Data Privacy Day

From the Data Privacy Day 2010 website:

Data Privacy Day is an international celebration of the dignity of the individual expressed through personal information. In this networked world, in which we are thoroughly digitized, with our identities, locations, actions, purchases, associations, movements, and histories stored as so many bits and bytes, we have to ask – who is collecting all of this – what are they doing with it – with whom are they sharing it? Most of all, individuals are asking ‘How can I protect my information from being misused?’ These are reasonable questions to ask – we should all want to know the answers.

From GeekDad:

But the day is not just about big companies protecting their data, it’s also about you protecting your own data.

You are responsible for your own online activity. You may just be the reason that your privacy is breached. In looking at a recent data breach, “123456″, “12345″, “123456789″ and “password” were the most common passwords.

and

Security experts advise that a password should consist of letters, numbers and even punctuation symbols. They should be changed regularly and you should not use the same password for all your online services.

You are responsible for your kids. The Data Privacy Day 2010 website has some great resources for Teens, Young Adults, and Parents & Kids. Take a look at the FTC’s You Are Here to see some of the problems faced by kids online. Make sure to Visit the Security Plaza to learn about protecting their privacy (online and off). Make sure they have good passwords and understand the privacy implications.

[h/t: GeekDad]

Family Literacy Day

Family Literacy Day takes place every year on January 27. ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation and Honda Canada created the day in 1999 to encourage families to read and learn together. Thousands of Canadians take part in Family Literacy Day events and activities at schools, libraries and literacy organizations.

Dani's got some good ideas for inspiring literacy in your family every day!

Reading is fun! [colouring sheet] ~ [Download the PDF]
[originally published 2007-05-24]





If you're happy and you know it, read a book!
[originally published 2007-02-12]

Daycare infection roulette

Are you feeling lucky?

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

Rushing vs speed

This doodle idea comes straight from The Savvy Source article on Happier Mornings:

Here's the truth of the matter, the more you rush your kids, the slower they will be. As soon as you shriek, Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! We're going to be late! little spikes grow out of the bottoms of their feet. They go into slow motion. The machine all but stops. What's a parent to do?

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

Sugar: The Bitter Truth

From UCTV's website:

Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, explores the damage caused by sugary foods. He argues that fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin.

During his lecture, Dr. Lustig presents a compelling argument suggesting that biochemically, fructose (including high-fructose corn syrup) has long-term metabolic effects on the body as damaging as alcohol.

If you're not able to watch the whole 90 minute video in one shot, it's also available in 10 minute chunks on YouTube.

• Sugar: The Bitter Truth, Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6
• Part 7
• Part 8
• Part 9

[h/t: Joey deVilla]

Things that own you

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

The Writer's Tale

"The Writer's Tale" is a book I'd like to get my hands on. From the BBC website:

For this revised and updated edition of The Writer's Tale, Head Writer and Executive Producer Russell T Davies and journalist Benjamin Cook continue their in-depth discussion of the creative life of Doctor Who to cover the last of Russell's specials, as well as the increasingly successful Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures spin-offs. Candid and witty insights continue throughout a second year’s worth of correspondence, covering David Tennant's final episodes as the Doctor, Russell's own departure from the show, and the legacy that both leave behind as a new era of Doctor Who begins.

With over 300 pages of new material, and taking in events from the entire five years since the show’s return in 2005, The Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter is the most comprehensive - and personal - account of Doctor Who ever published.

SFX has a great post up about "20 Things We Learnt from The Writer’s Tale: The Final Chapter." Things that raised my eyebrows were comments about the possibility of a Torchwood musical and thought of “the Doctor on board the Enterprise, puncturing all that Starfleet pomposity with this sheer Doctor-ness.”

Anyone out there know when this publication is coming to Canada?



Web affiliate links:

• BBC Canada: Check out all your Favorite Doctor Who Products here!
• BBC America: Visit BBC America Shop's Doctor Who close-up to find out more about the longest-running science-fiction television series of all time!
  

How long vs how hard

This sentiment comes to us from Julie Cole's post on "Getting Organized for the New Year":

"The other problem with holding onto sentimental items is the longer you have them, the harder they are to part with."

As a mother of six and co-owner of Mabel’s Labels – Labels for the stuff kids lose!®, you can bet that Julie knows how to be organized!

(Disclosure: I'm a Mabel's Labels web affiliate.)

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

Canadians helping Hatians

The CBC has posted a list of Haitian contacts and relief efforts to which Canadians can contribute.

Delurking week

Out and about in the internet I see that it's delurking week. Some say nationally, others internationally. Is it the start or the end of the week?

To all these uncertainties, I don't have an answer.

Should you be looking to get rid of your lurks though, feel free to leave them here!

Leave a comment to let me know you've left me a lurk.

Pet rocks

Last year, while the weather was warm we collected some smooth "face shaped" rocks from the great outdoors.

Materials:

• small, smooth rocks
• poster paint, markers, googly eyes, fabric bits, glitter, glue, yarn, feathers
  

Instructions:

• let your imagination run wild and decorate at will!

Notes:

• yarn makes great hair
• feathers can make for fun bird rocks

[Cross-posted at Craft Day.]

10% discount at Alli's Originals

About this time last year, I was gifted with an extraordinarily beautiful necklace from Alli's Originals.

Alli's Originals specializes in made-to-order hand stamped, personalized sterling silver jewellery. Alli is an at home Mompreneur who began making jewelry as a hobby over 10 years ago. You can read more about Alli at her blog.

Is there something there that catches your eye? Go for it!

To save 10%, use code ao10%07 at checkout.

Thank you Alli!

Words, words, words...

Two awesome Canadian bloggers had terrific ideas in their pre-Christmas posts.

Denis at Dead Things on Sticks wanted to know your favourite words, while Andrea at A Peek Inside the Fishbowl was curious about your least favourte.

My favourite:

• Hemiballismus
• opprobrium

Not so favourite:

• strategize
• guesstimate

I've shown you mine... now will you show me yours?