Zikan

Name: Zikan
Joined On: Jun 18, 2005
Maintag: Zikan
Age: 39
Occupation: Computer Programmer
Location: Cleveland, OH
Currently: Offline
Last seen: 8/29/08

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05/26/08

Memorial Day 2008

Always Remember
This time of year, you will often here people say "never forget". But I prefer to flip it around and phrase it "always remember". Forgetting is a passive action, and one may not even know that they have forgotten something. Remembering is active. It is something you have to set aside time to do. Today is the day for setting aside some time to remember those that have fallen in service to their country. Below is a list of all US service members that have died from my state of Ohio since last Memorial Day. Each line contains the date they were killed, their age, and a few details of their passing. The link is to their Faces of the Fallen profile which is hosted by The Washington Post should you wish to read a little bit more about them. The profile also often contains links to obituaries, news articles, and a site where you can leave a note of your own.


One last quick note, Memorial Day is for remembering those that have fallen. While I, or probably any other veteran, appreciate being thanked for our service, today is not the day for that. Today is for remembering in your own way, those who are not here to be thanked.


Posted by Zikan @ 2:49 am EDT | Permalink | 7 Comments

03/07/08

The Answer

"A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare,"
-- Justice H. Walter Croskey

Justice H. Walter Croskey of theSecond District Court of Appeal for the state of California wrote the above in an official decision for a case that answered whether parents can legally “home school” their children.  Justice Croskey was quoting from a 1961 case on a similar issue. A story on this decision can be found here and concerns the courts interpretation of the current Education Code for the state of California. Even more chilling than the above is this quote which ends the article that asserts that public schools are not primarily a place of education but instead help children by "being in a place daily where they would be observed by people who had a duty to ensure their ongoing safety." Huh? I'm pretty sure I, as a parent, have a duty to ensure their safety. This boils down to a very simple standard - who's children are they and who is ultimately responsible for them? If the ultimate arbiter is "society", then the above quote makes sense. Making better citizens makes for a better society and all of society benefits from institutionalization of the young and impressionable - for a while. The next logical step would be for children to be assigned by the state (in other words conception would require screening and licensing) and only those deemed compliant would be allowed to reproduce. I, for one, am very uncomfortable with this kind of society. If the decision of the court stands and this law is not repealed, I think that you will find a lot of very smart people that love their children moving out of the state as quickly as they are able.

Posted by Zikan @ 3:47 pm EDT | Permalink | 2 Comments

03/07/08

Pop Quiz

Guess the country for this quote:

"A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare"

Answer posted at the end of the day.



Posted by Zikan @ 1:08 pm EDT | Permalink | 10 Comments

03/03/08

A tasty puzzle

For the "Geek in You" or for that special geek in your life I present:

Geek Test 001

I will not currently be revealing how well I did on said test ...



Posted by Zikan @ 10:24 am EDT | Permalink | 3 Comments

02/07/08

Ironic Statement of the Day

"It really is unbelievable that Mother Nature can create that much devastation.  We need your prayers."

  - Macon County Mayor Shelvy Linville on the recent tornadoes and storms that devastated his region.



Posted by Zikan @ 3:05 pm EDT | Permalink | 7 Comments

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