A new study of pre-teen girls seems to indicate that children that spend too much time jumping from YouTube, to Facebook, to videos, to video games, to television are less likely to develop healthy social skills and relationships as they get older. The study, conducted by Discovery Girls magazine, surveyed 3,461 American girls ages 8 to 12 who submitted responses to the questionnaire from the magazine. While the study was only conducted on young girls, academics who interpreted the results said that they would expect the same to hold true for young boys too.

Clifford Nass, a researcher at Stanford University who worked on the study was surprised that no one had ever asked the questions put forth in the survey before despite the inordinate amount of time spent by kids on these various “attention-get’ers. ” Nass went on to say that children have to learn how to develop socially by interaction with other people, including adults. He calls it face time, which you don’t get from Facebook, or YouTube. The answer to the problems caused by too much time on social media versus true social interaction is by talking to other people. Children that spend more time interacting face-to-face with others have less tendency to have social problems as they grow up.

Researchers were not able to pinpoint an amount of time spent with other people that can ameliorate the effects of too much time in front of the screen but they did emphasize the need for eye contact and the benefits of conversing with real people, not a screen.

Nass has worked on similar studies on adults, which highlighted the cognitive problems associated with too much time on the screen and said that he was shocked by the results of the survey of the young girls.

My take:

Just another reason to make sure to take your kids away from the screens, no matter how hard you have to pry the devices out of their hands. It should be common sense that too much time away from people isn’t a good thing, but for those that can’t make sense of the obvious at least this study lends support to what they should already know. Hell, you might even want to try throwing a ball with your kid or taking them fishing. Who knows, it might be helpful for both of you.

One of the biggest parts of the Super Bowl is the game of course. And then there is the pre-game entertainment and the halftime show, which recently has been nothing short of a mini-classic rock concert. But not to be outdone and certainly one of the more anticipated parts of the big game are the newest commercials that will be featured during the game. These thirty second marketing showpieces highlight the ingenuity and imagination of best of the best in the advertising industry and the Super Bowl has become the big stage to display their best work.

Some of the front runners for the title of best advertisement during the Super Bowl have already been leaking out bits and pieces of their ads in order to get a leg up on the competition. And from the glimpses of the commercials paying big bucks to make it to the Super Bowl we can expect the full gamut of pitches coming from every direction and being served up by celebs, animals, and of course, a few attractive females.

Celebrities will be on full display in the ads with sports icons, Hollywood divas, nostalgic faces, and of course, the surprising appearance of someone nobody expects to steal the whole show. The auto industry has been on the upswing of late so expect to see big time, glitzy ads from all of them.

Not to be outdone are the animals vying for the attention of all Super Bowl viewers. From the traditional famorites – the Budweiser Clydesdale Team - to the mush-faced Sketchers bulldog, and the Career Builder chimp, the lower primates are sure to steal the show; well the commercial end of the show.

My take:

This is probably the only time that I ever watch the commercials. Usually I surf away at every commercial break and try to time my connection back to the game when the commercials are over. But the Super Bowl is definitely the exception to this rule. Almost all are entertaining and display the very best marketing techniques in the industry.

Jessica Alba is stepping out of her role on the screen to launch a new business venture, her company called The Honest Company. Alba’s new business is in the business of green baby products, those eco-friendly items used for baby care such as diapers, wipes, as well as household cleaning products, and skin care.

Ms. Alba says she got the idea for the company after finding it nearly impossible to find non-toxic products for her children. She traces the beginnings of The Honest Company to three years ago when she was pregnant with her daughter. At the time she was looking for products that would be safe to use for a baby and says that she was amazed to find that most of the products she thought were ok to use, all contained dangerous chemicals. Alba, who has sensitive skin herself, says that one particular laundry detergent made especially for children caused her to break out in a rash.

Alba also says that the link between the ever-growing number of cases of children diagnosed with ADHD and the link to chemicals found in everyday products was another reason for wanting to open a business where parents could find products that will not be harmful to their children as well as other products for adults that are also free from dangerous chemicals.

The first line of products being put on the market by The Honest Company are a bundle for babies and other for family essentials. The former is a bundle of eco-friendly diapers, enough to last about a month, and the latter contains a number of family-friendly cleaning products. Alba says that the product line will increase as demand for the Honest Company products increases. She is going to rely on customer feedback for ideas for new products in the future. A portion of all proceeds from the Honest Company will be donated to Baby2Baby, a non-profit company that provided needy families with baby gear and clothing.

My take:

Sounds like an interesting undertaking. I hope it gets some legs so that people actually have a choice of better, safer products for their children and themselves, especially when it comes to household cleaning products. Who knows, it worked out pretty well for Paul Newman, maybe it can workout well for Jessica Alba too.

