NEED Your Support and Vote!!! Currently #118

Voting end Feb 28th...

This year instead of running Pepsi commercials during the Super Bowl, Pepsi decided to take that money and fuel ideas that positively affect communities in the US.

After learning about the “Pepsi Refresh Project” I entered my idea and concept for “Revive underground subway music in the United States”. This project will connect artists, fans and communities through music. A subway music competition targeting 5 out of the top 10 transit systems in the in the U.S., benefiting artists and over 9 million daily commuters in major cities daily. The project will provide less well-known artists with a platform for reaching a broader audience, and expose music enthusiasts to musicians they otherwise might never know about.

How we WIN? The person whose idea receives the most votes, wins the grant.
This is the real deal with some serious money that could truly make a difference in a lot of people lives.

I need your vote and support and please repost on Facebook and twitter pages.
Vote Here! http://refresheverything.com/SubwayRecords

Thank you for your support!

DaddyYO

FLIP HD Review- 3 1/2 Stars

I reached out to FLIP few weeks back, to see if there was any interest in advertising on www.DaddysRus.com. The important thing to understand is the last thing I want on my blog is advertising. However, FLIP is a product I simply can not live without and is the only advertiser I would consider having on my website. I recently received the FLIP MINO HD in the mail, an upgrade from my old flip cam. The HD quality, HD sound and how it feels in my hand is enough to make my Blackberry jealous. I love it when a product says what it does.

Having my first flip for more than a year, it never gave me one problem, even after living and banging around in my pocket for most of that time. It never even crashed and the quality on the original FLIP MINO was still better than anything my SONY handy cam produced. FLIP was a 1/4 of the price.

The MINO HD is a WOW product. Love the no nonsense one button technology. Easy one click upload to both Youtube and Facebook is very cool and makes videos easy to share. Plus, no accessories are needed so the baby can still eat! Battery life, when managed, can be as much as 3 weeks without a charge.

It's compatible. I have a MAC air, 3x HP laptops and Dell Desktop and I have plugged the MINO HD into all my computers and have had no problem recognizing the FLIP and playing videos.

I gave it 3 1/2 stars because I like to see the Flip Mino HD made even smaller. It be great to have a cool leather lanyard to pimp around my DaddyYO neck. Are those even available?? Other issues with the camera is the zoom. It's not that good and wont capture anything I cant already see with the naked eye. Also, every time I take out the FLIP cam to shoot video, LittleYO wants to hold it in his hand. It would be a great additional feature to add a LOCK button on the side, to help keep kids from recording 3 second videos of their feet. It's pretty difficult for a kid to delete anything form the cam, but it still can happen. My videos are gold to me.

Live by the FLIP, Share your Flip. For me, there is nothing better than capturing video in HD and those simple moments like your LittleYO sitting outside, playing with his golf club and just singing that we will forever look back on in FLIP HD.

Thank You FLIP!




(Really not happy with how the video was converted on Youtube. It definitely does not do HD quality justice.) I will look into this further.

"Freakonomics"

It can get get hectic! To be true to my thoughts and posts being a DaddyYO is tough, overwhelming and down right confusing at times. It's not all smiles and cute videos. Recently, we went to the store and LittleYO freaked out. These public FREAK OUTS is what I feared most about being a parent. Honestly, when this happens I'm a fish out of water. I don't have a clue what to do, how to handle him or myself. It's a place that reminds me of college at 4:20am in the morning where I cant find my way out of the bathroom, I'm lost.

The following week, at the store the same thing, another freak out! Seriously? What is going on!? I try and talk him down off the ledge in the middle of the store. He screaming and like the incredible hulk he is trying to stretch free out of his stroller. I'm waiting for his seat belt to snap and his skin to turn green! The eye daggers of parents walking by us, stab me in the back and is not helping my mental or current situation.

I'm not lying I was profusely sweating and like the current situation, the room was starting to spin out of control. I stood up from my "crouching baby hidden tiger" pose to catch my breath. "I think I'm going to pass out". It was time to leave.

LittleYO now securely in his car seat has already forgotten about what happen inside the store. Looking back at him in the backseat, he's smiling and having a good ol time. I'm left feeling angry, disappointed, confused and some other emotions I have yet to classify. Driving home in complete silence....

At what point in our lives do we start to hold onto emotions that carry over into our days and our future experiences? It's because of this "carry over" of emotions from previous experiences that the mind has a way of deteriorating moments for what they actually are, positive or negative. As an adult, this effects everything!

