Mammoth Blog

•  Fewer places to list your tickets.
•  Little to no access to other brokers to work trades.
• Fee after fee after fee after fee piled up on top of you.
• Policy changes, sometimes daily.

•  Control costs for brokers and consumers.
•  Keep it simple and effective, a la Google.  Read More

FlipATicket.com today announced that it is leading the charge of brokers who have united and said, "Enough is enough!". Over the course of the last several years, brokers have witnessed drastic changes the ticket industry has undergone; so drastic, in fact, that it is difficult to fully grasp.

If you were told five years ago that EI would be purchased by Ticketmaster, or that StubHub would be purchased by eBay, or that TN would morph into a gargantuan network of thousands of brokers, or that Ticket Technology would be bought by StubHub/eBay, or that LiveNation would buy every venue under the sun and ditch Ticketmaster for their own ticketing service, only to merge with Ticketmaster a few months later, would you have believed any of it? Who could have imagined that all of those things would take place in five short years?

Perhaps a better question would be: How have these changes helped your business? Let's see...

* Fewer places to list your tickets.
* Little to no access to other brokers to work trades.
* Fee after fee after fee after fee piled up on top of you.
* Policy changes, sometimes daily.

And what is the result of these changes that we have all witnessed? You, the broker, are left holding the short end of the stick, working harder to earn less. Your choice of places to buy, sell, and trade tickets has been boiled down to making a decision between the lesser of all that is evil. That's how you grow a business, right? No, we didn't think so either.

A number of months back, the folks behind BlueBucs.com sat down and started working on ideas of how to counteract the absurdity that has transpired in our industry, and to help brokers regain control over their business and costs. They poured over so many ideas and options that it is impossible to enumerate, but their brainstorming team always came back to two primary "must do" points:

* Control costs for brokers and consumers.
* Keep it simple and effective, a la Google.

Brokers need to be able to effectively communicate with one another, and consumers need to be able to do a simple search, find the tickets they want, and make a purchase. Neither the broker nor the consumer should be gouged with a litany of fees. Folks are tired of the nickel-and-dime games!

Imagine, if you will..

* No more throwing away thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars in fees each year.
* No more ridiculous "rules" and policy changes each week that are impossible for anyone (including those imposing them) to keep up with.
* No more bowing to your "master", the ticket exchange. They should work for you, not the other way around!

The solution is FlipATicket.com, a brand new, back-to-basics site for brokers to buy and sell tickets, and retail outlet for consumer sales.

Will FlipATicket be the next StubHub, or EI, or TN? Absolutely not. And we don't want to be! Those guys define "ticket exchange", and "ticket exchange" is the problem that FlipATicket is designed to solve! Rather, the goal is to build a platform designed by, run by, and geared for ticket brokers. A platform that offers you an affordable and effective alternative for listing, buying, and selling tickets. A platform with a simple fee structure so that you don't need to hire an IRS agent to help you figure out how much revenue you just lost.

FlipATicket.com will attract customers who are just as tired as you are of dealing with a "ticket exchange". Customers that will appreciate never having to call the horrendous customer service line of a "ticket exchange", because they can now contact you, the seller, directly. The bottom line is, FlipATicket.com will provide you with more opportunities for sales to customers who are *yours*, and both you and your customer will be paying less fees!

We are currently operating in a beta test, which will run until Monday, February 28, 2011. During the beta test period, all ticket brokers will be able to buy, sell, and trade tickets - free of charge, our way of saying "Thank you!" for helping us work out any bugs and for providing feedback on features and future development ideas. As a special added bonus, during the beta test period, registered brokers will have free limited access to our flagship website, BlueBucs.com (the #1 source of presale and onsale information).

On Tuesday, March 1, 2011, all beta test accounts will be disabled, and broker accounts will be available for a nominal fee. A monthly subscription will be available for $39, or you can save 5% by choosing the annual subscription at a rate of just $444. There will be no additional fees to buy, sell, and trade your tickets on FlipATicket.com.

