The years have given way to superior technology, better looks, and different preferences. Now, many kids do not even know what a Walkman is. Instead, they bring along iPods, which many say are the new Walkmans. So what would the kids of today think of the Walkman if they had the chance to use it?

BBC invited 13-year-old Scott Campbell to trade his iPod for a Walkman. It was amusing to read his thoughts about the experience:

My dad had told me it was the iPod of its day.

He had told me it was big, but I hadn’t realised he meant THAT big. It was the size of a small book.

When I saw it for the first time, its colour also struck me. Nowadays gadgets come in a rainbow of colours but this was only one shade - a bland grey.

Then again, I felt sad that this kid felt embarrassed about bringing the Walkman to school. I felt sad that he didn’t seem to have that “scientific” curiosity to go on a more meaningful journey to discover the differences of the two gadgets. I am just hoping that Scott gleaned some insights from this experience. The Walkman of old may be passé, but it meant a lot to my generation.

Your thoughts?

There’s a saying that you have to look fear in the face to overcome it; and what better place to conquer your fear of heights than the new glass balconies at the Sears Tower?

The glass balconies were recently launched and are gaining a huge following. Suspended 1,353 feet in the air, these balconies jut out of the Skykdeck, which is on the 103rd floor. Oh and yeah, the balconies extended four feet from the outer walls, earning the nickname The Ledge. They are made of sturdy transparent glass – all 1.5 inches of it – and can h old up to 5 tons.

People who have been brave enough to step out on The Ledge say that it is like walking on ice, except that you can see the whole city below you. One of the owners of the building, John Huston, admits to having been quite queasy when he first stepped onto The Ledge. After 30 or 40 trips, though, he says that he has gotten the hang of it.

While I would like to conquer my fear of heights, I am not sure I can hack a floor of glass suspended on the 103rd floor. Can you?

Have your child read aloud.
Different people have different learning styles. You are lucky if your child learns best by seeing the letters and words. For some children, however, they learn best if they hear ideas. In order to make reading easier for these kinds of learners, have your child read aloud. Alternatively, take turns in reading aloud and have fun while at it.

Talk about the books.
After your child reads a story or a book, engage him/her in a discussion about it. Ask him/her comprehension questions that will help him/her remember the details. Ask him/her questions that will relate the story to his/her own experiences. Ask him/her hypothetical questions that would help him explore his imaginative side.

Your child can learn to read well and learn to love reading too. You just need to take an active role and show him/her yourself.

Going to the salon to get a wax can be one of the most painful things you have to go through. Using over the counter creams and waxes are not much different – not to mention the mess that you make.

But here is something that might just make women’s lives easier. Smooth Away is a new product that is touted to be the best hair remover ever. I have to be honest and tell you that I have not tried it for myself (but I have been convinced to pick one up later!). From what I have been hearing though, it works just like sandpaper – except that it takes off hair and skin and not rough patches of wood.

People who’ve used Smooth Away will swear by the “no pain” tag – with a disclaimer: you have to know just how much pressure to use and when to stop “sandpapering” your skin. You see, it’s much like a foot spa, where they scrub your feet to slough off the dead skin cells. If you rub too hard and too much, you will probably have razor burns the next day. Another thing that I read about it is that it works best for finer hair as opposed to coarse or wiry hair.

For $10 a pack, it might just be worth it.

For example, did you know that there are certain chemicals that can make you fat? These are called obesogens. Very creative name, huh? Anyway, according to the article, this term is used to refer to chemicals that meddle with human hormones that regulate metabolism. The effect is that a person gains weight. Some examples of obesogens are bisphenol A (plastics, food and drink cans), pesticides (hexachlorobenzene, atrazine), dioxins (meat and dairy products), and phthalates (soft plastics, fragrances). While I think it is good to know about these things, I also realize that if you want to avoid these chemicals, you can’t do anything, can’t eat anything…

Another thing that can make you fat is stress. This is not that surprising to me because I know that stress makes me gain weight. The link between stress and weight gain is not that clear, but there is a link. For me, it is more of comfort eating that makes me gain weight when stressed.

Last, lack of sleep can also make you fat. Scientists do not know yet exactly WHY lack of sleep makes people gain weight but the consensus is that lack of sleep somehow changes the metabolism.

