READERS WRITE

 

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Byter Philip C sent me an email in response to yesterday's post about sharenting, portmanteau word from sharing and parenying, meaning the posting and overposting of images of children on the internet, especially on social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Thanks Philip.

Philip's email was accompanied by a photograph, which he has given permission to share, as I am told so have the child's parents:

Hi Otto,

I am all for maintaining my grandchildren's privacy.

Regards

Philip

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Roberta W also sent me an email about the Sharenting post, thanks Rob:

Very interesting bytes, Otto. As you probably know, I absolutely loathe social media. God knows there's enough info being collected about us all without posting loads of stuff on FB and Instagram. Ughhh...

Fully agree with you, Rob.

Some thoughts on that . . .

. . . .and finally, the chief advocates for privacy:

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An email from Ron T in the US about the post about the dog named Rum, who was useless as a guard dog becuase he loved everyone . . .

Otto, good evening [midwest USA time].

I love your blog, but this poem skyrockets to the very tops.

Only we pup lovers understand the joys, and frequent frustrations, we're blessed with through our four-legged family members.

All the best to you, Kate and those near and dear to you.

Thanks, Ron

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From Philippa W in response to the post about the  origins of the expressions dough and bread for money:

Hi Otto,

I really enjoyed this piece about money, bread and dough. Isn’t it interesting how expressions come about, and the relationships between them (eg the the Germanic pun of dough as something that’s kneaded/needed.) I remember that for some reason Mum hated the word moolah (taught to me by my naughty best friend in Year 7) and wasn’t keen on ‘dosh’ either (perhaps because if it’s association with doss-houses!)

Thanks for continuing to entertain and educate us with Bytes.

Bye for now,

Pip

Thanks Pip.

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An earlier email from Roberta W:

Wow. Fascinating Otto.

Love the history re the band Jethro Tull, as I'm a big fan. 1st album I ever bought, at age 15, was Joni Mitchell. Second, Jethro Tull.

Thanks, Rob.

Btw:

In the early years, 1967–1968, the new band found it difficult to obtain repeat bookings. They changed their name frequently in order to continue playing the London club circuit, using aliases such as Navy Blue, Ian Henderson's Bag o' Nails, and Candy Coloured Rain. The group’s leader, founder, principal composer and only constant member, Ian Anderson, recalls looking at a poster at a club and realising that the band name he did not recognise was theirs.

The names were often supplied by their booking agent's staff, one of whom, a history enthusiast, gave them the alias Jethro Tull after the 18th-century agriculturist. The name stuck because they were using it when the manager of the Marquee Club liked their show enough to give them a weekly residency. In an interview in 2006, Anderson said that he had not realised it was the name of "a dead guy who invented the seed drill – I thought our agent had made it up". He said if he could change one thing in his life, he would go back and change the name of the band to something less historical. 

The band recorded a single, "Sunshine Day", which was released in February 1968 on MGM Records,   The group’s name was miscredited to "Jethro Toe".  Produced by Derek Lawrence, he is credited with purposely designating the band as Jethro Toe because he did he did not like the name "Jethro Tull".

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Also from Roberta W about the origins of the description of people being "salty":

Very interesting history re salt. I love the expression "jumping salty" - I've never heard that before, but plan to use it. Hahaha.

However, you missed one important historical fact, Otto. As I'm sure Kate has told you, when Elliot was little and took a spoonful or taste of something that wasn't to his liking, he'd announce it to be "salty", with a grimace on his face. Even if said unpleasant food item was something sweet. It was very amusing... Xoxo Rob

Thanks, Rob.

Btw:

A man is waiting in line at the bus station. He finally makes his way to the attendant and notices she is well endowed and certainly showing it. He avoids looking at her breasts and promptly states "I'd like a picket to Titsburgh." Realising his mistake he grows red with embarrassment. After purchasing a ticket to Pittsburgh he sits and waits for his bus. Shortly after sitting down a man walks up to him and says "Don't worry about that, it's called a 'Freudian Slip' and it happens all the time. Like the other day I was sitting with my wife at dinner and I meant to say 'Pass me the salt please' but I accidentally said 'YYou've ruined my life you bitch."

