YDS Panel: Should Movie Theaters Ban Costumes and Masks After Colorado Movie Shooting

Photo Courtesy of: http://www.Blastr.com

 

Source: Detroit Free Press 

After the recent devastating incident that occurred in Colorado at a midnight showing of  ”The Dark Knight Rises” where 12 people were killed and 58 injured at the Century Aurora 16 multiplex, Metro Detroit Area movie theaters are making some changes.

Some metro Detroit movie theaters are responding to the deadly shooting spree by making changes such as a ban on wearing masks and costumes.

There were calls for more security at theaters — and for putting the tragedy in perspective as an isolated attack of a deranged person and for not blaming an artistic creation for a terrible act of violence.

The national AMC Theatres chain, which has seven metro Detroit locations, issued a statement addressing security concerns raised by the attack that killed 12 and wounded 58 in Aurora, Colo.

“For the safety and security of our guests and associations, we are actively working with local law enforcement in communities throughout the nation, and under the circumstances we are reaching out to all of our theaters to review our safety and security procedures,” it read.

This echoed a statement from the National Association of Theater Owners, which said in a statement that its members are “working closely with local law enforcement agencies and reviewing security procedures.”

MJR Digital Cinemas owner Mike Mihalich said Friday that his eight area locations are banning patrons from wearing masks and costumes — a national trend that has become fairly common at big-event movies like the “Harry Potter” finale and the Batman films.

The Oak Park-based MJR chain already has an effective security system and procedures in place, according to Mihalich. While he said the patrols of exit doors, which are regularly checked at least six times a day, will be stepped up for now, he stressed that the Colorado tragedy is an isolated incident.

“In the 45 years I’ve been in this industry, and 35 of those years owning my own theaters, we’ve never had anything close to resembling this,” Mihalich said.

An e-mail went out Friday afternoon to MJR customers saying that midnight shows have been canceled for July 26 and will return Aug. 2. The timing was coincidental and not in reaction to the tragedy, according to the company, which offered no further details.

Cory Jacobson, owner of the Farmington-headquartered Phoenix Theatres, said his two locations (at malls in Monroe and Livonia) are already vigilant about making sure people don’t bring anything into the theater that shouldn’t be there, including working closely with mall security and bringing in extra security at busy times. He said the location of the tragedy could have been anywhere, and he pointed out that schools, post offices and even an Army base have been the sites of shootings.

A statement from Paul Glantz, CEO of Emagine Entertainment, a Troy-based movie theater company with six area locations, said that the safety of patrons is Emagine’s “foremost responsibility,” and outlined the many security precautions in place, including security personnel at venues during peak times, surveillance systems and emergency alarms. It also tried to put such tragedies into historical perspective and address the limits of reasonable security.

“Just as no realistic building code provision could save a building from a direct hit by a 747, no practical security measures are sufficient to preclude a madman intent on committing mass murder,” it said.

Speaking later by phone, Glantz said that Emagine theaters won’t ban masks or costumes, describing how about 20% of the patrons at the Royal Oak Emagine midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” were dressed up to enjoy the big night.

The Young Detroit Show’s Statement:

The Young Detroit Show (Our company) and all of our staff would like to send our deepest thoughts and prayers to all of the families, friends and loved ones who have been affected by this recent Colorado shooting tragedy. We will continue to update our viewers on this breaking developing story. Our legal correspondents over at SmackGavel weigh in on the legal side and what they think about movie theaters BANNING masks and costumes.

SmackGavel’s Statement:

YDS Panel: Zombies on Campus?

Source: WDIV Local 4 News (Detroit)
Posted By: Tyler B. (YDS Host)

Well Zombies are taking over the world OR people are at least taking a class at Michigan State University!
Dozens of MSU students have survived a zombie pandemic this Summer or they at least survived a class relating to the zombie apocalypse.

For the past seven weeks, Glenn Stutzky, an instructor in the School of Social Work, taught a course not previously offered at the East Lansing university.

Called “Surviving the Coming Zombie Apocalypse — Catastrophes and Human Behavior,” the online class encouraged students to consider how human behavior and nature change after catastrophes, both historical and hypothetical.

