Weekend Reading Assignment
It looks like it’s going to be a great fall day around here. My house had three days of rain…not the drenching kind we really need but more of the…
A Presidential Doughface
A Presidential Doughface As a writing exercise I often place pictures of important or famous people up on the screen in my room and ask students to provide a caption…
Sometimes a Little Seizure Is Necessary
Sometimes a Little Seizure Is Necessary I have this pair of magnets on my fridge. They don’t really belong to me. I confiscated them years ago from a student. He…
The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself
The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself The following question recently appeared in the Atlanta local paper. Should January 30th be declared Franklin Delano Roosevelt day in…
FDR's Unfinished Portrait
FDR’s Unfinished Portrait I’ve wanted to write about President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s last days for sometime, and this week seemed appropriate. I had once again reached a point where I…
A Topic for Discussion…Handicaps and Politics
A Topic for Discussion…Handicaps and Politics When you stop for a moment and consider Franklin Delano Roosevelt you have to be amazed and filled with awe that a man who…
Special Delivery
Special Delivery This week’s wordless image shows the front and reverse of a Spanish coin minted in Vera Cruz, Mexico at the direction of King Charles III, Bourbon King of…
July 4, 1776, An Imagi-Holiday
July 4, 1776, An Imagi-Holiday As the Fourth of July approached I began to think again about myth versus fiction and how we, as educators, perpetuate the myths. Don’t get…
The Town That Forgot the Fourth of July
The Town That Forgot the Fourth of July Taking a quick glance at the Fourth of July events scheduled in the Vicksburg, Mississippi area it looks like any other town.…
Childe Hassam's Flag Series….Appropriate for the Fourth
Childe Hassam’s Flag Series….Appropriate for the Fourth This, of course is a painting by the artist known as Childe Hassam, an American Impressionist artist best known for his series of…
Great Britain's Write-Up Slip: The Declaration of Independence.
Great Britain’s Write-Up Slip: The Declaration of Independence. One of the important lessons I teach each year is the Declaration of Independence. Over the years I’d bring up our nation’s…
13 Things Concerning the Display of the Flag
Thursday, June 14, 2007 13 Things Concerning the Display of the Flag Today is Flag Day and to honor Old Glory I am presenting a few facts about flying the…
Is It Flag Day Already?!?
We drove through a little town close to our house Sunday, and they had our nation’s flag everywhere – on buildings, houses and up and down the main street every…
The Fair Tax
The Fair Tax The traffic was awful. The crowd built to a point of 4,500 before the fire marshal had to order the doors closed. Estimates indicate there was just…
The Artist Explorer
The Artist Explorer The Age of Exploration.What do you immediately think of as you read those four words?More than likely, you would throw out some of the more famous explorer’s…
President Wilson's Other Wife
President Wilson’s Other Wife Ask many people about President Woodrow Wilson’s wife and they might tell you things like, “Oh, she’s the one that took over the White House after…
13 Things About Elizabeth Cady Stanton
13 Things About Elizabeth Cady Stanton 1. Her father Daniel Cady was hoping for a boy when Elizabeth was born in 1815. 2. Elizabeth got a lifelong exposure to the…
Comparing and Contrasting Campaign Ads
Comparing and Contrasting Campaign Ads The Super Bowl of election primaries is tomorrow. Tuesday will be D-Day in Georgia as well as many other states. What better way to remind…
The Angry White Man….An Interesting Species
The Angry White Man….An Interesting Species Many thanks to the two loved ones who forwarded this column from the Aspen Times by Gary Hubbell (February 9th edition).I wonder……are angry white…
Education Stance…Education Dance
Education Stance…Education Dance First and foremost I’m a taxpayer, so how my tax dollar is used to provide our nation’s children the best possible public education is important to me.…