...and Now I Have No Time

"Three hundred lives of men I walk this earth and now I have no time."

~Gandalf the White

Okay, so it's more like: "40 hours of work this week, so now I have no time." <smile>

I've been accumulating links this week, so instead of sharing any new deep thoughts of my own I will merely link to other content:


There is now a free online audio Bible available (which is pretty cool, but requires Real Player... <ugh>)

Michele


In other news, the Center for Disease Control set up their very own MySpace page. I wonder how many of my tax dollars went into building that? They currently have 705 friends, which is fairly impressive, but I can't imagine it was worth the money.

Karen


And finally, today's

Kerfuffle: a commotion, esp. one caused by conflicting views

Brought to you by Catherine

...which actually has a lot to do with what my dad has been blogging about recently.

Oh, and I forgot to tell you all about my latest Heart of the Matter article. If you haven't read it, I always like comments over there too <smile>.

Have a great weekend and I'll see you all on Monday!

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Rinse and Repeat

Ever have those days where you're just doing your thing over and over again, like life is on the "spin cycle" and there's not much more to it than that?

For me: That was today.

Not that I mind repetition much--[aside: my fingers tend to forget that the "ti" in that word is repeated]--but shouldn't life be more? Where's the excitement, the awe? Isn't there more than this?

Even more odd is the fact that I did a wide variety of things today, to the point of almost being overwhelmed. But they still felt like they were part of the overall "spinning" of life. For me it was web corrections, HTML adjustment, email management and... web corrections, HTML...

<spin> <spin> <spin>

...all while watching the clock do it's own spinning, reminding me of my limited time. Based on the blogs I've read, this is how laundry, meal preparation, and diapers are (and I'm probably missing a whole host of other things). I wish I had a brilliant insight, or super encouraging message.

But I don't.

I'm in the same boat.

The same sinking ship.

The same spinning washer [please mentally insert applicable Calvin and Hobbes comic strip].

Sometimes the phrase "tomorrow is another day," isn't that hopeful. On the other hand, the curse of "May your life be interesting" isn't exactly ideal either. And perhaps that's why the teacher said: A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work.

May you find satisfaction in your work, whatever line of work that may be. And if it has to do with your own kids, I'm a little jealous <smile>. Not that I don't find satisfaction in my own job, but that I'm getting antsy about this whole "expectant father" thing....

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Smoke, Mirrors, and Photoshop

I worked on some of the web content for Sonlight.com today. I fixed a mislabeled product--one of the math textbook and workbook bundles was listed as just the workbook... and has been for five months--what!?

If you're anything like me, you don't really think about the people behind the websites you browse.

You mean, someone has to make that happen?

It still surprises me even though I've built my fair share of sites. I still live under the impression that the pages I visit are created by perfect machines that don't make mistakes.

Well, I'm not a machine. And I'm far from perfect. But I am pretty good at fixing mistakes if I know what's wrong.

Example: We now offer the 2009 edition of the World Book Encyclopedia DVD for Mac.


World Book 2009

I needed to find a new image for the 2009 edition. World Book's site only had a very small version of the new cover. So, using my "mad Photoshop skills" I went in and fixed it myself. Now when you visit the Sonlight page you are greeted with the 2009 edition image courtesy of yours truly.

We do our best to make Sonlight's site perfect, but we're a bunch of humans over here. I once put out a plea for your feedback on the website, assuring you that the web guys see your comments. I'm now one of those "web guys" and I'll be taking care of some of those issues (if they're easy, like typos <smile>). So, please, if you see something wrong: Let me know!

But remember: Sonlight.com, like every other site, is not much more than smoke, mirrors, and Photoshop holding a little bit of HTML, CSS, and Java together. My hope is that despite the fragile nature of the web, you will find more than enough support, encouragement, and resources for your homeschooling journey. And if there is a way I can help make it even more effective, I want to know.

Even if the website is a virtual space, we're really humans on this side of the modem. And we're here to help you.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Rocks and Sand

I'm pretty sure you've heard the Rocks and Sand priorities talk.


Rocks and Sand Priorities

Quick refresher: If you put in the sand first, you can't get all the rocks in. But you can get everything into the jar if you start with the big rocks and then shake the sand in to fill the gaps. Point being: Start with the big priorities and you can make time for everything.

And if you're a motivational speaker, that's nice.

But if you live in the real world, the analogy isn't all that great. See, we have more than enough to do. Everything does not fit perfectly into the jars of our lives. And, yes, the principle holds true and we must start with the big things, but the fact remains: Some days have too many rocks and the sand is just annoying.

