Go Outside and Play

Can you find the Bobcat?

2005-11-03T20:13:00.000-08:00

This photo was taken yesterday along Las Virgenes Creek at Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve. This area burned about a month ago during the Topanga Fire.
This little guy didn't want his picture taken - I couldn't get any closer.
Hint: he's in the middle and 1/3 down from top.

This lizard was also camera shy. He kept running around the tree trunk. So did I.

I still can't figure out how he survived the fire.

Weekly Assignment 11-3-05

2005-11-03T19:18:00.000-08:00

Global Transformations
Chapter 1, from Empires to modern Nation-States
Reference page 59, formation of International Telegraph Union in 1865.

140 years ago, an international organization was developed to organize the technical framework for telegraph communications between countries. The goal was to streamline the process by creating a set of agreed-upon rules. As new technologies developed and the the number of users and amount of activity increased, this function has become more complex and more necessary. The old ITU has morphed into the International Telecommunications Union.

In 1865 it was possible for individual nation-states to control access to the communications portals. As the number and type of communication options grew, nations developed new controls focused less on access and more on content (eg. the FCC in the US). With the advent of the internet, this control over content has all but disappeared. The internet is now the technological equivalent of the Wild West. Identity thieves are the new bank robbers. Spam announcing new low prices on prescription Viagra are the new Snake Oil Salesmen.

This new technology provides Jesus followers with new opportunities. For example, it allows access to geopgraphical areas that were previously closed to us. It also allows communication between groups of Christians (imagine disciples in Phillipi and Corinth IM'ing each other). It also allows the creation of cyber communities that are not physically in close proximity (although I'm not convinced yet how effective these will be. And it allows new forms of abiding "in the word" (such as this blog).

But eventually I think there will be governmental attempts to assert control over access and content (eg. send in the Sherriff). The question in my mind is what that control will look like.

Joke: The Baptist Dog

2005-10-29T15:07:00.000-07:00

The Baptist Dog

Ever mindful of the congregation, the Baptist preacher and his wife decided to get a new dog, and knew that the dog also had to be a Baptist.

They visited kennel after kennel and explained their needs. Finally, they found a kennel whose owner assured them he had just the dog they wanted.

The owner brought the dog to meet the pastor and his wife. "Fetch the Bible," he commanded. The dog bounded to the bookshelf, scrutinized the books, located the Bible, and brought it to the owner. "Now find Psalm 23," he commanded. The dog dropped the Bible to the floor, and showing marvelous dexterity with his paws, leafed through and finding the correct passage, pointed to it with his paw. The pastor and his wife were very impressed and purchased the dog.

That evening, a group of church members came to visit. The pastor and his wife began to show off the dog, having him locate several Bible verses.

The visitors were very impressed. One man asked, "Can he do regular dog tricks, too?" "I haven't tried yet" the pastor replied. He pointed his finger at the dog. "HEEL!" the pastor commanded. The dog immediately jumped on a chair, placed one paw on the pastor's forehead and began to howl.

The pastor looked at his wife in shock and said, "Good Lord! He's Pentecostal!

Synthesis 10-29-05

2005-10-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

My goal this week was to take a look at the roll-out schedule of a sub$100 laptop to see how the issues of customer service and technical support would be addressed. I looked at what is currently in production or out in the field for ideas.

I looked at three types of machines, their target market and product availability:

Nivo Target market: internet cafes, school sites Roll out TBD
Simputer Target market: individuals Roll out Mar 2004
$100 laptop Target market: students(children) and teachers Roll out Q4 2006 Q1 2007

I found a disconnect between the engineering/marketing/product-development people and the manufacturing/distribution/customer-support people.

The only machine in the field right now is the Simputer.

Pilot production of the Simputer started in September 2002. From 2004 onwards it was commercially available for $240 and up. Recently, prices have been reduced (owing to higher production volumes) to between $ 130 and $260, depending on screen size and type (monochrome or colour).

