Television - Travel & Maps - Wall Street - Weddings

PARENT'S PAGE 10

The television networks say that what they offer children is good for their development.
All those who believe it please raise your hands. I have some real estate down in the Everglades that I'd like to sell you ... real cheap.

TELEVISION
When you can, read Marshall McLuhan's essays ... the medium is the message.

Then on the lighter side (not to undermine the serious problem of TV violence, and violence in schools) ... there's this young boy in LA allegedly twisted the nose of his friend with a pair of pliers and threw multiple pies at ladies at an art gallery after watching a Three Stooges rerun ... So is TV doing a number on children? ... you bet.

Entertainment... what's in the movies, what's on TV tonight, who are the celebrities - good.
TV Free America... trying to set the clock back ... but their message is excellent.
PBS... channel 13, some programs are really worth watching, in spite of admonitions below.
TV Guide... enter your Zip code for listings, and/or customize your setup if you register.

ABC CBS CNN DSC FAM FOX
HBO HIS HIS SHO TCM UPN

Return to ... Menu

I wish there was a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence...
There's a knob called brightness, but it doesn't work.

Remember Bart Simpson's comment to his mother? ... "It's just hard not to listen to TV ... it's spent so much more time raising us than you have" ... Take warning.

MARSHALL McLUHAN

Marshall McLuhan was a Canadian philosopher, a communications specialist and educator, whose aphorism, "the medium is the message" summarized his view of the potent shaping influence of the media: radio, television, computers, and all other electronic disseminators of information upon styles of thinking and thought, whether in the field of sociology, art, science, or religion.

He was one of the most prophetic voices of our time ... Briefly, his message was that it is not so much the contentof any medium, but the very medium itself that shapes the thinking of the veiwer ... and can be most damaging for future learning.

So an example might be a child watching TV ... even as a 6 month old baby, the child can be entertained by the medium without any effort (sees colors, shapes, forms, movement, etc). Now the child is required to learn to read ... this takes effort. Why should this child exert himself when he was conditioned to be entertained without any effort ... all his upbringing.

Another example ... we know that learning requires, to some extent, "postponing immediate gratifications" Now, why should this child, who has been conditioned to seeing what is happening on the other side of the world ... and while sitting in his own livingroom, and with no time lag between the event and his seeing it ... now why should he be able to postpone the immediate moment (his immediate gratification), and give time and effort, to learning what must be learned in school, or even in the privacy of his home ... "I want what I want and I want it now, and not only now, but I want it with the ease of a click on the remote control."

Sorry, excuse the use of "his" ... girls can be equally damaged. We know that true learning (if it is worthwile) takes time and effort, patience and perspiration, and certainly the ability to postpone the thrills of success. Give it time and the results are all the more gratifying.

McLuhan saw two factors working ... time and effort ... and these are messages delivered by the television that has done havoc to our society, and will continue to do so until addressed honestly. Of course, the media will deny this because, well, you guess the reason.

In the United States (and now other countries too), we can see the problem another way: "How can a society that exists on instant mashed potatoes, packaged cake mixes, frozen dinners, and instant cameras teach patience to its young?" No, those are not my words (they were said by someone named, Paul Sweeney).

To bring it up to date, people in the US watch TV for more than four hours a day. That's equivalent to sitting in front of a TV for two full months nonstop every year. It's not for nothing that TV has been called the plug-in drug, the boob tube, and the idiot box. For more information, see factsheets and research.

It's time to redefine television, from Greek tele- (far) + Latin vision- (view), as something that deserved to be seen far, far away. Instead, get closer to books. Cut your screen time and increase your page time.

