small foot

I love me some Pixar and Disney animated movies as well as the best from Universal and Illumination (the Despicable me series) but I was not going into this movie called “Small Foot” with much hope. It seemed like a cute idea but it didn’t seem like it could be enough for a feature length …

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Soon

The new song “SOON” by Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol is a very emotional tribute to his father who’s been diagnosed with dementia. The music video shows the lead singer with his dad looking at old photographs along with many clips of home movies that really captures how precious our time is here on Earth and …

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There are many songs that capture the shock that parents feel when they realize that their little ones have grown up in the blink of an eye. This song by Michael W. Smith “How to Say Goodbye” does a wonderful job showing the relationship between a dad and his daughter from little girl to her …

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I really enjoy Japanese anime especially the excellent films made lately. Koe No Natachi (A Silent Voice) is an outstanding story about a bullied deaf girl and the impact of the bullying not only on her but also on the bully and all those around them as kids in school. It’s a moving story with …

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Not All Heroes Wear Capes

My 14 year-old son surprised me today by sending me this new song from Owl City called “Not All Heroes Wear Capes” and wished me an early Happy Father’s Day. It really touched me deeply. I like to think all three of my children fully understand how much I love and adore them so it’s …

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Danny Angel

Here’s another heartbreaking tragedy caused by bullying as another sweet angel named Daniel Fitzpatrick Jr. committed suicide because he could not take the pain of being bullied anymore. He was only 13 and no one at school tried to help him which is the usual case. He left behind a note which explained all the …

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Cute Sweet and Smart (CSS)

Tim McGraw just won a country music award for his music video for “HUMBLE AND KIND” which was inspired by his daughter going away to college. It’s such a wonderful song and the video is beautiful with a wide range of diverse cultures represented. It made me think of the advice my wife and I …

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Share The Load

Every once in awhile a special commercial or ad campaign appears that blows me away like this one from ARIEL, a laundry company from India. It raises an important point about household chores and how it’s not just supposed to be the woman’s job to do it all. It’s sparked a debate and conversation that questions …

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Bullies are terrorists

Here’s another heartbreaking story about bullying that pushed another sweet soul to suicide. Bullies are terrorists of the spirit when children are at their most vulnerable. Too many people decide to remain silent which sadly makes them an accomplice in the terrorism they inflict on innocent victims. This goes to fellow students who look away …

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The Days of Whine and Roses

Look, I grew up watching Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the whole Peanuts gang. I still enjoy watching their holidays specials every year with my kids because of the nostalgia factor so I am sure that I will always love them. We are all super excited to watch the new Peanuts animated 3D motion picture that’s …

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Inside Out

I was a little doubtful that Pixar could pull off another incredible animated masterpiece going into the theater to see their latest release, “INSIDE OUT” but all of my doubts were erased within the first few minutes. I was smitten with this story immediately. It was all about the emotions of an 11 year-old girl …

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Like Father Like Son

“Life Father, Like Son” is a powerfully moving film that truly makes you think about the true meaning of love and family. The premise is rather simple but so incredible in its delivery: Two families learn that their sons were accidentally switched at birth so they have to swap them with each other after several …

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Never Say Never!

State Farm has nailed the male experience with its latest “NEVER” commercial. The dude tells his buds how he’s never ever going to get married then he’s in the jewelry store getting the rock… and well you know the rest!

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My experience as a Dad has definitely hit the next level with the birth of my first grandchild in April.  As much joy as my three kids have brought me (and that’s a BIG number if we were to measure), I could never have imagined the love, joy, emotion and pure wonderment I would have …

Continue reading My Grandson Ate My GoPro!

Today was a painful Sunday afternoon. For no good reason I decided to finally convert an old videotape that my aunt sent me of my dad’s home movies. He abandoned us all when I was a toddler and passed away in the 1990s. Anyway, it was tough seeing him enjoying life with his second wife …

Continue reading Old Wounds and New Beginnings

My first reaction was denial. A grandfather? Me? In my head I am still 19 years old, and that’s certainly too young to be a grandfather. Of course it is also too young to have children who are now in their 20’s. In the world outside my head I indeed have three adult kids (Adult …

Continue reading Bootie Call

I was blown away by this Reader’s Digest piece called “FATHER FORGETS” by W. Livingston Larned which was printed a long time ago. It’s the type of thing that would go viral today had it come out now. The kind of thing that everyone shares in emails before the social interwebs came on the scene. …

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This post is inspired by Shot@Life, an initiative of the United Nations Foundation. During the month of August–Blogust–31 bloggers are writing about moments that matter. For every comment on this post and the 30 other posts, Walgreens will donate a vaccine (up to 50,000 vaccines). A child dies every 20 seconds from a vaccine-preventable disease. We can change this …