However, we are offering special discount pricing for those who choose to partner with us during the beta launch period. We have allotted a limited number of FlipATicket memberships at deeply discounted prices. As of this posting, only 25 of these spots are available. They are available only while they last, or until the beta test ends, whichever occurs first. Choose from one of the following:

* Founding Member Lifetime Membership - A one-time fee of $999. Never pay another penny to buy, sell, and trade your tickets on FlipATicket.com.
* Charter Membership - Annual subscription rate of just $365. Yes, you read correctly. Just $1 a day to buy, sell, and trade your tickets on FlipATicket.com, with no additional fees.

Again, these are being offered on a first come, first served basis. They are going fast, and will never again be offered.

Can we compete on sheer volume of sales from day one? No, we can't. But by partnering with FlipATicket.com, we can all work together and slowly but surely take back our industry, one-by-one as brokers decide for themselves: "Enough is enough!"

Register today at http://www.flipaticket.com/register

A new, home-based program for toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that combines behavioral change techniques in a playful environment boosted the children's IQ, language ability, and social interaction skills more than a community-based program, according to a new study.

The home-based program included up to 20 hours a week of therapist intervention, plus the intervention of parents, who were taught the same skills.

''This intervention is designed to be appropriate for children as young as 12 months of age," says study researcher Geraldine Dawson, PhD, chief science officer of Autism Speaks, a science and advocacy organization. She conducted the research while a professor of psychology and director of the University of Washington's Autism Center, Seattle.

''We found that after two years the children who received the intervention had made significant gains in their IQ, their language ability, their adaptive behavior, and their social interaction," Dawson tells WebMD.

The IQ of children in the new home-based program -- called the Early Start Denver Model -- rose on average about 18 points after two years, she says. The IQ of the children in the community-based comparison group increased seven points.

''When you see an IQ gain that is this large, the child is much more likely to be able to enter a regular classroom and develop friendships," Dawson says.

The study is published online in the journal Pediatrics.
Intervention in Young Children

Early intervention for children with autism, a developmental disorder estimated to affect one in 150 or more U.S. children, has been evaluated for years. More than 20 years ago, a report of early behavioral intervention found that nearly half the children given the intervention could be mainstreamed into regular classrooms and had IQ gains.

But experts still disagree about whether early intervention makes a long-term difference in autism, which is marked by impairments in communication and socialization, and repetitive, disruptive behavior.

The new study is believed to be the first scientific study that looked at intervening in children so young. "Our entire group was under 2 and a half," says Sally Rogers, PhD, professor of psychiatry, University of California Davis MIND Institute, who developed the intervention with Dawson.

The intervention combines an established approach known as applied behavioral analysis (teaching children new behaviors and changing harmful ones by repetition and practice) with relationship-based techniques presented in a playful manner that interests the child. "When you are working with very young children, it makes sense you would use a more play-based approach," Dawson says.

For instance, a session might include playing with balls, with the therapist tossing them into a bucket, repeating the word ball, and inviting the child to mimic her.

The researchers evaluated 48 children diagnosed with ASD at 18-30 months old, randomly assigning them to the intervention group or referring them to community-based programs. The children had either autistic disorder or pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD NOS), a milder condition in which some features of autism are identified. At the end, two years later, just three had dropped out of the study.

The goal was to tap into the so-called ''plasticity'' of the young brain and capitalize on the learning potential of the children, thus limiting the damaging effects of autism.

Those in the early-start model averaged about 15.2 hours a week with the therapist, although 20 were made available. Parents logged, on average, another 16.3 hours a week and the kids got about 5.2 hours in other therapies, such as speech therapy.

Children in the comparison group got an average of 9.1 hours of individual therapy and 9.3 hours weekly of group interventions. continue>>>

The Dam Letter This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries

Most people think it improper to spank children, so I have tried other
methods to control my kids when they have one of 'those moments.'

Tough Love vs. Spanking - Good Argument

There is a new reason to doubt the truth in labeling of cereal for children. Researchers say kids are spoon-fed a steady diet of advertising to make them want cereal that satisfies their sweet tooth, but doesn't make a good meal.