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Comments and input always appreciated, folks.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 

SHARENTING

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SHARENTING:

I haver often wondered at people posting photographs and images of their children on the internet and social media, especially images that may prove embarassing for them in later life. I believe that the day will deservedly come when the posting of any images of children on the internet and social media will be made illegal.

France has taken a step in that direction by banning what is known as “sharenting”. More of that below.

What is sharenting?

According to Wikipedia:

Sharenting is the practice of parents publicizing sensitive content about their children on internet platforms. While the term was coined as recently as 2010, sharenting has become an international phenomenon with widespread presence in the United States, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom. As such, sharenting has also ignited disagreement as a controversial application of social media. Detractors find that it violates child privacy and hurts a parent-child relationship. Proponents frame the practice as a natural expression of parental pride in their children and argue that critics take sharenting posts out of context.

Academic research has been conducted over the potential social motivations for sharenting and legal frameworks to balance child privacy with this parental practice. Researchers have conducted several psychological surveys, outlining social media accessibility, parental self-identification with children, and social pressure as potential causes for sharenting. Legal scholars have identified international human rights laws, labor protections, and recent online child privacy statutes as potential legal standards to check sharenting abuses.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharenting

Is sharenting sharing or oversharing?

The origins of the term "sharenting" have been attributed to the Wall Street Journal, where they called it "oversharenting," a portmanteau of "oversharing" and "parenting."

Sharenting can be jsut sharing but its worst aspects are in oversharing.

What’s different about sharing today?

Recording life moments of children growing up is not a new practice: people have been using diaries, scrapbooks and baby log books for centuries. Sharenting has become popular as a result of social media, which has made many people more comfortable with sharing their lives and those of their children online, resulting in the trend of oversharing on social media.

Studies haver shown that in the US, almost 75% of American parents were familiar with someone who over-shared information about their child on social media, and that 92% of all American two-year-olds had some presence on the internet. In Australia, a study showed that 90% of Australian parents admitted to over-sharing.

What’s wrong with sharenting?

It has been argued that sharenting:

· is a violation of child privacy, including data privacy;

· involves a lack of informed consent;

· may embarrass children;

· creates an initial digital footprint, a history of online activity, that the children themselves have no control over.;

· may result in negative consequences such as being ridiculed at school or leaving a negative impression for the future.

It has resulted in a backlash which includes anti-sharenting sites and apps that block baby pictures. One such site is the blog STFU Parents, founded in 2009 to criticise parental oversharing on social media.

In response some some parents maintain that sharenting creates a stronger sense of online community; others have suggested an appproach on sharenting which includes restrictions and conditions.

What the French are doing:

The French government has introduced laws banning parents from oversharing their children online, to protect children’s rights to their own images.

On average, there are 1300 photos of a child before the age of 13. In the UK, parents have posted, on average, nearly 1500 photos of their child by their fifth birthday.

The policy behind the proposed banning is the concerns around safety - where exactly do these photos go? Who can access them? If they exist on the cloud, they could be hacked.

The French policy is trying to address the fact that some children are becoming an extension of a parent’s identity. Some parents are even monetising that family identity, and profiting from images that their children had no choice in sharing with the world.

There’s no word on whether any other countries will adopt the same measures.

Under the proposed French law, courts will have the power to ban parents from posting photos of their youngsters online. Both parents would be jointly responsible for their children's image rights and any decision to post them online would involve the child based on 'his or her age and degree of maturity', with courts able to ban posting if either parent disagreed.

Parents could also lose authority over their children's image rights if posting them 'seriously affects the child's dignity or moral integrity'.

MP Bruno Studer, who proposed the bill earlier this month, said the law aimed to 'empower parents' and show young people their parents don't have an 'absolute right' over their image.

