Social Control

Okay, friends: Time for a test. Fear not, this is only a test. If this were the real deal my hope would be that you wouldn't even notice and would mindlessly participate. But, for this one time only, I'm going let you retain your conscious control over your will and ask you to do something for me.


Click It! please


Oh, I see how it is.

You prefer those ubiquitous "text links," do you? Well, since I'm such a nice guy, please feel free to click here instead.

If you clicked both, that's okay.

Not ideal, but okay.

No, really, don't worry. You didn't exactly destroy my test. I mean, I'm not totally sure how bad it would be if you did, but it's okay. I mean, it's my test and everything, so if it breaks down it's not your fault... exactly.


What? You're one of those people who wants to know what's going on before you do anything, are you?

Perhaps you're one of those really web savvy peoples who noticed that the url for those link is "http://www.sonlight.com/am.php?081231test" and you're suspicious of me. 'Where is he taking me?' you wonder. 'Is it one of those virus thingies?'

No, this is just a little test thing for a tracking system Sonlight uses to see how effective our writing is. In other words: The "man" is coming after me and I have to prove myself a worthy opponent, and I need your help! By clicking on the click here links you are enabling me to test my use of link codes which lab rats and typewriter equipped monkeys will tabulate, the results of which will determine if I need to be replaced by said monkeys and lab rats.

And you don't want to start reading posts by a monkey, do you?

I don't.

So, please, for the love of my blogging, click here. The link should open a new window/tab and you'll be able to come right back.

Thank you.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

...wait, you didn't click all of those, did you!? <smile>

P.S. For those looking for a practical application for this inane post... umm... I've got nothing, and I hope you leave a comment with some brilliant connection to the real world.

Battlestar and Education

After watching another cool episode of Battlestar^* with Jason last night, we got to talking about social ills and the solutions to them. Granted, our conversation drifted everywhere from the shortcomings of extreme Libertarianism to frustration due to the modern job market. But one of the questions raised by the show was that of class distinctions in the workforce. Due to the fleet's situation, people were being forced into certain classes and job opportunities from which there was no real hope of breaking free for the next generation.

The class distinction naturally existed in this fictitious world--and, to a lesser degree, in ours as well--and so we are left with the question of what can be done about these discrepancies. Our society certainly balks at the idea of ridged social strata, but how do we keep classes open?

Why, with education, of course.

"Education," however, is a tricky thing. Learning is a profoundly individual experience and the goals, aspirations, and focus varies greatly for each organization and person. The moment you move beyond the three basics--reading, writing, and arithmetic--people get into serious disagreement.

And then there's the question of means: How do we provide adequate education for everyone? Homeschooling is not, sadly, for everyone. Every public option suffers from a class hierarchy of its own, and in many cases is far from ideal. And private, "free market" based options are not accessible to those seeking to break out of the lowest classes.

Philanthropy is certainly one very powerful tool, as demonstrated by the wonderful success of the Rice Bag project which will transform the lives of well over 7,000 women (as well as their families) in India.

I don't really have any complete answers to these issues. And that's probably why I enjoy shows like Battlestar Galactica: They create a world that allows us to explore the more foundational aspects of our lives and consider how, perhaps, we should live differently.

May your educational endeavors--no matter what they are--bring you and your children to where you should be.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

*NB: Battlestar Galactica has quite a bit of content that is not suitable for children and may be outside the bounds of propriety for your family.

Mental Fixations

Announcement: My wife is starting up her own blog to try to get some more routine into her life. I'd love it if you popped over there and gave her some encouragement as she gets going <smile>.
Thanks!

-----

I don't know about you, but sometimes I'm going along in my day thinking about the wonderful topics I could post about and then suddenly my mind gets stuck on some topic and I just can't shake it.

That just happened to me.

Take a minute and think about this music video (if you didn't on Friday).

I had no idea this song is actually a "Christmas standard" ... I'm so ignorant.

And while I can see this song/video as an anti-war bit, I found the (perceived?/implied?/assumed?/intended?) message to be rather negative toward Christianity. Especially with a quote supposedly from Gandhi: An eye for an eye will make us all blind.

But as I watched the video I felt a certain... exuberance and sorrow. Christmas--God coming to dwell among us to later sacrifice Himself for us--is the only solution to the problems so graphically recorded in the video. So for me, any kind of "just choose not to fight" ideologies that may have been intended by the filmmaker are shown to be futile. Christ is the only solution to these problems, and just because peace may be something we want, that does not mean that we can simply have it by wanting it. Evil continues, even--especially?--if we stand back.

