another blog that I like...

is this one. She seems to be the type of person that would actually read this blog.

Anyway, are last year's NaNoWriMo authors ready for November this year???? Mwah HAH HAH!!

And what is everyone up to? I miss everyone. Even the new lurkers that I do not even know. Please out yourselves!

And behold another reason why living in New York City suits me fine:

Tour today

Sooo......A and a friend took a tour of DC Comics today. While the boys were whisked upstairs to take the private tour with Very Important Professional Who Works There, I waited in the cafe downstairs. I drank a latte and peered into the current issue of Vogue. I know, so brain-drain.
I guess I am happy to know that Kate Winslet is a real "blackhead-squeezing, spot-getting, irritating" type of woman.

Again while waiting for the kids on tour, I crossed the street to David Letterman. "How do I get tickets?" I asked the David Letterman tickets helper. I must participate in a quiz, I was told. "Oh?" I said. I must show up between the hours of 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and participate in said quiz. If I get the answers right, I might get a phone call. Then I might be able to attend the David Letterman show that same evening. "I see," I said. "Thank you for the info." And Oh, the David Letterman tickets helper asked me, Is that Marvel Comics over there? "No, DC Comics," I said. Cool, the helper said.

When the boys came out, they had Superman bags in their possession, comic books inside.

I got a phone call on my cellphone. "We have Climbing Parnassus here at the store for you," said a Barnes & Noble bookseller. Ah yes.

It was about time.

Yes, dear reader, you are right...

...these have been a few months of Maitresse "light."

A has an intense summer of estuary biology in store for him, beginning in July. I assigned to him structured reading of "Lord of the Flies" and so far, he hates it. "Too violent." Ah, well.

A likes to use the word "apparently" a lot. As in his cellphone voicemail automated message: Apparently, I am on the other line or away from my phone right now. Leave a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

We are eating way too much Thai food of late. The owner of the Thai establishment which I frequent has taken to ordering food items for me. "You can't eat the same thing over and over," he tells me. So one day I let him choose. "If your son likes Pad See Iew, he will like this one," he suggested. So that is our new dinner routine. I call, and somebody else decides what we eat. So far, we haven't been disappointed. And we have been promised a hook-up in Bangkok by the same restaurant owner.

And apparently, A is less and less interested in blogging, and more and more interested in taking my laptop apart (5 x /day) and figuring it out. That and flash programming. I am most interested in hearing from anyone if their kid(s) have had much success in software programming? Only one of you (Liz) has provided links, thus far...

Much drama in the behind-the-scenes of Big Project. We will be heading on vacation a couple of weekends from now. I need the peace and quiet.

OK, we just covered Rwanda. And a little Afghanistan. A knew all the languages of Rwanda, and Afghanistan, and the politics of each country. I love hotbed quizzes.

Man, I need a new template. A few h-schooling bloggers seem to be changing theirs...MySchola, M-MV...

A is currently taller than I am. He stands at 5'9" at 12 years old. Arturo Vega, artistic director for the Ramones, was flabbergasted when he found out A's age. "Erm, didn't Joey stand this tall at around his age?" I asked. Joey was skinnier, though.

And yes, La Mai's next big project is the classroom. I keep saying it, because I have to. It's my mantra. Like, "I am going to Teany Teas today." And lo and behold, I find myself sitting over oatmeal and scones, and tea infused with rosebuds.

MWAH HAH HAH!!!

Surprise Geography pop quiz in store for A.....I can't mention the countries that will be quizzed here, lest he secretly check this blog to find out...

More than Act One...

Okay, I've been awful about posting regularly. My apologies. Life has been...well, you know.

A has said recently that he "would like to work part-time and make some money. And learn about stocks." Which is a refreshing change from, "I want to play in a band." Of course, he can do both. So, we've been brainstorming about job ideas: make a product and sell it (his friend Avi sells home-made soap on the street in the Lower East Side), work part-time at CBGB, or something else. Recently, we had electrical issues in our apartment, and he chatted up the electrician. "Mom, did you know that electricians make $43 an hour while they're in electrician college? And you can travel ANYWHERE you want with electrician skills!" Really? I replied.

