JediMom Blog

From my favorite Michael Jackson video, Thriller

Michael Jackson died yesterday. It’s no surprise that news of Michael Jackson’s cardiac arrest and subsequent death raced worldwide across every form of media.

The controversies … the showmanship … the moonwalk … the iconic glove. Clearly Michael Jackson’s music and presence was larger than life. His death has taken the world’s breath away for a moment. Indeed, the collective chatter about Michael Jackson on the Internet brought many social sites to a standstill.

Today in the midst of allegation of Demerol abuse it is perhaps too soon to put this artist’s legacy into perspective. My hope is that his death is not followed by a circus of legal battles and fresh controversies.  I prefer to remember the King of Pop in his prime in the Thriller years. I’m grateful that there is such a rich library of video to remind us of his talent, our youth and to share with our children.

For myself, the death of someone at age 50 is a shock. A reminder of our mortality. While the 80s seem like yesterday, clearly the children of the 80s are now middle age. My hope is that it will send a message to my generation to take care and take pause to evaluate lifestyles, choices and priorities.

RIP Michael Jackson.

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Friend Finder quizzes teens about social networking friend invites and cyberbullying

My tween daughter is gradually becoming more immersed in online technology and social networking. But before I’ll be comfortable letting her on Facebook or MySpace, I want to know that she’s got cybersmarts. Today, I came across OnGuardOnline.gov and was surprised and pleased at this effort to promote Internet safety. With the tagline of “Stop * Think * Click ™” the site offers a rich array of games, video, info and tools. They cover a wide range of cyber safety topics for both parents and their children such as: combating identify theft, phishing, spam, peer to peer networks, laptop theft, cyberbullying and more.

On of my favorite things about the site is that they have completely embraced sharing. They have made it super easy to share, bookmark, email and even offer embed code for the games. Unfortunately, the game autostarts with music (a serious pet peeve of mine), so just click for their game menu. One to check out for tweens and teens is the Friend Finder. This game quizzes teams about friend invites and actions on social networking sites. I scored high on Mission: Laptop Security which should make my IT admin happy.

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In her post, Online Privacy: Photos Out of Control, Anne Collier provides a great summary of recent incidents where family photos online have been misused – some for commercial use and some to feed unhealthy appetites. These incidents should be a call to action for the online mom community. I strongly believe that a group that is as heavily invested in both social media as well as protecting our families can unite to develop ways to combat this threat.

Privacy Settings in Facebook

Moms are both fiercely protective and proud of their children. Therein lies a conflict. As much as we want to share our children’s triumphs and talents, we fear for their safety. In the online world, this threat has global implications. This week, I watched fellow St. Louis blogger, Danielle Smith of Extraordinary Mommy on the local news explaining how she learned that her family photo was on a commercial billboard in the Czech Republic. Kudos to Danielle for giving us all a wake-up call. In her post, Danielle wonders, is this the “price we pay for indulging in social media”?

I’m not sure that I agree that using social media is an indulgence. In today’s world, I feel it’s absolutely essential for moms to use these tools to connect, locate information, support each other, maintain long-distance relationships, and of course to understand the technology so they can both protect and teach their children. To me, not using social media would be like not using a cell phone. I just can’t imagine it.

Apparently, I’m not alone. Nielsen Online estimates that there are 32 million U.S. moms online. This is a force to be reckoned with. I’ve been so impressed with the entrepreneurial spirit of moms. I know that this group of digitally savvy moms can work together to develop and promote new tools and processes,  persuade social media companies to add needed features and teach ourselves and our children how to communicate safely.

Privacy tips are available on most social networking sites and established communities. Here’s a sample:

• Facebook
• MySpace
• CafeMom
• Flickr

Which features do you make the most use of? Do you find built-in privacy features easy to use? What steps do you take personally on your blog or social media profiles to protect sensitive photos and personal information?

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It seems much more difficult to enjoy the simple pleasures of summer as an adult. At my house, the calendar is full and the outgoing cash is earmarked for summer camps, family vacation, little league and more.

Wal-Mart seems to have picked up on my feelings with their latest commercials that tout that Wal-Mart is the place to get all your summer needs for less. But my children thankfully have no problem diving into unplanned and even inexpensive summer fun.

Sidewalk chalk art from my 12-year-old daughter

Today’s pleasure was a box of sidewalk chalk and the water hose. The sidewalk chalk kept my kids and a few of the neighbor’s busy for hours and produced some awesome artistic creations. The hose … well that seems to have mostly flooded the backyard … but I believe the forecast calls for sun.

So bring on the games of summer, the homemade slip n slide, backyard camping, flip flops, BBQ, Popcicles and a lot of sunscreen. I’m ready!

What types of simple summer fun do you enjoy with your kids?

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Saturday’s AMC Best Picture Showcase was quite a treat. From 10:30 am until nearly midnight, I shared an experience with a couple of hundred die-hard movie fans watching five of the Best Picture nominated films. Thanks to AMC, I had the perfect excuse to eat popcorn for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now that the carb and sugar buzz has faded and my butt has regained feeling, I know that I’d gladly do it again next year.

After an experience like that, there’s no way I could not catch the Oscar buzz this year. Tonight, I preprinted my Oscar ballot and even have the kids’ votes for best animated flick.

You’d think that after watching all five best picture films back to back, I’d have a clear favorite. Nope. Each film was impressive in its own way. These films certainly featured the most powerful acting performances I’ve seen all year … Sean Penn as Harvey Milk, Brad Pitt as Benjamin Button, Kate Winslet as Hannah, Dev Patel as Jamal and Frank Langella as Nixon.  All five movies were able to bring a period of history to life and weave it in and out of the story like a supporting actor.

So, I’m ready for Oscar night … but I think I’ll be skipping the popcorn tonight.

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