Category Archives: In the News

Bad karma: Parent warriors on yoga in school

Posted on October 23, 2012 | 4 comments

I read a story this week about a controversy over teaching yoga to kids at a San Diego area school. Apparently some parents in the community are objecting to yoga classes as part of the curriculum because they believe it’s indoctrinating them into eastern religion.

Say what??

Beside the outrageous narrow mindedness of the argument, this story hits me where it hurts because I practice yoga and believe everyone should give it a whirl. Yoga literally means the union of body and mind and aims at achieving a healthy, strong, balanced body and a calm, clear mind.  Good goals for adults and kids, no?

This group of California parents has hired an attorney who sent an email to the school district demanding that the classes stop immediately, claiming they’re unconstitutional. While the lawyer says the district is using taxpayer resources to promote Ashtanga yoga and Hinduism, the district superintendent says they’ve removed any religious content from the twice-weekly classes and don’t intend to stop the program. (You can read the full story in the North County Times here.)

A newspaper columnist and school board member went and observed the classes and found the kids quiet, engaged, and having fun. The yoga classes are part of an enrichment program at the school that started three years ago and has been targeted as so successful, it could become a national model.

A school official said the yoga classes allow kids to slow down during their busy school day and learn to breathe and calm themselves, especially when feeling social or academic stress.

Practicing yoga regularly can have life-changing effects that have nothing to do with how you worship.  Holding the poses stretches and lengthens your muscles, making you strong,  and promotes balance. The deep breathing and concentration helps quiet the mind and focus your thoughts and energy.

When I finish a yoga class, I feel calm and empowered. How could that be anything but positive for kids, especially during a school day?

I respect everyone’s right to religious practice and completely support upholding the separation of church and state in our schools, but the yoga practice going on at this school is not a threat to that.

Perhaps if these complaining parents could open their minds to new experiences, they would set an example for their kids of tolerance and understanding. They should look inward and start questioning their own dogma instead of fearing those who downward dog.

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Posted in In the News, Modern Life, Pop Culture Trends

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Teaching kids about heroes

Posted on October 18, 2012 | 3 comments

When my boys were little, our family loved a terrific Fisher Price toy series called “Rescue Heroes.” We collected these action figures, who all had different jobs keeping people safe: Billy Blazes and Wendy Waters fought fires, Jake Justice was a cop,  Sandy Beach was a lifeguard, Rocky Canyon was a mountain ranger– you get the picture.

Those kinds of heroes were easy to recognize and had noble, clear intentions. But as children get older, it’s more difficult to find heroes to revere. Out of curiosity, I  asked my kids to name their heroes and gave them time to think about it.

12-year-old Jacob: “I don’t know. I don’t have any. That’s hard.”

9-year-old Aden: “Baltimore Ravens player Ray Lewis because he’s a great player and does a lot of charity work. And my mom and dad because they take care of me.”

6 year-old Eli: “Hmmmm. Well, me (pointing to himself.) And my friend Benjamin because he told a bully on the bus to stop when he was being mean to me.”

Some cute answers in there, but no substantial icons. It was hard to come up with people they admire and want to emulate.

The trouble with modern times is we all know too much. We are constantly hearing about accomplished people –at the top of their game and ripe for hero-worship– who fall from grace for personal weaknesses (see Tiger Woods, Bill Clinton, Lance Armstrong, Martha Stewart, the list goes on and on.)

I started thinking about this when I heard the story of Malala Yousufzai. She’s a 14-year-old Pakistani girl who just wanted to go to school. When the Taliban took over the area where she lived, she spoke out against their presence in her town and their ban on education for girls.

Times of India

Last week, a Taliban group targeted Malala, storming her school bus and shooting her in the head. After a few days in a local hospital, she was flown to England to get specialized treatment in a safe environment. The AP reported today that although she has suffered major brain trauma, her condition has improved and she’s moving her limbs.

I talked about Malala’s story with my kids at dinner the other night. They asked many questions and were shocked to hear that kids in other parts of the world actually have to risk their lives to get an education, and sometimes fight for the right to learn.

I told my boys that Malala is now one of my heroes, for being brave enough to stand up against the ultimate bullies–  for herself and for all the girls in her country. She proved that sometimes it just takes one voice, or one action to capture the world’s attention, and hopefully inspire change.

To read more about Malala’s story, click here.  Who are your heroes? Do your kids have any? It’s a good dinner table discussion topic. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

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Posted in In the News, Modern Life

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Stephen Colbert’s America: How the father of truthiness is changing politics

Posted on October 17, 2012 | Comments Off on Stephen Colbert’s America: How the father of truthiness is changing politics

As we get closer to the election, the political conversation is becoming more shrill on both sides. I’ve noticed several loyal Facebook posters threatening to  sign off until after November 6th, though I doubt they actually will.