In this case, the hypothetical was a zombie apocalypse.

Students had to work together in groups to develop ways to survive as the undead overran them.

One of the group leaders, Tiffany Mora, a sophomore from Macomb Township, says the class may sound “ludicrous,” but “is far more in-depth and educational” than one might imagine

SOUND OFF: Would you take a class about the zombie apocalypse? What are your thoughts on this story? Let us know by commenting! Click on the white speech bubble located in the top-right hand corner!

 

 

FACEBOOK SHOULD DENY UNDER 13-YEAR OLDS ACCESS

We struggled with this one. But after much debate, most of us felt that FACEBOOK SHOULD KEEP THINGS AS THEY ARE. Why? Well, for one, evidence suggests that many parents help their children lie to Facebook about age. Two, Facebook, or any site for that matter, faces increased costs and legal concerns if they wish to open their site to under 13-year-olds, while obeying the Federal Trade Commission’s 1998 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). That all said, keeping things as they are means two things: Facebook remains in compliance with COPPA (through denying under 13-year-olds access) and under 13-year-olds (with their parent’s help and knowledge) get to use Facebook. An imperfect solution? Absolutely. A somewhat ok compromise? Seemingly.

YDS Panel: Should Kids 13-Years-And-Under be ALLOWED to Have a Facebook?

Photo Courtesy of: Alamy

Source: Daily Mail Online (Science & Tech)
Posted By: Tyler B. (YDS Host) 

Well of course, We all now that when Facebook first started it was for college students only, then it breached out to adults, But now teens and even some young kids are taking over the popular social network!

In this YDS Panel we are discussing whether or not 13 year olds and UNDER should be able to legally have a Facebook under Facebook’s rules and guidelines.

Facebook denied that it was to relax a ban on under-13s joining the social network in a bid to boost numbers.

In an interview this weekend, a senior employee of the company admitted that a large number of under 13-year-olds join up anyway – and it was reported that the site aimed to lift the ban.

A Facebook spokesperson said yesterday, ‘All we have said is what we have been saying for months – that minors on Facebook and the internet is an important issue and we want to work with the broader industry to look at ways of keeping minors safe.’

Here’s what this topics panel thinks on this…Our legal friends over at SmackGavel also weigh in with their thoughts!

SOUND OFF: Do you think kids 13 and under should be able to have a Facebook? To comment click on the white speech bubble located in the top-right hand corner of this article! Or post your thoughts on our Facebook page by friend requesting us at www.Facebook.com/YoungDetroitShow or tweet us your thoughts using the hashtag #YDSPanel

YDS Panel: Study Says Axe Spray Makes Teenagers Smell Like CRAP But Teenage Guys Like It!

Photo Courtesy of: Tyler B. (YDS Host)

Source: Cap News
Posted By: Tyler B. (YDS Host)

The popular deodorant AXE is very popular with high school teenage guys! This story got our very own YDS Host Tyler B. upset because the ONLY products he uses are AXE!

A new study out of the Pew Research Center focusing on Axe body sprays found that, of 100 teenagers using the products, 99 of them smelled “like total crap,” according to Pew spokesman Dr. Francis Spitznagel.

“And it turned out the other kid was actually wearing Old Spice,” Spitznagel said.

Interestingly, the findings stand in direct contrast to what the teenagers themselves thought of their personal odors, with the vast majority of them saying that they thought they smelled “wicked good.”

“Girls totally love it,” said Josh Zwybeck, 18, apparently believing the ads that insinuate women will actually lose control of their inhibitions and “go wild” when presented with a teenage boy who has sprayed himself with Silver Fusion or Cool Metal.

“But of course those commercials depict women reacting to what must be a pleasant, even arousing smell, whereas in reality the scent is repulsive,” noted Spitzagel, adding, “not unlike crap.”

The study attributes the young men’s belief that the smell is attractive to a sort of mass delusion, “the scale of which we haven’t seen since the one we monitored in 2008, when we found that most teenage girls believed Twilight was a true story.”

Spitznagel noted that in many cases, the teenagers in the study even willed themselves to believe that showering – after a long lacrosse practice, for instance – was not necessary as long as they were spraying themselves liberally with Axe.

