HS Comments on the Fly

Yeah, that journalizing in the subject line is really irritating, but it is the correct word according to m-w.com. Who knew? When is journaling going to be accepted?

Anyway, back to the point: Due to lack of interest (or some other undisclosed reason), I’m going to return to making sporadic entries here.

Catch me later.

Okay, I’ll admit it … I wrote a scathing commentary on learning the Latin language.

Yeah, it’s not really all that scathing; it’s just seems that way because sometimes a few people get emotional about their choices and think that because Latin is good for them, then it must be good for everyone else and anyone who isn’t learning Latin is, therefore, offensive, incompetent, and ignorant. Those folks don’t like my little composition.

So in that little essay I mention that Latin is good for those entering the clergy or going into linguistics or something like that. And now, I’ve found another job that sometimes employs the use of the Latin language!

Here’s a quote from The Lost Painting: The Quest for a Caravaggio Masterpiece:

Wait, I have to set up the story first. Two art history students in Rome are part of a team working on finding out which of two paintings is the original Caravaggio (a painter) painting of John. These two ladies are researching the old inventories of a certain family to see if they can find mention of an old painting because they are trying to find out when it was acquired by the family. They are reading inventories all the way back into the 1600s. Now I’ll try again with the quote:

It took them hours to check the pages of a single inventory. Some of the old volumes had held up well over the years, but in others the ink had turned feathery brown on the brittle pages. They bent over the documents, trying to decipher the handwriting of notaries and bookkeepers, which was, it seemed, invariably small and difficult ot puzzle out, with some entries in Latin and others in old Italian, full of abbreviations and curious spellings.

Cool, huh? So, there’s an additional practical use of the Latin language.

… Support Us In This Boycott Of Germany By Vowing Not To By [sic] Goods, Travel To, Or Support Any Commerce With Germany. (source)

I suppose you’re already involved in this boycott — after all, you are a homeschooler. But I just heard about it.

This boycott is supposed to influence Germany into returning German teen Melissa Busekros to her German family. The web site provides links to Melissa’s story and also the German companies that are to be boycotted. Some big names include Bayer, DHL, Merck, Volkswagen, BMW, Siemens, T-Mobile, and Random House.

I won’t be involved in it, though, because I love my Miele upright vacuum and will continue to buy vacuum cleaner bags. I’ve had a Miele or Miele-designed vacuum cleaner since around ‘92 and have no intention of switching. This the one I own right now; I have the maroon one. It’s a dream come true. I can’t imagine going out and buying a new non-German vacuum to use until Melissa Busekros is returned to her family, which is when I would be allowed to buy more vacuum cleaner bags.

I can easily comply with the German travel part of the boycott. Traveling to Germany has never been high on my priority list. So, I guess I’ve been boycotting travel to Germany all my life.

Curious, I gave our home and garage a cursory glance, looking for German items. We use German technical pens and pencils, binoculars, power tools, a metronome, and a few other items, but not many. Interestingly enough, some of these items were assembled in other countries. My Miele vacuum was made in Spain. One of the power tools was made in Taiwan. How does that affect things? It seems like there will be collateral damage. Is that the right term?

A little bit of news.

From an article about alienated gifted students in the public schools:

According to the U.S. Department of Education, home-schooling rose 29 percent across the country between 1999 and 2003.

In a separate article which discusses how U.S. universities are easing policies for homeschoolers, Ana Beatriz Cholo (AP) writes:

Last fall, however, Riverside [the Riverside campus of the University of California] joined a growing number of colleges around the country that are revamping application policies to accommodate homeschooled students….

UC Riverside is actively recruiting homeschoolers, said Merlyn Campos, interim director of undergraduate admissions.

“There are a lot of students out there that are very prepared for a college level education,” she said. “They are kind of being forced into going into a community college.”

Frank Vahid, a UC Riverside computer science professor, was among those who lobbied for the change, contending the school could gain a competitive advantage because homeschoolers have a lot to offer.

Vahid’s own children are taught at home. His 15-year-old son also takes community college classes and will likely try to transfer into to a public university.

That is good news because the University of California system of schools were not overly welcoming to homeschoolers over the past couple of years because of their special rules that affected homeschoolers adversely — even the article uses the term “lost cause.”

