November 25, 2009
Posting’s been much slower than events warrant, lately. Difficulties at work, and a six-week bout with allergies of unknown origins haven’t helped.
A visit with the allergist yesterday offers some hope — I’ve been symptom free now for almost 24 hours, for the first time since early October.
Before next Monday I hope to catch up a bit on the follies at the Texas State Board of Education, and other educational events around Texas. While I’ve been itchy and swelling, the denialists haven’t gotten any smarter or nicer.
One horrible thought: I may be allergic to stupidity in public policy. The timing of the main attacks coincides with several rounds of recent raving excrement from government officers. Avoiding contact with the offending stuff is not possible, then, in a moral world.
Spread the word; friends don't allow friends to repeat history.
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Posted by Ed Darrell
August 27, 2009
Dear Reader,
My apologies. Posting is slow — as it always is when the new school year begins. But this year is complicated by a death in the family.
Find a thread and comment.
How are things at your school this year, so far?
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Posted by Ed Darrell
July 22, 2009
Civil War Memory said:
This past weekend I mentioned that there are some big changes to Civil War Memory on the horizon. Well, today is the day that I announce that Civil War Memory is moving to WordPress.org. All the posts and comments have been moved to the new site, which can be found at http://cwmemory.com/. Please update your blogroll as soon as possible. In about a month I will unveil a brand new theme for the blog.
Spread the word; friends don't allow friends to repeat history.
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Posted by Ed Darrell
June 9, 2009
Yeah, we’re on the road. Kenny and I are midway to Wisconsin to pick up James, Friday after his last final at Lawrence.
Blogging light, diet loaded with fat and sodium.
Spread the word; friends don't allow friends to repeat history.
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Posted by Ed Darrell
June 2, 2009
We’re closing out the year at Molina High School, and it’s busier than a blogger wants it to be. I’m way behind on blogging. Among notable things I’ve not written about:
- Students at Molina made dramatic gains in scores on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). In fact, our kids jumped, from “academically unacceptable” to “recognized,” according to preliminary indications (Texas Education Agency (TEA) will post official results later in the summer). In any case the gains should be enough to get the school off of Texas Academic Death Row. Way to go, students.
- We graduated the seniors last Saturday. Nice bunch of kids, really. Now we just have a couple of days of finals for the non-graduates left.
- Dallas ISD is working to cut the funding for magnet schools and learning centers. Remember this kid? They want to cut his school. Why? Some wag thinks that the Elementary and Secondary Education Act requires that no school spend more per pupil than any other school. These magnets and learning centers were created originally to aid in desegregating Dallas schools. Nasty board meeting last week.
- Dallas ISD is working to get rid of teachers with a rating system no one can explain. My 90%+ passing rate for students on the TAKS doesn’t count for squat. What does count? I have to keep my door unlocked, among other things. No kidding.
- Dallas ISD needs money. So the district officials propose to charge PTAs for use of school buildings.
Perhaps fortunately, the State Lege died yesterday, at least in regular session. Alas, they didn’t get all the state programs funded. Special session is likely. No man’s life, liberty or property, etc.
You couldn’t make this up if you were trying to write a humor column.
More soon, I hope.
Spread the word; friends don't allow friends to repeat history.
3 Comments | Administrivia, Education, Education assessment, Personal, Testing, Texas | Tagged: Dallas ISD, Education, Education assessment, Magnet Schools, Molina High School, Testing, Texas | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
May 31, 2009
Dear Readers, I’ve changed the way comments are displayed. Newest comments will show up first, going to older comments as you scroll down.
If you have serious complaints, let me know — in commments.
Spread the word; friends don't allow friends to repeat history.
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Posted by Ed Darrell
March 29, 2009
Café Philos awarded a Sun Mountain Award to Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub.
We’re flattered, thankful, and shy on words. It’s nice that someone is reading. It’s nice that readers of Café Philos may sneak over here for a look, and join in some of the conversations (as a few already have).
Sun Mountain Award
Café Philos is the blog that posted the best summary of the John Freshwater affair in Wisconsin that exists on the internet, and probably in daily media, too. Paul Sunstone writes good stuff, and has a good following of thoughtful commenters and readers.
Plus, I love the early morning sun on that mountain, that can only be part of the Rockies, where I grew up.
Welcome to the Bathtub, you readers of Café Philos. And, thanks for thinking of us, Paul. Now we have to write as if it really matters, as if people are really reading. You spur people to higher standards with these positive strokes.
