Mr. Fong's Running Blog

Contrary to popular belief, history teachers don't just sit at our desks all day everyday and read history books.  

Sometimes we read encyclopedias too.

But other times, we actually get out there and do something with our lives!  So I've brought back my running blog at fonghistoryrunning.blogspot.com.  Now, I'm not saying you're dying to know when and how far I run, but I am saying that maybe spending time reading these blogs will keep you away from illegal activity.  

"No mom, I don't hack into the CIA's computer network anymore.  I'm reading Mr. Fong's blogs!" 

United States History: Memorial Day Weekend

One of the things I hope that students gain from my history classes is an appreciation for the American military. It's important to remember that there are people willing to die for our country, willing to sacrifice their life for freedom and democracy. That's something that past generations understood clearly and that recent generations forget easily.

Here's a link to Yahoo's Memorial Day site. It has some fun traditional Memorial Day stuff (BBQ recipes and such) as well as links to some military remembrance sites like the Vietnam Memorial ("The Wall") and a site commemorating POWs. I LOVE the timeline at the top of Yahoo's site that, when rolled over, gives quick facts about different military actions (number of deaths, number of living veterans, years, etc.). Check it out and if you see something that strikes you, comment on it! Have a great weekend.

U.S. History: Brown vs. Board of Education

Some plaintiffs in the Brown v. Board of Education case and their children were photographed in 1994 outside Monroe Elementary School. Zelma Henderson is in the purple on the far right.

The last surviving plaintiff in the Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas died today. This is the landmark court case, discussed in U.S. History, that declared that the so-called separate but equal facilities for whites and non-whites were against the U.S. Constitution. Zelma Henderson was 88 years old and died of pancreatic cancer after a diagnosis of the disease only six weeks earlier. This is the same disease from which Randy Pausch suffers.

And the Book for Summer Reading Is...

The Last Lecture

by Randy Pausch

This is currently one of the hottest books on the shelves right now.  Why?  Randy Pausch was recently diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.  In other words, he will be dying very soon.  As a university professor, he put together one final (and I mean FINAL) lecture for his students.  This lecture though was not about computer science, the subject that he taught, it was about life and living.  The lecture has become a book and this is the book that we're going to be reading this summer.

Randy Pausch's story is an ongoing current event.  His cancer is spreading and in the May 2, 2008 posting on his blog, he explains that he's trying to recover from the recent heart and kidney failure caused by the cancer.  He was listed in Time Magazine's list of 100 Most Influential People a couple of weeks ago and is gaining notoriety around the world.  A couple of my U.S. History students are researching him for our Time 100 project (in fact, props to Kaylee K. for first bringing his story to my attention).  

He's been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and has been chosen as the ABC News Person of the Week, among other honors.  His video-taped lecture has been viewed on YouTube over 6 MILLION times.  By the way, if you're going to read the book with us, do not view the video--don't spoil it!  

I'm pleased to have this be the book that we read this summer.  Who knows--it could be a life-changing event for you.

It's available on Target.com and Amazon.com for about $12 (without shipping) and in Target stores for about $15.  I'm sure it's available at basically any place that sells books, though the retail cover price is $21.95.  It's also very likely available at any library in town (if it isn't checked out, that is).  Book discussion dates and times will be announced soon.  Looking forward to it!

P.S. Sorry I posted this so late (10:45 pm).  I had a busy afternoon then went to the baseball game vs. Clovis High.  Really exciting game even though Clovis East came up just short.  I was proud of our team's efforts.

History: The Filmmaker

Steven Spielberg is considered to be the greatest filmmaker alive today. He has directed such classic hits as Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., Hook, and Jurassic Park to name just a few.

What has impacted me the most though are his films based on historical events like Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List. Those films show an understanding of history that many filmmakers simply do not possess (see Jerry Bruckheimer's Pearl Harbor--yuck). In the making of Saving Private Ryan, Spielberg says he didn't want to make a "gung-ho Hollywood extravaganza" (again, see Pearl Harbor) but wanted to document what the soldiers in the D-Day Invasion really experienced. And that he does. Both Private Ryan and Schindler's List take us back to those points in history. No need to embellish it; the real deal is entertaining and fascinating and gory enough.

(Above: Spielberg, in baseball cap, addressing soldiers on a landing craft while making Saving Private Ryan.)

Spielberg is of course also known for crowd-pleasing movies like the Indiana Jones films and earlier today premiered the newest one at the Cannes Film Festival in France. Thought you might be interested in the pictures, given that we've talked quite a bit about the guy this semester.

(Above: Spielberg, right, with producer of the Indiana Jones movies George Lucas, and Harrison Ford.)

Sorry girls, no pics of Shia LeBeouf.

