Anne Frank's Diary on Display in Amsterdam

Anne Frank's tragic story has captivated people since the end of World War II. Her diary is traditionally required reading in high school and/or college, having been translated into dozens of different languages.

Anne's diary covers about 6 months of the 2 years that she and her family were hiding in a building in Amsterdam, Holland. Anne Frank was one of millions who lost their lives in Nazi concentration camps. For the first time since she was actually there writing in it, her diary has been taken back to the building where she and her family were in hiding- now known as the Anne Frank museum.

The diary (pictured above) and about 360 loose pages are on display for people to see. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands was there for the unveiling ceremony.

I must stop writing now so I can go cry.

Attn: Lawrenceburg Students

I was really glad to see such a large number of students stay for the study sessions today. There were huge numbers in the afternoon class especially. And I hope those of you who came back for the 3:30 session picked up some info that will help you on the final; I hope ALL of you picked up stuff that will help you on the final.

Thanks for listening, paying attention and putting up with the craziness that is me! You only got me for a month- imagine what it is like for the poor souls who get me for a whole semester!!!

Be sure to email me if you have any questions and keep reading the blog. I'm always posting new stuff.

Best of luck on your finals!

Malcolm X's assassin released

I found this interesting since we have been talking about Malcolm X in class recently.

As I told you, 3 young members of the Nation of Islam gunned Malcolm X down at a rally in Harlem in 1965. We didn't get to go into further detail because of time constraints, but the 3 boys were arrested, convicted and sent to jail in New York. Only one of the 3 admitted to actually pulling the trigger. After 44 years in prison, he was released today. In the interim, he said that the other 2 guys were not active participants in the shooting, they were simply by his side and has also said that he regretted committing the crime.

The other 2 men were released from jail sometimes in the 80's.

Attn: All Students- Final Exam Study Sessions

I've had several people ask me about holding study sessions for this semester's final exams. Here is the plan that I came up with...

Lawrenceburg classes (both 11 & 2 classes)- Thursday April 29 @ 3:30 in room 155. Ms. Skora will be giving you guys your test on Tuesday May 4.

Columbia class- Monday May 3 @ 12:30 in our regular classroom. The test will follow @ 2:00

Clifton class- Wednesday May 5 @ 8:30 in our regular classroom. The test will follow @ 9:30

Franklin class- Friday May 7 @ 10:00 in our regular classroom. The test will follow @ 11:00. NOTE THAT THE FINAL STARTS @ 11:00, not our typical class time of 11:30. Do not be late or I'll throw erasers, markers, my Twilight bag (it's heavy), whatever else I can find at you!

Anyone from any class is more than welcome to come to any or all of the other study sessions. The more the merrier.

For Columbia, Clifton & Franklin, if you need to make arrangements with me to take the final at a different time than your normally scheduled final, #1 you need a good reason and #2 you need to get with me ASAP to set up an appointment. REMEMBER- THERE IS NO MAKEUP FOR THE FINAL EXAM. Yes I am pulling a Kanye at you but there is always somebody who "forgets" that they have to take the final. Once I'm done giving the finals, I have to get them graded and the grades put into the system so you guys can access them (they will available on or after May 14 on your ChargerNet account) so I'm turning my phone off to work and well, to put it nicely, you'll be screwed!

Watergate's Smoking Gun

We'll either be talking about the Watergate Scandal in class or you'll be reading about it in the notes that I'm giving out (to those classes where I simply ran out of lecture time) so I thought this little tidbit that I picked up on Discovery.com was interesting.

With the Watergate Scandal, the were always 2 big questions...#1- how involved was Nixon in all of this and #2- who was Deep Throat?

#2 was answered in 2005 when former FBI Deputy Director W. Mark Felt announced that he was the person who ratted Nixon out to the Washington Post but #1 has always kept people going "Hmmm."

Nixon was forced to turn over tapes of conversations held in the Oval Office but still not enough to say "Bam- he knew! Off to the firing squad!" However, there was an 18 1/2 minute section on one of the tapes that was nothing but static, ostensibly deliberately erased. Seriously, Nixon already looked guilty with all the other info on the tapes, what in the world could be in the 18 1/2 min gap.

Historians and technicians dig the tape out of storage every so often to take a crack at it with the latest technology, hoping to recreate the data. Up until this point, no such luck.

But now, forensic techniques are being applied to the situation. Yes, they are still trying to dig through the static, but an investigator is also looking at all of the handwritten notes taken by people in the Oval Office while the 18 1/2 minute conversation was being held. The investigator has acknowledged that there is a page missing from the yellow legal pad with the notes but lo and behold, he's pulling a Macgyver- he's using computer technology to see if the missing page can be recreated from indentations on the next page. I have this image in my mind of him taking a pencil and running it obliquely across the page to see what is left.

