freeflybella

Agave is also a great sweetener to replace syrup and honey. Rice milk is fine, it's a little nutritionally weak though. Have you tried almond milk? Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

Then again, if he learns to speak like that, he just might pass for a native. Not to totally play the devil's advocate - because I also believe it's a crazy thing to do for some one she doesn't know - only slightly less crazy to do for someone she's actually in love with (but not ready to marry yet) but - if they look like they belong together, ie., she's 24 and white and he's 55 and chinese, they'll likely have a very easy time passing the INS interview. Also, she can always cry scam if things don't work out - and if he hasn't yet received his green card - he won't have much of a shot aat anything belonging to her. Anyway - it's ALOT of work and ALOT of hassle and will most likely drag on for years. Overall bad idea. Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

There is a reasonable presumption of maturity there. As an adult you are capable of making decisions, your brain is fully matured, you have a certain level of life experience, etc. Of course it's necessary to talk about ads to kids. They see the ads out there targeted to adults. Right there is my opportunity to discuss advertising to my kid. I still don't get why anyone thinks ads targeting kids is even considered acceptable. Tell me why you think ads targeting kids is a good thing. What's the benefit that overrides the harm? There is all kinds of research to show that promoting consumerism in very young kids increases depression, eating disorders, anxiety, etc. Just 10 years ago, advertisers spent under 100 million targeting kids. Today they spend 2 billion. The argument that "I did xxxx and I turned out OK" is just a bad argument. We learn. We evolve. We change what's acceptable based on what we discover. anyhoo... Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

Why do you think they are trying to cram this stuff into kids heads at school in the 2nd and 3rd grade? Is this a rhetorical question? Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

Not at all what I'm talking about. Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

How weird is it that the involved parents are the ones who are the most proactive in trying to curtail marketing to kids. Says to me that it's more than just being "uninvolved" that's the issue. I would never say "I'm involved and taking care of my kid so screw those who don't have the same priorities or opinions as me". That's just me, I guess. Bikini-clad Barbie dolls advertising Happy Meals is just as sickening as breast-implant ads in magazines, in my opinion. Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

Agreed. Except that letting your kids make your spending decisions isn't the only problem. That's one problem. In a day's worth of kids commercials - kids are presented with a view of other kids and the things they are doing. Kids can't discern between what's real and what's portrayed in advertising. Sure, as a parent it's our job to mitigate those messages, but when they are repeated and that appealing - you just can't be sure what's getting in. Of course, we can disagree.

This is almost counterintuitive to your point. If I am the parent - and it's my job to make the decisions for my child, my job to discern needs/wants, my responsibility to be the gatekeeper of info, etc... then doesn't even seem that much more insidious that marketers are trying to bypass me and head straight to my child? Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

Yes, to companies who don't care who they sell to as long as they're making money. I believe in the end it's the parents responsibility to keep an eye on what their children are watching/seeing and nip it in the bud if they think they're getting undesireable information. The problem with today is that most parents don't really care to do anything about it. It's just a bit more extensive than that. Shielding your kid from marketing messages would be a full-time job - and even at that, not sure it can be done. My position differs, I guess. I believe that if something has no value - then it's risks will outweigh it's benefits everytime. Cold medicine makes money for pharma. but it has no value to kids. Take it away. Creating a desire in a child who doesn't have the maturity to discern messages - or even the ability to purchase the item - has no value (other than to make money for the company). In addition, other less overt messages can be introduced - actually making it harmful. Overall parental involvement is important - but it's a whole other can of worms. Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

Ever stop to think about how much advertising is marketed to kids? "The Nag Factor" is an actual term used by a bunch of suits giving powerpoint presentations to a bunch of other suits. "How do we get kids to nag their parents for our product?" I've been in advertising for almost 15 years and there are quite a few accounts I refuse to work on: vaccines, fast food...but nothing makes me more sick than marketing to kids. It's been proven over and over again - the earlier something is introduced to children - the more likely it is to stick throughout their lives. Besides the nag factor - kids are getting sexualized and violent messages, too. Knowing this - how can advertising to kids be tolerated? Sure it's effective - but is that all that matters? Selling your crap? http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/ Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

