Richard David | Sexual Predator | Miami,Florida

Richard David

DOB:

10/11/1976

Reported Address:

777 NW 155TH LN APT 604
Miami,Florida

Additional Information:

Predator Flyer

Return of the Giant Jellyfish

By NG Kids
July 30, 2009

Japan may be invaded by giant jellyfish again this year. Nomura’s jellyfish can be bigger than humans (up to 440 pounds, or 200 kilograms), and they’re big trouble for people fishing on the coasts. Nomura’s jellyfish breed in the waters off of the coast of China. From there they move to the coasts of Japan. The jellies clog nets and ruin potential catches with their toxic stings. This damage can cost the coastal fishers billions of yen.

Researchers at Hiroshima University have been monitoring sites where Nomura’s jellyfish breed, and they’ve found large numbers of the jellies, meaning that a new invasion may not be far away.

Read more about the jellyfish invasion on National Geographic News. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/07/photogalleries/giant-jellyfish-invasion-japan-pictures/index.html

Learn more about Nomura’s jellyfish on National Geographic Kids

Get the scoop on jellyfish in this Creature Feature

 

Source: Kids National Geographic

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Conservationist J. Michael Fay

by Anne A McCormack
July 30, 2009

Mike Fay, conservationist and NG Explorer-in-Residence, has survived an elephant attack, contracted malaria, walked over 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) across central Africa in the Megatransect,  and completed an 11-month journey through the redwoods trekking another 1,800 miles (2,897 kilometers). Find out what he was like as like as a kid and what he does for fun.

 

NG Kids: What were you like as a kid?

Fay: I grew up in Pasadena, California in this neighborhood with lots of kids called Hastings Ranch, which was in the foothills, adjacent to the San Gabriel Mountains wilderness area. …That was our playground that vast wilderness behind the house, which was literally all the way to the Colorado River.

So I think that’s where I started wandering and I also had the good fortune of having an older brother, he was ten and I was like six, and he probably had friends that were 12 or 13. So we were just the rowdy kids out there doing our “Little Rascals” kind of thing.

We spent a lot of time back in those woods exploring and wandering around out there building forts and growing up. Pretty much my whole childhood that’s all I did.

I remember taking guitar lessons, when I was eight or something…and I went to the first lesson, which happened to be on a Saturday morning. And I am sitting there in this school building thinking to myself, ‘what am I doing sitting inside on Saturday.’ That was my first and last guitar lesson. And I was back in the woods.

When I was about 13, we moved back east to New Jersey of all places, so you think that it’s all done, but I already had this wanderlust. I started fly fishing a lot and started riding my bike west of where we lived and there was plenty of woods and wild spaces there. So I continued my wandering. But I also started to get into technical fly fishing, where you learn all the aquatic insects, I became much more of a naturalist rather than just a punk wandering around the woods.

I was always interested in all the species….We knew all the snakes, all the lizards, all the newts, the fish, but when I moved to New Jersey it became much more formalized. I started guiding fly fishing at a camp up in Maine, so I got to spend summers in Maine when I was 14 and 15, and that was kind of my first formal wilderness experience and making it a profession as a fishing guide.

 

NG Kids: Do you have a hero or did you when you were young?

Fay: When I was young, it was [Henry David] Thoreau. He wrote two books that I read–one called The Maine Woods and another was called Cape Cod. And both of those places I had spent summers in junior high and they were very well-written naturalist type of books rather than philosophical like Walden. I remember being in Cape Cod and my friend’s mother asked me what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, and I said I wanted to just camp out and be outside. And she was laughing at me and saying, ‘You’ll grow up someday!’ Here I am 53 and it hasn’t happened yet.

Later on and certainly today, in terms of leadership and knowing what’s important on the planet, [it’s] Teddy Roosevelt. If every U.S. president since Roosevelt was as conservation-minded as he was, this world would be a very different place. He hasn’t been followed by a single president who recognizes the importance of managing resources like he did.…He could see the wholesale destruction of the redwoods and wildlife on the western plains and all these things that shocked him. So he woke up to the fact that if we didn’t do something, the money changers of the world would pretty much liquidate every single natural resource we had very quickly.

 

NG Kids: What do you daydream about?

Fay: All I think about 24/7—well, I think about girls once in a while—I spend most of my time thinking about conservation and natural resource management. And I am kind of a nerd that way, because I don’t have any real hobbies beyond that. I am not into anything else except making the human race recognize and help to manage the natural resource base more efficiently than we do.

