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30 Blogs Featuring Flash Mob Ideas

July 29, 2015 by Kenney Myers

Whether you’re looking for a way to make a difference, brighten someone’s day or simply to set the stage for the next big viral video, a flash mob can be the answer. Figuring out how to organize and plan a flash mob, coming up with ideas for what to do with all those people once you have them congregated and knowing how to avoid any potential legal pitfalls are major hurdles that you’ll need to overcome along the way to creating a successful flash mob. Thanks to the collective wisdom of bloggers around the world, you can find everything you need to know to pull off a flash mob performance of epic proportions with these 30 blog entries.

What is a Flash Mob?

Before you can plan a memorable and exciting flash mob experience, you’ll need to know exactly what a flash mob is and how they work. These five blog entries cover plenty of ground in regard to the origin of flash mobs and their evolution since the term was coined in 2003.

Volunteering and Socially Conscious Flash Mobs

Though the first thing that most people think of when they hear the term “flash mob” is a choreographed dance routine or even a song-and-dance number, there are plenty of flash mob activities that can make a positive difference in your community. These five blog entries detail some of the ways that flash mobs can prove to be tools for positive progress.

Entertaining Flash Mob Ideas

Sometimes, an unexpected performance that pops up in an average location can be just the thing to boost an onlooker’s mood. If you’re looking to make the day of everyone in a crowded place, these five flash mob performances can serve as great inspiration. Whether you pull off your own version of these mobs or use them as a jumping-off point for brainstorming your own, there’s a wealth of ideas and knowledge contained in these five blog entries.

Flash Mob Marketing Ideas

As with so many other things in modern pop culture, there are ways to monetize your flash mob by using it as an attention-grabbing promotional tool for a product or service. These five marketing blog entries are filled with pointers about the best ways of making your flash mob a valuable tool to promote something you’re invested in.

How to Organize a Flash Mob

No matter what your aims are when you set out to plan your flash mob invasion of a public place, you’ll need to have a very strong idea of how to organize the event. Large numbers of people can get out of hand fairly quickly, which is why the wisdom provided by these five bloggers is invaluable to the budding flash mob mastermind.

Keeping Your Flash Mob Legal

While it may seem like it’s all fun and games, there can be some legal issues to contend with when you gather a massive crowd in a public area for any purpose. These five blog entries are all centered on the idea of flash mobs and their legal implications, but it’s important to note that they are no substitute for the advice of an attorney in your area. While these blogs can help you figure out the basics of flash mobs in terms of legality and liability, you should still make sure that you’re well aware of the laws in your area and apprised of the risks that come with organizing these events.

10 Reasons Why List Articles Work So Well for Blogs

July 26, 2015 by Kenney Myers

Whether you call them list articles or “listicles,” you’ve almost certainly seen your share of web content pieces with lists at the center. You probably know that they’re popular, and met with a bit of derision from time to time, you may not know why they work. Before you discount the idea of using list format posts for your blog, take a moment to consider all of the reasons why they’re so popular.