By 2005, sales of Simputers have failed to live up to the ambitious goal; only 4000 Simputers have sold while the initial expectation was the sale of 50,000 units. [1] Some suspect that this may be due to the price of ordinary PC laptops dropping to the point at which the Simputer loses its price competitiveness. Another reason could be that the poor have no need of computers before their basic needs (such as electricity) are met. Another reason is because prices are higher than were expected because there was a lack of purchasing by the Indian government and NGOs, possibly due to politics as outlined in this email on the Digital Divide mailing list.

It is a common mis-conception that the Simputer was designed to bridge the financial divide. It was not meant as a computer for the poor. The main intention is to bridge the digital divide. It has been used in many rural projects in the states of Karnataka and Chhattisgarh in India.

The year 2005, however, has seen these powerful and flexible devices being used in a variety of innovative and interesting applications, ranging from automobile engine diagnostics (Mahindra & Mahindra, Mumbai), iron-ore movement tracking from mine pithead to shipping point (Dempo, Goa), etc., to Microcredit (Sanghamitra, Mysore), Electronic Money Transfer between UK and Ghana (XK8 Systems, Kenya), etc., and seem poised for large-scale deployment in many other applications as well.

I have not found any articles or discussion on how these tools will be maintained, fixed or upgraded. The one site I found on the Simputer, is rather rudimentary.

This need to be addressed now, and not as an ad hoc afterthought, in order for the product to be successful.

This also tells me that as Jesus Followers, our energies should be focused on websites and e-mail as a means of evangalism. That way, we are not dependent on the success or failure of specific hardware platforms.

Weekly Assignment 10-29-05

2005-10-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

I'm having difficulty logging in to our Team Wiki - evidently Typepad is having some issues with slow access this week while they are moving to a new data center.

So I'm flying "blind" right now as to what is currently on our site.

I am going to look at one area in our sub$100 laptop issue that has not been addressed yet - customer service and support for laptops that will be in the field. How will repairs, customer questions and upgrades be supported in urban areas and rural areas. I'm starting by looking at what is currently in development, to see how this issue is currently being addressed.

Nivo

Ndiyo, pronounced nn-dee-yo, is the Swahili word for "yes".
Ndiyo! is a project set up to foster an approach to networked computing that is simple, affordable, open, less environmentally damaging and less dependent on intensive technical support than current networking technology

When we refer to an Ndiyo system, we are talking about a server PC, running Open Source software, driving a cluster of ultra-thin-client workstations. We've developed a particular solution, using the Ubuntu Linux operating system and the new nivo hardware that we have developed with our partner Newnham Research, that provides a solution that is cheaper than any existing way of providing networked computer workstations, while providing good performance and high usability for typical office or communications use.

Newham Research
Partners in developing Nivo

BBC News Article on Nivo
Nivo is the name given to the Ndiyo system computer workstation. Their business model is focused on schools and internet cafes rather than individuals.

Simputer

Simputer.
Simputer is an inexpensive handheld computer designed by Indian scientists for use in developing nations.

Yahoo Groups
User/Developer Discussion group on use of Simputer

Amida Tech Support
Tech support technical and contact information for Simputer.

Wikipedia
Wiki article on Simputer.

Traffic Cops Use Simputer
Traffic Cops in Bangladore, India, use Simputer to identify and fine habitual traffic offenders.

$100 Laptop

MIT's $100 laptop initiative
The MIT Media Lab has launched a new research initiative to develop a $100 laptop—a technology that could revolutionize how we educate the world's children. To achieve this goal, a new, non-profit association, One Laptop per Child (OLPC), has been created. The initiative was first announced by Nicholas Negroponte, Lab chairman and co-founder, at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland in January 2005.

CNN article on $100 Laptop
An excerpt:

While a prototype isn't expected to be shown off until November, Negroponte unveiled blueprints at Technology Review magazine's Emerging Technologies conference at MIT.

Among the key specs: A 500-megahertz processor (that was fast in the 1990s but slow by today's standards) by Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and flash memory instead of a hard drive with moving parts. To save on software costs, the laptops would run the freely available Linux operating system instead of Windows.

The computers would be able to connect to Wi-Fi wireless networks and be part of "mesh" networks in which each laptop would relay data to and from other devices, reducing the need for expensive base stations. Plans call for the machines to have four USB ports for multimedia and data storage.

Perhaps the defining difference is the hand crank, though first-generation users would get no more than 10 minutes of juice from one minute of winding.