This is not a political blog so though I’m a news junkie and following the race closely, I will refrain from taking sides here. But I recently wrote an interesting  story about when pop culture and politics collide.

I interviewed a Penn State professor on how Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report,”  has changed modern politics.

Professor Sophia McClennen has written a book called “Colbert’s America, Satire and Democracy,” which is pretty readable for an academic endeavor. She argues that Colbert and Jon Stewart are brilliant satirists who have captured attention by lampooning political and media figures, while pointing out the stupidity and folly of the way Washington works.

But Colbert has taken satire to a new level by actually motivating his fans to get up off the couch and become political activists.

Stunts on his pretend conservative talk show have spurned viewers to tweet en masse,  and donate money to both worthy causes and his Super PAC. He not only makes us laugh, he’s teaching us a lesson by exposing how money flows in our political system.

McClennen was engaging and smart and made me think about the power of satire and Colbert’s influence on politics in a new way.  Colbert seems to be everywhere these days. He was on “Meet the Press” last Sunday and “Oprah’s Next Chapter” featured Colbert recently as well.  In both interviews, I found him bright, charming, and authentic– probably why he has such a huge following. You can see a clip of Oprah’s interview here.

I’d love you to take a look at my story on how Colbert is changing politics here and let me know what you think.

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Posted in Book Reviews, Fav TV, In the News

Don’t Judge a Mom by the Size of Her Job

Posted on October 2, 2012 | 5 comments

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer/AP

I saw this Associated Press article in my travels yesterday and it pissed me off.

It’s about the new CEO of Yahoo, Marissa Mayer, who gave birth to her first child over the weekend.  Some reports just stated the facts, like the kid doesn’t even have a name yet. But this particular article (likely one of many) wondered how Mayer will be able to take on the challenge of new motherhood while doing the very large job of saving Yahoo.

What’s interesting to me is that this would never come up if she was a man. I’m not even sure the CEO of a major company becoming a father would even make news, much less cause a stir. I don’t think anyone would be questioning how a male CEO would balance his job and parenting.

Why is that?

Do we assume that said CEO has a wife who would take care of a newborn, leaving him to master the universe? Or is it that we can’t imagine a woman could handle the modern high standards of new moms while running a giant corporation?

The article says : “The attention surrounding Mayer’s pregnancy and the birth of her child intensifies the pressure as she tries to engineer a long-awaited turnaround at one of the Internet’s best-known companies. ” 

Whether your work is at home or in the office, all moms know that every day is a struggle for the illusive life balance.  Some days the stars align, all your carpool plans gel, the test goes well, you made a great point in a meeting, and you can reheat leftovers for dinner.

And some days just suck.

Here’s another quote from the article: “No matter how much Mayer may have prepared for her baby’s arrival, she is likely to be surprised by some of the difficulties that torment working moms, predicted Kim Smith, a partner with Witt/Kieffer, an executive recruitment firm that has worked with other mothers who have time-consuming jobs.”

Thanks for the sister support Kim!

Of course she’s going to be surprised, and exhausted, and an emotional wreck in the first few months. And even if she has a baby nurse and 2 nannies, it’s still on her to bond with that little boy and learn how to take care of him, no matter how many times her iPhone rings.

But let’s let her do it in peace. She’ll figure it out. We women are extremely capable creatures. She’ll be changing a diaper with one hand and reading deals with the other in no time.  Or maybe her husband will stay home with the kids while she focuses on taking over the internet.

Congratulations Marissa! Enjoy this special time with your son whichever way you choose, without people judging you. I know I won’t.

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Posted in In the News, Modern Life, Working Mom Adventures

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Celebrity Couple Scoop is a Myth

Posted on August 17, 2012 | 1 comment

I’m a pop culture fan and fascinated by celebrities, so I love gossip magazines and entertainment shows as much as the next gal (or guy who’s willing to admit it.) But the recent furor over personal details of celebrity couples’ relationships  is getting out of hand.

First, there was Tom and Katie.

Yes, it was huge news. The speed with which the divorce was handled (less than a month?!) and his strict Scientology faith made the story intriguing.  We’d all like to know what goes on in the Cruise home but getting that story would be mission impossible. Somehow Tom has put a tight lid on all those close to him so the public doesn’t know the answers to a myriad of questions we have about his personal life.