Anyhow, Nintendo did respond to those concerns by providing the rubberized casings to make for a better grip. They also made the wrist straps sturdier, so they would be less prone to breakage. And I don’t know about you, but I have not heard many stories of “injured” TVs or bruises from the Wii lately.

All this might change in the very near future, however, if this new Wii accessory takes off. Just take a look at that baby – a “real” bowling ball that you can use to, well, bowl. Created by CTA Digital, this Wii Bowling Ball accessory definitely adds a realistic aspect to the game. So how does it work?

First, open the ball. Put the Wii-mote inside, and then close it. Now, look for the three holes – you can’t miss them – and stick your fingers into it, just as if you were really bowling! Oh, and do NOT forget to put the strap on TIGHTLY.

And just so you don’t get too “realistic” about it, you are NEVER to release the ball. EVER.

I can just see the news now…smashed TV screens. Broken vases. Broken windows. Needless to say, I do not think I will be getting one of these. I never really liked bowling games anyway.

1. Hammer. You never know when you might need to hit something hard. Seriously, a hammer is a very handy tool and you can never have one hammer too many (at least that’s what my dad said).
2. Power drill. This is a very handy tool, and you can use it for a variety of jobs. Curtain rods, photo frames, chandeliers, shelves – all these would need a power drill to be installed.
3. Duct tape. Just watch an episode or two of MacGyver and you will know what I mean. Duct tape can be used for anything. And I mean anything.
4. Tape measure. There is nothing worse than buying a new air conditioner or any other piece of furniture only to find out that it will not fit where you want it to. The solution? Measure, measure, and then measure again. Oh, and make sure you write the measurements down.
5. Pencil. Of course, you need a pencil to write those measurements – oh and make sure you have a piece of paper handy as well.

What are your must-have tools?

Rare as it may be, the statistics do not matter to Jammie Thomas-Rasset, a woman from Minnesota, who has been found guilty of violating copyright issues. As a matter of fact, Jammie’s case is the only known case about file-sharing to have gone to court. Her case was first heard in 2007. This resulted in the court asking her to pay $222,000 for her crime.

A new trial was ordered by the judge soon after, though. The rationale was that the jury was not given the proper instructions. While Jammie might have thought that her plight would take a turn for the better, it was not to be so. The second trial has resulted in a much graver fine – a stupendous $80,000 for each song that she had downloaded. Counting everything that was recorded, she has to pay $1.92 million!

While we do know that illegal downloading should not be condoned, paying the recording industry this much money is just simply silly, isn’t it? I wonder what the jury was thinking!

Naturally, you have to take your dad’s interests into consideration. If he is a techie, then you are in luck. There are countless things that you can get your dad. If you have a rather hefty budget, then go for gadgets such as an iPod, an iPhone, a netbook, or any other similar toy. If you are on a shoe string, you can still find nifty little gadgets in the market. Go to the mall (offline or online!) and look for handy devices such as unique-looking flash disks. Another thing that comes to mind is a card reader that can take in multiple kinds of cards. You can also look at USB hubs of all sorts of shapes and sizes.

Now if your dad is not the kind who would appreciate such gifts, why not visit the local bookstore and see what you can find? Better yet, go online and check auction sites such as eBay OR look at the online store of your favorite bookstore. The chances are that you can find last minute sales especially geared towards Father’s Day.

You know what I think will work for some? Do something different and get your dad a gift certificate for a spa or massage treatment. While moms are usually the ones who tend to like this kind of thing, there are many services geared towards men now, like sports massages. You never know, you just might introduce your dad to a new pleasure in life!

Of course it is! It may not be easy, but is really is possible, and that is what I am working on right now. Care to join me in my quest? Here is what I am trying to do.

First, assess all that is owed. I think I am a bit fortunate in this respect. I only have one loan, which should be paid off by August. The payments are automatically taken out of my salary, so I am never late. My bigger problem is the credit card. My bill has gotten out of hand, and I really need to address it.

Second, create a budget. Yes, the “B” word is crucial. The basic income minus expenses formula is necessary to determine how much can be paid towards the debt.

Third, find specific measures to address that debt. In my case, I am looking at a couple of options for the credit card debt. One is a balance transfer that will give me lower interest rates. Another is to totally STOP using the card (I am working on this one for sure).

Fourth, come up with a plan NOT to get into more debt. Getting out of debt is not simply paying off your current debt but making sure that you do not dig a deeper hole for yourself.

All this takes determination and self-control – something that only you can deliver.