November 13, 2009
Tennis Blogging: Andre Agassi (and Everyone Else) Has a New Book Out
… in which he discusses his hatred of the sport, among other things. I don’t generally dig these types of confessional memoirs, especially about famous sports stars, but this one sounds a bit juicy. He talked with Terri Gross of WHYY’s “Fresh Air,” yesterday (below or here).
November 11, 2009
Ways You Can Support — and Learn About — Veterans
The Huffington Post has a nice article with five facts about veterans, each with specific ways you can support organizations that help them overcome post-traumatic stress, find housing, and get care packages, among other needs.
The article highlights the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project, which features individual stories from veterans and other interesting items, such as a podcast from an event that discussed women in combat.
The Veterans Administration, assisted by Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth (who lost her legs after a rocket hit the Black Hawk she was co-piloting), has much more.
(Photo and caption from VA’s website: President Obama participated in the wreath laying as part of the Veterans Day National Ceremony on November 11th at Arlington National Cemetery. Other ceremonies are being held at many regional sites and national cemeteries.)
Common Sense Blogging: Baby Blindstein
Here’s an oldie (well, late October) but goodie, from the New York Times: Baby Einstein videos “did not make children into geniuses.”
Walt Disney Company Refund=$15.99 and up.
Common Sense of Parents Who Think Letting their Children Watch “Educational” Videos Leads to Intelligence (vs. the Exact Opposite)=Zippo.
November 10, 2009
Radio Rookies: Spotlighting a Winner
These 2008 WNYC Radio Rookie stories — on “Growing Up in the System” — are new again, having won the 2009 Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism and the inaugural America’s Promise Journalism Award for Awareness (hat tip: Journalism Center on Children & Families).
Below, Shirley “Star” Diaz, whose mother was murdered, talks about being on the brink of aging out of the foster care system.
November 9, 2009
Lock ‘Em Up and Throw Away the Key?
As the Supreme Court hears cases this morning regarding two Florida individuals locked up for life for non-homicide crimes committed as juveniles, the New York Times’ online “Room for Debate” hosts a topical discussion with the following two experts:
- Marc Mauer of The Sentencing Project
- Kent Scheidegger of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation.
Tomorrow, Youth Today: The Newspaper on Youth Work, convenes a unique and timely event featuring six of the seven living past administrators of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), who will discuss their tenures carrying out the federal law designed to protect justice-involved youth. Read more on the forum at the event website.