All he needs now is a paper clip, a rubber band and the foil wrapper from a piece of chewing gum and he can crack the code! (For those of you who have never seen Macgyver, you'll have no clue what that means. Just go with it.)

Attn: Franklin Students

Franklin students, please check your student email accounts. I sent out a mass email earlier concerning the info for the final exam essay. Please pass the word on to anybody else in the class that you know.

Attn: Lawrenceburg Students

I swear I can read a calendar, I really can. I'm just so used to making out schedules for my typical Monday/Wednesday schedule that I made a mistake on the schedule sheet that I handed out to you guys on the first day that I came to your class. I know, I know, I'm not perfect...just close to it!!!

Seriously though, the sharp eyes in the 2:00 class saw the wrong date on the final exams at the bottom of the page. Here is the correct information-

11:00 class- final exam Tuesday May 4 11:00-12:50

2:00 class- final exam Tuesday May 4 2:00-3:50

Ms. Skora is planning to be back final exam week so she'll be the one administering the exam to you guys. Since I won't be there then, let me go ahead and give you my traditional exam day prayer- May the Force be with you!

Attn: All Students- Evaluations

You'll probably hear this in all of your classes since they sent out a mass email to all the instructors but don't forget to go online and do your teacher evaluations. If you don't complete your evaluations, the powers that be will put a hold on your account keeping you from accessing your final grades for this semester.

Attn: Clifton Students ONLY

Hi Clifton folks. Be sure to check your student email accounts. I sent out a very important email concerning the final exam and I want to hear from you guys on it. Email me back ASAP please and if you know of anybody else in the class, please pass the message on to them to check their emails.

Attn: All Students- email problem resolved

The flux capacitor is functioning at optimal gigawatts.

(Or for those of you who have never seen Back to the Future or Dude, Where's My Car? the email problem has been fixed.)

Attn: All Students- email problems

Happy Wednesday afternoon to all my students (including our newly joined Lawrenceburg friends).

I just wanted to let you all know that I am having trouble with my Columbia State email account. For some reason, I can't access it. Therefore if you need to get in touch with me before I can get I.T. to fix the problem, please send any messages to my gmail account (ramonashelton@gmail.com for those of you who can't remember it).

I'll post another message when the problem is fixed. Sorry for the inconvenience.

George Washington: Library Book Thief?

If you have taken my American History I class, you know how much I love me some George Washington. In fact GW ranks #3 on my hierarchy of men- just below God and my Daddy.

So when I saw an article on Discovery.com about George the Great, I had to read it. Imagine my surprise to learn that the greatest man in American History was slightly flawed. Wait for it...wait for it...

He checked out a couple of books from the New York Society Library and never returned them. The horrors! He should have been tarred and feathered for such offenses. (Imagine me fanning myself because I'm about to faint from the shock- I am a Southern belle after all).

Seriously though, in 1789, George Washington checked out Law of Nations, a book on foreign policy and another book whose title is not listed in the article but is a collection of debates in Britain's House of Commons. Given inflation, the overdue book fee for these two books is approximately $300,000. I nearly had a stroke one time when I forgot to turn in a bunch of books and had to pay a $20 fine! The library has said that they don't care about the fees, in fact, they'll be happy to waive them. But they would like their books back. Somebody break out the Ouija board to ask George where he left them.

Now from a historian's point of view, I have to say, cut the man some slack. 1789 was the first year of the newly created United States government and GW was figuring out how the President should do things. I'm thinking that returning library books was pretty low on his priority list.

Attn: Lawrenceburg Students

Some of you were asking about how to sign up as followers. Scroll down a little further and read the post titled "The Basics." It will give you instructions on how to sign up. Be sure to let me know after class on Tuesday that you are on the followers log. If you have any questions, please email me or ask after class.

Have a great rest of the weekend and I'll see you on Tuesday.

Play Review: Just Another High School Play

Most of the time, high school senior plays are something that you go in, plop down your money for the ticket and then settle into an uncomfortable seat for at least 2 hours of boringness.

Most of the time. Not this time.

This time I was invited to see all of my Clifton babies, dual-enrollment students from Waynes County High School, perform their senior play. From the moment the play started, I was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down my face. Just Another High School Play was definitely not just another high school play. Instead it was a conglomeration of all the traditional plays that you see-Our Town, Romeo and Juliet, (fill in the blank with whatever your senior play was) twisted and turned into a completely different form of entertainment.

