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

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

Kids Make Good Money Choices

By MvParents
July 23, 2009

 
In order to survive—and thrive—in our American culture, we need money. We need money to pay for the necessities of life. We need money to save so we can plan our futures. We need money to give so we can help make our world a better place.

Yet, how do we teach our children and teenagers how to earn well, save well, give well, and spend well when we’re bombarded with conflicting messages of how to use our money well as adults? Fortunately, we can help our kids make good money choices by teaching them key financial skills, talking about the values that guide our money decisions, and giving them opportunities that not only help them manage money well now—but also in the future.

Focusing on kids’ financial literacy is important for people from all income levels. It’s not about how much money you have (or don’t have), it’s about teaching kids the skills to manage money well so that they thrive. The National Endowment for Financial Education says that as little as 10 hours of personal financial education affects young people’s spending and savings habits in a positive way. With only 7 percent of parents from the same study saying their kids understand financial matters well, it’s time for all kids to learn the skills they need to make lifelong, positive money choices.

 
Facts from Search Institute
 
While 46 percent of adults say it’s important for adults to give financial guidance to children and teenagers, only 35 percent of adults actually do so.
Young people are more likely to save money when they have more Developmental Assets. While only 27 percent of young people with 10 assets or fewer save money, 70 percent of young people with 31 or more assets save money.

Young people are less likely to gamble when they have more Developmental Assets. While 30 percent of young people with 10 assets or fewer gamble, only 4 percent of young people with 31 or more assets gamble.

                                
The Asset Advantage

Many of the Developmental Assets are core skills and values that are foundational to making smart money choices. These Developmental Assets include positive family communication, service to others, adult role models, planning and decision making, responsibility, honesty, restraint, family boundaries, positive peer influence, personal power, and positive view of the future. Having more Developmental Assets contributes to making smarter money decisions and avoiding high-risk money behaviors, such as gambling.

 
Ideas You Can Use Every Day

Talking about Money

Kids often complain that they never have any money. Help them see where their money comes from by asking how often they receive money from these sources: allowances, gifts (birthdays, holidays), extra jobs around the house, part-time jobs, things they make and sell to friends, or running a small business (such as repairing bikes or mowing lawns).

Talk about how your values affect your money choices. For example, how does your caring for others impact how you save, spend, and give money away? Why do you sometimes wait to make certain purchases? What does it mean to you to be responsible with your money?

Every parent needs to (and should!) say no to some requests for money and purchases. When you do say no, focus on values and responsible decision making. Instead of saying, we don’t have money for that, say, “We use our money in other ways” or “This isn’t in our budget” or “We need to save money for a while to buy this.”

When you’re struggling financially, be honest with your kids about your situation. You don’t need to worry them with all the details, but it is helpful for them to learn that money isn’t magical. It doesn’t appear when you want it to. Invite them to be creative and join you in making decisions that are within your means.

 
Learning More about Money Management

Financial management can be overwhelming. There are so many aspects to it, and it’s easy to feel inept about money matters. Focus on what you know and build on that. Research money advice via the Internet or a good book at the library, such as Raising Money-Smart Kids. by Janet Bodnar.

 

Explain that making good money choices involves always learning more. Tell your kids what you knew about money when you were their age and why you’ve needed to learn more about money as you’ve gotten older.

Periodically read about money news in the newspaper, a newsmagazine, or the Internet. Today, a lot of news stories about the economy are making headlines. What can you learn from these stories? What issues do these stories raise to talk about with your kids?

                                
Practicing Money Skills

When you give your child an allowance, have your child set aside a portion of the earnings for saving, for giving, and for spending. By doing this up front, you’re more likely to manage money beyond just spending it.

Although it’s helpful to teach kids that they cannot spend more than they have, it’s also helpful once in a while for your kids to borrow money from you and then pay it back on a regular basis. For example, if your child wants to buy a bicycle, a video game, or an mp3 player, have your child save up a certain amount for a down deposit and then figure out a payment plan (and stick to that plan every step of the way) until it is completely paid off.

Open up a savings account in your child’s name. Take your child to the bank at least three to four times a year to make deposits. Show how your child earns money by saving money.

 Help your child discover a passion for a cause, such as saving the rainforest or helping endangered animals. Research good causes at charitynavigator.org.

