#2 Ya know why history sucked? Because the teachers made it so damn boring. Not to mention the lies. History is interesting as hell. Memorizing dates, not so much.
I think that's because most High school history teachers - don't want to be history teachers. My high school history teacher simply "read the book to us". most boring shit ever. I ignored his voice and read the book on my own.
Y'all can speak for yourselves. I endured history for 9 years in school, had zero interest in it or any other subject, then I took a class with Mr Gerald Rogers at Kaiserslautern American High School. He had a knack for making history interesting. When my dad rotated back to the States, my next history teacher was Col. Mackey and he was every bit as good if not better than Mr Rogers. Those two teachers lit a fire under my ass. Even today, I watch and read more history than anything else.
I had no problem with history. Hell a few of my teachers even fought in the Civil war so I got first hand facts. One little know bit of history was Lincoln, unlike his Secretary of pleasurable entertainment, Epstein, didn't kill himself.
Yeah that math doesn't add up. Civil War was 1861-1865 so even the younger soldiers would be about 95-100 by 1950. Oldest known survivor died in 1956 at age 106 and I doubt any were teaching by even 1940. That would put you at 90-ish plus years old for there to be any real chance of overlap?
When I was a kid we had a number of westerns in the house. I started reading them. Louis Lamour sprinkled lots of history into his novels and that got me interested in places and things. Later on I got Trails of a Wilderness Wanderer and Give your Heart to the Hawks. By the time I was a teen, it was WW2, Korea and the Civil war and I've been hooked on history for over fifty years.
I was lucky to have decent history teachers from 7th grade and up. Dates and numbers were only important so far as things like the beginnings and endings of the world wars, when important things like the Trail of Tears or a few dates that were especially historic, like when the Revolutionary war actually started, or when the Bay of Pigs invasion happened, JFK shot, the civil rights act and that sort of thing. While many flippantly say those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it, like Santayana, the fact is that history is important because of that very fact. As well as the saying that if you don't know where you came from, you don't know where you are going. It is only by knowing and understanding the past, both from a personal and a corporate point of view, that you can make sound decisions about where we want to go. Sadly it is obvious that most Americans never learned where we came from, and thus are willing to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Another point is that history is not what is written in history books, but is also found in writings of those who were alive during the time in question. Therefore the importance of things like the Federalist Papers, the speeches of men like Martin Luther King, even the writings of people who spread a message of hate, like George Wallace or even some parts of Abraham Lincoln and his thoughts. It is good to remember that for the most part no one is completely good or completely bad, but we all have some parts of both in ourselves. Thus a man like Nixon, while roundly condemned as a terribly crooked politicians, also made some good things happen, like getting us out of Vietnam and opening the doors of trade with China. That last one, while today we can discuss it as to whether it was good or bad, at the time, it was a good thing and led to the middle class of America being able to afford some things that before had only been reserved for the wealthy.
Mr. Wheeler, University Heights Middle School, Riverside, California. He taught 8th grade history, and fought across France during World War II. He had "home movies" of him and his buddies going house to house. Best history teacher ever.
Anon@7:03 - you really don't have a sense of humor do ya? You must be new here if you don't know bogside. He really is older than dirt. And what's with the insults? That's what liberals do when they lose arguments.
Had a truly terrible Americn History teacher in HS. His idea of 'teaching' was for us to 'outline' the chapters in the book.
I turned in an 'outline' consisting only of the headers of each section of each chapter.....he went ballistic in class and held up my paper and asked WTF I thought I was doing.
I challenged him right there to a contest about the contents of any chapter he cared to name, any member of the class could ask either of us a question about anything in the book. He backed down and was replaced the next day.
Well wirecutter, I hope you see the irony in your statement. I guess my sin was not including "...and Jeffrey Epstein didn't kill himself" which would automatically qualify it as humor. And Jeffrey Epstein didn't kill himself.
"Secretary of pleasurable entertainment" ... and you couldn't pick up on the fact that he was being humorous?!? God, it must be painful for you to go through life wound that tight.
I always liked history in spite of my teachers. When I decided to go to college while I was in the Air Force the first 2 classes I took were American History 101 and 102 at Solano community college at Travis AFB The instructor taught History at the local HS during the day. He hated teaching history as a series of dates like its often taught. We'd go out for a beer after class and he'd philosophize about how he'd like to teach it. He wanted to focus on why things happened rather than just when they happened.
