A visitor to Planet Homeschool during the open house on May 1, 2015 chats about why she's there. Interviewed by Solomon Midwinter. Video by Aurora J. Pass.
Showing posts with label Solomon Midwinter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Solomon Midwinter. Show all posts
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Thursday, May 7, 2015
BOOK REVIEW: The Kingdoms of Evil by Daniel Bensen
by Solomon Midwinter
PHS Press staff writer
The Kingdoms of Evil by Daniel Bensen was a joy to read. It was a surprise to learn it was his first book. I would recommend this book highly, but only to people 12 and up, because there are a few moments involving some colorful language, and some moments that may not be suitable for younger children.
I expected the book to be a comedy, and very little else. While certainly funny, the book actually also had some more serious moments, which was a nice surprise.
It is an imaginative series, set in a fictional universe that is in many ways not so different from our own. Freetrick Feend was a student at a college in the Rationalist Union. Then he was spirited off by a strange, anatomically improbable creature called Mr. Skree, and his betrothed, a strange and terrifying woman called Bloodbyrn. He was taken to be the god-king of the kingdoms of evil. This was an incredibly dysfunctional empire, composed of three kingdoms.
It had once been a serious threat and force in the world, but that time was centuries ago, and now it is a nation stuck in the middle ages, in an (albeit magical) world that is in the post industrial era.
Quite beyond that, government policies, or lack thereof, have ensured that unless something is done quickly, the entire empire will implode. That is if they don't starve to death first. And no one realizes how weak the military and decides to invade.
And on top of all of this, the Skrean (Skrea is one of the kingdoms of evil) magic system is entirely dependent on slaughtering massive numbers of monsters and/or people, as its magic system is necromancy.
As the name implies, these kingdoms relatively few human inhabitants are almost exclusively homicidal maniacs and sadists. More to the point, the standard procedure if you are unhappy with the current administration is to arrange the death of the current ruler. And as a sane and logical ruler, Freetrick had some deeply unpopular ideas.
This book is great, although somewhat hard to find. It was never actually traditionally published, but it can be found on Kindle unlimited, or just Kindle. It is also supposed to be the first book in a series, called the Covenant Nonsense. I have been unable to find the second book, but I am still looking. I am, however, thinking that it will come out soon if it does at all, as it was published as an Ebook four years ago. All in all, I would rate this book quite highly, and hope to find a sequel soon.
PHS Press staff writer
The Kingdoms of Evil by Daniel Bensen was a joy to read. It was a surprise to learn it was his first book. I would recommend this book highly, but only to people 12 and up, because there are a few moments involving some colorful language, and some moments that may not be suitable for younger children.
I expected the book to be a comedy, and very little else. While certainly funny, the book actually also had some more serious moments, which was a nice surprise.
It is an imaginative series, set in a fictional universe that is in many ways not so different from our own. Freetrick Feend was a student at a college in the Rationalist Union. Then he was spirited off by a strange, anatomically improbable creature called Mr. Skree, and his betrothed, a strange and terrifying woman called Bloodbyrn. He was taken to be the god-king of the kingdoms of evil. This was an incredibly dysfunctional empire, composed of three kingdoms.
It had once been a serious threat and force in the world, but that time was centuries ago, and now it is a nation stuck in the middle ages, in an (albeit magical) world that is in the post industrial era.
Quite beyond that, government policies, or lack thereof, have ensured that unless something is done quickly, the entire empire will implode. That is if they don't starve to death first. And no one realizes how weak the military and decides to invade.
And on top of all of this, the Skrean (Skrea is one of the kingdoms of evil) magic system is entirely dependent on slaughtering massive numbers of monsters and/or people, as its magic system is necromancy.
As the name implies, these kingdoms relatively few human inhabitants are almost exclusively homicidal maniacs and sadists. More to the point, the standard procedure if you are unhappy with the current administration is to arrange the death of the current ruler. And as a sane and logical ruler, Freetrick had some deeply unpopular ideas.
This book is great, although somewhat hard to find. It was never actually traditionally published, but it can be found on Kindle unlimited, or just Kindle. It is also supposed to be the first book in a series, called the Covenant Nonsense. I have been unable to find the second book, but I am still looking. I am, however, thinking that it will come out soon if it does at all, as it was published as an Ebook four years ago. All in all, I would rate this book quite highly, and hope to find a sequel soon.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
VIDEO: Cooking with Sam & Frodo
Sam: Ethan Lehman
Frodo: Joe Schatz
Golom/Smeagol: Solomon Midwinter
Narrator: Willow Skidmore
Filmed by: Aurora J. Pass
Ad guy: Riley Adesheim Marshal
Frodo: Joe Schatz
Golom/Smeagol: Solomon Midwinter
Narrator: Willow Skidmore
Filmed by: Aurora J. Pass
Ad guy: Riley Adesheim Marshal
Inspired by the The Lord of the Rings as Literature taught by Elise Duval Werger
Thursday, April 23, 2015
POLL: How long have people been homeschooled?
