MODERN TIMES

“MOM! I need a cell phone!”   Things certainly are different from when I was a teenager. It would be called the ‘dark ages’ if you asked my kids. It was before cell phones, the internet, and mp3 players. Yep, I guess from their perspective times were archaic.  How did I get to volleyball practice without phoning my parents? I could have been kidnapped! Well, that may sound ridiculous, but so are my teenagers. If they’re not in a growth spurt and needing new pants every five minutes (which they wear sooo low that I wonder what is holding them up!), then they are in the middle of some drama that I could not possibly understand. Oy vey!

CONSUMING MASS QUANTITIES OF FOOD

Anyone out there ever seen Coneheads? Remember the breakfast scene?  That would be a scene played out in my kitchen after school.  They all file in the back door (an avalanche of back packs) with their friends in tow. I know that they are ravenous, and I try to plan for that.  However, when they are in that state (like a pride of lions crowding over a slab of meat), anything goes. I will come home from work to find that along with the frozen burritos having been consumed, that they ate all the pickles, cottage cheese, and a box of Cheerios. Now, that doesn’t even make any sense.  But neither do my teenagers. Knowing that my grocery budget is blown, I will pick up the phone and get quick payday loans to get me through. They can eat their weight in chicken chimichangas.  Don’t ask me how I know.

SAVE YOUR DRAMA FOR YOUR MAMA

There is a lot of pressure on our kids these days, but how much of that is a bad thing? For example, are there any of you parents out there who’s a ‘rescuer’?  That used to be me (once upon a time).  I couldn’t stand the thought of my ‘baby’ suffering in any way.  Never mind the fact that he may be hitting puberty and is almost 6 ft. tall!  If my girls were late to school (overslept, makeup woes, clothing dilemmas), they would bound up the stairs to declare “I need you to call the office for me mommy. You work sooo hard!  Gee mom, are you getting thinner?”  Yep!  They played me like a harp.   But now, they are accountable for their own choices, including the expensive ones.  Need a cell phone or an iPod?  Here, let me show you what a snow shovel looks like (I understand that they are hard to find these days!) and go see if you can make a few pennies.  Now, they have begun to have an appreciation for how hard it is to earn that dollar and consequently, they are not so quick to part with it.  I want them to have some idea of financial responsibility before they leave home.

SOFT PLACE TO LAND

Knowing that adulthood is looming like a semi truck in my rearview mirror, I would like for my teenagers to begin to take some ownership of their choices in life.  We all make mistakes and home should be a safe haven, but it also should equip them for the road ahead. Hopefully this is done before they leave the nest. However, if they find when they get out in the real world that they need a little extra cash, I’ll let them know that they can get help through payday loans.  It’s worked for mom.

Is that what I think it is?

Yes, iBreath is, in fact, a breathalyzer that you can hook up to your iPod. It requires no batteries and can plug in to your car. Once it’s hooked to the iPod or the vehicle, blow into the little tube for at least five seconds. Two seconds later, voila, it digitally shows your blood alcohol level.

This device will no doubt help drivers avoid having to take out a payday loan to cover expensive fines. More importantly though, advocates hope it will save lives.

Drunks in decline

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 13,000 people in died in the United States last year because of alcohol-related traffic accidents. This statistic is the lowest the NHTSA has on record. While the decline in deaths is good news, that means in previous years more than 13,000 people per year have died because of drunk drivers.

Groups such as DARE and MADD can take credit for spreading awareness of the dangers of drunk driving. Because of this rise in awareness, many people are taking responsibility and planning ahead. The best options on a night at the bars are to arrange for a ride home in advance, bring money for a cab or assign a designated driver. But we all know that sometimes things don’t go as planned. That’s where the iBreath comes in. This $79 device lets you know if “I’ve only had two beers” is really a good excuse to get behind the wheel.

Two sides to every story

The people who inveted iBreath did it to keep people safe. But as with all subjects that involve alcohol, there is controversy out there. Some dissenters think the iBreath will cause people to play drinking games. It may be true that some iBreath owners will use the device for fun. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if this device does result in the invention of new drinking games, they just may be the safest drinking games ever.

The other argument is that it may give some people a false sense of security. Every individual reacts differently to alcohol. Some people may still not be OK to drive even if their blood alcohol level is lower than .08. This argument I agree with. Drinking and driving is never, ever a good idea. But I think this device will do more good than harm.

Another warning out there is that police officers calibrate their equipment regularly. An article at BreathalyzersUSA details how often personal breathalyzers should be recalibrated.

No more one-trick ponies

Most technological devices that come out nowadays serve multiple functions. The latest version of the Nintendo Wii, for instance, doesn’t just play Wii games as well as GameCube games. It stores photos and has a photo editing function.

The iBreath is no exception to this modern multitasking rule. It doubles as an FM trasmitter so you can play your iPod tunes over the radio.

So add this to your bag of tricks for avoiding DUIs and injuries. A payday loan can help in financial emergencies, but it can’t keep you safe on the road.

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