If you like WW2 history, check out the unauthorized history of the Pacific War podcasts on YouTube. Seth Paradin, Bill Toti and now John Parschal. They've gone through the major battles pretty much in order and are now giving commentary on archival film footage and exploration of some of the wrecks. Very good stuff. They plan to NOT touch on the European and African campaigns. Hope they change their minds.
I didn't like history until I sat in on a college level history class. The instructor was excellent and it made all the difference in the world. I also started playing board games, most of which were based on historical periods. Being able to fight a few battles on the board and deal with the fallout tended to bring it all together.
#5 actually happened to me. The barber said I now have two choices - a regular haircut with a bigass stripe down the middle, or a clean sweep and let it grow back in. I chose option 2, and I never had to pay for another haircut in that shop.
History in school is boring because the teacher is teaching you some facts so they give you a test. History for your own enlightenment is a different world.
Having grown up in Wisconsin, I think it is hilarious. And 6 of the 8 were couples making out. Likely there was a case of beer in the trunk. Saturday in park.
All comments are moderated due to spam, drunks and trolls. Keep 'em civil, coherent, short, and on topic. Posted comments are the opinions of the commenters, not the site administrator.
#2 Ya know why history sucked? Because the teachers made it so damn boring. Not to mention the lies. History is interesting as hell. Memorizing dates, not so much.
ReplyDelete...It's almost as if the teachers didn't WANT you to learn history... SA-A-A-A-Y...
DeleteI think that's because most High school history teachers - don't want to be history teachers. My high school history teacher simply "read the book to us". most boring shit ever. I ignored his voice and read the book on my own.
DeleteY'all can speak for yourselves. I endured history for 9 years in school, had zero interest in it or any other subject, then I took a class with Mr Gerald Rogers at Kaiserslautern American High School. He had a knack for making history interesting. When my dad rotated back to the States, my next history teacher was Col. Mackey and he was every bit as good if not better than Mr Rogers.
DeleteThose two teachers lit a fire under my ass. Even today, I watch and read more history than anything else.
I had no problem with history. Hell a few of my teachers even fought in the Civil war so I got first hand facts. One little know bit of history was Lincoln, unlike his Secretary of pleasurable entertainment, Epstein, didn't kill himself.
DeleteYeah that math doesn't add up. Civil War was 1861-1865 so even the younger soldiers would be about 95-100 by 1950. Oldest known survivor died in 1956 at age 106 and I doubt any were teaching by even 1940. That would put you at 90-ish plus years old for there to be any real chance of overlap?
DeleteWhen I was a kid we had a number of westerns in the house. I started reading them. Louis Lamour sprinkled lots of history into his novels and that got me interested in places and things. Later on I got Trails of a Wilderness Wanderer and Give your Heart to the Hawks.
DeleteBy the time I was a teen, it was WW2, Korea and the Civil war and I've been hooked on history for over fifty years.
Anon @5:13 - Humor, my friend. It's really a thing.
DeleteI was lucky to have decent history teachers from 7th grade and up. Dates and numbers were only important so far as things like the beginnings and endings of the world wars, when important things like the Trail of Tears or a few dates that were especially historic, like when the Revolutionary war actually started, or when the Bay of Pigs invasion happened, JFK shot, the civil rights act and that sort of thing.
DeleteWhile many flippantly say those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it, like Santayana, the fact is that history is important because of that very fact. As well as the saying that if you don't know where you came from, you don't know where you are going.
It is only by knowing and understanding the past, both from a personal and a corporate point of view, that you can make sound decisions about where we want to go. Sadly it is obvious that most Americans never learned where we came from, and thus are willing to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.
Another point is that history is not what is written in history books, but is also found in writings of those who were alive during the time in question. Therefore the importance of things like the Federalist Papers, the speeches of men like Martin Luther King, even the writings of people who spread a message of hate, like George Wallace or even some parts of Abraham Lincoln and his thoughts.
It is good to remember that for the most part no one is completely good or completely bad, but we all have some parts of both in ourselves. Thus a man like Nixon, while roundly condemned as a terribly crooked politicians, also made some good things happen, like getting us out of Vietnam and opening the doors of trade with China. That last one, while today we can discuss it as to whether it was good or bad, at the time, it was a good thing and led to the middle class of America being able to afford some things that before had only been reserved for the wealthy.
With respect, it was a pretty lame attempt. Humor needs a ring of truth to it. Fat and stupid is no way to go through life.
