Not Everyone's Mama

From 3 of my lil monsters to yours!

Popularity: 6% [?]

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They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Well if times are hard economically, it’s time to get creative and make the most out of what we have.

Inventor Cy Tymony can show people how to turn everyday objects and discarded leftover objects from around the house into valuable tools, toys, and devices that can save replace the need for new products, can save people money and reduce and even avoid needless expense.

Cy is a modern-day, real-life MacGyver – someone that people might liken to Mr. Gadget, Maxwell Smart, a mad scientist or a modern day scientific wizard — only he’s the real thing.

In grade school, he defended himself against school bullies with the help of a spring loaded shocker hidden up his sleeve.

As an adult, he teaches and dazzles people of all ages everywhere with the remarkable demonstrations of ingenuity, imagination and creativity.

His new book, Super Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things contains 30 new, never-before-seen, do-it-yourself inventions and activities.

He breaks new ground in the world of fashion with designs and instructions for the Sneaky Light-Up Nail, Sneaky Animated Nails, Invisible Nail Art, Sneaky Bangle and Sneaky Bangle Bag, Sneaky Headband, Sneaky Belt, Sneaky Action T-Shirt, Sneaky 3D Party T-Shirt .

Ever wanted to really stand out from the crowd? You can create your own Sneaky Light Up Nails!

 

You could spend a small fortune on designer clothes or shoes or spring for expensive jewelry, but there is a sneakier way. Using a micro LED light and a couple of tiny watch batteries, you can create unique illuminating nails. Simply adjusting the position of the top nail acts as an on/off switch, allowing your nails to outshine all others.

That’s not all. There are many, many more to choose from:

Sneaky Toys and Games (Digital Picture Frame Applications, Sneaky Vibra-Cup, Sneakier Vibra-Cup Add-Ons, Vibrating Football Game, Sneaky Portable Alarm , Sneaky Foosball Game, Mini-Foosball Game, Sneaky Invisible Signaler…).

Sneaky Science Projects (Power Devices with Your Plants, Pencil Battery, Sneaky Penny Battery, Sneaky 9-Volt Battery Trick, Sneaky Diode Power Trick, Toy Motion-Detector Adaptations, Mind-Controlled Toy Modification…).

Sneaky Uses Beyond Everyday Things (Make Batteries from Everyday Things, Sneaky Radio-Controlled Car Projects , Sneaky Flying Disc, Sneaky Mini Boomerang , Sneaky Electrical Generator, Wild, Wild Vest, Sneaky Toy Modifications, Sneaky Floating Photos… and much more.

Super Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things is the eighth book in the Sneaky Uses for Everyday Objects series. Over 300,000 Sneaky uses books have been sold and most projects can be completed in just minutes using common items already found around the house. Fans of all ages will use their ingenuity to turn ordinary, everyday objects into something extraordinary with the help of Super Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things.

Super Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things

Releases November 1, 2011 

For more information visit www.sneakyuses.com

What People Are Saying

“For folks who wonder why they keep tossing odds and ends in that junk drawer in the kitchen, Sneaky Uses for Everyday things… offers evidence that technology doesn’t always have to come from best Buy, Amazon.com or Microsoft,”

-U.S. News and World Report

“Thank you Cy…for opening up the world of tinkering and creativity to a whole new generation looking to get their hands dirty with new and exciting projects.”

-NPR’s Ira Flatow, host of Science Friday

About the Author

Cy Tymony is an amazing inventor. By reading comic books and studying science as a young boy he amazed his friends with unusual scientific projects, demonstrations and ideas. He is trained in auto mechanics, electronics, video and audio technology and computer science and has taken courses in martial arts, security and survival techniques. For decades has focused his enthusiasm, creativity and imagination on educating people of all ages and walks of life. He is the author of the Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things book series.

Cy Tymony is a real live renaissance man. He has lots of media experience. He is a wonderful and inspiring guest with a childlike enthusiasm for science and technology. His Sneaky Uses books explore the delight of finding. He has an incredible and contagious energy who delights in sharing the wonders of the human potential.

Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things, a science best-seller, has been featured on CNN Headline News, the Los Angeles Times, and in U.S. News & World Report. It is available at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Crown, Powells, Hastings, and independent book stores and online at Barnes & Noble.com and at Amazon.com

Other Sneaky Books:

(images clickable)

Check out the rest of the books by Cy Tymony!

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In episode 18, Sarah worries that the CIA is replacing them with Casey’s extremely efficient team, but Chuck considers himself irreplaceable with the Intersect. Have you ever felt like you were in jeopardy of being replaced? Has there ever been a time where you have been made to feel outdated? If so, how did you remedy your situation? Did it end well?

