THE FATHER LIFE

[DAD FITNESS] The REAL Secret To Transforming Your Body

Sean Barker — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:53:49 +0000

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

“Knowledge is power.”

Inspirational quotes are great for motivation and posting on your Facebook account, but they will do nothing for you if you don’t take action.

Along with taking action, do you want to know the real secret to transforming your body and losing weight?

It’s what everyone uses to be successful to lose weight and gain lean muscle in the shortest amount of time.

Professional athletes use it…

Competitive bodybuilders use it…

Brides to be use it…

and busy dads like us use it to get that beach body for summer.

Nope, it’s not a pill for $19.95

…It’s a deadline.

If you want to be successful with anything in life you need a deadline to keep you accountable to your goals.

Changing your body is no different.

You may be thinking, “I don’t want drastic changes in my life!”

Don’t look at this as change, look at it as improving your life and maybe even saving your life.

Why wait until January to set a resolution? Now is as good a time than ever to take things up a notch and start an all out war on the battle of the bulge.

Just think, you won’t get mistaken for Santa this year at the Christmas party and you will already be in great shape by the end of the year while everyone else spends January waiting in line for equipment at the gym.

So mark it down.

Paint it on your wall (just let your wife choose the color).

Tweet it. Tumble it. Stumble it. Digg it… Or whatever new social network just came on seen in the last 5 seconds.

Just tell your family and friends that you are committed to improving your health once and for all. Get your kids on board and show them that people still play real-life sports that don’t begin with Wii.

There are all kinds of workouts available from 4 minute, 15 minute, bodyweight workouts, home workouts and beginner to advanced gym workouts.

You can also find all the nutritional guidance you need with meal plans, recipes and cookbooks… and tons more resources online to help you be successful in your weight loss journey.

So if you haven’t marked your workouts in your planner for the week, go ahead and plan them out now.

Then, sit with your family and at least plan out your dinners for each evening, so you can eat healthy meals together.

Also try to plan out a healthy breakfast and lunch so you don’t get tempted to eat something during the day that won’t bring you closer to your fat loss goals.

I also encourage you to have a small healthy snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Fruit, veggies, mixed nuts, yogurt, cheese, and even a protein shake are great ideas.

So it’s really pretty simple actually….

3 simple but intense workouts a week and 3 meals a day, with 2 snacks.

Once you have a plan, all is left is to take action and execute!

You really have to make every day count if you want to see the best results in the shortest amount of time.

If you plan most of your meals and your workouts, and follow through each week that’s all there is to it.

Don’t worry about being Mr. Perfect, especially if this is a big lifestyle change for you. “Aim for success, not perfection.” (Couldn’t resist another quote!)

You want to take the stress away from living a healthy lifestyle.

Try to follow the 90% rule with your nutrition.

It gives you maximum results while allowing just enough wiggle room to enjoy the journey while focusing on the end result. To make sure you stick to the 90% rule, just take your 5 daily meals or snacks and multiply it by 7 days, which gives you 35 feedings during the week.

This allows you to stray off your planned meals 3 times during the week, without it affecting your results.

Don’t think this means 3 meals where you can stuff yourself silly. This is real life, not some late night infomercial…

But of the 3 unplanned meals, I highly recommend you have one “reward” meal each week of whatever you desire. Pizza, burgers, fries, ice cream, it doesn’t matter.

(I like to refer to it as a “reward” meal instead of a “cheat” meal, because cheating just makes you feel guilty that you are doing something wrong.)

This reward meal has two benefits, one mental and one physical.

Mentally, it makes this healthy lifestyle change feel like a sprint, not a marathon. The more practical and flexible the plan, the more likely you will stick to it over the long-term. That’s where the real results are, the long-term…

Whether, its a big dinner with your family or a night out with the guys for a beer and some wings, take advantage of this one time each week to relax and enjoy food.

Physically, eating a high calorie meal once a week when you are following a fat burning fitness plan actually keeps you losing fat week after week by convincing your body that you are not starving and to keep burning bodyfat for fuel because food is in constant supply.

Without getting all “sciency” on you, a hormone called Leptin that controls appetite, energy, and metabolic rate is the main factor is this process.

So there you have it, you can have your cake and eat it too by following a smart fitness plan that allows you to be healthy and happy while actually getting real results!

Why You Should Worry About the Future of Healthcare

Dave Baldwin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:37:03 +0000

Turn on the news and watch about 5 minutes. Chances are that unless you tuned in to the local sports roundup, that you heard at least one story about health. Even if you were listening to the local sports roundup, you probably heard about some athlete at a local high school with swine flu. Obesity, H1N1, Medicare Part D, government health plans funding abortion, and smoking are just a few of the issues that all make great fodder for the national healthcare reform debate. One of President Obama’s key campaign promises was reforming the healthcare system. The fact remains that the United States remains the only industrialized nation without some sort of national, comprehensive health plan. Is that a bad thing? Probably. But if you have paid any attention to the national debate, it is clear now more than ever that our nation’s lawmakers have a long way to go if we are ever going to make any progress on the issue.

