Are Cell Phones and iPods Perils for Pedestrians?
by: Valerie Nay
You see it everywhere and many of us do it ourselves. Whether trying to squeeze the most out of our busy day or out of simple boredom, we talk on the phone or listen to music, news or audio books while we’re walking. The business person trying to get a little work in while going to pick up lunch, the mom or dad having a tense conversation with one of the kids or the teenager listening to her iPod on her way home from school – it’s a normal part of everyday life now.
Most of the controversy around cell phones has been related to driving a car while talking or dialing but they pose a risk to pedestrians, too. Just the other day, I saw a pedestrian almost get hit by a car while walking through the parking lot of the local supermarket – not once, but twice! The first driver saw her at the last minute and thanks to another driver who honked his horn, the driver of the second car stopped moving, too. If you can't already guess, she was talking on her cell phone and was engrossed in her conversation. She kept right on talking - still oblivious, as she walked into the market.
All handheld devices -- cell phones, iPods, Walkmans, and portable CD players -- can pose a safety risk to pedestrians. One of the biggest risks they present is the fact that they are huge distractions for the pedestrian. Often the pedestrian is so engaged in his or her phone conversation, text message or their music that they fail to see what is going on around them. The pedestrian is often focused on other things besides the street or the parking lot.
Another key factor is that cell phones and music players can block the user's hearing so the listener can’t hear what’s going on around them. A critical safety sense is stripped away and it could easily cost someone their life.
Here are some quick reminders to make your walking trips a bit safer.
* Pay attention to what is going on around you! Minimize or remove all distractions that prevent you from staying alert and aware.
* Make yourself as visible as possible and never enter traffic from between parked cars.
* Turn down the volume on your phone, iPod, or other device so you can also hear what’s going on around you.
* Be especially careful in parking lots. Look for back up lights and engine noise to alert you to moving cars.
* Be aware of drivers who may not be paying attention themselves.
* Always be extra cautious at night.
And of course, the gold standards:
* Cross the street in crosswalks only!
* Cross at a corner if there is no crosswalk.
* Look both ways before crossing the street.
* Make sure you are carrying up-to-date emergency contact information as well as identification whenever you leave the house.
Over 5,900 people get killed by cars each year. Thousands more get seriously injured. A little more attention on your part could make a critical difference, so make sure you stay alert to the dangers around you by limiting distractions as much as possible and following the simple safety rules outlined above.
About The Author
Valerie Nay is the founder of http://www.EmergencyContacts.com and writes a free monthly newsletter full of valuable information to help you and your family stay safe.
Secret Tips For Shopping for the Right Wrist Watch for You
by: Korbin Newlyn
The earliest of watches were first carried on a chain and worn around a ladies neck, and were also carried in the seam or a waistband of their dress. Conversely, a man would store their watch in the pocket of their waistcoat. Back in those days the women had more options, as they had the ability to wear their watches on rings or as brooches as well.
Present-Day Watches
Nowadays the most likely way to carry a watch is on your wrist. It is convenient, simple, and can show the time in the most efficient manner. Nevertheless, ever since they first appeared wrist watches have progressed a long way, and nowadays a watch stands for so much more than just simply being a time telling device.
For every occasion there is a wristwatch, and due to the fact that they are so readily available in an extensive assortment at reasonable cost, the majority of people will have more than a few of them to match their every need.
Some likely occasions for which the majority of individuals will have a designated wristwatch; a watch for common everyday use (in regards to our occupation), an additional one for formal wear, and a watch for sports for the times that you go to the gymnasium or practice other types of sports such as, for instance, swimming.
Shopping for a Wristwatch
Since the choice is so extensive, the first thing you must realize is for what occasion or event you are buying a watch, and then appropriate the necessary funds you have for it, this will narrow down your choice. It is crucial that you shop around prior to making your selection, particularly if you are thinking about buying an expensive brand-name watch.
You will find that there are numerous designer brands that make beautiful wristwatches, some of which are considered jewelry pieces in and of themselves. When you are intending on buying this kind of watch, you must be mindful of the quality of the actual jewels themselves and not just the primary function of the watch, because it will not be purchased completely for that sole purpose.
Helpful Tip
Wristwatches that are less expensive are typically bought for everyday use, sports, or other rough types of usage you have intentions for such as camping, hiking etc.. In the event that they break down on you the loss will not be as significant and you can quite easily replace it by purchasing another inexpensive watch.
Brands that are well-known will always give you assurance with great guarantees and always a Swiss movement due to the fact that they have the best. Thus, it is not so much the mechanism itself you should concern itself with, but more to the point if the brand as well as the cost that you are going to pay is actually what you are looking for.
