The school year of 2011-12 is underway for most students, but in many schools there are a few things missing. One that stands out is the Arts. Now understand, I am writing this from the perspective of a non-creative who works in an incredibly creative environment, so I see the “fruits” of arts education on a continual basis.

But I am also a mother of four school-aged children who, thankfully, inherited the creative gene from Justin (whose life was changed by a teacher). And as this school year started I began to receive emails from the school district that explained cuts in programs to make sure their budgets were met. This is not news to anyone, nor is it restricted to just schools. But this article said it better than I ever could. Our kids need arts education and arts exposure. It can do nothing but enhance their education. The opening paragraph says it perfectly:

Arts education, on the other hand, does solve problems. Years of research show that it’s closely linked to almost everything that we as a nation say we want for our children and demand from our schools: academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity.

I have one son who struggles with classic school work. He was in Kindergarten, and reading and writing were torture for him. But his teacher saw this very early, and instead of trying to force traditional learning styles upon him, she utilized his natural artistic ability. He hated doing letter flash cards, so instead she asked him to make his letters out of Legos, and we got amazing 3D sculptures. Sight words were another struggle, but allowing him to write them on a pan filled with salt or shaving cream…he nailed them! Visual learning…I love it! Now, he is still going to have to work hard to get his reading and writing to where it should be, but through art, he has gained confidence and his school work as a whole has greatly improved. I can read all the research and articles, but I don’t even need to because I see it first hand with my boy.

Please notice that when I reference “arts”, I don’t strictly mean fine art. The exposure to music & dance, along with art are essential. There are programs like Project Osmosis that are trying to provide what is now lacking in our schools. We, at Rule29, are passionate about this and are trying to work with programs like Project Osmosis in our area. We also have a dream to, one day, change our garage at the office to art gallery and to offer workshops for all the arts there. Again, this is our dream. This is one way we want to help.

What can you do to keep the arts alive in your community?

As 2010 is drawing to an end it’s our tradition to look back (see 2009, 2008, 2007) on the year and compile the loved (or dreaded!) “list”….so here it is:

1. Haiti Earthquake on January 12
2. South Africa hosted the World Cup and we were all introduced to the Vuvuzela
3. Eminem released his first clean & sober album Recovery and we think its his best
4. Jay Leno takes The Tonight Show back from Conan #lame
5. The year of great animated movies- Toy Story 3, How to Train Your Dragon & Shrek Forever After
6. Mark Zuckerberg gives $100 million to New Jersey schools and named ”Person of the Year” by Time Magazine, not to mention the popular Facebook movie told the story of his success
7. We lost some famous or infamous people including Alexander McQueen, Barbara Billingsley, Corey Haim, Dennis Hopper & George Steinbrenner
8. Mariah Carey releases her 2nd Christmas album coincidentally with the death of the last fish in our tank, Mariah Carey.
9. Life In Abundance helped 238 street kids graduate from the street children program in Africa, never to return to live in the slums again
10. Rule29 films its second documentary focusing on poverty in Nairobi, Kenya
11. iPad is released!
12. New Gap logo, major fail Read the rest of the entry >

It’s mid June so summer is in full swing, school is out, shorts are on….and Father’s Day is nearing. Are you ready? Are you prepared? Have you even given it a thought?

Mother’s Day, at least in my house, does get quite a bit of advance thought. That goes for both me as a mother and for me as a daughter. I want to be made to feel special and also want my mother to feel the same.

If your father is anything like mine, I don’t think he really even cares about Father’s Day. But if your mother is anything like my mother…she does care about Father’s Day! She truly cares about our effort, as his children, to make the day special and make sure we recognize it. So how can I do this so everyone is happy?

Some suggest that there is a major difference in the spending for these holidays. Others contend that dads want to disappear on Father’s Day and do something alone while mothers want to spend time with the family. Geek Dad has another opinion…one that I rather enjoy!

All that said, if I am going to be completely honest…I think my dad, as well as most dads, do care about Father’s Day. They enjoy a day dedicated to them. They don’t need all the bells and whistles, all the hoopla and pageantry, but they do enjoy the recognition and the thank you!

Now you probably are expecting a list of great ideas (like last year) for what to get that special dad in your life, but alas, you’re in for a surprise! Enjoy this list instead. If you have one of the items on this list already wrapped and waiting to give you dad on Sunday, well, you might want to schedule some time to get to the stores!

What did you get your dad this year? But more importantly, did he like it?

I am a parent. It’s my job, my main responsibility, my passion. Watching the video above rocked my world! Jamie Oliver wants to start a revolution, and I want to be part of it! And the great thing is that I can; it can start in my home.

But even if you are not a parent, you, most likely, have a child in your life…a niece, nephew, god child or neighbor. They are our future and we are killing them. Check this.

America has an epidemic on its hands…OBESITY! We all know that most Americans struggle with their diet in one form or another. This is NOT news. All we need to do is look around and it is everywhere. No neighborhood, school, town or workplace is immune. We are the first generation where it seems that our kids will not live a life as long as ours. That IS news and not good news (actually that was one of the most humbling facts to me).

Jamie Oliver wants to help. He’s starting a revolution! It will be in the home, the school and on Main Street. His goal is simple…it’s not only simple, it’s EASY! He wants to teach our kids about food. This will save lives, and I want to be part of it–for myself, my husband, my kids and my GRANDKIDS!

Watch the video when you have time, and visit Jamie Oliver’s site and sign the petition. Be part of the solution!

Do you want a revolution? I know I do.

So Superbowl XLIV is over…great game! All the food has been consumed (Jambalaya made the menu at many of the gatherings; recipe here). Also, I was introduced to the “It’s My Solo Cup.” Have you seen them? Great idea!

But now the real and meaningful conversations begin! No, not arguing about which quarterback will have the higher rating next year or how all of us would like to live in south Florida. We now get to rehash, relive and re-quote the Superbowl commercials!!!

This year, the average cost for the 30 second commercial spot was roughly $3 million, so the longer the conversation lasts, the better for these guys! They tried many different tactics to get our attention. There were the animals: chickens, beavers, and Clydesdales. Athletes from the past pimping products (really Joe Montana? Sketcher Shape-Ups?). There were babies & toddlers talking trash – always a crowd favorite! Another one that, unfortunately, made its way into the mix this year was men in tighty whities.

There were a new ideas that entered the game this year. Focus on the Family, along with Tim Tebow & his mother, choose to talk about Right To Life. They might have just gotten their $3 million worth before the spot ever aired! And, Miller decided to “give” its spot and stay online to small businesses who could really use it. Pepsi went with a whole other approach…no commercial! Instead they wanted to help change the world.

Here at Rule29, we took an exceptionally informal poll, and here are some of our favorites:

#1 ) Snickers/Betty White
#2 ) Motorola/Megan Fox
#3 ) Denny’s
#4 ) E*Trade

What were your favorites? Most disappointing? Most amusing? Did you enjoy the game or the commercials more?

For me, I enjoyed both, but I am finding more people are talking about what was on the TV when the game itself wasn’t on!

(Step back over the past few years. Here is what Rule29 thought of the past few year’s Super Bowl Ads for 2009 and 2008.)