Thursday, November 26, 2009

Ten Reasons To Be Thankful For Your Kids On Thanksgiving (via Dad-o-Matic)

(Originally posted at www.dadomatic.com)

If you are a parent, you should have no trouble looking for things to be thankful for this holiday season. You need look no further than your children. While parenthood is full of stress, challenges and worries, it is also rich with rewards. Yet, with all the hustle and bustle of a home full of kids, it is easy to take for granted some of the true blessings of being a parent. Thus, with today being Thanksgiving, as a reminder to myself, here are…

Ten Reasons To Be Thankful For Your Kids:

10) They Are Constant Companions – A home with kids is never quiet, never lonely. Whether you need to run to the store, or give the dogs a bath, or just have someone to sit next to on the couch, with a child around, you always have someone to come along for the ride.

9) They Are Always An Audience – Your children are an ever present audience whenever you feel the urge to perform. Whether it is telling a joke or story, dancing like a doofus, or singing off-key, your kids are almost always guaranteed to laugh (with or at you) and applaud. All the word’s a stage, and there’s always a kid (preferably yours) in the audience.

8 ) They Are Entertainment – If you are a parent and you are ever bored, it is your fault. Kids can provide a constant stream of entertainment. From the faces they make to the things they say and do, an observant parent is an entertained parent.

7) They Are A Magic Mirror – Children are a magical mirror. The longer you look, the older they get, the more of yourself you can see in them. Look carefully and you will learn more about yourself than any other mirror can reveal.

6) They Are Great Students – A child is always a student at your side, eager to learn from you more than all others. Share your knowledge and experience, great and small. Be the Master, and let your child be the ever willing Grasshopper.

5) They Are Great Teachers – Role reversal is an integral part of parenting. As much as we can teach our kids, there is so much more we can learn from them if we pay attention.

4) They Are Our Conscience – A child of any age is like that little angel conscience sitting on your shoulder whispering in your ear. Even the knowing gaze of an infant will remind you to think about your choices, and more importantly, the consequences. Older kids will simply blurt out the words you are already thinking, such as “Dad, if you eat another donut your pants won’t fit!”

3) They Are Our “Raison D’etre” – As a parent, there is no need to search for meaning in life or that elusive “reason for being.” Your mission here is clear. It is all about your kids. Recognizing that can be a constant source of pride, joy and accomplishment.

2) They Are Our Legacy – It is not only vampires who seek immortality. It is every person’s dream to leave their mark on the world, and every parent does, through their children.

1) They Are Love – There is no better, no stronger, no more amazing love than the love of a parent for their child. Except perhaps, the love of a child for their parent. Both are worth everything.

For all of the above, and so much more, this Thanksgiving I am thankful for my three kids, Zach, Ethan and Olivia. I am also thankful for much more in my life, and many others important and close to me, but as this was written for Dad-o-matic, this post is dedicated to my kids.

How about you? Have I left out any reasons you are thankful for your kids? Please add to the list in the comments, and HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!

Jeff Sass is the proud dad of ZEO (Zach, 21, Ethan, 19 and Olivia, 18). He is also a seasoned entertainment and technology exec and active social media enthusiast. You can see more of Jeff’s writing at Sassholes! and Social Networking Rehab.

Posted via email from Kiss My SASS!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Kiss My 'Stache!

In early November, here and on Dad-O-Matic, I introduced you to my hairy situation, having decided to grow a moustache this month in support of Movember and the goal of raising awareness and funds for prostate and testicular cancer research.  While overall the Movember movement is doing an awesome job raising funds around he world, the support from my community has been a hair less than what I was hoping for. With eight days left in the month I am happy to be able to step things up with a few incentives.  The details are in the short video below.

If you’d like to have a chance to get some Movember schwag, please visit www.dadomoustache.com and support the Dad-O-Moustache team!  Thanks in advance.

Posted via email from Kiss My SASS!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Is That A Phone In Your Pocket, Or Are You Just Enjoying 140conf?

