Episode 120
Notes
[Cue Episode Synth Intro]
[Cue extra lead-in Andy Griffith]
[Cue Intro v5]
Banter: Welcome to the First of the new year
dadycast! Hope everybody survived the
over-commercialization that has become Christmas. Our house looks like a bomb hit it…toys
everywhere, bits of wrapping paper, empty boxes with instruction sheets hanging
from them like so much confetti…who reads the friggin’ instructions,
anyway? The tree is still up, but we
have a fire extinguisher nearby…the thing is pretty crispy right now. A stray bit of sunshine through the window
will probably touch off a firestorm in the living room! But with all the rain we’re having ,that’s
not much of a risk right now. A huge
rainstorm has descended on the west coast of the
My wife,
bless her heart, was a trooper. Even
though she was in bed for the 2 days before Christmas, and most of Christmas
Day, she still managed to smile a bit as our son tore through his gifts. As for me, I got a really cool microphone
boom. Funny, I didn’t know Santa made
professional audio gear – but hey – who am I to argue with the gift tag, huh? I got an iDog – can’t say from who – not
allowed. Sorry. Wanna say hi, there, iDog?
[Cue iDog]
[Cue News_Theme]
Headlines: Judge Halts Video Game Law in California,
Teen Online buyer Beware, Don’t Let Them Kids Hibernate this Winter, Kids Will
Outgrow Bedwetting (usually), Got The
Blues? You’ve Got Children!, Survey
Says: 9 percent of teens seriously depressed, Lamaze or not Lamaze? That is the
question…and bunches more, after this…
[Cue Element_2]
[Cue PSA “Exchange”]
…That PSA just gives me the creeps…
Don’t
Believe the TYPE. One in FIVE children
online is sexually solicited. Visit
Cybertipline.com for more information on how to protect you and your family
from the threat of online predators.
That’s a
message from the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children, the Ad Council, and 101 uses for baby
wipes.
[Cue News_Bulletin]
[Cue Synth News Intro]
News:
Judge Halts Calif. Violent Video
Game Law
A federal
judge has temporarily blocked a new state law banning the sale or rental of
violent video games to minors, saying a lawsuit challenging the measure was
likely to prevail on grounds of free speech.
In a ruling
late Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Whyte granted a preliminary
injunction sought by the Encino-based Video Software Dealers Association and the
Washington, D.C.-based Entertainment Software Association.
The
industry groups 'were likely to succeed' in their lawsuit, the judge wrote.
At the
least, he said, 'serious questions are raised concerning the state's ability to
restrict minors' First Amendment rights in connection with exposure to violent
video games, including the question of whether there is a causal connection
between access to such games and psychological or other harm to children.'
The groups
sued in October, naming Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, state Attorney General Bill
Lockyer and other officials.
The law was
set to go into effect Jan. 1. It bans retailers from selling or renting violent
video games to those under age 18, imposes a $1,000 fine on violators and
mandates stricter product labeling. It's similar to legislation that other
states passed earlier this year after hidden sex scenes were discovered in the
popular game 'Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.'
Schwarzenegger,
who signed the measure into law Oct. 7 and contends it will help parents
determine which video games are appropriate for their children, defended the
law Thursday.
When the
state presents its case, Schwarzenegger spokesman Vince Sollitto said, 'the
court will have a full opportunity to understand why the governor and the
Legislature believe the state has a compelling interest in protecting children
from potential harm from exposure to extremely violent video games.'
The
preliminary ruling marks a good sign for the video game industry.
'For the
sixth time in five years, federal courts have now blocked or struck down these
state and local laws seeking to regulate the sale of games to minors based on
their content,' said Doug Lowenstein, president of the Entertainment Software
Association.
The
industry groups also sued this year in
…So since
the government seems unlikely to protect our kids from violent video games, it
is ultimately OUR JOB to do so. I find
all of this so odd…the government has ruled that pornographic material cannot
be purchased by minors, but yet we can sell video games that re-enact the same
content that can be found in porno magazines?