A new study confirms what parents have long suspected: the breakfast cereals most heavily advertised to their kids are the ones that are full of sugar and low in fiber.

The Yale study found that the average American child sees 642 cereal ads a year.

But the cereals in the ads geared toward children have 85 per cent more sugar, 65 per cent less fiber and 60 per cent more sodium than those aimed at adults. Researchers say that kids want what they see, and this is helping fuel an epidemic of childhood obesity.

The researchers say it's not just TV...makers of sugared cereals have Web sites with games, music and cartoons that further entice children to eat their brands. source>>>

There's no trick to keeping children and the rest of the family safe on Halloween. Some simple precautions will ensure that the night is a treat for everyone.

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers the following safety tips:

* Choose costumes that are bright and reflective and short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame. Add reflective tape or striping to costumes and treat bags to make children more visible.
* Remember that masks can hinder or block eyesight. Non-toxic makeup and decorative hats are safer alternatives. Hats should fit properly to prevent them from sliding over children's eyes.
* Buy only costumes, wigs and accessories with a label clearly indicating they are flame-resistant.
* If a sword, cane or stick is part of a child's costume, make sure it's not sharp or too long.
* Provide children and escorts with flashlights with fresh batteries.
* Teach children how to call 911 or their local emergency number.
* Have a parent or responsible adult accompany young children when they're trick-or-treating.
* If your older children are trick-or-treating alone, review their route and agree on a specific time when they'll return home.
* Trick-or-treat only at homes with a porch light on. Never enter a home or car for a treat.
* Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk. If there's no sidewalk, walk at the far edge of the road facing traffic. Never cut across yards or use alleys. Only cross streets at recognized crosswalks. Never cross between parked cars. Never assume the right of way -- it can be difficult for motorists to see trick-or-treaters.
* When your children return home, sort and check their treats. Throw away any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items.
* Allow children to draw faces on pumpkins, but parents should do the carving.
* Never leave candle-lit pumpkins unattended. Place them on a sturdy table, away from curtains and other flammable objects. Votive candles are safest for candle-lit pumpkins.
* Homeowners, remove tripping hazards from the front yard and porch, such as toys, bikes, lawn decorations and garden hoses. Sweep wet leaves from sidewalks and steps, make sure outdoor lights are working, and keep pets under control.

source>>>

Michael Jackson will once again walk among us, with the late singer topping retailers' lists of the most sought-after costumes for Halloween.

Jackson is followed closely by reality star Kate Gosselin, whose ill-advised haircut and marital meltdown have secured her a place in pop-cult infamy. Both celebrities' looks, easy to pull off in a pinch, are emblematic of what experts predict will be a fright-night marked by frugality.

The Retail Council of Canada doesn't forecast any gains over the 2008 season, and a BIGresearch survey of some 8,500 U.S. consumers finds one in three people expect the economy to affect their Halloween plans, with 17% planning to make their own ensembles, and 16% reusing last year's costume.

"It might still be that consumers will buy a funny mask or a wig or makeup, but the bulk of the costume will come from the closet this year," says Pam Goodfellow, senior analyst with BIGresearch. The market intelligence firm reports that the season's overriding theme is "how creative can I be, and how little can I spend."

According to eBay.ca, the average price of a Halloween costume this year is $27.63, with celebrities proving the most popular options.

"Being asked, 'Who are you?' is the kiss of death on Halloween," says Karen Bard, eBay's pop culture expert. "What better way to avoid that than to be somebody who's famous, or infamous?"

A bedazzled "Billie Jean" Jackson ensemble is currently one of the most-watched items on the Canadian auction site, which also offers some 80 pairs of sequined gloves ranging in price from $2 to more than $100. There are upward of 50 True Blood "Sookie Stackhouse" outfits, some with their own bottle of fake blood.

And those wanting to go as Gosselin will find nearly two-dozen wigs in the militant mom's signature style - an item that has already sold out at many online retailers.

