Going into discussions about the Republican-proposed America in Retreat Budget Act, I wonder about updates on facts and visuals.
Back in 2009, we had these informative charts, below — are there good updates on them, now?
How Trillion Dollar Deficits Were Created:
Graphic from the New York Times, June 10, 2006 accompanying an article by David Leonhardt
George W. Bush’s Legacy in a Pie Chart:
Sources of our Federal Deficits, 2009 – Matthew Yglesias, ThinkProgress
Got updates?
Leave a Comment » | 
Barack Obama, Economics, Federalism, Government, Politics, President Obama, Taxes | Tagged: Bush Budget, Economics, Federal Budget, Federal Deficits, Government, Obama Budget, Politics, Taxes | 
Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
This probably deserves a longer, more thought-out post.
Maybe later.
Right now I just want to get this off my chest:
I do not believe, as the Republican budget insists, that America is no longer a great nation, that our greatest days are long past, and that America needs to hunker down and join the Second- or Third-World. I do not believe that America can afford to give up leadership in foreign affairs, nor leadership in education. I do not believe God will step in to save us from our own stupidity. America is an exceptional place because people chose to act, to make the things that make a great nation.
I believe we need to answer when the certain trumpets blow, and they are sounding now. I do not believe the full-scale retreat proposed by the Republican budget is the proper, best, nor American response.
Back to regular programming now.
16 Comments | American Exceptionalism, Education, Foreign Aid, Politics | Tagged: American Exceptionalism, Budget, Education, Foreign Aid, Politics | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Ken Ham’s organization, Answers in Genesis, tells the sad story of a case of child abuse at his group’s Creation Museum in Kentucky.
I don’t get the idea that Ham is sad about it, though, do you?
Destroying a child’s natural curiosity about science and the world around them damages them for life. In the U.S., we are fighting trends that show kids in 4th grade are as scientifically adept as the other best students in the world; by 8th grade their affinity for science has begun to fade, and by 12th grade, U.S. students rank far below many other industrialized nations in science achievement. Ken Ham’s story is one reason why that happens.
Isn’t crushing a child’s intelligence a form of child abuse?
Is this story funny, or tragic?
Update: At Digital Cuttlefish, a story from the other side. (Thanks, George.)
Another update: Even more from Digital Cuttlefish, The Rest of the Story.
19 Comments | Creationism, Education, Evolution, Humor, Religion, Science, War on Education, War on Science | Tagged: Creationism, Education, Evolution, Humor, Religion, Science, War on Education, War on Science | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
“Over 1 million people a year die because of the massive populations of misquotes.”
I preserve it here just because it gives me a smile; here is the sentence above with what I presume is a typographical error that carries great humor, in its natural habitat:
While there is a a discussion going on whether DDT should be used or not in America, it is undeniable that It should be used in 3rd world countries like in Africa to stop the spread of Malaria. Over 1 million people a year die because of the massive populations of misquotes. No doubt that this number could be lowered dramatically. Not only is DDT a type of pesticide, it is a pest repellent, meaning that even if the bug has grown immunity to the pesticide, it will invariably avoid area’s where DDT is sprayed. To use it to a maximum effect, it would be a good idea to spray it on 1 wall inside a home. That’s all that is required to stop the malaria epidemic in Africa. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Delata38 (talk • contribs) 14:48, 10 August 2010 (UTC)
From Wikipedia’s discussion of the article on DDT.
I have no idea who Delata38 is, and hope she or he is not offended at my preservation of the typo. The error may have been caused by an over-enthusiastic autocorrect function, and no fault of the author at all. The statement may be completely correct in a few other contexts, something that should give all journalists pause and cause to strive harder for greater accuracy.
Heck, this should be a candidate for inclusion in the next edition of Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations.
In typographical error, truth.
5 Comments | DDT, Humor | Tagged: DDT, Humor, Typographical Errors, Wikipedia, Writing | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
If March 2 is Texas Day, March 4 can be U.S. Day, right?
