The Year 2025....

For most parents, especially those of us on our LAST kid, the graduating year of that kid is a pivotal moment. 

We are on a COUNTDOWN like no other. Let me be the first to say it. 

The difference for some of us is this....

We know parenting isn't OVER on that magical graduation day. 

Yes, there steps that are going to be made. School. Work. SOMETHING. 

Yes, there will be more free time for the parent as they transition hopefully from DOING THEIR JOB TO THE FULLEST to doing more for themselves. You've heard the sayings so I don't have to list them.. You've probably said them, live by them, etc... 

All of that exists to varying degrees for almost every parent at this stage but we ALL KNOW that it isn't over. 

They still usually need us in some capacity. 

Does that mean that we need to be on the immediate standby that we were on during their K-12th grade years?

NO. In fact, one should go live a little. Duh! It also doesn't mean that there won't be times when your young adult needs you. Hopefully, you've equipped them with all the tools they need to survive and if you are the 'sink or swim' type of parent, your conscious can be clear as you watch them doggy paddle through Life. This is where things start to split. 

The 'enabling' parent. Any kind of help is enabling in this case. Don't believe me. Ask anyone who didn't get any help. That's their stance. lol So we are just going to go with it. I'm being sarcastic here. Also, some folks don't consider free attendance to college, getting a job via their parents, etc help either so there's that..

Versus

The parent that doesn't 'enables' their children by letting them fail on their own miserably at first, only to come back and help with all kinds of ' I told you so.." The one that could have helped, let the kid refuse help, and then ends up having to help them when they are older when both parties have built of resentment. The 'child' needs help but they don't want to take it from the parent, who is now on their horse about the failures of the past. Failures that the parent probably pushed on the kid by putting pressure on them to do certain things and offering either help with heavy dose of control or no help at all. 

Most of us are TRUTHFULLY trying to fall in the middle. Letting them learn along the way but not letting them do damage or using our own experiences as a punishment towards them because 'we had to go through it' as the sole reason. It's bullshit. You are supposed to be a BETTER PARENT than your parents. Even if you were parents were GREAT. That's the bar. 

2025 is the last time I get to put that into practice. This kid is a totally different kid than my others. You also get better at parenting as you go or well YOU SHOULD. There are couple of things I've already done to hopefully make 2025 smooth. There's another factor with the real possibility of her playing collegiately in her sport so that changes the dynamic as I will want to see that. 

My situation is different because since I am a male, we usually aren't 'expected' to show up until graduation and then MAYBE if the kid does something in college. I said 'expected' like that because truth be told, there are some men who aren't involved at all. Until the day the kid walks the stage... Prior to that time, they spend their time ducking their responsibilities, putting it on the Mother and all of that stuff. 

I'm not that dude. Never been that dude. Being widowed didn't make me not that dude. That was NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. 

This is a situation that is not the product of that. I was who I was when I got here..- Jay-Z paraphrased. 

A real Father. Put in time and not just money Father. As I SHOULD BE so hold your applause. It's okay. Really. I have enough people who let me know I'm doing a FINE job. That doesn't change the facts. 

The facts are also that because I am this way AND I'm by myself, my shit gets put under the microscope extra hard. I'm also expected to abandon my kids if I want someone in my Life. Maybe even for her kids to some extent...

Or so I thought.. 

Finding out there are plenty of good women, attractive in both body and spirit to me, that DON'T FEEL THIS WAY. At all. 

This is makes the journey worth it more a bit. Oh, I was going to complete it ANYWAY because that's my job/mission/pleasure to do. I thought it was possible the entire time but Life is gonna Life and it dealt a blow to the plans. 

The fire is still there though. So are the options. So are the options.... 

Good luck to all of you parents, not only in 2025 but before and after.*

Remember, you are enough and it is worth it. All of it. 

Those that don't understand just don't need to be around and please don't give that understanding to someone else who won't truly give it to you back. It should be reciprocal. 

Keep going. Your kids will appreciate it hopefully but more importantly, you'll know that you did your best. 

*That graduating year of 2025 will be a CIVIL DAY on my end. I'm there for my kid. That's it. Hope all will be there for their kid only too. 

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(Words/SWIPE) A Word For Teenagers

Not mine although I have told mine similar things..

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Of course that driving school I told you Mercedes Benz was opening would be in LA..

No shade to them but I need that on THIS COAST. Please and thank you.

The presser:

MERCEDES-BENZ FIRST TEEN DRIVING SCHOOL IN THE UNITED STATES TO OPEN IN LOS ANGELES

MONTVALE, NJ – Mercedes-Benz USA announces today that it is opening the company's first Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy in Los Angeles in October 2011, offering a fully integrated driver's education program and school that incorporates online, classroom and behind-the-wheel training for Los Angeles-area teens.