I wrote an article back in September that highlighted the root causes of the healthcare debate, which you can see here. After a lot of spirited debate in Congress, and Democrats backing down on the so called “public option,” it seems like all that we are left with is a plan that is expensive and inefficient. The United States already holds the world title in the expensive and inefficient category with nearly twice as much health care spending per capita than any other wealthy nation in the world. We spend over $7500 per citizen on healthcare, nearly one-fifth of our GDP, and yet as I have mentioned before, the overall health of the US lags behind almost every other industrialized nation on the planet. The current House plan for healthcare reform was reviewed by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which released its findings this week. The CBO estimated that the House plan will bring in $167 billion dollars over 10 years in penalties paid by people that would rather pay fines than get health coverage. The House plan suggests that it will help bridge the health care gap by covering up to 96% of the population from the current 83% that has adequate coverage. However, the plan also substantially relies on the fees collected from the uninsured to pay for expanding coverage. It might just be me, but something about that sounds a bit misguided at best. According to President Obama, the main reason that the healthcare system needs reform is to make it more affordable for Americans. Therefore, creating a system in which 10 million or more people would rather pay fines than get coverage somehow doesn’t seem like a more affordable solution.

Congratulations, Washington, it looks like we have a winner. If more people than anticipated rush to get coverage, we have a system that can’t be paid for, and if we fine the uninsured to pay for it, we have created a system that isn’t any more affordable than we have right now. What it really boils down to is that lawmakers are unable or unwilling to put aside partisan differences to effect real change. Liberal Democrats want a public option with the ability to set artificially low prices like Medicaid to pay for services. Moderate Democrats want the ability for the government to negotiate directly with providers to prevent an artificially cheap government program that draws people out of the private sector, which would hurt doctors. Republicans more or less want to keep things the same and let the free market reign with a few little changes like capping malpractice and encouraging competition by allowing insurance to be sold across state lines.

Whether you pay attention to the finer details about why the health care debate isn’t working or not, you need to pay attention to the bigger issue at hand. The reason that each of you as dads and husbands and sons and brothers should be very concerned is that if healthcare reform gets passed in its current watered down, lukewarm, inefficient, ineffective state, then we are all in for a lot more harm than good. This is an all or nothing deal .If Congress doesn’t create a plan that is affordable for everyone, then all of the legislation and regulation that will be required to implement these changes will only make things more expensive for everyone. I have seen the writing on the wall. As an employee for a small company, I currently have a high deductible policy that barely does more than prevent me from going bankrupt if I get sick or have an accident. I just received a letter last week that my health insurance company is no longer going to provide coverage in Texas, my state of residence. Coincidence? I think that private insurers are bracing themselves and getting out of risky markets now while they still can. The result? My company switches to a new insurer with one less choice and just a little less competition…

NCAA Basketball Pre-Season Power Rankings

Chris Osburn — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:06:30 +0000

Kansas is pretty much the consensus choice for #1 in pretty much all rankings. They are the toughest, deepest and most highly touted team in the NCAA…on paper. Regardless of how good we expect Kansas to be, there is a good chance that at least one (if not many) other team(s) will have the #1 ranking at some point during the season. As they say, “That’s why you play the games.” Otherwise, we would just crown Kansas the national champion and the next four months would be might boring (who wants to watch the NBA? I’m a Knicks fan, not me).

The rest of the top five is a toss up. Most people think that Michigan State, Kentucky, Nova and Texas are at least top ten caliber teams. I predict that just like my NCAA football rankings, these will look quite different in March.

This is not an exact science, and I’ll probably be wrong about a lot of these teams. What I want to know is, what do you think? Throw me an email cosburn@thefatherlife.com or post a message below and tell me how wrong or how right I am. Most likely I’ll be well off, but I’ll be happy if at least ten of my preseason twenty-five end up ranked at the end of the year.

CHRIS OSBURN’S NCAA BASKETBALL PRESEASON RANKINGS:

1. Kansas
2. Michigan State
3. Kentucky
4. Villanova
5. Texas
6. North Carolina
7. Purdue
8. Duke
9. West Virginia
10. Connecticut
11. Ohio State
12. Butler
13. California
14. Michigan
15. Washington
16. Oklahoma
17. Georgetown
18. Tennessee
19. Oklahoma State
20. Louisville
21. Dayton
22. Clemson
23. Kansas State
24. Syracuse
25. Pittsburgh

*Almost made it: Minnesota, Mississippi State, Siena, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Illinois, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Mizzou, Xavier, Gonzaga, Notre Dame.