AXE: All the pretend women you can handle

“In those cases, the teenagers smelled of an almost debilitating combination of Axe and body odor,” Spitznagel said, adding that several researchers had collapsed from exposure and begged to be removed from the project, even volunteering to return to the studycounting pictures of cats on the Internet.

“In one case the odor almost removed the skin from a researcher’s face,” said Spitznagel, like “that Nazi at the end of Raiders Of The Lost Ark.”

“Nothing sexy about that, nuh-uh,” he added.

Unfortunately the disconnect between how the teenagers thought they smelled and their actual, much more crap-like odor has caused serious problems for some teens.

“Whenever I get within three feet of him I smell that smell and suddenly … Wait a minute … BLAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHH,” said the girlfriend.

Fortunately, said Spitznagel, it appears that Axe users tend to come spontaneously to their senses in their mid- to late 20s and stop using the products before too much permanent damage occurs.

“The ones who still have faces, that is,” Spitznagel added, noting that for the ones that don’t, it doesn’t really matter how they smell.

“Although they do smell like crap,” he said.

PLEASE NOTE: The Young Detroit Show and definitely our male host Tyler B. would like to note that we support AXE and we are HUGE fans of AXE and their companies products. I myself, find that this recent study has to be a joke because tons of people were AXE products.

Neighbors V.S. Barking Dogs …. in Hawaii

Photo Courtesy of: Google Images

Coincidentally, we (SmackGavel) learned that the 50th State, Hawaii, Recently Joined Los Angeles, California and Centennial, Colorado in fining dog owners for barking dogs. Because of this, dog counseling has seen an uptick in demand, as dog owners try to avoid county fines. Although, Hawaii’s police issue barking tickets, Hawaii County recommends speaking with the offending dog’s owner and trying “bark-suppression” tactics (a bad move in our opinion, as if someone other than the dog’s owner tries these, that may cause more harm than good) before involving the police. So, even Hawaii—perhaps, the only state that issues barking tickets—recommends communication before escalation. Read more? http://on.wsj.com/IdIH3D

YDS Panel: Neighbor V.S. Barking Dog

Photo Courtesy of: Google Images

One Michigan woman is tired of her neighbors dog barking constantly and she is contemplating over whether or not she should call the city animal control on this dog and it’s owner. The dog is outside tied up to a garage and it is CONSTANTLY barking all day and night.

We asked our Facebook friends what they think the woman should do…Call the animal control or confront the neighbor? Here’s what our YDS Panel thinks on this panel discussion!

Our legal correspondents over at SmackGavel also stated their opinion on this panel discussion!

 ”She can certainly do that. In some cases, a dog’s constant barking may violate noise ordinances, constitute a public nuisance etc.. But we think that the neighborly thing to do would be for her to first discuss the issue with her neighbor, in an attempt to reach some sort of an understanding. It’s better to try to diffuse situations before escalating them. And, needless to say, calling the authorities on your neighbor can certainly escalate a situation. Once you’ve made an earnest attempt at diffusion and your calls for compromise have gone unanswered, then, by all means, escalate the issue.

After much trial and error, we learned to employ that strategy, among others,  at SmackGavel—hey, we didn’t come up with the idea of a conflict based app by always sensibly handling conflict.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wendy Reeves (Michigan) – “I had a problem similar to that. I had a neighbor who had 2 dogs that were CONSTANTLY barking (whether inside or outside) and I dealt with it by letting her know that the dogs were not only keeping me up all hours of the day (I was a full-time student) and also riling my dogs up. She apologized and it continued several more times. I asked her at least 2 or 3 more times and after that I had to resort to calling the authorities. Needless to say, the dogs stopped barking after that. I try to give fellow dog owners the benefit of the doubt, but as a dog owner myself, I would want someone to let me know first rather than calling the authorities first. There could be an unkown reason why the dogs constantly bark.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Terry Campbell (Michigan) – “No, send (the neighbor) a polite note telling her of the nuisance and asking her to resolve it, but mention that if it is not she will have to contact the proper authorities

YDS Panel: The Dangers of the “Cinnamon Challenge”

Photo Courtesy of: Google Images & Tyler B.