Introducing the Fonghistory Book Club

As you know, I've been talking to you folks, both in class and on the blog, about the books that I plan to read this summer. Last week while joking with period 6 about them reading one of my summer books and us getting together over the summer to discuss (sort of like Oprah's Book Club), I was pleasantly surprised to find that some students expressed a genuine interest in doing just that. Some students in 8th period also voiced their interest.

So I think we'll meet just two or three times this summer at a neutral location like the Starbucks at Shaw and Armstrong, or Fowler and Ashlan and the coffee will be on me (note: I said "coffee" which is $1.55 for a tall. I can't pay for your $8 venti mocha.).

This is going to be great fun! I'm excited about hanging out and discussing a book that should be really enjoyable for everyone to read. Now, the question arises, "What book will it be?" After putting some thought into it, I've decided it's NOT going to be one of the books I plan to read on my own this summer. It's going to be a book that will appeal to a wider audience and one that is easy to find at Barnes and Noble, Target, and just about any other place that sells books. What book will it be? All I can tell you is that I'm really excited to read it and I think you'll be excited too. Visit the blog THIS TUESDAY NIGHT to find out!

World History: Savior of Warsaw Ghetto Children Dies

Really interesting article here (Savior of Warsaw Ghetto Children Dies) about this incredible woman, Irena Sendler, who helped to save children from the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust. She passed away this week. The Jewish commander of the Warsaw Uprising, Marek Edelman, said, "People who stand up for others, for the weak, are very rare. The world would have been a better place if there were more of them."

How about you? Are you someone who would stand up and sacrifice for others or is life all about looking out for yourself?

(Left: Irena Sendler in March, 2007. Right: Photo from her funeral yesterday, May 15th)

Bike to Work (or School) Week

I pulled into the Vons gas station on Herndon and Fowler today to put a bit of liquid gold into my car. It was $3.93 per gallon and that was WITH the three cent discount that Vons gives to Vons Card holders. Anyway, before I put my credit card in, I looked at the fill-up total of the person who used that particular pump before me. The total on the screen was $190!!!!
It couldn't be better timing for May 12-16 to be Bike to Work Week. I biked to school for the first time in a few months this past Friday. It was invigorating and it was good exercise. You don't have to make it a race; just take your time and enjoy your ride. Any old bike (that works and is safe) will do, but companies are putting out better and more affordable bikes that are great for commuting.
The Trek Soho (though it is rather expensive) even has a rubberized bumper-type feature on the top part of the frame so the frame won't scratch when you lean it up against a pole to lock it up outside the grocery store (or wherever you go). There are also bikes from Electra that are becoming really popular. Here are a couple of great links to commuting by bike:
TREK BICYCLES INFO ABOUT BIKE TO WORK WEEK
BIKE COMMUTING TIPS BY 1 WORLD 2 WHEELS
Just think, $190 can get you well on the way to a brand new bike that you can use over and over for years to come! See you on the road.

Mad Props to My Students!

I'm sitting down to write this at 8:54 on Saturday evening (the wife and I just got back from dinner--Cool Hand Luke's--and a movie--Made of Honor. The movie was lame, btw) and I'm happy to report that the Time 100 poll closed with 39 votes. Nice work folks! Very interesting to see your opinions. And there seemed to be some agreement that Mariah Carey should not be on the list. What surprised me is that all of the presidential candidates (Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain) received quite a few votes. I'm glad you made your voice heard. Look for a new poll coming soon!

Summer Reading Plans?

Mrs. Nielsen in the LMC has done a fantastic job of encouraging reading and literacy on our campus. One way she is currently doing that is by asking people what their summer reading plans are. She will then be developing a display in the LMC based on those books.

So, I'm attaching my summer reading list. Okay, it's actually my Ambitious list. My Reality list may very well end up being the March issue of Outside Magazine and the Bed, Bath, and Beyond mailer, both of which are next to my toilet (know of any good deals on patio umbrellas?).

So what do YOU plan to read?

A Good School: A Novel by Richard Yates

The Stories of John Cheever by John Cheever

The Story of Christianity by Justo Gonzalez

Prayer by John Bunyan

World History: Would-Be Hitler Assassin Dies

Philipp Freiherr von Boeselager -- a former German officer involved in two failed plots to assassinate Hitler. Von Boeselager -- who played a key role in the 1944 plot, when the Nazi leader narrowly survived a bomb explosion -- has died aged 90.

(AFP/DDP/File/Torsten Silz)

Interesting article HERE about the man who had planned to assassinate Adolf Hitler. You'll be hearing much more about this soon as a new movie featuring Tom Cruise comes out depicting this chapter.

Most Influential

The list of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people for 2008 just came out. Both U.S. and World History will eventually be doing a little project on one of the personalities. CHECK OUT THEIR LIST. Who would be on YOUR list?