Do Participant Trophies Make Children Narcissistic?

Parents know the world is not a forgiving place and want to nurture and build the self-esteem of their children.  This has created the recent trend of Participant Trophies which amounts to praising and rewarding children just for trying or just for even showing up.  However, new research brought to light by award-winning journalist and co-author of two New York Times best-seller, Ashley Merryman, points out the flaws of the Participant Trophy mentality.  She points out that the American Psychological Society "reported that boosting self-esteem doesn't lead to increased kindness, improved academic achievement or career success."  "In a Stanford University experiment, researchers asked preschoolers to draw a picture, but they told some kids that every participating child would receive the certificate.  The children expecting certificates spent less time coloring, and the quality of their drawings declined."  "And, a 2104 study in Psychological Science found that, when kids low in self-esteem were given inflated praise, they worked less and chose easier tasks.  Embarrassed by the insincere fuss, they withdrew."  In the end, "extravagant, universal praise, whether a verbal "You're a genius!" or a tangible trophies, can lead to narcissism."

http://www.costcoconnection.com/connection/201408?pg=22#pg22  

Have you seen any black ghosts?

The Child People team enjoys bringing up-and-coming comedians to the forefront with its Stand Up Comic Spotlight and in this Spotlight, we would like to introduce to you a very funny comedian who you should pay special attention to because we would not be surprised if he becomes a Household Name soon.  Already on his way to stardom, Jasper Redd appeared on TV's The Last Comic Standing where he brought his special brand of humor.  Ever seen any black ghosts?  Why is the Michelin Man white when he is composed of tires from head to toe?  Why is the penny the only colored coin?  Jasper Redd tackles on these funny topics and observations in a hilarious and witty manner.  Enjoy the video clip below.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTXdUPl0Y58

Gold Digger Goes After Music Industry Icon Ted Cohen for Half of His Income

Meet Deborah Sass, this little home wrecker hooked up with music empresario, Ted Cohen in London during 2006 when Ted was still married.  Gasp. You don't say.  This can't be.  Well, the philandering Ted supposedly promised Deborah that he would divorce his wife, marry her, and support her for the rest of her life.  This may have been said during sex...  There should be an exception for promises made that are tied in anyway to sex.  True to his alleged word, Ted did seek divorce from his wife, moved Deborah to LA, bought her a house, and a Mercedes Benz.  [She must really be good in bed.]  Needless to say, the divorce lingered and by 2012 Deborah could not take it, argued bitterly with Ted, and eventually left him by December 2012.  Now she alleges she ran Ted's digital consulting company, TAG Strategic, and wants half of his income for putting in 70 hour work weeks...

See the full story on the TMZ link below.

http://www.tmz.com/2014/08/08/ted-cohen-music-industry-deborah-sass-lawsuit-support/

 

In Defense of Electronic Dance Music (EDM)

Guitarists pluck strings and pianists stroke keys to make a medley of sounds called music, but a different breed of musicians click and tap away on a computer.  Just as it takes musical abilities for a guitarist or pianist to create the right combination of sounds that resonate with listeners so to goes the same for electronic dance music (EDM) DJs who can select and arrange the right sounds together in order to connect with their fans.  Recently, Tom Petty belittled EDM music and Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) founder Pasquale Rotella politely responded, but he did not go far enough to defend the art of EDM.  As one can see from the video below, thousands of people gathered at the recent 2014 Las Vegas EDC and they enjoyed the music created by their favorite DJs just as Tom Petty's music can be enjoyed by his fans.

      
http://www.stereogum.com/1695545/youll-never-believe-this-but-tom-petty-thinks-edm-shows-are-stupid/franchises/wheres-the-beef/





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAmMDG7mFog

Penny Stock Promoter Gets Slap On the Wrist by SEC

Divorce proceedings between Alima Beg Babikian and John Babikian revealed that Mr. Babikian was behind AwesomePennyStocks.com, an online newsletter that promoted worthless penny stocks to greedy investors wishing to make a killing in the stock market.  In a typical "pump and dump" scheme, penny stock promoters such as Mr. Babikian buy large stakes in worthless penny stocks and then begin to hype them all over the internet including to their subscribers and once the price rises to certain level, the promoters dump their shares into the open market and make a killing.  Mrs. Babikian claimed in divorce proceedings that the 26 year-old Mr. Babikian made around $100 million as a penny stock promoter.  It was not long before the SEC caught wind of Mr. Babikian who owned homes in Los Angeles, a collection of cars including a $1 million Bugatti sports cars, and even spent some time living in Monaco.  Now, the SEC has stepped in and slapped Mr. Babikian with a $3.6 million fine without him admitting any wrongdoing which is a nominal sum compared to the amount he made from his dubious venture.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByaotgIddOI