Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on TwitterBe a Facebook FanTumble us!

21 Oct 2011 00:14

tags

Culture: Bad ideas: Five things parents probably shouldn’t do with their kids

  • We figure some of our readers have to have kids at this point, right? Have a young child that you’re looking to take care of? Making some stupid mistakes along the way, without realizing it? CNN’s got you covered — they threw together this list of ways to ensure your children are safe — a bunch of stuff that most parents normally tend to do without thinking about it. Do you catch yourself doing any of this?
  • one Moving their kid to a bigger car seat too soon. Not so fast, pediatricians say. Fish gotta swim, kids gotta grow.
  • two Letting their baby sleep in a swing. Though the motion lulls them asleep, they may not get enough oxygen in that position.
  • three Making them watch educational videos. Babies under two years old can’t even understand them at all yet.
  • four Putting the babies on their stomachs when sleeping — a SIDS rick. Just give them “tummy time” during the day instead.
  • five Microwaving their babies’ bottles. The bottles may be made with BPA — or could get too hot to handle. Yikes. source

05 Oct 2009 12:00

tags

About: Feedback wanted: A special query from site founder Ernie Smith

What do you guys want? I (not we, I) love doing this site. But I want to encourage its long-term future. I have a lot of things in the can for the site. But I want to get some thoughts from my readers on how to proceed. Here's a few things on my mind:
  • Building focus Over the last 10 months, the site’s content has been defined by its everything-gets-in atmosphere. It largely focuses on a soft approach to hard news, but the subject matter is very broad otherwise. I’m debating whether it might make sense to have a tighter focus – less sports and music, more hard news and tech. What do you think?
  • Adding new voicesAs some of you might know through my usage of bad puns, dirty jokes and left-field explanations, (I think) I’m a funny guy. But I feel like more variety – and more writers – could strengthen the site. (And yes, I’m asking for resumes.) How would you handle writing news in short bites? Think you could do it on a regular schedule? Think about it.
  • Time vs. qualityIt’s probably obvious, but I spend much of my day trying to make this site happen. It’s lots of work. It’s fun work and I love it. But, I already have a full-time job. And this takes up too much of my life right now. Is it a matter of working smarter vs. working harder? I want to find the right balance. Do you guys have any ideas? Leave a comment.