And the quote is horribly wrong. We would only all be blind if we allowed evil men to poke out everyone's eye and only then decided to exact justice. And that's often why we fight wars: With the hope of eradicating injustice (or at least tipping it in our favor). I don't go around poking people's eyes out, so assuming nobody came to do it to me, I, at least, could be king in the land of the blind. I think the point of the quote is closer to the heart of another quote: If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. But that is not the entirety of wisdom surrounding how to respond to evil.

War is a gruesome thing. People are evil.

We can't stop that simply by wishing everyone a merry Christmas, even if your name is John Lennon.

But Christmas is a reminder of what ultimately will end war... right after a last great big one.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

The Quiet After the Storm

I've been rather alone here at Sonlight today.


Alone in the Cube Maze

Most people took the day off to extend their holiday and recuperate from the madness, so I think there's only two other people in this quarter of the building.

It's relatively quiet.

Email has also been rather devoid of chatter.

And that's not a bad thing at all.

I'm still not on top of everything again, but I no longer feel like I'm drowning in missed information and a sea of deadlines. This holiday season has been filled with travel and time with family. This has meant that I haven't been in the office as much as my routine personality would prefer.

I don't mind working on the road on borrowed computers, but there's something about working in my familiar environments on my own machines that I miss terribly when I'm away.

"Home is where my computer is plugged in and turned on."

I've said that often.

So whether you're still on a break, recovering from an eggnog overdose, cleaning up the dishes from last night, back to work, or doing school today... may you find rest and peace. May you also get done with everything you need to do before the weekend, even if that is three more naps.

Taking a break is a good thing.

Stopping by to say, "Hi," to a friend trapped in a maze of cubicles is nice too <smile>.

See you all on Monday!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

P.S. I'd be interested in your thoughts on this if you've got five minutes to watch a video and jot down your two cents.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Family Portrait

We just had our picture taken with the whole family.

We did it last year too, and I think they turned out nice--despite little ones who don't understand the concept of looking at a camera or smiling. Today, with two babies, was little different.

And even though I can't find all the links now, I know others have blogged about the experience that is a family photo. I certainly remember the days when I was younger and we had to stand for what felt like hours in unnatural clothes and smile. Smile because "we're a happy family, dangit!" And I know I've seen a few "this is what my kids looked like right before we snapped this perfect picture" comparisons out there.

And isn't that how life so often is? We're not really trying to lie about our lives, we're just trying to make ourselves presentable.

But there are things about all of us--unless you're one of those annoying perfect people--that really are less than ideal. And even in my very close, happy, love-being-together family, there's some drama now and again.

This reminds me of the "Family Portrait" song by Pink. I am so thankful that I have such a loving and close family, but I know there are many people who don't have such a thing; where holidays are terrible experiences fully of pain, anger, or reminders of loss.

May we all reach out with love to one another, both in our families and out, so that the next time we take a picture our smiles are even more genuine whether we're in an itchy turtleneck or not.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Educate, Not Indoctrinate

Sorry this post is so late today.


Throughout this busy/packed day, I have been thinking about a few ideas and beliefs that I do no agree with. The problem is that I don't have a particularly good way of disagreeing.

See, these purported truths are part of these people's internal... "doctrines"--personal beliefs?--that are founded on little more than the fact that others whom they trust have told them the idea is true.

And how do we challenge such a thing?

How should we?

With education.

And I don't mean: Let's educate them with the opposite bias.

That's for the "scientific" community, the religious cults, and totalitarian governments. That is not where we, as seekers of reality and truth, begin when we approach topics with which we disagree or find implausible.

Rather, we seek out as much information as possible. We try to see all sides. We ask for the best arguments, the most informed reasoning, and the clearest explanations. In essence we look for the truth by asking questions and trying to learn.

Because what is true should eventually surface.

And that is why Sonlight has long held a focus on trying to educate, not indoctrinate.

Not that doctrine, or a belief held because they are considered true by trustworthy people, is a bad thing. But doctrine should be accepted with a constant eye on the detractors. What do those who hold differently say?

They may never come up with anything convincing themselves, but the more educated we are about the arguments, the firmer we can be in our beliefs.