This is not
a FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUE! Freedom of
SPEECH is not infringed upon by keeping a child from BUYING a VIDEO GAME! And as far as showing ‘causal harm’ to kids,
there’s plenty of evidence to support that claim. I’ve cited study after study on this
podcast. BUYING is not SPEAKING!
I hope that
the state can win this one on appeal….next story….
Online Teen Shoppers May Miss Fraud
Signs
Online
shopping is booming and many marketers are targeting teens, a combination of
trends that raises troubling issues for young shoppers during this holiday
season.
Teens often
overlook extra charges, such as shipping, that add to the cost of products, and
might not detect offers that look too good to be true, says Rebecca Whitener,
chief risk officer for Plano-based Electronic Data Systems Corp.
Many teens
know more than their parents about using the Internet but 'they don't have as
much experience recognizing fraud,' said Whitener, who often lectures at
schools.
Whitener
said teens tend to be looser than adults with passwords, often sharing them
with friends, and may be less hesitant to question why a Web site asks for
personal financial information, which could open them up to identity theft.
'A lot of
times it's more information than the parents want their teens to be sharing,'
she said.
Whitener
and other experts say parents can limit their teens' financial exposure by
giving them prepaid debit cards instead of credit cards for Internet and cell
phone expenses. Many Web sites offer a toll-free number for shoppers who don't
want to send their credit card numbers over the Internet.
Concern
about online safety isn't limited to teens living at home either. Some college
administrators are concerned about online communities in which students swap
news and photos about themselves and their friends on Web sites such as
Facebook.com and Myspace.com. (I’ve
reported stories like that right here on the daddycast)
Parents
have another motive to monitor their children's online activity: Experts say
teens are notorious for downloading free music and other files that sometimes
contain viruses or spyware that can slow or damage the computer.
David
Milman, chief executive of computer-repair franchise operator Rescuecom Corp.,
based in
'Kids are
going out and downloading free games, and they're going to Web sites where you
can get free serial numbers and download copies of games and install them for
free,' Milman said. 'The problem we find is as soon as you go to one of these
crack Web sites, if you click on anything, they are loading spyware and viruses
and evil software on your computer.'
Milman
advised parents to install firewall, anti-spam programs and Internet-filtering
software such as ContentProtect, CYBERsitter or Net Nanny.
…better yet
– SUPERVISE WHAT YOUR KIDS DO ON THE INTERNET PEOPLE! These kids are sophisticated computer users,
and if mom and dad don’t understand enough aout computers, they sure aren’t
gonna understand services like Cybersitter or NetNanny…or even know that their
kids have figured out how to bypass those services!
If you have
kids that want to shop online, the debit card thing is a good idea. Pay ‘em their allowance into it…give ‘em some
incentive…but PLEASE watch when your kids are doing e-commerce…’cause if you
don’t, they WILL get ripped off!
Pediatricians Suggest Keeping Kids
Active
By MICHAEL
HILL
Associated
Press Writer
It's cold.
The
Neither
cold nor snow can keep the Hilderbrandts from getting regular exercise.
'We've been
out here in blizzards,' said Hilderbrandt, a resident of this
Keeping
kids active when the weather is warm is child's play. But parents can have a
hard time keeping them moving when ice crystals are forming on the windows.
Even though winter weather can be a powerful inducement for kids to play
Nintendo, watch TV and just generally hibernate, pediatricians say it is
important to make the effort.
Researchers
believe children burn about half as many calories in the winter as they do in
the summer. Fitness expert Peter Rehor of
Dips in
wintertime activity are especially worrisome to pediatricians as they treat
more overweight patients. Obesity among children and teenagers has more than
doubled in the past 30 years.
Doctors say
keeping kids active _ the sort of movement that gets a heart rate up _ is
crucial year-round. Dr. Maddy Weiser, a pediatrician who runs Youth Movement
Fitness Club in
A big
problem is that kids, though crackling with energy, often lack the
self-discipline to regularly hit the treadmill or the Stairmaster.