I knew that something was going to be up when Zach comes flying out from backstage just before the play starts and moves me from the center of the row where I was sitting to a seat on the aisle. He almost got smacked because he said the reason for this is that all the old people had to sit in the aisle seats. Don't make me stab you in the eye with my purple pen!

What made this play so great was the fact that even though I know they had to have spent hours and hours preparing for this, learning their lines, making the costumes and sets, it seemed like it was completely improv.

There are several things that I learned while watching this play:

1. The little girl on the floor in the aisle didn't understand the concept that coughing and flatulence don't necessarily have to go together.
2. Zach and Eric didn't even have to act. They just had to be themselves and it was hilarious.
3. Eric has a thing for polyester, tuna makes him bloated and he waxes his pits.
4. Mercedes can stab a man with a smile on her face.
5. I so do not want to know what happened with Joel and Sexy Nurse after the play.
6. Kathleen can draw!
7. Lauren is a much better actor than me. I would have fallen off the ladder.
8. Taner was so rocking the makeup. He really needs to be modeling.
9. Justin, there is no way I could ever forget you. Especially now that you have given me a lap dance at your senior play!

You all were great. I would watch it a million times and LMAO everytime. Great job, my Clifton babies. See you at graduation.

Happy Tax Day

Is this really a holiday? Seriously, should we consider a day that we write checks to the government a day of celebration? I guess I should be patriotic and be happy that my taxes supply funds for the powers-that-be to run our country. I guess...well, maybe...no, sorry, I just can't!

Have you filed your tax return? I shouldn't be complaining because I did mine months ago. I have extra taken out of my paycheck each month so I actually get money back from the government. Dave Ramsey says not to do this because it's essentially giving the government a loan that they don't have to pay you interest on but this is one of the few things that I disagree with him on. I love getting that refund check back every year. That little lump sum helps me play catch up.

But why April 15? What's the significance of that day? To be honest, I couldn't find any specifics on the day but I did dig up some interesting info on taxes in general. The first federal income tax was instituted by Washington in 1861 to help fund the Civil War. Everyone had to pay a certain percentage of their yearly income to the government on June 30 each year.

A few years later in 1895, the government reassessed this and made it more specific. Everyone making more than $4000 per year had to pay 2% of their income. They also changed the pay date to March 1 supposedly because rich people tended to go on vacation for the entire summer so they weren't always at home to pay their taxes in June. Priorities people, priorities!

The 16th Amendment to the US Constitution was enacted in 1913, giving Congress the power to enact a federal income tax on everyone. There were no specifics as to a set wage or tax percentage, just anyone who had an income was subject to taxation.

In 1955, tax day was moved to April 15 where it has stayed ever since. So, since today is April 15, don't let midnight slip up on you!

The Basics

For the new people scoping out the blog and wondering what to do, here are the basics.

1. Become a follower please. You don't have to be a follower to look at the posts, but it would help me tremendously and I will love you forever. You can click on "Follow" at the top left or the Follow with the Google "g" above the pics of the other followers. If you have a gmail or Yahoo account, this is easy. Your info will transfer over. If not, what you'll actually do is create a gmail account. Don't forget your username and password.

2. Comment on the posts. You can click on the title of specific posts to get the comment screen. Feel free to comment on any post you like- to me or to another follower. I would love to get to the point that we have a digital dialog going on! The older posts are in the archives at the bottom left if you want to check them out.

3. Lurking is fine. I don't care if you lurk (read the posts and comment anonymously) so long as you keep things PG-13. We have a couple of younglings in our History's Mysteries family.

Please tell your friends, family, colleagues etc. about the blog. Everybody is welcome. Don't forget to share ideas for future posts and let me know if there is a topic that you would like to discuss yourself in a guest blogger post.

Thanks for being here!

Attn: Clifton & Columbia Students: The Curve

Clifton class first...the average score for the class was 71. And imagine to my shock that there was a perfect score of 100 on the test. But, being the amazingly wonderful person that I am, there is always a curve. So looking at the #2 score, the Clifton curve is 5 points.

Columbia class...the average score was 74. There wasn't a 100 for you guys but there were a couple of ladies who set the curve at 7 points.

Hope that helps ease your minds a little bit (for those of you who worry about that kind of stuff). See you Wednesday.

What is wrong with people?

You know, I just don't understand how some people's minds work. Or I guess a better way to look at it is how they DON'T work.