And that's one of the many reasons why Sonlight continues to encourage questions. You can read more about these kinds of thoughts in reasons 11, 12, and 15 in Sonlight's reasons not to buy from Sonlight.

I do my best to ask questions, especially when I disagree with someone, and not just write them off as stupid, deluded, or an &*$!@%# retard... all of which I have heard very "intelligent" people use as reasons for another's dissension.

May you be more winsome and wise in your rebuttals and remarks.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Sleep, Stories, and Memory

My wife finds all sorts of interesting podcasts. One that is particularly fascinating (and educational) is RadioLab. This podcast/show covers questions like Why did the War of Worlds Work? and topics like the birth of the modern zoo. They are very fascinating, but sometimes cover topics that may not be appropriate for younger ears.

One of the most fascinating episodes is on sleep. I'm going to recommend you listen to it instead of tell you all about it. But at the end of the show they begin to speculate why our dreams are so vivid, so linear, so... story-like. One of the professors speculates that, for whatever reason, we remember, learn, and process things better if they are in a story form... even in our sleep.

Stories--not just ideas, facts, figures, or even concepts--stick in our minds, help us remember, and allow us to learn.

It is little wonder then why the arguably greatest teacher of all time used stories to teach His lessons, and didn't just tell us the bullet points we needed to remember.

The same is true of the lessons of Dr. Seuss, which I've heard most people can recall even in college.

Sonlight has utilized a literature-based approach to education from the very beginning. In fact, there are several articles on Sonlight's site about why literature is a great way to learn. And now, Radiolab gives us another reason to be confident in this educational model.

May all your proteins be properly folded. (Give it a listen to learn more.)

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

I Joined the 21st Century!

I'm a "Social Media Specialist" so I've been up on Blogging, Facebook, Twitter and many other things for a long while now. I'm also a media guy, so I'm up on HDV, P2, and h.264 compression as well. I also have some "state of the art" computer and camera technology.

[Aside: I'm setting myself up here. Just nod and assume I know what I'm talking about.]

But despite all of my technical knowledge and media prowess, I've been behind the times.

I've never owned a beeper, mp3 player, or a cellphone.

What? No mp3 player? No cellphone? What's next? You going to tell me that you never had a swatch either?

No. I've never been particularly cool, hip, or with it.

But today... today I have joined the 21st century.

Yep, I am now the proud owner of a slap bracelet cell phone! My wife has long had one as part of her family's family plan, and they just son-in-law'd me in. Pretty cool.

But just like every other famous celebrity, I have to be careful with my number, so I won't be posting it here (plus, I don't want to go over the plan's minutes; nothing like making the in-laws unhappy). But if you ever get a phone call from a California area code, it might just be me.

...but probably not. I'm going to be rather busy chatting with all my adoring friends who love me for my fame and fortune... since I'm cool now too.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

P.S. Actually, the real lesson is this: Don't bother getting something just because others are. There is no need to jump on the latest in technology or homeschooling option if what you have/are doing now is working.

My wife wants me to be more accessible in case of an emergency, so I'm happy to have a cell now. But that's it. I know peer pressure is a powerful force, even in the homeschool community; don't give in unless you have need.

Bermuda Nonplussed

Vocab of the Day:
Nonplussed: definition here.
courtesy of Angela

I almost spilled the beans on some exciting news. Thankfully, I was notified that I shouldn't post about it until next month. <phew> That could have been less than ideal. Well, more like "premature," but still... it sounds more impressive if related to the end of the world rather than "leaked" information.

Today we had some downtime, so we watched a show on the Discovery channel about the Bermuda Triangle. In the show they demonstrated that a large release of methane could produce a bubble of water that could sink a ship. Also, if the atmosphere composition is made up of as little as %1 methane it can cause a combustion engine to stall out and more methane can seriously tweak with a plane's instruments and lift.

All fascinating stuff.

But rather than telling me all about it in ten minutes--as they easily could have--they spent an hour (42 minutes + commercials).

And that got me thinking about education philosophies and attention spans. I hear a lot of complaints that kids don't have long enough attention spans due to television. But if your programing is intentionally designed to keep people watching for an hour--irregardless of content--then kids are trained not to have short attention spans but to expect redundant information. In fact, I was surprised how little real information was dispensed each segment.

And that got me wondering if classroom education has been informed by this.

How much information is really shared each class period?