At BuyCostumes.com, searches for Michael Jackson are up a reported 1,000% over previous years. A "Ponzi schemer" costume inspired by Bernie Madoff can be had at rickyshalloween.com, complete with full-face mask and prison jumpsuit. And on sites such as costumzee.com and creepyla.com, revellers will find economical instructions for a do-it-yourself Nadya "Octomom" Suleman ensemble.

Other in-demand costumes this year include vampires, singer Lady Gaga, politician Sarah Palin, G.I. Joe, witches, pirates, devils and zombies.

Mark Beazley, a spokesman for the Retail Council of Canada, says although increases aren't expected over 2008, stores are "cautiously optimistic" about Halloween, a $1.5-billion holiday that typically proves the fourth-busiest shopping event of the year.

Those retailers offering deals are in the best position to capitalize on the sombre spending mood. Indeed, Yolanda Bourgoin, owner of Hamilton, Ont.-based costume store The Penny Pincher, says her revenues continue to grow, while big-box bargain destination Walmart Canada is seeing sales of Halloween regalia up 12% over last year.

"Canadians are concerned about the economy but [they] don't want to compromise when it comes to the holidays, including Halloween," says Felicia Fefer, Walmart's manager of public relations.

Top boys' costumes at the retailer include Transformers, Spider-Man, Star Wars characters, ninjas and "skelebones," while the hottest girls' costumes are princesses, fairies, witches, Hannah Montana and Bratz.

source>>>

Candy is the central focus of Halloween, the spookiest holiday of the year. The average American consumes 24 pounds of candy in a year, most of which is eaten right after Halloween, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

But for children with diabetes, it can be difficult to enjoy the festivities.

Marc Wolf, registered pharmacist and CEO of Diabetic Care Services, provides the following tips to help parents of diabetic children shift the focus off Halloween candy so the kids can have more fun.

- Explain to your child ahead of time that they should not snack on candy until you are home from trick-or-treating.

- Lots of walking can affect blood glucose levels, so pack a healthy snack that you can rely on to battle lows. This way, you avoid the temptation of dipping into the treat bag for a quick solution if your child's blood sugar levels begin to drop.

- Choosing which type of candy to pass out is important because there is a good chance you will have leftovers. According to the American Diabetes Association, avoid choosing treats that contain chocolate; their high fat content slows the progress of glucose in the blood stream.

Instead, choose a hard candy, gumdrops or lollipops. Because hard candy has a long shelf life, you can store the leftover candy in a designated place and use it to battle lows throughout the year.

- Do not feel you have to deprive your child of all Halloween candy. Instead, allow them to choose a fun size, smaller version of their favorite candy. Just remember to adjust their meal plan based on the number of carbohydrates in the sweet treat.

- After trick-or-treat hours are over, sit down with your child and help them choose a few of their favorite pieces of candy they can enjoy throughout the week. To help your child part with the leftover candy, allow them to exchange it for money, a toy or some other special treat (a special dinner, trip to the movies, etc).

- If you do not want to waste the extra candy by throwing it away, go with your child to donate the leftovers to a hospital or senior center. Not only will your child learn healthy habits, they will receive a lesson in sharing.

- Halloween costumes often require plenty of face paint, body paint and colored hair spray. When the festivities are over, ensure you give proper attention to skin and scalp cleansing and care.

- No matter what the costume, ensure your child wears comfortable, closed-toe shoes and invest in special diabetic socks that will keep feet clean and dry. Whether trick-or-treating or at a costume party, it is important to protect feet from potential cuts and scrapes and prevent blisters and soreness.

- Offer to host the Halloween party this year. You will be able to ensure your child, and all the guests, enjoy healthy Halloween treats rather than experience sugar shock. Use food coloring to turn your favorite dip or sugar-free whipped topping orange, and pair with fruit and cheese or vegetables for a festive tray. For dessert, dish out sugar-free chocolate pudding in individual cups and garnish with sugar-free whipped topping and sugar-free candy worms for a creepy surprise.

source>>>

alifornia's top traffic safety
officials urge parents and caregivers across the state to maximize child
passenger safety by following the 4 Steps for Kids guidelines to determine
which restraint system is best suited to protect children based on age and
size.