That's how today has felt. To make matters worse, the grains of sand had to be dealt with, and that took away time from some of the larger rocks I wanted to move.

Thankfully, there's always tomorrow.

I've been using a lot of "mom-isms" recently, so I'll add another, "There's always more to do." In other words: You'll never be "done" with everything. So when you're out of time and need to move on, do so.

And so I shall.

See you all tomorrow!

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Whatever Works

Bob complains to Joe, "I'm switching to BlogPad XanPress because I'm so fed up with eJournal 404."

"Whatever works," Joe replies with a shrug.

"Whatever works."

What an interesting phrase. Who would, in response to someone's cry for vindication in their choice to change, say, "Eh, stick with what doesn't work"?

No one. At least, no one without ulterior motives.

So, yes, as a reasonable person, I suggest you do "whatever works" for you and your family--especially in the homeschool arena (since this is a homeschool blog and all <smile>). The only caveat I would include would be to make sure you have a good idea of what it means for something to "work" before you pitch it for something else.

One of the good ways to decide if what you are doing is working or not is to set some goals. If you're not hitting those goals, it's likely time for a change.

But there are also pitfalls to pitching things that "don't work." I read a great story about answered prayer today which is very encouraging. It's great when prayer "works," yes?

But what happens when prayer "doesn't work"? We get dejected, disappointed, angry, and perhaps give up on that for something else. After all, we should stick with whatever works, right? Who would fault me for giving up on God after He let me down? Who could tell me, "No, Luke, stick with what's not working"?

Sometimes what appears to be not working still is. The analogy that just popped into my head is my alarm clock. It still works even though it is silent all but ten seconds of the day. It's doing something in the background, even if I have no idea what that is and it does nothing to help me now.

And so, as you consider your homeschooling options, and the extra-curricular opportunities you may have, be careful that you don't stop something that doesn't appear to be working when it actually is.

Because who would want you to stop something that's working?

Not me.

And probably not Bob or Joe either.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Studious and Observant

Pop quiz: What did I change on this blog yesterday?

...besides the post and the new Other Posts of Note.

Did you notice?

If you use an RSS reader, you are mostly off the hook--you're still docked half a point for not coming by to comment. ...Wait... eh... that post wasn't that worthy of comments, so you're only docked a quarter point <smile>. Moving on...

I like to fancy myself as observant.

Yet when we were on car trips my younger sister would always be the one to say, "Oh, look! A deer!"

I would peer out the window and see nothing but rocks and trees. My mother would say, "How very observant, Jonelle!" And I, being the very supportive older brother that I am, would sulk.

Then there are those "How good of a detective are you?" pictures. You know, those ones with a bunch of stuff strewn around a room. They let you look at it for a whole minute and then you have to turn it over and answer questions like:

• Were the drapes polka dotted or striped?
  
• How much change was on the desk?
  
• When did the old man leave the room?
  
• What were the exact words of the six page essay next to the computer?

Yep. Failed those too.

Using my incredible powers of deduction: I'm not very observant. Oh well, I have other skills, and I am so glad that my parents encouraged me in those and still do to this day. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. Instead of using those against each other, we should encourage these different bents and abilities to build one another up.

That's why one of my pet peeves is "boys vs. girls" events. Boys and girls are different. We don't need to drive a wedge further between the genders. Rather, we should start teaching children early on how to bless each other with these differences.

So what did I change?


Email

I added a button so you can email me (right click and select "Copy Email Address" if needed).

It has come to my attention that sometimes my words are less than perfect and you may take issue with how I turn a phrase or something I talk about. Most of you feel comfortable enough to leave a comment, but if you aren't, please email me. I do not want anyone to feel hurt, or belittled, or offended, or... anything negative, and not have a way to let me know.

Please, please email me if I have bothered you and you don't want to leave a comment. I want to make it right. And if my first six responses don't satisfy you, send me another. I don't want to be on your "bad list" because we didn't work something out.

Thank you.

Again, I'm not very observant, so it's taken me a while to realize I needed to add this option. And I apologize.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Bogged Down Blogging

I have been able to take on some new responsibilities here at Sonlight. I'm now involved with fixing the website and running some of the emails (such as the Beam). These systems can be really confusing--and rather finicky too--so after a few hours of wrestling today, I still can't get the emails to work.

And that's frustrating.

Granted, there is a learning curve to things. And sometimes that curve is rather steep.

Every once in a while something completely bogs me down.

...like trying to get the system to include the {firstname} string in an email greeting.