Source: MvParents

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

Meet the Asian Elephants

by Marie Galloway
Elephant Manager
July 23, 2009

Three Asian elephants live at the National Zoo, but plans call for growing the herd to form a social group like those found in the wild. We are designing a new, bigger, state-of-the-art home to house males—essential to accomodate Kandula in the future—as well as a multi-generation herd. The current Elephant House isn’t suited to house an adult male elephant.

 

 

Kandula, a male, was born on November 25, 2001. He weighed 324 pounds at birth. His mother is Shanthi, and he is the Zoo’s smallest elephant. How does this young elephant like to have fun? Find out..

Kandula (KAN-dula) is named for the most famous elephant in Sri Lanka’s history. The original Kandula was known for his courage, strength, and loyalty. He was a gift to an infant prince 2,150 years ago, and the future king and his elephant grew up together.

 

 

 

Shanthi, a female Asian elephant, was born about 1975. Shanthi came from Sri Lanka, where she was rehabilitated at the Pinnewela Elephant Orphanage. She was given to the National Zoo as a gift from the children of Sri Lanka in 1976. Shanthi means “peace” in Sinhalese. (Shanthi is sometimes also translated as “blessing.” As in any language, a particular word may have several meanings and these may vary regionally.)

She weighs at least 9,000 pounds. Shanthi is the Zoo’s largest Asian elephant, and has a large pink patch on the underside of her trunk. She has the least amount of pink on the upper side of her trunk.

Kandula is her second calf; a female born in 1993 died of a then-unknown virus in 1995.

  

 

 

Ambika is a female Asian elephant who was born around 1948 and weighs about 7,600 pounds. Ambika was captured in the Coorg forest in India when she was about eight years of age and placed in a work, or logging, camp. In 1961 Ambika was given to the National Zoo as a gift from the children of India.

Ambika is a medium-sized Asian elephant, has a small amount of pink coloration around the trunk and ears, and the tops of her ears fold over.

 

 Source: National Zoo

 Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? And what was your favorite animal when you went to the zoo? dan@youngchronicle.com

Signs of Readiness for the Potty

By: Lawrence Kutner, Ph.D
July 18, 2009

First, some perspective for frazzled parents: Every healthy child is successfully potty trained. In the long run, the age at which she masters these particular skills doesn’t matter. It’s not a reflection of your skills as a parent or your love for her. Doing it earlier doesn’t mean she’s smarter or more coordinated or will get into an Ivy League school.
But if you start potty training before your child is biologically and emotionally ready, you’re both going to become frustrated and upset. It will also drag out the process because it’s likely to turn into a battle of wills-a battle that parents never win. That’s why it’s a good idea to know the signs that she’s probably going to be successful before you start.
Most children become potty trained between 18 and 30 months. However, some children still struggle with the skills when they’re 4 years old. But if you look closely, your child will tell you with her behavior that she’s probably ready to begin.

For example:

• Does she have bowel movements at a fairly predictable time? Does she let you know through words or behaviors that she’s aware that she’s having one?
• Can she pull down and pull up her pants?
• Does she show an interest in the bathroom and what other people do in it?
• Can she walk over to and sit down on the potty by herself?
• Has she started saying “No!” to you? Does she like to have at least some of her toys in certain special places? This shows that she’s interested in controlling things in her environment.
• Does she know what “wet” and “dry” mean?
• Does she respond to praise and want to please you?

If your child shows most of these behaviors, she may be ready to begin. We can help you with some ways to start.

 Remember, never try to potty train a child during a time of stress, such as when your family is moving or going on vacation, or when the child is sick. If it doesn’t seem to be working, take a break and try again in a few weeks or months. It will happen; just give it time.

Source: Pampers

Editor’s Note: We would like to hear your story and what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Happy Birthday, Tai Shan

By NB Kids
July 18, 2009

One of the big attractions at Washington, D.C.’s National Zoo is Tai Shan, a giant panda. He was born at the zoo in 2005, and has been delighting visitors ever since. Tai Shan turns four today, and his fans have been leaving birthday messages on the National Zoo’s website.

To celebrate his birthday, the zoo’s staff made Tai Shan a birthday “cake,” but it’s really more like a Popsicle. The ingredients are water, bamboo, and beets. Yummy!

Send Tai Shan a birthday wish on the National Zoo’s website.

Learn more about Tai Shan and the zoo’s other giant pandas on the National Zoo’s website.

Get facts about giant pandas on National Geographic Kids.