"Parents need to make sure they're using the right seat for the right child in
the right vehicle,"
said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic
Safety. "The 4 Steps for Kids campaign helps simplify the information so that
parents know when to graduate from rear-facing, to forward-facing, to booster
and then to a seat belt."

A series of free child safety seat checks will be held statewide as part of
Child Passenger Safety Week September 12-18. The week-long observance will
kickoff with Seat Check Saturday on September 12.

"Keeping children properly restrained on each and every trip will provide the
best possible protection in the event of a crash," said California Highway
Patrol Commissioner Joe Farrow. "I strongly encourage parents to take the time
to make sure their seat is being used correctly by visiting a safety seat
check event. It could mean the difference between life and death."

California law requires that children be properly secured in the back seat in
a child restraint system until they are at least six years old or 60 lbs.*
Additionally, children who are at least six years old or weigh at least 60
pounds and are under age 16 must be properly secured in either a child
restraint system or seat belt. On a first offense, a child passenger
violation will cost $445 with penalty assessments. A second or subsequent
offense carries a total cost of $1,025. If the parent is not in the car, the
driver gets the ticket.

Estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
indicate that 33 children age four and under would have been saved in 2008 in
California had they been properly restrained in a child safety seat.
California's 2008 child safety seat use rate was 94.4 percent, an all-time
high.

In the upcoming year, the California Office of Traffic Safety has allocated
nearly $3 million in grants statewide for child safety seat check ups, public
awareness presentations and campaigns, providing NHTSA Certified Child
Passenger Safety Technician training, distributing low cost or no cost child
safety seats to low income families, and related child safety programs.

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to find a child safety seat check event
in their area by visiting one of the following Web sites, by calling their
local police or fire department for information, or by visiting the OTS Web
site at www.ots.ca.gov.

California Highway Patrol - Seat checks are carried out at every local CHP
office. Contact your local office for dates, locations and details. Click
"Office Locator" at www.chp.ca.gov

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Click "Locate a Child Seat Fitting Station" at www.nhtsa.dot.gov

California Safe Kids
http://www.safekidsweb.org/events/events.asp

*NHTSA recommends all children 12 and under ride in the back seat.
source>>>

In a follow-up to new influenza guidelines for child care settings, federal experts were on hand today during a Web telecast to answer questions from parents, focusing on child care and concerns about youngsters who have chronic health conditions such as asthma and diabetes.

On Sep 4, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidance to help child care settings respond to pandemic and seasonal influenza outbreaks. The guidance includes measures such as performing daily health checks on kids and staff and urging parents to have their children receive seasonal and pandemic H1N1 flu immunizations.

A day earlier a CDC report on pediatric deaths from novel H1N1 infections in children revealed that those who have neurodevelopmental and other chronic conditions seem to be bearing the heaviest fatality burden. The United States and other countries have also reported the highest novel flu illness rates in younger people, especially children.

Dr Roberta Lavin, director of the office of human service emergency preparedness in the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families, told viewers that about 10 million of the nation's children are in child care settings. She said the daily health checks can be used as an educational ritual for young children and that teaching good hand washing technique, as well as proper cough and sneeze procedures, can yield long-lasting benefits.

"This is a teaching opportunity for the kids. It will serve them well the rest of their lives," she said.

Two CDC experts -- one on childhood diabetes and the other on asthma -- advised parents of children with those and other conditions to see their physicians at the start of flu season to make sure the conditions are well controlled.

Dr Ann Albright, director of the CDC's diabetes translation division, said children are at higher risk of infection if their chronic conditions aren't closely managed. She said infections such as influenza can make it difficult to control blood sugar and that people with diabetes typically have "sick day rules" for adjusting their intake of calorie-free fluids, carbohydrates, and medication.