One obvious
answer is to get them bundled up and out the door. The Guilderland school
district even sends a 'Go Out and Play!' brochure home with its elementary students
in the winter, listing local places to ski, skate, snowshoe and sled, like the
hill frequented by the Hilderbrandt family.
'There are
some tricky months,' admitted Colleen Mickle, a physical education teacher at
The trick
is to make it fun for kids, said Dr. Susan Adams, a St. Louis Children's
Hospital pediatrician. She said parents can lead outdoor games such as snowball
fights.
If you
think it's too cold outside,
'You take
them up and down the stairs. You don't take elevators or the escalators,' she
said. 'You power-walk them instead of just meandering along.'
Fitness
experts stress that it is important for parents to stay positive about exercise
and be a good role model _ don't tell your kids to go out in the cold if you're
camped out on the couch, experts say. Go out with them.
'It's got
to be something that gets the heart rate up,' Adams said, 'gets them sweating,
gets them panting.'
…Not such a
great idea when its raining, like today.
But still, good advice. My son
watches what I do – he’s at that age after all, and if I’m outside, he wants to
be outside. If I’m busy, he’s busy. The problem is with his attention span…he
gets bored easily. Then park is the
place to go for us. Bring a good book,
or your MP3 player, and go hang at the park with your kids. C’mon, its not that hard to do…
Pediatricians: Most children will
outgrow bedwetting
--make
getting up at night to go to the bathroom a clear goal, and make the toilet
easily accessible --stay away from excess fluids and caffeine-containing foods
before bed
--have the
child urinate before bedtime
--stop
using diapers at night, although training pants may be appropriate
--have the
child help clean up the wet bed in the morning "in a nonpunitive
manner"
--and
"preserve the child's self-esteem."
The most
effective treatment for bedwetting is an alarm device that goes off when the
child wets the bed, according to CPS. Although it cures bedwetting less than
half the time, the group states, alarms can be helpful for older, motivated
children with motivated families when simpler approaches don't work. The drug
desmopressin is an effective short-term treatment for some children, and may be
useful for camp or sleepovers, they add. Behavioral approaches such as rewards
or waking the child to go to the bathroom can be helpful for some children,
according to CPS, although they carry the risk of causing poor self-esteem in
the child and frustrating the parents. Because bedwetting might be the result
of a serious physical or emotional concern, parents are urged to speak with
their child's pediatrician to determine the most appropriate approach for their
family.
…And you
would be amazed what you can find on the internet! (well, maybe not – you found this show, you
gotta be a bit sophisticated, don’t ‘ya) www.bedwettingstore.com has these
alarms! I never knew they existed. I got quite an education from this site…they
have all kinds of products, all designed to help break the habit – that’s what
it is – a habit – of bedwetting. My son
has “accidents” maybe once a month. Its
usually our fault (i.e. the parents fault)…we forget to have him go to the
bathroom right before bedtime. Sometimes
he gets real indignant – “I already went to the bathroom” – but its DADDY’s
rule – go potty before bed! Just like
it’s a rule to go to bed at a certain time, and brush his teeth, etc. etc.
…This next
story is about moms and dads…
Feeling the
Newswise —
Parenthood is not associated with enhanced mental health, and, in fact, is more
likely to be associated with symptoms of depression, according to recently
published sociological research. The research finds that parents of all types
report more symptoms of depression than nonparents. In addition, the research
confirms that certain types of parenthood are associated with more depression
than others.
Unlike
other major adult social roles in the
Their
analyses are from the first wave of the National Survey of Families and
Households, which was based a national probability sample of 13,000
“People
with minor children at home, noncustodial children, adult children at home, and
nonresidential stepchildren all report significantly more symptoms of
depression than nonparents when controlling for sociodemographic factors,” say
Evenson and Simon. “In fact, there is no type of parent in this national sample
that reports less symptoms of depression than nonparents.”
The researchers did find variation
in symptoms of depression among the different types of parents. Evenson and
Simon find that married parents residing with their own minor children (under
the age of 18) actually report less depression than many other types of
parents.
