I wonda who you are
I wonder how you look
I wonder if you know that it is my life you took
I wonder if you know that you have hurt me so
I loved you, I cared
I thought you were my teddy bear
through thick and thin I was there
Now I'm here and you are in jail
you took my soul and sold it whole
but now I'm healed and I'm home
I wonder if you know you ripped me off
and hurt me so
I wonder if you really know
~~~~~~~~~~~
who were you to me
a man, a friend, a lover
that's what I thought about over and over
you were gentle, kind but still a mystery
you've hurt me so much
and to me right now you are history
I still think of you when our song is on
you made me who I am
you made me strong
Addicted to Social Networking?
~Queens District Attorney Richard Brown~ “Every parent should take heed when their child turns on their computer and goes on an interactive social networking site,” Brown said. “The defendant used just such a website to recruit a young, emotionally vulnerable child by promising to take care of her. Instead, he physically abused her and threw her into a life of degradation in which she was required to perform sexual acts with hundreds of men for money.”
Thursday, April 8, 2010
P.O.W.
P.O.W.
I'm a prisoner of words unsaid
trapped feelings running through my head
with every tear there is a fear
for every death there is new life
for every thought there is my mind
running loose like a fly
with no exit to go by
written by~ R.P.
I'm a prisoner of words unsaid
trapped feelings running through my head
with every tear there is a fear
for every death there is new life
for every thought there is my mind
running loose like a fly
with no exit to go by
written by~ R.P.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
The 5 Facebook Dangers
Perils That Have Nothing to Do With Internet Predators
By Jackie Burrell, About.com
Posting on Facebook, MySpace and other social networks is a favorite pastime for teens and 20somethings - and they remain a great way for families to keep in touch1 - but recent headlines have yielded some caveats that have nothing to do with the usual “predators lurk everywhere” issues. Here are five Facebook dangers your college kid or young adult may never have thought about.
* Facebook and college admissions: It's a bad idea to post dicey photos or racy prose on social networking sites, no matter how private teens may think they are. According to a 2008 Kaplan study, one in 10 college admissions officers routinely check out college applicants’ Facebook and MySpace pages. And some 38% of them found posts and pictures that reflected poorly on those prospective students. It wasn’t even necessarily that they’d posted provocative or hard partying photos. In some cases, students had simply written disparagingly about the campuses they toured.
* Grad school and careers: Business and medical school admissions officers surf social networking sites in even greater numbers than their undergrad brethren. So do prospective employers, none of whom are impressed by posts that holler “Par-tay! Woo hoo!”
* Fellow students: It’s not just admissions officers doing the surfing. Some upper classmen at the University of Redlands were so incensed by partying comments made by several incoming freshmen on the Redlands Facebook group site, they showed the posts to college officials. College administrators said they called the teens’ parents a few weeks before school began to have a little talk.
* Courtroom consequences: Unfortunate Facebook postings can have serious legal repercussions too. One of the first things attorneys do with a new case is search online for information about plaintiffs, defendants and witnesses alike. In one Rhode Island case, a 20-year-old’s drunk driving accident, which severely injured another youth, could have resulted in a relatively light stint at county jail or the considerably more severe state prison. But, as the prosecutor in the case quickly discovered, two weeks after the accident, while his victim was still in the hospital, the youth posted photos on Facebook2 of himself at a Halloween party, prancing around in a prisoner costume. He was sentenced to two years in state prison.
* Child pornography charges: Posting or sending photos of oneself or friends in scanty clothing or sexually suggestive poses may be a popular pastime among the younger set, but if any of the people posing are under 18, the practice may result in child pornography charges. There were several such cases in 2008, including an Ohio 15-year-old who was charged with child pornography3 after sending nude cell phone images of herself to friends. At the time, officials in Licking County considered charging recipients of those images as well. It's one thing to be charged with sending or receiving child pornography as a minor, but those charges in adult court may carry not only prison time, but a lifetime of registering as a sex offender.
