Rounding Out the Week

One of the first blogs I placed on a links list was BibliOdyssey because the site is so unique and addicting.

The reason?

Damien English, in the latest edition of Edutopia magazine says it best in his article The Phantom of the Optical:

Somewhere in Sydney, a man quietly communes with his computer, pouring over visual “materia obscura” from every corner of the world and a wide spectrum of centuries. Through RSS feeds, bookmarked links, e-newsletter subscriptions, and search engines, he sifts through the web looking for art collections, exhibitions, archives of old engravings, and portfolios of contemporary graphic artists to share with the world.

This man isn't looking for any particular thing; rather, it seems he's looking for every beautiful, peculiar, or haunting piece of art that has ever graced the pages of a book. But what he's looking for exactly is not important -- what matters is that he's gathering up the gems and oddities he finds for a visually rich site called BibliOdyssey, a splendid classroom-discussion tool and entrée into art and its history.

BibliOdyssey is a wonderful site and if you are not visiting it….you should.

The History Carnival is up over at Kevin Levin’s most excellent site Civil War Memory, and Dr. Homeslice has done a wonderful job with the Education Carnival at his site.

Which U.S. President do you think is the most obscure? A new poll feature over at American Presidents Blog wants YOUR input. Look for it in the sidebar.

Finally, I’ve been meaning to point readers towards Markeroni in order to introduce you to the gentle art of landmark snarfing. The site says:

Have you ever stopped to read a historical marker, or wanted to know more about an interesting old building?.....Beware! One snarf and you’re hooked.

The Markeroni site can be found here where you can get information on joining in….a great class activity for the year….and the Markeroni Blog can be found here.

A Brand New Place to Go

History lovers, educators, and folks who like to travel should run right on over to The Educational Tour Marm, a brand new spot on the ‘net.

The Tour Marm has entertained readers for several weeks here at History Is Elementary by knowing scads and scads of information about each and every Wordless Wednesday I’ve posted. I’ve really had to work hard to figure out ways to challenge her. Now she will entertain us with her vast knowledge at her own site.

Currently she has an interesting post titled Figure It Out Friday. Can you relate the two pictures? She also links to my Internet Challenge regarding the lost Wyeth painting. Thanks Tour Marm for doing your part.

Hey, have YOU sent your email to five people yet asking them to forward it to five more?

Finally, she relates her humorous adventure in choosing a name for her site. It can be difficult these days with so many good names already chosen or highjacked. Recently I wanted to set up a spot just for me and my own private musings….you know….undercover. I had a few names in mind and began to check on them. They were all taken. When I checked further the majority of them had been chosen way back in 2004 or 2005, one entry had been made and then the writer had stopped. Come on Blogger…..if someone hasn’t posted in two years shut it down and put the blogname back into play.

But I digress…I’ll save my rantings for another day. Right now you have somewhere else to go, and I'm keeping you.

Now, comb your hair, wash your hands, and go on over and introduce yourself to the new marm in town!