Can’t call it Constitution Day — there are a couple of those in the fall.
March 4 is the anniversary of the enactment of the Constitution, in 1789. All the ratifying was done, Washington had been elected President, the first Congress was elected, and it was time to open for business.
In New York, neither house of Congress could get a quorum — too many members not in town yet. So the new government adjourned for a week or so.
Bad precedent, if you ask me — though, to be fair, the Congress met for a total of 210 days.
Letter from Robert Morris to Gouverneur Morris, describing the first day of the First Congress, March 4, 1789.
From Birth of a Nation: The First Federal Congress, a site at George Washington University:
This letter, written on the day established for the first meeting of the Congress, sets the scene as the members began to gather in New York City. Morris’s concern that the “public expectation seems to be so highly wound up that I think disappointment must inevitably follow after a while, nothwithstanding that I believe there will be inclination and abilities in the two houses to do every thing that reasonable and sensible men can promise to themselves, but you know well how impossible it is for public measures to keep pace with the sanguine desires of the interested, the ignorant, and the inconsiderate parts of the Community.” eloquently expressed the challenge that faced the members of the new Congress.
Odd stuff:
3 Comments | 1787, 1789, Historic documents, History, U.S. Congress | Tagged: America's founding, Congress, First Congress, History, March 4 1789, U.S. | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Posting yesterday was muffled by my dinner plans — interesting session with Ray Hunt and Rex Tillerson, and Bob Gates and George W. Bush.
Just them and me, and 1,400 other close friends.
It was the Friends of Scouting Dinner to kick off the FOS campaign for the year for Circle 10 Council, BSA. Nominally that group sounds like a difficult group to hang with — but Gates is always good to listen to, and he was the headliner. Bush just introduced him — and Hunt introduced Bush. Tillerson was honored with a Distinguished Eagle Scout award from the Council and the National Eagle Scout Association.
Seriously, it was a good event. More later.
After I catch up a bit.
Leave a Comment » | Administrivia | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Teachers, can you use a video that covers latitude and longitude in just over two minutes?
A good idea, generally, from Matt Rosenberg (a better idea without “autoplay”) — a few more videos at Ask.com Geography.
[Editor’s note: I’ve put the video below the fold because I can’t find an easy way to turn off the autoplay command. My apologies to anyone bothered by the problem.]
3 Comments | Education, Geography - Physical, Geography - Political, Teaching, Technology in the classroom, Video and film | Tagged: Ask.com Geography, Education, geography, Latitude, Longitude, Maps, Matt Rosenberg, Video and film | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Maybe we oughtta just call March 2 “Texas Day” next year:
Commemorate ’em all on one day, get it over with.
3 Comments | 1861-1865, Civil War, History, Texas, Texas history | Tagged: Civil War, History, Sam Houston, Texas, Texas Independence Day | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
George Washington signed the law authorizing the first U.S. census on March 1, 1790. [True]
[Satire, below?]
I presume, then, that the post-Boston, Tea Party dates from the protests of the census beginning on March 2, 1790. “Nothing but what the founders intended in the Constitution,” was the muddled battle cry of the early Tea Partiers.
Editorials pointed out that Washington himself had presided at the Constitutional Convention, but Tea Partiers would have none of it. “If the King James Version was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for the ‘new King George,’ they yelled in New York City, outside Washington’s home. “Patrick Henry didn’t throw tea in Baltimore Harbor so some tyrant could ask us how many are in our family!”
Washington denied that the capital’s move to Philadelphia later that year had anything to do with the protests.
Leave a Comment » | Census, George Washington, History, Humor, U.S. Constitution | Tagged: Census, George Washington, History, Humor, Parody, U.S. Constitution | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
In a meeting hall at Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texans meet to write the Texas Declaration of Independence, released March 2, 1836; image from Portal to Texas History
So, put some barbecue in the smoker, get a Shiner for you and your pet armadillo, sit back and enjoy the holiday. If you’re near Washington-on-the-Brazos, go to the ceremony. You’d better be sure you’ve got plenty of Blue Bell Ice Cream.