TRAVEL & MAPS

Access-able Travel Source... information that mature & disabled travelers will appreciate.
Airline Fare Finder... select point of departure, destination, and time ... and the info is given.
America's Roof... click any state, and you get the highest point ... great for hikers.
Architecture... this site can prove useful if you don't feel like fighting hordes of tourists.
Cheat Sheet for Travelers... current exchange rate and currency converter for all nations.
CitySearch... from Las Vegas to Copenhagen, you get a wide range of listings and content.
CLUI... not exactly a "city guide", but a wonderful assortment of interesting land-use sites.
Concierge - travel resources, from cruise guides to travel and bed & breakfast deals.
CultureFinder... lets you search for coming exhibits and performances by city and date.
Currency Converter - nobody at any border is going to fool you; here's all the info you need.
CyberRouter... enter starting and destination points, click Goand receive a travel plan.
DigitalCity... covers approx 60 major cities in the USA ... sorry if your town is missing.
Excite... zoom in to a city, and there you are in Central Park ... just don't get mugged.
Foreign Language for Travelers... learn any language with reading and real audio ... Ciao.
Global Time... the local time for a specific location, correctly adjusted for daylight savings.
Greatest Places... great place for a child (and adult) to learn about geography and biology.
Greyhound... leave all the driving to them ... here's where you get your fares and schedules.
Hotels.com... great for making reservations; best prices at the best places right online.
How far is it?... calculates distance between cities ... also gives map and driving directions.
Kosher Grocer... easy to get Kosher food in Brooklyn, but what do you do in Oshkosh?
Local... click on a city, and get the latest local news, sports, and entertainment information.
Local Time... what time is it in Oshkosh? ... zoom into the city, and you get the answer.
Lycos... same as Excite, though I see this site also gives today's lowest air fares.
MapBlast... enter the address, and you see the actual street and surrounding neighborhood.
MapQuest... planning the trip, creating the map, and getting directions ... bon voyage.
Maps On Us... choose to view a map or find directions to the address you specify.
Maps & Directions... compliments of AOL ... and it it very easy to use.
MedicinePlanet... health resource for world travelers before, after, and during a trip.
Netscape... book a flight, a car, a hotel ... my question is ... "Do you really have to get away?"
Political Maps... population, ancestry, income, education, household types, and commuters.
Real-Time Traffic - before leaving on that errand, or going home from the office, check it.
Road Construction - helps you avoid road construction delays during your various auto trips.
Roadside America - less famous, but equally thrilling off-th-ramp national treasures in the USA, like the world's largest thermometer and the double-decker outhouse, with photos.
Sidewalks - you can enter a zip code to get local information ... alas, it's consumer oriented.
Subway Navigator... select your city and find routes in the world's subway systems.
TerraServer... what your neighborhood looks like from space ... zoom in and take a look.
Time Out - wake up in some city with a foggy morning mind and want to know what's around.
Time Zones... zoom in and you get the current time in any of the major cities of the world.
TrafficStation... provides real-time traffic maps where you can check out traffic conditions.
Travel Adventures... do you enjoy traveling, but don't like to go anywhere. I know that sounds odd, but it's kinda why this site was created. It's around the world in 80 clicks. Just pick your continent and start clicking around. Learn all about the different countries, cities, locations, and landmarks. Then, of course, you always have the option of seeing the place firsthand. There's even a surprise trip link that will take you to some unknown destination. Not literally, of course. The best part about the digital experience: there's no chance of losing your luggage..
Travel.Org... click on a continent to begin browsing for travel links to your destination.
Travel Warnings... dangers we face in country by country ... what about in our owncities.
USA CityLink... you pick a city ... where to stay, eat, go to the john/jane, the weather, etc.
VISA Locator... enter an address and get a map and an address list of the nearest ATMs.
Weather... enter the airport code or city name, and you get information on its weather.
Weather Hub... for weather buffs who would like to compare and contrast weather sites.
Weather Report... enter a city's name and get the forecast and current conditions.
World Atlas and Maps... maps and geographical info for major world cities and oceans.
Zip2.com... a convenient way to search for business, people, and events all across America.
Zip Code... that's all you'll find here ... didn't you ever want to know that ZIP+4 ???.
Return to ... Menu

A bit of trivia ... the first three digits of the ZIP code, (zip meaning "zoning improvement plan") was invented in 1963 by Robert Moon, a career postal employee. The first 3 digits refer to a general region of the country and the final digits nail down smaller delivery areas, the particular post office as we know it.