I would never think about stealing from someone so I don't walk around expecting someone to steal from me. Therefore, when it happens, it hurts and makes me mad as Hades (to steal a phrase from Caitlin).

When I got in the car this morning, my ipod and car player were gone. Somebody jacked them with the car sitting right outside of the house. Such a huge slap to the face- not only am I having to deal with the violation of the thievery, I'm also sulking because I am addicted to my ipod. If the car is on, music is playing. It's my baby, or at least it was.

Needless to say, my day was ruined. It's a good thing that I wasn't in Franklin today because in the mood I'm in, I would have been throwing markers, pens, desks, whatever was at hand at the hetero corner (yes King Joe, I'm talking to you).

I swear to George Clooney, if I ever find the person who did this, I'm going to put a bar of soap in a sock and beat the ever-loving snot out of them. (In case you are wondering, it hurts like the dickens but doesn't leave bruises on the skin. What can I say, I have brothers)

Now I must begin the process of replacing the beloved ipod. I just can't drive without tunes.

Attn: Students

For my Clifton and Columbia classes- do not forget that tomorrow is test #3. It will be over the info from chapters 23-26 (Post-WWI to the Korean War). Typical multiple choice test but in this case, for the Columbia class, make sure you study all the terms from chapter 26. You will need to know the stuff on the Red Scare/McCarthy Witch Hunts and the Korean War even though we ran out of time and didn't get to it. The info is in your book but you can also find it on the net (Wiki's not an acceptable source but you can use it to study in a pinch). If you have any questions, please email me or ask before the test starts tomorrow.

Don't forget your pencils!

Your Favorite Songs Say It All

My daughter spends way too much time on MuseLive but this particular trip to Muse-land ended up sending the two of us off into a ROTFL kind of moment. You absolutely have to try this yourselves and post your results in the comments.

Your music says a lot about you. Put your ipod on shuffle and using the results to answer the following questions. I'll post mine and can't wait to see yours!

1 What is the story of my life so far?

2. What song will I play at my wedding?

3. How do my friends see me?

4. How is my life going?

5. What's the best thing about me?

6. Will I have a happy life?

7. How can I make myself happy?

8. What should I do with my life?

9. How can I get ahead in life?

10. Will I ever have children?

11. What is some good advice for me?

12. How will I be remembered?

13 What's in store for next weekend?

14. What song will play at my funeral?

15. What type of men/women do I like?

16. What song describes my parents?

17. Why should life be full of so much pain?

18. What is happiness?

Perceptions

I have to share some good news with everybody. You all know how much I love to write- otherwise I wouldn't be talking about my book all the time- and I just got some info that my writing has paid off.

I submitted two of my short stories to Perceptions, Columbia State's literary journal. I had one story published in it last year so I was keeping my fingers crossed that maybe, just maybe, they would choose one for this year's edition also. Then I got the response- they put BOTH of them in!!!! When I got the word last year about the first story, I did a happy dance that looked more like Chunk doing the Truffle Shuffle in The Goonies. This year, it was the futterwacken dance from Alice in Wonderland. Oh yeah, I was excited.

To make it even better, Cathleen (or Cookie Girl as I call her now since she was the one who made the biscotti) from my Franklin class got two of her photos included in the Visual Arts section of the journal. Yay for Cathleen!

Book Review: The Hunger Games

I had seen this book on the shelves over and over again. I had even read the back but I kept putting it down. I read the back but the story just didn't catch my attention. I don't know why, but for some reason, I didn't think this one was for me.

And then...my daddy and I talk books all the time. He reads a little of everything, fiction, religion, conspiracy theory stuff- everything. So when he told me he had a book for me to read, I wasn't thinking a young adult thriller. My little sister had to read it for her English class and he read it along with her so they could discuss it before her test. I figured I'd read it just to say I did.

Holy cow! Once again, I flew through a book I never even thought I would like.

The Hunger Games is set in a post-apocalyptic North America. Some sort of disaster (which is never really explained) devistated the continent and all that is left is a capitol area in the Rocky Mountains and twelve districts scattered all over the rest of the continent. Each district is known for its manufacturing, mining or agriculture and the higher the district number, the richer and more important it is. There used to be a District 13 but somewhere along the way, it rebelled against the Capitol and was obliterated.

To keep the people of the districts in line, 75 years ago, the leaders in the Capitol established the Hunger Games. Every year, the names of all the children between 12 and 18 go in a pot and each district sends a boy and a girl to the games. Literally, it's a fight to the death and all of the people watch it on TV (either because they love it or are forced to watch by the police). The victor has food, money and adoration for the rest of his/her life.