I am still working a lot in Africa, and concentrating on Chad and few other places in central Africa, like Mozambique and Sudan, and a few off the beaten track places, and really still focused on this North American rain forest. I started with the redwoods, but I fully intend to walk the entire North American rain forest in the next five years.

I might do it in two pieces, maybe three pieces, but I am going to continue from the end of the redwood transect north and get a complete view of ….what’s going on out there from an ecosystem wide perspective… knowing all the species and learning about the ecological processes so that you can talk with authority about what’s going on.

 

NG Kids: What’s a normal day like for you?

Fay: Normal day? I would say on the average, I am usually outside walking, somewhere. Here in Alaska, I have my place out in the woods, and I will be exploring far and wide locally, over the next few months. But if you look at the past year as an example—we are in July now—so in July of last year, I was finishing up the redwood transect. I had been walking for a whole year, 11 months, 1,800 miles (2,897 kilometers), and camping out. So over the last ten years, I probably slept in a bed maybe 50 times. So I do sleep in a bed once in awhile, but not very often.

And after that walk, I went to Chad for about a month-and-a-half to survey elephants there. Another thing I do a lot besides walking is flying. So I spent about month and a half with our project in Chad shoring up Zakouma National Park. We just got an airplane there.

Then I went back to the redwoods and worked for a month or two and then went on a long haul back to Chad and did an aerial survey there and counted all the elephants—we went from 3,020 elephants in 2006 to 617 elephants in 2009. It was a major drop, it was shocking, but the good news is that since the airplane showed up, we have only reported 25-30 deaths.

And then I went to Mozambique and did a foot survey there for about a month in the Maputu Elephant Reserve, which is a place that needs better management and I am getting involved there.

Then I went to the Southern Line Islands with Enric [Sala] and did the terrestrial survey on those islands. That was two months.

So this past year, I have walked about five months—in an off year when I am not doing a long walk—and then I have spent about two months in an airplane.

 

NG Kids: How many pairs of shoes did you go through in a year?

Fay: Actually you’d be surprised. I wear these Chaco sandals whenever possible… If I buy a pair of Chacos and wear them constantly I can put about 2,000 km on a pair of Chacos, that means about 6 months so—about two pair a year is just fine. I figure 140 bucks a year is worth my investment in my primary vehicle.

 

NG Kids: What do you do for fun or to be silly?

Fay: Well to have fun, I walk. That is my greatest enjoyment that I could ever have, even more so than flying. Being able to go places where I haven’t been before is the most fun, because of the way I walk. I record information the whole way—I am piecing things together. It’s like a big puzzle for me….So I just walk and walk and walk and walk, and I have my notebook. I am recording information about trees, how big they are and the stumps, and the roads and the wildlife …but you piece together this whole puzzle as you are walking along. It’s really fun. So that is what I do for fun.

To be silly, I have to think about that one. I joke around a lot with people and I wouldn’t say play with people, but I like to see people’s reaction to this and that. I guess I am too serious. But I enjoy every day of life.

 

NG Kids: What is the best advice anyone has given you that you can share with us?

Fay: My mother wouldn’t agree, but it was my sixth grade teacher. His name was Mr. Royce. He was one of these completely unconventional teachers in a very conventional school system that spent a lot of his time bringing kids outside.

So we would go out at night and do astronomy, go kick around the local quarry to look for fossils, or go down to the rivers and look for amphibians, and it was about all the natural sciences, not just about wildlife.

He basically said don’t listen to anybody when they try to tell you that you should do something different from what you want to do. And you will find yourself doing something because you want to rather than because you have to. If you keep on that path, you find that you will never have to do what you don’t want to do, I believe….I just made the choice between having something that I might want, or being who I want to be, and I take the latter. If you do without, then you get what you want.

So Mr. Royce’s advice was don’t even listen to those guys, do what you think is right and you’ll end up much better off, and much happier.

 

NG Kids: What can’t you travel without?

Fay: Normally it’s a pocket knife and a lighter and a pair of shoes. For instance the last trip I took I was away for almost four months. So I leave California and I have a little day pack, and I have my computer in there, and a few other things. And in my back pack I had a tent, ‘cause I was going to Africa and tents have mosquito netting. I have a sleeping mat for rain and not for comfort, because if it rains, you are off the ground. So normally if it doesn’t rain, I don’t inflate it. I like sleeping on the ground. And I have a sleeping bag, and a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, my [sandals], and a raincoat, and a hat—and my lighter, my pocketknife, and a GPS, and a notebook.