Diabetic patients with influenza symptoms should start paying attention to their ketone levels when glucose levels rise, not just when they have a fever, Albright said. Emergency preparations for diabetic patients should include keeping an adequate supply of medication, test strips, food, and water.

Dr David Callahan, a medical officer for the CDC's asthma team, said parents of children with asthma should check in with their doctor to make sure the "asthma action plan" is up to date and to make sure that the child has an adequate supply of routine and rescue medications.

Both Albright and Callahan recommended that children with chronic conditions should see a physician at the first sign of flu so they can receive early antiviral treatment. They also reminded parents that children with asthma and diabetes should not receive the live attenuated influenza vaccine (FluMist).

Several viewers who e-mailed questions to the experts during the live Webcast had concerns about specific child care issues.

For example, viewers asked if any special procedures are needed to disinfect toys and other shared items. Officials said the guidance recommends following routine cleaning procedures with normal washing solutions. They urged child care operators to set aside an area with separate toys for sick children to play and be supervised until their parents arrive to take them home.

Other viewers had questions about how to identify influenza in children and distinguish it from other respiratory illnesses. Dr Georgina Peacock, developmental pediatrician at the CDC, urged providers to consult healthcare experts in their area for tips about what illnesses are circulating in the area as a way to get more details on symptoms to watch for.

Callahan said it can be difficult to tell the difference between flu, colds, and allergies, but he said influenza is something that many children haven't experienced before, and they often feel significantly sicker than with other common respiratory illnesses.

A viewer asked what child care centers should do if a pandemic H1N1 infection is confirmed in one of the children. Peacock advised that centers notify parents with the same system they use for other infections.

Robin Stephenson, acting president of the National Association of Child Care Professionals, told CIDRAP News in an e-mail that the CDC guidance for child care settings offers a comprehensive look at what centers may face during the upcoming flu season. "While being hypervigilant on following the good rules of hygiene, centers should take seriously the recommendations for updating crisis plans and procedures," he wrote.

However, he raised concerns about the ability of the centers to operate if staff is out sick or caring for ill family members. "State regulatory agencies will need to institute a bit of leniency in the regulations covering substitute qualifications and ratios, as centers may find it extremely difficult to find the coverage needed," he added.

He also urged employers to show stronger support for working parents. Not allowing parents to stay home with sick children might push them to bring sick children to child care centers. "Providing work-at-home options where possible will vastly reduce the stress and temptation to take a sick child to the child care center," he wrote.

Today's Web telecast will be archived soon on the federal flu.gov Web site. source>>>

Parents who install a leading brand of software to monitor their kids' online activities may be unwittingly allowing the developer to gather marketing data from children as young as 7 - and to sell that information.

Software sold under the Sentry and FamilySafe brands can read private chats conducted through Yahoo, MSN, AOL and other services, and send that data back to the company. The info is then offered to businesses seeking ways to tailor their marketing messages to kids.

"This scares me more than anything I have seen using monitoring technology," said Parry Aftab, a child-safety advocate. "You don't put children's personal information at risk."

The software does not record children's names, addresses or other identifiable information, but it knows how old they are because parents customize the programs to be more or less permissive, depending on age.

Five other makers of parental-control software contacted by the Associated Press, including McAfee Inc. and Symantec Corp., said they do not sell chat data to advertisers.

The software brands in question are developed by EchoMetrix Inc., a company based in Syosset, N.Y.

EchoMetrix CEO Jeff Greene said parents who don't want to share their child's information can opt out. But that option can be found only by visiting the company's Web site.

According to the agreement, the software passes along data to "trusted partners." Confidentiality agreements prohibit those clients from sharing the information with others.

In recognition of federal privacy laws that restrict the collection of data on kids under 13, the agreement states that the company has "a parent's permission to share the information if the user is a child under age 13."

Tech site Cnet ranks the EchoMetrix software as one of the three best for parental control.

The Sentry and FamilySafe brands include parental-control software such as Sentry Total Family Protection, Sentry Basic, Sentry Lite and FamilySafe.

The Lite version is free. Others range from $20 to download and $10 a year for monitoring, to about $48 a year, divided into monthly payments.

