The Bile Of East Texas, Past And Present
A sobering find and a warning: Obama is not JFK. Yet. So as I thought about Congressman Gohmert, I decided that he is either a demagogue, a fool, or both. Of course, and to be clear, it would be indecent to ascribe to him the insanity of Congressman Baring's position. But here I suppose I am addressing the law of unintended consequences. If you with abandon promulgate such outlandish distortions of the truth, and feel it your duty to stoke the fires of our baser instincts to the point of hysteria over the utter destruction of the American system, do you bear responsibility when someone who ingests your bile responds violently? As I thought about this, I came

The Science Of Teaching Reading: There Is No Right Way
Research on teaching reading is basically nonsense. Scripted curricula, hours of test-prep and focus on testing is damaging our kids. They need to be exposed to all the stuff that makes up their world BEFORE they focus on the minutiae that we adults seem to thrive on. When will common sense make a comeback? Conclusion (pdf) We are nowhere near the time in which science can answer the question as to the best way to teach reading. Teachers will probably always need to understand and be skilled in a variety of ways of supporting and teaching students. If we really want

Senator Will Legislate, Regardless Of Re-election Prospects
In an astounding 21 seconds, Senator Michael Bennet shows how to be a legislator! Watch and learn:

Ellsberg And Hoh On Afghanistan
Brave New Conversations:

Ted Sorenson On JFK
JFK died from an assassin's bullet 46 years ago today. Ted Sorenson writes at The Washington Note how JFK would percieve America today. He would be gratified that the little daughter whom he adored had grown into a brilliant author, mother, and keeper of his