Similarly, the researchers note that
people with minor stepchildren in the household do not significantly differ
from childless persons. Counterintuitive to cultural beliefs that
stepparenthood leads to greater stress, Evenson and Simon find very little
relative differences from nonparents. They conjecture that those with better
mental health and better coping mechanisms may select their role as
stepparents.
Although
persons residing with minor stepchildren do not significantly differ from
people living with their own minor children, parents who have noncustodial
children, adult children at home, nonresidential adult children, and
nonresidential adult stepchildren all report significantly higher symptom
levels, say Evenson and Simon.
Also, in
contrast to some prior studies, empty-nest parents are not less distressed than
their childless counterparts with respect to depression.
While
Evenson and Simon find marital status differences among parents, they find no
gender differences in the association between parenthood and depression. These
findings are inconsistent with earlier studies and with the assumption that
parenthood is more consequential for women than men.
“Our
finding that no gender differences exist in the associations between parenthood
and depression symptoms contradicts the assumption that parenthood is more
taxing on the emotional well-being of women,” say Evenson and Simon. “Although
we did not find gender differences, our findings clearly show that certain
types of parenthood are predominately male, such as noncustodial parents,
whereas other types of parents are predominately female, such as single
parents.”
In
conclusion, the researchers note that while parenthood is currently not
associated with enhanced mental health, there are types of parenthood with
different consequences. According to Evenson and Simon, their “analyses clearly
indicate that certain types of parenthood—particularly married parents with
minor children in the household—are associated with less depression than other
types of parenthood.”
…Well there
ya go. If you read only the headline and
the first part of the story, you’d draw the conclusion that PARENTS are
DEPRESSED. It isn’t until you get into
the heart of the story that you find out “Gee Whiz, campers, nuclear families
have less depression”. I’ve talked about
shared parenting issues on the daddycast, and here is a study that confirms some
of the bias in those custody battles.
Gender bias: NON-custodial = dad, “single parent”=mom. Things that make ya go hmmm….Hey Teri, over
at Feminst4fathers, you listening…?
9 Percent of Adolescents Experienced
a Major Depressive Episode in the Past Year, Survey Finds
WASHINGTON,
Dec. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- About 2.2 million adolescents ages 12 to 17 (9 percent)
experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year. These
adolescents were more than twice as likely to have used illicit drugs in the
past month than their peers who had not experienced a major depressive episode
(21.2 percent compared with 9.6 percent). These findings were released this
past week by the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) from continued analysis of
the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
The survey
includes questions to assess lifetime and past year major depressive episodes.
A major depressive episode is defined using the diagnostic criteria in the 4th
edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).
These criteria specify a period of two weeks or longer during which there is
either depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure and at least four other
symptoms that reflect a change in functioning, such as problems with sleep,
eating, energy, concentration and self-image.
"These
new data serve as a wake-up call to parents. Mental health is a critical part
of the overall health and wellbeing of their children," said SAMHSA
Administrator Charles Curie. "If parents have concerns about their child's
behavior or emotions, they should discuss their concerns with their doctors,
teachers, counselors, social workers, spiritual advisors, friends, or relatives
who know about child development and mental health. Ask for help in finding out
what the problem is and where to get services. Unfortunately, less than half of
these children received any help for their depression."
In the
survey, treatment for depression is defined as seeing or talking to a medical
doctor or other health professional or taking prescription medication for
depression.
The report,
"Depression Among Adolescents," found that older teens are more
likely than younger teens to experience a major depressive episode in the past
year. An estimated 12.3 percent of adolescents ages 16 or 17 suffered a major
depressive episode in the past year compared to 9 percent of those ages 14 or
15 and 5.4 percent of those ages 12 or 13.
An
estimated 21.2 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 17 who suffered a major
depressive episode in the past year reported past month illicit drug use
compared to 9.6 percent of those who did not. Similarly, 28.4 percent of those
teens suffering a major depressive episode in the past year reported past month
alcohol use, compared to 16.5 percent of teens who did not report a major
depressive episode in the past year. Almost one quarter (22.8 percent) of
adolescents ages 12 to 17 who experienced a major depressive episode in the
past year used cigarettes in the past month compared to 10.7 percent without a
major depressive episode.