The same company also offers software under the brands of partner entities, such as AmberWatch Lookout. AmberWatch Foundation, which licenses its brand to EchoMetrix, declined to comment.

Practically speaking, few people ever read the fine print before they click on a button to agree to the licensing agreement. "Unless it's up front in neon letters, parents don't know," Aftab said.

EchoMetrix needs the business for both its software and its data. The company has been losing money, and its liabilities exceed its assets by nearly $25 million as of June 30, according to a regulatory filing. The filing said there is "substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue as a going concern."

To get the marketing data, companies put in keywords, such as the name of a new product, and specify a date range. They get a "word cloud" display of the most commonly used words, as well as snippets of actual chats. The EchoMetrix system can slice data by age groups, region and even the instant-messaging program used.

Suresh Vittal, principal analyst at Forrester Research, said EchoMetrix might have to make its disclosures more apparent to parents.

"Are we in the safeguarding-the-children business or are we in the business of selling data to other people?" he said. If it's the latter, "it should all be done transparently and with the knowledge of the customer."

source>>>

It's hard to say what came first -- Bob King's idea that kids as young as 8 could benefit from working with child-size weights, or his need to keep his own three boys busy while he helped train professional athletes across Dallas.

``We were his guinea pigs,'' says his oldest, Aaron, remembering how he and his twin brothers would use his father's hand-engineered adaptations to work out beside the pros. ``It was fun.''

Aaron King, now 24, liked it so much that he now runs the kids' fitness program under his father's supervision at T Bar M Racquet Club in Far North Dallas. Instead of the equipment his father improvised, Aaron guides pre-adolescents on weight equipment that his father had custom-made to accommodate the smaller limbs of younger kids.

As more kids get into competitive sports, parents wonder how they can nurture their children's goals while protecting them from the injuries that can come from putting so much stress on young muscles, bones and joints.

Bob King, whose career has included coaching in the training rooms of the Dallas Cowboys, Mavericks and Burn, believes that weights accompanied by resistance, flexibility and aerobic training can help children reduce the risk of injury.

``Repetitive motions cause injury,'' he says. ``We try to cut down injuries by helping the muscles handle the stress of the sport. It's fighting fire with fire.''

Using my son, Josh, 12, as my own guinea pig, I asked him to try it out. And while results would take at least a month's investment in the program, which limits kids to 20-30 minutes three days a week, there's no question he had fun moving from machine to machine.

Afterward, my 18-year-old, Sam, who became a weight-room enthusiast starting at the more usual age of 16, questioned whether Josh was old enough.

So I asked Dr. Shane Miller, pediatric sports medicine specialist at the Sports Medicine Center, what he thought.

``With proper education and supervision, children may safely participate in a strength program as young as 8,'' he notes, adding that he also believes kids need to use size-appropriate rather than adult equipment, and have adult instruction and direct supervision.

Both Bob King and Miller stress that kids should perform exercises with the goal of conditioning rather than lifting more weight.

And with a proper program, Miller says, strength training in children and adolescents has been shown to improve sports performance and increase strength by as much as 40 percent over a period of eight weeks.

Aaron King adds: ``What we're teaching is muscle coordination and the proper technique of how to work out.''

Certainly the kids I interviewed on the weights, including tennis player Christian Duarte, 14, of Dallas (who had started out on the kids' weights at 11 and graduated to the adult ones at 13) seemed to love it.

``Being able to do all the workouts was a big confidence builder,'' says Christian. source>>>

As kids flood back to school, you may be tempted to sit them down and give them a good talking to about H1N1.

Resist. Haranguing your kids to obsessively wash their hands or to shun schoolmates with a slight cough will only freak them out -- and will likely not help them avoid swine flu.

Here's how health professionals say you should talk to your kids about H1N1:

- If your children don't raise the issue, it's up to you to do it. One way to approach the topic is to ask what they've heard about it, so you know what's going through their minds.