Sources: WXYZ Channel 7 News (Detroit) & WJAC-TV
Posted By: Tyler B.

The Cinnamon Challenge consists of attempting to ingest a tablespoon of cinnamon in under a minute without drinking any water. If it sounds difficult to do, that’s because it is, nearly impossible, which is why those who try it don’t realize the effects it can have on the body. It has become a popular dare seen on websites like YouTube and Facebook.

It’s also meant to be a game, some type of fun. Who can swallow a tablespoon of cinnamon?

“Teenagers like to try risky things like to do fun and daring things sometimes they don’t even pay attention to the potential risks as much as they should,” says Dr. Daniel Wehner from Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center.

“It cakes, it mixes with the saliva and it cakes and it expands to a degree,” says Wehner.

Making the mouth and throat irritated, leading to coughing and choking.

“Because it’s so small crystal and fined is that you could suck it down into your lungs because it’s almost like a heavy smoke it’s so light and fluffy and you could irritate your lungs and potentially get pneumonia from it,” says Wehner.

Dejah Reed from Ypsilanti, Michigan has tired the “Cinnamon Challenge” a few times. “I thought it would be fun,” Reed said.

When she tried it two weeks ago, Dejah says “It was caught in my throat. I couldn’t breathe … it almost killed me that night.”

Dejah’s dad rushed her to the hospital.

“She was going in and out of consciousness. She couldn’t breathe. She was turning pale,” says Fred Reed.

Dejah says the cinnamon got into her lungs. Her father says the Huron High School freshman’s right lung collapsed and she got an infection from it. She spent four days in the hospital and is still having chest pains and some shortness of breath.

“I hope parents and kids learn that it’s not fun and games. She could have died,” says Fred Reed.

Dejah says she will never take the cinnamon challenge again and hopes others will learn from her story.

Many teens video tape the experience and post it to Facebook or YouTube.

The challenge can be a very dangerous activity where the cinnamon can cause coughing, choking, vomiting and hypoxia. The cinnamon can be aspirated into the lungs and cause pneumonia. Recently, a local youth was hospitalized for multiple days due to participating in the Cinnamon Challenge.

Please speak with your teens and warn them that this is  a harmless activity and that there can be severe medical consequences associated with it. The Young Detroit Show recommends that NOBODY tries this dangerous “joke”.

What does our YDS Panel think about the Cinnamon Challenge? Have you done the Cinnamon Challenge? How was it?

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW: VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED DUE TO SOME INAPPROPRIATE LANGUAGE!

YDS Panel: Stalking Via Text?

Photo Courtesy of: istock

Source: CBS Detroit
Posted By: Tyler B.

Stalking via text? It’s a case of texting gone too far. A Detroit-area woman is facing jail time over text messages to a former boyfriend.

The Grosse Pointe resident pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor stalking charge after her ex accused her of stalking him via text.

The Harper Woods man said he told her to stop sending the text message and, when she didn’t, he went to the police.

“You have to stop,” said WWJ legal analyst and Talkradio 1270 host Charlie Langton. “Whether you’re making phone calls, or sending emails, or texting, stop means stop. And when it goes beyond, even if it’s one text message, that is a form of  harassment.”

Langton said he’s been seeing more and more cases of harassment by text message, adding that people are being charged and are going to jail.

The woman in this case could face up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Here’s what our YDS Panel thinks on stalking via text!

Our Legal correspondents over at SmackGavel sent us their statement on this story!

Imposing oneself on another is the epitome of selfishness—which, to us, is satisfactory cause to not stalk. But if propriety isn’t reason enough to not intrude on others, perhaps arrest and imprisonment is? Yesterday, it was reported that a Detroit woman was arrested for repeatedly texting her ex-boyfriend. According to Donald Bershback, the woman’s attorney, “[he] think[s] that it’s a situation where she simply wants to turn the page and move on.” 

Unfortunately, some stalkers—perhaps Mr. Bershback’s client is one of them—tend to not realize stalking’s seriousness, especially when an intimate bond was shared between them and their prey. Fortunately, for those unaware, imprisonment, or the threat of, may be a wakeup call that stalking is serious and something one ought not to be doing. But for the more intransigent, imprisonment means little. And for these guys, perhaps creative anti-stalking measures will have to be taken? Ideas?