 

NG Kids: How many notebooks have you filled in all your journeys?

Fay: Hundreds. On the redwood transect I filled 24 notebooks. But they are big notebooks…so it’s like writing a little book in each one. I keep a yellow notebook with me [from] this company called Rite in the Rain that are made out of plastic and the paper is plasticized so you can write on them in the rain. And they are indestructible. And a .7 millimeter mechanical pencil. Can’t do without that and extra lead.

 

But I literally traveled with just that kind of kit. I wash my shorts once a week and my shorts weigh about an ounce and my shirt dries almost immediately and if I am in cold I wear a pair of longer Patagonia pants with wool long johns and if it’s really cold then I have to put on boots and I will wear a thicker coat.

 

NG Kids: What is the best place you have ever traveled to?

Fay: I love exploring any place. If you put me in Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., I am happy as a clam in there. I wouldn’t say that I have a favorite place, but I love the vast wilderness areas. The Congo basin is certainly a place where I have spent decades so I must love it. And this North American rain forest for me is an unbelievable place. Everyday when I am out here and I look at these hills and when you fly out of here it is a vast wilderness. It’s really spectacular.

So those two place stick out in my mind. When people ask me where I live I say planet Earth. My favorite place would also be planet Earth.

 

NG Kids: What can kids do to help with conservation?

Fay: Kids have a giant challenge that they need to think about—that is this notion that the natural resource base of this planet could collapse in the next century and they could face great hardship. They don’t want to live in hardship. They want to live nice prosperous lives. They are tasked to make that happen.

They should get outside and start thinking about natural resource management and if you look at the redwoods, it’s a perfect place to start thinking about it because 95% was taken out and yet we see humanity shifting there to repairing the damage that was done, and rebuilding the forest and making it more productive for humanity at the same time. That is the key. We need to replenish the natural resource capital that we have lost rather than to continue to liquidate it. If we do that, then there is hope.

 

NG Kids: What’s a normal day like for you?

Fay: Normal day? I would say on the average, I am usually outside walking, somewhere. Here in Alaska, I have my place out in the woods, and I will be exploring far and wide locally, over the next few months. But if you look at the past year as an example—we are in July now—so in July of last year, I was finishing up the redwood transect. I had been walking for a whole year, 11 months, 1,800 miles (2,897 kilometers), and camping out. So over the last ten years, I probably slept in a bed maybe 50 times. So I do sleep in a bed once in awhile, but not very often.

And after that walk, I went to Chad for about a month-and-a-half to survey elephants there. Another thing I do a lot besides walking is flying. So I spent about month and a half with our project in Chad shoring up Zakouma National Park. We just got an airplane there.

Then I went back to the redwoods and worked for a month or two and then went on a long haul back to Chad and did an aerial survey there and counted all the elephants—we went from 3,020 elephants in 2006 to 617 elephants in 2009. It was a major drop, it was shocking, but the good news is that since the airplane showed up, we have only reported 25-30 deaths.

And then I went to Mozambique and did a foot survey there for about a month in the Maputu Elephant Reserve, which is a place that needs better management and I am getting involved there.

Then I went to the Southern Line Islands with Enric [Sala] and did the terrestrial survey on those islands. That was two months.

So this past year, I have walked about five months—in an off year when I am not doing a long walk—and then I have spent about two months in an airplane.

 

NG Kids: How many pairs of shoes did you go through in a year?

Fay: Actually you’d be surprised. I wear these Chaco sandals whenever possible… If I buy a pair of Chacos and wear them constantly I can put about 2,000 km on a pair of Chacos, that means about 6 months so—about two pair a year is just fine. I figure 140 bucks a year is worth my investment in my primary vehicle

 

NG Kids: What do you do for fun or to be silly?

Fay: Well to have fun, I walk. That is my greatest enjoyment that I could ever have, even more so than flying. Being able to go places where I haven’t been before is the most fun, because of the way I walk. I record information the whole way—I am piecing things together. It’s like a big puzzle for me….So I just walk and walk and walk and walk, and I have my notebook. I am recording information about trees, how big they are and the stumps, and the roads and the wildlife …but you piece together this whole puzzle as you are walking along. It’s really fun. So that is what I do for fun.