By Jackie Burrell, About.com
Posting on Facebook, MySpace and other social networks is a favorite pastime for teens and 20somethings - and they remain a great way for families to keep in touch1 - but recent headlines have yielded some caveats that have nothing to do with the usual “predators lurk everywhere” issues. Here are five Facebook dangers your college kid or young adult may never have thought about.
* Facebook and college admissions: It's a bad idea to post dicey photos or racy prose on social networking sites, no matter how private teens may think they are. According to a 2008 Kaplan study, one in 10 college admissions officers routinely check out college applicants’ Facebook and MySpace pages. And some 38% of them found posts and pictures that reflected poorly on those prospective students. It wasn’t even necessarily that they’d posted provocative or hard partying photos. In some cases, students had simply written disparagingly about the campuses they toured.
* Grad school and careers: Business and medical school admissions officers surf social networking sites in even greater numbers than their undergrad brethren. So do prospective employers, none of whom are impressed by posts that holler “Par-tay! Woo hoo!”
* Fellow students: It’s not just admissions officers doing the surfing. Some upper classmen at the University of Redlands were so incensed by partying comments made by several incoming freshmen on the Redlands Facebook group site, they showed the posts to college officials. College administrators said they called the teens’ parents a few weeks before school began to have a little talk.
* Courtroom consequences: Unfortunate Facebook postings can have serious legal repercussions too. One of the first things attorneys do with a new case is search online for information about plaintiffs, defendants and witnesses alike. In one Rhode Island case, a 20-year-old’s drunk driving accident, which severely injured another youth, could have resulted in a relatively light stint at county jail or the considerably more severe state prison. But, as the prosecutor in the case quickly discovered, two weeks after the accident, while his victim was still in the hospital, the youth posted photos on Facebook2 of himself at a Halloween party, prancing around in a prisoner costume. He was sentenced to two years in state prison.
* Child pornography charges: Posting or sending photos of oneself or friends in scanty clothing or sexually suggestive poses may be a popular pastime among the younger set, but if any of the people posing are under 18, the practice may result in child pornography charges. There were several such cases in 2008, including an Ohio 15-year-old who was charged with child pornography3 after sending nude cell phone images of herself to friends. At the time, officials in Licking County considered charging recipients of those images as well. It's one thing to be charged with sending or receiving child pornography as a minor, but those charges in adult court may carry not only prison time, but a lifetime of registering as a sex offender.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Pimp Sentenced 2-1/3 to 7 YRS
That doesn't sound like a "just" sentence, but it is. I'm glad he didn't get away with it. And now he'll have at least 2 yrs and 4 months to consider his actions and, hopefully, will not be a repeat offender. Hopefully, being the key word! Now he has a felony record and his crime is known in many countries via the internet, which is the very source by which he committed it. Ironic, isn't it!?! Perhaps others will think twice BEFORE they commit the same crime!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Are Your Kids SAFE From PREDATORS When GAMING Online?
Spending time online is a common part of being a kid these days, and we can’t remind parents enough of how important it is for you to get serious about talking to your kids about what they do online. In 2007, the Department of Justice reported that nearly 30,000 registered sex offenders were found using MySpace, and while major efforts have been made to crack down on these threats, parents and kids need to stay on guard while online. An increasingly popular outlet for kids and teens is interactive gaming. In the last few years the gaming experience has exploded online, allowing participants to interact with an unlimited number of players from anywhere in the world. This includes being able to chat with friends and other players who they meet online. Of course, this another place a predator can find your kid.
Parents need to monitor what their kids are doing online, and pay attention to your kids’ gaming habits, particularly if they are playing interactive games. Common Sense Media offers some expert guidelines to help make sure your kids stay safe while still having fun:
* Learn about what games your kids are playing and what the games’ ESRB ratings are.
* Set time limits for game play before kids go online.
* Enforce privacy rules. Your kids should never give out email addresses when they sign in for a game, and never give their password to anyone else. Make sure that no personal details, including identifying names, phone numbers, schools, or addresses are transmitted to strangers during game play.