The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is unveiling details for its teen driving school at the annual California State PTA Convention, where approximately 2,500 California PTA members are attending from April 28 – May 1, 2011 in Long Beach, CA.

Mercedes-Benz is appointing Carolyn Duchene as Director for the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy, and she will be responsible for the launch and management of daily operations. A Mercedes-Benz USA employee since 1994, Duchene has held several positions in the areas of marketing, digital media, training and education, and customer service.

"In addition to a unique educational approach, our highly qualified staff will be a key differentiator for the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy. We are recruiting and hiring the best talent for all areas of operation," said Duchene. "The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy will connect with students and parents using a personalized, customer-centric approach that truly creates a unique offering among driver's education services for new teen drivers."

In preparation for its fall launch, the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is actively recruiting uniquely qualified driving instructors, who will be groomed to deliver the Academy's research-based program in a highly effective coaching style. The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy instructors are going to be Mercedes-Benz employees and eligible to receive Mercedes-Benz USA benefit packages.

Several auto manufacturers and third-party organizations are currently offering teen driving programs which primarily focus on crash avoidance and defensive driving exercises. However, Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy aims to be the only car manufacturer to offer a California DMV-approved program, fully integrated with the Graduated Driver Licensing framework. The goal of the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is to prepare students for today's driving environment by going beyond basic car control skills and rote learning of traffic rules.

The core program utilizes multiple teaching techniques and delivery methods ranging from online learning to interactive classroom sessions and behind-the-wheel training. The program will incorporate approaches such as digital animation to visualize road hazards in an online program, problem-solving exercises in the classroom, and hands-on experience of risky situations and in-car coaching techniques based on questioning rather than instruction. This approach is combined with consistent feedback from driving coaches to parents, which aims to assist them in planning their supervised driving practice. The overall collective curriculum aims to benefit and appeal to the vast spectrum of learning-styles which will ensure greater engagement and absorption of skills and knowledge.

A fully integrated California-focused curriculum will take a student from their instruction permit license stage through their provisional license. Other offerings include an on-road only curriculum for those who have chosen to complete their driver education requirement through other means, and a tailored program that takes into account individual driver's needs to further develop and improve driving skills.

"Vehicles, highways, and the driving environment have changed dramatically over the past 60 years, however driver education remains relatively unchanged in the U.S.," said Alexander Hobbach, Senior Manager of Business Innovation at Daimler AG. "Mercedes-Benz feels there is opportunity to better prepare teens for today's driving conditions, and while our offering will have premium pricing over existing schools, we are dedicated to delivering significant value based on unique coaching methods and curriculum that is aimed at teaching new teens how to drive safely."

The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is working with several advisors in the finalization of its proprietary curriculum including Daniel R. Mayhew, Senior Vice President of the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF); Allan Williams, Ph.D., former Chief Scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS); and Bill Combs, Executive Director of the Driver Education and Training Administrators and former Director of Communications at the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).

"A teenager's ability to drive safely should be one of the most important priorities for parents and it is extremely imperative that parents take a very active part in this process from researching driving schools to following through on supervised driving," said Mayhew.

Beyond curriculum development that sets new industry standards, The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is building on strategic partnerships in an effort to raise awareness about teen driver safety and to also engage educators and parents to ultimately combat the leading cause of deaths among teens, which is motor vehicle crashes according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy, in conjunction with Impact Teen Drivers, will be delivering a public service outreach program through 2-hour parent/teen workshops, delivered in local Los Angeles- area high schools. These workshops will raise awareness on the importance of teaching teens the proper way to drive. Through interactive work groups, parents and their children will discuss the responsibility they have to each other when it comes to driver education while acknowledging that driving is an important part of teenager's life that leads to more freedom and independence. With the help of the California PTA, approximately twenty schools will be identified to host the workshops beginning late summer.

"The opportunity to have Mercedes-Benz step-up to work with Impact Teen Drivers and law enforcement and education partners to offer driver safety seminars at no cost to Los Angeles-area schools is commendable," said Kelly Browning, PhD, executive director of Impact Teen Drivers. "It is crucial that we educate teens and empower them to promote the safe driving message in order to have a fundamental and sustained behavior shift. This isn't about bad kids doing bad things, but good kids making poor choices. One poor choice can alter or end their lives and the lives of those they care about."

Impact Teen Drivers, Inc., which was founded by the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, the California Teachers Association, and California Casualty, provides education to teens and parents regarding the dangers of reckless and distracted driving through breakthrough campaigns delivered online and in schools.