 

 

Source: National Geographic Kids

Editor’s Note: The photo cortesy Mehan Murphy Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

We would like to hear from you if you have seen Tai Shan and would like to share your story. dan@youngchronicle.com

How Do We Potty Train Our Kids

By The Potty Training/PIO
July 7, 2009 

It probably seems like just yesterday that you changed your baby’s first nappy, but before you know it she’ll be ready to start potty training. While there’s no magic age at which a child is ready to start using the potty, most toddlers will develop the necessary physical and cognitive skills between 18 and 24 months of age (though some aren’t ready to start until they’re as old as four). Use the checklist below to keep track of your toddler’s progress toward readiness.

You don’t have to wait until you’ve checked off every item to start training; rather, look for a general trend toward independence and an understanding of what it means to go to the bathroom like a grown-up.

 

Your child may be ready to start potty training if he or she: 

• Has regular, soft, formed bowel movements
• Can pull her pants up and down
• Imitates others’ bathroom habits (likes to watch you go to the bathroom, wants to wear underwear, and so on)
• Makes a physical demonstration when she’s having a bowel movement (such as grunting, squatting, or telling you)
• Has words for stool and urine
• Can follow simple instructions (such as “Give me the toy.”)
• Understands the physical signals that mean she has to go and can tell you before it happens
• Dislikes the feeling of being in a dirty nappy
• Has “dry” periods of at least three or four hours (this shows her bladder muscles are developed enough to hold her urine in and store it)
• Isn’t negative about everything
• Understands the value of putting things where they belong
• Demonstrates a desire for independence.

 

Can walk and sit down

Toilet training (or potty training) is the process of weaning a young child off diapers (nappies) and training him or her to use the toilet for urination and defecation. Potty training is usually done between the ages of eighteen-months and three years.

 

 Readiness

It is important not to start toilet training until both parent and child are ready. One is ready when one is able to devote the time and energy necessary to encourage a child on a daily basis for at a minimum of 3 months.

A child is ready to begin toilet training when he or she can signal that his or her diaper (nappy) is wet, or that they need the toilet. This usually occurs between the ages of 18-24 months, but it is not uncommon for a child to still need diapers until 4 years of age.

A child can have problems later in life if the training doesn’t go well, or is too strict. For example, as an adult a person could strive for perfection or excessive cleanliness because they were too harshly trained. The current popular wisdom on this subject is that toilet training is a mutual task, requiring cooperation, agreement and understanding between both the child and the caregiver. It is strongly recommended that coercion and shame are not used as disciplinary instruction tools during this phase of development.

 

Pre-Toilet Training

There are five aspects to pre-toilet training.
1) Naming urine and bowel movements is the first. When you notice that your child has a wet or dirty diaper, mention what has happened, using the words that you have chosen. These words should be culture specific, and should be frequently used words in the normal everyday environment. It is advisable for you use culture specific or commonly known words, since if the child asks for example, at Kindergarten to use the toilet, not using a known word could severely complicate the issue and lead to accidental urination or defacation.

2) Allowing your child to watch you or other family members use the toilet. This provides the child with opportunities to see, ask questions, and learn. This is OK providing your family is comfortable with this idea.

3) It is also a good idea with children to introduce the idea of “Private Zones” on their bodies, since once at Kindergarten, other people may have to assist with helping the child, and its a good idea your child becomes aware of which parts of their body are considered “private”.

4) Change your child’s diaper as soon as possible after it becomes wet or dirty to prevent the child becoming comfortable with, or even liking, wet and dirty diapers. When you change a child’s diaper, never make him/her feel bad for wetting or soiling it, or show any signs of disliking what you see or smell, but do not praise him/her.
If possible, change the diaper in the bathroom. This will accomplish a few important toilet training tasks before initiating training. Emptying the diaper into the toilet will help your child learn that the toilet is where his/her motions go. If you encourage the child to help flush the toilet, then s/he will learn how to flush.

5) Praise your child whenever s/he tells you verbally or with a gesture that they have urinated or defacated. Once the child develop voluntary control, s/he will tell you before the fact. Be sure to provide praise then, too.

 

Toilet Training

Toilet training takes time, effort and co-operation from both the parents and the child. Toilet training takes on average 3 months, however it may be much longer before your child is completely dry during the day. It is not uncommon for a child of 3 or 4 to still be having frequent wetting accidents, however, if by the age of 4 your child has still had no success at toilet training it may be worth visiting your family doctor to ensure that there is no underlying medical condition.

