In retirement, what would your ideal day look like?

By Doretta Donovan | Saturday, October 1, 2011, 05:03 PM

In retirement, what would your ideal day look like?

MATT PAUL, Dayton: “I would be on a boat in the middle of the ocean and just lie there. It would be wonderful.”

JAZMIN COLE, Dayton: “I probably would move somewhere between the city and the country, doing my own gardening.”

JEANETTE PETREQUIN, Beavercreek: “I think of a more leisurely sort of day, whether that would be doing crafts, exercising, volunteering, cooking or spending more time with my family.”

JEAN WEAVER, Clayton: “I’d get up an hour later — 6:30 instead of 5:30, and still go on a walk with the dogs. And not hurry through anything the whole day.”

MELINDA GILMORE, Beavercreek: “I’d probably be gardening, cooking and spending time with family and friends.”

Permalink | | More: Culture/Society

Does the time teens spend social networking increase the likelihood that they will smoke, drink or use drugs?

By Doretta Donovan | Friday, September 30, 2011, 03:25 PM

Does the time teens spend social networking increase the likelihood that they will smoke, drink or use drugs? A survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse indicated that social networking makes kids five times more likely to smoke, three times more likely to drink and twice as likely to use marijuana.

JIM BABCOCK

JIM BABCOCK, Harrison Twp.: “Every generation, every five or 10 years, there’s some new source causing your kids to smoke, drink or do drugs. I think it’s peer pressure, and maybe social networking adds to that pressure.”

KATIE NEVAREZ

KATIE NEVAREZ, Beavercreek: “If the parents are monitoring their kids’ Facebook and MySpace, as well as the friends they hang out with, then it shouldn’t be a problem. Parents lead by example.”

JACOB HOPPER

JACOB HOPPER, Englewood: “I know for a fact it’s true. I was influenced by what I saw on social networking when I was a teenager.”

VICTORIA DESUTTER

VICTORIA DESUTTER, Fairborn: “I do feel that social networking has a big effect on teens, especially considering the time they spend on it. And peer pressure is what they use for guidelines these days.”

JACQUISE JACKSON

JACQUISE JACKSON, Jefferson Twp.: “Social networking removes the human interaction, the real-life environment. Boundaries of the social network are limited to only those you let in. In real life, your choices of influence are broader.”

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Permalink | | More: Culture/Society, Parents/children

How often do you use your local library? Have computers made them less necessary?

By Doretta Donovan | Thursday, September 29, 2011, 02:36 PM

How often do you use your local library? Have computers made them less necessary?

ANTHONY HEAD

ANTHONY HEAD, Dayton: “I use the library every single week. I’ve absolutely loved the library all my life. I’ve got four books our right now, and some waiting. We’ve got one of the best library systems in the country.”

MARY BRANDSTETTER

MARY BRANDSTETTER, Fairborn: “I haven’t been to a library in many years. For a while they cut back their hours, and I just got out of the habit. I now have a network of book sharers. But I wouldn’t want to see libraries go away. My children use them.”

MARY PAT SAVORD

MARY PAT SAVORD, Dayton: “I’m from Toledo, and I used the library there a lot. My mom and I like to get books on tape and listen to them in the car. I would rather borrow a book than buy it, and even more so with books on tape.”

KEITH BOYER

KEITH BOYER, Wright-Patterson AFB: “We don’t use it very often — maybe four or five times a year. We used it more often when we were kids. Certainly, technology has something to do with that.”

CAITLIN PETIT

CAITLIN PETIT, Miamisburg: “I just graduated from college, so I hadn’t used the local library very much since I was in high school. But I used the college library all the time. I now live in the area, and I just got my library card two days ago, and I’m so excited to get all my books there.”

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Permalink | | More: Culture/Society, Institutions

Are cell-phone cameras making other cameras obsolete?

By Doretta Donovan | Wednesday, September 28, 2011, 07:48 AM

Do you use your cell phone to take the majority of your pictures? Are cell phones making cameras obsolete?

JACKIE STEFANOFF

JACKIE STEFANOFF, Oakwood: “We really don’t take our cameras anywhere as much as we used to. My daughter has a smart phone that’s smarter than I am, and it really does take great pictures.”

MEGAN BAIRD

MEGAN BAIRD, Sidney: “I don’t use my cell-phone camera ever. I use a small digital camera.”

DESHONA PEPPER ROBERTSON

DESHONA PEPPER ROBERTSON, Dayton: “Cell phone only, for some time now.”

MATT GREEN

MATT GREEN, Washington Twp.: “Our family mainly uses cameras. We don’t get the smart phones. We have the old flip phones.”