What? You don’t get the day off? You know, Texas schools don’t even take the day off any more.
I thought things were going to change when the Tea Party got to Austin and Washington? What happened?
Original Manuscript, Texas Declaration of Independence - Texas State Library and Archives Commission
Text from the image above:
The Unanimous
Declaration of Independence
made by the
Delegates of the People of Texas
in General Convention
at the Town of Washington
on the 2nd day of March 1836When a government has ceased
to protect the lives, liberty and property
of the people, from whom its legitimate
powers are derived, and for the advance-
ment of whose happiness it was inst-
ituted, and so far from being a guaran-
tee for the enjoyment of those inesti-
mable and inalienable rights, becomes
an instrument in the hands of evil
rulers for their oppression.
[Complete text, and images of each page, at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission site.]
Resources for Texas Independence Day
Resources at Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub
3 Comments | 1836, Historic documents, History, Holidays, Texas, Texas history | Tagged: Education, History, Lesson plans, March 2, Teachers, Texas, Texas Declaration of Independence, Texas history, Texas Independence Day | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
New program from Yosemite National Park’s “Nature Notes.”
This one has something to appeal to the heart of almost everybody: Photos from Ansel Adams, photos from Galen Rowell, interviews with sons of each, discussion of the (properly) much-maligned old “firefall” of hot fire coals for tourists — and the story of the natural firefall one might see, if the conditions are right, and if one is in Yosemite in the right place, on the right days of February.
This video was produced by Steven M. Bumgardner, with extra camera help from Josh Helling. Those guys do great work. It features photographer Michael Frye, Michael Adams, Ansel Adams’ son, and Tony Rowell, the son of Galen Rowell.
3 Comments | Geography - Physical, History, National Parks, Natural history, Natural resources, Nature, photography, Science, Travel, Yosemite | Tagged: Ansel Adams, Cool Stuff, Firefall, Galen Rowell, geography, History, Horsetail Falls, Michael Frye, Natural history, Nature, photography, Science, Travel, Yosemite National Park | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Propagandists against Rachel Carson and — inexplicably — for DDT awoke a few weeks ago. We’re seeing a flurry of op-eds, opinion pieces and other editorial placements making false claims for DDT, and against Rachel Carson, one of the science heroes of the 20th century.
The campaign of hoaxes, urging more and heavier use of DDT, and falsely impugning environmentalists, continues. Alas.
Jay Ambrose of Scripps Howard News Service, still wrong about DDT
Jay Ambrose used to be a full-time editor for the Scripps Howard newspapers. Since he retired he writes occasional opinion pieces. In the past three years or so he’s mentioned his desire to bring back the poison DDT, to poison Africa in the hope it might also get malaria, for example.
A few weeks ago he went after global warming with the same alacrity and lack of accurate information.
Let’s review a few facts about the history of DDT:
Few of these facts are acknowledged by Jay Ambrose, who wrongly claims that DDT had alone been the great vanquisher of malaria, and who claims that Africans, unduly swayed by a long-dead Rachel Carson, had failed to use DDT though they knew in their hearts it would save their children.
About once a year Ambrose trots out his misunderstandings of history, law and science, and slams Rachel Carson and those who banned DDT from cotton crops in Texas, falsely blaming them for malaria deaths in Africa. His article of the past few weeks was picked up by the Detroit News. Warning that our fight against global warming is as wrong-headed as saving the bald eagle from DDT, he wrote:
The main thing is to avoid what happened with DDT. Because of a ban to protect wildlife from the pesticide in this country, it became more scarce, and a consequence was its being employed sparingly if at all in wildlife-safe, indoor spraying to combat malaria in Africa. Though not always, DDT can be enormously effective in stopping the disease while posing minimal threats.