It's those little things that just don't seem to be clicking that bring everything to a halt; things like figuring out dinner plans, finding the motivation to mow the lawn, and getting to bed on time. Homeschooling adds another layer of complexity where things can get gummed up: clashing learning styles, stubborn children, or elements of your curriculum that just aren't working.

Those days are killer.

My mom would always tell me not to allow myself to get bogged down.

Such an admonition rarely helped. Instead, I would just sit there and beat my head--mostly metaphorically--against the assignment. I wouldn't take a break as she suggested. No. I needed to figure this out. I needed to get it done.

The best practice when you're bogged down is, not surprisingly, to take a break for a bit. After awhile, come back and reevaluate the situation and your options. Perhaps it's time to try a new math program (I switched when I hit Algebra because the program I was using bored me to the point of apathy). Maybe you need to switch to another level of reading (to find something your children really enjoy). Perhaps this book just isn't right for your family (there are many more books out there <smile>).

And homeschooling is flexible enough to let you just stop for a day and sit in the grass, play in the snow, or experience the beauty of watching your children mature. There's no need to stay stuck in the bog of frustration.

Instead, treasure that time. Consider it a blessing that you have the opportunity to get bogged down and do something positive instead.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Choose Your Words Carefully

Today was filled with reminders that how we phrase things is extremely important.

It started with the significant backlash I've seen against Rev. Lowery's racial remarks at the end his benediction during the inauguration.

Then I saw a fun example of how meaning changes when you move a word within a sentence.

After that, I read my dad's post about CHEC banning Sonlight from their convention.

And finally I had to respond to a person on my blog whom I had unintentionally offended. In fact, over the past week, I've been told by a couple people that a few of my word choices were potentially offensive or easily misinterpreted. Sometimes I fix those errors, and sometimes I leave them and plan to apologize if someone is bothered.

The two quick reminders from this that I am still learning:

1. Be careful how you phrase things.
2. Be ready to apologize when you are misunderstood.

That's what I've been thinking about today. I hope I am growing in this area as well.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Inaugurated Eschatology

...and transworld depravity.

As our next President begins his first term today, I am brought back to my college Bible classes. One of those "two dollar phrases" we learned was Inaugurated Eschatology: The Kingdom of God is here, but not yet. It has started to impact the world, but it has not been completely realized.

The other phrase was "transworld depravity"--the idea that every possible world would eventually succumb to evil--which has very little to do with today's topic.

"Transubstantiation" is also a fun one to throw around. ...moving on:

Has history been made today? Has the world changed?

Yes... and no. Each day is a new day; another opportunity to grow, learn, and impact others for good. On the other hand, the sun also rises. Yes, there has been change. And the change is distinct from other days. But every day brings about change. And yet the world is somewhat constant.

Which is why there will still be problems tomorrow when I get up.

And there will still be problem four years from now. Some issues may have been cleared up, and others will likely have been added. And even though President Obama is no messiah, he does share a commonality with Christ: He has been inaugurated and so he has begun his role.

But the world still has pain and suffering. Problems abound. And I will admit to more than a little frustration with the state of our depraved world of which I am a part. It really bothers me that I am not perfect--more because of the grief it causes me than any remorse I have at my condition, which further signifies my depravity <smile>--and I struggle to deal with the imperfect people in my life. Why can't it just all be better? Why hasn't the world been completely changed for good?

Because we're still in process. I am. You are. And so are your monsters angels children. We have yet to become who we are supposed to be.

And so, as you consider the historical inauguration today, remember that tomorrow has equal opportunity to bring about change for the future as you interact with those around you, whether they are exhibiting signs of transworld depravity or an inaugurated eschatology.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Anti-Inflamatory

Ibuprofen shamelessly traced from Wikipedia

When I was in Cross Country way back in my high school days, I had shin splints. After my races I would pop a few ibuprofen to reduce swelling and keep the pain at bay^*. Unfortunately, since digital cameras weren't really ubiquitous back those olden days, I don't have a picture of my huge Costco bottle of ibuprofen I had stashed away in my bag. But I had one. It was large.

So it was rather surprising to hear about a 13-year old girl who was strip searched for allegedly carrying the stuff.


Mrs. Sprinkles

[Assumes his best magician's voice] "I will now attempt to connect this story with today's holiday."

[Audience gasps in anticipation]

There are problems in this crazy world. And to make these issues right we can either work to correct them peacefully or we can resort to more... physical approaches. Martin Luther King, Jr. worked to bring about change in the area of civil rights via non-violent means. But this didn't mean that people weren't angry with him.