To be silly, I have to think about that one. I joke around a lot with people and I wouldn’t say play with people, but I like to see people’s reaction to this and that. I guess I am too serious. But I enjoy every day of life.

 

NG Kids: What is the best advice anyone has given you that you can share with us?

Fay: My mother wouldn’t agree, but it was my sixth grade teacher. His name was Mr. Royce. He was one of these completely unconventional teachers in a very conventional school system that spent a lot of his time bringing kids outside.

So we would go out at night and do astronomy, go kick around the local quarry to look for fossils, or go down to the rivers and look for amphibians, and it was about all the natural sciences, not just about wildlife.

He basically said don’t listen to anybody when they try to tell you that you should do something different from what you want to do. And you will find yourself doing something because you want to rather than because you have to. If you keep on that path, you find that you will never have to do what you don’t want to do, I believe….I just made the choice between having something that I might want, or being who I want to be, and I take the latter. If you do without, then you get what you want.

So Mr. Royce’s advice was don’t even listen to those guys, do what you think is right and you’ll end up much better off, and much happier.

 

NG Kids: What can’t you travel without?

Fay: Normally it’s a pocket knife and a lighter and a pair of shoes. For instance the last trip I took I was away for almost four months. So I leave California and I have a little day pack, and I have my computer in there, and a few other things. And in my back pack I had a tent, ‘cause I was going to Africa and tents have mosquito netting. I have a sleeping mat for rain and not for comfort, because if it rains, you are off the ground. So normally if it doesn’t rain, I don’t inflate it. I like sleeping on the ground. And I have a sleeping bag, and a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, my [sandals], and a raincoat, and a hat—and my lighter, my pocketknife, and a GPS, and a notebook.

 

NG Kids: How many notebooks have you filled in all your journeys?

Fay: Hundreds. On the redwood transect I filled 24 notebooks. But they are big notebooks…so it’s like writing a little book in each one. I keep a yellow notebook with me [from] this company called Rite in the Rain that are made out of plastic and the paper is plasticized so you can write on them in the rain. And they are indestructible. And a .7 millimeter mechanical pencil. Can’t do without that and extra lead.

But I literally traveled with just that kind of kit. I wash my shorts once a week and my shorts weigh about an ounce and my shirt dries almost immediately and if I am in cold I wear a pair of longer Patagonia pants with wool long johns and if it’s really cold then I have to put on boots and I will wear a thicker coat.

 

NG Kids: What is the best place you have ever traveled to?

Fay: I love exploring any place. If you put me in Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., I am happy as a clam in there. I wouldn’t say that I have a favorite place, but I love the vast wilderness areas. The Congo basin is certainly a place where I have spent decades so I must love it. And this North American rain forest for me is an unbelievable place. Everyday when I am out here and I look at these hills and when you fly out of here it is a vast wilderness. It’s really spectacular.

So those two place stick out in my mind. When people ask me where I live I say planet Earth. My favorite place would also be planet Earth.

 

NG Kids: What can kids do to help with conservation?

Fay: Kids have a giant challenge that they need to think about—that is this notion that the natural resource base of this planet could collapse in the next century and they could face great hardship. They don’t want to live in hardship. They want to live nice prosperous lives. They are tasked to make that happen.

They should get outside and start thinking about natural resource management and if you look at the redwoods, it’s a perfect place to start thinking about it because 95% was taken out and yet we see humanity shifting there to repairing the damage that was done, and rebuilding the forest and making it more productive for humanity at the same time. That is the key. We need to replenish the natural resource capital that we have lost rather than to continue to liquidate it. If we do that, then there is hope.

 

Source: Kids National Geographic

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

Friends Important to Kids

By MvParents
July 27, 2009

As kids choose their friends, they look for everything from shared interests, understanding, and acceptance to excitement and leadership. They may choose kids you like and kids you’re not so sure about. And whether you like it or not, children will frequently see their friends as even more important than their family.
It’s easy to worry about the friends your kids make and the influence they wield. How do you maintain a relationship with your teenagers and establish relationships with their friends? Above all, how do you help your children choose good friends?

 

 Facts from Search Institute

 
Almost three out of four teenagers (72 percent) say they are good at making and keeping friends.

Friends have a lot of influence in kids’ lives; that influence increases through the teenage years.