Jessica Marks writes about a homeschooled visual artist named Brittney Diamond who airbrushes with a mixture of liquid lead, charcoal and pencil:

Art that she creates upstairs in her home has been valued at thousands of dollars, and people can’t get enough of her work….

Brittney only learned about airbrushing six months ago.

What gives her the edge is that she’s home schooled, [mother] Teri said.

“The one thing with home schooling has helped children find their passion,” she added.

For Brittney, that was art - and specifically, airbrushing….

Though art is a passion for Brittney, she only spends about an hour a day in her studio working on it.

If you’d like to see what Brittney Diamond’s work looks like, I found two paintings at the Liquid Lead Art Studio which is selling prints — “Jack Sparrow” and “a horse.” The pirate painting is startling in its intensity; it seems to capture what Captain Jack is all about.

From Salem, Oregon, we get a fun story about homeschooler Jordan Berrier. He plays basketball for the local public school and his nickname is “Homeschool.”

“He’s one of the more popular kids at school, and he doesn’t even go to school here. People all over the place know him and chant Homeschool for him when he’s announced.”

Berrier, a senior by eligibility standards, has tried going to public school a few times, but it never has stuck.

There was a three-day stint at an elementary school — he doesn’t remember which — and a semester of taking electives at Adam Stephens Middle School.

He has taken a few weight-training classes at McKay, but he has done better academically in the home-school environment.

Bill Poehler takes the obligatory prejudicial swipe at other homeschoolers with:

Unlike a lot the [sic] typical home-schooled students, Berrier (pronounced like Perrier) is well-adjusted and blends in enough with his McKay teammates that outsiders can’t tell the difference.

I believe Poehler is actually saying that a lot of typical home-schooled students are not well-adjusted and don’t blend in. I wonder if he’s basing that opinion on anecdotal evidence or something actually substantial.

Okay, I think that’s enough news for now. It’s enough for me for sure.

According to a recent article, Flying Point Press has started printing a nonfiction series for boys aged 10-15. It has pulled a few of its titles from the critically acclaimed Landmark series (my review).

Here are the first fifteen titles:

• The Stout-Hearted Seven: Orphaned on the Oregon Trail by Neta Lohnes Frazier
• Lawrence of Arabia by Alistair MacLean*
• Geronimo: Wolf of the Warpath by Ralph Moody*
• General George Patton: Old Blood & Guts by Alden Hatch
• The Sinking of the Bismarck: The Deadly Hunt by William L. Shirer*
• John Paul Jones: The Pirate Patriot by Armstrong Sperry*
• George Washington: Frontier Colonel by Sterling North*
• The Barbary Pirates by C. S. Forester*
• Teddy Roosevelt: American Rough Rider by John Garraty
• Behind Enemy Lines: A Young Pilot’s Story by H. R. DaMallie
• Ben Franklin: Inventing America by Thomas Fleming
• Admiral Richard Byrd: Alone in the Antarctic by Paul Rink
• Path to the Pacific: The Story of Sacagawea by Neta Lohnes Frazier
• Amelia Earhart: Flying Solo by John Burke
• Alexander the Great by John Gunther*

It looks like these books would be fine for girls also if you ask me.

My son really enjoyed Lawrence of Arabia when he was about 14 or 15. I imagine most boys that age would, considering it was written by the successful and talented author Alistair MacLean. Here’s a little more info about it that I tried to decipher from the dustjacket:

“[Lawrence of Arabia’s] passions affected the outcome of a world war and helped determine the future of the Middle East.

This is the story of how one man, a young British officer, fell in love with the mystery and romance of Arabia, and how he helped build a mighty army out of scattered Arab tribes. His tale is filled with impossible marches through waterless deserts, ambushes of Turkish troop trains, blinding sandstorms and blizzards, and fierce battles on camelback.

Alistair MacLean uses his remarkable storytelling skills to bring to life an army of colorful characters in Arabia: British officers, Turkish soldiers, and Bedouin warriors. With amazing details of bloody battles and desert treks, MacLean gives us an important insight into the origins of the Middle East as we know it today.”

We listened to The Stout-Hearted Seven way back when and thoroughly enjoyed it. I imagine that many children would be inspired by the Sager story. I remember my teacher reading to our class about the Sager children.

