And this 960 count only covers Latin America according to Colombian singer Shakira…
Why don’t we hear about these huge numbers
in the daily news?
Shakira received an ALMA (American Latino Media Arts) award last Sunday for the humanitarian work she does for Latin America’s impoverished children.
How do you feel when politicians tell you that "the children are our future"?
How do you feel when these Latin American children need a singer to help them out?
(Picture courtesy of colombiareports.com)
Fracas is about fun.
While from time to time, some serious topic creeps in and finds a spot over at the blog of the one who fracs, but the mainstay of the fracas blog is entertainment and silliness. The real world according to fracas, is often far too serious and far too full of the daily grind. Frankly, life can only be enjoyed if there’s a balance and so I, fracas (the real life aging yet silly gal) take great pleasure in providing a daily moment or two of laughter. It’s called fraccing around, and while I’m certainly capable of writing a mean and serious issues piece… I choose to frac around.
The old saying goes, that no one on their death bed ever looks back on their life and wishes they’d worked more, been more serious, spent less time with their loved ones or friends, or laughed less.
So I frac around. And though some people might suggest that fraccing around gets a person nowhere, I shall frac around knowing that for some of you, the laugh or smile you enjoy as a result of all this fraccing, might be just as necessary to your well-being at that moment in your day, as a granola bar at three in the afternoon between meetings.
Today, fraccing around found me…
…bringing up the past.
A long time ago, I’d found this little gem, but I feel a need to hijack your time entertain you with the story of why I was looking for it in the first place.
And so I shall.
Many years back, the oldest of the fraccy children had a birthday. Well, these fraccy children… they actually have birthdays every year, but upon this one particular birthday, the boy chose to have a “Mad Science” party theme for his special day. It was a glorious affair where children got up close and personal with green slime, did creepy things and ate copious amounts of sugared gumdrops while they were building “atoms”. I, the fraccy parent, in order to create such a festival, spent my fraccing around time online finding creepy recipes that would enthrall a group of nine year old boys.
Like snot. Did you know that it’s possible to make your own snot?
Well, yes.. I know anyone can make snot the old fashioned way… but I mean that you can make snot you can give as a gift or send home as a party favour?
Yes indeed… fracas spares no trouble or expense when she prepares the holiday gifts.
And so, I’d like to use this very first Just Fraccing Around feature, to share with fraccers everywhere, a recipe for making your own snot. Though I hope it’s obvious, fracas intends no confusion with other food bloggers; fracas is not a food blogger. Please do not confuse this recipe for snot with an actual food recipe. The food snot and the fake snot are vastly different. I understand children everywhere still prefer original snot to fake snot when it comes to their eating habits.
Kids can be so picky.
Please use the recipe wisely and take note that just as when you send off those lovely little jars of homemade jam and preserves with the little fabric rounds tied so nicely with matching ribbon… so does a nice jar of snot gift well in an old gem jar! Presentation folks. It’s all about presentation!
Homemade Snot
1/2 c Water
3 pk Unflavored gelatin
Light corn syrup
Heat 1/2 cup water just until it boils. Remove from heat. Sprinkle in 3 envelopes of gelatin. Let it soften a few minutes, and stir with a fork. Add enough corn syrup to make 1 cup of thick glop. Stir wit the fork and lift out the long strands of gunk. If it thickens too much, add a bit more water.
(Tip: Play around with food coloring and little bits of thread or fuzz added.)
Just Fraccing Around is a Fuelmyblog feature provided by Fracas. Vote for Fracas at Fuelmyblog 
In my last Tips for Parents post, I let you know about a group of moms with a campaign to stop cough medicine (as a recreational drug) abuse among kids. This week, I’m focusing on email and your kids, but not before I leave my apologies and thanks to Kevin and Sylvie for being so tolerant of how negligent I’ve been at getting Tips for Parents up here on Saturdays. I totally missed last week’s Tips, and though it’s actually Sunday morning for me, I haven’t gone to bed yet and so I’m telling myself it’s Saturday!
Tips for Parents brought to you by Fracas.
Email is something most of us rely on to communicate. Whether it’s business, family or friends, we use it and it’s become second nature to most of us. Many parents then, because we rely on it so heavily, tend to assume it’s something our kids need to have as well. As a parent whose children are twenty, seventeen and eleven, I’ve had time and experience to decide where I stand on that issue.
I believe that rarely do kids under twelve, ever really need an email address. Some reasonable and acceptable kid’s sites do require an address to set up a child as a user at their site, but in those cases, I find that registering the child with a parent’s address is the smart thing to do. That way, you’ll be informed via that email, if your child goes into their preferences and changes any information in their profile. Assuming you as a parent, have registered them carefully using a screen name instead of actual information, you’ll feel relieved to know that if your child tries to change any information, you’ll be informed. You will easier manage their passwords as well. I assume being under twelve, that you are managing their passwords and their online access.