Mr Studer said in an interview with Le Monde:

'A 13-year-old child has an average of 1,300 images of themselves circulating on the internet. 'These are photos that can be misused for child pornography or that can lead to bullying in the school environment.'

It has been claimed that 50 per cent of photographs used in child pornography forums were originally posted by parents on social media.

Some comments from the public:

From 9 News twitter site,

Your Say: Should 'sharenting' be banned in Australia?

https://twitter.com/9NewsAUS/status/1637287778852429824

Yes. ban it

Ban parents who give kids stupid names because they want "something different".

Stop trying to control the masses...

Maybe it should, given the way children are being exploited by weird minority people.

I see friends’ kids growing up healthy and being happy on my timeline,why would I want to appease your saltiness

How about let’s just ban pictures of children period? Personally I share nothing. My wife shared a minimal amount. I have family/friends that are uploading multiple pictures daily to their social media and I can’t stand it.

No social media before age 18 at all

No, I don't think it should be banned BUT I do think parents need to be aware of privacy settings on their accounts and strictly limit who can see the photos.

And images posted of children must be fully clothed, so no topless beach photos etc.

Shouldn’t be banned

Thoughts?

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 

POETRY SPOT

The Drover’s Sweetheart

- Henry Lawson (1891)

An hour before the sun goes down
Behind the ragged boughs,
I go across the little run
And bring the dusty cows;
And once I used to sit and rest
Beneath the fading dome,
For there was one that I loved best
Who'd bring the cattle home.

Our yard is fixed with double bails,
Round one the grass is green,
The bush is growing through the rails,
The spike is rusted in;
And 'twas from there his freckled face
Would turn and smile at me --
He'd milk a dozen in the race
While I was milking three.

I milk eleven cows myself
Where once I milked but four;
I set the dishes on the shelf
And close the dairy door;
And when the glaring sunlight fails
And the fire shines through the cracks,
I climb the broken stockyard rails
And watch the bridle-tracks.

He kissed me twice and once again
And rode across the hill,
The pint-pots and the hobble-chain
I hear them jingling still;
He'll come at night or not at all --
He left in dust and heat,
And when the soft, cool shadows fall
Is the best time to meet.

And he is coming back again,
He wrote to let me know,
The floods were in the Darling then --
It seems so long ago;
He'd come through miles of slush and mud,
And it was weary work,
The creeks were bankers, and the flood
Was forty miles round Bourke.

He said the floods had formed a block,
The plains could not be crossed,
And there was foot-rot in the flock
And hundreds had been lost;
The sheep were falling thick and fast
A hundred miles from town,
And when he reached the line at last
He trucked the remnant down.

And so he'll have to stand the cost;
His luck was always bad,
Instead of making more, he lost
The money that he had;
And how he'll manage, heaven knows
(My eyes are getting dim),
He says -- he says -- he don't -- suppose
I'll want -- to -- marry -- him.

As if I wouldn't take his hand
Without a golden glove --
Oh! Jack, you men won't understand
How much a girl can love.
I long to see his face once more --
Jack's dog! thank God, it's Jack! --
(I never thought I'd faint before)
He's coming -- up -- the track.

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Hear a sung version at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQc-mh95mxM

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 

WORTH TAKING ON BOARD . . .

 

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

 

POETRY SPOT

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The following poem about a dog that is hopeless as a guard dog because he loves people. Reminds me of our two dogs, Tux and Kane, who also love everybody:

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The Ballad Of Rum

    Peter R Wolveridge

A dog wandered into our garden one day,

A friendly old mutt, didn't look like a stray.

We never discovered whence he had come,

But we brushed him and fed him and the kids called him Rum.

Now as family members, even dogs must work hard,

So we put Rum on duty next door in our yard,

Bright eyed and watchful by night and by day,

But not much of a guard dog, I'm sorry to say.