* Double check your kids’ gametag and screen names; they may have multiple usernames.
* Observe your kids playing to know who they are playing with, and monitor their chats and messages. Tell your kids to mute or block unwanted messages, and tell them to report anything that makes them uncomfortable.
* Don’t let younger kids use voice chat.
Make sure your kids know that they can come to you and talk about anything that makes them uncomfortable, without worrying about you getting angry with them. Online gaming can be a lot of fun for kids and teens, but as with all online activities, you should always stay aware of privacy and safety issues. ~AMW Safety Center
Parents need to monitor what their kids are doing online, and pay attention to your kids’ gaming habits, particularly if they are playing interactive games. Common Sense Media offers some expert guidelines to help make sure your kids stay safe while still having fun:
* Learn about what games your kids are playing and what the games’ ESRB ratings are.
* Set time limits for game play before kids go online.
* Enforce privacy rules. Your kids should never give out email addresses when they sign in for a game, and never give their password to anyone else. Make sure that no personal details, including identifying names, phone numbers, schools, or addresses are transmitted to strangers during game play.
* Double check your kids’ gametag and screen names; they may have multiple usernames.
* Observe your kids playing to know who they are playing with, and monitor their chats and messages. Tell your kids to mute or block unwanted messages, and tell them to report anything that makes them uncomfortable.
* Don’t let younger kids use voice chat.
Make sure your kids know that they can come to you and talk about anything that makes them uncomfortable, without worrying about you getting angry with them. Online gaming can be a lot of fun for kids and teens, but as with all online activities, you should always stay aware of privacy and safety issues. ~AMW Safety Center
Friday, September 18, 2009
What Influences Teenagers Most?
A June 12th 2008 article I pulled from the UK's school blog, talks about a survey they conducted and it's results may surprise you. Well, perhaps not...
What influences teenagers most?
The power of celebrities and the power of the internet is now so strong when it comes to teenage girls that (according to a survey by GirlGuiding UK) advertisers and politicians have little chance to influence their opinions and behaviour. Teachers have less power than celebrities or the media – but are way ahead of advertisers and politicians in their influence.
And although celebrities do have this influence – much of the influence they have is openly seen as negative by teenage girls.
The survey found that away from friends and family, celebrities have the biggest hold with 42% naming them as the greatest influence.
As you might guess, the top celeb is Victoria Beckham, who was nominated by 35% followed by Leona Lewis who polled 32%.
Kate Moss and Amy Winehouse came next with 29% and 23% respectively.
38% said that the media is the prime influence of their attitudes to alcohol and drugs. Teachers on the other hand were a prime influence at 30% – way above advertisers who influence 7% and politicians at 4%. 19% say the media influences their opinions about sex and relationships while teachers influence 15% and advertisers 2%.
59% say Channel 4 TV programmes like ‘Skins’ and ‘Hollyoaks’ help them understand issues affecting people their age.
44% of the girls said they could name more WAGS [footballers' wives and girlfriends] than female politicians.
However celebrities actually have a negative influence on the way girls view the world, with 59% believing they make girls their age less well-informed.
75% of the girls taking the survey said they used the internet daily, but they placed less trust in it than in newspapers or TV. The most trusted medium is television news, which was named by 90% of the girls. Although around half said they didn’t bother to stay informed about world events.
What influences teenagers most?
The power of celebrities and the power of the internet is now so strong when it comes to teenage girls that (according to a survey by GirlGuiding UK) advertisers and politicians have little chance to influence their opinions and behaviour. Teachers have less power than celebrities or the media – but are way ahead of advertisers and politicians in their influence.
And although celebrities do have this influence – much of the influence they have is openly seen as negative by teenage girls.
The survey found that away from friends and family, celebrities have the biggest hold with 42% naming them as the greatest influence.
As you might guess, the top celeb is Victoria Beckham, who was nominated by 35% followed by Leona Lewis who polled 32%.
Kate Moss and Amy Winehouse came next with 29% and 23% respectively.