Continue reading “23 Skidoo” (and Comment for a Cause)

It was merely a coincidence that I got the email from Shot@Life the same day I saw “WORLD WAR Z.”  In the movie (slight spoiler?) Brad Pitt plays an uber slick dude who works for the United Nations, and thus made me think the United Nations was cool again for the first time since I …

Continue reading Give A Shot (@life…)

This might seem like a silly post but then again most of mine are, huh? Consider this a companion piece to one I did called “Slices of Life” where I shared the importance of taking common every day photos to preserve those memories we take for granted unlike the big moments that we preserve with …

Continue reading The Last Diaper

I was at my parent’s house the other day and I looked at lots of old photographs that they had on the walls and in picture frames around the house.  I saw pictures from my childhood, family vacations, and some of my kids of course.  And I was struck by something:  there weren’t that many …

Continue reading Take More Pictures

Sure, today’s the day the kids bring us breakfast in bed and us dads get to act like it’s all about us for a day (as if we don’t always do that…) It’s great to get the cards and the gifts and the hugs, and act all lazy and full of ourselves, but who are …

Continue reading Why Today?

We dads love the whole concept of being super heroes for our families and being able to swoop in and save the day at a moment’s notice, but we all know that we are more Clark Kent than Superman. Still, we do our best to be strong and protective for the ones we love and …

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When I was a kid my parents had one of those instamatic cameras with the square Magicube on top. Remember those? It would give you a flashbulb on each side of the cube and would automatically turn when you wound the film to the next frame. I remember many times watching my father take pictures …

Continue reading Flashbulbs of Memories

In my business life I spend a lot of time thinking about and talking with people about purpose.  In business, finding and being able to articulate purpose is (or should be) an essential piece of the complicated puzzle that leads to a successful company.  We hear a lot about “culture” in business talk, but what …

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Saturday night.  I am in Houston, Texas.  At dinner with friends following the conclusion of the Dad2Summit. My phone rings.  It is a number I don’t recognize, but the smarts in my smartphone tell me the call is from North Carolina.  My oldest son, Zach, lives in North Carolina.  It is midnight there. I immediately …

Continue reading Trucks, Trees and a Father’s Fear

Some of us men aren’t that good when it comes to expressing how we feel through words but for some reason we find it easier to show how we feel through actions by doing things that mean a lot to the one we love. Some men are excellent when it comes to sweet talk but …

Continue reading Men of Action

Growing up I never had “real” pets. Sure, I had turtles and goldfish and even a snake and a chameleon (not all at the same time…), but I never had dogs or cats. The excuse was that I, as a chubby asthmatic kid, was allergic… but I always suspected that the real truth was that …

Continue reading Of Kids And Dogs…

I love this photo I took a couple years ago because it captured a particular moment in time in our family. You can see the distinctly different stages of our three kids: Baby formula and bottles, Sippy cups and big boy cups. I do my best to capture the big moments in our lives like …

Continue reading Slices of Life

My 15 year old son is only 1 inch away from being as tall as me. It’s a strange feeling for me to see him looking straight into my eyes. His feet are as big as mine. His hands are as big as mine. And the little boy has grown into a young man. For …

Continue reading He Looks Like Me

Here are some motivational speeches from movies from fathers to their sons and in the last one from a coach (Al Pacino) to his players. The first one is from Sylvestor Stallone from Rocky Balboa. Rocky Balboa: “You ain’t gonna believe this, but you used to fit right here. I’d hold you up to say …

Continue reading Father and Son Advice

Everyone is creating lists this time of year. They are for favorite things of the year or best of all-time, etc. This list we are sharing today is for the best Christmas movies of all-time. We noticed one list today that excluded Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” which is insane! It is one of …

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We are broken. There is no other way to explain it.  As parents it is our innate need, our deepest mission in life, to provide for our children.  To keep them safe.  To raise them in a better world than we were raised in… But it is not a better world. When I went to …

Continue reading We Are Broken…

Do you remember Steve Austin, the Six Million Dollar Man? Remember the catch phrase: “We can rebuild him…we have the technology.” Well, my wife may have met her “Six Million Dollar” labeler/organizing tool, the Brother P-touch Electronic Labeling System. And, she may have actually fallen in love with it. Well, that’s what it seems like …

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The Brother P-Touch Labeler: The First Tool You Need To Get Organized

My wife has a favorite appliance: The Brother P-Touch Labeler.*  (Not what you were thinking was it?) For some odd reason, she really loves to label things in our home.  Every container in our pantry (see: The Pantry Gets A Makeover) is labeled and if she could, she would have a Container Store credit card.  She really has …

