By Sarah Vander Schaaff I am not sure if a song can inoculate a child from the bad feelings and dangers of being bullied, but if one could provide fortification, or resistance, then it might be “Bully, Bully” by Shine and the Moonbeams. The tune was recorded a few years ago, but it was just last week when it came on a kids’ radio station that my five and eight-year-old sat silent for a moment in the backseat. “Wow. What is this song?” we asked each other. A quick Google search at home gave us the answer. It’s the creation of New York singer and songwriter Shawana Kemp and guitarist John Heagle. “Bully, Bully” appears on their first album, released… Read More

By Sarah Vander Schaaff To hear Dr. Brian Hare speak about the genius of dogs is quite something. In fact, just last week, when I was listening to my local NPR station, I heard a rebroadcast of an interview with him and was still fascinated. And it was this second-time around that I was able to visit Dr. Hare’s website: Dognition. If you think I’ve got too much free time, I should add that Dr. Hare is a member of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Duke’s Institute for Brain Sciences, got his Ph.D. from Harvard, and yes, I do have a puppy. My interest was both personal and Mindprint related. Consider this explanation of Dr. Hare’s cognitive approach to… Read More