This certainly wouldn't be the first effort to bridge the world's so-called digital divide with inexpensive versions of fancy machinery. Other attempts have had a mixed record.

With those in mind, Negroponte says his team is addressing ways this project could be undermined.

For example, to keep the $100 laptops from being widely stolen or sold off in poor countries, he expects to make them so pervasive in schools and so distinctive in design that it would be "socially a stigma to be carrying one if you are not a student or a teacher."

And unlike the classic computing model in which successive generations of devices get more gadgetry at the same price, Negroponte said his group expects to do the reverse. With such tweaks as "electronic ink" displays that will require virtually no power, the MIT team expects to constantly lower the cost.

After all, in much of the world, Negroponte said, even $100 "is still too expensive."

Today's Wildflower Photos from Pico Canyon

2005-10-22T16:46:00.000-07:00

Tree Tobacco kissed by the morning dew.

A Bee feasting on Sacred Datura.

Synthesis 10-22-05

2005-10-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

This week my focus was on the kinds of religious instruction available on-line.

At the top of my list is:

1. Bible/Beliefnet.com. http://bible.beliefnet.com/

At first glance, it's almost a supermarket of Spirituality, with Judaism in the Kosher section, Earth-based spirituality in the Produce section and Christianity over by the bakery (next to the wine). They describe themselves as

We are a multi-faith e-community designed to help you meet your own religious and spiritual needs -- in an interesting, captivating and engaging way.

They host on-line community activities, such as Dialog Groups (short-term small group discussions), Discussions focused on various questions, (Does Science play a role in your spirituality?), and Prayer Circles, Memorials and Celebrations.

You can sign up for e-newsletters on various subjects.

There is a section on "Christian Tools". Personally, I'm intrigued by the "Bible Scholars Smackdown" section.

This site is US centric. However, the structure could be modified to include various communities outside the US. There is no reason, for example, why a daily e-mail could not be geared toward a particular community in their language and using their cultural idioms and customs. Or an "Ask the Teacher" question/answer section could be set up in another language.

Weekly Assignment 10-20-05

2005-10-20T14:01:00.000-07:00

This week my focus was on the kinds of religious instruction available on-line.

Here' my list:

1. Bible/Beliefnet.com. http://bible.beliefnet.com/

Part of the Beliefnew website devoted to religion and spiritually. I'll develop this more in my analysis blog.

2. Geranium Farm. http://geraniumfarm.org/

Barbara Cawthorne Crafton is an Episcopal priest, spiritual director and author. She publishes "The Almost-Daily eMo. "I began to write them in the spring of 2001, as a way to provide my parishioners with a meditation they could use in their daily prayer."

I find her insights useful when I teach the young men in our prison Bible Study Class.

3. Christianity Today. http://www.christianitytoday.com/
Has a section on Bible Studies.

4. BibleNet On Line Library. http://www.biblenet.net/library/

Just what it says - an on line library of information.

5. World Wide Study Bible. http://www.ccel.org/wwsb/

As an example, see what it has for Ruth:

About
Book of Ruth -- Catholic Encyclopedia
Ruth -- Bible - Encarta Concise Encyclopedia
The Book of Ruth -- Easton's Bible Dictionary

Scripture
King James Version -- The Holy Bible (Anno Dom. 1611)
New Revised Standard Version (1989) -- Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures

Commentary
Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706) -- Matthew Henry

Sermons
The Romance of Redemption -- Ray C. Stedman Reference Library

Studies
Ruth: God's Grace in the Old Testament -- Grace Notes
Notes
Class Notes on Sacred, History, Vol.1 (1893) -- J.W. McGarvey (1829-1911)

More Scripture
Biblija Prijevod KS (1988) -- Bible in Croatian
Green's Literal Translation (1976) -- Sovereign Grace Publishers
La Bibbia - CEI -- The Bible (Italian)
Modern King James Version (1962-1998) -- Explanation by Jay P. Green, Sr.
New American Bible (1986) -- NCCB/USCC

6. Our Daily Bread. http://www.rbc.org/odb/
The pocket size daily devotional on line.

7. Bible Gateway. http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/
An online source of Bibles in various languages from Arabic to Vietnamese.