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A Father's Guilt

Guilt is a great motivator. Well, maybe not every time, but sometimes it certainly can be. When you have kids, something happens. It may not happen overnight, but it happens. You start to think differently about things. You suddenly start to notice the words and images that are used on TV shows and commercials, when …

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We’ve talked about a lot of awesome dads here at Dadomatic.  It’s what we do, right?  So it is with great pleasure and tons of awe and admiration that I mention another frickin’ awesome dad (and a hat-tip to Mashable for bringing it to my attention…). Uber creative dad, David Engledow, has been documenting his …

Continue reading A KickA$$ Dad on Kickstarter

For a year and a half now I have been living in an empty nest… a house that once was riddled with the noise and disruption of three kids, now silenced, save for the rustlings of myself and a few dogs. While I am happy to have the canine company, it is not the same …

Continue reading The Less Empty Nest

Who says costumes are just for Halloween? Kids have always loved to dress up, and frankly, so have a lot of adults.  For many kids and adults one Halloween day a year is hardly enough to satisfy one’s urge to hide behind makeup or a mask and take on the attributes of another person (or …

Continue reading Cos-Play for Kids?

I had the immense pleasure and honor of interviewing Greg Page, the original yellow Wiggle who has rejoined the band for a farewell tour that ends in December 2012. He along with two other original members, Murray Cook and Jeff Fatt will be retiring from the band after over 20 years. Greg Page took the …

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We’ve covered bullying many times here because it’s such an important issue. It’s incredible that bullying is still such a widespread problem in this day and age of instant communication. As a matter of fact, social media has actually increased the amount of bullying by giving the malicious bullies more tools to spew their venom …

Continue reading Mean Girls

One of the best perks of being involved with Dad-O-Matic is getting to meet wonderful people like the members of the family band Laughing Pizza. We’ve covered them before on here when I shared their wonderful song called DADDY. Well, this time around I got to sit down with them before their show here in …

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On this Father’s Day I’m remembering some of the good portrayals of dads on television which sadly is few and far between. One of the best ones that comes to mind is “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father” starring the late Bill Bixby. I loved that show as a kid because I grew up without a …

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Because of this promotional video (commercial) that One Republic made for Disney and because my kids sang this over and over again all throughout our time in Disney World recently, this song “Good Life” will forever make me thing of that magical place. I really would love to live close to Disney World someday so …

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I can see Lucas playing basketball from my home office. I just ducked my head out the window to say, “I love you, Son.” He replied, “I love you too, Dad.” Then I shut my window and returned to work. I imagine him feeling good knowing Dad is watching and appreciating him. The kind of …

Continue reading Sharing love, anytime.

The Cast of Dads (minus Max, who was at sea) whipped together a short video about our Mother’s Day experience with the Motorola Droid Razr.  All the footage was shot with the Razr, and thanks to Danny Cameron and the DadLabs team for the great job editing.  Enjoy!  Disclosure: The Video above was sponsored by …

Continue reading A Not So Brady Bunch of Dads…

Recently I was driving a route that I normally take when driving home, although I was going somewhere else. At the intersection that takes me to my home, I instinctively turned left rather than continuing straight ahead to my intended destination. My eldest daughter pointed out my mistake, and I responded, “I was on autopilot.” …

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  The shocking news of the suicide of pro football legend Junior Seau has opened up the discussion about the long-term impact of playing the violent sport of football. There have been many studies in recent years showing the severe effects of repetitive traumatic brain injuries, especially regarding concussions. These injuries often lead to what …

Continue reading Whose Dream Is It Anyway?

Shaving is one of the best bonding experiences for dads and sons (ok and sometimes daughters much to the chagrin of moms). Whether they use real shaving cream or fake stuff, the kids love pretending to shave like their dad. I don’t know why it is but there’s something fun about this ritual. I highly …

Continue reading Razor Sharp Tips for Dads

This is an old piece that went around via emails way back when, long before the social web made things go viral easily. I was not a parent back then but I never forgot it and sure enough it was extremely poignant and totally true when I became a dad and then experienced having a …

Continue reading Loving Two

I truly recommend watching a movie called “MY DOG SKIP” which was based on a true story. It’s a wonderful coming of age movie featuring the cute little dog named Skip, of course. It’s full of funny little moments and captures the essence of youth, especially about the special relationship between the only child and …

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I’m back from New Orleans and a whirlwind few days with fellow Cast of  Dads hosts C.C. Chapman and Brad Powell (we sorely missed our other two hosts Michael Sheehan and Max Kalehoff.)  We had a great time with the LG team, who were gracious hosts and made sure we had a fantastic experience both …

Continue reading Three Dads At The Final Four

I love basketball.  To be more specific, I love playing basketball.  I’m not tall, not light, and I’ve never actually been that good at it, but that never stopped me from loving the game.  That probably comes from growing up in a part of Queens N.Y. where asphalt was everywhere and thus so were rims. …

Continue reading Help Me Get My March Madness On!