There’s been a huge shakeup since last season as is sometimes the case in college basketball. If your team loses three or four starters from a talented team, it’s not very easy to find replacements right away. High ranked Memphis, Gonzaga, Xavier, LSU, UCLA, Arizona State and several others didn’t make the top twenty-five after ending last season ranked.

The big question is: Who’s going to be the unranked team to surprise everyone and propel themselves into the national championship talks? I’m excited to see how it all pans out.

How to Make a Balanced Meal in a Hurry

Laurie Beebe — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:46:00 +0000

For all you busy dads who can’t find the time to master the art of roasting and basting and chopping and sauteeing to get a meal on the table like your mother used to make, take heart. I have some short cuts to offer so you can get a healthy meal on the table in just 30 minutes.

What is a healthy meal? Consider the following characteristics: you want adequate protein, carbohydrates, and fats, and moderation so you don’t go overboard on any one of these; you want variety so there’s a good chance of getting plenty of vitamins, minerals and fiber in each day; a balanced meal will have a small portion of meat, fish, or chicken and a hefty side of vegetables along with a side of starch; and you don’t want your family to have loads of extra calories every night at dinner that can lead to obesity and all the risks it brings.

If you’ve been counting on fast food drive thru windows and going out to grab something quick most nights, you can see why these haven’t been healthy meals: they rarely contain fruits or vegetables; they’re heavy on the starch (usually a sandwich plus fries); high in fat (from fries, mayonnaise and other sauces, and higher-fat cuts of meat or fried chicken/fish entrees); and as a result they are high in calories. Plus, there isn’t a lot of variety if you’re ordering the same items frequently during a typical week.

The solution? Find ways to get a balanced meal on the table almost every night without taking hours our of your day using these shortcuts:

1) Try simple recipes that include all the components of a healthy meal in one dish. There are many casseroles with pasta and rice that include a protein food and a vegetable as well. Examples of this would be a chicken and rice casserole with mixed veggies contained, or shrimp and pasta with spinach tossed in. For many casserole dishes you toss all the ingredients in a dish and place it in the oven for 30-45 minutes and, voila! Dinner is served. It doesn’t take much time to prepare, but you do have to be home an hour before dinner to let the casserole cook.

Other options include crock-pot recipes that are also very simple, and take just a few minutes to pour together at the beginning of the day. The crock pot stews your dinner for 5-8 hours during the day and you come home to a cooked meal. If the recipe doesn’t call for any vegetables, modify it and throw some in!

Check sites like Campbell’s soup for many of these fast and easy recipes.

2) One of the fastest ways to cook meat, fish, or chicken is using the George Foreman grill. Almost any entree can be cooked in less than six or seven minutes: hamburger, chicken breast, fish steak, beef steak, or pork chop. It gets cooked all the way through with no mess, no fuss, no saucepans, and easy clean-up.

You can season with your favorite combination of spices or you can marinate the meat in the refrigerator during the day while you’re busy out of the house. To balance the meal, add a side of your family’s choice of frozen vegetables: these can be microwaved in less than six or seven minutes as well! And the starch side can be made instantly, literally: rice, cous cous, stuffing, mashed potatoes, even mashed sweet potatoes can be fixed as fast as it takes to boil water and “let sit 5 minutes”. Then you have a balanced meal on the table in less than 10 minutes… and it’s low in fat in calories since you haven’t fried any of the foods served, So far, you’ve vastly improved over driving through to big up a bag of burgers and fries.

3) Take advantage of the deli counter in the supermarket. Most of the time you can find some tasty entrees that are prepared with limited added fat. Of course, you want to avoid the fried chicken and creamy coleslaw and stuffed potatoes. But it’s easy to find roast chicken (usually whole chickens are available for just $6 or $7 in most grocery stores) or sliced ham that you can just bring home and serve with your own fast and healthy side dishes (see #2).

4) Get in extra nutrition with healthy desserts. There are some easy recipes that incorporate peaches, pears, apples, berries and other fruits. It takes a few minutes to put together some type of crust or crumble and briefly bake these cobbler-type dishes. Reduce some of the fat and sugar the recipes call for and you’ll be serving your family more vitamins and fiber and less fat and calories for a tasty way to get in an extra serving of fruit.

Another way to get plenty of nutrients into your family’s diet is to make smoothies with fresh fruit and low-fat milk. Cut the fruit into chunks and freeze at least a day ahead of time. Then, put a cup or two of fruit in a blender and add milk to cover. The result is a smoothie the kids will love that is chock full of calcium and vitamins. No need to add anything fancy or sweet–it’ll taste great, naturally.