A is getting very good at HTML programming and I have succumed to his request to purchase Flash animation software. Perhaps he will be a self-made Flash website programmer like this self-taught flash animation designer. I would love to have our classroom set up in her studio building, by the way, but it looks like we might settle for Long Island City. Who knows.

We plan to see Shakespeare's As You Like It featured at Public Theater beginning June 25 (it's free!). SparkNotes No Fear Shakespeare will be our guide until we see the live production. We hope the lucifers come out to the bushes to keep us company, as they did last summer...

Ernie Fritz, the documentary filmmaker who has been involved in my Big Project, caught me talking about homeschooling. Ernie frequents the theater an awful lot. And he updates me on the shows he sees. I wish for A to become as interested in theater. We really are very lucky to have the type of entertainment that we do here in New York City.

Curriculum has taken a while to "gel" so please be patient while we figure out what we're using this time around (it's still classical-based). Homeschoolers get the luxury of figuring out, by trial and error, what instruction actually works instead of being chained down to a set type of textbook or publishing house or software.
And that's just the way we like it.

Just Act One.

So I gave a No Fear (SparkNotes) copy of Hamlet to A to read.

Just Act One, I said. We'll go over the play together after you've read Act One. I did not ask him to mark up his copy of the play with notes.

When I checked with A to discuss Hamlet, he informed me that he read the play in its entirety. Both the Shakespearean English and the modern.

Yes, I tested him to make sure. What does this mean? I asked. He knew, and translated to the modern English from memory. And what does that mean? He knew that, too. He knew everything.

I felt like Julia Roberts' character in Mona Lisa Smile.

Also, A refuses to go to any "Children's Books" section in bookstores. He hit puberty last year, and is now taller than me (love when Joey Ramone's mother said, "Oh, well, when Joey was your age, he was already six feet tall..."). He's growing up fast, but not quite a teen yet.

We are studying Afghanistan and Cuba for the Geography Bee.

We saw Star Wars: Episode III last night, and today we discuss the Shakespearean elements in the film.

anyone try...

incorporating Ayn Rand into their studies at all?

A is currently reading The Pianist for pleasure.

I just finished The Fountainhead (yes, it was my first time reading it).

I think both stories resonate with an individualist theme.

A is back at the River Project, studying for the Geography Bee for next year, among other things. I'll post our curriculum soon.

After current Big Project is done, I intend to make our classroom a reality for other students. You know I thrive on this stuff, right?

So...here it is. My Press Release.

I have been moving mountains for the past two months. Boy, do my arms hurt...

"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -

CELEBRITIES and Others URGE NYC TO DECLARE CBGB AN OFFICIAL LANDMARK

New York City, May 5, 2005 – What do Jonathan Demme, Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye, Deborah Harry of Blondie, Juliette Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Tommy Ramone, Charlotte Lesher (mother of the late Joey Ramone), Arturo Vega (artistic director for the Ramones), Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads, Richard Lloyd of Television, Little Steven, Legs McNeill, Richard Hell, Fab 5 Freddy, Seymour Stein of Sire Records, Cheetah Chrome of the Dead Boys, Bob Gruen, the Bullys, Richard H.D. Manitoba, Dennis McNamara, Daniel Wolff, John Holstrom of Punk Magazine, John Foxworthy of Garage Radio, cultural sociologist Dr. Donna Gaines, Rockefeller University Professor Dr. Sanford Simon, an entrepreneur and survivor of spina bifida, and a teacher in Honolulu all have in common? They are supporting efforts currently underway to help CBGB & OMFUG stay on the Bowery (the club currently faces a rent dispute and lease expiration on August 31, 2005), and are backing a campaign to preserve the club's legacy with an official New York City landmark designation for 313-315 Bowery.