Not by a long shot.

We can learn a lot from this great man who brought about much needed change for the better. But much like my shin splints, these problems don't go away quickly. And yet, often, the least inflammatory methods of resolving issues are best.

Having a girl remove her clothes under the suspicion of carrying prescription drugs isn't exactly anti-inflammatory.

I would not want to draw a parallel between the problems of racism and the drug trade in our nation--as they are very different social ills and have very different impacts--yet, I wonder, what Dr. King would suggest as the more appropriate means to dealing with substances in a "zero tolerance" environment. Because, yes, if you are in a culture that has explicitly stated that any drug--even ibuprofen--will not be tolerated at all, then something must be done when these drugs turn up.

May we all gain a more gracious, yet firm and shrewd, approach to the social ills around us. May we take a cue from the courage of Dr. King who stood up for what was right, despite the threats to his life. And may we find a better, and anti-inflammatory, way of dealing with illicit substances.

...for many of us here, that way is through homeschooling where ibuprofen can be handed out like so much dependence inducing candy.

[The sound of scattered applause quickly fades as the handkerchief slips from the sleeve]

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

^*Turns out that "at bay" technically means cornered (forced to face attackers), and seems to have since developed into the idiomatic phrase meaning to keep away. I had no idea.

Terrorists

People complain that V for Vendetta glorifies terrorists, promotes anarchy, and touts violence as the solution to the world's problems.

Munich cautions against using retaliation as a means to get justice.

And today I got to thinking back on American history.

In coming to the Americas "we" didn't exactly treat the Native Americans very well. In fact, many of the things "we" did were downright evil. And yet, for the most part, we let those things slide in favor of where we are today. Let's not rock the boat. And since no viable solution seems to exist, we acknowledge the wrongdoing but decide we can't really do anything more.

Then we start getting pushed around by "our" king, and decide we would rather have a say in our taxes and laws. So "we" rebel, employ some guerrilla tactics for a while, do a few public demonstrations, and eventually make enough of a nuisance of ourselves--and kill enough people--that "we" gain "our" freedom.

[Aside: I will now dispense with the "we"s and "our"s. I just wanted to make it clear that I realize that we weren't alive then, so the "we"s are much more in the informal Royal We sense... which, in reality, makes no sense, but I'm doing my best here, people.

If you are lost, please ignore this aside. I'm just reveling in the cleverness of me <smile>]

After that, some upstarts in the lower regions start making a stink about taxes and other stuff, and the upper regions start taking an interest in productivity, manpower, and the unwritten rules of our nation. This leads to war, death, and destruction.

Eventually something happens and a couple tall buildings come down, killing friends, family members, and doing a tremendous amount of harm.

And so I ask:

1. Who are the terrorists?
"V for Vendetta" points out: One man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter.

2. What are "proper warfare" tactics?
History seems to imply: Whatever was used by the winning side to win.

Which brings us to the quote that goes something like:
He who wins writes the history.

So what's with this horribly simplified--and quite possibly errant--synopsis of American history? Well, today I came across this and this after reading my feed from here (the blog of which I am no longer able to read, so if you're the author, I'd love to be on your "approved reader list" again). There are also several heated threads on the Sonlight Forums discussing the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

I've read the threads and considered the comments. I've also heard bits and pieces from "the media." But the only personal experience I have in this area is with a friend of mine who recently visited Israel. He brought me back this shirt:


Free Palestine

He said he couldn't believe how poorly the Palestinians were treated and, he admitted, he wasn't too fond of the Israelis he encountered. From the descriptions he gave me of how things were over there, I was happy to wear to the shirt and support people who were mistreated.

At the same time, I realize that terrorists groups are very real in that part of the world. I know Israel has been picked on for a long, long time. I "get" the hatred, especially since I've spent time with a couple guys from my church who had a hard time learning to get along because one is a Jewish background believer and the other is a Muslim background believer. They know the tension and issues first hand.

So, what do we make of all this?

I don't know. And so far, I have yet to talk to someone who really does. But as I look back on history, the world is only black and white if you listen to the history written by the victorious. When those powers are no longer in charge, history tends to be less glowing in their favor.

Just a few musings from my trip around the world via the blogosphere.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Learn It and You'll Use It

My mother always told me that I would use everything I learn.

She probably said this when I was complaining about some subject that I wasn't entirely enjoying. I'm just sayin'.

But despite my protests, this has proven to be true. While interning with Toshiba, I was put in charge of rebuilding a training course in Spanish. Why? Because I had studied Spanish and so I "spoke" the language better than anyone else in the office... including my two ethnically Latino coworkers who only spoke English. I found it annoyingly ironic then.