The Brain Loves Lists – Your daily agenda, the things you need to buy at the grocery store and rules for your babysitter all have one thing in common: they’re more likely to be acknowledged and fulfilled if they’re in list form. This is because the human brain naturally seeks to categorize information, boosting not only recall at a later date by also comprehension in the moment. List articles appeal to a very specific quirk in how the brain operates.
They Encourage Readers to Commit – Scrolling through a Facebook feed or Twitter timeline translates to a never-ending barrage of information. Readers have so many options before them, and some are bound to get lost in the shuffle. The very nature of a list article appeals not only because of the information they promise, but because the headline itself lets the reader know exactly what they’ll be asked to invest. The certainty that the headline will be explained in a specified number of points is appealing, and greater appeal to readers translates to more traffic to your blog.
List Articles are Heavy on Skim-ability – Online reading tends to be more akin to quick skimming than in-depth concentration on the subject at hand. Because a list article is broken into easy-on-the-eye chunks, they’re more comfortable for web readers and better lend themselves to skimming than a solid wall of text.
Easily Digestible Content – A quick breakdown of a particular subject may not communicate all of the nuances and intricacies of the given situation, but it will allow readers to quickly and easily digest the most salient points. With a basic understanding accessible in relatively short order, readers are able to become a bit better informed without investing hours of research time.
Engaging Audiences Naturally – The very nature of a list article allows it to, if written properly, become a magnet for readers and post engagement. Opinion posts using the list article format as a ranking system naturally encourages readers to engage with the content, even if it’s just to disagree with the inclusion of a particular bullet point or the omission of another. When readers engage, even to disagree with you, you’ve created a successful blog post.
Sharing is Caring –Just as list articles can naturally encourage engagement with readers by urging them to share their own opinions, they also encourage social media sharing. More traffic is always a good thing, even if it’s generated as a show of opposition. “Can you believe what this post says?!” is still a share, and leads to more eyes on your work.
A Time-Honored Tradition – List articles may be one of the more popular and favorable formats for web content, but they’re not a new invention. From the Ten Commandments to the Top 10 Cat Gifs, lists are a venerable format with plenty of history.
They Don’t Have to Be Vapid – One of the more common criticisms of the modern listicle is that it’s long on fluff and short on informative content. While this can be true, it certainly doesn’t have to be the case. The same structured order that makes a list article easy for the brain to categorize and process can lend itself to sharing substantive and informative content.
Making Content Less Intimidating – A 5,000 word article in long form is intimidating to the casual reader, and can immediately put them off reading content sharing useful information. Breaking the same long form article into a list format immediately makes the content more approachable, even if the word count never changes. As a blogger, you want to present an inviting face to new readers. If your message is lengthy, a list article may be just the thing to draw those readers in and grab their attention.
List Articles and SEO Impact – Not only does the human brain love lists; so do search engines. Heavy on the structured HTML, a list article naturally lends itself to better search engine optimization. Because SEO is so important for web content creators and bloggers, it’s always a good idea to look for ways of boosting search engine friendliness.

Even if the list article is something of a guilty pleasure for more “serious” readers, they’re still one of the most popular forms of web content out there and do have the ability to make a very real impact. If you’re looking for a quick, easy way to share content and communicate a particular point, consider the power of the list article for your next blog post.

How to Teach Your Child to Be a Good Sport

July 24, 2015 by Kenney Myers

It’s common for children to thrive in a competitive environment. Competition can build self-esteem, motivate and teach the reward of hard work. However, when your child is on the losing end of a game, sporting event or classroom activity, the disappointment may not sit well with your little one (or your older one, for that matter).

Children are not born with an innate ability to be a good sport; instead, sportsmanship is taught through modeling behaviors, strong examples and lessons about how to behave when faced with a disappointing loss.

Learn how to teach your child to be a good sport through creative lessons that will stay with them for a lifetime.

Defining Good Sportsmanship

In order to teach your child good sportsmanship, it’s important to define it and equate the action to respect. Good sportsmanship is when children, adults, teammates, coaches, officials and opponents treat each other with respect, according to the parenting experts at Nemours KidsHealth.

“Kids learn the basics of sportsmanship from the adults in their lives, especially their parents and their coaches,” say the Nemours’ child experts. “Kids who see adults behaving in a sportsmanlike way gradually come to understand that the real winners in sports are those who know how to persevere and to behave with dignity — whether they win or lose a game.”

Talk with your children about examples they have witnessed of both good and bad sportsmanship. Discuss scenarios and determine ways you expect your children to behave when faced with a loss or even a win. Even if a child’s example involves an adult displaying poor sportsmanship, it’s important to evaluate how the actions could have been improved.

