Twenty children are dead. Twenty. It is beyond imagining that someone could do this. It is beyond understanding how these families, the Newtown CT community, will make it through. Like so many others, I have been glued to the TV. What, exactly, happened? Who was this mass murderer? Why did it Continue Reading
Fatal Stabbings in NYC: How The Media Coverage Victimizes the Victims
Yesterday evening, two children from my neighborhood were fatally stabbed, allegedly by their Nanny, who then appeared to try to take her own life. It is a horrific story. Beyond imaginings. To talk about how upsetting it is -- well, what is there to say? So I won't talk about that beyond saying Continue Reading
Are Sports Programs Making Kids Fat?
My friend Julie's son is in an after-school football program that meets three days a week for three hours each practice. He is 9-years-old. If my son wants to play on his 7th grade soccer team, he needs to commit to practice three days a week, and devote a fourth day to playing games. My daughter Continue Reading
A Blogger’s Not a Journalist, and That’s OK
Today I went to CE Week here in New York. And here's what I learned: I'm not journalist, and I'm fine with that. For the second year in a row, the fabulous folks at Techlicious hosted a Media/Mom Blogger tour of the CE Week floor, highlighting various companies and products. Imagine it! Actual Continue Reading
Somewhat Wordless Wednesday: Offensive Breast Cancer Ad
My mother is a Breast Cancer survivor. My sister recently had a scare. I have more than one friend who has lost a breast, or two, or had a lumpectomy. I know women who have lost parents, or sisters to Breast Cancer. I do not take Breast Cancer lightly. I do not think it is sexy, or fun. I do not Continue Reading
Don’t Let them Call you a Mommy Blogger
This week, Mashable published an infographic called The Rise of the Mommy Blogger. And it was offensive on OH so many levels. And wrong. Just plain wrong. Commissioned by H&R Block for reasons I can't really fathom (maybe they think we're all making the big bucks blogging and they wanted to let Continue Reading
Jealousy
Before I had kids, I used to see other parents and think: "When I'm a parent I'll never (fill in the blank.)" And then I became a parent. It was humbling just how many of those "fill in the blanks" I did. Lollipops in the morning (airplane rides.) TV as babysitter. (I had Swine Flu). Screaming Continue Reading
Why I’ll Never Get a Brazilian Bikini Wax
I love Brazil. On my vacation there years ago, I saw beautiful countryside, sophisticated cities, and rockin’ nightlife. I love Brazilians. They are warm and loving. They are awesome plastic surgeons, and they are singlehandedly reviving the NY Real Estate market. Some of my best friends are Continue Reading
Violent Videos Win. Kids Lose.
Remember a few years back when Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction gave the youth of America a glimpse of her breast? People went bananas. "Our kids saw that!" They cried. And the courts fined CBS for broadcasting the flash of flesh. But right now, there are any number of video games that Continue Reading
Cyberbullying: Are People Crying Virtual Wolf?
What with Charlie Sheen's public breakdown losing media steam, Brittney Spears behaving well, and the "9/11 Mosque" controversy miraculously gone from the national consciousness (maybe because a. it wasn't a mosque and b. it wasn't at Ground Zero), the media needs something new to blow out of Continue Reading