When was last time I experienced a situation without the interference of memories of past experiences? Depending on how the current situation aligns with my expectations, that are based on previous experiences, will then interpret the outcome of the current situation; "good" or "bad". I think I may be living in the past....

Damn, I wasn't planning on getting this deep....I'm going with it...

The point to all of this is based on my last two experiences at the store with LittleYO I mentioned to MommyYO "I'm not going to the store ever again with LittleYO". I was wrong. Being a DaddyYO and living through these situations for the first time is closest I will ever get to experiencing youth again. Like LittleYO, we are experiencing something for the very first time, together. It was during this trip to the store I learned more from him than he did from me.

Don't be an "oldYO", be a DaddyYO. Grow old with your LittleYO and learn together. Try not to freak out.

Finding their Passion for Life. Support your LittleYo's urge to drum solo to Rush Chronicles!

It’s been a while since my last post. I have found myself experiencing this holiday season from a much different perspective, a DaddyYO perspective. LittleYo, now 14 months things are starting to happen, QUICK! I found myself multiple times saying out loud “Did he just say that?” “Did he just do that?” “Wait, what just happen?"

This holiday season was truly a miracle as I got to watch LittleYo grow like a leaf that once sat on my college dorm window sill. I turn my head for a second and he went from walking to running to climbing stairs and on my final days off he gave my kisses when I asked him. I really don’t know what else I could say….but for all you DaddyYO’s out there, I know you understand what I’m talking about…

The past 16 days included traveling by plane and car, a family door to door holiday tour, a stomach bug, lots of presents, laughter and love. I even had some time to relax. It was during these busy days I started to realize, during our visits with the familyYO’s, that LittleYo took to certain niece and nephew toys more than others. It made me think about my responsibility as a parent to help LittleYo explore the world and all the toys inside that makes life worth living. I'm going to help him find his passion...

For example, during our visit at Aunt & UncleYO’s house and our nephew EadinYO, now three years old, got a drum set from GrandmaYO for Xmas. The drum set was kept upstairs away from the main room downstairs. With all the gifts now open downstairs, I weaved and chased LittleYo around to be sure not another ribbon or bow was consumed. Holding him in my arms, his heads drifted up and eye contact was made with the ol mighty drum set sitting shiny upstairs. Pushing off my face with his hands, his feet off my chest, I placed him down on the ground. He ran over to the stairs and climbed them like a tiger jumping on rocks to get to the top of the mountain. The stairs twisted and turned. LittleYo was on a “mission”. I knew one thing and that was I was not about to disrupt this possible magic moment.

Following close behind, he never looked back at me. He climbed. One step, another step all the way to the top and at the final step he stood up. In front of him was the ol mighty drum set. He stood there for about a min staring at the snare and the cymbal, not moving, just staring. Wanting to say something to LittleYo, I forced my urge to talk and just watched to see what was going to happen next.

As fast as a tiger spots prey, he spotted the two drum sticks lying on the ground. He instinctively picked them up, sat down on the swivel stool and jammed out a beat that I recognized as RUSH Chronicles. That’s what I heard any way….

Could drums be a possible passion, maybe. I'm sure there will be a lot more interests that come his way. I think as long as we DaddyYO's can recognize these magical moments before we can say "NO!" all will be right in the world.

I now present LittleYO's very first Drum Solo to RUSH Chronicles:

Happy New Year DaddyYO's!

Kids + Eating Vegetables = EASY GiftYO! Under $10

LaurenYO's New DVD, "More Vegetables Please", endorsed by a division of the American Academy of Pediatrics, will have your little ones BEGGING FOR VEGETABLES!

Exhausted from struggling with your kids during mealtime? This dvd shows them that it's fun to eat well and to exercise. Healthy hound, Claude, shows them how to eat and love fruit and vegetables.

Bring this DVD home this holiday season and make your household a happy and healthy one! Click Image to BuyYO!

This dvd is my pick and DaddyYO's pick for the holiday season. And it's under 10 smackers!!!

The Giving Tree Scared Me, by LaurenYO

C'mon now, I know I'm not the only one.  Fess up, you guys, YOU'RE SCARED by the children's book The Giving Tree.  Well, maybe not the story, but something else on the book has got you creeped???  Well, you're not alone.  That picture of the author, Shel Silverstein, scared me OFF MY CHAIR!  And listen to this: Did you know that Shel Silverstein used to be a cartoonist for PLAYBOY?!?!  That's right, the same guy.  It appears he's pretty familiar with trunks and foliage.