8. Antioch Internet Bible International. http://aibi.gospelcom.net/

"Antioch Internet Bible International equips indigenous Christian leaders with the tools for evangelism, discipleship, church-planting, pastoral work and missions. We offer free and low-cost courses, ebooks and articles and we also help local churches to establish their own local bible college."

A bit too fundamental for my tastes...but it is a source.

9. Zondervan e-books. http://www.zondervan.com/ebooks/
A part of Zondervan publishing house. "An ebook is a digital book that you can read on a computer or, in some cases, on other types of electronic devices."

10. How could we not include Fuller On Line?
http://www.fulleronline.org/D1index.real?area=191

Jesus and the Jewish Experience

2005-10-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

Dr. Dauermann and Dr. Glaser each spoke for about 15 minutes on the subject of evangelism to the "Chosen People" as part of the Jesus and the Jewish Experience conference.

Dr. Dauermann gave an example that framed the issue in personal terms. To go to a Jewish person and say, "50 generations of your ancestors are condemned" but "you have a chance to be saved throught accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior" is a tough sell, unless that potential convert is totally narcissistic.

To relate this to our Technology Project: any program that demeans the target culture will not succeed. Redeem - not demean. :-)

I can expand upon this with a personal story. At one point in my life I took part in an exercize class at our local YMCA. As part of this class, we ran for about 20 minutes. I ran with several people, including a Dentist who was Jewish. To pass the time as we ran he taught us a few Yiddish words.

I was facinated. Some yiddish phrases express in one or two words what it took 10 words to describe in English. For example, try explaining "chutzpeh" succinctly.

The lesson that can be applied here is: not only should we not demean another's culture, we should learn from it what is of value.

The Secret Life of Pumpkins

2005-10-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

I have a weekly radio spot on Friday mornings and I write up a brief blurb beforehand so that the morning DJ knows what we are doing. This week I thought I'd share it with you folks.

The Secret Life of Pumpkins

We see pumpkins everywhere this time of year: at grocery stores, on front porches, on party invitations, at road-side stands. We find Jack-be-littles for table centerpieces, white Caspers and Lumina’s for a spooky effect, Sugar Pie’s for baking, Autumn Golds for Jack-o-Lanterns and Atlantic giants for neighborhood bragging rights.

But what do you know about their secret lives?

I learned a bit about pumpkins from observing Stinking Gourd, a related plant we have growing in the open spaces around Santa Clarita. Stinking Gourd (otherwise know as Coyote Melon) has the botanic name of Cucurbita foetidissima, which means a gourd that really, really stinks.

True pumpkins have the botanic name, Cucurbita pepa, which means gourd that is ripened by the sun. In some grocery stores we find pumpkin seeds are sometimes labeled by their Spanish name, pepitas. That’s only fitting because pumpkins are native to the Americas and Native Americans in Mexico were the first people to cultivate the pumpkin.

So what does this have to do with pumpkins’ secret lives? Nothing yet. I'm just stalling for dramatic effect. Let me get on with the story.

Each plant has both male and female flowers and requires crosspollination. Male flowers produce nectar and pollen, and female flowers produce nectar. Flowers open early in the morning and close around noon of the same day.

But here’s the key fact: Pollen viability in a newly opened male flower is about 92%. But by the time it closes that same morning the viability will have dropped to 75%, and by the next morning it will be only 10%. Thus, it is important for a female flower to be pollinated as early as possible on the day it opens while the pollen is still viable

Who does this pollinating? Bees - but not just any old honey bee will do. It’s a matter of timing. Honey bees are late risers; they need to be warmed by the sun before they start buzzing about. But squash bees are early risers and have the ability to fly at low temperatures. So the early bee gets the gourd, so to speak.

So again, what does this have to do with the secret lives of pumpkins? Well…now we know that (a) pumpkins are both male and female, (b) they reproduce in the early morning and (c) they need help to reproduce.

Which leads us to this week's hike schedule. We have something to please both early and late risers.