He barked at the cats and he'd bark at a toad,

He barked at the cattle outside on the road,

He barked at the horses - so where did he fail?

You see, Rum liked people, and he just wagged his tail.

He liked the yard labour, an amiable bunch.

They fed our dog tidbits and scraps from their lunch.

Rum wolfed it all down, but to our dismay

He seemed to get fatter with each passing day.

Then one night when Rum was laid at his ease,

A burglar crept in just as quiet as you please.

He saw no alarms, heard no siren howling,

No guard dog for sure, there'd be barking and growling.

But Rum was awake and he'd seen him alright,

Delighted with company this time of the night,

He flew through the yard, his new friend to greet,

And his weight bowled the burglar right off of his feet.

The intruder got up and ran off with a wail

And Rum right behind him still wagging his tail.

He departed the yard he'd come in to burgle

Like a champion athlete clearing a hurdle.

But Rum couldn't jump gates, so sadly instead

He picked up the thief's wallet and went back to bed.

Next morning the evidence everyone viewed,

When Rum brought it to us, (just a little bit chewed).

Once given the wallet, the police didn't fail

To capture the burglar and put him in jail.

His confession like wildfire spread through the town,

How a big vicious guard dog had knocked the thief down.

We all howled with laughter when we heard the story,

And Rum was our hero, he was basking in glory.

There's been no attempts since to burgle our yard,

For everyone knows now that Rum is on guard.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

 

SYDNEY SUBURBS

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DAVIDSON

__________

Location:

Davidson is a suburb on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, located 20 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Northern Beaches Council.

__________

Name origin:

Davidson was named for Sir Walter Davidson, Governor of New South Wales from 18 February 1918 to 4 September 1923.

Sir Walter Edward Davidson (1859 – 1923)

Davidson was a British colonial administrator and diplomat who served periods as Governor of the Seychelles, Governor of Newfoundland and as Governor of New South Wales, where he died in office.

After his death, in October 1923, an area of land around Frenchs Forest was proclaimed as "Davidson Park State Recreation Area" in his honour and, subsequently, the suburb of Davidson that developed later took his name, including the NSW state electoral district in 1971, and the local high school in 1972.

In recognition of Lady Davidson's service, Lady Davidson Hospital in North Turramurra was dedicated in 1923 and Lady Davidson Circuit in Forestville.

Grave of Walter Edward Davidson, South Head Cemetery, Vaucluse, New South Wales

__________

About:

Davidson began life as a mining quarry, with residential developments not beginning until the late 1970s.

Davidson features uneven topography, in large part due to the area’s origins as a mining quarry, as well as its proximity to Garigal National Park.

At the 2016 census, there were 2,849 residents in Davidson. The most common ancestries in Davidson were:

English 32.1%

Australian 24.1%

Irish 9.1%

Scottish 7.6% and

Chinese 2.8%.

Davidson receives attention each December for its residents' enthusiastic display of Christmas lights. The "Davidson Lights" draw families from all over Sydney. Borgnis Street provides the centre of the nightly celebrations in the lead-up to Christmas, however the festive spirit is spread widely throughout the suburb with residents of Stone Parade and its various cul-de-sacs also actively participating.

__________

Gallery:

In 2022 a total of $35,000 was raised for Bear Cottage

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QUOTE FOR THE DAY

 

LAUGH

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Son Elliot sent me a link to a Youtube video of a Canadian folk-bluegrass group called The Dead South performing a great song called In Hell I’ll Be In Good Company. Take the time to click on the following link and have a look and listen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9FzVhw8_bY

I love that title, also the lines:

Push, shove, a little bruised and battered

Oh Lord, I ain't coming home with you

Anyhow, it also inspires today’s Laugh theme: Hell.

A number of the items below have been posted previously but are worth another airing.

Enjoy readers, and enjoy the Dead South song and clip.

Some risqué humour ahead, though.