Anyway, Landmark Books have long been a staple in homeschools. We have quite a few still on our shelves, and I intend to keep them for the grandkids. Some are just so helpful, but others can be a bit dry. It just depends. There’s a list of the “World Landmarks” and the “US Landmarks” on this page near the bottom.

I’m not sure that buying a book and handing it to a teen is always the best way for the student to enjoy the book. For us, it sometimes worked better if we read the book together as a way to wind down to the school day. Sometimes the student will ask to read the book on his/her own after getting a couple of chapters finished, and I often went along with that and still read it aloud to the other. But sometimes, we just read it all together, taking turns and folding clothes. Sometimes we’d play “Stump the Smart-Aleck Mom.” Sometimes the book was a dud, but usually not. Sometimes I had to leave a new book on the coffee table and hope for the best. I ended up just buying books (mostly from thrift shops or I’d have gone broke) and then letting the kids take their pick out of a pile or off the shelf. You know, “Go read something from the Colonial Period.” Sure, I have lots of books that my children never read, but they did read a lot and so did I. So, I can’t say I regret overbuying. And now I’m just blathering on … blah, blah, blah.

hat tip: Farm School

*part of the original Landmark series

While paging through Around the World in 180 Days, I saw this question and answer:

What is the official language of Australia?

English (with a mixture of British and Aborigine terms)

????? Can you see me squinting and trying to figure out why the answer would be written that way?

English with a mixture of British terms … that’s a odd way to put it if you ask me. Why isn’t something like “Australian English” the proper answer?

Okay, so I went and looked it up at Wikipedia and Australian English is the proper answer. I found the answer in the article titled “List of dialects of the English Language.”

Just a few, quick, non-grammatically correct comments on my favorite TV show.

The Amazing Race, Season 11, Episode 3

Mary, of team Kentucky, said of her coal-mining husband:

David don’t never touch fish.

Yes, the fish Roadblock was a little disconcerting for the contestants. They flew to Puerto Montt (still Chile) and were required to get in a metal tank full of knee-deep water and 80 flounder the size of large pizzas. But that’s where the resemblance ends because pizzas don’t flip and flop as if reacting to steroid-strength seizures. The contestants had to make multiple trips, carrying them in a strainer down a hill to another tank to get their next clue. Rob really got a big kick out of Eric telling Danielle to use her chest to hold the fish in the strainer.

Puerto Montt (at about latitude 42S) is down in the Lake District of Chile. Who knew that Chile even had a Lake District? Its beauty is breathtaking. One member of team Guido was really wanting some Chardonnay; the other reminded us that Chile makes good wine. That’s absolutely true, which you can verify by reading the Chile section in The New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia. Ah, the things you learn watching The Amazing Race. Actually, I do appreciate things like that — just a snippet of info to keep it all educational.

I can’t remember who won the fish fiasco, but it was either Rob & Amber or Eric & Danielle. Rob & Amber are such competitors … they make me laugh and shake my head. Rob is always thinking of ways to win. And off they went to find the next clue which was a Detour near Petrohue, Chile, where they could pick between rafting or rock climbing. Everyone chose rafting.

Of course, the Beauty Queens chose rafting by accident. They missed the Detour clue, and were, therefore, quite clueless when they arrived at the mat with Phil and the local. The Beauty Queens are so happy all the time that it’s just fun to watch them. Dustin actually smiled when Phil told them they were clueless (missed a clue) and had to go find it. Kandice looked perplexed and appalled. But they went back and found it and still came in 4th. Good for them.

Let’s see … highlights. We’ve got a real slice of U.S. citizens on the show.

Charla & Mirna verbally bugged Teri & Ian at an airline counter when they were trying to get on stand-by. Ian called for security and Mirna called Ian the King of Rude or something like that.

Charla & Mirna grabbed a guy off the street in Puerto Montt, who said that he had to work, to take along with them to give them directions. They told him that they’d pay him $50. I have no idea what happened to him (as in, how did he get back home?), but he was still with them up near Petrohue which was miles away — maybe 50+ — or maybe it was kilometers. Regardless, quite a ways away.

Oswald and Danny are actually from Cuba. Cuba. Castro, Che, and Ricky Ricardo Cuba. Who knew? I bet they told us this before, but … well … sometimes I miss stuff … you know, clueless. And my atlas juggling during the show is a bit of a distraction, too. So maybe we’ll hear more about this later. I’d go look at the CBS web site, but it crashes my computer for some reason. More cardio … words to live by.