Wow 9
percent – that’s pretty significant. I
think that we as parents are in the best position at determining whether our
kids need to seek professional help. And
if your kid is using drugs or alcohol, there may be a reason other than peer
pressure or curiosity. So If you find
your kids have been “experimenting” with drugs or alcohol, try and keep cool,
and think about whether your kids are in a depressed state and looking for a
way out.
…remember
to breathe…breathe…
Coaching women during childbirth has
little impact
WASHINGTON
(Reuters) - Pregnant women coached through their first delivery do not fare
much better than those who just do what feels natural, according to a study
released on Friday.
Researchers
at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center found that women who
were told to push 10 seconds for every contraction gave birth 13 minutes faster
than those who were not given specific instructions.
But they
said the difference has little impact on the overall birth, which experts say
can take up to 14 hours on average.
"There
were no other findings to show that coaching or not coaching was advantageous
or harmful," said lead author Dr. Steven Bloom, the interim head of
obstetrics and gynecology at the Dallas-based university.
"Oftentimes,
it's best for the patient to do what's more comfortable for her," he
added.
Bloom and
his team studied 320 first-time mothers who had simple pregnancies and did not
receive epidural anesthesia.
About half
were given specific instructions by certified nurse-midwives during the second
stage of labor, when they were fully dilated. The rest were told to "do
what comes naturally."
On average,
coached mothers trimmed the final stage to 46 minutes compared to 59 minutes,
according to the study sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and
Human Development at the National Institutes of Health.
Women in
both groups experienced about the same number of forceps use, Caesarean
deliveries and skin tears, among other complications.
The results
were published in the January issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and
Gynecology.
Less clear
was whether extra pushing encouraged by a coach could lead to bladder trouble.
In an
earlier study, the researchers tested bladder function in 128 of the mothers
three months later.
While such
problems usually resolve on their own over time, women who had been coached had
a smaller bladder capacity and felt the urge to urinate more often, they
previously found.
Senior
author Dr. Kenneth Leveno, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the
school, said it was still not clear if the bladder problems could lead to
long-term complications and more studies are needed.
"Whether
or not these functional changes have long-term consequences, I'm not ready to
say," he said in a statement. "We don't want to alarm patients about
this."
Friday's
finding that coaching "confers neither benefit nor harm might be
pre-empted if it is confirmed that coaching has deleterious long-term
effects," the study concluded.
…Well hey
I’m so glad I went to all those friggin’ Lamaze classes! So if my math is correct, I spent 2 hours
every Wednesday for 9 weeks to save 14 minutes of labor – oh, and lets not
forget the decreased bladder function.
My wife very much suffers from that problem now. Just goes to show ya, fellas, that women will
blame US for everything!
[Cue drop ELEMENT_2]
On that
note, here’s a song about delivery – um – not that kind, though…Jennifer Helane
– podsafe music network.
[Cue Song 1 Jennifer Helane –
“Delivery”]
[Cue Mailtime]
Well folks,
another light mailbag this week – although organ enlargement was a hot topic
for discussion (Man I hate SPAM).
Comments, questions, suggestions, cool music tips, those six winning
lottery numbers, send ‘em all to SUBMIT AT 101 USES FOR BABY WIPES DOT COM.
I do have
one little announcement. I announced lat
week that I’d put up the Toon Tests on their very own site and provided a
link. Well, you can now get there
directly. Go to www dot the toon test
dot com. Surprise! I’ll be building that site up, you’ll always
find the test from the previous week’s show right there to download and share
with your kids – If they’ll let you have the iPod, that is.
Listener Mail:
Got a
comment from Trey in
[Cue Lisa’s Song]
According
to Allison’s website, this song was written to raise awareness for a young
woman who has not been seen since 2002, when she disappeared. Allison has a 6-song CD for sale on her
website, allisoncrowe.com, to raise money to help find Lisa Marie Young. So I’d like to ask you to visit the site…if
you like her music, buy some and help find this young woman.