  I originally wrote this post entitled “Be The Entrepreneur of Yourself” on my personal blog.  Upon further reflection, I think it also may be appropriate here on Dadomatic.  After all, I think instilling the entrepreneurial spirit in our kids is more important than ever.  What do you think? Be The Entrepreneur of Yourself. The world has changed. …

Continue reading Are You Raising Entrepreneurs?

“A bro must wait 3 weeks after he breaks up with a girl to engage with said girl.“ “If the girl dumps the bro then another bro may not date her unless the dumped bro proclaims it.“ These are but 2 rules of The Bro Code that my son has created with his friends.  I …

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It was the limo that put the word “stretch” in Stretch Limo.  It was a long, luxurious, glistening and gaudy white limousine worthy of any superstar celebrity in need of a ride.  It was a head-turner, and it had just turned and pulled up in my driveway.  The driver sheepishly knocked on my door.  I looked at …

Continue reading Treat Your Kids Like Rock Stars!

When I lived in New York and was just starting my family, we moved to a house in Rockland County.  As someone who grew up in an apartment, and whose parents both grew up in apartments, it was my first experience with living in a house (and becoming a homeowner) and it was a bit …

Continue reading My Son, The Mowerman, and the Toxic Crusaders (Or, How a 2-Year Old Helped Create a TV Villain)

At the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) there were literally acres of costly Las Vegas Convention Center booth space dedicated to a seemingly endless array of iPhone, iPad and iPod accessories.  From cases to keyboards to biometric monitors, dozens of manufacturers were baring their wares and showing off both ingenious and incredulous ways to accessorize your …

Continue reading Who Is Woogie? (Hint: An iPhone Creature For Your Kids)

Everyone gives love lip service but it’s action not just words. We men especially need to learn that it’s important for us to show our love with actions and not just our mouth. It’s what we do that counts the most. It isn’t the flowers or mushy greeting card or expensive gifts, but the every …

Continue reading Love is Action Not Just Words

Today’s the day.  Another year slips into our memories as the clock ticks forward into 2012.  As parents, nothing should be more cherished than time, for it is a resource that can never be replenished.  A moment past is just that… a moment that has moved from now to then.  A moment that can no …

Continue reading Father Time and Fatherhood

(Note: this is a sponsored post, but the words and opinions are all mine.) It is fitting that Asus calls their new Ultrabook line “Zenbooks.”  Just one look and you can see that it is a device that exudes a sense of calm and balance, purity and power.   An early entrant in the Intel …

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We learned about gambling at this year’s vacation. The resort gave us three $10 vouchers to double any $10 bet we placed at the roulette or card tables. With the kids waiting in the lobby, I placed a two-for-one bet and won on red. I came back to announce I had won $20. What should …

Continue reading Gambling With My Kids’ Money

Despite all of the attention that the subject matter of bullying has gotten recently, the pain and anguish continues. More and more victims are trying to get the word out such as this young man whose video on YouTube has become viral as he shares his torture silently by holding up cards describing his living …

Continue reading Silent Cries for Help

Here’s a beautiful song called “Just Fishin’” by Trace Adkins who’s become the unofficial music artist of Dads because we’ve featured several of his songs on here already. What can I say? Trace truly understands and appreciates the power of being a dad and a parent. His songs on this subject matter truly captures the …

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Here’s a moving anti-bullying spot that contains very harsh language but that’s exactly the point…these are the words that become weapons against our beloved children. Sticks and stones can break bones but words can do far more longer lasting damage. We cannot let others get away with such horrible treatment of innocent souls. Kids, teens …

Continue reading EveryNone

November is Movember and thus there is an abundance of facial hair around the Cast of Dads.  Please consider supporting the cause and donating to Max, Brad, Michael or C.C.‘s efforts to raise money and awareness to fight cancer in men. As the holidays are already approaching it is exciting to see that we are fast approaching our 50th episode of …

Continue reading A Hair Raising Month: Cast of Dads #46

I am still trying to figure out what my kids are thinking (and they are all in their 20’s!)  Even so, I clearly remember the wonder of discovery on each of their faces as they grew from infancy to toddlerhood and explored the small, but fascinating world around them.  Witnessing the rapid pace they grow, …

Continue reading What Do Babies Think?