38% said that the media is the prime influence of their attitudes to alcohol and drugs. Teachers on the other hand were a prime influence at 30% – way above advertisers who influence 7% and politicians at 4%. 19% say the media influences their opinions about sex and relationships while teachers influence 15% and advertisers 2%.
59% say Channel 4 TV programmes like ‘Skins’ and ‘Hollyoaks’ help them understand issues affecting people their age.
44% of the girls said they could name more WAGS [footballers' wives and girlfriends] than female politicians.
However celebrities actually have a negative influence on the way girls view the world, with 59% believing they make girls their age less well-informed.
75% of the girls taking the survey said they used the internet daily, but they placed less trust in it than in newspapers or TV. The most trusted medium is television news, which was named by 90% of the girls. Although around half said they didn’t bother to stay informed about world events.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
The Internet - Not Always a Waste of Time
HOW KIDS AND TEENS BENEFIT FROM CYBERSPACE
The Positive Side of Digital Media
by Venice Kirchura
March 2009
Parents worried their kids and teens waste too much time online can be relieved that much of their children’s online life is beneficial, according the University of California researcher Mizuko Ito. A 2008 done by Ito shows spending time online isn’t always a waste of time and that time in cyberspace helps kids acquire technical and social skills to compete in the digital age, as well as gain encouragement and feedback from their online peers
Online with Face-to-Face Friends
Interestingly, the study showed that most kids hang out online with people they already know from their offline lives, such as through school or sports. Besides the internet, cell phones, texting, instant messaging and social networks keep them in almost continual contact with one another.
Digital Media Offers Technical Skills
Thanks to a wealth of online information, teens learn valuable computer skills such as how to create web pages, blogs, PDF files and other technical abilities which they can later use in college and in their careers. On the other hand, if they can’t find what they want to know, they can always post questions on teen message boards or ask others on social networking sites.
Literary Contests
Young people who are more right-brained than left-brained can log on to web sites that challenge their creative skills. For example, FaithWriters for Kids was created from its parental website, FaithWriters.com to offer young writers opportunities to compete in weekly writing contests. Although much of the writing is geared in a spiritual direction, other entries for the weekly challenges are also acceptable.
Ages are divided into groups ranging from ages 7-8 to 13-14 for writing in various genres such as poetry, nonfiction or creative writing. Older teens may compete in the adults’ FaithWriters Weekly Challenges, giving them head starts for possible journalism or writing careers.
Online Chess Club
Kids and teens who want to horn their chess playing skills can log onto chessclub.com. Not only will they get to play chess with other players around the world but can also make friends. What’s more they can learn from the best as ChestClub.com offers some of the finest chess instructors world-wide. Rather than use only one teacher, kids can try different instructors, finding one that suites them best.
Social Benefits
Social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and Utube are linking teens, globally, with friends having similar interests, as well as helping them academically. Surprising, one of the most common topics on these social networking sites is education. According to 2007 by the National School Boards Association and Grunwalk Associates, 60 percent of online students discuss subjects relating to college plans and careers.
Limits and Warnings
Limit “friends” on social networks. Although the digital age offers more opportunities in grow in knowledge and in global friendship, it also presents more challenges. For example, social networking sites can lure kids to predators if they’re too open to accepting “friends” who are strangers. Parents should warn their children to limit the friends they include and not give out inappropriate information when prompted.
Although teens can benefit from digital media parents should still guard their kids from becoming addicted to the internet and other technical toys. Although it’s a valuable tool, it shouldn’t turn into a lifestyle where young people don’t learn how to socialize in an offline life, as well. That’s why kids should be urged to take part in some of those old-fashioned pastimes as sports, board games and other activities that don’t call for computers.
