1. Handling Pirate Attitude
There is a definite challenge in looking after a preschooler with a prankster sense of humour. He can just easily say "dad, I love you" and then steal your cell phone just to see if he can do it. This attitude gets enhanced after tv shows like "Backyardigans" tell him that if he really wants to be a pirate, he has to develop "pirate attitude." It's never defined, but he knows what they're talking about. Or, a show like "Max and Ruby" where younger brother Max always disobeys older sister Ruby because he has his own ideas of self-actualization (or self-determination if you will). My preschooler watches these interactions with diligent rapt attention. My strategy for overcoming these influences is by keeping the kid off-balance. Example: Today, my kid, who I'll call Child of the Corn, acted very well at Sky Dragon Dim Sum and his mother told him hours later that he was "amazing." I asked him why mom thought he was "amazing," he didn't know any tricks did he? He said no. 10 minutes later he came back and said, dad, watch this. Then he did a somersault. So, I reluctantly agreed that that could consitute "amazing." The point is I didn't let the kid get away with gratuitous praise while he's acting out his pirate attitute lifestyle.
2. Movies
A friend recently asked me if I saw the movie Slum Dog Millionaire. I told him that the only first run film I saw this year was "Wall-E" which was appreciated by my 3 1/2 year old, as it was his first time in a theatre and he felt unselfconscious about standing on his seat and yelling at the screen. Few movies offer this opportunity.
3. Books 
I usually don't read as much fiction as non-fiction. But, I want to thank Charlie Huisken of This Ain't the Rosedale Library for inviting me to his biweekly bookclub which has had a lot of interesting books. These have included:
History of Love by Nicole Krauss
The Uncommon Reader, by Alan Bennett
A Trip Around Lake Erie by David McFadden
I won't give descriptons of these, only that I recommend them. And to support independent bookstores like This Ain't the Rosedale Library, 86 Nassau St. Toronto.
4. Facebook
I've been on Facebook now for about six months. I don't know exactly how to value it, though I enjoy it.
Pros:
Possibility of meeting very interesting, smart, accomplished people who might agree to share their ideas and friendship with you;
Find journalists, writers, artists, academics and politicians who agree to talk to you about their areas of interest;
Finding people you lost touch with.
Cons:
Hard to find groups that interact as well as individuals;
Hard to separate superficial interaction from non-superficial;
Having to figure out why complete strangers asked you to be their Facebook friend;