"They may or may not raise it, but they're probably thinking about it," says Dr. David Butler-Jones, Canada's chief public health officer.

- Answer all questions and correct all misconceptions as clearly as possible. That means getting up to speed on H1N1 yourself. Be concrete in your answers and do not avoid hard questions. If you don't know the answer, it's OK to say, "I don't know, but I'll find out." Then do it.

- Calm down. "Kids pick up on our anxieties," says Butler-Jones. "If it sounds like we know what we're doing, then they're reassured." This will be easier if you're confident in the facts.

- Avoid calling it "swine flu." "That can sound scary for kids, who often make visual associations," says Dr. Virginia Bourget, a psychologist at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. "A scary pig -- that's even worse than bird flu!" Try to stick to H1N1, or if that's a bit too scientific, try influenza. Even plain old "flu" will do.

- Although you should answer their questions about the flu, you must make it clear that it's not their job to worry about how to manage it -- at home or at school.

"Children will often think they're responsible for things they aren't responsible for," says Bourget. "That makes them insecure."

- It's inevitable that children will hear all kinds of things about H1N1 -- accurate and inaccurate -- but limit their exposure to media reports and adult conversations about the flu. They aren't appropriate for most school-age children and can raise their anxiety levels, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

- Don't brush off your kids' fears about the seriousness of H1N1, but do try to bring some perspective. If your son asks if people can die from this flu, don't lie. But do impress upon him that deaths in Canada have been rare, and most of those who died were already sick with something else.

"Children have a poor grasp of things like probability and numbers," says Bourget. "Even very bright kids, if you ask them how many people live in Ottawa, they might say a thousand."

- Reminding children about good hygiene habits is never a bad idea, but badgering children to wash or disinfect their hands probably won't lead to them doing it more often. Scaring them will not change their behaviour.

Instead, reinforce those habits by practising good hygiene yourself at home. At school, teachers will also lead by example, directing the entire class to wash their hands before lunch.

- If a classmate or friend gets sick -- which is likely -- make sure you explain to your children that it doesn't necessarily mean they too will get sick. If they do, stress that you will take care of them the way you always do.

- Children always need to feel safe and loved, and if they are worried about a situation like a flu pandemic, that need will increase. Make sure you let your kids know it's OK to feel angry or afraid. source>>>

Every year over the Labor Day holiday, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) holds an annual telethon. Although, many people dispute the effectiveness of the organization, MDA is responsible for doing an incredible amount of good for people severely disabled with a terminal illness known as Muscular Dystrophy.

Unfortunately, in recent years, many articles have surfaced questioning the cash flow of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The organization operates at a very high overhead and many people question just how much of the money goes to helping individuals with these life-changing diseases.

In fact, Muscular Dystrophy has over 40 different subtypes, each of which manifest in their own unique ways, and unfortunately many of which are fatal. As technology improves, more people with Muscular Dystrophy are living longer and healthier than ever before.

Technology has not yet brought us a cure; scientists say they are close every year but the years keep on ticking. I remember when I was only 14 the first news of mice being cured began to surface... this month I turn 29.

Living with muscular dystrophy is not an easy hand to have been dealt. Those years continually marched on in an unforgiving and cold kind of way. Yet, I sit here today, as living proof that just because you have a disease does not mean that it has you.

MDA sponsors many wonderful activities such as camps for the disabled but those things cost money. Does the majority of the money go to research for a cure?

I'm not sure.

I can tell you that many of our members have benefited from the MDA. They may not be the best organization in the world; they even turned me away after reaching the age of 18 because they could no longer provide me with services that would be useful.

Having said that, everyone with muscular dystrophy is touched by MDA one way or another, and I can honestly tell you that they could be the most corrupt organization in the world and it does not matter. The MDA has brought awareness of the disease and its impact on millions of people across the world.

Speaking as someone who is fighting to propel this nonprofit organization, just the fact that they make muscular dystrophy and headline for one day a year, is well worth what they do.

Please consider donating to the MDA not because I told you to, but because you care. You can donate anonymously, in your name, or even in ours. source>>>