                                

At the same time, moms and dads remain important. Even high schoolers say that their parents have a lot of influence in their lives and decisions.

Friends are often positive influences in children’s lives. In fact, 65 percent of teenagers surveyed by Search Institute say that their best friends model responsible behavior.

Sixty-four percent of parents surveyed say they spend time each day getting to know their child’s friends.

 

 The Asset Advantage

Positive peer influence is a key Developmental Asset that young people need in their lives to make positive choices, particularly as it applies to underage drinking. An asset-building focus reminds you that friends are valuable and that peer pressure can be both positive and negative.

 
Ideas You Can Use Every Day
 
Welcome Friends — Make your home a place where your children’s friends like to hang out (snacks and soft drinks in the fridge always help!). Get to know them while they are relaxed and open to conversation.

Ask Inviting Questions — Find out what your children’s friends enjoy. Learn what your children like about their friends and families, then point out what you like.

Encourage Diverse Friendships — Encourage your children to get to know kids from many different backgrounds and perspectives. It will help them learn more about themselves as well as help them appreciate the rich diversity of society.

Monitor Friendships — Keep tabs on the friends your children spend a lot of time with. Avoid criticizing friendships that seem negative, but be honest when you are concerned. And remember that your children can have a positive influence on other kids who are struggling.

Stay Calm — If you have concerns, express them calmly and openly. Listen closely to your children’s perspectives before rushing to judgment

Set Limits — Even if your children want to spend all of their time hanging out with friends, set a clear expectation that they regularly spend time at home with family as well.

Protect Health and Safety — Some potential friends may be dangerous to your children, a fact that they may not recognize. These include kids who smoke, drink or use illegal drugs. There may also be people who seek to take advantage of your child. Be explicit that your child is not to hang out with these friends and help her or him develop skills and strategies to refuse to participate in negative activities. For example, encourage simple, direct rebuffs such as “I don’t do that stuff,” or “No thanks. I’m good.”

Maintain Perspective — Children and teenagers will “try out” a wide variety of friends. Some of those short friendships may make you nervous, but they are a normal part of growing up. Talking with your children about their friends and values will help them develop the skills they need to evaluate friendships and focus on strengthening the healthy ones.

Find Support — Get to know the parents or guardians of your children’s friends. You will often find that they share your values and priorities and that you can work together to ensure that the friendship is positive for everyone.

 

From the Idea Bank

“When You Worry about Your Children’s Friends”:idea-bank/when-you-worry-about-your-children’s-friends

Getting to Know Your Child’s Friends

“When You Don’t Like Your Child’s Friend”:idea-bank/when-you-don’t-your-child’s-friend

 

Ready-to-Use Tools

How to Build Asset 15: Positive Peer Influence — Friends who model responsible behavior for your child are valuable friends indeed.

Resistance Skills: Effective Responses to Negative Pressure — A tip sheet to share with your teenager.

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Source: MvParents

Preparing Your First for a Sibling

By: Shalom Fisch, Ph.D.
July 27, 2009

 

When people think about relationships among siblings, the first word that often springs to mind is “rivalry.” To be honest, that conception isn’t entirely wrong; siblings can wind up competing for their parents’ attention. But it doesn’t have to be that way—or only that way.

As a parent, you can set the tone for the way your children relate, not only to you, but to each other as well. With a little effort, you can foster relationships that are loving, supportive, and cooperative instead of competitive.

Part of the secret is to start building a positive relationship among your children before problems arise. In fact, you can even start setting the stage before your second child is born!

 How?

 

Here are a few tips to try:

 

• Tell Your Child Before Telling the Neighbors: It’s best for your child to hear the news about a new baby from you, rather than from someone else. Telling your firstborn yourself shows her that you trust and value her, and also gives you control over how the information is framed. So make sure to share the news with your child before you go public. The best bet is probably to time your conversation for shortly before you tell your friends. That way, your child won’t accidentally spill the beans before you’re ready.

 

• Enjoy Your “Big Boy” or “Big Girl”: Even if you weren’t expecting a second child, it still would be important to celebrate all the ways your firstborn is growing. Moving from a bottle to solid food, from diapers to underpants… all of these milestones show your child is growing up. As children grow, it’s important to show them how proud you are that they’re growing into “big boys” or “big girls.” And it can prepare them for seeing themselves as “big brothers” or “big sisters,” too.