Me?  Replaceable?  I don’t think so.

Modest, right?

It’s been a very long time since I have ever worried about that.  I haven’t worked outside the home since I was pregnant with Katiana, so almost 8 years.  Definitely not being replaced as mom.  Wife?  Pato might debate that.  Never.

My last job I had was manager of a jewelry store.  I wouldn’t say I was ever worried about being replaced, but I did have to fight to get that position as I had never had managerial experience before and the competition was tough.  Then they sold all of the stores in Iowa, I wasn’t so much replaced as booted… with everyone else.

The only thing I can think back to is band in high school.  I was 1st chair clarinet for a long time.  Then practicing became not so important.  I thought, this is my seat.  Mine mine mine.  Who is going to take it away?  Turned out my friends Danielle and Melissa were practicing and were very very good.

Lost my 1st chair.

And I didn’t get it back.

Even with extra practicing.

Learned my lesson on that one.

How about you?

Have you ever been replaced?

I hope not!

In season four, the geek gone spy is putting everything on the line, available for pre-order here: http://bit.ly/r3n2er

I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for Chuck: The Complete Fourth Season on DVD/Blu-Ray

Popularity: 2% [?]

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I was sitting in bed with Alyce the other day when the dogs started barking like mad.

Alyce is my beautiful little 4 year old.  She is sweet as an angel sometimes.

See?

Back to my story.

I looked at the window, no one there.

Hmmm.  Why are the dogs going crazy.

My daughter, my sweetness, my little angel looked at me, and with the straightest face said….

Death is here.

uh – duh – WHAT?

Death is here?

mmm – hmmm (nodding her head yes)

DEATH?

Yes.

Is here?

Yes.

What?

I’m just kidding mom.

I got out of bed to go to the bathroom.

Leecy, did you say death is here?

It’s ok mom, it’s all clear.

I guess death passed by?

All clear.

Have a great day.

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That would be my son.

My SIL’s favorite holiday is Halloween.  She goes ALL out.  I enjoy it too, but I’m just not as creative as she is.  If you haven’t checked out me being a smart alec for Jordan’s school costume, see yesterday’s post.

Now that Jordan and my niece Taylor are teenagers (or almost… in February… in Jordan’s case), they can get out and do more fun things, according to my 7 year old at least.  Because you know, there’s nothing fun to do when you’re 7…. or 4…. or 2.  (I had very ticked off children last night who thought they should go too.)

Shelley has been having a blast dressing Taylor up as the freaky girl from The Ring and having her stand at the edge of the street just staring at cars.  It is funny.  Drunk people at the town bar pee their pants.

That’s not right of me is it?

Last night, Taylor called and asked Jordan if he wanted to go scaring.

He got his black robe on and went with them.  Shelley had her (make up) way with my son.  That scab falling off of his forehead actually was stuck to his head, this was when he came home and was taking it off.  If you haven’t seen Taylor dressed up as the girl from The Ring, see it here.  My sister in law seriously is good with make up.

They stood in front of the haunted house the high school kids were putting on and just stared.

They were told they were scarier than the haunted house was.

Makes a mother so proud.

Have a great day!

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For the record, I am not good with money.  I am not good at making budgets, balancing anything, saving, etc.  I’m good at being frugal and I’m good at spending.  Do those two things go together?  Probably not.  Because of this, I’ve been trying to teach my kids how to be good with money.  That just because your money is burning a hole in your pocket, that doesn’t mean you have to spend it.  That it’s important to put money in your savings account.  Each of our children have savings account and none of them are happy about putting their money in it.  I received this article and thought since I struggle with teaching my children this, that others might too.  We need all the tips we can to teach this upcoming generation about being more like our grandparents’ generation.  How to save for the future, how to have money stashed away for emergencies, such as the country is in right now (loss of jobs, the economy tanked, etc).

Tips on Teaching Your Child about Money before it’s Too Late

The average American’s amount of debt is $10,000 (Money Talks News). With such a staggering number, we should take as many preventative measures as possible to avoid being buried in a mountain of debt. Surprisingly, though, your finance classes in college are not enough to nip overspending and under-saving in the bud. Our subconscious is almost completely formed by the time we are six years old, and it is around this time when most of our notions about money are formed. 