According to a recent study, someone is run over by a car every five minutes in the city.
You'd think the guy would have enough sense to get out of the street.

This traveler finally ends up in Venice ... looks around and sends this telegram home.
STREETS FILLED WITH WATER. PLEASE ADVISE.

And more on the subject ... remember this ... wherever you go, there you are. No escaping.

WALL STREET

There's only one good thing about inflation.
The money you don't have isn't worth as much as it used to be.

Best Calls... here are the the "conference calls" giving to investment analysts ... inside info?
Careers-WSJ... Need a job? Select your area in the Wall Street Journal Careers Page.
Cassandra's - a place for women to talk about money, investing and personal growth.
Currency - scores of links, stock advice, financial calculators ... all about money. .
Datek Online - the place for trading, low cost, and lot's to be made if you have the smarts.
eBay - not exactly wall street, but plenty of auctioning, bidding, buying, trading - it's close.
Financial Times - has live quotes with a running tape, and you can check the performance of financial markets around the globe, from currencies to commodities, from the Hang Seng to the NASDAQ. There are also insightful columns, special reports, and concise profiles of several countries and industries. Even if you aren't a business or finance person, the world news coverage is excellent. There's even an opportunity to speak your mind in their forums.
Fool.com - thirteen steps to investing foolishly ... and you don't have to be too smart.
ICB... provides a portal to annual reports from more than 3,500 publicly traded companies.
Investing for Kids... examines stocks, bonds, mutual funds and the like ... and it teaches the principles of saving and investing ... it also includes a stock game (site is good for adults too).
Investor Guide... see tour: why the site, why you should use it, and how you should use it.
Invest-o-rama... ratings, annual reports, quotes, and more on the company of your choice.
Investing - enter company name - get the symbol and latest quotes - including spreadsheet.
Invest Smart... the secret of smart stock investing ... a takeoff on Monopoly I suppose.
Just Quotes... enter ticker symbol or company name and you get the quotes ... and more.
Ka-Ching... tries to entertain as well as inform on investments ... good confidence builder.
Market Watch... what's the DOW doing and where's the DOW going -- well, at least doing.
Money Life... geared to women with an emphasis on live chat on investment matters.
Personal Finance... personal investing, banking, mortgages, insurance, retirement, and more.
Quicken... latest quotes on all averages plus individual listings for specific quotes.
Stocksheet... access reports on more than 8,000 public companies - ticker symbol or name.
Raging Bull - here you tap into the thoughts and ideas of other investors on the front line.
RealTime.com - you can sign up for free access to actual real-time, live stock quotes.
Stock Smart... this baby has a ticker plus graph links ... you control ticker with mousey.
Streetwhiz... Jay Leibowitz, age 14 (NY Times 2/25/99) teaches investing basics.
Timely.com... charts, quotes, indicators ... enter the code and there's the up-to-date chart.
Smart Money... brought to you by the Wall Street Journal Magazine of Personal Business.
The Syndicate... covers the stock market, the bond market, mutual funds, and whatever.
Wall Street Week - Louis Rukeyser has been holding court here for more than two decades.
Waterhouse - a full range of brokerage, banking and mutual fund products and services.
Women's Institute - a selection of resources for women of all ages and circumstances.
Women's Wire - helps both novices and seasoned investors find just what they need.
Return to ... Menu

A Satisfied Taxpayer... you can pay your taxes in toilet seats and screw drivers.
Basics of Economics... 21 principles that every high school graduate should understand.
Frugality vs Hedonism... listening to this interesting argument, I'll take frugality.
Money... what money can buy, what money can't buy; I'm sure you know the answers.
Secret to Wealth and Success... simple algebra, a few substitutions, and voilá ... success.
Rules of Life... Bill Gates gives eleven rules students do not learn in school.
Stock Scams... how to protect yourself against the sharks; there are too many out there.

One of these days, I'm going to invest in a startup. I'll buy low and sell high, since that's about the only thing I remember from high school Economics class. I also seem to recall something about "laissez faire." And don't let me stop you from looking up what that means. It's French.

