social series" October 18 through Facebook (www.facebook.com/aimhighseries) and Cambio.com.  
By choosing to watch “Aim High” in a personalized viewing mode through the show’s Facebook page, viewers will be able to see themselves or their friends integrated into select scenes throughout the series - from their photo appearing on a student body election poster, to having their name seen as graffiti on the bathroom wall.  This video application not only allows consumers to have an immersive and engaging viewing experience, but also a social one where they can share comments, scenes and Tweets about their favorite moments from the show.
“Facebook is an increasingly influential destination for discovering and acquiring movie and television content,” said Thomas Gewecke, President of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution.  “This effort takes video distribution to a whole new level by making the actual viewing experience personal and social in a truly innovative and entertaining way.”

“The ability for fans to become part of a production by simply watching a show is truly revolutionary,” said McG, Producer of “Aim High.”  “I’m delighted that Aim High is the first to embrace this technology and I’m looking forward to including this in future productions.”

To learn more about “Aim High,” visit www.facebook.com/aimhighseries.   
About “Aim High”
“Aim High” is the story of a young man leading a double life - juggling his studies by day and serving as a government operative by night. This series chronicles the life of Nick Green, a junior who's just starting a new school year as one of the country's 64 highly trained teenage operatives.

When he's not handling international spies, Nick is dreaming of Amanda Miles, the most popular girl in school who's cool, intelligent and very alluring. Amanda mercilessly flirts with Nick, but before he can enjoy her advances he has to avoid Derek - her overly protective boyfriend who threatens him for even looking at her.

“Aim High,” a Warner Premiere and Dolphin Entertainment series, comes from Director/Producer McG ("Chuck," "Charlie's Angels"), Wonderland Sound and Vision. Peter Murrieta (“Wizards of Waverly Place”) is Executive Producer. Mary Viola, Andy Shapiro, Jackson Rathbone, Bill O'Dowd, Jim Henrie and Philip von Alvensleben also serve as Executive Producers. The series is written and created by Heath Corson and Richie Keen who also serve as Executive Producers, directed by Thor Freudenthal (“Hotel for Dogs,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”) and produced by Lance Sloane and McG.


Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.

About Warner Bros. Digital Distribution
Warner Bros. Digital Distribution (WBDD) oversees the electronic distribution of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group’s content through Video-On-Demand, Pay-Per-View, Electronic Sell-Through and Subscription Video-On-Demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels.   WBDD also distributes content through third party digital retailers and licensees.  A worldwide industry leader since its inception, WBDD also manages the Studio’s E-commerce sites that include WBShop.com and WarnerArchive.com.  Twitter: @WBDigitalDist

About Warner Premiere 
Warner Premiere, part of Warner Bros. Entertainment, specializes in the development and production of both features and digital content for home entertainment platforms. Past projects include Another Cinderella Story, Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins and Batman: Under the Red Hood, as well as the digital series Watchmen Motion Comics. Warner Premiere is at the creative forefront in the made-for-home entertainment marketplace, producing properties that exemplify the commitment to story, production and brand equity for which Warner Bros. is known.


MobileMinder Helps Parents Keep Kids Safe


Press Release: For immediate release

[PRESSWIRE] 29.09.2011 - Leading technology firm, mm Technologies, has today (Thursday) launched a mobile phone protection application system called ‘MobileMinder’.

‘MobileMinder’ provides parents with a complete child protection platform for mobile phones.

This breakthrough technology allows parents to see who their children are connected to, know where they are at all times, receive alerts when they arrive somewhere safely, be alerted to signs of cyber-bullying, prevent sexting and view internet sites visited by their children. It also has the unique feature called ‘I’m Lost’ which, when activated, sends a map and location of the child to parents or an older brother/sister.

“MobileMinder offers parents great peace of mind when it comes to the safety of their children and their use of mobile phones. In my day bullying was only done face to face but now, with most children carrying mobiles, a bully can harass their victim whenever they choose and we want to put a stop to this,” stated Don Corbett co-founder and CEO of mm Technologies. 

“One of Mobileminder’s unique features is the ‘social circle’, which allows parents see who is in their child’s real life social network. We alert parents to any unusual behavior from their child’s contacts, be that bullying or a new unknown contact who the parent may not know. We can also alert parents to the exchange of inappropriate images on their child’s phone and allow them to delete the photos if necessary.

“According to the FBI, every 40 seconds a child goes missing in the US and it is unbelieveable to think that, in this day and age, technology has not been developed to help prevent this happening.”

Another key benefit for parents of the MobileMinder system includes a gallery feature to prevent sexting (exchange of inappropriate image on a phone) which can in some US states result in a criminal record or worse still a sex offenders record for the child.

“Children make mistakes and sometimes use bad judgement. However now this can impact on the rest of their lives way beyond childhood affecting their ability to get into college or get a good job in the future” said Don. The gallery feature allows a parent to become aware of this activity and take the necessary action before it gets out of hand, in some cases allowing a parent to delete the image remotely from the phone.

“We wanted to develop a complete, easy to use solution for parents that would give them the peace of mind knowing their children were safe on their mobile phones.”
The service is now available at $7.99 a month as a special launch offer.

For more information, please log on to www.mobileminder.com

About mm Technologies

mm Technologies is a subsidiary company of associate mobile. Associate Mobile was incorporated last year and is focused on companies building and developing cloud services for mobile for consumer and enterprise markets.