As adults, during those moments when restraint goes out of the window, we tap into our subconscious and our deepest feelings – the ones that shaped us as youngsters – come to light. For example, pretty much all of us are taught from a young age that setting personal boundaries is selfish. When was the last time your coworkers went for post-work cocktails and pressured you into going, even though you knew it was over your budget? These types of scenarios have been happening to you your entire life, and it takes practice and acceptance of these feelings to overcome these poor money habits.

ChicagoHealers.com  practitioner, Dr. Julie Murphy Casserly, CFP, provides some tips to help reflect on your own financial upbringing and find ways to outgrow your more immature money habits:

· Dig in your piggy bank. Maybe as a child you saved all your lemonade stand money diligently in an increasingly hefty piggy bank, or maybe you blew it all on candy at the grocery store. Either way, childhood experiences dealing with money can subconsciously impact your spending habits as an adult. For example if kids called you “poor” at school because your parents couldn’t afford brand-name clothes, you may justify splurging on designer clothes now because you still have that deep-rooted insecurity about being singled out when you were younger. Write down any experiences that come to your mind about money as a child so you can start overcoming these scarring situations.

· Set personal boundaries. As a child peer pressure plays a big role in how we react to situations – even if you wouldn’t normally drink before prom, your friends teasing you could be incentive to go along with it. These familiar situations are replicated in our adult life, and the only thing we can do is be aware of this and change ourselves. Next time a friend asks you out to a dinner you can’t afford, recognize your behavior patterns and hesitate before you say yes. Can you really afford this? Is it worth it? Chances are your friend will respect your honesty if you politely decline or request a less pricey alternative for a social gathering.

· A penny for your thoughts. This week, while your kids are doing homework, spend some time reflecting on your own childhood experiences with money. Did your parents encourage you to use your money a certain way? Did you have a job babysitting or mowing lawns as a kid? Journal about the things that come to mind.

· Take a personal inventory. What were some of the things you wrote down? Did you quickly spend your allowance or did you tightly hold on to it? What do you feel when you remember those childhood experiences? And how does that feeling shift when you think about how those experiences affect you today?

· Set an example. Now that you know these things about your own childhood, make sure your child has a healthy view on finances from a young age. Discuss the importance of generosity and being grateful for what you have and the fact that happiness does not come from material satisfaction.

The deep-rooted anxiety many of us feel about money is hard to kick, especially if your financial situation as a child wasn’t as sunny as The Wonder Years. So why is this anxiety so hard to let go? Most unhealthy behaviors are the result of two types of internal emotional conflict: having needs that aren’t met or having trouble setting personal boundaries. When you look over the things you wrote down, you can take the knowledge that these insecurities stem from your monetary past, which makes it easier to accept and move past it.  Whenever you feel financially insecure, take a deep breath, be thankful for what you have, and realize you’ve come a long way, baby.

About ChicagoHealers.com

Chicago Healers (www.ChicagoHealers.com) is the nation’s pioneer prescreened integrative health care network, offering a comprehensive understanding of each practitioner’s services, approach, and philosophy.  Our holistic health experts teach and advocate natural and empowered health and life choices through their practices, the media, educational events, and our website.  With close to 200 practitioners and over 300 treatment services, Chicago Healers has provided nearly 400 free educational events for Chicagoans and has been featured in 300+ TV news programs and print publications.  For more information, visit www.ChicagoHealers.com.

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Remember yesterday I posted about Jordan’s school assigning Halloween costumes (after I bought one that he wanted)?  And how I wasn’t bitter at all about having to put out more money on another costume?

He was assigned Elvis.

His Halloween costume is the grim reaper, kind of sorta.  He was going to turn it into a zombie, but he liked the costume alone, so he’s going as a mass of black more or less.

The assignment was supposed to be current and creative.

What do you think?

It’s hard to create Elvis’ pompadour when you’re working with a mohawk and your combs are all missing.

My sister in law and I can’t stop cracking up.

Taylor (my niece) was assigned a police officer.

Wait until I have pictures of her.

Let’s say she’s kind of a zombie police officer.

Sweet!

We’re waiting for calls from the counselor questioning the sanity of our family.

Have a great day!

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Cybertraps for the Young (also available in Kindle Edition)

We are addicted to our technology. Children in particular effortlessly navigate complicated menus, rapidly master the intricate seeming nuances of the latest electronic devices, and nimbly text, tilt, and click away their time happily.

But not all is well in this amazing wonderland. In fact, it has become a dangerous playground filled with risks, dangers, and hazards for the unwary.

Frederick Lane, attorney, forensic computer expert and author of the new book, Cybertraps for the Young, says that the risks of the technologies are many and continue to evolve.

Lane’s book is an eye-opening look at how today’s youth are using and misusing smart phones and the Internet in unforeseen ways and with terrible consequences.

