Electronic Writer

After approximately 50-years, the world may finally see an end of the North/South Korean war. This is an extremely detailed article about the progression of the Denuclearization of North Korea, the unification of North/South Koreas, and the potential economic impact on the rest of the world.

Read the full article at OhMyNews International

“Maxime Renaudin comes from a new generation of entrepreneurs who use sound business principles to tackle social problems in the world today.”

Renaudin’s vision includes planting 8-million trees in the shape of a heart in the Sahara Desert–and, how it is going to save the world.

Read the full article at OhMNews International.

U.S. senator: It’s time to ban Wikipedia in schools, libraries

Here’s the newest from Sen. Ted Stevens, the man who described the Internet as a series of tubes: It’s time for the federal government to ban access to Wikipedia, MySpace, and social networking sites from schools and libraries.

Read the whole article at Computer World

Knowledge should be free, right? The lovely inventors of the Wikipedia believe that it should be . . . . But, there are others out there that may not agree.

In this article, Microsoft was caught hiring a writer to edit the Wikipedia because they are forbidden to do so themselves.

Shame!

Read the article at CNN for youself.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/internet/01/24/microsoft.wikipedia.ap/index.html

Variations of the original title, “Everything I Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten,” are everywhere. A quick google search will confirm it. But, when I examine my own childhood, Boy Scouts had a much greater influence on my formation as an adult than my kindergarten classroom. No offense is intended towards my Kindergarten Teacher, but around 10 years old, I physically walked across a bridge in an Arrow of Light Ceremony. Symbolically, I walked from Cub Scouts into Boy Scouts. Developmentally, I left my childhood and my formation as a man commenced with earnest . . . .

After your first steps on the other side of this bridge, the adult leaders of the Scout Troop ask the new Boy Scout to take the Scout Oath.

On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my Country. To help other people at all times. To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

Although this Oath has been the subject of more than one controversy, I think it provides a pretty good guideline for Boys. (On a side not, I think it would also provide a good guide for girls, but the sexual and gender-politics of having both genders in the same group would have quite a few unwanted consequences. I will flush those ideas in another article.)

It is an Oath, and as it is worded, is inextricably bound with honor. I like the consequences of failing to uphold it having intangible damage to your honor. The other edge of that sword is that if you maintain your Oath, it is honorable.

The first tangible todos in this oath are related to a boy’s duty to God and Country. The usage of the word “duty is interesting. It implies that these things are not optional–they are requirements. In my opinion, this is a healthy way to promote both nationalism and spirituality.

I am aware of the debate about having those words stricken because it was not sensitive to the beliefs of an Athiest. My Troop was bound to a church, and we worshiped a “God”–as opposed to one of the other manifestations of it. That language was very appropriate for our Troop. If there was a predominant religion of another Troop that did not coincide with that label and they wanted to substitute a different word, I think the spirit would remain intact. (More information on the Official Boy Scout Litigation Website and blog.)

The next component introduces the concept of helping others. Extending a boy’s consciousness to think globally is a integral component of Boy Scouts. There are three merit badges about citizenship: Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, and Citizenship in the World. All three of them are required to earn your Eagle Scout Award, and by learning about the differences, I learned by 12 or 13 years old that there is more to life than the four other people in my family and myself.

Helping others is a good way to shift a boy’s perspective into being a keeper and protector of that world and the people who live in it–rather than simply a consumer.

The last three items in the oath turn the attention inwards: physically strong, mentally away, and morally straight.

“Physically Strong” addresses the issue of nutrition, exercise, and drug and alcohol use. With current obesity levels in America reaching epidemic proportions (see American Obesity Association), the ideas behind this one could help more than just Boy Scouts.

“Mentally Awake” can be interpreted as intellectually curiousity. I applaud anything that encourages people to use their mind, and this clearly is an attempt to promote thinking.

When I started sniffing around for links for the article, I found a whole host of Websites that are around to address the “Morally Straight” issue. Churches, the Government, Gays, some cities, a few school districts, and even the Boy Scout’s legal team have all addressed this one.

My personal interpretation is pretty open: Try to adhere to your own moral code–whatever that is. I heard someone say that there are two paths to choose (and that they are relative). There are choices that make you better, and choices that make you worse. I am not about to tell you what those choices are, or which choices make you better and which choices make you worse . . . .

Amidst the current flurry of litigation, attacks, and opinions, I still hold that the Boy Scout Oath that I made at the age of ten still serves as a good guideline.

Some of the links I found might be interesting:

• Boy Scouts of America: http://www.scouting.org
• Boy Scouts Legal Issues Website: http://www.bsalegal.org/
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): http://www.aclusandiego.org/boy_scouts/boyscoutsbalboa.htm
• American Atheists: http://www.atheists.org/action/alert-28-may-2003.html
• HateCrimes.org: http://www.hatecrime.org/subpages/boyscouts.html
• Burkhart’s Blog: http://alanburkhart.blogspot.com/2006/09/its-about-time.html
• There are simply too many to list . . . .

I SWEAR it! Some scheduling conflicts may occur, but I never imagined 5 months of it. No excuses. It is time to get back to it . . . .

It has finally started to rain. The temperature has finally dropped. The combination of being land-locked, and moving indoors makes me wistful for other places . . . this being one of them.

This is a Mexican sunrise in Cabo San Lucas with a heat-generated rainstorm forming in the center of it all.

I am only 1500 miles and 50 degrees on the thermometer away . . . .

I went fishing in Cabo San Lucas–the home of the largest sport fishing fleet in the World. Our Captains (we chartered boats on 4 separate days of our trip) navigated us through unbelievable waters and found fish. This was the 150lb Blue Striped Marlin that I caught.

We pulled the fish aboard the boat, removed the hook, looked for previous catch-and-release tags, and slid the fantastic fish back into the water.

While holding the fish, I could feel the fish breathing (or choking, as it were). I had decided BEFORE the trip that I would release anything that I caught. I had told the Captain and First Mate to release the fish BEFORE it had even reached the boat. It was while I held that fish, however, that I realized WHY it was necessary to release that fish.

Simply, that fish is a magnificent creation and not part of my food chain. If it were a matter of survival, things may be different. In the sport fishing world, however, killing it would be senseless and selfish.

Catch and release.

The State Fair is a curious mixture of pleasures for me. It is composed of part ritual, part adventure, a smidge of food and alcohol, and a definite overindulgence of people watching.

Of course, it would not be fair to ignore all of the flashing lights, jingling noises, and the air tinkling with laughter.

She reminded me of Bjork. When I put money in her basket, she took fairy-dust (it was glitter, actually), and blew it into my face. For just a moment, I felt as if I were in the middle of Black Forest.

For just a moment . . . .