About The Author
Listen to Korbin Newlyn as he shares his insights as an expert author and an avid writer in the field of electronics. If you would like to learn more go to http://www.watchesadvisor.com/ and at http://www.watchesadvisor.com/watch-manufacturers/timex-watch/
What Went Wrong When Children Stop Sharing Their Problems?
by: Jacob Gan
All parents desire that their children share their problems with their parents. However, many children do not share the same desire. Why does such a situation arise?
It is very often painful for children to bring up their problems to their parents. If, what they get in return from their parents are nothing more that irrelevant, and sometimes inappropriate, responses and instructions, the children will feel that it is not worth their trouble to be open with their parents. Also, sometimes, the responses are so disempowering to the children that they are actually not only counter-productive, they can be very damaging to their children's development.
We, as parents, have to understand the reasons why giving out advices without careful understanding is not helpful. We will have to learn to respond to our children's problems in such a way that we empower them to solve their own problems.
We shall now discuss the reasons why giving advices to our children the usaul way is not helpful to our children.
We assume that we know what the problems are and forget to first listen carefully in order to better understand the problems. As a result, due to lack of in-depth understanding of the real issues, the advice that we so readily provide will not be relevant and will not solve the problems.
Without sufficient probing, we may not understand our children’s points of view or perspectives on what trouble them. As a result we do not provide the solutions that our children need. When our children share conflict that they are having with their friends, we may start advising them on how to stay away from those friends while they actually may be feeling guilty for not treating their friends right and want to gain the courage to apologize to their friend. As a result we may be doing further damage to relationships that they are trying so hard to salvage.
In our eagerness and haste to provide the counsel, we forget to extend empathy to our children for the problems they are facing. Our children will not feel connected to us, and they may feel that whatever suggestions we provide have no bearings on their problems and are unlikely to be accepted.
As we are the one dishing out the advice, if the advice turns out to be good, the credit goes to us and not to our children. On the other hand, if the advice is taken and implemented but does not turn out to be successful, it is taken to be our children’s fault as the advice is likely to have been one that was successful when followed by another person. In this case, it is a lose-lose situation for our children because if the advice is successful, we claim the credit and if it is a failure, it is a reflection of our children’s incompetence and stupidity.
We take the position of the experts who have the knowledge and wisdom and we talk down when we give advice, instead of speaking as equals. We treat our children as if they have neither the knowledge nor the skills to handle the problems. It is a one-way traffic and likely to be resented by our children because they feel that we treat them as if they have nothing good to share with us.
We give the message that we think our children cannot develop the solutions themselves. This is disempowering for our children and will do great harm to our children’s development.
We do not show appreciation for the efforts our children have taken in solving their own problems. This will discourage them to take great efforts in coming up with their own solutions and taking the necessary steps to solve the problems when other problems crop up in the future.
They may just want to share their problems with us and do not want or need any counsel from us at all. Whatever advice we provide may not only be futile, but damaging to our children’s self esteem.
We shall now discuss what we shall take into consideration when we respond to our children's sharing of the issues that they face.
How are you going to understand their problems and help your children gain a better understanding of their own problems so that they can develop their own solutions? As parents, we encourage our children to connect the various aspects of the problem that trouble them in order to help them to have a good grasp of the specific issues that trouble them and encourage them to develop their own solutions.
How are you going to show sufficient empathy with your children so that they feel fully connected with you enough to express their real thoughts and feelings and be receptive of what wisdom you may have to offer? Our children want to feel that we are there with them - not just physically, but emotionally as well. We want them to feel that we do feel the way they feel. It is vital that we do not belittle their feelings.
How are you going to make the situations "win-win" for them? That is, how are you going to encourage them to develop their own solutions and they take the credit when they succeed and also take the credit for the efforts taken when they fail? If they are the ones who come up with the solutions they should be the ones who claim the credits when they succeed. On the other hand, if they fail, provide the encouragement that they have taken the efforts which are by themselves very admirable. When they fail, encourage them to get up again, examine the reasons for failure and try again.
The last, but definitely not the least, question is this: “What else can you do to make them feel that it is always good for them to bring their problems to you?”
About The Author
Jacob Gan PhD (Michigan) has more than 20 years of teaching experience in a university and 8 years of business/industrial experience after graduation. He writes for http://succezz.com, http://JacobGan.com, http://JacobEducation.com, http://DemystifyCancer.com, http://understanding-orchids.com, http://motivate2success.com and http://JacobLearning.com. He hosts http://Jacob.TheeLearningcentre.com, an elearning portal.