It goes far beyond simply the time kids spend texting on their cell-phone, playing on Facebook, or watching videos on You Tube. There are more and more cases of electronic harassment and cyber-bullying, illegal downloading and sharing of music, film, and video on peer-to-peer networks, predators in chat rooms, sexting, cheating, plagiarism, defamation, libel and slander, and a variety of internet addictions, the sharing of sensitive personal and financial information, and identify theft, computer fraud and hacking.

Youth are easily addicted and even become seduced by the digital devices. They are unable to stop checking in on friends, focusing on the latest developments instead of focusing on the real things like sports and homework. The can find quickly and inadvertently themselves communicating with others inappropriately, spending excessive time and money, downloading illegally, or wandering into the seamy, dark and even dangerous places that exist in cyberspace.

The gadgets make it so easy. Added to this, parents have little real knowledge or understanding about what their children are doing until it is too late.

Cybertraps for the Young grew out of Lane’s research and work as an expert witness in litigation. It takes the mystery out of the technology and describes the risks drawing on contemporary news reports and legal cases. He also spells out what parents can do to take affirmative action, protect their children and maintain maximum control of their life.

One key for parents to getting control is to ask themselves several simple, straightforward questions before buying a child the latest electronic gadget:

1. What kinds of information can the device or software collect or distribute?
2. Can it be used to communicate with others, and if so, how?
3. How much data does it store, and where?
4. Can you child change the devices capabilities without your knowledge/
5. Can you monitor your child’s use of the device, and if so, how?

A huge key practical issue is the monitoring. Short of surgically attaching yourself to you r child, (not generally a good idea), it’s impossible to know everything they’re doing online. How much monitoring is appropriate depends on your child’s maturity, and that of his or her friends, the amount of free time available, whether you’ve noticed or witnessed any disturbing changes in behavior. Fortunately, the forms of communication most likely to be problems can be monitored. For example:

- Your mobile phone company can be asked to provide you with copies of all texts your child has sent or received in the last month.

- With instant messaging, some services allow all messages to be recorded electronically.

- There is an ever increasing variety of third party software available that can monitor, record, and capture online activity and send updates to your mailbox.

There is such a thing as too much sharing, Lane says. The answer to avoiding cybertraps is to train yourself and your children to remain in control of your information, time, your attention, and how you manage communications. His book is filled with tactical advice and proven strategies for protecting children from the hazards presented by technology Here are some of the valuable recommendations he provides:

• Don’t stop educating yourself. Keeping pace with the changes is a serious challenge but it is one that can be achieved by staying aware of what’s available, by investing a small amount of time, by asking the right questions, and learning what it takes to steer children past the cybertraps. Talk to your child, visit a few key websites, do some online searches and educate yourself.
• Learn and understand the impact of technology on your child. Be aware of how much time your child spends with the technology and what he or she is doing with the technology. Be the one to decide when it’s time for the child to take a break make sure the break occurs. Make sure you understand that the time a child spends texting is usually in addition to TV time. Be aware of how much time is spent on the phone.
• Don’t let computers and technology out of common spaces. The location of the family home computer should not be in the child’s bedroom. It should be where everyone can use it and see what it is being used for. Even if you give your child a computer, make sure you retain super-user administrative access to the entire machine. Do not allow for electronic privacy. Make sure the child knows, understands and accepts that you have the right and the expectation to see anything and everything on the computer at any time. .Understand that there is no pleasant resolution to a conflict of wills. You must monitor and be able to assure yourself that your child is not doing inappropriate or illegal things online.
• Install surveillance software and conduct frequent inspections. At the end of the day, children and children and parents are parents, the children must fully understand the consequences of abusing the rights that will be fully granted to them when they become adults. Parents must be just as careful with technology as they are careful about giving children knives, letting them ride bicycles, or drive automobiles. A smart phone or a laptop computer can become a dangerous instrument in the hands of an immature or misbehaving child. Surveillance of a child’s use of electronic devices in a parent’s responsibility. Taking appropriate action for misconduct is the best course of action a parent can take.
• Focus on what they do, not how they do it. It doesn’t really matter whether a child is a cyber bully by means of a laptop, a cell phone or an xBox 360 console, or instant messaging. The issue is not the technology, it is the behavior and use that gets the kids into trouble. The main objective is to teach and educate children about the appropriate use and the boundaries and rules of behavior. Some rules and lessons are not very complicated-don’t take pictures of people without their permission, or don’t be mean to friends or classmates, or don’t take or spread personal or embarrassing information. But others are much more complicated and require more structured education and guidance: intellectual property theft, identify theft, computer hacking, online purchases, sexting and sextortion. The basic approach is to work with your child to create a household code of conduct that can evolve and grow as your child matures and technology continues to improve.
• Get full access, passwords and full friend status. You must be able to actually see what your child is posting online. Condition the use of the technology with open acceptance and agreement for full access at any and at all times. If you encounter resistance, then be prepared to deny your child the privilege of using the electronic devices. Realize that of course, the period of greatest resistance, middle school through high school, coincides with the period when children are at the greatest risk of falling into one or more of the cybertraps.

