Buzz

"To me, the magic of seeing a cucumber on the vine, it was like a circle, and my psyche was connected. Here's something that was in front of me every day of my life and I never knew where it came from."

Skeen is not the only young person yearning for a simple, more spiritual life. The National Future Farmers of America – an organization kids join in junior high and high school – has seen its membership soar. It now boasts 520,000 members – the most in its long history."

Read the entire article here.

Fire Chief James Clack doesn't rely on radios or meetings at the firehouse to talk to officers and firefighters in Baltimore's Fire Dept. He turns to social media, and he's one of the first fire chiefs in the country to do so.

Here's an excerpt:

"In the age of the Internet, some fire departments have tried to limit what makes it online, but some chiefs have used technology to allow them to better communicate with firefighters and officers.

Baltimore Fire Chief James Clack has been one of the most proactive chiefs in the country when it comes to using social media.

"I really have a lot of ways to interact with our workforce," he said during a session at Firehouse Expo today that also include Syracuse Fire Chief Mark McLees and Memphis Fire Chief Alvin Benson."

Read the entire article here.

Ahoy ye maties, the Pirate Ship isn't only for the kiddies. The Inner Harbor attraction hosts nighttime cruises for adults eager to release their inner pirate over shots of rum and the occasional cry, "argghhh!"

Here's an excerpt:

"The Fearless, a 52-foot replica pirate boat that fits up to 49 passengers, is crewed by pirates and features water cannons, a deck that doubles as a dance floor and a bathroom, which we're pretty sure wasn't available on pirate ships of old. Pirate flags flap in the harbor breeze (accompanied by an American flag), and the wooden ship looks quite realistic. As soon as you step onboard, you must don a pirate vest and sash, which can be worn around your head or waist and, as you'll discover by the end of the night, a variety of other unexpected ways. You're also given a pirate name and a (temporary) pirate-themed tattoo.

Passengers are welcome to bring any kind of beverage..."

Read the entire article here.

If you've ever been treated there, you already knew Baltimore's Johns Hopkins Hospital is at the top of the list, once again. U.S. News and World Reports looked at 5,000 hospitals and adult 16 speicialties, with Hopkins ranked no. 1 in five of the specialty areas. 

Here's an excerpt:

"With strong scores in many 2010-11 specialty rankings, Johns Hopkins Hospital was named once again to the Best Hospitals Honor Roll. The 16 adult and 9 pediatric specialties in which the hospital was ranked are shown below."

Read the entire article here.

It's not often that a top tier university launches a brand new school. With its new Carey Business School, Johns Hopkins and the school's inaugural dean Yash Gupta are out to redefine the MBA.

Here's an excerpt:

"At Johns Hopkins it will be compulsory for MBA students to work with the department of medicine and public health. For example, business students will have to work with their scientific counterparts to write a business plan and bring a product to market "connecting invention with innovation", as Prof Gupta puts it. "If I am going to pull this together, I've got to have a synergystic school," he says.

Students must spend time in developing countries, such as India, Rwanda, Kenya or Peru, and work in teams on economic development projects, such as introducing a drug delivery system for people with Aids."

Read the entire article here.