It does vary by class, but I've sat in plenty of classes and seminars where the teacher/presenter was more interested in passing time than passing on beneficial information. Honestly, I've been nonplussed by some educator's lack of interest in educating their charges.

May your homeschooling experience be nothing like that.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Anonymity, Celebrity and "The Future"

I read an interesting article over on Get In, Hang On. Go ahead--give it a read.

...

Back?

What's interesting is that I started out my life online paranoid as the next guy. I had pseudonyms for my alter egos. I didn't post images, even sketches I had drawn. I tried to encrypt everything. And I turned off my modem at night.

...okay, all that is a tad of an exaggeration. I had pseudonym. Image hosting wasn't exactly viable. Encryption wasn't even a word yet. And we paid for the internet by the minute. But that's not the point.

The point is: I have since changed.

I used to worry about my identity being stolen. I was concerned that people would "find me" ...or something. But now I blog for a living. I spend quite a bit of time each day creating content so people will get to know my name. I post pictures of myself. I write articles and posts detailing my personal issues and struggles. I even give away my Social Security number and bank account information. ...not really.

What has changed in my mind? Why don't I worry about Facebook?

1. I do my best to be wise about what I post, but more than that, I do my best to live in such a way so as to be acceptable. So, since I don't go to parties and get drunk or shoot up, I have nothing to hide there. What things that others may hide I write about, and so "coming clean" makes it possible for me to talk about the subjects openly without fear of people smearing my reputation. I already threw it out there for the wolves to devour.

2. Everyone (especially employers) need to realize that there are many aspects of a person and their life. If they can't separate those and only address these issues when one area negatively bleeds into the other, they won't be as successful as they could be.

3. I'm actively trying to become a celebrity, of sorts. I want to be a "trusted voice" in the media and homeschooling communities. I don't mind being a public figure. I don't mind people knowing who I am or what I'm up to. ...that tune may change when paparazzi start snapping pictures of me cuddling my kids, but until that day...

I'd love to be your friend on Facebook.

And if something shifts in the future, I may be the first to go. But that will give you plenty of warning so you can get a new identity and run for the hills.

~Luke Holzmann
Celebrity, Star, Prolific Blogger

Mercy, Adoption, and Christmas

As I mentioned yesterday, we visited Brittany's grandmother today. She's 97 and now in a state of decline. Just a few years ago she was a spunky character who "took care of the elderly" at her church... people who were twenty years younger than she.

On the way over, Brittany asked if I was okay. "You've never really dealt with this before, right? I don't know how this is going to affect you."

I tend to let things roll off me, so I don't get tweaked too frequently. But I was reminded today: I'm not into mercy ministry type things. I scored a 2 in mercy when I took a "Spiritual Aptitude" test several years ago. Mercy is a "growth area" for me.

Which is rather odd then, in a way, that I'm working on adopting. I'm not doing it because of a broken heart for the poor children without a home. I'm not doing it because of some emotional tug when I see dirty faces of children with tears in their eyes. I'm not doing it because it's looking after orphans.

I mean, those are all perfectly good things, but those don't resonate with me. I'm pursuing adoption because I expected to have kids, didn't, and so felt that adoption was where we should go. And the more we've explored it, the more we love the idea.

But am I going to be ready for three grieving children who don't speak my language... especially with my less than merciful bent?

Probably not. But there is grace for that as well.

And I'm guessing I may end up over on the brand new Adoptive Parents forum (part of the very useful Sonlight forums). In fact, I've got a question already, and will post it when I get a minute.

But for now, I need to go get ready for a little in-law Christmas gift extravaganza tonight ...where we will celebrate, in an informal and indirect way, God's great mercy He demonstrated to us when He offer to adopt us as sons and daughters.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

3am, -3 and Falling

I got up at 3am this morning to get ready for our trip. Our plane was set to take off and 6:15, and the roads were likely to be slick on the way to the airport.

The car had some trouble getting started. After the dash finally illuminated, I understood why: It was -3° out. (This temperature decreased to a chilly -16°F out at DIA... record lows, from what I've been told.) My first thought was, "Ah, what an excellent introduction to negative numbers for kids!" But I read a post about the situation in Kyrgyzstan and, well, it's a tad disheartening.

We ended up missing our connecting flight because three of the four crew members were late to our 6:15 flight. ...really late. Thankfully we were able to get on another flight that only put us back two hours.

Only.