The bottom line is that children need to understand the specific cybertraps that exist and how to avoid falling into them. Remember that supervising is not stalking. Be the one friend that they can trust. Open up channels to communicate with other important people in the community. Network with friends, other parents, teachers and the administrators in school district. Learn the policies and laws in your area. Your child may not like it, but have a down to earth heart to heart conversation with them and set appropriate limits on the use of electronic devices. Make your boundaries and enforce them.

Available in bookstores nationwide and online. For more information visit www.fredericklane.com

This groundbreaking book looks at the issue of child safety online from a unique perspective — the legal consequences that children can face as a result of the use and misuse of electronic devices. It is intended to educate parents, teachers, and school administrators about those risks, and to offer practical suggestions for minimizing the likelihood that children will stumble into one or more of the myriad pitfalls that lurk online. Among the topics covered:

* Intellectual Dishonesty;

* Copyright Infringement;

* Defamation and Invasion of Privacy;

* Internet Addictions;

* Hacking and Identity Theft;

* Cyberbullying and Cyberstalking;

* Sexting and Sextortion; and

* Obscenity and Child Pornography.

About the Author

Frederick S. Lane is an attorney, expert witness, and professional speaker on the legal and cultural implications of emerging technology. He has written six books, including most recently "Cybertraps for the Young" (NTI Upstream, 2011) and "American Privacy: The Four-Hundred-Year History of Our Most Contested Right" (Beacon Press, 2010). All of his books are available on Amazon.com or through his Web site. He has appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, the BBC, and MSNBC. He is the former chairman of the Burlington (VT) School Board. He lives in Burlington VT.

What People Are Saying

"Cybertraps for the Young, is an eye-opening look at how children across the nation are using new and rapidly-evolving technologies in unforeseen ways. This marvelous book should be required reading for any student, parent, teacher, school board member or administrator struggling to combat the growing problems of cyberbullying, plagiarism/cheating, and sexting."

- Carol Bua Ode, Esq., Former Member and Chair of both the Burlington School Board and the Vermont State Board of Education

"Harassment, cyberbullying, sexting, child pornography, identity theft, obscenity, sexploitation, sextortion, illegal purchases, loss of privacy and that is just the beginning. For parents, educators, and students, Cybertraps for the Young may very well be the best tool available to guide behavior and minimize risks in the on-line world.

- Dr. Troy R. Hutchings, Faculty, Educational Leadership, Northern Arizona University

"Fred Lane has a gift: The ability to explain complex matters so non-lawyers can comprehend the important nuances. Cyber Traps for the Young should be standard issue for parents of all ages."

- Mike Brunker, Projects Editor, MSNBC.com

"CyberTraps for the Young is the perfect resource for providing parents and educators with an overview of cyber risks, coupled with mitigation strategies while presenting opportunities to connect and communicate with children."

- Michael Touchette, Digital Forensics Analyst, Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force

"Fred Lane’s knowledge of technology and its history gives Cybertraps for the Young’s warning cries weight and substance. Lane has kept apace with youths’ interest in the next new thing and is clearly attuned to how our imagined sense of privacy is an illusion and even more so for our children. His scary stories of suicides, legal cases, and worst case scenarios can’t be easily dismissed. Lane’s brand of writing is one part good old fashioned parent, one part admiring techy, and one part lawyer. While his advice is provocative and controversial, it is worthy of consideration and will induce great discussions among parents and parents and kids."

- Dr. Sharon Lamb, Chair & Distinguished Professor of Mental Health, Department of Counseling & School Psychology, University of Massachusetts – Boston

"Cybertraps for the Young is a methodical exploration into the many forms of trouble a child’s use of the internet can bring, and an empowering guide for parents seeking to apply time-tested values to an ever-changing set of modern problems.

- Haik Bedrosian, Burlington School Commissioner and parent

More reviews here:

http://www.cybertrapsfortheyoung.com/Reviews/cybertraps-book-reviews.html

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