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SOME HUMOUR:

__________

By way of background:

The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League and were founded in 1960. They are named after the Vikings of medieval Scandinavia, reflecting the prominent Scandinavian American culture of Minnesota. They have not won a Super Bowl.

Ole and Sven are elderly friends who die in a snowmobiling accident, drunker than skunks, and go to Hell.

The devil observes that they are really enjoying themselves and says to them ‘Doesn’t the heat and smoke bother you?’ Ole replies, ‘Vell, ya know, ve’re from nordern Minnesooota, da land of snow an ice, an ve’re yust happy fer a chance ta varm up a little bit, ya know.’

The devil decides that these two aren’t miserable enough and turns up the heat even more. When he returns to the room of the two from Minnesota, the devil finds them in light jackets and hats, grilling sausages and drinking beer.

The devil is astonished and exclaims ‘Everyone down here is in misery, and you two seem to be enjoying yourselves?’ Sven replies, ‘Vell, ya know, ve don’t git too much varm veather up dere at da Falls, so ve’ve yust got ta haff a fish fry vhen da veather’s dis nice.’

The devil is absolutely furious. He can hardly see straight. Finally he comes up with the answer.

The two guys love the heat because they have been cold all their lives. The devil decides to turn all the heat off in Hell.

The next morning, the temperature is 60 below zero, icicles are hanging everywhere, and people are shivering so bad that they are unable to wail, moan or gnash their teeth. The devil smiles and heads for the room with Ole and Sven.

He gets there and finds them back in their parkas, bomber hats, and mittens. They are jumping up and down, cheering, yelling and screaming like madmen. The devil is dumbfounded,

‘I don’t understand, when I turn up the heat you’re happy. Now its freezing cold and you’re still happy. What is wrong with you two?’

They both look at the devil in surprise and say ‘Vell, don’t ya know, if hell iss froze over, dat must mean da Vikings von da Super Bowl.”

__________

Hitler dies and goes to the gates of hell...

St. Peter is waiting for him, staring at him, judging him.

Hitler breaks the silence and asks: "Where am I?"

A bit frustrated, St. Peter responds: "Hell, Hitler."

Confused, Hitler asks again:"Ja, ja, Heil Hitler, but where am I?"

__________

A man is visiting a prostitute when she is noticing he seems distraught. She asks him what's bothering him.

He tells her, "I sell furniture and if the furniture business doesn't pick up soon, I'll lose my ass"

She replies, "That's a funny coincidence. If the ass business doesn't pick up soon, I'll lose my furniture!"

__________

A man stood at the Pearly Gate,

His face was lined and old.

He stood before the Man of Fate for admission to the fold.

“What have you done,” St. Peter asked “to gain admission here?

“I’ve been a married man,” he said, “for many and many a year.”

The Pearly Gates swung open open wide and St. Peter touched the bell,

“Come right in and choose your harp, you’ve had your share of hell.”

__________

There were four university students taking chemistry and all of them had an A so far. These four friends were so confident that the weekend before finals, they decided to visit some friends and have a big party. They had a great time but, after all the hearty partying, they slept all day Sunday and didn't make it back to school until early Monday morning.

Rather than taking the final then, they decided that after the final they would explain to their professor why they missed it. They said that they visited friends but, on the way back, they had a flat tyre. As a result, they missed the final. The professor agreed they could make up the final the next day. The guys were excited and relieved. They studied that night for the exam.

The next day the Professor placed them in separate rooms and gave them each the 100 point exam. They quickly answered the first problem worth 5 points. Cool, they thought! Each one in separate rooms, thought this was going to be easy. Then they turned the page. On the second page was written...

For 95 points: Which tyre? ____

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A life-long atheist dies and is surprised to find himself before the Pearly Gates. St. Peter sadly shakes his head and tells him that because of his non-belief, he must be sent to Hell. The Devil greets him there and shows him where he will now spend eternity, a lovely cozy cottage set on a beautiful hillside where the sweet smell of flowers fills the air. The Devil tells him he will want for nothing and to feel free to walk the grounds.

