Posted on January 17, 2016 at 12:00 pm
This is the award show I love best because I get to vote! This year for the first time the Critics Choice TV and movie awards will be given out at the same ceremony. Be sure to tune in!
And you can send a drink to your favorite nominees and get a thank you back with #TweetADrink — During commercial breaks, fans watching at home #tweetadrink and then receive an autographed “thank you” photo.
Posted on January 16, 2016 at 12:32 pm
Army Rangers, Seal Team members, and other special forces tell the stories of some of their most dangerous and exciting missions in “Live to Tell,” from producer Peter Berg (“Friday Night Lights,” “Lone Survivor”), on the History Channel. Tomorrow night’s episode is ‘Afghanistan 2005″: A quick reaction force of Army Rangers sets out on a mission to rescue the lone survivor of a SEAL team that came under attack in the mountains of Afghanistan.
Posted on January 16, 2016 at 8:00 am
Sarah Jessica Parker and Rosie Day star in a romantic comedy about a mother-daughter trip to Rome and rekindling old flames.
Posted on January 15, 2016 at 3:39 pm
Morgan Freeman’s new series for the National Geographic Channel is The Story of God, premiering April 3, 2016. Freeman, who has played God in films, has put together footage and interviews that cover all religions, cultures, and eras, even the future.
Each episode of The Story of God with Morgan Freeman is centered on a different big question about the divine:
Creation – Are there similarities among the religious creation stories from around the world? How do they compare with the scientific theory of the creation of the cosmos and the dawn of civilization?
Who Is God? – How has the perception of God evolved over human history? Is God just an idea, and if so, can we find evidence of a divine presence in our brains?
Evil – What is the root of evil and how has our idea of it evolved over the millennia? Is the devil real? The birth of religion may be inextricably tied to the need to control evil.
Miracles – Are miracles real? For many believers, miracles are the foundation of their faith. Others regard miracles as merely unlikely events on which our brains impose divine meaning. Belief in miracles, however we define them, could be what gives us hope and drives us to turn possibility into reality.
End of Days – Violent upheaval and fiery judgment fill popular imagination, but was the lore of apocalypse born out of the strife that plagued the Middle East two millennia ago? The true religious meaning of the apocalypse may not be a global war, but an inner revelation.
Resurrection – How have beliefs in the afterlife developed, and how has our reaction to the afterlife changed the way we live this life? Now that science is making such rapid advances, we may soon be confronted with digital resurrection. What will that do to our beliefs?
To explore each of these topics, host and narrator Freeman went on the ground to some of humanity’s greatest religious sites, including Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall, India’s Bodhi Tree, Mayan temples in Guatemala and the pyramids of Egypt. He traveled with archaeologists to uncover the long-lost religions of our ancestors, such as those at the 7500 B.C. Neolithic settlement Çatalhöyük in Turkey. He immersed himself in religious experiences and rituals all around the world, and became a test subject in scientific labs to examine how the frontiers of neuroscience are intersecting the traditional domain of religion.
The Story of God with Morgan Freeman Season 1 on DVD January 10, 2017 and Season 2 premiers on National Geographic, January 16th.
Posted on January 15, 2016 at 7:00 am
Many thanks to Rawdon Messenger, CEO of TeenSafe, who answered my questions about keeping tweens and teens safe online.
At what age do most kids get their first cell phone or iPad?
The age is getting younger and younger. Pew predicts that 90% of 6 year olds will have a smartphone by 2020.
We are seeing younger children getting iPads (around 5 years) then graduating to smartphones around 10 years.
More research here.
Ten years ago, parents were most often less adept with technology than their kids. Is that still the case or are today’s parents of tweens and teens themselves young enough to be digital natives?
Kids are learning and adopting new technology faster than their parents. They are also far more socially integrated online than most parents understand. Even though most parents know what SnapChat is, they don’t really understand how to use or communicate using it. Furthermore there are so many new apps appearing that it’s hard for parents to know what’s what. We feel it is very important that parents take time to understand not only what apps their children are using, but also how they are using them. It’s a great way to connect with your child and learn from them.
How did you become interested in “blacklist apps?” What exactly are they?
There are many apps that we think simply are inappropriate for children. No parent would want their thirteen year old using dating apps where they could “hook-up” with adults or using anonymous messaging apps which are full of trolls and bullies. Parents need to be more aware of what these apps are and the dangers they can pose for our kids. They can then make the right decision as to whether to allow their children to use them.
We believe that parents must parent their children’s digital lives to the same extent they do their physical lives. Handing a child a smartphone with no restrictions or rules is irresponsible.
Who develops these apps? Where do kids find out about them?
The apps are usually developed by young entrepreneurs and, if they become popular (which they can very quickly), they often get given lots of money by financiers to grow and establish further their apps. Children learn about these apps from each other as the new cool way to connect and communicate.
How should parents talk to tweens and teens about online safety?
This is the most important thing. A parent needs to think carefully about the issues their child may face in the digital life – bullying, sexting, inappropriate content, too much screen time, distraction, etc. They also need to think about where their child is developmentally. Then talk about what they are doing with their device. Ask the about who they interact with and how? And what they think is bad behavior and how they handle it when they see it. Give feedback. It is very import to be clear about what are the big no-no’s and why.
Do you recommend any special rules or contracts for kids with their first phones?
Are schools doing a good job of informing kids about online risks?
Many schools are. They have programs on Digital Citizenship and clear rules on conduct while at school. Things get complicated as children misbehave on social media. Is it school business to monitor and guide children behavior online?
PTAs (many of whom, TeenSafe supports) do a great job organizing seminar for parents and students.
Things are evolving so fast, that it is a big challenge to understand the issues, define policy and then educate on these issues.
Do you have any data on use of these apps?
We do not track the usage of the children being monitored on our service. That data is private and is only available to the parents of the children.