The Positive Side of Digital Media
by Venice Kirchura
March 2009
Parents worried their kids and teens waste too much time online can be relieved that much of their children’s online life is beneficial, according the University of California researcher Mizuko Ito. A 2008 done by Ito shows spending time online isn’t always a waste of time and that time in cyberspace helps kids acquire technical and social skills to compete in the digital age, as well as gain encouragement and feedback from their online peers
Online with Face-to-Face Friends
Interestingly, the study showed that most kids hang out online with people they already know from their offline lives, such as through school or sports. Besides the internet, cell phones, texting, instant messaging and social networks keep them in almost continual contact with one another.
Digital Media Offers Technical Skills
Thanks to a wealth of online information, teens learn valuable computer skills such as how to create web pages, blogs, PDF files and other technical abilities which they can later use in college and in their careers. On the other hand, if they can’t find what they want to know, they can always post questions on teen message boards or ask others on social networking sites.
Literary Contests
Young people who are more right-brained than left-brained can log on to web sites that challenge their creative skills. For example, FaithWriters for Kids was created from its parental website, FaithWriters.com to offer young writers opportunities to compete in weekly writing contests. Although much of the writing is geared in a spiritual direction, other entries for the weekly challenges are also acceptable.
Ages are divided into groups ranging from ages 7-8 to 13-14 for writing in various genres such as poetry, nonfiction or creative writing. Older teens may compete in the adults’ FaithWriters Weekly Challenges, giving them head starts for possible journalism or writing careers.
Online Chess Club
Kids and teens who want to horn their chess playing skills can log onto chessclub.com. Not only will they get to play chess with other players around the world but can also make friends. What’s more they can learn from the best as ChestClub.com offers some of the finest chess instructors world-wide. Rather than use only one teacher, kids can try different instructors, finding one that suites them best.
Social Benefits
Social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and Utube are linking teens, globally, with friends having similar interests, as well as helping them academically. Surprising, one of the most common topics on these social networking sites is education. According to 2007 by the National School Boards Association and Grunwalk Associates, 60 percent of online students discuss subjects relating to college plans and careers.
Limits and Warnings
Limit “friends” on social networks. Although the digital age offers more opportunities in grow in knowledge and in global friendship, it also presents more challenges. For example, social networking sites can lure kids to predators if they’re too open to accepting “friends” who are strangers. Parents should warn their children to limit the friends they include and not give out inappropriate information when prompted.
Although teens can benefit from digital media parents should still guard their kids from becoming addicted to the internet and other technical toys. Although it’s a valuable tool, it shouldn’t turn into a lifestyle where young people don’t learn how to socialize in an offline life, as well. That’s why kids should be urged to take part in some of those old-fashioned pastimes as sports, board games and other activities that don’t call for computers.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Parents Guide to Surviving the Teen Years
Saw this article today and had to chuckle at the title. "Survival" Guide! YES! I know I can use all the help I can get. How 'bout you? (smile)
Here are the topics of discussion, from the article at Kids Health:
VERY interesting read...
http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/growing/adolescence.html#
Here are the topics of discussion, from the article at Kids Health:
- Understanding the Teen Years
- Butting Heads
- Educate Yourself
- Talk to your Child Early Enough
- Put Yourself in your Child's Place
- Pick Your Battles (a biggie for my family)
- Maintain Your Expectations
- Inform Yourself AND Your Teen
- Know the Warning Signs
- Monitor What Your Kids See and Read (set limits)
- Respect Their Privacy
- Make Appropriate Rules (let the punishment FIT the crime)
VERY interesting read...
http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/growing/adolescence.html#
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Commentary on The Today Show's clip (from above)
This is a segment from the Today Show, where consumer reporter, Janice Lieberman, discusses the way little girls are being overly sexualized in the mass media. If you think this is bad, you should see how oversexed the Bratz dolls are.
Abercrombie and Fitch were also under scrutiny for attempting to market 6 year-olds with thong underwear that state "eye candy" and "wink wink." Abercrombie's response on the issue was that critics were chastising them for false perceptions about the underwear being too offensive, because they were actually for 10 year-olds. This merely made Abercrombie look like fools. Besides, why in the world do 6 or 10 year olds need to wear thong underwear that state such overtly sexual messages? No CHILD should ever be thought of in such a sexually provocative way.