  

• Time Your Transitions: Depending on the age difference between your children, you may find that one or more of your firstborn’s milestones roughly coincides with the arrival of your new baby. In some cases, you might want to space your children’s transitions. For example, you may not want to move your older child into a new bedroom and the baby into the “old” room at the same time, so your firstborn doesn’t feel like she’s being replaced. However, other transitions may work well together—see if you can move your firstborn into a “big boy” bed as your baby starts to sleep in a crib. If the timing works out, it’s a great opportunity to show your pride in both children’s growth.

 

• Let Them Help: As you already know, babies require a lot of work and attention, and there are many ways in which a big brother or sister can help. Your firstborn can talk or sing to the baby, help with bottles or when you change diapers, and so on. When you find ways to let your firstborn help, you’re sending him several important messages: that you trust him, that he can take an active role, that part of being a big brother is taking care of a younger sibling, and that you’re all in this together. (As an added bonus, once your firstborn gets the hang of his new responsibilities, it can make your life a little easier, too.)

 

• Reassure Them: One common worry among firstborn children is that a new baby will replace them in your heart. From time to time (both before and after the baby arrives), make sure to tell your firstborn that you’ll always love her just the same. And be sure to show her, too, by making time for the two of you to have fun together and just snuggle.

 

• Set the Tone for Other Adults: Along with reassuring your firstborn, be careful that other well-meaning adults don’t accidentally undermine your efforts. Shortly before my own second child was born, a grown-up friend (who wasn’t an experienced parent) joked to my 3-year-old son, “Oh, the baby’s coming soon. Then you’ll come live with me, right?” But while he knew he was joking, my son didn’t. Seeing the worry on my son’s face, I immediately reassured him that my friend was just being silly—we’d all still be a family together, just like always. Then, I quietly explained to my friend the efforts we were making to prepare my son, to help my friend understand and avoid repeating the error in the future.

 

All of these techniques can be effective, but obviously, you know your firstborn better than anyone else does. So with some thought (and a bit of trial and error), you’ll find the strategies that work best for your family. Whatever methods you use, though, one point remains true: By putting in a little effort now, you can reap a big payoff later on… and your children can, too.

Source: Pampers 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Preparing for Your Kids’ Adolescence

By Jim Burns, Ph.D.
July 29, 2009 

The first precious days and weeks of a child’s life are filled with awe and wonder for parents. The “terrible two’s” of toddler-hood may seem like a challenge at times but they’re eventually outgrown. The first day of kindergarten seems to come and go all too quickly leading to the elementary school years when the moods of children can leave parents exhilarated one minute – and exhausted the next. And then, suddenly, the rude awakening of adolescence takes over!

The adolescent years seem to hit from out of nowhere and they often leave parents wondering exactly what has happened to that relatively intelligent and well-mannered child they used to call their son or daughter. Well, while it’s true there is no way you can accurately predict exactly when adolescence will begin, there is a way you can begin preparing for it so that it doesn’t seem like such a startling jolt when it does hit (and believe me, it will!)

Dave and Claudia Arp wrote a book a groundbreaking book on this topic of preparing for your kids’ adolescence. It was a huge help to Cathy and me when each of our three daughters hit the teen years. The book is called, Suddenly They’re 13 (Or, “The Art of Hugging a Cactus”)

In it, they outline “4 Steps for Preparing for Your Kids’ Adolescence” that have proven to be most helpful:

 

Regroup. Too many of us, as parents, are trying to parent our teen and pre-teenage children the same way we did when they were toddlers. Well, that’s not going to work. Call a “timeout” for yourselves, Mom and Dad, and go out for some coffee, dinner or whatever works for you both and reassess your situation with your kids. You’ve got to be a bit more flexible during the teen years, but temper that flexibility by remaining fair and firm.

 

Release. Be sure to mark the milestones in the lives of each of your kids. Their 13^th birthday is a big one. So is the day they get their driver’s license, or have their curfew extended for reaching a particular age or goal you’ve set for them. In doing so, you’re not only rewarding their good behavior, you’re also releasing them from childhood into adulthood in small, age-appropriate steps.

 

Relate. This is sometimes tough as the “communication bridge” between our kids and us isn’t always working. A good objective is to “Listen more – Lecture less.” It’s also helpful when you remember to “Major on the majors” and “Minor in the minors.” In other words, try not to make a big deal out of issues that really may not be all that important while keeping an eye open for big life issues.