Email can be the route taken for the snake-oil salesmen of the internet age, to have access to your child. Webmail available such as hotmail, yahoo and even canada.com all subject the user to spam. That means everybody from those trying to convince anyone with an email address that they need penis enlargement products, to those who will outright try and deceive the unwitting into providing their bank account numbers, will be able to contact your child. Without your supervision, your child may not know which emails are spam, and may open and view mail containing information you’d rather they don’t see.
By the same token, your child may not understand why it’s such a big deal to open attachments from unknown sources, and your computer might suffer the consequences of a virus, worm or trojan. Even the best behaved child sometimes gives in to curiosity.
What about the times when your child signs a guestbook, or comments at a forum somewhere, and leaves their email in a submit form. The email registers as a live link, a ‘mailto’ and immediately, it becomes easy pickings for those harvesting bots and spiders that so many spammers make use of. Leave a live email link online somewhere and you can be sure that address will be the recipient of some very interesting mail.
Lastly, there is the point to be made, that if your child is using email you aren’t supervising, you really don’t know what personal information they’re giving out. We’ve all, despite our best efforts, ended up receiving spam and ridiculous content through no fault of our own. Sometimes, it’s that well-meaning friend who forwards silly poems without removing the lsit of former recipients or placing their own list into the BCC field instead of the To or CC field in their email program. The forward goes out and voila, you’re on a spam list. It could happen to your child too. They may not be forwarding the same silly poems that make their rounds of the office workers’ emails, but children do tend to forward quizzes to each other.
So what can you do?
1. You can simply say no.
2. You can choose to sign up your child yourself, being careful to use screen names and limit what information is given, maintaining the passwords and access to check up on them.
3. You can allow your child to use your email address, supervised.
4. You can make use of one of several nanny type programs to allow your child their own email, and you some peace of mind.
KidMail is one option I’ll outline. I’ve not used it, seeing as I choose to go with option #2 above. I did look for reviews. At Amazon one reviewer gave it a 5/5 stars. At Download.com their editor gave it 4/5 stars while one customer reviewer gave it a 1/5 stars rating.
Over at WiredSafety they recommend http://www.software4parents.com/.
Whatever you choose, please choose something other than not being aware. Your kids and your computer will thank you someday. Well, perhaps the computer thing might be stretching it a bit, but then again, in little more than ten years we’ve gone from hardly anyone being online to virtually everyone including our three year olds. You just never know, and you can never be too careful.
Next week… email and your teen.
If you have a tip you’d like me to share here, please email me at fracas at canada dot com and let me know. We’re all in this together!
Please. Pay attention to what your kids are talking about and learning online. I’ll be back soon, with more Tips for Parents.
Please bookmark Fuelmyblog so you can catch the next Tips for Parents. Until then… check out the Fuelmyblog forums.
Previous Tips:
In my last Tips for Parents post, I promised you a reader suggestion this time. I received mail from Jenna, who asked me to talk about a campaign she finds worthy. having visited their site, I’m happy to be of assistance.
Tips for Parents brought to you by Fracas.
Previously, I’ve listed slang terms and have referred to kids using cough medicine as a drug. It’s known as DXM, Dex or when used as a dipping agent for Marijuana joints, they become known as Candy Blunts. The fact is, cough medicine is available easily and kids are using it as a drug, as they are with other OTC products.
Five Moms is the home site for a campaign to end cough medicine abuse by educating parents. Now, knowing how the main focus of my Tips for Parents feature is the very premise that by educating parents, we help our kids, it seemed natural to lend my support to these five moms who so brilliantly and bravely have taken on this specific issue.
At their site you’re able to view their video, and use their email feature to send a message to five moms you know, to let them know that they too, can do their part to put an end to this problem. And truly, if you feel that this problem hasn’t come to your town or city yet, be assured that it will unless we as parents, do our part.
So this week, my hat is off to Jenna from Edelman, the communications firm working with the Five Moms Campaign, for alerting me to their goals, and as well to the five moms who make up the Five Moms Campaign. Christy Crandell, Hilda Morales, Becky Dyer, Julie Bermant and Blaise Brooks.
Thank you moms, for your efforts. Please, give them a few minutes of your time to learn about how you can be a part of ending cough medicine abuse. Don’t let the internet be the source of the downfall of our kids, let it be the source of a parental movement to show that our kids are not for the wasting!
If you have a tip you’d like me to share here, please email me at fracas at canada dot com and let me know. We’re all in this together!
Please. Pay attention to what your kids are talking about and learning online. I’ll be back soon, with more Tips for Parents.
Please bookmark Fuelmyblog so you can catch the next Tips for Parents. Until then… check out the Fuelmyblog forums.
Previous Tips:
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