There are many simple ways to get your family low-fat entrees, a healthy amount of starch for energy-yielding carbohydrates, and vitamin-packed fruits and vegetables. You don’t have to be a genius in the kitchen or a talented chef! Keep chicken tenderloins, ground beef, instant rice and potato boxes, and plenty of frozen fruit and vegetables on hand: Any night you need a healthy, balanced meal in a hurry you’ll be able to whip one up in less than a half hour. Providing healthy meals for you and your family instead of those high in fat and low in nutrition is another notch in your belt for being a great dad!

Image credit: Jay Simmons

[INTO THE DAWN] Fever

Andy Falk — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:22:42 +0000

Eight year old Skylee had a 102.4 degree fever this morning at about 7:30am when I checked it, shortly after waking up. She had the fever for the past two days, but this was the highest point. With all the talk of swine flu and the grim implications I was pretty worried. At what point do you bring a child into the emergency room? I decided to give her two more Tylenol and see how she would respond. Her last dose of Tylenol had been at 2:30am when she woke up feverish, needing to use the bathroom.

As parents we walk a fine line. Going to the emergency room is expensive, however there are times it’s necessary regardless of cost. When a child is in great pain you have no choice. When they are very sick, you have no choice. But what about those borderline times? Fortunately we had some experience with the ER and Skylee’s temperature in the past.

When she was a toddler I remember bringing her to the ER with a fever of 102+. The doctor on duty saw to her and imparted some eye opening news for us. Sure 102 was a bad fever, but it wasn’t that high or that necessitated a trip to the ER. He told us when a fever reached 103.5 or more and stayed there for a prolonged period of time, that’s when people were in imminent danger. So what if my thermometer was off by a degree and Skylee’s temperature was more than we thought?

Twenty five minutes later I check Skylee’s temperature again and it had notched up slightly to 102.5. She was still lying on the couch, looking sick and listless as ever. I had read somewhere that if a swine flu fever spiked you needed to get your child into the ER. Otherwise taking them in was unnecessary and it might not even be recommendable. Moving them can be hard on their bodies, and taking them into a germ filled ER might make matters worse. Plus you could share your child’s germs with other sick people. So what were we to do?

A few decades ago I used to go to a friend’s house and play a video game called ‘Road Rash’. To this day I remember the game shouting, “Don’t freak out!” Those were words to live by, not just play by. Five minutes later Skylee started moving around, looking and sounding much better. I took her temperature again and she was back down to 99.5, out of the danger zone.

We are living in dangerous times. Last week we read about an elementary school aged child dying from the swine flu just across the bay from us. So having a flu with high temperatures go through our house has been scary. My other daughter, six year old Sabrina got the fever too. It lasted three nights before finally going away. Her temperature never got as high as 102, and as of yesterday morning the fever had gone away without the use of Tylenol, so she was back in school today. I’m wondering if I’m going to get this thing next, and if so how my body is going to respond.

We all received the regular flu shot a few weeks ago, so the bug in our house probably isn’t the regular flu. There is still time for me to get the H1n1 shot, and my local hospital has it, but I have decided to pass. I’ve heard that as many as 50% of doctors are not getting it because the shot has not had time to be tested properly. So where does that leave me? Until I get sick, if I get sick, I’m just going to keep exercising, getting lots of rest, drinking lots of fluids and keep taking Airborne while the illness remains in my house. All time tested ways of staying healthy.

Image credit: Vivek Chugh

[A DAD'S POINT-OF-VIEW] Male and Female Roles in Our Politically Correct Society

Bruce Sallan — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:44:26 +0000

I am more and more troubled by how male and female roles in our society have evolved. Clearly, I may just not fully understand and accept these changes, but I want to understand for the sake of my boys. I’m trying to teach them to be men, how to treat women, and to prepare my sons for the current social environment and workplace that we live in. And, frankly, I need to learn and adjust for myself, as this column will show.

I was raised in the fifties and sixties, where men and women had casual conversational fun with each other, both in the work place and out of it. It was fun and not harassment, to be clear, and included healthy banter and even occasional flirting. But, today this is forbidden and larger companies have seminars on proper work behavior that, I believe, limits camaraderie and rapport between colleagues. As communication often is via e-mail, the chances of misunderstandings are only enhanced.

Recently, I sent an e-mail to a female editor of a website that carries my column, asking about a change I’d noticed in how my column was presented. It happens to be a mom’s website and I’m the only male blogger. I asked the question about the change and then said, “I am your only man, after all.” To me, it is true and was completely innocuous.