Sadly, marketers are selling kids ideologies about sexual maturity and beauty and parents are buying into it.
Marketers claim that, "motivated representations" are not intended to be taken at face value, yet they are cashing in on selling "young girls products" that offer empty promises of achieving the beauty and perfection of their favorite idols, like Hannah Montana.
According to a recent study, tween consumers spend roughly $200 billion a year. This makes it extremely appealing to marketers, who are selling self improvement that is not actually intended to "improve" the girls, but to make corporations more money.
This can be detrimental for girls' self esteems.
Since children around the ages of 6 to 12 are in Piaget's concrete operational stage of cognitive development, they ARE able to logically reason concrete ideas, but still LACK the capabilities of comprehending abstract images, like separating representations in magazines and on TV from images in actual reality.
Since this is a very important stage in determining a child's identity, girls are more likely to internalize the images and buy into the ideologies that their value lies in their appearance. This is especially true with the Bratz dolls, who send the message that "less is more", with their very sexy clothing and thick makeup.
As girls grow, exposure to these images can haunt them and often influence concerns with body image, sexual explorations at a younger age, and dangerous dieting habits, like eating disorders and skipping meals, etc.
If you truly love your little girls, then actually let them be "little girls." They have the rest of their lives to be adults when they grow up, so why rush it?
Abercrombie and Fitch were also under scrutiny for attempting to market 6 year-olds with thong underwear that state "eye candy" and "wink wink." Abercrombie's response on the issue was that critics were chastising them for false perceptions about the underwear being too offensive, because they were actually for 10 year-olds. This merely made Abercrombie look like fools. Besides, why in the world do 6 or 10 year olds need to wear thong underwear that state such overtly sexual messages? No CHILD should ever be thought of in such a sexually provocative way.
Sadly, marketers are selling kids ideologies about sexual maturity and beauty and parents are buying into it.
Marketers claim that, "motivated representations" are not intended to be taken at face value, yet they are cashing in on selling "young girls products" that offer empty promises of achieving the beauty and perfection of their favorite idols, like Hannah Montana.
According to a recent study, tween consumers spend roughly $200 billion a year. This makes it extremely appealing to marketers, who are selling self improvement that is not actually intended to "improve" the girls, but to make corporations more money.
This can be detrimental for girls' self esteems.
Since children around the ages of 6 to 12 are in Piaget's concrete operational stage of cognitive development, they ARE able to logically reason concrete ideas, but still LACK the capabilities of comprehending abstract images, like separating representations in magazines and on TV from images in actual reality.
Since this is a very important stage in determining a child's identity, girls are more likely to internalize the images and buy into the ideologies that their value lies in their appearance. This is especially true with the Bratz dolls, who send the message that "less is more", with their very sexy clothing and thick makeup.
As girls grow, exposure to these images can haunt them and often influence concerns with body image, sexual explorations at a younger age, and dangerous dieting habits, like eating disorders and skipping meals, etc.
If you truly love your little girls, then actually let them be "little girls." They have the rest of their lives to be adults when they grow up, so why rush it?
Saturday, September 12, 2009
A Healing Voice
LIFE
Living life in my memories
was where I always wanted to be
Living in the past, as it would be my last chance.
The past didn't work.
Living life in my memories
was where I always wanted to be
Living in the past, as it would be my last chance.
The past didn't work.
One last thing I need to do
is the thing that I deserve.
I realized all I did was wrong
and to that, there is no right.
Why did He have to take my sister, when we'd just had a fight?
That is the past, this is the present.
Life is a gift. Life is a lesson.
So, learn it, take it, go along
because the future is my long way home.
Published on 06/13/09
is the thing that I deserve.
I realized all I did was wrong
and to that, there is no right.
Why did He have to take my sister, when we'd just had a fight?
That is the past, this is the present.
Life is a gift. Life is a lesson.
So, learn it, take it, go along
because the future is my long way home.
Published on 06/13/09
Friday, September 11, 2009
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