CBGB’s is already featured as a New York icon and destination location in ads by NYC2012, Continental Airlines, and real estate developments such as Avalon Chrystie Place; club t-shirts have been worn by television stars on shows such as “ER” and “Gilmore Girls.”

“CBGB is a treasure of New York culture,” says Tommy Ramone, “It was the original magnet that drew people from every corner of America to come to New York and participate in its rebirth.” In a statement to Project Save CBGB, Seymour Stein of Sire Records says, “At all costs, CBGB’s must be preserved. It is more than a landmark. CBGB is an international treasure!”

CBGB’s, launching bands since 1973, receives on average about 1,500 visitors a week who do not necessarily attend its shows but who just want to step inside and take a look. “With daily visitors from Japan, Argentina, Norway, to New Zealand among other countries, CBGB functions as an historic destination in New York as much as does the Dakota Building,” says Athena of Project Save CBGB.

Widely acknowledged by music critics as the birthplace of the Punk and Underground Rock movement, CBGB’s is also credited with launching the careers of some of the most important artists in musical history --- including The Ramones, Talking Heads, Patti Smith Group, Television, and Blondie. More recently, CBGB’s has become a shrine to punk’s departed music heroes---the club resides adjacent to the street corner designated by the City of New York as Joey Ramone Place.

“Project Save CBGB” organized with the intention to keep CBGB's on the Bowery, and to preserve it for future generations. We invite you to join us in requesting landmark designation for 313-315 Bowery, under the guidelines established by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. ### "

Update...

So A is in Florida with my mother while I get my &^*&* together with the first Big Project. Fortunately for us homeschoolers, we can travel when we want to, and not interrupt our studies.

Regarding first Big Project: I am issuing a press release this coming week (or so). It ain't easy dealing with all the different Ramones folks, and others, plus having to beg your friends for Yoko Ono's assistant's phone number. I have learned a lot about diplomacy, and about self-respect and establishing boundaries when you do volunteer work for nada.

A will be back to join me in time for Joey Ramone's Birthday Bash.

My mother is teaching A Spanish. A's accent (and vocabulary) have gotten great overnight. It's almost shocking.

I met with Joey Ramone's mother at her home this week, and now have a documentary film camera on my tail. The filmmaker is Ernie Fritz, who did the Bruce Springsteen documentary "Blood Brothers."

Joey Ramone's mother and I talked about our kids, parenting, and stuff, including how so many kids are spoiled. Joey's mother is an artist, and Joey was an incredibly generous soul. If you don't already know, he would give his autograph to anyone who would ask him on the street (because he once had a bad experience when he asked for an autograph from a famous person - he made a decision to never let that happen to anyone on his account). A phone call with Joey would be a 7-hour adventure, because he'd answer everyone who'd call him on call waiting.

I hope the documentary camera catches A's homeschooling, or at least a mention of it.

so Maitresse is thinking about renting a space...

...like a classroom.

I see the beginnings of another big project...

this post had to be removed because, unfortunately, Google might get me in trouble...

Your Linguistic Profile:

50% General American English

35% Yankee

10% Dixie

5% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

something about Jeremy...

In Memoriam.

the other blogs

www.notgonefishing.com (Not Safe for Work, if your work environment is conservative).

www.savecbgb.org

note: It's really nice to know so many band members that I grew up listening to are now parents, kids sometimes answering the phones at home, and those musician parents have the same questions and issues about education as the rest of us...Which reminds me, anyone here have a direct line to David Bowie? Let me know. Thank you.

"I don't find babies amusing. At least, not human babies."

I guess A is officially a teenager now.(?)

Has it really been three weeks since I last blogged?

Time is flying for Maitresse here in New York.