The reply I got from the editor was a stern missive affirming her status at the website and asking that I stop this unprofessional behavior and flirting. It reminded me of when Barbara Boxer reprimanded a general in the army, in Congress, for calling her “Ma’am,” instead of “Senator.” Can you imagine a male senator doing the same when called “Sir?”

I was stunned at the editor’s criticism and immediately sent her an apology for any misunderstanding and said that my intention was solely humorous, and in no way flirtatious. It was, yet again, a reminder to me of the dangers of e-mail.

She replied, “Apology accepted.” Now, the fact that she had changed our agreement about how my column was to be presented was minimally addressed as I did not receive any acknowledgment or apology for her breaking our ground rules. Instead, an off-hand remark I made left a bad taste for both of us and I still didn’t get satisfactory resolution to my original question. I thought proper business etiquette required communication before a change is made to an existing agreement.

To this editor’s credit, she said she showed my e-mail to several male colleagues who all agreed it was in poor taste. While I didn’t ask, I wondered how old they were as there’s no doubt that younger men are growing up in a work and social environment whose rules are quite different from when I grew up. I think we had much more fun and, given that the most of my career was in showbiz, there was certainly plenty of healthy, and innocent, flirting that regularly went on and, many times, it resulted in good business dealings.

To be clear, I am not talking about any casting couch sort of behavior as I never experienced it in the form of an actress offering me “special privileges,” nor did I ever engage in asking for it. I was raised to treat women with respect well before sexual harassment handbooks and seminars became important business tools for employers.

I actually experienced some sexual harassment early in my career. A top female studio executive invited me to her home to “discuss business.” I was fighting her off the entire evening. My male bosses at the time thought it was hilarious and that I should have given in for the benefit of the company. Needless to say, I wasn’t amused so I obviously understand the difference between innocent flirtation and harassment. We often define sexual harassment as a man harassing a woman, but the reverse can be harassing as well.

I am trying to raise Will and David to be men who respect and treat women well. I expect them to be sensitive without being wimps, and hopefully still possess a twinkle in their eyes and enjoy engaging the opposite sex. Flirting can be a kick, but, of course, it has to be in the right situations.

I am stuck in my ways and obviously somewhat dense and/or stubborn–as this incident with the editor illustrated. Hereafter, I’m going to be extra careful with all of my future interaction with women. Frankly, it’s the clichéd point of being better safe than sorry, though I know that some of the interplay I’ve always enjoyed will be diminished.

Will and David have been taught other behaviors that I believe in, although these behaviors may be somewhat old fashioned. They know to open and close car doors for their girl friends or any woman or older adult. My teen knows we expect him to pay for any date that he may go on, though presently he’s doing the contemporary group date thing, so he’s off the hook. When we went to the recent Outside Lands music festival, he knew even though I did remind him, to look after his two female friends and, because of his height and gender, to take care of them in the crush of the crowds. They appreciated it and I was proud of his actions.

A friend of mine suggested that my generation might actually have the opportunity to learn from our kids about these kinds of behaviors. Growing up in a politically correct culture all their lives, they’ve been socialized and taught certain behavior and, like their comfort with technology, it may be second nature to them. Is it better? I don’t know.

Still, I think it’s a very confusing time for young boys and men. Some of the so-called progress that has allowed women to enter otherwise limited areas for them professionally are clearly welcome. But, I question all these rules for gender interaction. Doesn’t it, to some degree, only infantilize women vs. teaching our young women to know proper boundaries and stand up for themselves? I’d rather any daughter that I had should know when to slap a guy, kick him where it counts, and otherwise not run to a boss or the government. And, conversely, she should know when it is time to seek intervention by a superior. What do you think?

Image credit: Valentina Jori

Preventing Data Loss When You’re Mobile

The Geek Weekly — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:15:56 +0000

You love the convenience of having information at your fingertips, whether it’s via your smartphone, laptop, or the USB stick hanging off your keychain. But that convenience also carries risks.

Among the biggest threats facing business travelers today is the loss of data through portable devices. And it could mean huge losses for your company. The Ponemon Institute research organization predicts the value of an average data breach could exceed $10 million, usually caused by theft or loss of a laptop or storage device. Not to mention you’d likely lose your job, reputation and perhaps a legal battle if you were the one responsible for the security violation.

“A device can be left behind or stolen, so you must make sure you’re safeguarding your information and have backups of important files,” cautions Michael Gartenberg, vice president of mobile strategy for Jupitermedia, a leading technology information company headquartered in New York City.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can work to secure portable devices.

Encryption
The first order of business is to password-protect your data.

“The value of the information on these devices may be far more valuable to you than the cost for the devices themselves,” explains Gartenberg. “So the simplest thing you can do on phones and laptops is enable them with passwords.”

