modern day dad

A Tip for Flipboard for the iPad That Makes It More Awesome

If you've got an iPad then chances are you've downloaded Flipboard. (Over)-simply put, it takes content off of the Internet and presents it all in an interface not unlike Time Magazine. But the best part is it also takes the content from your social media feeds (Facebook and Twitter specifically) and puts it into Flipboard - resulting in something that makes you feel like you're reading your own personalized magazine.  Plus, it's free so there really isn't any reason to not try it. 

I'm a fan of the app, but I've recently discovered a great tip for getting an even better and more personalized experience out of it. 

In addition to your basic Twitter feed, Flipboard will also let you subscribe to all of the links and content generated by one of your Twitter groups. This doesn't seem that special, until you stop thinking of your Twitter groups as something helpful for grouping the people you follow on Twitter and start thinking of them as a way to group cool content for Flipboard.

(I should stop here and say that I completely ripped off this idea from Chicago Sun Times columnist Andy Ihatko who gave up the idea on this week's Macbreak Weekly podcast.)

The first thing you need to do is find Twitter feeds that send lots of links to content you want to read or otherwise enjoy. If you don't use Twitter, then just sign up and start following. Twitter feeds of websites seem to work best (as opposed to specific columnists for instance) because those accounts are often used specifically for sharing links to new content, though any Twitter feeds you are partial to will work. Then, just make sure that the feed is set to "Public" as opposed to "Private" and go back to Flipboard and add it as a feed.

This simple thing has easily doubled my enjoyment of Flipboard. I can still go back through my Facebook feed and see what kind of links and pictures my friends have posted, but then when I'm done I can also check out the coolest Wine/Photography/Technology/Politics/Arts iPad magazine available.

If you're interested, you can check out the list I generated (I call it "MojoList" in honor of Andy's "the-mojo-wire" where I got the idea from originally), but I would suggest you use it (or another) as a jumping off point to create your own personalized piece of awesomeness on the web.

That is, if you've got an iPad. (Trust me, Flipboard might be reason enough to get an iPad.)

People Who Bought Jon & Kate Plus Ei8ht Also Bought...

via www.pbh2.com

This can't be real, can it? Considering Amazon probably doesn't sell a "Noose" for $19.99 I have to figure it's fake. But goddamn if it didn't make me laugh every time I thought about it today.

[Note: It might be fake, but now on my Amazon page Amazon thinks I'm interested in this DVD, and it's showing me more similar items - one of which is a baby onesie with a picture of a noose on it. Which I'm pretty sure will be the subject of a future blog post...]

New Stay-At-Home Dad "Web Series" on Atom.com

MTV's let's-make-some-viral-funny-online-videos site Atom.com has a new "Web series" about a Stay-At-Home Dad called (wait for it) "Stay-At-Home Dad." Even though - or maybe because - I automatically have my guard up anytime anything in the mainstream media deals with at-home Dads, I checked it out immediately.

(As an aside, I'm not going to pretend that this "Web series" isn't in the mainstream media. It's owned by MTV and a freaking publicist emailed me about it today. Also, will I ever not feel odd using the term "Web series"?)

Expecting to hate it, I watched all three episodes and although it isn't exactly comedy genius - there were some pretty funny moments. But best of all, it portrays an At-Home Dad that's neither some sort of lame, emasculated super-Dad, nor a bumbling all-thumbs idiot. The Dad in the show is just kind of a surly a-hole. And although he's certainly not the typical At-Home Dad, he might be that Dad we secretly feel like in the back of our minds (at least from time-to-time).

So, like Brian was writing over at Rebel Dad, I think the jury might still be out on this one. But for me at least, until they do an episode where it's supposed to be funny because he can't change a diaper, I'm going to give it the thumbs up.

Stay-At-Home-Dad at Atom.com

Stay-At-Home Dads Going Back To Work in the Wall Street Journal

There's a good article in today's Wall Street Journal about At-Home Dads trying to get back into the work force. There are as many different reasons for staying at home or going back to work as there are At-Home Dads, but the article does a good job of illustrating a few different situations. Whether Dads decide to go back to school to give them a competitive edge or keep themselves in their industry with freelance work, the smart Dads play the hiring/interview game without discounting their time as primary caregivers.

In a world that pays a lot of lip service to those who "think outside of the box," I can't think of anything in my life that has made me do so more than staying at home with my kids. As featured father David Hallowes says, the "challenges and self-reflection of the past 2 1/2 years will make him a better manager."

Daunting Task for Mr. Mom: Get a Job - WSJ.com

[And for the record, shame on whomever wrote the lazy "Mr. Mom" headline.]

"Is That $50,000-a-Year College Worth It?" Uh, maybe.

With the baseball season started and the tax season finished, it is time for the final rite of spring: Where to send the college deposit check.  That is the dilemma facing many families of high school seniors who have been accepted to multiple places.

via blogs.bnet.com

This is a question I know I'm going to have to tackle eventually - twice. What this article basically comes down to is - if you can get into a truly elite school, then it's probably best to go. If it's between an expensive middle tier school and a public university, the cheaper public option might be better.

The most interesting point to me was that if you can get into an elite school in the first place, then actually going might not make you any better off. UNLESS you come from a low-income family.

Of course measuring "success" is kind of difficult, but my advice? If you live in a state with great public universities, stay put.

via @deantsouvalas

LeapFrog Text and Learn - Did Toy Rotary Phones Seem Strange In 1930?

via www.engadget.com

(This post from Engadget is about a year old, but I hadn't seen it before. I found it by following a link from Dave Caolo's Twitter Feed. Apparently it looks a lot like the new Microsoft "Kin".)

My kids take their toy phones and pretend to text and take pictures, so it shouldn't be any surprise LeapFrog figured this out and made something they can really type text into. And the fact that it kind of looks like a Blackberry is kind of funny.

But it looks like just another toy with a horrible monochrome screen and lame "educational" games. Why haven't kids' electronic toys progressed much past Speak 'n Spell? It would be way cooler if they came in pairs and you could send messages back and forth.

Besides, my 3 year old uses my wife's iPhone so much, I'm not sure she'd recognize this as something she was supposed to have fun with in the first place.

Stay-At-Home Dads Grapple With Going Back To Work : NPR

via www.npr.org

In a "down economy" stay at home dads are more popular than ever!

Whatever.

This story from NPR is pretty good though, and it puts a spotlight on what a lot of us are going through. Namely, should I go back to work? Because there's a part of me that does, and a part of me that doesn't. And if I do, how the hell am I going to explain this period of my life on a resumé?

Werner Herzog "Reads" Curious George

via daddytypes.com

"But is it really George's fault? Or is it the Man in The Yellow Hat's fault for taking an agent of chaos out of the wilderness, and trying against all hope to civilize him?"

If you've ever read any Curious George story to your kids (especially the first story), then watching this is a must.

Greg from DaddyTypes said that this is "the single greatest video I've seen in my six years of dadblogging." It's really hard to disagree.

My other favorite:

"Dingaling. Dingalingaling. George had telephoned the fire station. They thought it was a real fire. "No fire!" exclaimed the fire chief. Only a naughty little monkey. Angered, the firemen take action. In short order, a monkey has bested seven adult men. This should give you a dim view of human potential."