 

Toilet Training Girls

Because of the female anatomy, girls and women generally urinate sitting down. Girls should be taught to wipe from “front to back” after using the bathroom. This helps prevent the bacteria in feces from coming into contact with the vagina, helping to keep it free from infection.

 

 

Wishing to urinate while standing

 If a girl has seen her father, male friend, or a sibling standing up while urintating, she may want to try it. One may wish to let, as she is curious. Cleaning up puddles may be necessary, but she may get the idea that it is more practical for her to urinate sitting down. If she persists, having someone explain why females urinate the way they do may help.

 

Toilet Training while traveling

 Parents often ask what to do if they are traveling with a child who is being potty trained, and also if they should stop the potty training process. The answer to this is no. Parents should not stop the process. In fact, this should be an opportunity to teach your child about going to the bathroom away from home.

 

Here are some hints to help parents out:

Go before you go: Your child will need to learn that s/he’ll sometimes have to use a bathroom before a long trip, even if she doesn’t feel a strong need at the time.

Bring extra clothes: Accidents happen, so be prepared with extra pants/skirts/dresses, underwear, shoes and socks if s/he accidentally urinates or defacates.

Bring wipes: Bring toilet paper or wipes in case a bathroom is not available, or if there is no toilet paper.

Where to go: Away from home, teach your child to recognize rest room signs, and encourage him/her to use public bathrooms whenever the need arises. Many kids find toilets fascinating, so compare new toilets with the ones at home. Children under the age of 6 should be accompanied by an adult when using a public restroom.

Urinating / Defacating in the Car: You should consider keeping a potty chair in the car to eliminate the need to find a rest room in the event of a potty emergency. However, if your child is desperate enough and you didn’t bring a potty with you, then you can always let your little boy use a jar or can, or for little girls, a plastic bucket can work if you ensure a good fit for her.

Urinating Outdoors:Sometimes a bathroom won’t be available when your child has to use the toilet, so you may have to teach them how to urinate outdoors. This isn’t a problem for boys, but little girls must learn to squat so their feet and clothing are out of the way. You can help your daughter by showing her the appropriate position and physically supporting her as she squats. Please also be aware that in some countries, this is forbidden by law if the child is over a certain age.

Source: Pampers

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

Exclusive with ZEKE AND LUTHER’s Adam Hicks

By Karen
STACKS Staffer
July 8, 2009

I am not a morning person. So a few weeks ago when I realized I had to get to the office by 8:30 a.m. for a celebrity video shoot, I was not happy. Not happy at all. But then I met Adam Hicks, and all was forgiven. If you’ve been watching Disney XD’s Zeke and Luther, you know Adam as the sometimes awkward, often zany, always irrepressible Luther.

So I was kind of expecting the Tasmanian Devil to show up for the video shoot. But it turns out that Adam is totally calm, down-to-earth, and cool. AND he loves to read: In addition to the video shoot, Adam also sat down for an interview with Marie (the same goddess who connects THE STACKS with all our celeb coverage – we bow to Marie).

They chatted about the show, plus everything else from books to music to cheetahs (yes, cheetahs). Keep an eye out for the full interview in Scholastic’s magazines in the fall. In the meantime, read on for a sneak peek, not to mention more videos with Adam!

(Q) First of all, let’s talk about Zeke and Luther. Tell me about the plot. 

(A) Okay, it’s about two 15-year-old kids who have this dream of becoming professional skateboarders. They’ve been friends ever since they were 5 years old so this is a dream that they take very seriously. And I play Luther, who’s a 15-year-old zany kid. He’s outrageous, always getting into these sorts of outrageous situations, and I sort of get persuaded from that dream and it’s Zeke’s job to pull me back at any given time.  

(Q) Zeke and Luther is on Disney XD. From what I understand, that channel aims to appeal more to boys than to girls. Do you think that the show is going to be more boy-oriented, or appeal to both?

(A) I honestly think it’s both in a way because Zeke has a younger sister who sort of brings the girl appeal to the show, and it has different situations where it does focus on both. Honestly anyone pretty much can love it. There’s outrageous stunts. It is extreme. So it’s definitely a new type of thing for Disney that they’re doing, and I feel like any gender will love it.

(Q) When you say it’s extreme, what do you mean by that  

(A)  Well, there’s outrageous stunts. We’re always traveling. It’s fast-paced, always moving, lots of music, lots of tricks. Stuff like that.  