Encrypting files and folders is a free option within most versions of Windows. (For example, in Windows Explorer, right-click on a Word document and select “Encrypt contents to secure data” under the Properties tab) Alternatively, free software, including PKWare’s SecureZip, is available.

“Even better, if your company has migrated notebook computers to Windows Vista in 2008 and is covered under the Enterprise Assurance program, Microsoft provides BitLocker for full drive encryption at no cost,” advises Adam Hils, principal research analyst for security, privacy, and risk at the Gartner information technology research and advisory company.

Although doing so can be a pain for users, smartphones — such as the BlackBerry or iPhone — can be locked until a password is typed in.

A handful of USB drives, such as the SanDisk Cruzer Titanium line, also offer optional encryption of stored files as part of bundled U3 software.

Less is more
In order to reduce risk, some analysts believe you should limit how much data you bring along with you.

“Users and companies must insure that whatever they carry in storage-bearing devices must be minimal,” says David Daoud, with IDC’s personal computing, PC trackers, and green IT programs. IDC is a global provider of market intelligence for the IT industry. The Framingham, Mass. -based analyst says some companies even restrict how much data their employees can tote around. “This is because if the USB drive or the smartphone are stolen or lost, you have to assume that the data in it will be accessible. For companies that take data security seriously, there are technologies that they can deploy to monitor the movement of data in and out of the device.”

Some phones and computers can also be wiped remotely in case the handset is lost or stolen. GadgetTrack Mobile Security software offers this service on supported handsets running Windows Mobile and BlackBerry operating systems. For PCs, products such as CompuTrace Data Protection can remotely wipe a laptop’s drive clean.

Although it also comes with its own risks, working in the cloud might be a good idea if you’re a frequent business traveler, says Daoud. “The best advice is to have some centralized storage system at home or in the office where all the critical data is stored and secured

Marc Saltzman is a freelance journalist and author based in Toronto. He specializes in consumer and tech topics, including Internet trends, computers, mobility, electronic gadgets, and video games.

Image credit: Emin Ozkan

College Football Wrap Up: Week 9

Bobby Wren — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:17:51 +0000

Week 9 has come and gone and boy was it a great one! A terrific week of college football chocked full with many surprises, upsets and nail biters. With the BCS season starting to heat up, so is the excitement. Here is a look at some of the best across the nation from week 9.

One of the games that I was highly anticipating this week was #12 USC taking on #8 Oregon. I was surprised that USC’s offense looked as bad as it did throughout the game, especially from their Blue Chip QB Matt Barkley who threw for two touchdowns but only added a measly 187 yards in the air. The Trojans usually guaranteed rushing attack was not enough to lift them past the stellar play of the Ducks QB Jeremiah Masoli who had a great game both rushing and passing with 164 yards and 222 yards respectively combined with a great performance by RB LaMichael James who added 183 yards on the ground. Oregon totaled 613 yards of offense put up against the Trojans, which is the most since 1997, and the Ducks win 47-20.
Defending BCS Champions #1 Florida proved that their offense can still bang with the best in the SEC playing Georgia this weekend. Heisman frontrunner QB Tim Tebow accounted for four total touchdowns with two of them coming by way of the Gators passing attack while the other two came on the ground, helping push the Gators by the Bulldogs for the 17^th time in school history 41-17. With the only worry on their upcoming schedule being Florida State, it is becoming very likely that the Gators will have the chance to repeat their championship run.
The now ranked #2 Texas Longhorns moved pass Alabama in this week’s BCS rankings due to an electrifying performance from the Longhorn offense and a terrible overall effort from #19 Oklahoma State, who was supposed to be the toughest team to face the Longhorns this season. Heisman Candidate QB Colt McCoy led his team to an easy victory completing 16/21 of his passes for 171yards and one touchdown, while the Longhorn defense took advantage of the five turnovers that they caused from Oklahoma State with a final score of 41-14.
#23 Virginia Tech saw their stock drop this past week with a close loss to North Carolina. The Hokies offense just didn’t look like it’s normal self on Thursday, with Tyrod Taylor raising questions about his consistency and ultimately letting the Tarheels kick a field goal as time expired to take the win 20-17.
#24 Oklahoma faced Kansas State on Saturday and did a great job early on with their explosive offense gaining a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, Injured QB Sam Bradford watched from the sidelines as his back up Landry Jones completed 26 out of 37 for 294 yards and four touchdowns as the Sooners sailed to victory 42-30.
# 20 Cal had their hands full in a competitive matchup against an unranked Arizona State squad. Cal’s Jahvid Best accounted for 97 yards rushing and added seven catches for 61 yards and a touchdown to help penetrate the Sun Devils intense defense leading to a Cal victory 23-21.
#22 Notre Dame brought their passing attack to Washington State on Saturday with Irish Heisman candidate QB Jimmy Clausen passing for 22-27 with 268 yards and two touchdowns. Coupled with a strong showing from their defense, Notre Dame won 40-14. After a 3-9 season in 2007, and barely breaking .500 at 7-6 last year, Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weiss has done a tremendous job with the Fighting Irish, returning one of the country’s powerhouses back to prominence in the BCS.
# 4 Iowa had one of my favorite games over the weekend playing Indiana in one of their toughest games so far this year. The Hawkeyes were down the whole game and went into the 4^th quarter with only 14 points and down by ten. Then, in what is probably one of the best quarters of football in a long time, the Hawkeyes exploded for 28 fourth quarter points to ensure their victory 42-24. Iowa QB Ricky Stanzi overcame a despicable 4 interceptions in the third quarter alone to connect on back to back 92 and 66 yard touchdown passes, reaffirming Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz’s assertions about Stanzi’s mental toughness and Iowa’s right to be considered a contender for the BCS.
# 3 Alabama had this week off to prepare for a great matchup with Saban’s reunion at # 9 LSU, who just got done demolishing a lackluster Tulane team 42-0 and are looking ready to carry that momentum against Alabama this week
#10 Georgia Tech is leading the ACC race and they are also at the top of the nation in rushing yardage, gaining 404 yards on the ground against a stout Vanderbilt team. Jonathan Dwyer had a season best 164 yards rushing with three touchdowns leading the Yellow Jackets to the win 56-31.
#17 Miami had a load of competition facing a very tough Wake Forest squad in an important conference game. QB Riley Skinner kept the Demon Deacons in the game with his 28-42, 341 yards passing and two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough to stop the effort from the ACC’s best QB Jacory Harris as he went 22-43 with 330 yards and three touchdowns including a last minute touchdown to Travis Benjamin to give the Hurricanes the victory 28-27 in the final minute of regulation.
#16 Ohio State crippled New Mexico State 45-0 showing that the Buckeyes defense is out to prove something , while Terrelle Pryor accounted for over two hundred offensive yards and two touchdowns.