D.J. BAIRD

D.J. BAIRD, Sidney: “My cell phone doesn’t have a camera. Where I work, they don’t allow cameras, for security reasons.”
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Permalink | | More: Technology

What’s your impression of nursing homes you’ve visited?

By Doretta Donovan | Tuesday, September 27, 2011, 04:55 PM

What’s your impression of nursing homes you’ve visited? A recent report said one in 10 Ohio nursing homes was faulted for substandard care in the last four years.

MARY SKAROUPKA

MARY SKAROUPKA, Englewood: “I worked in two nursing homes. One was terrible, and one was fantastic. People need to do their homework before putting a loved one in a nursing home. And don’t let them know when you’re coming. Just drop in.”

PAUL BALOG

PAUL BALOG, Columbus: “The only experience I’ve had was with my mother-in-law, who passed away a few years ago. We weren’t particularly happy with how she was treated. They tend to overmedicate the more difficult patients.”

SHEENA NIPPER

SHEENA NIPPER, Xenia: “Things may be better when you have 24-hour staff and the family can visit around the clock. But based on my experience, where the care wasn’t always that great, I wouldn’t want to make the decision for someone in my family to go into a nursing home.”

SHERYL ZIMMERMAN

SHERYL ZIMMERMAN, Huber Heights: “I’ve only been to one in this area. It was very nice, clean, pleasant, with nice wallpaper and plants. I’d been to some in Texas that were also very nice. But, of course, you can’t know what’s going on behind the scenes.”

STEVE OWENS

STEVE OWENS, Huber Heights: “I haven’t really visited any lately. I would think they might be better these days, with all the new construction and the assisted-living facilities that are available now.”

Permalink | | More: Health/Medicine

Is it wrong to sneak snacks and drinks into a movie theater?

By Doretta Donovan | Monday, September 26, 2011, 04:10 PM

Is it wrong to sneak snacks and drinks into a movie theater? Dear Abby says it’s dishonest and sets a bad example for kids.

KIM TEDRICK

KIM TEDRICK, Fairborn: “I do it all the time, because the food they offer there is not what I want to eat. I don’t want popcorn and hot dogs and nachos.”

ELIZABETH GOINS

ELIZABETH GOINS, Beavercreek: “I don’t think it’s that bad. People do it because the prices are outrageous. You end up paying more for snacks than to see the movie.”

DAVE LANDOM

DAVE LANDOM, Bellbrook: “No, because they’re charging such horrible prices for snacks. It’s ridiculous. I think it’s perfectly OK to bring in snacks.”

CHARLOTTE HARRISON

CHARLOTTE HARRISON, Xenia: “I’ve done it, because their snacks are too expensive. I think it’s a common practice. A family can’t afford it, so they take their own food.”

LAVONE BERRY

LAVONE BERRY, Xenia: “A lot of people do take their own snacks, but I don’t. I usually don’t bother with a snack at all during a movie.”

Permalink | | More: Entertainment

Should Home Economics be a required course in public schools?

By Doretta Donovan | Sunday, September 25, 2011, 04:38 PM

Should Home Economics be a required course in public schools? A recent New York Times column said reviving Home Ec would help fight obesity and chronic disease by teaching nutrition and healthy food preparation.

SHELBY RICHARDSON

SHELBY RICHARDSON, Riverside: “I took Personal Development, which included Home Ec. You learned how to sew — we made pillows — and to cook. We made an omelet, quesadillas, chicken wraps. They should require it, especially for guys. A lot of girls took it, but it wasn’t required.”

JANICE BLACKWELL

JANICE BLACKWELL, Virginia Beach, Va.: “I have a niece who just turned 18 and has moved in with me. I’m finding out there are so many basic things teenagers just don’t know. Home Ec could always be beneficial.”

JOANNE DETOMASO

JOANNE DETOMASO, Sugarcreek Twp.: “No. Those skills can easily be embedded in other courses. Instead of sitting through a Home Ec course, students can be taught cooking skills, for example, in a math class — learning the mathematics of a recipe. In health, they can teach nutrition. In a Life Skills class, they learn about taking care of a baby.”

SHARLENE TROUT

SHARLENE TROUT, Beavercreek: “It certainly couldn’t hurt. It’s a foundational course for life. We opt for the easy things in life too often, such as buying fast food instead of preparing our own.”

KAYLA FULTZ

KAYLA FULTZ, Sidney: “In middle school, we had a wellness program for two years that included Home Ec, nutrition and gym. We learned about a proper diet and staying active. And we cooked. I remember making cookies and pie.”

ANDREA DETOMASO

ANDREA DETOMASO, Columbus: “It should be required. It would help in daily living. I grew up in a family where my dad did his share of the cooking and the laundry. It’s good for both men and women to learn.”

Permalink | | More: Schools