Always remember, when anyone ever says to you ... "It ain't the money, but it's the principle of the thing," ... yep, it's the money ... you can count on it.

And always remember that your "broker is the person you trust to help you make major financial decisions ... that's all right, but please note the first five letters of this word spell ... "broke" ... I'm sorry about that, but I didn't make up the word.

WEDDINGS

The Knot... fashions, bridal gowns, gifts, beauty/etiquette tips, and planning/budgeting.
Wedding Bells... you can choose your country and then get the appropriate information.
Wedding Channel... same as The Knot, plus honeymoon information and a groom's corner.
Wedding Network... gift registrations, email service, chats, and bridal consultations.
Return to ... Menu... or ... Navigator.

A FEW MARRIAGE QUOTES

If it weren't for marriage, men would go through life thinking they had no faults at all.

The great secret of successful marriages is to treat all disasters as incidents, and none of the incidents as disasters ... in other words, dim your vision.

And "you don't love a woman because she is beautiful, but she is beautiful because you love her." (Annonymous) ... though I seem to remember that this thought was the last line spoken in that great movie, "Mr. Skeffington" staring Betty Davis and Claude Rains.

How's this one ... "Marriage has no guarantees. If that's what you're looking for, go live with a car battery."

And a note on Women's Lib ... Gloria Steinhem once remarked ... "I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine marriage and a career."

"YES, BUT . . ." IS AT YOUR OWN RISK

Everyone wants to be heard -- especially your spouse. When he or she says something, it's important to make it plain that you understand the meaning behind those words --particularly if you're going to disagree.

For example, if your partner says, "I'm unhappy with the way you're handling the household finances," it would be a mistake on your part to answer by saying, "Yes, but you never put the bills on my desk, so I don't know when they're due."

On the surface, "yes, but" seems like a simple, offhanded remark. More often than not, it's an underhanded way of saying, "I don't really care about what you're saying. I'm not listening." It would be better to come right out and say that you totally disagree with the remark. That's more honest, and it may generate some constructive dialogue.

If you disagree with something your partner has said, make sure he or she knows that you've been listening. Then disagree in a way that's likely to create an atmosphere of cooperation. For example, you may say something like: "I can see that we're having a problem coordinating our bill paying. Let's talk about finding a better way to handle it." Now if I would only take my own advice...

THE MATHEMATICS OF MARRIAGE

Marriage comes in three varieties: the singular marriage, the twosome marriage and the three-dimensional marriage.

  1. In a singular marriage, one partner is completely consumed by the dominant other, as he or she cedes their will and identity to serve the other's will and identity. Two have joined to become one, yet theirs is not so much a union as a singularization: either one abnegates one's own understanding, feelings and very self to the other's, or one's ego swallowes up the other's mind, heart and very being..

  2. In the twosome marriage, each partner preserves his or her distinction as an individual. They share thoughts, feelings and resources, and deeply affect and are affected by each other; but each does so on his own terms, assimilating the marital bond as part of his own experience and identity. So what we have here is not a union, only a "relationship" between individuals..

  3. Then there is marriage in its true and ultimate sense: a marriage in which two individuals collaborate in the creation of a third reality which suffuses and embraces them both, while preserving their differences as the very dynamics of their union. A true marriage houses not a single, all negating being, nor two distinct beings, but a threesome that is the essence of unity: the individual selves of the marriage partners, and the marriage itself-the "third element" within whose context their two beings unite into a harmonious whole.

Finally, the derivation of "Honeymoon" ... The month after marriage, or whatever time is spent away from home; so called from the practice of the ancient Teutons of drinking honey-wine (hydromel) for thirty days after marriage. Attila, the Hun, indulged so freely in hydromel at his wedding-feast that he died.

It seems it was the custom of the higher order of the Teutons to drink mead or metheglin, a beverage made from honey, for thirty days after ay wedding. From this comes the expression, "to spend the honeymoon" ... W. Pulleyn: Etymological Compendium, 8, 9, pg. 142.

Formula For Success: I BELIEVE + I CAN + I WILL = I DID.

Return to ... Menu... or ... Navigator... or on to ... Next Page.

1