I find it fascinating now.

Psychology tells us that we must "use it or lose it." And there is evidence that supports this on a biological level. But there is another law that seems to be at work--a law my mother knew way back in my early years of homeschooling: Learn it and you'll use it.

To this day, if forced to speak Spanish, I can't do much more than ask directions to a bathroom. Worse still, I have about a fifty-fifty shot at understanding the response. But even with my rather pathetic foreign language skills, I was able to complete a translation project in a language I hadn't touched in over four years.

In another example: I took a single drafting course in High School. I still use that knowledge to sketch diagrams now and again.


Beast's Castle: Jr. Year of High School

And today I added another aspect to my job description: Web content management for Sonlight.com. They're starting me off small with fixing typos and moving articles around. But eventually I'll start writing and posting content on Sonlight's site (and then fixing my typos after that <smile>).

When did I learn HTML and the other skills I need for this? On my own. In college. For fun.

And so once again, I learned something that had nothing to do with my major, my goals, or my interests but is now a nascent ability that has brought me to where I am today.

The same is true of you and your children. May this encourage you when you are wrestling with a subject that just isn't "clicking." May this inspire you as you consider your opportunities to study various subjects. And may this free you to enjoy the wonder and awe of life.

...because no matter what you learn, you'll end up using it somewhere.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father


Nascent: emerging; just coming into existence

Brought to you by Mrs. Sprinkles

What's Better Than a Wii?

I got this in a forward a week ago:

My two youngest have watched the Mathtacular DVDs 1 and 2 over and over. Well, the new 3rd edition came out so I immediately ordered it as they are wonderful supplements to any math curriculum. Christmas came and the children received a Wii from Grandma and Grandpa but what do my two youngest enjoy most and actually choose to do over the Wii - watch Justin!!!!

Fantastic! I'm glad that my children are more interested in MathTacular than the "amusement box."

THANK YOU.

Heidi F.

I must admit that every time I hear things like this I find them hard to believe. It floors me that I have been involved in producing content that is the "favorite movie" of kids all around the world. "My" DVD can bring more joy than Nintendo?

Several years ago, right out of film school, I planned to produce movies that would impact viewers worldwide. Toward this end I started my own production company. I still have the website, but it has never gone anywhere. And so after a year of struggling to find clients I gave up.

That started me producing media almost exclusively for Sonlight. Sure, I was making educational videos, but my dream had died. Everything I had worked toward had fallen through.

Today, for the first time, I finally put two and two together:
I've produced media that have impacted children worldwide.

So, in a sense, my dream came true--yes, I know, I'm dense because I didn't realize this sooner. But my dream didn't come true in the way I expected at all. The same is true, I believe, of our adoption journey: We expected to get pregnant, but didn't. Now we are on a path to another way for that dream to come true.

It hasn't been easy. It isn't easy now.

But it's good.

So what's better than a Wii?

Well, the MathTacular DVDs are one of those things.

But more than that: The profoundly odd way that life so often turns so that tragedy becomes a dream come true.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Do You Know How Much Gender Matters?

I blog about Sonlight here.

Not surprising since that's what this blog is all about.

But if there's one other topic that I've blogged or commented about more than all the others it is the book Why Gender Matters by Dr. Sax. Sometimes it gets so bad that I feel like a poster boy for Dr. Sax's work. Not that I feel bad about that.

My wife's mom sent us a copy because she thought it was interesting, so we started reading it.

And we almost couldn't put it down.

Page after page of information that we had never heard about innate differences between boys and girls. And we had both had excellent psychology classes, Brittany was an education major, and I consider myself fairly well informed. But this book completely blew us away.

Just a few "teasers":

Boys have a different makeup of photoreceptor cells than girls. Boys have fewer cones in favor of more rods. This means that girls are better at seeing color and texture, but boys are better at detecting motion. It makes sense, then, why girls use lots of colors and paint objects (people and flowers), whereas boys tend to be monochromatic and draw actions (like a rocket smashing into the earth).

Boys don't hear as well as girls. This makes it hard for boys sitting the back of a classroom taught by a woman. And it also means that girls can feel like a male teacher is constantly yelling at them.

Speaking of teachers: Girls see connection with a teacher as a status symbol--a good thing. Boys, on the other hand, see asking a teacher for help as a bad thing. Thus, when a girl asks her male physics teacher for help on the second day of class, he assumes she already spent ten hours beating her head against the assignment (as he would have done in school), and incorrectly conclude that she isn't capable of handling the topic.