The Cast of Dads were cooking with gas in this week’s show as we stir the pot around the discussion of dads as the family cook.  There has been some heated discussion about this topic on the Interwebs, prompted by an ill-fated attempt by a well known spaghetti sauce brand to reach out to “daddy bloggers.”  While …

Continue reading What’s Cooking? Cast of Dads #45

I am pretty sure I am in the minority here (here being Dadomatic).  I am likely one of the few dads with grown children and an empty nest.  In the three years I have been writing for Dadomatic I’ve gone through both High School and College graduations and have seen my three kids go forth …

Continue reading Giving Your Kids The Business

My blog posts on Dad-O-matic have sparked a running joke where some readers compare them to interviews by Barbara Walters because they both tend to make people cry. I take it as a compliment of course. I enjoy sharing some amazing songs with intensely emotional meaning such as my pieces for “You’re Gonna Miss This” …

Continue reading It Won’t Be Like This For Long

“Dear Zachary” is an amazing documentary that everyone should experience. It’s a tough one to get through but it’s so worth it if you do. I won’t give away anything surprising but all I can say is that you will be moved and I think changed for the better after witnessing this masterful film. In …

Continue reading Dear Zachary

Believe it or not, it’s the 10th anniversary of 9/11. We’ve honored those lost on that tragic day every year since 2001 and knew this milestone was coming but it still feels like it came too quickly. It feels like it all happened yesterday and yet it also feels like a lifetime ago because we …

Continue reading 10th Anniversary of 9/11

It is pretty darn easy for my 14 yr old son to get under the skin of my 11 yr. old. He knows exactly what to say to send his brother into orbit and cause a ruckus.  I think pretty much every family can say the same thing, right? Your kids figure out pretty quickly, …

Continue reading Words are heavy

Dad-O-matic is focused on dads and the family and once in a while that means addressing the subject matter of the relationship between fathers with mothers. After all, they are partners in the business of raising children, right? Too often we parents are so busy working on all of the details involved with taking care …

Continue reading Reminders of Love

Our Children's World Is Magical

(This post was inspired by my recent trip to Intel’s Santa Clara Headquarters for their annual “Upgrade Your Life” Experience…) “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic…” – Arthur C. Clarke Of all the wonderful words that Clarke wrote, few have been as powerful and prescient as his frequently cited statement above. He was …

Continue reading Our Children’s World Is Magical

My little brother and his wife delivered their twins yesterday. It was quite a day and I am very proud of him and his wife as I think they will make great parents.  I could sense the pride in his voice and it still blows my mind that my little brother is now a father. …

Continue reading Revisiting Memories

Of Tattoos and Determination

The arm in the picture above belongs to my 23 year-old son, Zach.  The tattoo belongs to him as well.  It is his first.  Personally, I am not at all the “tattoo type” and while I have come to appreciate and admire them (in many, but certainly not all, instances) I don’t see much “ink” …

Continue reading Of Tattoos and Determination

I’ve been thinking all week about a movie I saw on Monday night at the recommendation of my friend Clay Hebert and I still haven’t fully reconciled what I saw, heard and how to interpret the constant thoughts it’s generated. Transcendent Man is a documentary directed by Barry Ptolemy chronicling “the life and controversial ideas of luminary …

Continue reading Transcendent Man: A Look at Futurist Ray Kurzweil (Review)

The other day I was surfing around inside Facebook and saw a post that was created by my 14-yr old daughter. One of her older high-school friends made a comment on her post and in the comment she said this, “…I want to no all about it…”.  I made the remark to my daughter how …

Continue reading Facebook Grammar

My dad has a little brown spot on his hand. And when I was little he told me it was a ticklish spot. We were in our den and he was on the phone. I decided to tickle the spot. “It’s not ticklish when I’m on the phone,” he said. As it turns out, Dad …

Continue reading Eulogizing My Father

The Wiggles are celebrating their 20th anniversary which is an impressive milestone for any band nevermind one for children. They’re currently on a US tour celebrating this achievement. Much like last year when I got to interview Jeff (the purple Wiggle), I had the pleasure of speaking to Sam (Yellow Wiggle) this time around. Me: …

Continue reading One on One with a Wiggle: Sam Moran

As part of the “Intel Advisors” program, my fellow Cast of Dads co-host Michael Sheehan (@hightechdad) and I were the lone males at the recent “Upgrade Your Life” experience at Intel‘s Santa Clara headquarters.  Surrounded by a bevy of talented women entrepreneurs and bloggers we were treated to an inspiring peek inside Intel and in particular, a deeper …

Continue reading Getting An Upgrade From Intel

My 8 year-old has been after me to watch Meet The Robinsons for the longest time so I finally made time to watch it with my kids and I sure am happy I did. I absolutely loved the movie. Now, I have to admit that I’m a sucker for most of the animated films these …