Even so, we made it in plenty of time for Brittany's little sister's senior art show. It was odd to walk the campus of our Alma Mater and see how things have change and what has not. This is where we met and fell in love, and yet it's a different place. I must be getting old because the college students seem so young.

And we started talking about how things--such as technology--have changed: There was no YouTube, JumpDrives didn't exist, and Instant Messaging was all the rage. DVDs were still coming onto the scene. Cell phones were not ubiquitous.

It wasn't even four years ago and yet... and yet it was so long ago.

It would be even longer if we had kids.

Nostalgia kicks in--a sweet sorrow of something we have lost; "The good old college days" before we were hit with adult responsibility; the lifestyle of spending time with people; and my stomach even knotted a bit as the pressure of finals saturated me once again.

And just as the cold kept creeping across the landscape this morning, so the cold of age drifts over me. But I'm not really all that old, no matter what feelings hanging around my peers of yesteryear inspires.

So today was all about feeling old. Tomorrow, I suspect, I may feel young as we go and visit Brittany's grandmother.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Coupons and Gift Cards

[Advertisement]

If you love Sonlight (and who doesn't? <cough>), I'm guessing you want to share the love with friends and family. Right?

Right.

But you're asking yourself, 'Self, I want to share the love I have of Sonlight with my friends and family; it's true. But how? How can I give them the gift of Sonlight?'

Thankfully you're reading my blog because I'm going to tell you how: With a Sonlight Gift Certificate available in a wide range of values for everyone from Daddy Warbucks to Tiny Tim.

But wait! There's more.

For every $100 of Gift Certificates you purchase by December 31, you will also get a $5 digital coupon for even more Sonlight stuff.


A message from Tiny Tim



In other news: Brittany and I will be heading out to visit her folks next week. I'm going to do my best to keep up with all of your blogs while out there, but it's going to be a busy time doing things with her family. So if I don't get back to you right away, just assume I'm drinking non-spiked eggnog and playing Parcheesi with the in-laws.

I hope to keep blogging, but it may be a spotty week.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

The Son of Man and Worldschooling

When Christ walked this earth He deliberately took on a rather obscure title. Instead of referring to Himself as the Son of God, the Messiah, the Son of David... He chose: Son of Man.

Why?

Well, the other titles had too much political baggage attached to them. The people of His day had expectations for the One to come, and Christ wasn't about to meet any of those. In fact, He was going to do much the opposite. So to help initiate this painful reality, He took on a different title. A title that had little meaning which He could then define for His followers.

Thirty second Biblical background to get us all on the same page. Any questions?

Good. Moving on.

Earlier this week I saw a post about "worldschooling" which I thought was fascinating. Here is another instance where a title--in this case: "homeschooling" and, in particular, "unschooling"--has developed rather unfortunate political baggage. So to counter this idea, Eli Gerzon has adopted his own title which he can help define.

What has really interested me is how broad this idea can get. I know it typically refers to "unschoolers" but as I read more about it, the more I felt at home with the concept. I'm a "worldschooler" now, and I was one while using Sonlight too. In fact, Sonlight is very much a "worldschooling" curriculum--oxymoron?--because of the global focus of its materials.

But then I came across a Worldschooler Facebook group with the following:

-School: "Do what you're told."
-Homeschool: "Do what you're told... by your mom."
-Unschool: "Do what you want."
-Worldschool: "Do whatchu gotta do..."

Interesting. There is certainly a lot of negative connotations with the more "traditional" approaches to education (including homeschooling). And while I agree with many of the more global aspects of worldschooling, I find the highly individualistic/self-focused bents odd and not exactly in line with my thinking.

But that's okay because, as Dana Hanley has so brilliantly pointed out, I'm part of the homeschool community, not a homeschool movement. I can disagree with them but feel no threat "because their actions do not define who I am, or what it means for me to be a homeschooler."

"Homeschooler" may be a loaded term, and so choosing another title may be useful, but who we are does not change just because of a new title. The titles are in place to help others understand us. We define the title, we are not defined by others' perceptions of it; and if we can grow into a community, all the better.

And really, that's a lot like what the Son of Man came to do.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

In a Snap

I can't whistle.

Well, technically, I can... in the sense that I am capable of pushing air through my lips to create a sound. But reality dictates that I can't because the sound is a flat, off-pitch noise that is almost as deadly as Vogon Poetry.

I'm just sayin'.