Mothers also misunderstand that for boys doing something dangerous is a good thing. The mother, looking back on her own childhood, recalls that her friends thought doing dangerous things was foolish, and tells her son the same. Little does she realize that her son wants to ride his bike off the roof because it is dangerous... something his sister would never do.

...that kind of thing.

On every single page.

After reading Why Gender Matters, I have come to the strong belief that if you interact with children at all, this should be required reading. If this book isn't on your reading list for 2009--and you have yet to read it--you need to.

If you don't feel like it's worth buying yet, get it from the library (and scold them if they don't have it on hand, unless it's checked out <smile>). After you've read the first two chapters or so, you'll be back to buy it.

Seriously: Why Gender Matters is that good. That's why Sonlight started carrying it--on my recommendation <beams with pride>.

Don't just take my word for it, see what others are saying.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

The Difference of a Day

The blogosphere has included a fair number of posts about 24 in the recent days. I've only seen the first season, but I actually got to edit the pilot episode as an exercise while in film school. In other words, I don't know all that much about Jack Bauer. I do know that he's saved the world a few times in a couple twenty-four hour periods.

Which is great.

But my life isn't like that at all.

Granted, I don't work for the CTU and my name isn't Jack--which means I'm not a doctor either. So, maybe that's what's holding me back from greatness. I mean, it's been a long time since a Luke did anything super important--like bring balance to the universe.

No, my life is rather mundane. I have a pretty wife, but she doesn't work for the CIA. I don't have kids as they are currently in Kyrgyzstan. We have a pet rat, but, doesn't everybody?

In fact, most days are predictable and devoid of much more than bad weather to mix things up. I'm glad for that, in many ways. I like routine and consistency. Sure, I want a bit more--like kids--to be part of my life, but I don't need to be diffusing bombs with computer viruses, performing blood transfusions with sea urchin spikes, or saving my daughter from a cougar.

But I do want my life to be meaningful and important. And I find myself thinking that if I was just in this or that "place in life"--then, then I would be important. Then I could make a difference.

The problem is that such thinking can distract me from focusing on what I should be doing, and working on the aspects of my life that do make a difference. Nothing huge, but important. How I treat my friends, how I talk with my wife, how I go about my work... all of those things have huge implications for my life and the lives of those around me.

Every day.

So, whether you're changing diapers, pushing papers, or waiting on a government agency, don't forget:

Even Jack Bauer has to sleep sometimes.

And often the greatest heroes go unsung every single day.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Words for Today

I'm adding a new feature to my blog: A Word of the Day!

As I come across words with which I am unfamiliar I will post them here. So, this will certainly not be every day--as I have some semblance of a vocabulary--but I've run across enough blogs with words that are either new to me or had slipped from my usage. This is my attempt to continue my life-long education.


Miasma: an unwholesome atmosphere; unhealthy vapors

Brought to you by Angela

Yes, I shamelessly used Sonlight's logo, but I needed an image of a book and it works very well. At least, I think so <smile>.


Now, I know that I just wrote about how we must be wary of statistics and reports. On the other hand, we shouldn't ignore them either. And it is at least interesting--if nothing else--that studies show that daycare may not be good for kids. In fact, the more time young children spend away from their mothers, the more likely they are to exhibit agression and disobedience... potentially.


Jess

If this turns out to be a verifiable fact, it wouldn't surprise me. I can think of many reasons why being put into a system is less than beneficial for a child's development. In fact, my dad loves telling about the time a librarian commented on how homeschoolers were vastly different from public schooled children. Instead of shuffling up to the desk and stating, "I need some help," homeschooled children would frequently wait until she was done with her task, look her in the eye and say, "Would you help me, please?"

Granted, I know children--even of homeschoolers--aren't always that perfect. There is plenty of evidence of this out here on the blogosphere. And so if it turns out that further studies prove there isn't a big difference in the miasma surrounding kids at home vs. those in group care options, I'll be okay with that. But my guess is that, at minimum, the amount of positive time parents spend with their children does dramatically influence their behavioral norms.

So whether you homeschool or not, be sure to spend some time with your children today.

And if you're of the praying persuasion, I would appreciate any prayers for our children still stuck in Kyrgyzstan... as we can't currently spend time with them.

If you're more of the thinking type, I welcome your thoughts as well <smile>.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Phthalates

It's amazing to me how we learn about things. I mean, "bailout" wasn't part of my vocabulary until recently. And it appears that another word will soon be added to my growing internal dictionary...

Ever heard of a phthalate before?