Teaching Good Sportsmanship

It’s no secret that you are the primary model of good sportsmanship for your child. He is watching your every move and looking to you for cues on how to treat others. You can help your child understand the importance of good sportsmanship by expressing small gestures and heroic efforts to illustrate respect.

According to Nemours KidsHealth, these small gestures include shaking hands with the other teammates and opponents before a game, complimenting other players on their efforts and accepting calls of the game, even if you don’t agree with them.

It’s important to express to your child that it is not always easy to be a good sport. Let them know that you understand how frustrating it is to lose a game or a contest. When validating their feelings, share examples of how you handled losses or rejection in your life and how you responded gracefully and respectfully.

These lessons can significantly impact your child’s ability to get along with others throughout his entire life. “A child who practices good sportsmanship is likely to carry the respect and appreciation of other people into every other aspect of life,” say the child experts at Nemours KidsHealth.

Practicing Good Sportsmanship

Lessons about how to be a good sport do not have to exclusively happen on the field. In fact, your child can learn much more about sportsmanship at home. Hosting a family game night is a necessary activity to observe your child’s developing sportsmanship and teach expectations.

According to Marie Hartwell-Walker, licensed psychologist for PsychCentral, family game nights teach children life skills. These skills can help them develop social skills that display respect for others. As your children follow directions, take turns and offer friendly banter with each other, they are learning to read nonverbal cues and learn from errors, says Hartwell-Walker. “Regular game nights give kids practice in these essential skills and provide immediate feedback about what works and what doesn’t,” she says.

When embarking on family games and activities, Hartwell-Walker warns that parents and nannies must recognize that kids are not born good sports. “They tend to gloat when they win and whine when they lose. Most kids try out cheating at least once, too,” she says. “Games provide opportunities for kids to learn that honest winning feels better and makes better relationships than cheating. They provide a forum for teaching children how to be gracious winners and good losers.”

In addition to teaching your children about good sportsmanship, giving them the opportunity to compete, communicate and play with family members at home or with friends on the field will help them develop a stronger sense of what it means to be a respectful team player.

All Time Funniest Sitcoms About Families for Fans Over 40

July 21, 2015 by Kenney Myers

From the advent of television through today’s DVR revolution, there’s one constant that has remained a part of the ever-evolving television landscape: the family sitcom. The appeal of situational comedies often lies within the viewer’s ability to relate to the dynamics and archetypes he sees on the screen, and few things sum up the universal American human experience quite like extended families. Be they utterly dysfunctional or without flaw, these are 10 of the funniest and most influential sitcoms about families I can think of:

The Cosby Show – When it comes to family sitcoms that are actually family-friendly, few shows hold a candle to the genius that was The Cosby Show. Running for eight seasons, The Cosby Show was one of the first to depict the life of an affluent African-American family, and was absolutely the biggest sitcom hit of the 1980s. Based upon Bill Cosby’s clean style of stand-up comedy, the show never ventured into more risqué waters for the sake of a cheap laugh, but also never failed to deliver.
Roseanne – On the opposite end of the late 1980s television spectrum from the squeaky-clean Cosby Show was the Conner family. Crass and often unrepentantly crude, Roseanne offered a realistic depiction of blue collar Middle America that still managed to bring in the laughs despite frequent scraping of the bottom of the barrel when it came to good taste.
Everybody Loves Raymond – One of the most successful sitcoms of its era, Everybody Loves Raymond still lives on in popular syndication. While riotously funny, the underlying themes of vague desperation and thinly-veiled anger made for a more realistic depiction of everyday family life. From meddling in-laws and adult sibling rivalry to marital discord, Everybody Loves Raymond managed to make the more trying situations of real life something that could be laughed at, which is perhaps the secret of its long-running success.
The Brady Bunch – The Brady Bunch offered American viewers one of their first glimpses of a blended family, with Carol and her girls building a life with Mike and his boys. While the adults were universally referred to as “Mom” and “Dad” with no mention of step-parents, it still brought blended families to American living rooms for the first time.
Family Ties – When two hippies settle down and start a family, imagine their chagrin (and the hilarity that ensues) when two of their three children grow up to become Republicans! That was the premise of Family Ties, the show that launched the career of Michael J. Fox and turned him into a household name.
Full House – The set-up for Full House was an experiment in unfortunate events: a widower incapable of caring for his three daughters alone enlists the help of a bumbling best friend and brother-in-law. Fortunately, the premise proved to be a successful one, as the hilarious show ran for several seasons and launched the adorable Olsen twins to stardom.
Family Matters – It seems outrageous to anyone that was watching television in the 1990s, but there was a time when Steve Urkel was only intended to be a glorified extra. When his presence launched the Winslow family into pop culture history, Jaleel White’s character was made a focal point of this seminal sitcom.
The Wonder Years – While The Wonder Years was a hit in the 1980s, it was a nostalgic coming-of-age hit that waxed poetic about the Arnold family’s experiences in the 1960’s. Fred Savage was also the youngest nominee in Emmy history at that point for his turn as main character Kevin Arnold.
Growing Pains – This is a show that had a relatively modern story line (even though it also aired in the 80’s) in that the family contained a work at home psychiatrist and a stay at home Mom. Marissa Mayer aside (Yahoo!), it’s more and more common for people to work out of their house so it’s possible that even more families could relate to the show now than did when it was originally on the air (Dog with a Blog anyone???).
The Andy Griffith Show – It may have been customary in the 1960s to name a show after its star actor, but the Andy Griffith Show was definitely a sitcom centering on Aunt Bee, Opie and Andy as they navigated the world of Mayberry, North Carolina. Ending its final season in the number one slot, TV Guide named The Andy Griffith show the ninth-best show in American television history.

While the modern face of television seems to be dominated by reality shows (yes, I am a sucker for them too) and serialized documentary programs, there are still a few family sitcom gems on the air. With that said, our family finds ourselves watching reruns of Full House and others more often than you might imagine (our kids love them).

Anyone want to argue for any other TV show? Please drop a comment below or reach out to me on twitter @KenneyMyers.

10 of the Most Influential Ken’s in Politics

July 15, 2015 by Kenney Myers

Someone once said “the desire to become a politician should automatically disqualify you from ever becoming one.” That doesn’t seem to apply to the ten politicians in this list, as they are all blessed with the name “Ken,” and they all pursued politics as their chosen career.

