Things I've Found by Mark Rose

by Mark Rose

I’m feeling generous today and not quite so cranky. Which means very few of my political outbursts (ok, just one). You can thank me later. This is a short one because about ten of the links I’d saved have gone bad. Although not quite as bad as the unusual chili salsa bowl in the refrigerator with the green and white topping on it. I don’t remember ever having any chili salsa in the fridge but I’m sure it was ok to eat, don’t you think?

Historic Bayeux Tapestry Construction Kit (if you’ve ever wanted to tell your own story via the magic of Flash Web-based tapestry, this is your chance):

http://www.adgame-wonderland.de/type/bayeux.php

Look Through Your Old Books, You May Find Smallpox:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001824235_smallpox27.html

Librarian discovers smallpox scabs in an envelope in a book (scabs were used for inoculation purposes — read the article, it’s interesting).

No, it’s not a long-lost Viking settlement, it’s a garden patio from the 1940s:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/3379503.stm

Political Outburst Alert (please skip if you’re bored with my antic ravings).

Here’s one reason why I have trouble with giving more money to our “education” system. The State of Georgia is revamping its curriculum. Superintendent Kathy Cox (you can read her comments in the first link) says that there are simply “too many topics” to discuss in school, and that instead of memorization and teaching to a textbook (both valid teaching approaches), they instead will teach a curriculum (which could be valid, but isn’t).

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/0104/25state.html

Joseph Jarrell is a teacher that will be affected by the new state curriculum and you can read his views here:

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/0104/25history.html [Ah, screw it. The AJC requires you to register, and you get the gist of the story from my story. OK now, AJC, how does that make you feel?]

NOTE that Georgia will no longer be teaching ANYTHING in high school about ancient history, American frontier period, or the Civil War (!) but they WILL be showing television clips from shows like “Good Times” and “Chico and the Man.” Chico and the Man??!! What the hell can you learn from that . . .oh . . .except that the likable character ended up killing himself on drugs. Well, that’s a good lesson since it’s the likely outcome for a quarter of the Atlanta students anyway. Ancient world and early American history will be covered in 4th through 7th grades. Yes, because kids who are about 9 and 10 years old should have an inherent understanding of Plato and Socrates and are sure to grasp the intertwining elements of slavery and states’ rights when they discuss the single most devastating event in our nation’s history. This is just completely horrifying and Kathy Cox should be run out of town on a rail and prevented from ever teaching again. At least I won’t have to change my “Georgia — Dumbest State in the Nation!” bumper sticker.

On a lighter note: the Penguin Batting Game — http://home.tele2.fr/kcv/pinguin.swf [Go to this link instead: http://www.palmtown.com/penguin/]

Ever wonder what a hotdog topped with whipped cream and circus peanuts would look like? Of course you do! Now you can see it with Freaky Franks, an online photographic build your own hot dog tool. http://www.thesneeze.com/art/stet/freakyfranks/index1.html