Sneak's wide world of Blogging 21
This series is dedicated to the proposition that Blogging is a prime example of the saying "Variety is the Spice of Life".
So let's get to the good stuff!
This week I wish to welcome another new "Carnival" into the Bloggerverse.
1. This new collection, according to its founders will focus on Education issues:
After quite a bit of encouragement, we are delighted to be hosting the first edition of The Carnival Of Education. What we have done is assemble a variety of interesting and informative posts from around the EduSphere (and a few from the Larger 'Sphere) that have been submitted by various authors and readers. We think that they represent a great variety of topics and writing styles.
And an interesting, and varied, batch this 1st group of 22 sure is, just based on the summaries.
I'm slowly going to work my way thru these during my upcoming vacation.
Go here to the blog known as The Education Wonks: The Carnival of Education #1.
The Education Wonks also has an extensive collection of links to other Blogs in The EduSphere.
2. You want Carnivals? I got Carnivals!
Well, actually The King of Fools has them.
His Royal Highness gives weekly heads up on many, and possibly all, of them.
This was a recent such update:
3. and 4. According to the FBI National Crime Information Center:
47,842 = The number of active missing-adult cases nationwide.
30,622 = Of those, cases older than 1 year.
If those numbers don't disturb you they should.
Back in the day ( the 70's and 80's ), before the Homeless, especially the Homeless Mentally ill, became such a major problem in our big cities, and the suburbs, I lived with the fact that my Father was a Paranoid Schizophrenic, from 1969 to his death in 1988.
He was fortunate to have spent this whole time in various mental institutions, where Doctors could properly treat, and care for him.
He only roamed the streets when his condition was such, thanks to meds, that he could be trusted with an "off campus pass".
There was a story in todays OC Register about a search one local couple is under taking for their 21 year old daughter who disappeared from their home after taking her car out for a short shopping trip.
The article provided 2 very important website links:
National Center for Missing Adults.
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.
5. SaphireStorm, of the blog Blue Collar, is a poet.
She has a blog devoted to her writing:
I am a 34 year old woman who has experienced the extremes of life, religion and love.
As someone who writes to vent and express myself, these premises come out in poetry form most days.
She's looking for inspiration, and has issued a challenge to her readers.
6. Some people challenge themselves with, and look for inspiration from, poetry.
Then there are those who challenge themselves, and therefore gain, and give, inspiration in other ways:
On my other Blog, The Cycling Dude, I link to the story of a man recently returned from a most extraordinary journey.
7. Galluping thru poll of public opinion about the Presidents:
A recent Gallup Poll asking Americans to name, without prompting, the "greatest United States president," finds Americans most often mentioning Ronald Reagan. Republicans and Democrats differ sharply in their views of the greatest president, with Republicans most often mentioning Reagan and Democrats most often mentioning Bill Clinton. When asked to choose the greater president between Lincoln and Washington, Americans pick Lincoln by a wide margin.
Once upon a time I might have been one of those Democrats.
I'm sorry, but not only is Slick Willie NOT the greatest President ever, he's not even in the top 5 Democrats in my book.
The poll, conducted Feb. 7-10, finds that Reagan is mentioned more often than any other president in history as the greatest, at 20%. Four other presidents trail closely behind: Clinton (with 15% of the mentions), Lincoln (14%), Franklin D. Roosevelt (12%), and John F. Kennedy (also 12%). The current president, George W. Bush, and the first president, Washington, are each mentioned by 5% of Americans.
Washington, and Jefferson should have been in the Top 5, not Clinton, or the younger Bush ( whose term ain't even over yet! ). Instead they were tied for 5th, and 7th, respectively.
Republicans overwhelmingly say that Reagan is the greatest president in history, with 42% mentioning him.
That the younger Bush rated #3 is bothersome.
Democrats are most likely to say Clinton is the greatest President, with 31% of Democrats mentioning him.
That Democrats think he's the best, especially among Democrat Presidents, is representative of the decline of the Party, and the worrisome state of current, supposedly mainstream, Liberal Thinking.
Independents, can't decide conclusively:
Among independents, there is no clear consensus as to which president is the greatest. Lincoln (18%), Franklin D. Roosevelt (15%), Kennedy (14%), Clinton (13%), and Reagan (11%) are mentioned most frequently.
The breakdown by age group is just as interesting as the above.
I found this interesting as well: When asked to decide the greater President between Washington and Lincoln, Americans choose Lincoln, by 69% to 26%.
The full collection of ratings, plus the answers to other survey questions, are here:
Greatest U.S. President? by Joseph Carroll.
What this all says about the current state of affairs in America's Edumicational System is certainly up for debate.
That's why blogs, and blog entries, on education, are welcome, and why there is a need for a Carnival to bring attention to them.
That's it for this week.
The next edition of this series will be on Sunday February 27th.
Sneak, thanks for posting that link about the edu-wonks. But tell me ... is the word "carnival" a blog-world term for collection of links. I didn't encounter this term until I started reading your site.
Posted by: Bob Denham | 02/22/2005 at 05:23 PM
U R Welcome Bob!
Using the term "Carnival" for these various weekly collections that have taken on a life of their own seems to have begun with the "Father" of Carnivals, Silfray Hraka (His Blog is in my Blogroll), and the popular, and highly respected, Carnival of the Vanities ( hosting this is a daunting task, though there is a long waiting list of folks chomping at the bit to do so), over 2 years ago.
Posted by: Kiril | 02/23/2005 at 12:54 AM