Three members of an immigrant Afghan family were found guilty of first degree murder in the deaths of three young female family members and the ex-wife of the father of the family. Mohammed Shafia, his wife Tooba Mohammad Yahya, and their son, Hamed 21, were found guilty of killing their 3 daughters, age 19, 17, and 13, in what prosecutors called an honor murder.

Mohammed Shafia claims that his three daughters were “whores” and conducting behavior that was bringing shame to them and their family. The eldest daughter, 19 year old Zainab was about to run off and marry a Pakistani man that her family disapproved of, the middle daughter, Sahar 17, is said to have been wearing revealing clothing, while the youngest, Geeti 13 was failing in school and succumbing to Western ways.

Shafia, his wife, and Hamed were convicted of murder and now face 25 years to life in prison for their crimes. Prosecutors say that all three plotted to kill the girls for bringing dishonor to the family. Investigators used hours of tapes from wiretaps of the Shafia home as evidence of the plot and eventual carrying out of the crime.

Prosecutors say that Mohammed instructed his son Hamed to use the family Lexus and to push another car containing the girls into a nearby canal. Officials believe that the three girls and Mohammad’s ex-wife, 54 year old Reba, were already dead when their vehicle hit the water in the canal. Experts testifying in the case say that Shafia and his wife and son believed that they had lost control over the three daughters and that his ex-wife Reba, was encouraging their behavior leaving him no choice but to “purify them in blood.”

Shafia’s lawyer claims that the conversations heard on the tape, rantings by Shafia about his daughter’s and his intention to restore order and honor, were nothing more than traditional expressions in Dari and should not be translated literally.

My take:

It’s hard to believe that in this day and age something like this could go on. Think about how twisted you must be to take the lives of your own children. This is a sickness that you have to hope dies over time. I can only imagine the extent to which it might go on in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other parts of the world where it is accepted and not under the larger microscope of the rest of the world.

A 17 yearn old English girl, whose diet has consisted of almost nothing but McDonald Chicken McNuggets for fifteen years, was hospitalized and is now being treated for a host of ailments related to her fast-food diet. Nutrition experts say that a single order of McNuggets packes as much sodium in one meal as is recommended for an entire day, some 900 milligrams of sodium. Stacey Irvine was introduced to McDonalds, and the nugget, fifteen years ago by her mother and ever since her diet is chicken nuggets and more chicken nuggets.

Ms. Irvine is a factory worker and it was at her job where she collapsed and had to be rushed to the hospital. At the time she complained of being unable to breath. Her intake of sodium was so high from her McChicken treats that she risks further complications from stroke, heart disease, and heart failure if she does not alter her diet. Ms. Irvine has since been released from the hospital where she was treated for high blood pressure.

Doctors and nutritionists say that high sodium levels in the American diet are directly responsible for high blood pressure problems with many people in the U.S. The average daily allowance of salt recommended by the FDA is approximately 1,500 mg., or about a teaspoon. However, data about the average U.S. diet indicates that most Americans consume approximately 3.436 mg of sodium daily. And while you might think that your salt intake is fine because you have taken the salt shaker off the table, think again. The biggest culprits when it comes to sources of salt are processed foods, packaged foods, and of course, fast food.

Even what on the surface might appear to be a sodium safe meal prepared at home can contain a large dosage of sodium because of all the salt that is added to the products that go into the meal. Health officials also note that along with high blood pressure and heart disease, people consuming large amounts of salt run the risk of cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, dementia, sleep apnea, and kidney disease.

My take:

Salt is like sugar, you can be hooked on it and not even know it. And weening yourself off of it can be hard too. The best way really is not to eat any fast food, which is poison anyway. After that, limit processed foods also since most of them are poison too. And its not only people with high blood pressure that have to worry since salt can cause other problems that don’t manifest themselves until its too late…..a stroke for example.

The collapse of the housing industry in the wake of the recession that hit the U.S. economy in 2007 has been far-reaching and continues to sap the life out of any economic recovery that may be in the offing. Analysts have cited a number of factors that should be helping the housing sector to crawl out of the ditch, and while to this point the worst may be over, there are few if any signs that a full blown recovery has begun.

Since the housing collapse, renting a home vs. a monthly mortgage payment are now about equal, supporting the argument that buying is much better proposition than renting if you can afford the payments. Home prices have fallen by some 33% since the bubble burst and while many believe that the price of homes should be moving higher, in most of the hardest hit areas of the country, they remain at or near record low levels. Demand is not pushing the price of a home higher.

In addition, the cost of financing a mortgage remains at historically low levels near 4% vs. median rates seen over time closer to 8% – 9%. And adding to the notion that the housing industry HAS to do better soon is industry news that housing starts are climbing, or at least they were to end 2011, and that sales of existing homes also increased at the end of 2011, albeit at a meager pace.