Yet there are all the tabloids, week after week– touting “insider details” of the split. I’m sure there’s some non-disclosure clause that Katie signed that guarantees her a pile of dough if she keeps mum. I don’t think we’ll ever know that whole story, and maybe we can’t handle the truth.

from telegraph.co.uk

Actress Kristen Stewart apparently cheated on Robert Pattinson with her older, married director, dashing the hopes of millions of “Twilight” fans pulling for a real life happy ending. It’s scandalous and sad for Twi-hards who follow their every move.

This week Twitter was blowing up and show producers were salivating over Robert’s first media interview since the epic split.  Pattinson appeared on “the Daily Show,” where Jon Stewart set the tone by offering him a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia and some girl talk to help him through the breakup.

As Stewart pointed out– although his show has hosted rockers, movie stars, and presidents– it had never before had the enormous crowd of screaming fans and rows of overweight paparazzi camped outside that night, all waiting for a glimpse of the jilted lover.

Pattinson– who, in the interest of privacy,  had barely acknowledged the couple was dating for the last several years–  briefly referenced the break up and moved on to promoting his new movie. Those vampire lips are sealed and any tidbit the relentless media gets on that relationship will be suspect.

This headline says it all. In the same week that Jennifer Aniston and boyfriend Justin Thereaux got engaged, Star magazine proclaimed the relationship done in a cover story clearly filled with false information.

I’m a fan of Jen’s style and comedic talent and have wanted her to be happy since Brad broke her heart and then John Mayer stomped all over it. I was glad to hear she’s engaged, but I’m ready to move on with my life.

I don’t need the play-by-play of the proposal, which family members and friends she told first, or whether the news was timed to coincide with Brangelina’s much anticipated wedding. Ick! Leave the gal alone and let her enjoy her moment.

Our celebrity-obsessed society has made chasing these stories an Olympic sport.   I’m not sure who is fueling the interest. My favorite part of the lifestyle mags is the photos in the first few pages to see who’s with who, where they’re going, and what they’re wearing. I like People because it still has some journalistic integrity and doesn’t seem to make up gossip as much as the others.

But there must me millions out there who regularly visit the gossip well and drink the KoolAid because the celebrity magazines and websites keep dishing it out, regardless of whether it’s true. How can any self-respecting person continue to read Star after such a blatant error?

We’ll never know what really happened in these celebrity relationships and I’m ok with that. It’s none of our business.

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Posted in Celebrity Happenings, Fallen celebs, In the News, Pop Culture Trends

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I’m So Over the Olympics (But I Still Love America)

Posted on August 12, 2012 | 4 comments

Olympics closing ceremonies? Are the games done already? Say it ain’t so!

What I really mean is…..WOOHOO!!!!!

I no longer have to pretend I care about medal counts, beach volleyball, or Ryan Lochte. My TV won’t be clogged up with athletic feats by superhuman people who make my 4-mile runs and yoga classes seem like the hobbies of a lazy slob.  Perhaps now people at work and parties and the grocery store will forget about Michael Phelps’ gold rush and the triumph of women’s soccer.

I’m not a sports fan to begin with so two solid weeks of sports — some as obscure as judo, synchronized swimming, and water polo– is Olympic overload. (Entertainment Weekly’s site had a funny article about WTF sports in the Olympics you can check out here.)

I live in a virtual locker room with three little jocks led by one giant sports fan. If I can’t grab onto anything regarding baseball, football, or basketball at home, it would be insane to think track and field or badminton would hold my attention. I know there’s the drama of getting to know the athletes’  back stories before watching them attempt five minutes of excellence after years of training. While I like drama, it doesn’t make me care about the competition.

I did enjoy the opening ceremonies– especially Paul McCartney belting out “Hey Jude” and thousands of people echoing his na na na’s. I also admit to  enjoying the U.S. kick ass in gymnastics.  Those girls were perfection.

But the rest of it I could leave.

I’ve felt this way for the last two weeks but was afraid to say it out loud, fearing some government suit or sports-loving neighbor would come snatch my citizenship. Not liking the Olympics is like not liking the Tooth Fairy, or rainbows, or puppies. I hate being the killjoy so I’ve just been faking interest to get by.

But now the jig is up and I can go back to being my sports-spurning self. It’s liberating to have this space to vent. Anyone else want to admit something ? I promise not to judge– in fact I’ll give you a perfect 10 for honesty. Tell me in the comments. I’m all ears.

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Posted in In the News, My Little Jocks

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Talking to Children about Aurora Shootings: Know Your Kid

Posted on July 24, 2012 | 3 comments

I’ve been glued to the TV and iPad soaking in details of the Aurora, Colorado theater shootings. A young, intelligent person methodically plotting that violent act is beyond comprehension. Part of my need to know all the facts is to try to make sense of the evil. Did you see the shooter in court with the wild red hair and dazed look? Sickening.