Committed to raising the level of driver education and increasing road safety, the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy continues Mercedes-Benz long-standing corporate dedication to driver safety. For continuous updates before the October 2011 opening and employment opportunities, please visit mbdrivingacademy.com for information.

About Mercedes-Benz USA

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and customer service for all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. MBUSA offers drivers the most diverse line-up in the luxury segment with 12 model lines ranging from the sporty C-Class to the flagship S-Class sedans and the SLS AMG supercar.

MBUSA is also responsible for the distribution, marketing and customer service of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Vans in the US. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found at www.mbusa.com and www.mbsprinterusa.com.

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Ivy League bound student in Florida pistol whips her mother.....

I mean..yeah...I am not saying she wouldn't have hit me....I am not saying that it wouldn't have happened. I am not even saying I wouldn't have called the cops. What I am saying is that the NANO SECOND SHE PUT THAT GUN DOWN, that would be her ABSOLUTE ASS. That's all I am saying...The cops would have had to come aight...To pull me up off her ass....If she wasn't dead yet..Fuck a scholarship...she might wanna be glad she could still breath without help...

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Mercedes-Benz opens a driving school for teens...Damm that..I wanna go!

Oh wow....Here is the actual press release:


* The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is set to open in the U.S. in late 2011 to offer teen driver's education
* Designed using a unique combination of interactive classroom sessions, online learning and behind-the-wheel training that leverages state-of-the-art teaching methods and use of supervised practice within the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) framework
* Focused on making young people better and safer drivers through an innovative driver's education approach

Mercedes-Benz USA announces today that in late 2011 it is planning to offer driver's education with the aim of teaching teenagers the skills and competencies for safe and enjoyable driving.

At the core of Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is an innovative driver's education approach that reflects the best teaching methods from around the world that is currently being finalized and specifically tailored to the U.S. environment.

The research-based approach is being designed to improve the effectiveness of time spent in the classroom, online, and behind-the-wheel. The goal of the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is to prepare students for today's driving environment by going beyond basic car control skills and rote learning of traffic rules.

Research clearly identifies that the standard U.S. formula of 30-hour in-class education followed sequentially by 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training cannot reasonably be expected to transform a non-driver into a safe driver1.

"Despite the dramatic changes in vehicles, highways, and the driving environment over the past 60 years, driver education remains relatively unchanged in the U.S.," said Alexander Hobbach, Senior Manager, Daimler AG. "The skills required to simply get a license do not fully prepare young drivers to meet the demands of the road. Mercedes-Benz recognizes this issue and as a result is creating an educational program for the U.S. that is based on the best teaching methods and tools available."

Mercedes-Benz has been working with international driver education experts to develop an innovative curriculum-based program. A Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy in the U.K. was launched for the first time in 2009 based on this curriculum and since then 4,500 students have enrolled in the program. Amongst those who already obtained their driver's license and participated in the program, had a first-time pass rate of 79 percent – nearly double the U.K. national average of 43 percent.

Mercedes-Benz is combining insights and key elements of the U.K. curriculum and delivery methods with U.S. DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) requirements to develop the integrated program that is going to be offered at the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy in the U.S. later this year. Mercedes-Benz has already met with DMV representatives to discuss the development of an integrated curriculum that fulfills all state requirements, which positions the Company as the first and only auto manufacturer to offer a complete, state-certified driving school in the U.S.

"As a company, we have a long history and continuous efforts to improve vehicle safety so the Driving Academy is a natural extension of Mercedes-Benz desire to achieve accident-free driving," said Hobbach. "With only 10 percent of crashes being a result of technical failure and 90 percent due to human error, Mercedes-Benz sees an opportunity to actively improve drivers' skills, focusing first on novice drivers, who are most at risk on U.S. roads."

It is well known that there is a disproportionately high driving incident rate among teen novice drivers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the U.S. In fact, teens aged 16-19 are four times more likely to crash than adults. While technology has led to more driver distractions, especially for teens, driver's education is being offered in fewer and fewer high schools in the U.S. That is why many organizations and experts are seeking ways of improving driver's education.

"Driving is one of the most important skills that a teen can learn, and it is extremely important that parents do their research before sending their child to a driving school," said Daniel R. Mayhew, Senior Vice President, Traffic Injury Research Foundation. "Getting parents and teens working together is one crucial step among many that can better prepare beginner drivers."

Due to the alarming rate of teen deaths caused by motor vehicle collisions, national and state legislators, regulators, law enforcement, public agencies and other safety advocates have worked hard over recent decades to find ways to reduce the number of fatal and serious injury crashes on our highways for decades. In fact, Mercedes-Benz is also finalizing plans to work with leading driver safety advocacy organizations and law enforcement to create a public service outreach program that emphasizes safe driving and driver's education.

Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy's approach also seeks to achieve greater compliance with policies that have successfully been implemented to increase driver's safety such as the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) rules. The GDL framework provides for compulsory driver's education, combining classroom or online learning, on-road training, mandatory supervised practice, and restricted driving privileges once a novice driver starts driving solo. By using an integrated program to reinforce learning points throughout the learner driver period, as well as involving parents in the process, the students can realize greater benefits of GDL.

About Mercedes-Benz USA

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and customer service for all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. MBUSA offers drivers the most diverse line-up in the luxury segment with 12 model lines ranging from the sporty C-Class to the flagship S-Class sedans and the SLS AMG supercar.

MBUSA is also responsible for the distribution, marketing and customer service of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Vans in the US. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found at www.mbusa.com and www.mbsprinterusa.com.

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Them Germans don't play....Man castrates 57 year old man for dating his teenage daughter...

He didn't knock him out when he did it either.

(Starts slow and deliberate golf clap) This is Carolinaware approved actions right here....Hats off to that man....

Link:



Germany — Angry that his teenage daughter was dating an older man, a German dad went to the 57-year-old’s home and castrated him with a bread knife, police said.
Helmut Seifert, originally from Russia, recently pled guilty to attacking Phillip Genscher, according to London’s Telegraph.
“I saw it as my duty as a father,” the 47-year-old father allegedly told police.
With the help of two of his co-workers, he went to Genscher’s home in Bielefeld, in northern Germany.
“[Genscher] was forced to remove his trousers and, fully conscious, he was castrated,” police said, the Telegraph reports. “The severed testicles were taken away by the perpetrator.”
The father has not revealed the identity of the men who helped him. He is expected to go on trial next year.

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Harmless kids gathering huh? Philly flash mobs...

I do understand that if 'more were done' by XYZ that maybe...JUST MAYBE..('Cause that is no damm guarantee either) the kids wouldn't do these things. I distinctly remember us HAVING PLACES TO GO and teens still doing shit. Gathering up and doing things.

I am little sick of the excuses people. That is in a excuse. We have no place to go so we should act like an ass. What kind of backwards ass thinking is that? There ya'll go again condoning behavior. Bet you go the fuck over there to China, where they don't have things to do and you see their kids are well behaved. Well over a billion people there and there is nothing like this going on. Why? Because if they did shit like this, they would be disciplined and that is it. No excuses. None of this enabling. Once again, we are coddling people. Coddled people end up as fucked up people. Sorry. Do I think they should be given felonies? Eh....Not sure about putting 'F's" on young kids backs as first time offenders but those that are two and three time fuck ups? Do what you must. For the first time offenders some type of charge might be necessary though. Again, that is the problem. Someone has to be an example. Sorry 'bout your luck or that you thought your lil friend's knowledge of the situation was 'bond'. @ the kids that get caught up in that. The real World is no joke and sometimes people have to learn that early.

What if it were you kid Mr. Blogger?

If it were my kid, I would discipline him/her and I surely wouldn't be BLAMING a city for him/her not having anything to do. Last I checked, it wasn't their job to ensure entertainment for my child AND I am supposed to have my child in check. Now, that may mean that I might have to break some of the same RULES said City/gov/State has but I already resolved that in my head A LONG FUCKING TIME AGO. I can take that. Will take that. Now once they are grown, if they go out and act a fool, they have to deal with the consequences but I would not be tolerating such behavior. Then again, I am not out trying to relive my youth lost by running out the club and such like some of these absentee parents are doing. What does that have to do with it? Well, if you parent your kid to begin with FROM THE BEGINNING, you can lay a foundation that might help them later on in life (like when they are teenagers). You can't just start parenting them when they are 13-18 and expect GREAT RESULTS....

Kids are going to be kids. I DEFINITELY understand that. However, if there are no rules in place with PUNISHMENTS included, as a parent, you lose leverage. If there are consequences, the parent can legitimately say, "Look, if you go out there and flash mob, they are going to lock your ass up. I may not be able to COME GET YOU OUT. All the more reason for you not to do it besides the fact that destroying property and beating up innocent people is wrong." Because that is what is going on. People are getting hurt. They aren't just down there quietly assembling. They are disrupting shit. They have the right in some way to be there but they also have to responsibility to act follow the rules or the right can be revoked.



Anyhow, here is the video. Obviously, it is not all the kids acting an ass but ONE IS TOO MANY. Sorry. It will be all good until someone YOU KNOW or care about GETS HURT.

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