However, housing prices aren’t moving at all, which if they were, would be one of the strongest indications that the market may have bottomed out. Industry analysts say that one of the biggest reasons for the lethargic housing prices is the unemployment situation in the U.S. With unemployment currently running at 8.5% nationwide, too many people are unable to find work, much less think about buying a new house.

The other potential fly in the ointment when it comes to housing prices is interest rates. Sure, interest rates remain at their lowest levels in recent history, and the Fed has said that rates would remain at these levels for the foreseeable future, rates cannot stay low forever and the Fed has limited power to control longer term interest rates. Any increase in rates would undermine a recovery in the housing market by driving the prices for homes down even further.

Interest rates at the long end of the curve, the part of the curve where mortgages are derived, have been under downward pressure for some time and without any real growth out of this recession, there is little reason to believe that they will rise out of control. But if and when they do, the housing market could be facing yet another mammoth obstacle.

My take:

There’s no way that interest rates are going up enough to snuff out a recovery in the housing market, if we ever have one. As long as long term inflation remains under wraps interest rates will remain low. And even if they do rise some, they are still doing so from the lowest levels in recent history so it shouldn’t be such a big deal for your mortgage to go from 4% to 6%, all things considered.

A mandate by  New York City Department of Education that sex education be folded into junior high school and high school health courses will go into effect this coming semester. Now subjects covered in health such as nutrition, physical fitness, and injury prevention and treatment will be supplemented with sex education topics such as preventing pregnancy, stopping the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, and developing healthy relationships and abstinence.  Presently, New York State education guidelines mandate that students receive at least six months of health education, but not necessarily sex education. The new mandate by New York City would make sex education a large part of the health curriculum.

The new guidelines recommend a program for middle school children called HealthSmart while for high school kids they recommend a book called “Reducing the Risk.” The new mandate would not change the existing program already in place to teach and warn students about the risks and causes of H.I.V/AIDS, which is already in place for all students kindergarten through high school.

The new classes would take into account the age of the student in deciding what to teach to every class. The topics proposed include boys and girls physiology, understanding the reproductive system, understanding healthy and unhealthy relationships, sexuality, how to deal with unwanted sexual advances, abstinence, birth control, and preventing sexually transmitted diseases.

Some parent groups have expressed their anger over the new mandated programs saying that the material was too graphic for the children and that they demand to be able to opt out of the program for their child. These parents have been instructed to write a letter specifying the material that they would prefer that their children not see and in this letter they must reassure the principal of the school that their child would receive this instruction at home. Parents are not allowed to opt their children out of lessons on abstinence and sexual health education.

My take:

You’d like to believe that the schools can actually teach math and reading before we start giving them the responsibility of teaching our children about sexual relationships and all that encompasses. However, it isn’t a bad idea that the kids get some education about all of the responsibility that comes with sex and for many of these kids, school or the street is the only place they are going to learn anything. So better that it comes from professionals who have been trained and using an approved, proven curriculum.

For years now, membership in unions across the United States has been on the slide. From industrial unions, automobile workers unions, and government worker unions, the number of people belonging to these labor advocacy groups has been in decline. However, a recent study now indicates that the trend lower may have bottomed and could be moving in the other direction.

Labor analysts say that there are several possible causes for the leveling-off of union membership. One theory postulates that union membership is already so low that it can’t drop any further. Another speculates that the blow-up in the union membership has simply paused for the present time and will continue to move lower in the future. The last possibility is that there will be a turnaround in union membership in the future and that the ranks of labor unions will soon start to swell back toward those levels seen prior to 2008, when the number of union employees started to nosedive.

The Center for Economic Policy Research says that union membership fell by 1.4 million between 2008 and 2010, but then leveled-off into 2011. While many people wonder if the data simply reflects a point of critical mass regarding the number of union workers in key areas such as automobiles, health care, and the airlines; meaning that they can’t get any lower. Or perhaps that there is something of a rebirth of unionized industries and that more workers are looking to the union for protections against unfair practices by management. Academics point to recent attacks on civil service workers and their right to collective bargaining in Wisconsin, Indiana, and Minnesota, and the severe backlash by the workers in those states as some evidence that workers are circling the wagons and starting to take steps to strengthen the power and scope of union membership.

On the other hand, other industry followers cite a rise in public and private sector layoffs and perhaps more to come in 2012, which will undermine any attempts by the unions to wrestle-back power from the corporate and government powers running these sectors of the economy.

My take:

The unions have been decimated in the U.S. You only have to look at the situation in mining industry to see where the coal companies have won their long battle against the unions, the result being only a small portion of coal miners belonging to a union, and the mining companies now making more money than ever and the miners still struggling to scratch-out a living. I hope that the unions make their way back, and this time they work on behalf of their members and not for the same power trips as the corporate managers they face down.