It always matters, of course.
Spread the word; friends don't allow friends to repeat history.
3 Comments | Administrivia, Personal, Weblogs | Tagged: Awards, Cafe Philos, Personal, Sun Mountain Award | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
March 12, 2009
It may be difficult to get less active than I already am.
For the next four days
I’m out of town, seminaring on Washington and the Constitution. (George Washington, no D.C.)
One rule of the seminar is no computers, so no live blogging.
FYI.
Spread the word; friends don't allow friends to repeat history.
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Posted by Ed Darrell
October 12, 2008
Hey, UTEP. Just for my own gratification, could someone let me know what class it is that is using which material from Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub?
Thanks.
Spread the word; friends don't allow friends to repeat history.
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Posted by Ed Darrell
September 29, 2008
Sometime Monday afternoon or evening at approximately 4:40 p.m. Central Daylight Time, Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub will pass passed the million total views milestone.
It’s nowhere near the readership of Pharyngula, Eduwonks, Daily Kos or others. For some reason, many readers feel no need to scrawl on the bathroom wall here (comments are always welcomed, edited only for profanity), so the comments don’t reflect total readership, I think.
Thank you to each and every reader, and especially to the faithful readers who keep coming back day after day. Thank you to the large handful who send story ideas.
In periods like the current one, when there is so little time to post on key issues, it’s especially gratifying that readership continues to rise.
Thank you, Dear Readers.
Spread the word; friends don't allow friends to repeat history.
9 Comments | Administrivia, Personal, Weblogs | Tagged: Administrivia, blogging, Personal | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
September 20, 2008
We may have crossed paths with P. Z. Myers — but he didn’t recognize the rented Saturn I was driving in Wisconsin, I’m sure.
He only drove across two states. I flew to Chicago, drove to Appleton, Wisconsin, and then drove back to Dallas, Texas. We didn’t take nearly the number of photos we should have, but there are some observations on technology and the open road to come.
In the meantime, readers were generally polite — but as always, not enough of you left comments.
Comments are open. Always. Take advantage.
Spread the word; friends don't allow friends to repeat history.
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Posted by Ed Darrell
September 19, 2008
A bit unexpectedly, I’m in the wilds of Wisconsin at the moment and on the road the next couple of days. Posting is likely to be sparse.
But the American open road is, as always, very interesting.
For example, according to the billboards, somewhere in Wisconsin there is a restaurant named Brisco’s (after Brisco County, Texas?), which claims to feature cuisine (a French word) of a “southwestern” flavor. What does that mean?
Their billboard features a Wyoming-style cowboy, a saguaro cactus (from 800 miles south of Wyoming) in front of Delicate Arch, the signature arch of Arches National Park, near Moab, Utah, (well out of cattle company and still at least 400 miles from saguaro country). Only on a billboard in Wisconsin . . .
Spread the word; friends don't allow friends to repeat history.
3 Comments | Administrivia, Botany, Geography - Physical, Geography - Political, Natural history, Travel, Weblogs | Tagged: Adventure, blogging, geography, Travel | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
August 14, 2008
Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub passed the 900,000 clicks mark about 8 a.m. Central Time.
Thanks to readers.
Dear Readers, leave more comments! Anonymous visitors, you know who you are. Exercise your right to free speech, here, at Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub.
"As people like Emma Goldman were prevented from speaking, societies formed to protect the right to free speech. A pamphlet created by Alden Freeman alerted people to the fight for free speech. It contains a tongue-in-cheek New York Times account of his attempt to hold a meeting where Emma Goldman could speak freely and without police restriction."
From UC Berkeley’s Digital Library, The Emma Goldman Papers, “The Fight for Free Speech.” Curriculum and lesson plans for high school and middle school classes.
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Posted by Ed Darrell
July 29, 2008
About midnight Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub got its 875,000th click. We should make a million by September.
Maybe viewership would be higher if I retitled the blog, “I CAN HAS CHEESE HISTORY,” or if I changed the format to “Strange History.”
Eh, we’ll stick to the knitting we know. Thanks to the many readers.
Spread the word; friends don't allow friends to repeat history.
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Posted by Ed Darrell
July 26, 2008
Over the past year three or four people have complained about Snap Shots. No one said they like them.
They finally got to me. I turned ’em off.
If you have an opinion about that, put it in comments.
Don’t know what Snap Shots are? Ignore this post.
Spread the word; friends don't allow friends to repeat history.
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Posted by Ed Darrell
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 