So, I don't whistle at attractive girls--mostly because I hear it makes them uncomfortable and thus isn't the best practice for blessing them, but also because I just can't figure out how to get that up-down pitch shift thingy.

I also don't whistle while I work. I just can't.

But I can snap... with both my middle and ring fingers. And every once in a while I can get things done in a snap.

More often than not, however, things take me a lot longer than I would like. For instance, we shot another little informational video today. I was hoping that it would take us two hours. It ended up taking three and a half hours to shoot a video that will likely be less than two minutes in length (and the lighting turned out lousy too <pout>).


Lousy Lighting

But that's just how film goes.

That's how life goes too.

How many times have you beat your head against something while screaming thinking: This shouldn't be this hard/take this long!

Never? Oh.

Well, I have.

But what I need to remember is that things just take time. Work takes time. Practice takes time. Kids need time to learn lessons, to mature and treat one another kindly, to get their work done. And as much as we may wish we could snap our fingers and make things better, we can't.

We can't change ourselves that way either.

So if you're struggling with something that just isn't snapping into place in your life, just remember: I can't whistle.

It'll make you feel better.

Besides, even if things look rather bleak now, you could always try to fix it in post:


Less Lousy Lighting

Hmm... nope, I'm going to need more time to fix that problem. Ugh.

I can't whistle or light a set!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Did You Figure It Out?

I was sitting at lunch today when I heard from across the kitchen, "Commodore Perry is in the house."

I smiled. 'Ah, the quirky culture of Sonlight.'

Picking up on the theme, a coworker shared about our Core A (which was fairly quickly renamed considering even the SCCs couldn't keep the Cores all straight that year <smile>). The people in the warehouse called it "Core F" because of the title: Fiction, Fairy Tales, and Fun for Little Learners. In fact, one of the guys wasn't even aware of the real title and so called it "Core F" in a meeting, which caused his coworkers to bust into guffaws.

But the cultural bit from this post's title comes from my good friend Mike--who works a cube over. Mike will often walk by and ask, "Did you figure it out?"

I tend to reply with something befitting my current situation, ranging from: "No, I haven't even started thinking about it yet," to, "Yep, fixed it yesterday."

Laura Lee, who is in the spot between us, finally asked us about it.


Toward the Kitchen

Well, Mike's question is much like: "How you doin'?" It's rhetorical. The fact that I choose to answer it honestly and with much detail is an indication of my own quirks.

Now whenever I launch into a lengthy description of my latest quandary, Laura Lee laughs along with us because, honestly, no one is ever going to "figure it out." There's always something that needs tweaking, changing, or reconsidering. And that's why Sonlight is constantly working to update our materials and make things clearer (even if sometimes we don't quite do that... as typified by our ill-labeled "Core A"). But even in the ever changing landscape of life, some things remain consistent, or at least a part of our experience.

Our quirks and fond memories are that way.

Here's an experience that came out of our house last night, courtesy of "The Joy of Cooking" page 504:


...braaains....

So, did you figure it out?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Children, Convents, Criminals, and Company

First, a disclaimer: I don't have daughters yet. I wish I did, but they're still stuck in Kyrgyzstan at the moment. So, I can't speak from personal experience. On the other hand, I have sisters, many close female friends, and several girls with whom I have traveled internationally^*, so I do have a very protective bent.

Now, on to the topic at hand:

I read a post about a recent experience that determined why one woman's daughter will not be biking alone ever again.

Now, yes, the world is a scary place with much potential for evil, and we must look to protect our children. But is the answer to hide away in a convent? Do we withdraw to places away from criminals and let the world "go where it will" without us?

No.

And I'm not saying that was the point of the original post either. But facetious as the comments may have been, I think the ideal is a reality for many Christians in their daily lives: Rather than deal with the issue, we suggest that we remove it. And that's not without Biblical backing. And in some cases, that's not a bad idea at all.

But the solution to sin should not, I propose, be about making it impossible to do so. Rather, we should focus on changing life to be so we focus on the good instead.

Here's my experience of a girl going out alone: Instead of telling the girl in Paris that she should not go running at night, I insisted on going with her. That way she was no longer in as grave a danger and we could build a friendship. Positives.

And this is why some people find accountability groups/partners so powerful: They have a companion with them to help keep them safe. And this is the importance of community as well: We need people who are looking out for us and keeping us from doing something foolish on our own. And that, I think, is why I have consistently had bad experiences with "accountability groups": They are about seeing how I've been doing at avoiding something, rather than looking out for me and walking with me through the dark alleys.

