From The "You Can't Be Serious" Department

Comes this story about a new game kids are playing. The type of game that anyone over the age of 22 has to scratch his head and wonder, "Am I just old? Because this makes no sense..."

The recent death by suffocation of an 11 year-old in Nebraska has brought light to a game kids are playing for the rush they get - a choking game. As quoted in an AOL News piece, "The purpose is when you have restricted oxygen and blood flow to your brain, you get a euphoric rush." Some are trying it solo, others in groups. And, as is clearly evident, kids are dying from it.

In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell writes about the bizarre epidemic of suicide in Micronesia in the 70's and 80's. He discusses how an idea can become contagious, like a virus. It appears that games like these are having a similar effect.

Every now and then, we learn about something new that kids are trying for the thrill - mixing over the counter medicines, sniffing glue, playing in traffic or on train tracks. But, what parent ever imagines having to have the "Don't choke yourself" talk?

Some ideas (like the one in the picture above) just don't seem to need a discussion. Let's just hope this choking game doesn't 'tip' . . .

The Problem With Summer

For its poorest students, America doesn’t have a school problem.

It has a summer-vacation problem.

- Malcolm Gladwell

By now, you've either read Outliers, or become completely annoyed by those around you who keep recommending it (if not, you may need to change your circle). Gladwell's eye-opening read sheds light on a number of topics, one of the most interesting being the damaging effects of summer vacation on America's poorest students.

The studies cited in the book show that while lower-class students and upper-class students perform at similar levels during the year (5th Grade, in this particular study), over the summer, privileged students continue learning at a superior rate, while the rest fall behind. The obvious result is that come September, the gap between the haves and the have-nots is quite substantial - and, extremely difficult to overcome.

The reasons why you can probably figure yourself: absence of reading, days spent hanging out in the neighborhood, parents who can't take vacation leaving kids unmonitored... And, of course, there are those missing life experiences: camps, travel, trips to museums and other cultural institutions. For some, learning simply doesn't stop.

Which is why it was so refreshing to follow the Obamas' first summer in office.

Eiffel Tower. Pantheon. The Kremlin. Ghana. Rome... If these stops were crossed off your bucket list, you would have done well in life. Imagine covering them in two months! The message is clear: summer is not a time to slack. And, while you can read about a slave prison, nothing will replace the experience of having set foot in one. Indeed, the first-daughters have truly been exposed to an amazing amount of life experiences already...

Also amazing is that some have been critical of this type of travel in such a poor economy. What kind of message is the President sending to those who are struggling financially right now? The point is not invalid, but it doesn't address the counterpoint: True, but what kind of example is he setting for those who face financial struggles regularly?

The problem with summer? Probably, when it's viewed as a break - instead of an opportunity.