One day, while he is out strolling through the idyllic gardens, he comes across a tall wall. Curious, he climbs one of the many trees and peering over the wall, is shocked to see a fire-filled field with people writhing in agony and screaming hopelessly. He is very disturbed by this sight and returns home.

The next day, the Devil pays him a visit and asks how he is enjoying eternity. The atheist says he finds Hell to be a lovely place but is concerned about the things he saw on the other side of the wall. “Oh” the Devil says, “those are Christian sinners” “But why” the man asks, “are they suffering so much while I, who didn’t believe in God at all, am here in such comfort?”

“I don’t know” the Devil replies shrugging," that’s the way they want it."

__________

What's the difference between Heaven and Hell?

In Heaven...

the French are the cooks

the Germans are the engineers

the British are the police

the Swiss are the managers

the Italians are the lovers

In Hell...

the British are the cooks

the French are the managers

the Italians are the engineers

the Germans are the police

the Swiss are the lovers

__________

A guy dies and finds himself in hell. As he is wallowing in despair, he has his first meeting with the devil...

Satan: "Why so glum?"

Guy: "What do you think? I'm in hell!"

Satan: "Hell's not so bad. We actually have a lot of fun down here. You a drinking man?"

Guy: "Sure, I love to drink."

Satan: "Well, you're gonna love Mondays then. On Mondays, that's all we do, drink. Whiskey, tequila, Guinness, wine coolers, Tab, and Fresca. We drink 'til we throw up, and then we drink some more! And you don't have to worry about getting a hangover, because you're dead anyway."

Guy: "Gee that sounds great!"

Satan: "You a smoker?"

Guy: "You better believe it!"

Satan: "All right! You're gonna love Tuesdays. We get the finest cigars from all over the world, and smoke our lungs out. If you get cancer - no biggie, you're already dead, remember?"

Guy: "Wow...that's awesome!"

Satan: "I bet you like to gamble."

Guy: "Why, yes, as a matter of fact I do."

Satan: "Good, 'cause Wednesdays you can gamble all you want. Craps, blackjack, roulette, poker, slots, whatever. If you go bankrupt, it doesn't matter, you're dead anyhow."

Guy: "Cool!"

Satan: "What about drugs?"

Guy: "Are you kidding? Love drugs! You don't mean...?"

Satan: "That's right! Thursday is drug day. Help yourself to a great big bowl of crack or smack. Smoke a doobie the size of a submarine. You can do all the drugs you want. You're dead so who cares."

Guy: "Wow! I never realised Hell was such a cool place!"

Satan: "You gay?"

Guy: "No..."

Satan: "Ohh, you’re gonna hate Fridays . . . “

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LIMERICK OF THE WEEK:

On a maiden a man once begat,

Triplets named Nat, Pat and Tat.

‘Twas fun in the breeding

But Hell in the feeding,

She hadn't a spare tit for Tat.

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LAW & LAWYERS

The bartender asks the guy sitting at the bar, "What'll you have?" The guy answers, "A scotch, please." The bartender hands him the drink, and says "That'll be five dollars," to which the guy replies, "What are you talking about? I don't owe you anything for this."

A lawyer, sitting nearby and overhearing the conversation, then says to the bartender, "You know, he's got you there. In the original offer, which constitutes a binding contract upon acceptance, there was no stipulation of remuneration."

The bartender was not impressed, but says to the guy, "Okay, you beat me for a drink. But don't ever let me catch you in here again."

The next day, same guy walks into the bar. Bartender says, "What the heck are you doing in here? I can't believe you've got the audacity to come back!"

The guy says, "What are you talking about? I've never been in this place in my life!"

The bartender replies, "I'm very sorry, but this is uncanny. You must have a double."

To which the guy replies, "Thank you. Make it a scotch."

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CORN CORNER:

__________

My dog ate a whole bag of Scrabble tiles, so I took him to the vet..

No word yet....

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