Wise Monkey News is here to provide young people an opportunity to discuss the issues that affect their lives. We hope that, through your participation, this website serves as a forum for the development, exchange, and expression of ideas that will prepare us to assume our positions as the leaders of tomorrow's world. Have something to say?
Nuclear proliferation and the threat of nuclear war
by: Peter Andrews - printed on 03-06-2002
Since the end of the Cold War, the US has continued develop its nuclear weapons program. The funding for these programs stands at 5 billion and is scheduled to increase by one billion over the next three years. The funds will be used to refurbish existing weapons, rebuild facilities used to manufacture nuclear warheads and to step up our readiness to again conduct underground testing in Nevada. America's nuclear forces have played an important role in the military’s strategy since the end of World War II and the threat of nuclear war has acted to deter major conflicts over the last half century.
A journey through Paris
by: Jefferson Azevedo - printed on 09-12-2001
Paris is romantic by definition, gallant by tradition, sophisticated by choice. I spent last year living, studying, and working in Paris; each day, upon exiting a metro station or turning a street corner, I came across a glamorous café or a staggering monument erected to celebrate French power. It sometimes felt like time had stopped in the bohemian life of the 20’s, as if I had been caught in a live oil canvas by Picasso or Van Gogh.
Nagasaki to Portland: the Hanford nuclear reservation connection
by: Isaac Vanderburg - printed on 03-28-2001
When I was young, I would make parachutes by connecting the four ends of a bandanna to a fishing weight using four pieces of red yarn. Somehow the unfolding corners and the perfect billow and the gravity of it all produced a phantasmagoria of wonder, so much so that I would bunch the whole thing together and dart it back into mid-air, just to see if it all happened again.
Today I imagine that if I had looked up as a boy and saw the parachute that Katsuji Yoshida saw, with its impeccable aerodynamics and noble descent, I would have been excited just as he was.
Tribal treaties
by: Isaac Vanderburg - printed on 10-10-2001
Without being there, it’s hard to picture. There were some fifty-seven chiefs, headmen and delegates with names recorded phonetically: Pee-oo-pee-u-il-pilp, Wat-ti-wat-ti-wah-hi, Kole-kole-til-ky, or with names translated to Spotted Eagle, Red Wolf, George and Jason. And there were eleven U.S. delegates, politicians and translators, whom was named James Doty, another, William Craig,all eleven had names like that.
What exactly is the meaning of the mystical word 'mantra'?
by: Kelly Maggi - printed on 10-24-2001
Since the debut of this column two months ago, readers have brought one question to me repeatedly: “What in the world is a mantra???” I hope that this will answer your question.
The Modern Mantra:
I use modern mantra in this column. A modern mantra consists of a simple phrase or a couple of words that are meant to help one get through the day or a particular situation. You probably already use these without knowing it.
Following the sunset: A call to travel
by: Andrew Noethe - printed on 03-27-2002
I find myself living in a world of sunsets. Each day ends under the long shadows of an Indian sun that steadily stretches past majestic forts, palaces of former maharajas, ancient temples, and the sleepy desert hills of Western India. As the distant red sun falls behind the horizon, life comes to a halt, thus granting me a few precious moments to appreciate my life in India and the life I have left behind.