Well, there are currently 14 posts in my reader that talk about them.

Why? Because of the CPSIA--which is currently sparking a wildfire of rants and questions from people all over the nation wondering how we will be affected by this rather vague and poorly constructed law.

I have not had time--nor do I think I ever will--to actually read this law and all the commentary on the subject. But it sure has other people worried, and confused. For example:

Here's the latest news that still has people scratching their heads.

What does this mean for Sonlight?

What does it mean for homeschoolers everywhere?

How do we test for phthalates anyway?

I don't have answers, but I'm keeping my eyes and ears open. I definitely don't want to be broadsided by this in a month.

The one bit of good news is that someone far smarter and more versed in the law is checking into it here at Sonlight. I don't know what I'll be able to pass on, but if I hear anything that is postable, I'll be sure to keep you all informed.

Until then, it may be time to start teaching your children about phthalates and remind them not to eat paint chips that haven't been tested under the CPSIA regulations.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

"Time Isn't Fair"

Today started off bad and didn't get better.

I'm not exactly depressed or upset, but things just haven't been good. Even so, I've keep my smile most of the time.

We'll see if I cry tonight.

I had a fight discussion with Brittany this morning, which took time out of my morning routine. This made me "late" for work [read: I came in at 7:30 instead of 6:30], and started things off on a less than pleasant note. Toward the end of our conversation, as I was heading out the door, I asked, "Why does time fly when I don't have any?"

"Because time isn't fair," my wise wife replied.

I noted that fact and tucked it away for a blog post later.

Two hours later, during our large group meeting, we got news that shattered morale. Not fun, but not public information either. Sorry.

We've long known that life isn't fair. That's one of those lessons that we learn early on but only apply toward things working against us. We rarely remember or notice when life has been unjust in our favor.

We've also known that time is a sneaky creature as well: He never waits for us and he moves more quickly when we're enjoying ourselves. He also runs away when we could really use him. Yet I had never heard, until this morning, that time itself is unfair.

Many research claims aren't exactly fair either. My mom sent me a link to an article that says homeschoolers do better academically than their public schooled peers, suggesting that I remind parents "that homeschooling works." And homeschooling absolutely does work.

Homeschooling is great!

But I've read very fascinating articles that point out that such statistics are horribly skewed. Milton Gaither points out that if we

control for variables like family income, race, and parent educational attainment level when making comparisons with the general population ...homeschoolers usually come out looking more average on things like standardized tests and college matriculation.

Mr. Gaither further responds to the report linked in the article above by saying:

What [Mr. Ray] ought to be saying and what other journalists and pundits who use his studies ought to be saying is not that homeschoolers outperform public schoolers. They ought to be saying that some middle-class, white, two-parent, conservative Protestant homeschoolers who volunteered for a research study that was pitched to them as a great opportunity to show off homeschooler success to the public, score in the 80th percentile or above on standardized tests.

So, yes, my mom is absolutely right: Homeschooling works. It works at least as well as any other educational system available.

Is it statistically 30% better than average?

That has, as far as I know, yet to be empirically demonstrated.

But time isn't playing fair again, and I must leave this post for now. Just remember: Just because someone has data or some other "proof," they may not be playing fair either. The difficulty is getting to the truth, since none of us are completely fair.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Connotations, Definitions, and Inferences

Words have different connotations, which can cause miscommunication. For instance, if I were to say, "Would you leave a comment on my blog, please," that could be taken as a genuine cry for help or as a mean/whiny demand for attention. (Please feel no need to express which you think I tend to employ <smile>)

Words often have different primary definitions for people as well. For example, if I say, "It's time for bed!" I think, 'Hurray, we get to go to sleep,' but Brittany thinks, 'He's rushing off to leave me laying awake and alone all night.'

It's a significant area of tension in our relationship.

But even knowing of these different approaches to words, sometimes I'm still thrown off when I read other blogs. Today, while catching up on Pamela's blog, I read the following:

I don't have all the books we need [for this semester of school]. I do have the curriculum and all the teacher things, but not the books.

I re-read the sentence because there had to be a typo. How in the world can you have "curriculum" and your required teaching tools and not have books?

And then it hit me: Some people define "curriculum" in a completely different way than I do.

Shocking. I know. But for me, with my Sonlight background, "curriculum" is a pile of books. Sure, curriculum also includes the science kits and the Instructor's Guides, but Sonlight's curriculum is books.

And this is the first time that I've been able to understand why places like Ambleside bother me so much: They claim to be "free curriculum" without giving you anything more than a schedule and a booklist. "That's not curriculum!" I retort.

