Jamie Janosz

Yogi Bear and Bugs Bunny have something in common. They are both cartoon characters, of course. But, they also both have a knack for getting themselves in trouble and coming out unscathed. In December, a full feature will appear telling the story of Yogi Bear. The movie poster instantly brought back memories of Saturday morning cartoons featuring the loveable Yogi Bear roaming the campgrounds in search of delicious picnic baskets. My family camped at Jellystone Parks as well – distinguished by Yogi’s funny face blown up into huge billboard signs. Everybody loved Yogi – even though he was up to no good. The same was true of Bugs Bunny. In very similar cartoons, the crazy rabbit would take daring risks and somehow always manage to escape trouble. Things are always exploding on him – but he never dies. Fortunately, both Yogi and Bugs had side kicks who loved them and looked out for them. Yogi had Boo Boo – his childlike bear companion. Boo Boo Bear is not Yogi’s son, although he is...

A recent study said that teens who “hyper-text” may be more at risk for problems with sex, alcohol, and drugs. By “hyper-text” they mean teens that text more than 120 times a day. Knowing some of the teens that I do – that number does not seem out of reach. I am sure this news worries some parents, particularly those whose teens have the cell phone in hand during almost every humanly possible activity. I’ve seen teens texting while talking to another person. They text in class. They text on the bus. They text while doing homework. Some text while driving. Communicating through texting has become as natural to them as conversing – and far more convenient. The study was performed at 20 public high schools in the Cleveland area. More than four thousand teens participated in a confidential survey. Why is it a cause for concern? 1) Parents do not know how much their teens are texting. Recently a friend of ours said she received a print out of her 16-year-old daughter’s cell phone...

I'm a movie buff. And, a new tradition in our family is movie night. We love to put a movie in the DVD (or, yes, the VHS player), pop some popcorn, and settle down to watch. My husband and I have enjoyed introducing some of our favorite films to our daughter. This allows us to have a shared culture - things that we reference that she now gets as well. Now that she is getting a bit older, she is able to appreciate and handle movies that we all enjoy. Here are a few we have enjoyed sharing: 1) THE PRINCESS BRIDE - This live-action film is witty and funny and timeless. The dialogue has great quotes that you and your kids will repeat to one another. It will even work with younger children as there is enough action to keep them entertained. And - it spans both boys and girls. There is love and romance and action and humor. 2) WHAT ABOUT BOB? - This is an 80s comedy starring Richard Dreyfus and Bill Murray. Bill Murray plays a psychiatric patient who suffers from extreme anx...