Saturday
10-15-05
8:00 -10:00AM
Towsley Cyn
Morning Bird Walk

Saturday
10-15-05
6:30 - 8:30PM
Towsley Cyn
By the Light of the Silvery Moon Hike

Weekly Update 10-12-05

2005-10-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

This week my research will focus on a subset of our Sub-$100 laptop wiki project: training strategies.

1. National Association for Interpretation.

This is a professional organization for US Interpretive Naturalists that is expanding internationally in Latin America. So you ask, "What is an Interpreter?" "What language do you use?"

Interpretation is an art that "helps audiences make an emotional and intellectual connection with meanings inherent in the resource". The easiest way to explain is to give an example. When you visit a National Park, you often go on a Ranger-led nature hike. You came away with a better understanding and appreciation for what you saw. That Ranger is an Interpretive Naturalist.

Jesus was a MASTER Interpreter. He "translated" complex ideas about God into stories that were understood by everyone and that changed the world.

NAI has an extensive certification training program for field interpreters. Their model could serve as a model for Sub$100 training. Here's how it could work:

In the NAI model:
NAI develops the curriculum
Trainers teach Interpreters
Interpreters teach Visitors
Visitors come away with a better understanding, appreciation and respect for the place they have visited.

In a Sub$100 model:
A Sposoring Organization develops the curriculum
Trainers teach Teachers
Teachers teach Students
Students come away with the ability to use the laptop computer.

Of course, some of you are thinking this is a First-world professional model that may not be appropriate for some Third-world situations. There are culutural issues to be respected and learned from.

2. A book we use in interpretive training: Personal Interpretation. Brochu & Merriman.
ISBN 1-879931-06-0.

In 1957, one of the founders of modern interpretation, Freeman Tilden, introduced 6 principles in his book, Interpreting Our Heritage. I believe if these principles are used, the training of teachers will be culturally relevant.

1. Relate what is being described to the personality or experience of the visitor.

2. Information, as such, is not interpretation. You need to include the "so what" factor.

3. Interpretation is an art, which combines many art forms.

4. The chief aim of interpretation is not instruction, but provocation. You want people to investigate further on their own after your class.

5. Interpretation should present the whole, rather than the part, and must address itself to the whole person.

6. Interpretation to children is not a dilution of a presentation to adults, but should follow a different approach.

Tilden also states that it is the teacher who makes something special happen through their passion for their subject. According to Tilden, love is "the priceless ingredient".

"Interpreters let their internal lights and loves illuminate what they share" (Brochou & Merriman). Sounds a bit like "let your light so shine before men", doesn't it?

3. Sharing Nature with Children II.

Joseph Cornell ISBN 1- 883220-87-4

This book serves as a reminder that education need not be totally cerebral.
People have different learning styles. The use of direct experience to awaken enthusiasm and inspire people needs to be incorporated into training.

For example, why do you think the feeding of the 5000 was remembered and put into the Gospels of Matthew and Luke?

4. The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre.

This is a global network of institutions active in the area of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). These institutions could serve as training sites for trainers and/or teachers.

5. Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education.

This web page is for teachers, instructors, program developers and others who help students of all ages in small business design, micro-enterprise, small business management, and enterprising behaviour,home-based business, self employment, or just plain business start up!

It's primary focus is in the US but it is expanding worldwide.

6. The Commonwealth of Learning

The Commonwealth of Learning is an intergovernmental organisation created by Commonwealth Heads of Government to encourage the development and sharing of open learning/distance education knowledge, resources and technologies. COL is helping developing nations improve access to quality education and training.

The key here is open learning/distance education.

7. Education Virtual Library.

Compliled by Charles Stuart University (Australia). A virtual library is useful for identifying on-line resources related to education and training. World-wide listings.

8. Vetnet

Vetnet.ch are the vocational education and training pages of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). EXCELLENT article on "10 Key Stages towards Effective Participatory Curriculum Development"

9. Training Tools.com

An internet site for FREE on-line application training. A Model of what could be available for teachers worldwide.

10. Fact of the Day.

An example from China of the breezy type of information that could be distributed on
Sub$100 laptops.

And now for a break from our regularly scheduled blogging....

2005-10-09T15:41:00.000-07:00

http://www.comics.com/comics/pearls/archive/pearls-20050927.html

Since people seemed to enjoy the joke I posted earlier, here's another joke from one of my favorite comic strips, "Pearls Before Swine".