Check out my latest video here and tell us your frightful tales with The Tree.  Sleep tight... 

xox laurenYO

TO VLOG or BLOG....that is my question?

Back from Thanksgiving break, a mini vacation an appetizer for the holiday time that is about to come with XMAS.

....so I'm really digging LaurenYO Vlogs. She has me thinking, maybe I should VLOG instead of blog. Honestly, I'm more likely to watch than read. Was wondering what you thought? Please vote.

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

LaurenYO strikes again and Asks and Finds Out: How's My Driving?

SURELY YOU'VE SEEN THEM, the bumper stickers on the backs of commercial vehicles stating, "How's My Driving? Call this #." Ever wonder what happens when you call?? After getting cut off by a car sporting that very bumper sticker, I decided I find out. 

Check out my video and witness our government dollars at work--HARD AT WORK, to keep you and your kids safe on the road!!  Happy holidays everyone!

Introducing LaurenYO on DaddysRus - "Heard Flying with Kids is Hard? Try Making it Through Security First!"

What up DaddyYO's? Happy Thanksgiving! Over the next couple of weeks, we have some precious time with our family's. Enjoy and have a Happy and Safe Holiday Season!

Today, I'm reversing my post. Most of the time I speak about my personal experiences with LittleYO, share videos etc. Today, is different. Different is good. Today, I want to introduce "LaurenYO". For all you DaddyYO's, she's the real deal & she's easy on the eyes. I'm super excited to have her apart of DaddysRus and to share with you a perspective other than my own.

This is LaurenYO.........


Planning a family trip?? Thought flying with kids was tough?  New mom, Lauren Mattia, attempts to bring her young son to visit his grandparents, and can barely make it through security!  Find out why her six month old son poses a security threat at Newark, New Jersey's Liberty Airport.  Watch and laugh!  You know you're next!!      

Don’t hate the caveman, blame history! Relish in the patriarchal consequences..

The more I write about how we DaddyYo’s need to express and “be there” as much as we can for our LittleYo’s, the more I grow concerned about jeopardizing the good thing we DaddyYO’s have; lower parenting expectations than MommyYO.

Four score and a million diapers ago our fathers brought forth the role of the “DaddyYO” conceived in low expectations, and dedicated to the proposition that all men really don’t want any responsibility, at all.

It’s kind of funny to think back to a prehistoric time of the caveman who habits and role in the family still lurks in the current patriarchal hierarchy. DaddyCaveYO leaving the cave to hunt and gather dinner while MommyCaveYO stayed behind, piercing their nipples and getting butterfly tattoos on their lower back side, teaching and caring for our LittleCaveYO’s. Even though times have changed, just a little bit, and now both parents work, those lessons still run deep in our psyche and are now firmly rooted into the DNA of our current generation. Is this why DaddyYO gets no credit or reference in parenting books and websites? However, I have learned an important lesson.

I don't want credit, give all the credit to MommyYO. More credit equals more work, higher expectations and more responsibility. Rather than complaining about not enough of DaddyYO recognition on websites, TV, and books I'm become a fan of the current societal image of low parental expectations. So let's relish in our DaddyYO images and can I get a prehistoric AMEN!

I’m confident, there will be some naysayer who will oppose and deny this claim. I laugh at you, as I sit on my couch, in my cave, playing Call of Duty, Modern Warfare (Which is Awesome!)

Depending on your perspective, we'll always live in prehistoric times. Do we want to exceed DaddyYO patriarchal expectations and become more involved in areas we don't wish to become more involved in, like changing more diapers. Nope. If we did, the result on our futures roles could be catastrophic. We must fulfill the destiny of our forefathers, maintain low DaddyYO expectations in society and pass on “the good life” to our LittleYo’s .

Therefore, we MUST tell our MommyYO’s how much we love them, how much we appreciate them and how much we desperately need them!. Tell MommyYO EVERYDAY and than REPEAT. Do it for the future DaddyYO's, Do it for our forefather's and history of daddyo kind. Mommy is the center of the family, deal with it or change more diapers. Your choice?

Don’t hate the caveman, blame history! Relish in the patriarchal consequences.