 

Relax. It always amazes me when I hear from a parent who has grown overly concerned when his or her child begins “acting weird” right around his or her 13^th birthday. It’s then I have to remind this parent that adolescence is perfectly normal! We all went through it and we lived to tell the tale. Our kids will also. Of course, relaxing does not give you a “free pass” to shy away from instructing and correcting your kids – on the contrary! Just strive to be fair, firm and consistent with the discipline and you should be fine.  

 

Finally, let me add a “Burns Bonus” fifth “R” to the list – and that is:

Remember. Don’t keep score of every little mistake your son or daughter makes during his or her adolescent years. Rather, remember what kinds of things you went through when you were a teenager and how your own parents handled things when you messed up. Were they compassionate? Irrational? Understanding? Borrow from their good examples and learn from the bad. (And, also  Remember who will be taking care of you eventually as you get older. Good instruction coupled with understanding and compassion now could make your “golden years” a lot sweeter! )

 Enjoy your kids’ adolescence. These are fun and foundational years for them — and for you!

 Source: (Based on principles included in the book, Suddenly They’re 13: The Art of Hugging a Cactus by Dave and Claudia Arp.)

Source: Home Word

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

The 10-year-old who helped Apollo 11, 40 years later

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Rachel Rodriguez
CNN
July 29, 2009 

On July 23, 1969, as Apollo 11 hurtled back towards Earth, there was a problem — a problem only a kid could solve.

It sounds like something out of a movie, but that’s what it came down to as Apollo 11 sped back towards Earth after landing on the moon in 1969.

It was around 10:00 at night on July 23, and 10-year-old Greg Force was at home with his mom and three brothers. His father, Charles Force, was at work. Charles Force was the director of the NASA tracking station in Guam, where the family was living.

The Guam tracking station was to play a critical role in the return of Apollo 11 to Earth. A powerful antenna there connected NASA communications with Apollo 11, and the antenna was the only way for NASA to make its last communications with the astronauts before splashdown. But at the last minute on that night, a bearing in the antenna failed, rendering it nearly useless.

To properly replace the bearing would have required dismantling the entire antenna, and there was simply no time. So Charles Force thought of a creative solution: If he could get more grease around the failed bearing, it would probably be fine. The only problem was, nobody at the station had an arm small enough to actually reach in through the two-and-a-half inch opening and pack grease around the bearing.

And that’s when Greg was called in to save the day. Charles Force sent someone out to his home to pick up Greg. Once at the tracking station, Greg reached into the tiny hole and packed grease around the failed bearing. It worked, and the station was able to successfully complete its communications role in the mission. Apollo 11 splashed down safely the next day.

At the time, Greg didn’t think what he was doing was a big deal, and 40 years later, he’s still modest about his role in the mission.

“That’s all I did, was put my hand in and put grease on it,” he says. If he hadn’t been there, NASA would not have been able to make its last communications with the mission before splashdown, but Greg says “it wasn’t life or death, [from] my understanding.”

“My dad explained to me why it was important,” he says, “but it kind of caught me by surprise afterwards, all the attention.” iReport.com: Read Greg’s firsthand account.

That attention came from the media and even the astronauts themselves. Greg’s small but important part in Apollo 11 was a story told by news outlets around the world. He even got a nice thank-you note from Neil Armstrong, whom he met when Armstrong went on a tour of NASA stations with the other astronauts to thank the staff after the mission. “To Greg,” reads the note, which Armstrong wrote on a newspaper clipping of Greg’s story, “with thanks for your help on Apollo 11. Neil Armstrong.”

Perhaps not surprisingly, like many other kids who grew up during the Apollo era, Greg dreamed of becoming an astronaut. He says he remembers visiting his dad’s office to listen to astronauts communicating with NASA officials on the ground.

“We could sit and listen to the actual communication with the astronauts as it was happening, and it was hard to understand, but I loved to do that,” he says. “On Guam we didn’t have good television coverage, so I think I listened to the [moon] landing on the radio. To me it was a huge thing.”

Greg pursued his dreams of space exploration all the way through college, where he majored in physics. Unfortunately, he was unable to pass the vision test for the space program because of his colorblindness, but even that couldn’t squelch his interest. Greg went on to get his pilot’s license, and even though his career now as a gymnastics school owner isn’t exactly space-related, he says that “ever since then, I’ve followed the space program.”

And as a lover of space exploration, Greg hopes to see more missions to the moon.