Continue reading Little Wonders

I have lots of people in my life who have things in common with me. I have neighbors who share our neighborhood in common with me, so when we talk to each other we talk about the neighborhood. I have work colleagues who share work things in common with me. I know the guy at …

Continue reading A Common Thread

I got there at 11:00 or so. He was sleeping but woke to a “really good” day. I got talk to him as I would someone in perfect health. With Mom nearby, I talked about my new business (“So proud of you”) and my family (“I love you more than you know”). I showed JPEGs …

Continue reading The Last Day with My Father

I don’t know if I’ll hit the publish button. I’m collecting thoughts after the most memorable Father’s Day of my life. My dad is dying. At one point today, my mother, sisters, and I crowded around my father’s bed in the assisted living facility. We professed our profound love for the man and each got …

Continue reading Saying Goodbye to Dad

We just lost our beautiful Papillon Chi Chi. He was a great dog and we will miss him terribly. My 8 year-old Matthew was closest to Chi Chi so he’s taking it the hardest. Seeing my son in such pain breaks my heart as much as the loss of our sweet dog. He’s too young …

Continue reading The Circle of Life

Here’s an excellent special from Chris Cuomo that aired on 20/20 recently about children diagnosed with Williams Syndrome which is a rare genetic disorder that affects one in 7,500 newborns. One of the tell-tale signs is an enormously friendly and outgoing personality. While this is sweet and wonderful in most situations, it can become very …

Continue reading Friendly to the Extreme?

It is June. Notable for the official start of summer, hurricane season (for those of us, like me, based in South Florida) and of course, Father’s Day. Like many dads, I am both a father and a son, roles that are intimately intertwined. We are all someone’s children, and as such we assume that who …

Continue reading The Real Father’s Day Gift

We just got back from the family vacation to the Great Smokey Mountains, and it has given me time to reflect on the whole family vacation experience.  I wrote a number of weeks ago about the whole saga of trying to figure out a way to get the whole family together for a summer vacation, …

Continue reading Spend Your Money On Memories

Here’s a hilarious music video called The Dad Life by Church on the move. It pretty much nails the experience. Dad Life lyrics Ha ha This is dad life It’s how we live 24/7, 365 Check me Gas station glasses Don’t care what the masses Think about me wit my sweet goatee I’m rockin’ my …

Continue reading The Dad Life

Looking Inward for Solutions

Dropping a cross post from my Dad the Single Guy blog because I think this audience would have some thoughts on this too: I’ve never been one (or at least I hope I have not been one) to look for help unless I am truly out of options and just can’t figure out a problem …

Continue reading Looking Inward for Solutions

Parents always have a special song or two for each of their babies. One of my favorites is John Lennon’s “Beautiful Boy” which still touches me deeply every time I hear it because I used to sing it to both of my sons at bedtime. Adding to the bittersweetness is the fact that John Lennon’s …

Continue reading Beautiful Boy

My seven-year-old takes karate. Makes him feel invincible. Him: “Don’t worry. If a bad guy comes, I know karate.” Me: “I still want you where I can see you.” Him: “Don’t worry. I know karate.” Me: “What if three bad guys come?” Him: “That’s ok. I can do my ‘tornado kick.’” I think when kids …

Continue reading Scared the S*** Out of Me

I know we’re called Dad-O-Matic and our reason for being is to be a platform for dads by dads but our primary focus is actually on our children and our families. This news item sure brings home the message loud and clear. I doubt anyone can watch this and not be moved as I was. …

Continue reading Coming Home

The kids from “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” reunited on the Today Show for the 40th anniversary of the film classic. Check out Charlie Bucket, Violet Beauregarde, Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt & Mike TV as they look now all these years later. Noticeably absent is their ring leader, Gene Wilder and Grandpa Charlie who …

Continue reading 40th Anniversary Reunion for Willie Wonka and The Chocolate Factory

I recently started a fitness training program and post regular updates on my website. I wrote this post to give my reason why I am getting fit. I think being a parent comes with many responsibilities and one is to teach our children how to live a healthy lifestyle. I thought this might be motivation …

Continue reading Being Pro-Fit

We are proud to announce a new weekly feature for Dadomatic where we will be presenting The Real Deal every Wednesday from none other than our very own dad, Chris Cuomo. You might know him from his time on Good Morning, America or from his current positition on ABC’s 20/20. In a world where we …

Continue reading The Real Deal with Chris Cuomo

My wife Kim and I had a big parenting test the other night. At dinner, my daughter Lucy got to drink out of a “big girl cup” with a straw. And for the first time ever, she discovered how to blow bubbles in her milk. In our household, this is on par with first words, …

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The super-sized plan

Just a word of warning to regular readers-this post will likely get more than a little sappy, and I can not guarantee the readability. Since the beginning of last summer, I’ve been trying to instill a sense of extended family in my girls.  To let them know that while we see each other all the time, grandma …

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Last week 3/5ths of the Cast of Dads had the chance to get together for a road trip from Boston to NY thanks to the the teams at Ford and Sony who tried to be the first brands to get all of us together.  Unfortunately, crazy dad schedules (that is – crazy schedules, not crazy dads… well…) prevented …

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Can you read them all?

