Filed under: Health and Safety, Pre-teen, Teenager, Computers, Internet, Monitoring your kids

MySpace announced on Monday that they will be granting the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children access to their database of U.S. sex offenders in an effort to help law enforcement officials with their investigations. Apparently MySpace had partnered with a backgroud verification company, Sentinel Tech Holdings Corp., last month to create a database they now use to identify and block accounts created by known sex offenders. This news comes just shortly after MySpace announced they would be posting amber alerts on their site.

Groups are still lobbying to have MySpace raise the minimum age for users on their site to either 16 or 18, but you have to know that kids who want to find a way on there still will. It leads me back to the question - why are parents not monitoring their children's internet usage?

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Filed under: Celebrity parents

In an article that trounces the Hollywood trend of "throwaway children," journalist Andrea Peyser makes an interesting argument: between Britney and K-Fed, the latter is the better parent.

How could this be? The man is a borderline national embarrassment, right? Or, at least in this case, maybe that's a good thing. According to Peyser: "Maybe it's because he's a loser - one who is making a calculated joke on his status, appearing in a Super Bowl commercial as a lowly fry cook." Maybe, or perhaps the paparazzi aren't as interested in following around an ex-husband who won't be flashing anyone as gets out of limos.

But is it true? When you compare K-Fed to the "overprocessed, gum-snapping hair extension that is Britney," does he look like a decent father?

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Filed under: Computers, Internet, Monitoring your kids

I have to admit, I'm always a bit apprehensive about websites aimed at children, but I suppose the fact is kids spend a lot of time on their computers and it is important for them to have safe places to go. Nickelodeon has launched their latest "online community" called Nicktropolis. To register, children have to provide their parent's email address for authorization. (I know, I know. What tech savvy youngster doesn't know their way around that?) But, I digress.

Once approved, the child is free to take advantage of all the site has to offer including free games, interaction with cartoon characters, watch videos from Nickelodon, and "socialize" with others. That last one is what had me worried at first, but after taking a look at the website they specify that children can only chat using a pre-set list of phrases. Personal information is never asked for, and it is apparently impossible for them to give it out to strangers.

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Filed under: Tech Tuesdays, Toys, Internet, Games, Literacy

You might just remember the Speak & Spell from your childhood. Failing that, I believe it made up part of E.T.'s contraption for phoning home. Buzz Lightyear used a Speak & Spell to decipher Al's license plate after Woody was kidnapped. From a technical point of view, the Speak & Spell, for its time, was one hot piece of tech.

An aficionado in the UK has put together a Speak & Spell emulator, just in case you want to give your kids a taste of what Leapfrog-type toys looked like in our day. It doesn't have all the features implemented, the vocabulary is limited, and it's not 100% bug-free, but it is pretty fun. Check it out and show your kids just how good they really have it.

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Filed under: College

Hazing is stupid. It's one of those ridiculous collegiate traditions that, for whatever reason, just won't die. Fortunately, some universities, and now one judge, are taking a stand against the asinine practice.

Michael Morton and Jason Harris, both students at Florida A&M University, beat pledge Marcus Jones so severely with a wooden cane that he had to have surgery for bruises on his buttocks. Now they'll spend the next two years in prison. Morton, convicted of the actual abuse, and Harris convicted of participating, as he not only encouraged Jones, but revived him with water after he passed out, just so the poor guy could get hit some more.

University professors, clergy members -- even a former A&M President -- came to the young men's defense, but Judge Kathleen Dekker refused to be lenient. "I want to save the victims who will quietly go along because they want to belong," she said.

It's about time.

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Filed under: Adoption

Can this really be true? An adoption agency that doesn't charge any fees?

I couldn't believe it either, but apparently this is for real. Antioch Adoptions is a non-profit adoption agency that operates under the umbrella of the Antioch Bible Church out of Redmond, Washington. According to its website, the agency raises money through donations to help it place children, mostly through foster care.

The only "catch" is that adoptive families must commit to giving back to the ministry through donations of their "time, talents, and financial resources." After reading some of their documentation of what is required from adoptive families, their program may not be for everyone--they require that families must attend one weekend retreat, among other things. However, the best way to find out about the program is to read through the material, where then you can make up your own mind.

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Filed under: High school, 15-19 years

When you were in high school, didn't you always think it'd be kick ass to get naked, grease yourself up (so you wouldn't get caught) and run around the cafeteria screaming and flailing your arms? No? Come on! It'd be totally awesome!

At least that's what Taylor Killian, and 18 year-old at Westerville North School in Ohio, thought. Right up until police used a stun gun on him -- twice.

According to school officials, Killian was a good student. Now he's in jail, charged with inducing panic, public indecency, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Where do you think they zapped him?

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Filed under: Siblings, Image of the Day

January is "siblings" month at Blogging Baby! We are looking for fun and interesting photos of your children bonding with each other in unique ways. Here's a very sweet one from Jessica Grieves.

If you'd like your own picture featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr Pool - We'll select an image every day to highlight. Remember: I'm on the lookout for shots with interesting backgrounds, cool angles, or original composition. Be sure to read the intro on the main Flickr page for more information and limit your uploading to 5 photos per day.

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Filed under: High school, Public school

Officials at a high school in Gainesville, Georgia have decided to move a display of international flags -- intended to celebrate the diversity and unity of the community and representing countries doing business in the area or to which students have ties -- indoors to avoid protests over immigration. "We don't want the Avenue of Flags to be a place where people have a demonstration. We don't want to create a situation where some outside group may use the Avenue of Flags for their own political purpose," said school board chairwoman Lee Highsmith.

The display was set up last summer as a tribute to the high school's increasingly diverse student body. According to the state education department, about 41 percent of the student body is hispanic, with just under a third being white and about a quarter being black.

The flags will likely be moved inside to the school's cafeteria. "The flags will still be there to serve the children," Highsmith said. "They will still have an opportunity to research the flags and understand the countries they come from. The educational intent of the flags doesn't change, just the location."

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Filed under: College

Ahh, college admissions time. For many high school seniors, now's the time to worry about whether or not your favorite school decided to accept you. For about 2,700 students, now is the time to say "what?"

The University of North Carolina made a big booboo recently when they accidentally sent out emails to 2,700 students that congratulated them on their acceptance to the school. Only thing? The kids weren't really accepted.

The email was meant to be sent to request mid-year grades to students that have already been accepted. Those who have not yet been accepted won't find out their fate until mid-March.

Follow-up emails were sent to explain the error, though there's no way an "I'm sorry" can deal with the stress put out by the snafu. UNC gets about 20,000 applications per year for about 3,800 spots.

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