In short, an accountability group is like a weekly "safety meeting" for girls who can talk about how many times they've been approached by guys that week. "Well, I was only approached by two guys this week," the cute little blond girl says. "Oh, that's good," exclaims the redhead, "I had three guys whistle at me."

That's retroactive and hardly helpful.

I want people who will go with me out into the world and keep me safe simply by walking beside me because they love me. And, honestly, I think that's the point of the post: Don't go biking alone.

If that is our model, there's rarely a need for the convent.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

^*Oh yeah, that sounds really wholesome, doesn't it?

Well, it was every time.

I've been on mission trips and a leadership training group thingy. I don't go bopping around the world with bimbos. Just in case people were scandalized <smile>.

Blues and Blessings

While reading another blog, I saw the cover of a new Baby Blues compilation book. It took me a moment, and then I laughed. Check out the cover for a grin. ...or not, if you're not as twisted as I am <smile>.

Now I don't have baby blues at the moment. I have waiting blues while we exercise our "patience" muscles in this whole adoption thing. And I also tend to have money blues.

Let me give you a prime example of my misery.

We recently went to Costco armed with several coupons, including one for $3 off a pair of women's lounge pants. I was getting tired of not having any PJ bottoms to use because Brittany kept taking them, so this could be a pretty good deal. And it was.

We got two pairs.

Brittany loves them and said, "These are the most comfortable pants I've ever had in my whole life." Sounds good to me. So, where's the misery in this?

Well, even on sale they cost more than 25 cents, and I started to feel guilty. I mean, we're in a recession for cryin' out loud! How can I be shelling out money like this, especially now that we're in the season for spending money on others (which was also hitting my bank)?

Oh, woe is me!

Even the knowledge that this was coming out of our Party Tithe didn't console me. And then, to make things worse, Brittany suggested we get some fries from Carl's.

Ahhhh!!!

I read blogs every day about people barely scraping by. How in the world was I supposed to feel good about having money to spend... especially money that I can spend without guilt? How could I not help but feel guilty about that!?

And then this morning, I read this post by Kim. In it she talks about her realization that she should choose to be thankful for things she has. And she says it far better than I, so go give it a read.

But the bit grabbed me when she was listing the things she can be thankful for was "money to meet all our needs (& a WHOLE lot extra!)"

And it smacked me right in the middle of my thick skull:
I should be thankful for the "WHOLE lot extra!" I have, rather than bemoaning the burden and giving in to guilt. I mean, how foolish can you get?

Pretty foolish, it seems.

Who else takes a blessing and turns it into a curse?

In light of this, I've resolved to be thankful for the opportunity to buy my wife comfortable lounge pants.

I'm also thankful for the wild success of the Sonlight Rice Bag Project! What an incredible blessing. Now women in India will be able to read the Bible ...and any graffiti around them <smile> (though I didn't see much when I had the opportunity to visit India).

So, any blessings in your life right now that you need to be thankful for?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

P.S. I also choose to be retroactively thankful for the very tasty fries I ate at Carl's with my wife.

Q, Bond, and Ebert

I have much respect of Roger Ebert and the few reviews of his I have read have been well done. Granted, I tend to stick to the more scathing comments over on Rotten Tomatoes instead of listening to professional critics... because I'm like that.

Ebert even agrees with me about Bond's latest movie, which is a good sign--even if he never mentions me by name. That's probably because he doesn't know who I am because he probably only reads Rotten Tomatoes and doesn't bother with IMDb, even though we could be buds there. <cough cough>

But this post isn't about Bond.

It's about Ben.

More specifically: About Ben's movie and Roger's response.

I had the opportunity to see Expelled in the theaters before reading anything about it--other than a few people who were, perhaps, a tad too excited that it was coming <smile>. During the film I noticed that Ben, or the editor, was rather brutal to Dawkins from a filmic standpoint. But the quotes and the people they had seemed bright, albeit snarky, and the points I thought were well made.

But today I came across Ebert's rant about Ben's flick.


Greg

Whoa.

It appears that this little project has created quite the uproar.

After an initial brush I see the real complaints as such:

1. Intelligent Design people are dumb because
2. Over 99% of scientists know ID is wrong.
3. The eugenics movement and Hitler are not tied to evolution because
4. Evolutionary scientists don't ascribe to Hitler.
5. Ben's a flippin' liar and scum.