The estimate is that millions of African children died because of misplaced values and overreactions.
That’s worse than heartbreaking.
From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110221/OPINION01/102210305/Don’t-overreact-to-possible-global-warming#ixzz1FDv1ZhkY
When I chided Ambrose for getting the facts wrong many months ago, he angrily promised to come back to this blog and provide evidence to make his case. Of course, he never did. There is no such evidence.
Then why does he continue to falsely indict Rachel Carson, William Ruckelshaus and EPA, and “environmentalists,” and wrongly urge the poisoning of Africa with DDT?
I do not know.
Are his views on global warming similarly in error? If history shows a trend, yes.
66 Comments | DDT, History, Hoaxes, News, Newspapers, Rachel Carson, Science | Tagged: Accuracy, DDT, History, Hoaxes, Jay Ambrose, Newspapers, Rachel Carson, Scripps Howard News | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
More from Greg Laden’s blog that deserves your attention, and a much wider audience.
The Science component of “The Nation’s Report Card” was released today and clearly indicates that we have moved one step closer as a nation in two of our most important goals: Building a large and complacent poorly educated low-pay labor class, and increasing the size of our science-illiterate populace in order to allow the advance of medieval morality and Iron Age Christian values.
The plan to sabotage the middle class, kill teachers unions and keep most Americans stupid, is working.
That was the plan, right?
Pay no attention to that teapot tempest in Wisconsin. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. You are getting sleepy, very, very sleepy . . .
Get the facts:
Teachers, compare your class results:
Leave a Comment » | Education, Education assessment, Education reform, Education success, NAEP, National Assessment of Educational Progress, Science, Science Education | Tagged: Education, Educational Progress, NAEP, Science, science education | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Interesting .gif from Wikipedia:
Political boundaries in Australia, and their changes
I like using such .gifs in PowerPoints, just one more way to add some interest and a lot more information to a session of “direct instruction.” Do you know of other .gifs that could be used for U.S. history, or other history courses? Please list them in comments.
Especially let us know if you find errors in this one.
Or errors in this one, which covers deeper time:
History of Autralian political boundaries, from discovery by Europeans
Leave a Comment » | Education, Maps, Political Maps, Technology, Technology in the classroom | Tagged: Australia, Classroom Technoogy, Education, History, Political Maps | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
The veteran reader of this blog — can there be more than one? — may recall the kerfuffle a couple of years ago when there was a “swarm” of earthquakes in the Yellowstone. Alas for those prone to panic attacks, the swarm ran through the Hanukkah/Ramadan/Christmas/KWANZAA/New Year’s holidays, when other news is slack.
What the Yellowstone Caldera might look like from space, by moonlight, on a clear night, if you can imagine the borders of Yellowstone National Park very vividly – Smith and Siegel, 2000
You might understand, then, why I say Greg Laden turns his considerable story-telling prowess to the issue late. Still, his prowess towers over the rest of us, and he tells a great story.
Is the Yellowstone safe? he asks, rhetorically.
The answer is complex:
1) Wear a seat belt when driving around in the region;
2) Don’t feed the bears and make sure you understand bear safety; and
3) Somebody is going to get blasted by some kind of volcano in the area some day, but even if you live there the chances are it won’t be you.
The joy is in the journey — go read Laden’s explanation of the rising lava. Heck, even those of us who think we know that stuff understand it better when he explains it.
Earlier in the Bathtub:
Also see:
2 Comments | earthquakes, geology, History, Science, Volcanoes | Tagged: earthquakes, geology, History, Paranoia, Science, Volcanoes, Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
You are currently browsing the Millard Fillmore's Bathtub blog archives for the year 2011.
Ed Darrell on Texas's Colorado River
Come on in, the water's fine. Come often: Cleanliness is next to godliness.
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 