Teri fell out of the raft into the rapids, but the expert boatman pulled her out before I could even blink. Very skilled guy.

Rob and Amber won the leg — 3rd time in a row! They won a home fitness center to enjoy “after the end of the race.” Why does Phil say it that way? Like they’d immediately stop the race, go home, and start working out.

We can’t remember what Joyce’s hair looked like when it was long. I remember being horrified that she had to cut it to win the last season they were on. Anyone know of an online pic of Joyce with long hair?

This article tells us that Charla has a secret weapon — wheelies. I don’t get how those will help her to run faster, but what do I know? I’ve never worn wheelies. I’d probably topple over if I tried to run in them. I guess we’ll see them in an upcoming episode. But where? Don’t you have to have a smooth surface to use them? Maybe in an airport.

The coal miners, David & Mary, were the last to reach the mat and were eliminated. They miss the Chos from last season — me, too. Famous last words by Mary while speaking to David: “Olive you.” Would that be green olives or black?

My daughter and I are reading For the Love of Venice together separately. I got it just for the Venice info, but it has some info on the MOSE project, which is a bonus.

In case you don’t happen to be familiar with the MOSE project (which I wasn’t until we recently saw a Discovery Channel show), it has as its goal the saving of the lagoon that surrounds Venice, Italy, by the strategic placement of barrier walls and floodgates. I think this paper, in .pdf format, probably explains the problem and the proposed solution the best — and with some illustrations.

I’m on page 72 of For the Love of Venice and so far we’ve got

• a main character who is high school boy (a senior) w/younger brother, mom, dad
• a main character who is a U.S. citizen visiting Venice for summer
• a dad who is a civil engineer working on the MOSE project
• a mother who is spacey artist
• a short discussion of subsidence of Venice and floodgates
• a short discussion of pollution of the lagoon
• description of life in Venice
• a girl in ice cream store who is probable romantic interest
• some graffiti and intrigue

So far, I think For the Love of Venice is fairly good. If you’ve got a trip to Venice in your future or you need an interesting novel to help with geography class, your children might enjoy it. It definitely gives the reader a feel for the place, and if you have a guidebook handy, you can look the places up on a map.

Playright, George Bernard Shaw turned this place into Heartbreak Homeschool for the past three days as we slogged our way through Heartbreak House. (Heartbreak House at Wikipedia and at Gutenberg)

Oh, the misery he caused us. True, we could’ve turned the show off at any time — and we often did — but we felt we must give it a fair shake by watching it all. We are slated to watch an acting company perform Heartbreak House soon; hence our watching now to familiarize ourselves with it. As a result, though, I’m re-thinking things.

It’s a play with a message. The message overpowers the entertainment value. Plus, I was expecting a comedy, but it just wasn’t all that funny. So part of the reason I didn’t like it was expectations. But it also seemed like there was just too much whining about the opposite sex and stuff. So, it just wasn’t as much fun as I was hoping for. (review)

The bright spot in the whole play was Sir John Gielgud, a true master. I first became familiar with him by name when he stole the show in Arthur. I know … shame on me for not knowing of him sooner. Watching him in Heartbreak House cemented my respect for his talent. I’m not sure why he’s so captivating, but he is.

Is it just me or does Britain turn out more good actors than the rest of the world? (Rickman, Branagh, Kitchen, Rush, Harris, etc.)

Dreadful technique. You’ve confused rays with beams! D! Minus! I’d give you an F, but that would only mean having to see you in summer school.

~ Mr. Medulla in Sky High, rated PG

I only try to get away with this movie quote when my students have done really well on a project that they’ve come to show me. Otherwise, it could probably be a crushing comment. I think having older teens helps; I couldn’t say this to a kindergartner.

Have you seen Sky High? I thought it was kind of cute and a wee bit creative.

Product description: From Disney, Will Stronghold, son of superheroes Commander and Jetstream (Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston), hasn’t physically matured enough to get his own “superpowers.” He struggles at Sky High school in despair, trying to hide is dilemma, as his friends go about with their powers in full force. Will wonders if he’ll ever get his superpowers. It has a good ending, with Will understanding that there’s more to being a hero than superpowers. Sounds a bit trite, but it’s a fresh perspective.