Comments for Breathing History

Comment on “Nothing Predated Christians” by Stephanie

Stephanie — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 06:44:14 +0000

What I have gleaned from my watching The View is that Ms Shepherd has the courage of her convictions but not the education, nor does she seem willing to consider that she might be ill-informed or just plain wrong. Despite Ms. Goldberg’s attempts, she remains ignorant and stubborn. Ms Shepherd made a completely inane and offensive remark about Wiccans and what she thought would happen should one ever wind up in the White House, and once again, Ms. Goldberg did her best to lead the ignorant down the path to wisdom, without much luck. I only watch ’cause I have great respect and admiration for “Whoop.”

Comment on “Nothing Predated Christians” by icrminc

icrminc — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:20:29 +0000

Thank “god” you caught this amazingly ignorant comment. You must remember though that this is the same woman who was not sure (on the air, live!) if the world is round or flat. I am amazed at how this woman was able to get a network T.V. job!!?? I mean, there have got to be some thoughtful, qualified, intelligent, women out there who will put up with the crypt keeper’s (b.walters) endless and shameless awkward self promotion? How desperate must ABC be that the alternative to the debacle with R. O’Donnell was to hire this mutt who has more brain cells missing then a head of lettuce! Every day I shudder (but still tune in) to hear what mess S. Shepard will spew from her mindless mouth. I would think that someone close to her would have enough class to let her know she is making an uneducated, ignorant, ass of herself almost every time she speaks? How can her friends/family not tell her that there are actual photos of the earth from space, thus proving it is round? How can she not be shamed into opening an encyclopedia and checking out some basic facts in order to keep up with the topics discussed daily? It’s painfully apparent that she has no idea who most of the guests are, especially the politicians, and yet there she is asking the pre-fab questions off her blue card in that hollow and robotic way-similar to scared children and the mentally challenged. How B. Walters can not see that she has put her reputation as a journalist on the line by endorsing this moron, I just don’t understand! I just hope that the viewers and the network see fit to put Sherri Shepard exactly where she belongs! In the 3rd grade taking remedial classes!

Comment on Has Anyone Heard of …? by jillian0128

jillian0128 — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 20:04:58 +0000

I just got this same email a couple of days ago. When I did a Google search on “Forum on History and Literature,” this blog turned up — that was it. I don’t know anything more about this guy, or this organization, either, and was also wondering whether it was spam.

Comment on A Strong Community by Mike

Mike — Mon, 10 Oct 2005 04:36:48 +0000

I went to college before online discussions, but it was the same thing in small “discussion” sections that were offered for some classes. If the classes were in the core program for a degree, then the discussion sections were much more interersting than those for general courses.

You really can’t force people to be interested in a class or topic, but I wonder if there isn’t some way to make it better for those who are interested in the subject?

Comment on San Francisco by Stephanie

Stephanie — Sun, 25 Sep 2005 19:07:05 +0000

eg: Perhaps the romance is found only in an historical perspective. Since I only know San Francisco from the past 20 years and have to rely on perspectives other than mine for the “Summer of Love,” you could very well be right.

I think how exciting it must have been to be a part of what was happening then. But then, there are exciting, romantic histories of San Francisco during the Barbary Coast era.

There are very important historical things happening on our beloved City by the Bay today. Mayor Gavin Newsom has seen to that by living up to San Francisco’s “cutting edge” politics. Gay marriages, anti-sweatshop legislation for purchase the city government makes, and many other decisions that reach outside the city itself.

It’s hard to see the romanticism of San Francisco when walking through The Tenderloin, or looking for parking somewhere near the theatre district or the opera house.

Forest for the trees syndrome maybe?

Comment on San Francisco by eg

eg — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 02:31:43 +0000

When I want to celebrate and occasion, or see the ballet, I’d rather be in San Francisco than Cupertino. I wonder what I would have seen if I had visited San Francisco when I was 12 - 1974. I wonder if twelve years from now, I’ll be watching the documentary of an amazing San Francisco of 2005 that was hidden from me. Is the “Summer of Love” equivalent just not happening these days, or is it happening in a more geographically dispersed way – on the web – globally?

Comment on Teaching History by Mike

Mike — Sun, 18 Sep 2005 08:17:27 +0000

By the way, the book “The Language Police” by Diane Ravitch talks about how the desire to be politically correct has led to text books that are boring at best and inaccurate at worst. I heard the author on a talk show about two years ago and had to read the book. It was very discouraging, unfortunately.

Comment on Teaching History by Mike

Mike — Sun, 18 Sep 2005 08:15:09 +0000

“And let me just say one other thing, this country better get its educational priorities in line, because we are raising people who no longer have the tools to do the critical thinking required to be a participant in the democracy that America was built upon.”

Boy, do I agree with that statement.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts during your educational journey. I am certain that I will learn much from reading them.

Comment on History Come to Life by Stephanie

Stephanie — Sat, 17 Sep 2005 17:47:06 +0000

Hi Evan!

Thanks for adding this personal tidbit about your family. The discussion in my Historian’s Craft class has been, “what is history?” To which I maintain and many classmates agree, it is people’s stories. Stories like this one which make it personal and interesting.

Comment on History Come to Life by EvanRobinson

EvanRobinson — Sat, 17 Sep 2005 17:41:13 +0000

My mother’s family came from Kiev, where her father’s family were grocers. Her mother and father emigrated independently to New York / New Jersey in the first decade of the 1900s. They were teenagers, coming to the US to join other relatives who had already left Russia. Other members of the family came until the mid 20’s. Anyone who didn’t leave by then never did. Even the original family name was lost (it’s thought to have been changed to something approximating “Rudiiak” which is thought to have been the village an uncle came from). My grandparents were named “Roman” and the family joke was that it was short for “Romanov”.

I’ve always figured that some of those relatives were in Babi Yar, but it’s entirely possible that they were killed in the city instead.

Thanks for the history.