(Q) Now, did you skateboard beforehand?

(A)  I did actually have a dream of becoming a professional skateboarder when I was a little kid, but I sort of jumped out of that phase. I had been skateboarding about six years before the show, and then I got the show, so I am pretty good, yeah.  

(Q) Do you have to take classes, work with professionals?

(A) Oh, yeah. We have this professional there, and his name is Jimmy Gorecki. He has helped Hutch and Daniel and me – everyone on set pretty much, and he’s pretty much guided us because skateboarding is always changing. The kids are always bringing new flavor into everything and it’s his job to let us know because we’re not always there to pick up on what the new trend is. He’s helped us so much from the pilot all the way to the end of the season.

(Q) Do you do all your own boarding or do they have stand-ins?

(A) We have a stand-in. My stand-in, his name is Sammy – I mean, he’s amazing. He’s a pro, and he pretty much makes us look great.

(Q) Do you have a personal favorite move?

(A)  A 360 Flip.

(Q) How long did it take you to learn how to do that?

(A) I actually learned it on the show. From Sammy. I had never really understood how to do it, but all you really need is guidance – because it’s complicated, but only in your head. For someone else, they’ve mastered things that you think are complicated, so if you just listen for a second, it’s very easy to pick it up.

(Q) Any scary or funny moments on the board?

(A) Man, I have done things. Yeah. There have been a lot of races and stuff where we just totally came off the board. And I mean, it’s gonna happen. I remember this scene, and I had this huge backpack on and I had to go down this hill. It took at least 20 tries because the backpack kept weighing me down, so every time I jumped on the board, the backpack would come over my head and I would just wipe out immediately. And they didn’t call in our stunt doubles that day, so we had to do it.

(Q) In real life, do you think Luther would be a friend of yours?

(A) Definitely. I think Luther is in every kid really. That’s why I think he has an appeal to every person, girl or boy . . . Have you ever had those moments where you live in that quiet type of abnormal state? Like you live in the outrageous moments? I know in your life you have a couple moments where you shouldn’t have said that or you shouldn’t have done that. That’s sort of Luther all around. He lives in those types of moments: “Oh no, I shouldn’t have done that! Why did I do that?” But he doesn’t realize it. And that’s sort of how I based the character. I looked at other people’s outrageous states and just sort of created him.

(Q) Have you ever met anybody like Luther?

(A) Honestly, no, to tell you the truth. I mean, he has his serious moments. He’s into girls; he’s starting to hit that age, but he’s still outrageous. He wears outrageous clothes. He eats outrageous foods. He doesn’t get it. You can tell him, but he still just won’t listen. And I don’t think it’s that he doesn’t care; he’s just not aware. You can go as far as doing whatever with this character. That’s why I love it.

(Q) Now, I know that you write songs and play the drums. Do you have a band?

(A) Well, we tried a band when I was little, but as I grew up I started hanging with an older group and they sort of influenced me on the hip hop type of music. I know at first look –  I mean, I get this all day long: “What, what? What are you – ?” But actually, Daniel Curtis Lee, who plays Kojo on the show, we make music and we have a whole thing of mix tapes and CDs. We’re working on that right now. And so hopefully that gets launched. So yeah, we make music and I wish you guys could hear some. [Karen] Well, your wish is our command, Adam! Little did he know that we’d eventually get our hands on this  to watch Adam and Daniel’s music video for their remake of MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This”! (in our Video section)

(Q) I’ve heard that animals are a big part of your family’s life and your mom takes in a lot of stray animals. Have you ever been with your mother when she’s rescued an animal?

(A) You have no idea. It’s like daily – yes. Constantly . . . If you talk about an animal lover, then you talk about my mom. Seriously. She’s like 150 percent, all the way – I mean, she’ll drive down the freeway and see a dog off the freeway and get off the freeway and go down to rescue it. I mean she has seven, eight cats. I can’t even – I don’t even know! We have seven or eight cats, two dogs . .

(Q) Silly question about animals – if you could be an animal, what animal would you like to be?

(A) Let me think. Probably a cheetah. Speed, beauty, physique.

(Q) You’ve said that a favorite book of yours is Henry VIII. Do you like biographies?

(A) I do, I do like biographies. I have a weird taste . . . I don’t want to say tragic, but real life stories appeal to me more than stuff. I read a lot of autobiographies, a lot . . . I don’t know, I think it’s more appealing. It draws you in more, does it not? And it’s not just those types of biographies – I’ll read history, stuff on space. It really doesn’t have to do with anything, but just black holes and stuff like that. I find it interesting.  