While I could sit for hours watching coverage, trolling for any new information on the case and the victims, Wilson doesn’t see the point of dwelling. Always a news junkie, when a big story happens I follow it closely, but I’ve realized over-saturation is not for everyone.  Violent and/or heartbreaking events can be triggers for some, causing anxiety and even depression.

I’ve seen several stories online this week about how to talk to your kids about tragedies and it reminded me of a column I wrote a few years ago when my then 9-year-old, Jacob, was grilling me about the deadly earthquake in Indonesia. You can check out my story here.

The bottom line is, you have to know your kid. My 9 and 6 year olds are much more concerned this week with their baseball playoffs and extra sprinkles on their ice cream than the news. That works for me.

Things haven’t changed much since I wrote that column. While my younger boys were oblivious, Jacob was fascinated by this week’s  shooting rampage and asked me a zillion questions, most of which I could not answer. He wanted to know how the shooter got so many guns and bullets, how he was able to booby trap his apartment, but mostly why? why? why?

12- year-old Jacob is extremely curious by nature (not sure where he gets it from) and gets frustrated when we can’t offer satisfactory responses to his queries.  We did our best to give him the appropriate information and encouraged him to discuss his feelings about the crime. The conversation repeatedly turned back to the shooter’s motive.

As we told him this week, part of growing up is realizing sometimes people do horrible things for no good reason at all.

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Today Show: Right Stuff or Light Fluff?

Posted on April 25, 2012 | 2 comments

“Today” / NBC/Universal

I was happy to hear that reality TV stars Giuliana and Bill Rancic are having a baby via surrogate. They’ve had a long (and over-documented) journey to parenthood, with fertility problems and Giuliana’s surprise breast cancer diagnosis last year. They seem like nice people (although perhaps oddly willing to publicize their most personal and painful experiences on national television) who deserve the joy of starting a family.

This is the kind of news you would expect to hear at a family dinner or on a personal phone call from a friend. But in our twisted world where reality stars make their living off sharing intimate details, we might expect to hear it on an entertainment show or Twitter.

Yet NBC promoted the hell out of the “exclusive” all morning, before the sit-down interview with the couple in the 8:00am hour.

Is this the best “Today” can do for news and information? I could see a 30 second voice-over at the end of the news segment, or a live interview with the Rancics on the fourth hour of “Today,” which is dedicated to entertainment and family stories.  But with everything going on in the world, with all the resources of the number one morning show, with the amazing staff that show requires, this tidbit was worth several minutes in the second hour of the show?

It’s just one of many examples of entertainment and pop culture stories taking over news shows. I’m old school because I’ve worked in news since my first college internship in 1988.  Back then, this kind of fluff would never be pitched for fear of ridicule.

But standards have changed and these stories score high ratings so news shows are under pressure to cater to our lowbrow interest in the Duggers’ 20th baby, Mel Gibson’s latest rant, and every Kate Middleton outfit.

I only have 30 minutes to absorb the news before I start my day. I prefer my newscasts to explain world events and introduce me to newsmakers that inspire change. What’s going on in Afghanistan? Tell me the latest medical breakthrough or a great story about teachers.

I hate that complaining makes me sound like an out-of-touch old-timer. I lap up celebrity gossip as much as the next teenaged girl, but can’t we keep it in the pages of People and Gawker?

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Posted in Fav TV, In the News

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RIP Dick Clark

Posted on April 20, 2012 | 1 comment

This is how I’ll remember Dick Clark

I was sorry to hear about Dick Clark’s death this week and wasn’t surprised by the outpouring of sympathy and respect that followed.  Dick was as big a part of my Saturday morning routine as pancakes and bacon. I remember lazy days, lounging around in my Holly Hobbie nightgown, watching “American Bandstand” with my brother while my dad read the paper and my mom cleaned the kitchen.

I loved seeing the kids dancing with their fancy disco clothes and toothy TV smiles.  I was listening to Donna Summer and Bee Gees LP’s on our stereo and making up dance moves to “Grease” back then so “American Bandstand” had everything  a preteen girl could want.

And who didn’t watch Dick every New Year’s Rockin Eve? There was something comforting about seeing the ball drop with him, whether I was stuck home with my parents, making a fool of myself after too many cocktails in my 20’s, or– in recent years– gathered with a bunch of friends and our kids in front of the TV.

He was a pop culture icon that I might have taken for granted, especially in the post stroke years when I wondered why he still chose to be on TV.  Now that he’s gone, I realize that his enduring presence in music and TV was the backdrop and soundtrack for many memories, all of them fond.

I love Ryan Seacrest, but there was only one Dick Clark. I’ll miss him.

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Posted in Celebrity Happenings, Fav TV, In the News, Music Notes

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