Bob CollinsIt’s almost Rouser material:
1) Shouting is the new spanking? So says a parenting “expert” (the first thing any parent learns is there’s no such thing as a parenting “expert”) in the New York Times:
Many in today’s pregnancy-flaunting, soccer-cheering, organic-snack-proffering generation of parents would never spank their children. We congratulate our toddlers for blowing their nose (“Good job!”), we friend our teenagers (literally and virtually), we spend hours teaching our elementary-school offspring how to understand their feelings. But, incongruously and with regularity, this is a generation that yells.
“I’ve worked with thousands of parents and I can tell you, without question, that screaming is the new spanking,” said Amy McCready, the founder of Positive Parenting Solutions, which teaches parenting skills in classes, individual coaching sessions and an online course.
If you need more reinforcement about what a terrible parent you were, or just need something to read on the way to prison to visit junior, this is just the ticket.
What can today’s parents use if not a higher-volume voice? There’s always the family car.
2) In two of the largest cities in Massachusetts, teachers are making house calls (linked fixed). Officials report more parental involvement in the schools as a result. In Sacramento, test scores went up and school vandalism went down when the teachers started visiting their students’ families.
3) Are CEOs worth their pay? The Economist is holding a live online debate on the question, proving, too, that if you require people to use their real names, you can have intelligent online discussions.
4) In a state that is pulling back from health care and social services, how about this coming wave of woe: Dementia? The West Central Tribune today profiles the West Central Dementia Awareness Network. “It’s everywhere,” says Sheri Nordmeyer, program director of the Willmar Community Senior Network. The number of people with dementia is expected to rise from 5.3 million Americans to 7.7 million by 2030.
There’s also a growing emphasis on dealing with some of the difficult behaviors, such as aggression, that can accompany dementia. When families and service providers are unprepared for the behavioral issues or don’t have the resources to address them, “it’s really crisis management at that point,” (Mary) Bauer (of the Alzheimer’s Association) said.
By 2030, what resources from public agencies will those be? Take Goodhue County (Red Wing), for example, which is trying to sell its home healthcare agency. “Commissioners earlier this year told staff to begin privatizing the homecare program, which provides skilled nursing, home health aides, and physical and occupational therapy to about 150 Goodhue County residents,” the Red Wing Republican Eagle reports today.
5)Timewasters: Would you buy a mansion mobile home from this man?
It’s part of a promotion — ILoveLocalCommercials.com — in which a production team makes free commercials for small businesses. (h/t: Drew Geraets)
Bonus: Motorized La-Z-Boy crash leads to DWI charges in Proctor.
TODAY’S QUESTION
In an effort to become more self-reliant, some urban dwellers have taken to raising chickens for their eggs. But calls to Animal Control suggest that not all of them understand the responsibilities of the chicken farmer. Do chickens belong in the city?
WHAT WE’RE DOING
It’s pledge drive. Perhaps you’ve heard.
Midmorning (9-11 a.m.) – First hour: Rebroadcast of the recent interview with Bishop John Shelby Spong, author of “Eternal Life: A New Vision.”
Second hour: Rebroadcast of interview with author Karen Armstrong, who says those who worship God too frequently forget to practice compassion.
Midday (11 a.m. – 1 p.m.) – University of Minnesota climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley answers your questions about the weather.
Talk of the Nation (1 – 3 p.m.) – First hour: The booming business of self-help. The show is spawned by the sweat lodge disaster in Arizona, in which a Prior Lake woman was among those who died. Today’s New York Times has a compelling report on how it happened.
Second hour: Have we forgotten how to forget?
All Things Considered (3-6:30 p.m.) – NPR’s Tom Gjelten asks if al Qaeda has been severely weakened, as officials claim, what are the odds it’ll be able to re-establish a foothold in Afghanistan, as officials also claim?
All Things Considered will also have the story of an Ohio utility, which mailed energy-efficient light bulbs to customers, then charged them three times what they cost. Why? Because by using less electricity, the utility figured it’d make less money and wanted to recoup the loss.