(Q) If you were going to recommend three books to other kids, what would they be?

(A) The Black Pearl, all the Harry Potters, and The Hobbit. Man, those were good!  

Why exactly does Adam like The Hobbit so much? See what he had to say: We also asked Adam if he had a favorite book series from when he was younger, and he recommended Goosebumps by R. L. Stine. (Coincidentally, Adam also starred in the movie Mostly Ghostly, based on the first book in R. L. Stine’s series of the same name.)

Check out what Adam had to say about Goosebumps: Of course, Adam also loves Stephen King, who’s considered, like, THE master of horror for adults. So that clinches it – not only is Adam not the kind of confused, slightly spastic character he plays on TV, but he’s definitely a much braver soul than I am.

Source: Blog Scholastic

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

14 Year Old Girl Water for 13 hours

By AP
July 1, 2009

 

MORONI, Comoros –  A French official says the 14-year-old girl who is the only known survivor of a crashed Yemeni jetliner is headed home to Paris after being hospitalized in the Comoros with a fractured collarbone.

French minister Alain Joyandet said Wednesday that Bahia Bakari left this island nation on a chartered executive jet.

The Yemenia Airbus 310 jet was carrying 153 people when it went down in howling winds early Tuesday in the sea north of the Comoros Islands.

She is expected to be hospitalized immediately in Paris.

Despite a fractured collarbone, the teenage girl clung to the wreckage of the plane for more than 13 hours before rescuers found her floating in the Indian Ocean.

French officials late Wednesday retracted claims that one of the plane’s black boxes had been found. French Commander Bertrand Mortemard de Boisse told The Associated Press that a signal detected from the debris of Yemenia Flight IY626 was from a distress beacon and not from one of the plane’s black boxes.

The flight data and cockpit voice recorders in those black boxes are crucial to help investigators determine the cause of the crash off this former French colony.

An Associated Press reporter saw 14-year-old Bahia Bakari in a Comoros hospital Wednesday as she was visited by government officials. She was conscious with bruises on her face and gauze bandages on her right elbow and right foot. Her hair was pulled back and she was covered by a blue blanket but she gamely shook the hand of Alain Joyandet, France’s minister for international cooperation.

Her uncle, Joseph Yousouf, said Bahia also had a fracture on her collarbone.

“It is a true miracle. She is a courageous young girl,” Joyandet said, adding that Bahia held onto a piece of the plane from 1:30 a.m Tuesday to 3:00 p.m., then signaled a passing boat, which rescued her.

“She really showed an absolutely incredible physical and moral strength,” he said. “She is physically out of danger, she is evidently very traumatized.”

The girl was traveling with her mother, who is feared dead. They had left Paris on Monday night to see family in the Comoros.

“She’s asking for her mother,” Yousouf told the AP. For fear of upsetting Bahia, Yousouf told her that her mother is in the room next door.

Joyandet said the girl would be flown back to France on Wednesday night and put in a Paris hospital upon arrival. Two ambulances were seen leaving the hospital later Wednesday, and Bahia was believed to be on board.

The passengers were flying the last leg of a journey from Paris and Marseille to Comoros, with a stop in Yemen to change planes. Most of the passengers were from Comoros, sixty-six were French citizens.

The girl’s father told French radio that his oldest daughter could “barely swim” but managed to hang on. Kassim Bakari, who spoke with his oldest daughter by phone, said Bahia was ejected and found herself beside the plane.

“She couldn’t feel anything, and found herself in the water. She heard people speaking around her but she couldn’t see anyone in the darkness,” Bakari said on France’s RTL radio. “She’s a very timid girl, I never thought she would escape like that.”

Sgt. Said Abdilai told Europe 1 radio that Bahia was too weak to grasp the life ring rescuers threw to her, so he jumped into the sea to get her. He said rescuers gave the trembling girl warm water with sugar.

Said Mohammed, a nurse at El Mararouf hospital in the Comoros capital of Moroni, said the girl was doing well.

The crash a few miles off this island nation came two years after aviation officials reported equipment faults with the plane, an aging Airbus 310 flying the last leg of a Yemenia airlines flight from Paris and Marseille to the Comoros, with a stop in Yemen to change planes.

A top French official said the Airbus 310 crashed in deep water nine miles north of the Comoran coast and 21 miles from the Moroni airport.