DeleteMr. Wheeler, University Heights Middle School, Riverside, California. He taught 8th grade history, and fought across France during World War II. He had "home movies" of him and his buddies going house to house. Best history teacher ever.
DeleteAnon@7:03 - you really don't have a sense of humor do ya? You must be new here if you don't know bogside. He really is older than dirt.
DeleteAnd what's with the insults? That's what liberals do when they lose arguments.
Had a truly terrible Americn History teacher in HS. His idea of 'teaching' was for us to 'outline' the chapters in the book.
DeleteI turned in an 'outline' consisting only of the headers of each section of each chapter.....he went ballistic in class and held up my paper and asked WTF I thought I was doing.
I challenged him right there to a contest about the contents of any chapter he cared to name, any member of the class could ask either of us a question about anything in the book. He backed down and was replaced the next day.
But his replacement was worse.........
Well wirecutter, I hope you see the irony in your statement. I guess my sin was not including "...and Jeffrey Epstein didn't kill himself" which would automatically qualify it as humor. And Jeffrey Epstein didn't kill himself.
Delete"Secretary of pleasurable entertainment" ... and you couldn't pick up on the fact that he was being humorous?!? God, it must be painful for you to go through life wound that tight.
DeleteAnon@7:11 - See Anon@7:18's comment directly below yours.
DeleteNow go away.
That's exactly how I pictured Saint Peter at the Pearly Gate.
ReplyDeleteI would imagine Black Monopoly is played with George Floyd $20 bills.
Get the game over quickly then as the ink will come off the notes.
DeleteI always liked history in spite of my teachers. When I decided to go to college while I was in the Air Force the first 2 classes I took were American History 101 and 102 at Solano community college at Travis AFB The instructor taught History at the local HS during the day. He hated teaching history as a series of dates like its often taught. We'd go out for a beer after class and he'd philosophize about how he'd like to teach it. He wanted to focus on why things happened rather than just when they happened.
DeleteIf you like WW2 history, check out the unauthorized history of the Pacific War podcasts on YouTube. Seth Paradin, Bill Toti and now John Parschal. They've gone through the major battles pretty much in order and are now giving commentary on archival film footage and exploration of some of the wrecks.
DeleteVery good stuff. They plan to NOT touch on the European and African campaigns. Hope they change their minds.
#19: it would be more effective if they were using the right entrance.
ReplyDelete#14: Who the HELL put the camera in my bathroom???
ReplyDelete#15: This is actually true, and I have money on Gates' influence on this one...
I didn't like history until I sat in on a college level history class. The instructor was excellent and it made all the difference in the world. I also started playing board games, most of which were based on historical periods. Being able to fight a few battles on the board and deal with the fallout tended to bring it all together.
ReplyDelete#4 Yes and also why Noem will never make it in
ReplyDelete# 2. My 10th grade history teacher brought swords and muskets to class, definitely not boring
ReplyDelete# 4. All dogs go to heaven
# 16. Damn that's ugly
JD
There's a separate entrance for dogs and it's always open.
ReplyDelete#1 - Me stopping by and asking Mr politician"
ReplyDeleteNeed a lift??
Sure!
Stick that jack up yer ass you worthless, federal tit-sucking parasite!
I Drive off
Well, he is a politician, a polite word used instead of jackass...
Delete#5 actually happened to me.
ReplyDeleteThe barber said I now have two choices - a regular haircut with a bigass stripe down the middle, or a clean sweep and let it grow back in.
I chose option 2, and I never had to pay for another haircut in that shop.
#4 Wherever my dogs are, that's where I want to go. Wherever that is.
ReplyDelete#4 "Entrance to Heaven is granted by Favor...if it were granted by merit, only dogs would get in!" Mark Twain
ReplyDelete#18 That me. 7 + 6 = 7 + 3 to get to 10. That leaves 3 left over. So 7 + 6 must be 13. Adding double digit numbers take a while..
ReplyDeleteSome days I need more fingers.
DeleteHistory in school is boring because the teacher is teaching you some facts so they give you a test. History for your own enlightenment is a different world.
ReplyDelete#10 - Wisconsin’s motto should be:
ReplyDelete“Outdrinking your state since 1848!”
Having grown up in Wisconsin, I think it is hilarious. And 6 of the 8 were couples making out. Likely there was a case of beer in the trunk. Saturday in park.
Delete# 14: Which one is Big Mike's Halloween costume, that picture or the picture of her with Barry the Fairy?
ReplyDelete