Yet, for some people, it is. That's their definition. The connotation of curriculum for many families is the method/approach/system they will use as they educate their children. And I can see that. In fact, saying that we're a "Sonlight family" means exactly that. So it's really not that Ambleside provides great schedules and resources for so many families that gets under my skin. That's not it at all. Rather, it's the inference that can be drawn when you read about "free curriculum" that bugs me.

See, if you can get "free curriculum" at this site or you can pay for your curriculum at this site... why would you pay for curriculum at all? That inference bothers me because that's comparing apples to oranges (to borrow the colloquialism). One is an outline with recommended resources, the other is a package of books and materials. The inference is all wrong.

If we were comparing, say, Office to Open Office... well, then we could make such an inference: They are very, very similar--just one is open source and free and the other is not.

I guess I don't really have anything else to say about this. I just made a connection that I hadn't quite been able to put into words before now. Thanks for reading.

The vocabulary lesson is now over. The words we learned today are:

Connotation
Definition
Inference
Colloquialism
and, um... linebacker

"You know, education at its finest."

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

"Random" Stuff

It amuses me when people say something and then add that it was "totally random."

Umm, no. Your brain made very specific jumps--even if you didn't follow them--to get you from wherever we were a moment ago to the where we are now. It may appear random to those who didn't follow all those jumps, but it was anything but.

In fact, one of my wife's favorite Pinky and the Brain episodes explores this very idea.

Where was I?

Oh yes: This post may appear random but is, in fact, a bunch of smaller bits that were too disjointed to fit into a cohesive post... hence: "Random."


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The latest winner of the Digital Flatline contest has been determined. This contest was for Sonlight students to create six icons with the theme of Christmas. You can see all the entrees here, but the winner was Meredith:


Congratulations, Meredith!


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I'm thrilled with the response I've had from my post on Friday. What fun!


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I love hearing about homeschool dads who discover the joy of reading with their kids. I must admit that sometimes I'm rather grumpy about reading to Brittany because reading can make me really tired. But whenever I'm reading a great book, I'm reminded of the joy of reading aloud to others. It is a blast!


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I'm pretty sure I signed my tithe check 1/4/08 yesterday.

Oops.


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Nevil was so excited about getting to his food last night that he ran down my arm and fell off. In the process he ripped off half my arm trying to stay on. I have a rather nasty scrape, the origin of which I could not figure out this morning.


Ouch


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That's it for the moment. I don't have much time to write today. Sorry. But there is plenty of material to read in my Other Posts of Note, in case you forgot that was there <smile>.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Cost Effective: Public School or Sonlight?

Which method of education is more cost-effective: Sonlight or your local Public School?

Which is less expensive?

Well, we all know Sonlight is a rather high-priced option in the homeschooling world, it's true. That is due to the many great books that come in every package, and we do our best to make the price tag worthwhile beyond the great resources by offering world class support and fantastic guarantees. Even so, Sonlight is one of the most expensive homeschool curriculum options. I quickly poked around and found that the Sonlight Newcomer 5s are the most expensive packages Sonlight offers at around $1,200.

If you have more than one child, your cost will be split between them making it much more viable for larger families. Plus, you're building an incredible library and all those other benefits Sonlight users rave about.

The fact remains: $1,200 for a year's worth of curriculum from Sonlight.

So how much does your local public school spend per child?

I did a quick search and found that in 2006 public schools spent over $9,100 per student.

Almost eight times as much as Sonlight's most expensive package today.

Eight.

Then I read an article that suggests that, realistically, the number should be closer to $25,000 per child.

Over twenty times as much.

And yet we hear, over and over again, that the public educational system doesn't have enough money; we need to increase our educational budget; our teachers are underpaid; our schools aren't given enough resources to properly educate our children. If any of those are true, I want to know where the money is going.

When I was in high school I had to buy some of my books. And the texts offered by the school were worn out and I certainly didn't get to keep them. So what did I get for all that money?

Does "socialization" really cost that much?

The system is deeply flawed somewhere.

I'd really like someone to fix it.

Here's the post that got me thinking about this today. Be sure to watch the video if you've got five minutes and then, perhaps, do some research about your local school system's budget.

It certainly is eye-opening.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

P.S. If you're interested, my latest article is up on Heart of the Matter as well.

Happy New Year!

From our peeps to yours.


Justin and Me


Winged Helm, Crown, Pirate Hat, Mars Rover, Feather Cap, Box, Crown

What's with the hats? Learn more on Brittany's blog.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father