Kenneth O’Donnell – O’Donnell was the right-hand man to J.F.K. and Robert Kennedy and was Presidential Aide to Lyndon B Johnson. Kenny also spent a lot of time with Robert Kennedy at Harvard University, where they were roommates. This friendship would eventually elevate him into a powerful position alongside some of the most influential players in U.S. politics.
Ken Livingstone – The former mayor of London and an influential figure during the Thatcher Era in British politics as a staunch critic of the “Iron Lady,” Ken Livingstone is also the author of the much acclaimed book “If Voting Changed Anything they’d Abolish it,” which is a phrase still used by political activists to this day. Public reaction to Livingstone has always been mixed; however, only history will tell where his legacy lies.
Ken Clarke – Ken first became interested in politics while attending Cambridge University in England, where he was President of the Union. His career in politics ambled along throughout the sixties and seventies, until he won the position of Minister of Health in 1982. It wasn’t long before Clarke rose through the ranks of British politics, and he soon became a household name.
Ken Loach – An unlikely political figure, Ken Loach made waves in 2012 and 2013 by galvanizing the left in an effort to create a new political party in Britain – by the people and for the people. Loach proposed that politics in Britain was corrupt, and that the people must project the welfare state that was established after the Second World War.
Ken Saro-Wiwa – This outspoken Nigerian activist fought against corruption is his home country, but was sadly executed without proper trial in 1995. The execution caused an international incident, which led to Nigeria being suspended from the Commonwealth of Nations for three years. Ken Saro-Wiwa is still regarded as one of the most influential figures in the fight against environmental degradation, and his execution sent shockwaves across the world’s political landscape.
Ken Catalino – This conservative cartoonist has the ability to change the direction of the political landscape with the stroke of his brush. Ken Catalino mixes the political messages of the day with humorous cartoon illustrations that are typically conservative in their leanings. He is particularly critical of President Obama’s administration.
Kenneth Lay – Unfortunately, this Kenneth is most synonymous with accounting fraud as the CEO of disgraced corporation, Enron. Lay died of a suspected heart attack while awaiting trial in 2006. The case was soon linked to the power-house political family of George Bush Junior and Senior when it was revealed that Lay had business dealings with the family. This, of course, was a theory that was propagated by conspiracy theory groups and news outlets.
Ken Cuccinelli – Cuccinelli’s impact on politics is underwhelming, to say the least. He has supported a number of legislations and influenced laws in the state of Virginia, most of which his opponents say “set human rights back by decades.” Many of the laws surround immigration, healthcare and gay rights, which Cuccinelli is opposed to for reasons he has never adequately explained other than stating personal religious convictions.
Ken Ard – This politician faced a number of ethics charges surrounding expenditure between 2010 and his inauguration as lieutenant governor of South Carolina. The charges surrounded purchases made in a woman’s boutique amounting to $800 and over $1,000 on personal meals. The Republican candidate ramped up 92 charges in total, all of which were for using campaign funds for personal gain. 23 of the charges cited that Ard failed to disclose spending that is suspected as being misappropriation and spending of funds.
Ken Salazar – One of only two Hispanic Senators since 1977, Ken Salazar quickly rose through the ranks of the Democratic Party before becoming the 50th United States Secretary of the Interior under president Barack Obama. Salazar also served as the State Attorney General from 1998 to 2004, before running for a U.S. Senate seat, which he lost to candidate Mike Miles. He later went on to win in the Democratic primary, defeating Pete Coors of the Coors Brewing Company and eventually winning the general election for the Senate seat.

24 Blogs Shedding Light on How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep

July 13, 2015 by Kenney Myers

Struggling to get a good night’s sleep? Well, you’re not alone. More than 30% of the population suffers from some form of insomnia, and over 10 million Americans take prescription sleeping pills to combat sleeplessness. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Far too often people turn on the television or work on their laptop while they’re in bed, creating a disconnect with their body and bedroom. Your bedroom should be solely for sleeping, not for working or watching shows. These 24 blog articles will help you learn a variety of different ways that you can fall asleep quickly at night instead of spending hours staring at the ceiling.

Tips

One easy way to get yourself ready for sleep each night is to create a bedtime routine that you follow each night. Doing things like shutting off the television an hour before bedtime, drinking a cup of calming tea before bed, taking a warm bath and listening to soothing music will help you relax and prepare for sleep. For more tips that will help you sleep better, take a look at these six blog articles.

Food and Drinks to Try

Did you know that caffeine can affect you for up to eight hours? While many people fight the afternoon slump by popping open a caffeinated beverage, doing so could actually be preventing you from falling asleep at night. An easy way to test if your afternoon caffeine fix is keeping you up at night: switch to a decaffeinated beverage for a few weeks and monitor your sleeping habits. These six blog posts are full of food and drink options that can help you get a better night’s sleep.

What to Avoid

The last thing you want to do before going to bed is watch an exciting movie. Instead, relax, keep the lights dimmed and avoid eating a big or spicy meal late in the evening. Engage in calming activities, like reading a book, to wind down for the night. Read these six blog entries for more tips on what you should avoid doing before bedtime.

Strategies

Just like there are things to avoid before bedtime, there are things you should do to ensure you get a good night’s sleep. Some tactics you can employ are writing down a task list for the next day, dimming the lights an hour before bed and laying down when your body tells you it’s tired. For more strategies, check out these six blog posts.