In the past three weeks, I've spoken to a diverse group of people about my Big Project: a film director, a hip hop artist, a young man with spina bifida, lots of teenagers, actors, musicians, journalists, media, academics, and the president of Sire Records.

Inevitably, I get: "You are so qualified for this. How did you jump into this? How did you get chosen?"

Let's see. Maitresse has -

- A big heart.
- Studied two majors at college (university), and completed research theses in both subjects, one science-based, one humanities-based, to cum laude level.
- Started and managed not one, not two, but four student organizations and one major event (University Research Day) at college.
- Worked as a writer at a major newspaper.
- Worked as a investigative journalist for television.
- Interned at a not-for-profit civil rights organization.
- Worked as a marketing/PR manager.
- Worked in fundraising campaigns. Ditto grant-writing campaigns.
- Had several brushes with celebrity already before, so Maitresse does not get starstruck when meeting "Very Important People" (whatever that means).
- Learned the art of public speaking.
- Listened to music. A lot.
- Started law school (didn't finish, but don't beat me up for that, guys). And Maitresse works at a creative law firm, where problem-solving is necessary.
- Started several blogs, which keeps Maitresse on her toes, helps her learn HTML (sometimes), which helps her set up website for Big Project.

Now that I know that all my goofy experiences are currently working for me in this one momentous Big Project, I see that curriculum-building for one's own student should include the linear, the classical, but also the creative.

A is currently learning HTML and soon will be learning Micromedia Flash. He wants to learn to manage a business, and in conjunction with that, I feel it will be a plus if he learns public speaking (art of persuasion, anyone?).

Classical schooling as a foundation, and I think students can really fly, if they get out there, and do their passion.

A has come up with some names* for his new band...

"Lucifers in the Bush"
"Fencing in the Yard"
"Destiny in the Door"
"Devious Sentients"
"Danish Buttercookies"


*If you've been following the blog for a bit, you'll recognize the "band names" from the stuff we've been doing, except for "Devious Sentients" which I got from a subway sign that read "devious semantics."

Lucifers = lucioles = lightning bugs.
Fencing = a sport A participates in.
Destiny = our greyhound.
Danish buttercookies = I'm 1/2 Danish.

Inspired by "The Aviator"

A is learning plane/flying mechanics and dynamics.

And this link has A busy learning HTML code.

from the History Channel...

Digging for the Truth: Secrets of the Nazca Lines
Monday March 21st at 9 PM/8c

Etched into the driest desert in the world, the
mysterious lines and figures of Nazca in Southern Peru
are invisible from the ground. These huge drawings
were not discovered until the 1930’s when airline
pilots just happened to spot them in a flyover. Ever
since, they have intrigued the world as the question
of who built them and why looms large. Were they an
ancient chart of the heavens or a message to the Gods?

Students will follow Digging for the Truth’s Josh
Bernstein as he takes on the secrets of the Nazca
Lines and attempts to discover the true history behind
these mysterious creations. This riveting one hour
program presents students with insights into ancient
Peruvian cultures and world views as Bernstein engages
in a series of daring adventures designed to reveal
the hidden meaning of the Nazca lines. This program
provides students with an engaging and exciting way to
discover how astronomy, archeology, and history can
all provide the tools to understand the cultures and
social structures of long ago.

Curriculum Links:
Digging for the Truth: Secrets of the Nazca Lines, as
well as this entire series, would be useful for World
History, European History, Geography, World
Civilization, Science and Technology and Global
History courses. This program fulfills the following
guidelines outlined by the National Council for
History Education: Patterns of Social and Political
Interaction, Civilization, Cultural Diffusion and
Innovation and Comparative History of Major
Developments.

Discussion Questions:
1. Which of Josh’s approaches to learning about the
Nazca lines do you think revealed the most about
ancient Peru?
2. Which of Josh’s answers to the riddle of the Nazca
lines do you find most compelling?
3. What do you think are the most interesting things the
Nazca lines tell us about ancient Peruvian culture?