In the
interview segment this week, I had a chance to catch up with my old riend from
[Cue Matthew Interview]
OK, time to
change the mood around here, what do you say?
[Cue Wipes Use #36 – DVD
de-scratcher Intro]
Use #36: DVD De-scratcher
Now that
Christmas is over, and the holiday videos need to be recovered from piles of
wrapping paper, empty boxes, half-opened gifts, and all that other debris left
in the family room, lets just look at the shiny side of that ‘Rudolf the
red-nosed neindeer’ DVD your kids watched 97 times and didn’t put back in the
DVD case.
And what do
you find? Some sort of goo resembling
hard candy that was maybe half-consumed, half-chewed, half-decomposed, stuck to
that DVD. So you try as you might to
pull that stuff off the DVD so that maybe – just maybe – you can fit it back in
the protective case…but its no use. Its
hopeless.
Fear
not! I have blazed the trail for
you! Here’s what you will need to do –
and I speak from experience on this one, so trust me!
1) Get the sticky stuff off the DVD (or
CD or game disc, this method will work on all of ‘em) – use some hot running
water to loosen the candy from the disc,
2) Get 2 baby wipes; 1 dry (to lay the
disc on, face down) and another one moist – not too wet. Wring it out to be sure its not too wet,
3) You’ll need a small dab of
toothpaste – plain old toothpaste, not the whitening stuff or the
rainbow-colored stuff or the organic chunky-style, just plain toothpaste.
So, once
you’ve used the hot running tap water to get the sticky chunks off the disc,
there are probably scratches left behind, making playing the video – or the
game – or the music – whatever – difficult if not impossible. So, with the disc still wet from rinsing
under the tap,
4) Take the dry wipes, lay it out flat,
and place the disc face-down on it. This
will help keep it from sliding around on the counter.
5) Take the wet baby wipe, get a very
small dab of toothpaste on it, and rub the disc, from the inner part of the
disc where the hole is, to the edge, in gentle strokes. The key is to use the toothpaste like
polishing compound, which is what it is after all, and to polish the scratches
off the disc, but move from inner edge to outer edge…don’t go around the
circumference – move in straight lines from the middle of the disc to the outer
edge – trust me!
6) Make sure the baby wipe stays wet,
and that you don’t use too much toothpaste.
Keep the surface wet, and buff the disc surface gently to get rid of
those deep scratches that will ruin a disc.
If you
prefer, you can go buy a gizmo that will cost you around $30, and it will do
basically the same thing…but it has a fancy hand crank. This will do the job, you won’t have to leave
the house, and you just might save that old holiday video that has now become
the ONLY video your kids want to watch until JULY!
[Cue Drop_1]
Anybody
wanna play the ToonTest?
[Cue ToonTest]
Answers: #3
– Buzz Lightyear, #2 -Dave The Barbarian, #1 - The Jetsons
You can
find all the ToonTests at www dot the toon test dot com. The answers are in the MP3 file, so your MP3
player will show you as you listen. I
won’t post the answers on the web site – NO CHEATING now!
[Cue Alan Jay_Time]
Thanks to
Jennifer Helane, Allison Crowe, and Larry Seyer for that cool new music
intro. You can find their stuff and lots
more good stuff at the PODSAFE MUSIC NETWORK – that’s music.podshow.com
My very
special thanks to all of you, the listeners, for making this a really fun 2005
for me. Its been a blast producing these
shows, and getting all the feedback and comments. I’ve had a blast, and I’ve learned a
lot. So I raise my glass to you…
[Clink the glasses]
A toast, to
my faithful daddy castaways – to you,
and your families, best wishes for a happy and healthy 2006!
And now I’d
like to join Gifford, Negus and Houston, and their party already in
progress. These three guys know how to
party. A new year show would not be
complete with some swacked guys singing.
[Cue Song #2 Drunken Scots Mix –
“Auld Lang Syne”]