The French air accident investigation agency BEA was sending a team of safety investigators and Airbus experts to Comoros, an archipelago of three main islands 1,800 miles south of Yemen, between Africa’s southeastern coast and the island of Madagascar.

A respected pilots group, the London-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots Association, said the plane may have been attempting a go-around in rough weather for another approach when it hit the sea.

The 9,558-feet long runway at Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport on Moroni island is adequate for modern airliners. But the airport is considered a difficult one for pilots due to prevailing weather conditions and hills to the east of the runway. Some airlines provide special training to pilots who need to fly in there.

Pilots coming in from the north also must land their planes visually and don’t have any all-weather instrument landing system to help them.

“The field in question is thought of as being challenging, and certain operators consider it a daytime-only airport,” said Gideon Ewers of the London-based pilots’ association.

The Yemenia plane was trying to land in the dark, about 1:30 in the morning, amid bad weather.

French and American teams carried out rescue operations Wednesday, fighting heavy seas. Abdul-Khaleq al-Qadi, chairman of Yemenia’s board, said the black boxes, once retrieved, will be taken to France for analysis.

Rescue boats plied the waters north of the main island and scores of people gathered on nearby beaches to watch.

“The search is continuing,” Joyandet said. “No other survivors have been found.”

A French military cargo plane flew over a zone 50 miles north of Grand Comoros Island, while two inflatable dinghies sent by French forces on La Reunion island combed waters closer to the coast.

“The sea is pretty rough at the present time, the wind is blowing hard and the drift is strong … there are any survivors, the bodies of the victims and the debris are drifting rapidly towards the north,” said Christophe Prazuck, spokesman for the French military.

Col. Dominique Fontaine, who is managing the rescue operations, said that no other plane debris has been found so far.

A tug arrived from the French island of Mayotte to recover survivors, corpses and debris, and a French frigate and another military ship headed to the scene.

The tragedy prompted an outcry in Comoros, where residents have long complained of a lack of seat belts on Yemenia flights and planes so overcrowded that passengers had to stand in the aisles.

French aviation inspectors found a “number of faults” in the plane’s equipment during a 2007 inspection, French Transport Minister Dominique Bussereau said. European Union Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani said the airline had previously met EU safety checks but would now face a full investigation.

Al-Qadi said Yemenia airlines has decided to give the victims’ families $28,300 for each victim, describing it as “a preliminary decision.” The company also will pay for one person from each family to fly to Moroni to witness the search and rescue operation.

Disputing the French claim, he said maintenance was carried out regularly according to high standards.

“The crash has nothing to do with maintenance,” he told reporters in San’a, adding that the aircraft received maintenance just two months before under the supervision of an Airbus technical team.

“The company has been working for 42 years … what happened was out of (anyone’s) control,” al-Qadi said.

Airbus said the plane went into service 19 years ago, in 1990, and had accumulated 51,900 flight hours. It has been operated by Yemenia since 1999.

Source: Fox News

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

Nearly $6.5 million awarded

By Fisher House/PIO
July 1, 2009

Fisher House Foundation now sponsors a scholarship program for military spouses. The program is administered by the National Military Family Association.

Commissaries are an integral part of the quality of life offered to service members and their families. The Scholarships for Military Children Program was created in recognition of the contributions of military families to the readiness of the fighting force and to celebrate the role of the commissary in the military family community. It is the intent of the program that a scholarship funded through contributions be awarded annually for each commissary operated by the Defense Commissary Agency worldwide.

The Scholarships for Military Children Program is funded through the generosity of manufacturers and suppliers whose products are sold at military commissaries, worldwide. We encourage military families to take advantage of their commissary benefits that not only provide a savings of more than 30 percent on the products purchased, but also support the military community through programs such as this scholarship. The purchase of products from these companies fund the scholarship program.

The Fisher House^TM Foundation is honored to be involved with the Scholarships for Military Children Program. Fisher House^TM Foundation provides a “Home Away from Home” near military medical centers for families experiencing a personal medical crisis and is one of the premiere quality of life organizations supporting military families. The Foundation volunteered to underwrite the administration of this program.

One $1500 will be awarded at every commissary location where qualified applications are received. More than one scholarship per commissary may be available based on response and funding. The scholarship provides for payment of tuition, books, lab fees and room and board.

Learn more at www.militaryscholar.org

Source: Fisher House

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

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