The state of NOW, not later, was the focus of Jeff Pulver's inspiring Los Angeles edition of his 140conf. While the inaugural 140conf in New York this summer was very clearly inspired by Twitter and the character limit of a tweet, in Hollywood the spirit of the conference was more clearly about the character of the 140 characters who took the stage over the two days. The famed Kodak Theatre was the home to 140 speakers that ranged from comedians to cancer patients, from homeless to household names, from business leaders to folks trying to give us the business. Those in attendance laughed, cried, and more importantly, connected, and brought their online lives into a real time environment. It was a thought provoking, invigorating, inspiring event, as evidenced by the continued conversation on Twitter.

My own small contribution to the event was called "Is That A Phone In Your Pocket, Or Are You Just Enjoying The Show?" in which I tried to highlight both the benefits, and some of the downsides to our always on, always connected lives, thanks to our ever-present mobile devices. In a nutshell, while it is truly amazing to have instant access to our Facebook friends, our Twitter stream and virtually all of the information on the Internet in the palms of our hands, we too often "tune out" to tune in to our phones. In the end, we should make sure our constant access to "real time" information doesn't ruin our "real time" engaging with the people around us. What do you think?

Here is my short presentation, and thanks again to Jeff for welcoming me as a character at 140conf LA.

Posted via email from Kiss My SASS!

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Saturday, November 07, 2009

How TwitPic and "The Cloud" Improves Your Memory!

Have you done this yet? Have you used your digital droppings in "the cloud" to supplement your brain power when it comes to your own memory?

Yesterday I was having a conversation with a co-worker about our plans for SXSW.  We were talking about hotels and I was trying to remember the name of a particular hotel I had gone to a few parties at and really liked.  My brain was useless.  I could not remember the name of the hotel.  I did, however, remember that throughout SXSW last March I was posting pictures from my phone to TwitPic and Pikchur, and I specifically remembered taking a picture of this hotel and it's classic facade.

THANKS, TWITPIC, FOR THE MEMORIES...

So, I opened my browser, went to TwitPic, scrolled down to my pictures from SXSW and sure enough, there was the picture I took of the beautiful DRISKILL Hotel, labeled accordingly.  Brain Fart remedied.  Memory repaired.  Mission accomplished.  Sometimes we forget how much "stuff" we put out there.  Our digital trail may have more value and function than we are thinking about when we are busy posting and tweeting and sharing. 

Some folks are taking this phenomena quite seriously and I was fascinated to read about the Microsoft SenseCam project, which has been testing the use of "lifestreaming" as a means of improving memory for amnesic and Alzheimer's patients. From my own experience trying to remember the name of the Driskill Hotel, it seems there could be some real opportunity and value to the research going on here.

What do you think?  Can our digital history help our memory, or is my head just in the cloud(s)?


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Posted via email from Kiss My SASS!

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Hair Today...Cancer Gone Tomorrow? Make Movember Matter!

Yes, that grubby mug is mine.  I am in day four of a month-long ban on shaving my upper lip.  To celebrate the month of "Movember" I am joining a worldwide movement to raise awareness and money to support The Prostate Cancer Foundation and The Lance Armstrong Foundation.  Since 2003 The Movember Foundation has organized a global movement of men growing "Mo's" (Aussie slang for "Moustache") in the month of November as a way to "change the face of Men's Health.  To date, Movember has raised $47 million globally, making it the world's largest charity event for men.

HELP ME GIVE SOME LIP SERVICE TO A GOOD CAUSE

One in six men will experience prostate cancer in their lifetime so this is a serious men's health issue,  Movember is an easy way to support a good cause.  I don't have to walk or run, I just have to grow a moustache, and encourage YOU to support the cause as well.  I launched my participation in Movember with a clean shave on Dad-o-matic and I have set up a donation page where you can join my team and make a contribution.  I will also be posting more pictures of my grubby mug there along the way.

Please visit my donation page and contribute at any level you can. It really is for a good cause. Together we can change the face of men's health!  Thank you for anything you can do to help.

Posted via email from Kiss My SASS!