I hope it makes you laugh. Now back to work....

W.

Weekly Assignment 10-6-05

2005-10-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

1. This website is designed for high school and college student to acquaint them with the policy aspects of Gloalization. There is a section on technology, including health issues.

http://www.globalization101.org/issue/technology/5.asp

2. This joke was sent to me today by my Aunt Garnet, who is a retired dairy farmer in western Wisconsin. Note: "Ole and Lena" are the proverbial DUMB Norwegians. Only 2 DUMB Norwegians would ever consider Duluth, MN as the site of a posh resort. You only send Dumb Norwegian jokes to other Norwegians.

OLE & LENA ARE VACATIONING AT THIS POSH RESORT IN DULUTH. OLE GOES INTO THE SAUNA WHERE TWO FOREIGN BUSINESSMEN WERE SITTING NAKED. SUDDENLY THERE WAS A BEEPING SOUND. THE GERMAN PRESSED HIS FOREARM AND THE BEEP STOPPED.

OLE LOOKED AT HIM QUESTIONINGLY. "THAT WAS MY PAGER,", HE SAID, I HAVE A MICROCHIP UNDER THE SKIN OF MY ARM." A FEW MINUTES LATER A PHONE RANG. THE JAPANESE FELLOW LIFTED HIS PALM TO HIS EAR. WHEN HE FINISHED HE EXPLAINED, "THAT WAS MY MOBILE PHONE. I HAVE A MICROCHIP IN MY HAND."

OLE FELT DECIDEDLY LOW TECH. NOT TO BE OUTDONE, HE DECIDED HE HAD TO DO SOMETHING JUST AS IMPRESSIVE. HE STEPPED OUT OF THE SAUNA AND WENT TO THE BATHROOM.

HE RETURNED WITH A PIECE OF TOILET PAPER HANGING FROM HIS BEHIND. THE OTHERS RAISED THEIR EYEBROWS AND STARED AT HIM. OLE FINALLY SAID... "VELL BY GOLLY, VILL YA LOOK AT DAT, I'M GETTING A FAX"

3. Today's MSNBC had an article on Tamiflu, which is in great demand as a treatment for influencza. It was developed by a biotech company in Northern California, Gilead (as in the hymn "There is a balm in Gilead"), which is fighting a court battle with Roche over production rights.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7279844/did/9454041/

4. We have a friend who worked for Gilead as a biostatistician. Here's what he said:

Gilead senses an opportunity to make money. How?

A. New markets. Gilead was the first company to reduce the price for AIDS drugs sold to Brazil. This paid off in increased business opportunities with China and Eastern European countries. What new markets and distribution partnerships would Tamiflu open up?

B. Gilead has a reputation for inproving manufacturing yield and productivity. They may want the production rights back because they believe they can cut the price while improving profit margins.

C. Or they may be able to ramp up production faster than Roche. So even if they cut prices and lower their profits margins, the increase in revenue will be looked on favorably by investors. Their market capitalization will increase. The profit margin on any increase in capitalization is 100%.

D. Or Roche may increase their royalty payments to Gilead while maintaining production rights.

We don't exactly know what's going on behind the scenes. But you can bet they do.

5. Another story in today's MSNBC about how scientists at the US Armed Forces Institute of of Pathology have re-created the virus responsible for the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic from a female flue victim that were buried in Alaskan permafrost. Raises some interesting issues, safety being only one of them.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7279844/did/9598565/

6. The Brave New World of Health Care. ISBN: 1555915108. Found on Amazon.com
Former Governor Lamm of Colorado writes about the US health care system.

7. In this morning's Wall Street Journal:

"Some mutations of the 1918 virus have been detected in the current avian-flu virus, suggesting that the bug 'might be going down a similar path that led to 1918'".

This lends a sense of urgency to developing vaccines and treatments for avian flu.

Originally it was thought that the virus would mix with human flu to create the lethal strain. Now we believe the virus could have mutated on it's own. The current strain has made 5 of the 10 changes that distinguish the 1918 virus from avian varieties.

I'll bring in a hard copy for you today. See me at class.