This year’s Heisman race is living up to the “race” moniker, as this year it seems to be just a bit closer in competition than in previous years. There is some debate this week as the votes have Florida QB Tim Tebow on top with Alabama Running back Mark Ingram trailing close behind , leaving a very talented Irish QB Jimmy Clausen coming in third for Heisman consideration.

The action should be great this coming week as well. Pay special attention to #23 Virginia Tech as they play East Carolina on Thursday night, as they attempt to prove they should still be in contention in the ACC. #16 Ohio State and #11 Penn State should be a game of the season, along with the much anticipated Alabama vs LSU matchup on Saturday. #24 Oklahoma will have to prove itself without Bradford against a competent Nebraska side, and #10 Oregon has a Pac-10 rivalry game against Stanford which the Ducks had best not overlook. Keep coming back to The Father Life each week for the College Football Wrap Up.

NFL Power Rankings 2009: Week 8

Chris Osburn — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:58:50 +0000

The NFL Power Rankings are back for a second season. Check back each week for updated rankings. Feel free to leave feedback about how wrong I am in the comments section or throw me an emailcosburn@thefatherlife.com

Team	TW	LW
	1	1	Big Monday night win against a very talented Falcons team.
	2	2	It feels like the Colts haven’t lost since Joanie still loved Chachi.
	3	4	Best Anti-Favre T-shirt at Lambeau: “Favre-o, you broke my heart”.
	4	5	I’m pretty sure Tom Brady threw for over three hundy and had a few touchdown passes even though they were in a bye week.
	5	6	Big Monday night game at Denver after last week’s bye.
	6	3	Finally brought back to reality with 30-7 spanking at the hands of the Ravens.
	7	8	It turns out that Matt Ryan is not from the planet krypton after all. He’s still ok by me.
	8	9	Cedric Benson ran for a career high 189 yards against the team that kicked him to the curb like a broken Ikea coffee table.
	9	11	Cowboys versus Eagles on Sunday night is a can’t miss game.
	10	10	Watch “It’s always Sunny in Philadelphia” Thursdays @10 on FX. It’s the best comedy on T.V.
	11	7	Three straight losses. Rut Roh.
	12	12	Quote the Raven, nevermore…a punching bag for the Broncos. Yea, that was a stretch.
	13	13	See, Shawne Merriman is actually playing this season. He had two sacks.
	14	18	Texans are rolling, but Steve Slaton might be dunzo.
	15	16	Sorry Pack fans. Brett Favre is still pretty pretty pretty good.
	16	15	I bet the Jets wish they had THIS year’s version of Brett Favre.
	17	14	Frank Gore had one run of 64 yards, but was held to only 27 yards on his other 12 carries.
	18	17	Kurt Warner decided to one up Jake Delhomme on Sunday by throwing five picks.
	19	21	Who wants to join the Ted Ginn fan club with me?
	20	19	It’s been ten years since Walter Payton’s death. RIP, Sweetness.
	21	20	The jags defense looked bad against formerly winless Tennessee.
	22	24	The Panthers are like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
	23	22	The Bills are horrible, but Jairus Byrd has three straight two pick games.
	24	23	I think it’s time for Edgerrin James to retire.
	25	32	Vince Young’s first start = the team’s first win. Coincidence? I think not.
	26	25	Tom Cable is a jerk and I don’t care for him.
	27	28	Who knew that Dan Snyder had a soul? I was sure he was a vampire.
	28	31	Memo to James Butler, if you make an interception in the end zone and then run out, don’t run back in. They call that a safety.
l	29	26	Stop booing Matthew Stafford, you’re Detroit not Philly.
	30	30	Welcome you’re newest washed up player: Chris Chambers.
	31	27	Wow, kicker Billy Cundiff got cut this week from the Browns. They probably figure that since they never score a touchdown there’s no reason to keep their kicker.
	32	29	The Saints look like they have #1 locked up, but #32 is a battle every week.