"America should do what it takes to support our troops and protect our people," Bush said" Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

Check out your sunscreen here: While we're riding this drift: baby soaps and shampoos should be researched, too. 1,4-Dioxane http://www.breastcancerfund.org/site/pp.asp?c=kwKXLdPaE&b=2483603 Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

Sunscreen PSA: Use a micronized zinc oxide sunscreen on your kids - not that Banana Boat-type shit full of chemicals you can get at the drug store. Spend the extra $$ for a sunscreen that won't absorb into their skin. At least until they're 5-6 years old. edited: titanium --> zinc. Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

No. No there aren't. Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

That is what I should have asked her. All parents opposed to leashing should start carrying around Milkbone dog biscuits and offer them to the offending parents by asking "Is it OK if I give your dog a treat?" While I agree that those leashes are awful - I can think of plenty of times (18 month old - single mama - airport) where I wish I had one! Honestly though, even if I tried - my kid would never have allowed it. Think cat on a leash... Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

Totally...that is my major issue with school systems in general. Kids spending 6-8 hours sitting in class with little to no physical activity, vending machines, crappy cafeteria food, no seatbelts on buses, etc. My son (while only 2 - but I'll bet many kids, at any age, are the same) learns more by doing than he does by reading/memorizing/watching. There should be a balance. If the government is going to require that it have my kid in it's care for a large portion of the day - it better really care for my kid. That doesn't mean that I expect schools to 'raise' my kid. Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

While it is certainly NOT the schools job to "raise" our kids - we ARE required to send our kids into schools for a very significant portion of their lives. It disgusts me to think that parents absolve themselves of the responsibility of raising their children because it's more convenient to blame others... But it also disgusts me that kids are required to sit still for hours and hours, not required to participate in physical activity and are offered junk food and processed food all day. Send a letter to the parents? Fine. It might be a wake up call for lazy/neglectful parents. It is a health issue after all. But make damn sure there aren't coke machines in that school, too. Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

That says it all right there. Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

I both agree and somewhat disagree. First, I totally agree that she should mind her own business. Second, I fully believe in calculated consequences. Obviously, you wouldn't let your kid fall down the stairs to learn that he should stay away from the stairs. But honestly, most kids do need to fall down the stairs to learn that it hurts to fall down stairs. My son is very physically precocious. He loves to climb and jump off of things. I let him do it. Other 2 year olds are awkward and clumsy. What's right for your kid might not be right for hers. BUT there are alot of things we have learned over the years about safety and psychology and development that can help us make better choices as parents. I don't think it necessarily makes you namby pamby to make your kid wear a bike helmet or refuse to spank as a punishment (for example). Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

They have reformed Black Francis (Frank Black)got them back to gether lat year

Elvis Costello and... The Pixies (

I found it amusing when I signed the papers to adopt my kitten yesterday. The woman from the rescue program said "Now this is our Ellen DeGeneres clause..." Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

Yeah, you're probably right. Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

I'm not saying Ellen is a bad person. Or that she didn't have the best interests of everyone involved at heart. It must suck to feel like you have to give a dog back to a shelter after 'rescuing' him. My inclination would be to find a good home for it to. I also agree with you that there aren't any winners here. Out of all the things that happened - there are 2 things that are really really bad: 1- the kid got a dog and then had it taken away. Hopefully someone explained the real reason and helped her make honest sense of it. 2- Ellen brought bad press (and apparently death threats) to an organization whose mission it is to teach compassion, and that companion animals aren't disposable - and to rescue those animals in need. A good/safe home for animals is more imposrtant than the whims of people. I would also hope that every effort is made to return that dog to the family Ellen gave it to. If not, I'd also hope there is a good reason why.