History class today

Of course we watched the Inauguration.

I was disgusted upon hearing people booing outgoing President George W. Bush when he walked in. What classless fools. Didn't they get the memo that the Dalai Lama loves George Bush? At least the newscasters tsk-tsk'd about it. Was this before or after one of them said breathlessly "This is really happening!"

I liked Rev. Warren's prayer and was amazed that he actually invoked Jesus' name. I was just not expecting a Christian prayer.

Aretha sounded pretty good, but old, eh? My girl marveled at her hat.

According to my clock, the new President is late taking the oath of office - as required by the Constitution. I guess the show is more important? Does this bode ill for this Presidency? The music is nice. But, it would be nicer if they'd start things off properly. For all I know, no inauguration has ever happened right on the minute.

My boy enjoys the 21-gun salute.

I still can't buy the word "humble" from him.

Ooh, some claps when he thanked President Bush.

"The way we use energy strengthens our enemies..." - why don't we use some of our own while scientist work on new technology?

"The time has come to set aside childish things..." like "The Pledge?" Or booing outgoing Presidents?

"Pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off?"

Nasty attitude toward George Bush, et. al.: "ready to lead again," "choosing hope over fear."

"Roll back the specter of a warming planet?"

"We can no longer ignore suffering outside our borders?" Do we do that now? I don't think so.

This moment will define our generation? It's a big moment. But, really, can we get over this and get on with business?

Time to turn off the tv - the kids are giggling over the poem. Where is the meter?

Update re: the close of the prayer:

I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesus [Spanish pronunciation], Jesus, who taught us to pray:

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Here is a transcript. Some interesting comments, too, at the site.

Today in History

In our history studies, I mean.

We are finally up to World War I. Now my boy has already read quite a bit about World War I but I was still surprised when he continually interrupted my reading to tell me what I was about to say. He may not be able to spell "Austro-Hungarian Empire" but he sure knows what it was and how it relates to the war. He knew about the Allies and the Central Powers, the Lusitania, and the battle of the Somme. I didn't even make him take notes (we're working on study skills now) but I bet he will ace the test for this chapter.*

So, it was a good "school day." But of course, if asked what he's doing in school these days, the kid will always reply with the classic answer: "oh, nothing much."

Oh, I found this passage particularly interesting:

...The Germans sent a secret telegram, in code, to the German Ambassador in Mexico, telling him to make a deal with the Mexican government. If Mexico would fight on the side of the Germans, and Germany won, Germany would reward Mexico. It would take the land thgat America had claimed during the Mexican War and give it back to Mexico....

Before the Germans could actually make this deal, British cryptographers managed to get a copy of the telegram and decoded it. American newspapers published the contents of the telegram, so that American citizens all across the country could read it. Both the British and the Americans were outraged by this sneaky attempt to pull the United States into the war.

If my kids were older, and it was appropriate to discuss the problem of media bias in this election, I'd ask: would the press handle this event differently today, and if so, how?



*I don't always give tests, and sometimes I just give open-book or open-note tests, but I need something for the old portfolio and everyone needs to learn how to take tests. I use the test booklet published for the Story of the World series.