YDS Panel: Do You Think Parents Should be Able to Access Their Child’s Text Messages?

Texting. Texting. Texting. Texting. Texting. Texting. Texting. Texting. AND…MORE…Texting!

Teenagers enjoy texting a LOT, That is why today’s YDS Panel Question involves texting….

Today’s YDS Panel Question is: Do You Think Parents Should be Able to Access Their Child’s Text Messages?

Here’s what our YDS Panel thinks on whether or not parents should be able to access their child’s text messages!

Here is our Legal Correspondent SmackGavel’s statement on this story…

Recently, Arizona Senator Rich Crandall introduced legislation that would permit parents to view their children’s text messages, sans court order. Sounds reasonable? We think so.

 

Because parents can be held legally responsible for their children’s actions and because parents are responsible for their children’s care, many of us feel that parents should be able to access their children’s text messages, without a court order—especially, when parents are footing the phone bill.

 

But, we‘re unsure whether Senator Crandall’s bill—if adopted—would accomplish much: if children knew their parents could procure their texts, they’d simply stop texting the sort of texts that parents are so anxious to read. Or, they’d keep a concealed cell and use it to text what they don’t want their parents to read. Whatever the machination(s), we suspect that many parents would not get to the “juicy stuff”—for that, they’d be better off following Senator Judy Burges’ advice: “take a flashlight [and the cell] and go in the closet and read the texts.”

 

Kayla Stewart (London, Ontario) – “No, I think that’s going over board with privacy, I mean they wouldnt want us kids reading their messages would they?!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rosemary Dickinson (Waterford, Michigan) – “I say no because we need are space.just like parents do. What if we went through there phone they wouldn’t like it so don’t do it.to us. We have stuff we don’t want parents to hear between are friends. If, they found out they would ground us so I say no. They dont need to or have no right to go through our phones!”

 

 

 

 

 

Panel Story: State Bills Seek Parental Access to Children’s Text Messages

Source: USA Today

Parents who want access to text messages sent to and from their child’s phone currently need a court order to compel a cellphone company to provide it, even if the parent pays the bill.

A state law being proposed in Arizona could be the first in the nation to change that.

Republican state Sen. Rich Crandall has proposed a law to require cellphone companies to offer Arizona parents access to their minor children’s texts.

“If I have a 13-year-old being harassed via text, I can’t call and get those texts,” Crandall said. “This bill will allow me to at least pay to see the text messages for my children.” Under the bill, phone companies could charge a fee for that service.

The bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 13, and awaits a vote in the full Senate. There is no companion bill in the House.

No other state appears to have such a requirement for cellphone companies. Pam Greenberg, of the National Conference of State Legislators, said South Carolina has proposed similar legislation.

It remains unclear whether the state has the authority to require companies to give access to texts.

Some questioned the need for such a bill, including Republican state Sen. Judy Burges, who voted against it in committee. “Why don’t you take a flashlight and go in the closet and read the texts?” she asked.

Lisa Douglas, author of the parenting blog Crazy Adventures in Parenting, said that in her online bill she can only see the phone numbers her daughter sends and receives messages from.

“What if someone is threatening her, or harassing her, and she’s too afraid to say anything?” she said.

Paula Goldberg, executive director of PACER Center, a non-profit organization which provides resources for bullying victims, said trust and communication are the best tools against bullying.

“The issue is that parents should have good communication with their children,” Goldberg said.

The wireless industry has spoken out against the bill, saying it is impractical.

Lobbyist John Kelly, who represents Verizon Wireless, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that the law would require cellphone companies to create special procedures for Arizona customers.

“We are very sympathetic to the intent, but it is a burden on the company,” he said.

Jamie Hastings, of the CTIA-The Wireless Association, said that even if the law passes, service providers would likely still need to obtain consent from the child under federal law.

Share your thoughts with us on whether or not you think parents should be able to access their child’s text messages by clicking on the white speech bubble in the top right hand corner of this post!