8. Another article from Today's WSJ. I KNEW my newspaper-reading habit would pay off someday!
This could be useful for Ben's Global laptop blog.

Plugged In, but Tuned Out:
Getting Kids to Connect
To the Non-Virtual World
October 6, 2005; Page D1
Jeff Zaslow

When the phone rings at Susan Manion's house in Silver Spring, Md., her three children, ages 16 to 23, almost never answer it. "They know it won't be for them," says Ms. Manion. "They just let it ring."

Across America, a symphony of unanswered house phones reminds us that there's been a sea change within families. More than half of all teens now conduct their lives on their own cellphones, or in a zillion online "instant" conversations parents never see, according to studies by MindShare Online Research and the Consumer Electronics Association.

Children today have been labeled "the connected generation," with iPods in their ears, text messages at their fingertips and laptop screens at eye level. But their technology-focused lifestyle can also leave them disconnected from the wider world, especially from their parents.

Many teens won't give friends their home numbers, says Samantha Landau, 15, of West Hills, Calif. "They don't want friends to talk to their parents, because they don't want their parents to know about their lives."

It's easy to assume that these are just perennial generational tensions in new high-tech boxes. After all, baby boomers and their parents have endured an infamous culture gap. But technology has exacerbated the gulf between today's parents and kids in ways we need to notice. It's easier now for kids to function in their own closed societies, leaving them oblivious to adult culture.

People over age 40 grew up with just a few TV channels. We watched TV news -- at 6 p.m. it was the only thing on -- and soaked up the adult worlds of information and entertainment because that's all that was available. Now kids have their own worlds, their own channels.

I live in Michigan, and two days after Hurricane Katrina hit, I drove my 16-year-old daughter and her friend home from the movies. I mentioned Katrina, and this friend didn't even know there was a hurricane. She's a lovely girl and an A student, but for days, she had chatted online, watched her own TV shows, and saw no news of the tragedy. Her parents hadn't thought to tell her.

Samantha Landau says she mentioned new Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to fellow students in her 11th-grade advanced-placement history class and most had no idea who he was.

Baby boomers knew newsmakers from their parents' and grandparents' generation because families watched Walter Cronkite and Ed Sullivan together. But most 20th-century legends are "dead brands" to kids today, youth marketers say. To them, historical figures are last season's reality-show contestants.

Certainly, young people today are entitled to their own heroes. And truth is, surveys dating back to 1915 show kids have always been uninformed about U.S. history. Still, today's parents often indulge ignorance. More than half of our kids have TVs in their rooms, according to a 2004 American Psychological Association report. "Yes, you can watch 'Pimp My Ride' on your TV," parents tell kids. "We'll watch the president's address on the kitchen TV."

One mother I interviewed refers to her son's bedroom as "the technology cave." He has a TV, computer, stereo, iPod and cellphone. She won't allow food in his bedroom because "that forces him out into the open with us."

There are other ways to bring techno kids into the wider world. For starters, immerse yourself in their world. Ask them to go online to help you find Katrina relief groups. Let them teach you complex videogames. Then be the adult and say it's time to turn everything off and come to dinner.

Dawson McAllister, whose faith-based teen radio program airs in 260 markets, says parents should interact with kids rather than lecture them. He used to give 55-minute talks at religious retreats. "Now if you can hold kids for 25 minutes, you're doing well. You also need video clips, and ways to involve them in the presentation. You have to be far more Oprah than Billy Graham."

Because kids multitask -- they'll instant-message six friends while watching TV and talking on a cell -- classroom instruction moves too slowly for them, says Alan Simon, superintendent of the Arlington Heights, Ill., School District. He calls the phenomenon "techno-tasking."

Yes, we should encourage kids to read books and newspapers. But we also must recognize that they collect information from unorthodox sources: blogs, cyber gossip, advertising, comedians. The Internet is filled with shady truths, and kids try to determine which outlets are trustworthy, says generational marketing consultant Ann Fishman. "If it's good, they go with it. If not, they don't. It's called 'Internet thinking.' They don't have a Walter Cronkite." We can help kids sort through the Internet cacophony by discussing with them what they find there, says Dr. Simon.