“I think it would be an important step as far as going further, like to Mars,” he says. “I would love to see us go back to the moon.”

But for now, on the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, he can remember the small but crucial role he played in bringing Apollo 11 home safely.

“It kind of caught me by surprise,” he says, “but I’m real proud to have been even a little tiny part of it.” iReport.com: See more photos of Greg with his father and Armstrong.

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

EMANUEL GUZMAN

Case Type: Family Abduction
DOB: Jun 18, 2007	Sex: Male
Missing Date: May 22, 2009	Race: Hispanic
Age Now: 2	Height: 2’0″ (61 cm)
Missing City: COLORADO SPRINGS	Weight: 30 lbs (14 kg)
Missing State : CO	Hair Color: Black
Missing Country: United States	Eye Color: Brown
Case Number: NCMC1123431
Circumstances: Emanuel was last seen with his mother, Carmen Aguilera, and father, Benito Guzman, on May 21, 2009. Felony warrants were issued for the companions on May 22, 2009. They may still be in the local area or they may have traveled to Mexico. They may be traveling in a brown 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee with Colorado license plates 781 SLH or a tan 2004 Ford Pickup with Colorado license plates 491 SKZ. Emanuel has scars on both hands. He may go by the nickname Manny.

Missing Kids

CARMEN AGUILERA
Companion
(Abductor)

Case Type: Family Abduction
DOB: May 29, 1978	Sex: Female
Missing Date: May 22, 2009	Race: Hispanic
Age Now: 31	Height: 5’6″ (168 cm)
Missing City: COLORADO SPRINGS	Weight: 130 lbs (59 kg)
Missing State : CO	Hair Color: Black
Missing Country: United States	Eye Color: Brown
Case Number: NCMC1123431
Circumstances: Emanuel was last seen with his mother, Carmen Aguilera, and father, Benito Guzman, on May 21, 2009. Felony warrants were issued for the companions on May 22, 2009. They may still be in the local area or they may have traveled to Mexico. They may be traveling in a brown 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee with Colorado license plates 781 SLH or a tan 2004 Ford Pickup with Colorado license plates 491 SKZ. Emanuel has scars on both hands. He may go by the nickname Manny.

View Poster

BENITO GUZMAN
Companion
(Abductor)

Case Type: Family Abduction
DOB:Oct 26, 1979	Sex: Male
Missing Date: May 22, 2009	Race: Hispanic
Age Now: 29	Height: 5’8″ (173 cm)
Missing City: COLORADO SPRINGS	Weight: 180 lbs (82 kg)
Missing State : CO	Hair Color: Black
Missing Country: United States	Eye Color: Brown
Case Number: NCMC1123431
Circumstances: Emanuel was last seen with his mother, Carmen Aguilera, and father, Benito Guzman, on May 21, 2009. Felony warrants were issued for the companions on May 22, 2009. They may still be in the local area or they may have traveled to Mexico. They may be traveling in a brown 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee with Colorado license plates 781 SLH or a tan 2004 Ford Pickup with Colorado license plates 491 SKZ. Emanuel has scars on both hands. He may go by the nickname Manny.

View Poster

RYAN RAMIREZ

Case Type: Endangered Missing
DOB: Jul 3, 1992	Sex: Male
Missing Date: Apr 4, 2009	Race: Hispanic
Age Now: 17	Height: 5’7″ (170 cm)
Missing City: CORPUS CHRISTI	Weight: 125 lbs (57 kg)
Missing State : TX	Hair Color: Black
Missing Country: United States	Eye Color: Black
Case Number: NCMC1120266
Circumstances: When Ryan was last seen, he had a mustache. He may wear glasses.

Missing Kids

TREJON EUGENE FITE

Case Type: Endangered Missing
DOB: Oct 19, 2000	Sex: Male
Missing Date: Jun 13, 2009	Race: Black
Age Now: 8	Height: 4’0″ (122 cm)
Missing City: SALT LAKE CITY	Weight: 50 lbs (23 kg)
Missing State : UT	Hair Color: Black
Missing Country: United States	Eye Color: Brown
Case Number: NCMC1125237
Circumstances: Trejon was last seen on June 13, 2009. He has a spiral design shaven on the left side of his head. Trejon was last seen wearing a blue shirt with a white number 8 on the back, red shorts, and black tennis shoes.

Missing Kids

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