Cross posted from Dad the Single Guy: There are lots of signs out there-some that are really obvious, like the ones on the road when you are driving. Some that are designed to make you take an action, like a sale sign in a store, and some that are societal-a parent non-verbally communicating with their …

Continue reading Signs, Signs Everywhere is Signs

Here’s something new from Charity Water, a charity Dad-O-Matic endorses and supports. It’s called “Water Changes Everything” and it clearly shows the tremendous impact that clean water has on families all over the world. We all know the importance of clean water but too many of us don’t fully realize how tough it is for …

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It looked really cool. My 11 year old son had taken a piece of paper on the counter and folded it into a boat, although I didn’t know at that moment that he was the one who did it. At first I thought that he might have found it somewhere, but I asked him where …

Continue reading Is YouTube raising my kids?

… and I’m sound asleep. “Joey? The dog.” I hate this. But I don’t fight it. My wife needs her sleep. And I can usually fall right back to sleep. The dog bolts out the front door. I wait. Nothing. “Brooklyn!” “Brook!” Five minutes. Ten. Finally the dog resurfaces. By now, I’ve complained about him …

Continue reading 2:58 a.m.

The Daddy Dating Game

Today was a planned work from home day for me.  It’s a day I can have dinner with the girls and just make sure I am around.  Lately I’ve been trying to schedule two of these a week and try to give them a chance to talk or just hang and not have to worry about …

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So here it is the first year I am officially a single parent, and no one told me about Single Parent Day-I completely missed it.  (For those like me who are uninitiated to this Hallmark moment, its the third Sunday of March). I did spend my  Single Parent Day out being a single parent, juggling …

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I had the chance a few weeks ago to participate in a week-long training seminar on leadership.  Toward the end of the week I was a little worn out with all the heavy mental calisthenics I had been doing and was really just interested in going home.  Then we had a 4-hour session on the …

Continue reading The Watermarks of Life

One dad clearly #Winning in the news these days is Charlie Sheen, and the Cast of Dads took a few sips of Tiger Blood while recording our 40th episode.  As usual, we cover a cornucopia of topics, from Charile’s angels -er, goddesses, to Dr. Seuss.  As a true sign of a dedicated dadcaster, our own Max Kalefhoff …

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Daddy Wrapping

I put this over on my Dad The Single Guy blog this morning, but wanted to add it here because its one of those relationship issues that people on this blog seem to like. One of the semi-corny things you hear about a marriage is that its a partnership-we all have things we don’t do …

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  I am currently suffering from a bout of empty nest syndrome and one of the symptoms is recalling all sorts of memories of my kids at various stages and ages.  My oldest, now 22, recently ran a half marathon – his first – and afterwards he threw up.  Watching him barf as a young …

Continue reading An Ode To Parenting and Puking

Today was one of those days.  I needed everything to line up just right, and for the most part it did, but there were some very tense moments where it looked like the daily pyramid was going to crumble. I probably missed the early sign.  I had to catch a train this morning no later …

Continue reading The Fragile Pyramid

The other day I found myself compelled to take a ride west to the Everglades and take pictures of the Sunset.  When I thought about why I was there, I realized that it was a place I often go to think and clear my head when things in my life are changing.  Years ago, when …

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I was intimately struck by a piece of news last week that, although covered by everyone from the New York Times and Washington Post (who first reported the news) is getting far less buzz than the revolution in Egypt, the political hubub in Madison, Wisconsin and who’s going to be the big winner at this …

Continue reading Be An Organ Donor Today

“You Can Let Go” is the debut song from Canadian country artist Crystal Shawanda which knocked me for a loop. I know that I’m a big ole sucker for these types of songs but I really was moved by this one. It tells the tale of a little girl and her dad as she grows …

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I think most dads would agree that their dad-ness is influenced in large part by the things that their dad did. I know that’s true in my life. My childhood was a normal one I think, with lots of great memories of family vacations, yard work, playground fights, and generally being a kid. I struggle …

Continue reading These Aren’t My Dad’s Shoes

Life as a parent is busy. We have work. We have bills. We have to take care of our children. We have to take care of our selves. We have church or temple. We have friends. We have commitments. We have as parents tons to do and we often don’t have enough time to pay …

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With the hype and hoopla over, there will be plenty of talk around the water cooler tomorrow about “the game,” and of course, about the commercials.  One of the standout commercials was the “The Force” by Volkswagen for the 2012 Passat.  More than just Star Wars fans will love this humbling homage to the power …

Continue reading Super Bowl, Super Ad, Super Dad!