As I think back to the movie, I would say that:

1. The point was that ID has some valid things to consider, and main stream media and scientists simply reject it as "dumb"--or "boring" if you watch the flick. Thus, this complaint seems to reinforce Ben's point, and not critique his film at all.
2. Appeal to majority. Who taught these guy's logic?
3. I'm no historian, but people I trust (appeal to authority <smile>) say that Ben's point has merit. And from what I can tell, this holds water.
4. The point is not what evolutionary scientists think, but rather to what this line of thought can lead.
5. It does sound like Ben may have been less than honest--which is terrible--and he may be scum--I don't know--but attack on personality and name calling are, I have observed, the primary weapons used when people can't use logic, reasoning, or actual argumentation.

But herein lies the problem: If Ben is playing dirty and his opponents are playing dirty... how do we know what's true?

What about the new research that has to do with the similarities in DNA which leads to an argument much like the one for the Q document?

This certainly is a hot topic which is convoluted by people's biases and emotions on both sides. And I'm glad that Kevin pointed this out in response to Roger.

I wish Q had given Bond a gadget that helped him arrive at truth.

Until such a marvel appears in the real world, feel free to read the snark surrounding Ben on Rotten Tomatoes and consider...

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

The Electronic Red Pen

As I've mentioned before, my dad is a brutal good editor and really helped my writing. So, my father was--and still is^*--my writing coach.

But what if you don't have access to a professional writer? Are your children destined to be less than amazing at writing?

No.

Not at all. In fact, as one of my high school English teachers observed: Who taught Shakespeare to write? How can someone teach another to be the best writer in the world?

So, I'm confident your kids are safe. In fact, if they develop a love for writing (as I have) they can go far.

But for those who want to get a little more assistance, to have a few more resources and access to editors when it comes time to grade papers, I'm thrilled to announce that Sonlight has worked out an option... and a pretty exciting one at that.

Introducing Sonlight's partnership with WriteAtHome. Here are the things that I think are really cool about this opportunity:

• The writing coaches have the Sonlight IG your student is using. They know exactly where your student is coming from and are familiar with the assignment. The submission isn't just a random paper they are reading.
  
• You can pay per paper. No need to sign up for a "plan" or subscription.
  
• You can help your child deal with the "red pen" and not wield it yourself.

Aside: I'm guessing being your child's champion and not their torturer would be desirable to some parents. I, on the other hand, often enjoy the process of pointing out mistakes and helping people work through them. Of course, I can be a rather sick person at times <smile>.

I just heard about this new opportunity and it sounds pretty cool.

A writing coach is certainly not essential to your child's education, but it is another tool at your disposal. If you'd like a writing coach for your student, you may want to check out Sonlight's new connection with WriteAtHome.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

*My dad has helped me with many of my more intense Heart of the Matter posts. These last two I wrote at the last minute, so he didn't get a chance go catch all my errors. Even so, if you'd like to read my latest, I'd appreciate it <smile>.

I'm Famous!

First: Melonie is a genius: We were on vacation in Hawaii--Maui, to be precise.


Maui

Congratulations, Melonie. You win!

...I have no prize other than that public accolade.

Now, on to business.

Show business, that is.

Yes, after months of waiting, I have finally become famous. That's right; for my efforts in the production of MathTacular, I am now an official Editor and Cinematographer. IMDb now recognizes my existence.

I have arrived.

I'll add images soon.

I must say, it is cool to have the projects I've been involved with out there on the interwebs. And considering IMDb is one of the major movie sites out there, I'm as tickled as pink pleased punch.

That's the big news for me today.

How's your life been?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

I'm Back from...

Guess where.

Here are a select group of photos from my trip, deliberately sneaky and misleading <mischievous grin>.


The First Photo I Took


Pilgrim's Progress - It was cold.


Dave on Horseback


Cows


My Dad


The Fam


My Wife with Nephew - Petting a Mule.


Helicopter


Fun in the Rain

So, please post your guesses (and if you know from other sites, please refrain from "guessing" because... that's cheating and not guessing).

In other news: This post is short because I've got a lot of catching up to do and "miles to go before I sleep."

But while reading through the 1000+ posts I was behind, I glanced at my progress at one point this morning and saw:


The Mark of the Blog

I thought it was amusing. If you don't have a twisted sense of humor like me, I'm sorry. I mean no offense.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father