Image credit: Paige Foster

The Fine Art of Disciplining Other People’s Kids: What to Do and How to Do It

Michele Borba — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:42:50 +0000

When I was growing up, if I misbehaved I was set straight by the parent in charge. If my friends misbehaved at my house there were held accountable by my mom and dad. But parenting has changed. These days parent are much more cautious about discipline kids who are not their – probably because our society has become so litigious. So how do you navigate those tricky issues of discipline the “other kids” when the child is in your care and you are in charge? My view: it’s never intruding when you’re protecting a child. You also don’t want to offend the kid’s parents, but when his behavior is dangerous or harmful to another child, you can’t ignore it either. Still, the right response depends on the circumstances. Here are a few tips to navigating this sometimes tricky parenting waters:

Get on board with the other parent. Anytime you are responsible for the care of another child always introduce yourself to the other kid’s parent. You can exchange emergency information but also bring up discipline. “Are here any special rules you’d like your child to follow?” What would you like me to do if they act up when they’re with me?” A brief chat will clue you into the parent’s discipline views and also make things easier in case there is a problem.

Review ground rules. Lay down the law with your child before the friend arrives and even post those core house rules on your refrigerator. You or your child can quickly review those rules to any first-time guest.

Know your discipline limits. Most parents have no problem if you remind their kids of your house rules or enforce them. The problem is when you use certain types of punishment. A few general no-no’s: Don’t spank another child. Ever. Don’t be judgmental “You’re so naughty.” Don’t push. You may not use time-out, take away the other kid’s personal possessions or ground a child from a future event. Don’t discipline if the child if his parent is present. Whatever the kid does, the parent is in child. (You may take the kid by the hand and “return” him to the parent. You may review your rules in front of the parent: “We don’t throw balls in my house.” But you can’t discipline.

Make “safety” your core policy. Step in for any safety issue: Aggression or cruelty (hitting, biting, fighting, slapping, or exclusion. Risky behaviors like jumping off the roof, running with a sharp object, experimenting with alcohol. Leaving your property. Using technology with Internet access that access adult or inappropriate content.

Use “cool” discipline and watch your terms. You do not have to tolerate any guest’s acting inappropriately. Just remember that the child may later share with his parent how you discipline (and those stories can be embellished). For instance, best to not use “time-out” but you can still say, “Looks like you both need time to cool down. Why not sit here a bit until you’re ready to play again.”

Call the parent for severe infractions. If you’ve tried the cooler discipline approaches and the guest continues to misbehave, you could:
·   Issue a warning that if he continues to not follow your rules you will call his parent (and then follow through).
·   Separate the kids. Put your child in another rom for the remainder of the playdate, but keep the guest in a central spot you can still supervise.
·   Take the child home. Call the parent and explain that the two kids seem to need a break from each other, then ask if it would be acceptable t drive the guest home. Never do so without that permission and never tell a child to go home without calling the parent to make sure she is there.
·   Decide if the parent needs to be told. Do realize the child may give his own interpretation, so better it come from you. Use a tactful way” “This is a little problem we had today. I’m sure you would want to know so I wanted to tell you what the kids were up to.

Every kid (even yours) has a bad day now and then and deserves a second chance. But if the guest’s behavior continues to be a problem at your home, despite your best efforts, it may be time to tell the child that he may not come over until his behavior improves. Just be prepared to tell his parents the same.

Image credit: Deon Staffelbach