We dads get so focussed on our jobs and careers that we sometimes lose sight of the things that mean the most in life. Yes, earning a good living is critical for providing for our families so we should all strive to do the best work we can do in order to ensure our livelihood. …

Continue reading It’s What I Do

(Sunday, January 30, 2011) I am writing this after a four mile run. Actually, I am working my way up with interval training, having started a month or so ago by walking two minutes and running one minute, then, a week or so later upping it to two and two, then a week or so …

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Having kids does weird things to you. The gravity of being the one responsible for the care and development of another human being can be overwhelming. The role of responsible “grown-up” can make you terribly paranoid, overly strict, and endlessly stressed-out. In other words, completely Adultitis-ridden. A woman named Johanna recently described this transformation on …

Continue reading Mud is Too Dirty: Have You Become Your Parents?

I’ve been reading this great book, a real-life love story called The Motion of the Ocean by Janna Cawrse. It’s the story of a now-married couple, the journey it took them to get there and the adventure of abandoning their lives for a 17,000 mile sail around the Pacific Ocean in a leaky boat. I’m …

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There is no doubt that gadgets have truly gone mainstream.  Look around your home and what do you see?  Smartphones, Tablets, E-book readers, Computers, Game Consoles.  Gadgets galore.  Never before have kids grown up in households that so avidly consume consumer electronics.  Even two year old toddlers are playing with “toys” with processors inside.  Instead …

Continue reading CES Bound: Gadgets, Dadgets, and A Remote Control Give Away!

I stumbled upon this amazing video on YouTube by Spoonito who shared home movies that his dad took of him and his sister over the span of 25 years during Christmas time. The dad recorded his son and daughter coming down the stairs on Christmas morning to open their presents from 1985 to 2009. There …

Continue reading 25 Years of Christmas

I grumbled when my 8-year-old wanted me to take her to one of those tree-cutting places. I grumbled more when the woman said it was $60 for the privilege of doing all the labor ourselves. I’d set out to buy a Charlie Brown Christmas tree (you know the type, right?), and I couldn’t see myself …

Continue reading Happy Holidays And Tree-Cutting

‘Tis the season when red and green are the new black, and the “holiday spirit” permeates all things commercial and otherwise.  If you are politically correct, then almost all salutations, spoken, written, or otherwise are readily sprinkled with “HAPPY HOLIDAYS.”  If you are politically direct, then, at least this week, it is “MERRY CHRISTMAS.”  I …

Continue reading Will The Real Santa Please Stand Up?

The Turkey bones are bare, the stuffing has left your guests stuffed and the stuffed guests have left your house.  The television is free to be tuned to programming other than football and you are free to go back to the old grind…  Work. School. Life. Why Does Thanks Need A Day? The family focus of …

Continue reading Don’t Stop…

My daughter is eight. She’s been stuffed in front of cameras since before she was born (ultrasounds count, right?). There’s probably no escaping that she’s going to become a media making child. Recently, she asked me to help her shoot a commercial for Moon Foam, this kind of modeling clay that feels like compressed cotton …

Continue reading Making Media With Kids

I received a curious jar of things from my friend, Jason Falls, on behalf of Wonderopolis.org. It’s a site about literacy and how we can help kids learn more. You’ve gotta see what came out of the bucket (this video runs about 4 minutes long): The site, Wonderopolis had a lot of ways to get …

Continue reading Literacy Comes in Many Packages

Lately I have been reflecting on reflections, literally and figuratively.  Perhaps it is the melancholy that I normally associate with the fast approaching Holiday Season, or maybe it is symptomatic of simply aging, and watching my kids grow.  It seems I notice mirrors and reflections at every turn these days, from the literal mirror mirror …

Continue reading The Man (Dad) In The Mirror

Last month I wrote about a very different type of Digital Reader from Intel.  The Intel Reader is designed to help people with dyslexia and other visual impairments by easily scanning and then “reading” (via text-to-speech technology) virtually any written words that can be photographed by the portable device.  I had the chance to play …

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I have always been fascinated by language and how just a few letters, rearranged, can dramatically change the meaning of a word…how just a few words, rearranged, can dramatically change the meaning of a sentence…how just a few sentences, rearranged, can dramatically change the meaning of a paragraph…how just a few paragraphs… You get the …

Continue reading Encouragement VS. Discouragement