Six million young people are using America Online's Red service for teens, which is designed to ease parents' concerns by controlling Internet access. Still, AOL's service is purposely edgy, with its teen Q&A offering titled "Truth or Crap." A Web page called "True or False" wouldn't work for today's kids, says Malcolm Bird, senior vice president of AOL's youth area. "You have to speak to them in relevant terms." The lesson for parents: Even "safe" sites mimic the coarseness in our culture. Know what's there.

In North Granby, Conn., Kaycee Quinlan, 15, says she doesn't mind that her parents look over her shoulder when she's online. "I feel lucky to have parents who care," she says.

Her parents also have a quaint habit of trading not-so-instant messages with her -- sticky notes on the kitchen counter, often with scribbled hearts. "I'd way rather get those notes than cellphone messages from them," Kaycee says. "I come home, I'm alone, and when I see their handwriting, it's comforting."

9. Trust for Amerisca's Health. A website devoted to public health in the US.. US centric, but some interesting report.

http://healthyamericans.org/

10. PEW Internet & American Life Project. Report released today on demographics of those people with broadband, dial-up and no internet connections.

http://www.pewinternet.org/

Love's Divine

2005-10-03T07:26:00.000-07:00

Last night my husband and I went to a concert at the Greek Theater
(a splurge - our Anniversary present to each other). Seal was the headliner.

As he sang his most recent hit, "Love's Divine", it occurred to me that this piece was a contemporary Psalm. Since my homework last weekend was "read Psalms 1-50", my brain must have been primed to recognize that connection.

Here are the lyrics. See what you think.

Love's Divine

Then the rainstorm came, over me
And I felt my spirit break
I had lost all of my, belief you see
And realized my mistake
But time through a prayer, to me
And all around me became still

I need love, love's divine
Please forgive me now I see that I've been blind
Give me love, love is what I need to help me know my name

Through the rainstorm came sanctuary
And I felt my spirit fly
I had found all of my reality
I realize what it takes

'Cause I need love, love's divine
Please forgive me now I see that I've been blind
Give me love, love is what I need to help me know my name

Oh I.......don't bend (don't bend), don't break (don't break)
Show me how to live and promise me you won't forsake
'Cause love can help me know my name

Well I try to say there's nothing wrong
But inside I felt me lying all along
But the message here was plain to see
Believe me

'Cause I need love, love's divine
Please forgive me now I see that I've been blind
Give me love, love is what I need to help me know my name

Oh I.....don't bend (don't bend), don't break (don't break)
Show me how to live and promise me you won't forsake
'Cause love can help me know my name

It also occurred to me that this song could function as a hymm. After all, Wesley's original "Love's Divine All Love's Excelling" was based on a popular song.

http://www.egwtext.whiteestate.org/heritage/hymn_1.html

Ash Friday

2005-09-30T20:27:00.000-07:00

Last night Ahmanson Ranch burned. I know the place well - it's a park where I have led many hikes.

Now it's appears to be nothing but smoldering black ash.

But appearances are deceiving. This land has evolved to thrive because of fire, not in spite of it. I've seen oaks that look dead come back to life. I've seen flowers that only blossom the spring after a wildfire. The seed lie dormant until the next fire, sometimes for 50 years.

I consider it a foreshadowing of the Resurrection to come.

It's all about ME!

2005-09-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

Today was my first day of classes at Fuller. I'm in SOT, general format.

I work as an Interpretive Naturalist for the MRCA, a park agency in Southern California. I lead hikes, teach volunteers, and publish a quarterly newsletter. I can make pseudo-scat out of Scuply clay, tea bags and peppercorns. I know all the verses to "Tom the Toad" and can make up more if need be. I've driven supplies through fire and floods to our Rangers in the field.

I also volunteer for LA County Probation with Chaplain's Eagles, which means I teach a weekly Bible Study Class for incarcerated youth. It also means I have a "Get out of Jail Free" card.

I am a member of the Valencia United Methodist Church and live in Santa Clarita with my husband, Hugh, and our cat, Bucky. We have a daughter, Ellie, who goes to college in Philadelphia.

She has tried (and failed) to explain post-modernism to me. Perhaps I'll learn more in this class.