Parenting Paranoia on Halloween

The author quoted below makes a case that Halloween is the safest day of the year. She backs it up with research tested logic. Never the less, I remain paranoid. How about you? Do you send your children out unattended on Halloween? Do you check your child's candy before they eat it. I confess I did and I still would. Share your thoughts on this by clicking the comment link below or posting us a comment on our ParentingToolbox Facebook Group page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=153708258000364

Amplify’d from www.wallstreetjournal.com

Halloween is the day when America market-tests parental paranoia. If a new fear flies on Halloween, it's probably going to catch on the rest of the year, too.

Take "stranger danger," the classic Halloween horror. Even when I was a kid, back in the "Bewitched" and "Brady Bunch" costume era, parents were already worried about neighbors poisoning candy. Sure, the folks down the street might smile and wave the rest of the year, but apparently they were just biding their time before stuffing us silly with strychnine-laced Smarties.

That was a wacky idea, but we bought it. We still buy it, even though Joel Best, a sociologist at the University of Delaware, has researched the topic and spends every October telling the press that there has never been a single case of any child being killed by a stranger's Halloween candy. (Oh, yes, he concedes, there was once a Texas boy poisoned by a Pixie Stix. But his dad did it for the insurance money. He was executed.)

Then along came new fears. Parents are warned annually not to let their children wear costumes that are too tight—those could seriously restrict breathing! But not too loose either—kids could trip! Fall! Die!

And now comes the latest Halloween terror: Across the country, cities and states are passing waves of laws preventing registered sex offenders from leaving their homes—or sometimes even turning on their lights—on Halloween.

We can kill off Halloween, or we can accept that it isn't dangerous and give it back to the kids. Then maybe we can start giving them back the rest of their childhoods, too. Read more at www.wallstreetjournal.com

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• Poisoned Halloween Candy: Trick, Treat or Myth? (livescience.com)
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  Search Amazon.com for halloween decor

How much influence do you have?

Maybe a better question would be how do you get it but as you will read below, that is not an easy answer. Of course, measuring it isn't easy either. What we do know is that influence is essential for any type of leadership or business success. What about relationships, like the intimate kind?

Amplify’d from www.brasstackthinking.com

Influence is simple… which makes it complicated.

When we talk about influence, and particularly when we talk about measuring it, we have to define our terms…and know the limits.

Influence is contextual.

Someone writes a post. Someone else retweets it. Another person sees the retweet, reads the post, and writes a comment. Still another person finds the post on his own and then follows the commenter’s advice, to the benefit of hundreds of others.

Influence is the product of reach and authority.

To influence the actions of others, you have to have access to them—and they have to perceive you to have some level of authority, either over them or in an area of expertise they value

(Most) Influence is invisible. Read more at www.brasstackthinking.com

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What are the real reasons someone is successful?

I admit I haven't read Malcom Gladwell's book Outliers (I will order it now) but he outlines the effects behind success. You might be surprised what are some of the scientific reasons some people are more successful than others! Jimmy Kimmel is fun to listen to also :)

Amplify’d from www.youtube.com

Malcolm Gladwell "Outliers" on Jimmy Kimmel Live 1-13-09 Read more at www.youtube.com

   

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25 Cent Solution to Greater Creativity

How much does a plain light bulb cost? While the price might vary, it isn't much. Twenty-five cents or thereabouts. Some interesting research suggests that this is a cheap but effective way to increase creativity. Apparently, the mere presence of the iconic creativity symbol is all that is needed...

Amplify’d from www.neurosciencemarketing.com

As long as I can remember, the image of a light bulb has been a symbol of creative thought. Park a cartoon lightbulb over a cartoon scientist, and just about everyone will know the scientist just had a great insight. In a rather remarkable example of life imitating art, research at Tufts University has found that working next to a lightbulb actually increases creativity.

Priming the subjects with this iconic image actually boosted their problem solving skills

nearly 40%Read more at www.neurosciencemarketing.com

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• The Mind Research Network and Charting Creativity (nytimes.com)

Where and when (and with whom) do you do GREAT work?

I try to read a little bit each week about some new ideas in my field of expertise. I also couldn't live with out my podcasts in a number of different areas to stimulate thinking. How about you?

clipped from www.entrepreneur.com Whatever you're making, whatever services you offer, whatever you're selling, everything you do falls into one of three categories: Bad Work is the work that wastes time, slows things down and sucks the spirit dry. It's bureaucracy, complexity and paperwork. Good Work is what most of us do most of the time. It's comfortable, familiar and the heart of our business. As entrepreneurs, good work is our economic engine. It's that reliable product or service we produce for our customers, all with a profit margin that works. Great Work is the flame that burns inside most entrepreneurs, the work that lights us up and excites us. It's the work we care most about, that stretches and challenges us. It's work that has meaning for us and creates impact. So how do you manage the busywork so you can do less good work and more great work? Here are two simple and powerful tips: Begin with the Great set aside for great work Find Great Work Allies find people who are extraordinary

Use Twitter in a National Emergency...

You might be able to use this line of reasoning to your spouse to let you buy the new Droid or 3G iPhone, but better yet to learn a few high tech, social media tricks to help you during a time of crisis. Any other tips? Tweet us @thirstyfishinfo or leave a comment!

clipped from mashable.com Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes — lately, it seems like there’s a new natural disaster wreaking havoc on poor planet Earth every week. From our television sets to our Twitter () streams, it’s impossible to ignore the devastation these disasters leave behind. Create a Plan According to FEMA, the best way to avoid significant damage during a disaster is to prepare an emergency response plan in advance. The FEMA website is a great place to get that process started. You can easily order ID cards online at places like Life360, a site that offers multiple mobile and web-based emergency planning services, including ID cards for your kids your 3G-enabled phone will likely help you stay connected in case of an emergency. Even though phone lines may be down or jammed, the 3G network won’t necessarily be out as well. This is how Twitter status updates helped locate a missing person during the recent Chile earthquake bookmark your local emergency services site Google Docs back up your important papers

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