This year, 16 year old Katniss volunteers to take her 12 year old sister's place. Katniss knows that her weak sister would be killed on the first day. Katniss is from District 12, the poorest district, know for its coal mining, so nobody believes she stands a chance. Believe me, they have it wrong.

It broke my heart to read a story about children killing children, all for the enjoyment of the crowds, but I couldn't put it down. It really was that good. As a matter of fact, it was so good that I made a flying trip to Wally World to get book #2, Catching Fire, just to see what happens next. Mockingjay, the final book in the trilogy, comes out in August. Believe me, they are oh so worth the read!

Hoppy Easter!

I figure that I don't have to discuss the true meaning of the Easter holiday. I think it's safe to say that most (do you know how bad it hurts not to be able to say "all") Christians know the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. But sadly, the commercialized Easter often seems to overshadow the real Easter.

Makes sense of course. People are going to try to make money off of any opportunity they can and Easter provides the perfect opportunity to make a killing off of parents buying chocolate bunnies and marshmallow eggs just to hop their kids up on all that sugar.

Now this part doesn't make sense to me...where in the world did we develop the idea that bunnies laid eggs? Last time I checked, eggs came from chickens. So why not the Easter Chicken? And why do we hunt colored eggs?

The bunny part is pretty simple. Many centuries ago in the Alsace region of France, people started associating bunnies with Spring, the time of rebirth and renewal. I mean, what better animal to associate with fertility than a rabbit. They spit babies out like crazy.

The egg part developed separately. Again, eggs are a symbol of fertility. Eggs have a lot of protein. You eat a lot of protein, you are healthier and healthy women produce lots of healthy babies. Also the Catholic Church forbade people to eat eggs during Lent- which ends with Easter- so people would gorge themselves on eggs once the penitential season ended.

Why color the eggs? The most common tradition is to color the eggs in pastel or floral colors. These mimic the colors of the Spring flowers that are beginning to bloom in and around Easter. But in other societies, the color scheme is different. Eastern Orthodox Christians color their Easter eggs red to honor the blood Jesus sacrificed. And for them, cracking open the shell of a hard-boiled egg represents Jesus' tomb breaking open.

Also, the more elaborately you decorated your eggs, the more you were showing your piety. Eggs (not just at Easter) became important at the courts of the late 19th and early 20th century Russian Czars who commissioned artist/jeweler Peter Faberge to create a series of amazing bejeweled Faberge eggs. If you've never heard of them, Wiki "Faberge eggs"- they are gorgeous.

So while you are enjoying your chocolate and sugar and singing "Here Comes Peter Cottontail," just remember once again that Jesus is the reason for the season. I hope you all have a blessed Easter and rest of the year to come.

Music, Fun and a Good Cause

David from my Franklin class hooked me up with this info and I thought I would pass it on to everyone...

Zipperhead Productions is a non-profit organization in Nashville that hosts concerts, shows, etc. with the profits going towards charitable organizations.

Next Thursday, April 8, they are hosting a concert at McFadden's Nashville. The fun starts at 8:00 PM. If you are 18-21, it costs $7. 21 and over $5. They are having drink specials all night. This particular event is sponsoring the 2010 MS Walk.

This is the first of many events for many different causes spread out over the summer. I'm planning on going to as many of them as I can and I hope to see you there!

For more info check out www.zipperheadproductions.com

Happy April Fool's Day

A day set aside for jokes, pranks and all sorts of kooky hijinks. Sounds like something that the kings' jesters in history came up with. We don't acknowledge April Fool's in my household thanks to my wonderful brother, Ti. A few years ago, when Caitlin was about 15, Ti decided to tell my father that she was pregnant and she didn't have the foggiest clue who it belonged to. Ha-ha funny joke, right? Not so much when it nearly caused my daddy to have a heart attack. (He really did have chest pains and I wanted to cut Ti's tongue out!)

But a day full of jokes and fun! How did it come about? Centuries ago, April 1st was considered to be New Year's Day. In Geoffrey Chaucer's monumental 1392 work, The Canterbury Tales, the characters celebrated the day with all sorts of foolishness. It was a holiday so why not have fun?

But in the 16th century, the powers that be decided that January 1 should be the start of the new year and decreed that everyone should follow the new calendar. The common people had a hard time wrapping their heads around the change so anybody who still referred to April 1st as New Year's was seen as an April Fool. If they were so gullible that they didn't know when the new year started, then they deserved to have all sorts of pranks played on them. The tradition has continued down through the years and every year on April Fool's Day, pregnancy scares cause men around the world to have heart failure (and all sorts of other fun too!)