Youth Olympic Gold

                          Well done to all our athletes taking part in the Nanjing 2014 Olympics!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/28902889

1400 children abused in Rotherham-but who sexualised them in the first place?

There is clearly a question to be answered with regard to the race of the abusers. Some would say it's more a question of religion. These sex offenders were predominantly Muslims. Sikhs and Hindus have complained about being 'tarred with the same brush'. That said, we don't have to look too far back to remember those horrific rape cases, in India. Evidently, we need to reflect upon the way some men view women and children.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2734694/It-hard-appalling-nature-abuse-child-victims-suffered-1-400-children-sexually-exploited-just-one-town-16-year-period-report-reveals.html?ito=social-facebook

Race played a role....but it wasn't the only factor!

Police Officers were reported to have regarded the girls (mostly) as little more than prostitutes, whose own behaviour put them at risk and led them into harms way. But why should anyone be surprised that young people act this way, after decades of 'liberal' ideological brainwashing. Children are told that adolescence is a time of 'experimentation', of finding out 'who we are' and learning about 'what makes us feel good', take the pill 'your parents don't have to know.....you can even get it over the counter'. With such clear (I'd love to say mixed, but can't) signals, are any of us genuinely surprised.

There are no quick fixes to society's ills, but can I recommend this link for a few helpful tips, when chatting with our young people....even mentioning that taboo subject-Chastity.

                                                             http://chastity.com/

Know your enemy.

Russia and Ukraine:

Stop fighting your brothers and help in the war against the real enemy!

Россия и Украина:

Прекратить боевые действия своих братьев и помощь в войне против настоящего врага!

Росія і Україна:

Припинити бойові дії своїх братів і допомогу у війні проти справжнього ворога!

What did you really give them, for Christmas?

Picture courtesy of Erna Reihana

Well, according to the associated press, if you've given them yet more electronic items, you may have just given them a healthy dose of behavioural problems and delayed social development. 

One topic our family was discussing this Christmas was just how computer savey kids are now. The discussion started with an acknowledgement that kids text rather than talk, possibly because they can do it that much quicker. But that's not all that they can do, according to the article (see link below) the average three year old can now master a tablet.

Parents try and convince themselves that their kids are gaining through such things as so called 'educational apps', but the reality is often less comforting-imagine-if a three year old can handle a tablet that means they can stream uncensored video, be in contact with who knows who on Facebook and such alike. Even something as simple as 'keeping them quiet in the back of the car' is eroding our kids ability to be patient. Psychologists tell us that one of the known characteristics of Sociopathic individuals is their poor 'impulse control' i. e. their inability to put off what they want now, until later.....in other words, to have patience.


Thanks to Michael Sestak for sharing this:


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_KIDS_AND_TABLETS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-12-24-10-22-32

Recognise this?

Thanks to MIUI ROM

The day Russian diplomacy came of age.

Picture courtesy of BBC news

Anyone who has taken on the playground bully knows how hard it is to confront aggression without physical intervention; yet how much trickier is it when we cannot really discern who the real aggressor is? What if both are equally to blame?

We used to happily bandy about the phrase 'they need their heads banging together' but who would seriously say the 'get tough' stance would actually work in Syria today.

After the ripples of Milband's surprise tsunami were felt across the great pond, nearly drowning Obama in a wave of over democracy;  in a further shock development, Russia has become the voice of reason.

Who'd have thought, even a week ago, that anything other than a US/France military intervention was likely. Yet here we are today, with President Putin offering all a face saving way back from the precipice. A seemingly weak United Nations, unable to come up with the answers that anyone wants to hear can once again take centre stage, over-seeing Russia's proposed disarmament of the Syrian chemical arsenal.

Obama can hang back and assist in such action; Cameron can stop hand-wringing and also offer specialist expertise to any inspection; Hollande can get back to concentrating on the myriad of other reasons for which he is the most unpopular leader in French living memory.

So well done to the Russians! World Peace isn't going to suddenly break out but its a start.

And what has this to do with Kids today? Well I, for one, will remember, next time I have to intervene in a schoolyard bustup, and I can't see the wood for the trees; perhaps I'll just remember to listen to the small voice of reason that may come from an unexpected source......and I may not have to follow the inevitable path of escalation , too.

Uk Schools encouraged to change holidays!

photo courtesy of BBC news

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-23756809

This isn't a helpful move to enable parents to avoid peak prices for holidays abroad.

This isn't to help pupils and teachers get more regular breaks.

It isn't to prevent kids from getting bored or parents running out of ideas.

It's not to give schools more flexibility to plan the curriculum.

SO WHY THEN?

It's a cynical plot permitting successive governments to pressurise schools into cutting down on holidays.

AND WHY'S THAT THEN?

Simples! 

School is a relatively cheap form of child-care; look at what they've done to the school day (in the state sector in the UK)-they've extended it so parents (mostly mothers) can work longer.

They are working under the misguided assumption that this will increase economic productivity. It won't! All it will mean is children spending even less time being loved, cared for, socialised, raised by their own parents.

It will lead to more disaffection, exclusion and social isolation and ultimately more crime.