Compiled by Solomon Midwinter & Bridger Berg
PHS Press staff members
PHS Press staff members
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Friday, April 10, 2015
The Hobbies of Tyler Skidmore
by Solomon Midwinter
PHS press staff member
Tyler Skidmore, age 15, of St. Paul has a few hobbies, and is a student at PHS. When asked what they were, he said “ I like to draw detailed robots, abstract shapes, and patterns, and I like to build intricate lego models.”
He enjoys both hobbies about the same. He said, “I enjoy expressing myself through each drawing and model, combining feelings that I am having at that moment with different elements of the model or drawing.” He has both drawn and made Lego creations for about twelve years.
According to Skidmore, he builds with Legos because he is bored, and when asked when, he replied, “I do both pretty much every day.” He builds the massive Lego constructs in his room. He will draw just about anywhere there is pen and paper. And as for how, in Skidmore's own words, he uses the Legos “by putting bricks together.”
When asked what his favorite model is, he said “My favorite model is a turret crab which I keep on a shelf to look at (every once in awhile adding to it).” He may have some drawings in an upcoming issue of the PHS Press.
PHS press staff member
 |
| Tyler Skidmore |
He enjoys both hobbies about the same. He said, “I enjoy expressing myself through each drawing and model, combining feelings that I am having at that moment with different elements of the model or drawing.” He has both drawn and made Lego creations for about twelve years.
According to Skidmore, he builds with Legos because he is bored, and when asked when, he replied, “I do both pretty much every day.” He builds the massive Lego constructs in his room. He will draw just about anywhere there is pen and paper. And as for how, in Skidmore's own words, he uses the Legos “by putting bricks together.”
When asked what his favorite model is, he said “My favorite model is a turret crab which I keep on a shelf to look at (every once in awhile adding to it).” He may have some drawings in an upcoming issue of the PHS Press.
 |
| A robot that Tyler Skidmore drew. |
Solomon: a Writer
by Tyler Skidmore
PHS Press staff member
PHS Press staff member
 |
| Solomon Midwinter |
Solomon Midwinter, 13, enjoys reading and writing
fantasy in his free-time. Fantasy is a genre of writing that is about
supernatural creatures.
“I like fantasy
because it is very creative, and fun to read. It allows us to imagine how the
world could be different, and then share our favorites with others,” said Midwinter.
Solomon was introduced to fantasy by
reading books, and eventually decided to write his own fantasy. He has been
writing fantasy since he was 11, when he wrote part of a novel for NaNoWriMo.
NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month,
happens every November for youth and adults. The goal is to write a novel in 30
days.
Midwinter does not share his stories very
frequently, unless it is with a family member for some feedback. Usually his
stories are around 10-20 pages in length.
Midwinter is inspired by Brandon Mull, Rick
Riordan, George R.R. Martin, and J.R.R. Tolkien.
Solomon has not gotten published yet, but
he hopes to someday.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Home school kids learning to use computer modeling
by Solomon Midwinter
PHS Press staff member
Kim Chase-Kozak is a teacher at PHS, and has a class on a modeling program called Blender.
Blender is a free modeling program, which can be used for many purposes, and can create animations as well as models and images. As Chase-Kozak said, “Blender is computer software used to create 3d models or drawings. It can also be used to create animations or games. It can also work with other programming engines.”
The process that is used to create a model is more or less as follows. First, you draw or download a picture of what you want to model. Then you use extrude commands to model over the picture. Then you can use textures and materials to make it the right color and texture.
When asked what the most interesting thing anyone in her class has done yet, she replied that one of the students has sent her an animated character over email, which was especially neat because they have not yet covered animations.
What they have most recently done in class was talk about different kinds of light. Before that, they were mostly working on the basics, such as the extrude command, getting the modeling pictures into files, and the blade tool. Camera placement, texture and animation are more advanced skills covered in the class.
Chase-Kozak has had some previous experience with teaching. In college, she was a undergraduate TA, and has a degree in math and computer science from the U of M.
She has been leading and teaching kid related things since her kids were school age. She has also learned quite a bit teaching this class. This is her first time teaching a class at PHS, and she would be glad of an opportunity to teach at PHS again.
When asked what her favorite thing about teaching is, she said, “I love it when students start running with their new skills and start creating and trying things I haven't done.”
PHS Press staff member
 |
| Kim Chase-Kozak |
Blender is a free modeling program, which can be used for many purposes, and can create animations as well as models and images. As Chase-Kozak said, “Blender is computer software used to create 3d models or drawings. It can also be used to create animations or games. It can also work with other programming engines.”
The process that is used to create a model is more or less as follows. First, you draw or download a picture of what you want to model. Then you use extrude commands to model over the picture. Then you can use textures and materials to make it the right color and texture.
When asked what the most interesting thing anyone in her class has done yet, she replied that one of the students has sent her an animated character over email, which was especially neat because they have not yet covered animations.
 |
| A model done by Chase-Kozak |
Chase-Kozak has had some previous experience with teaching. In college, she was a undergraduate TA, and has a degree in math and computer science from the U of M.
She has been leading and teaching kid related things since her kids were school age. She has also learned quite a bit teaching this class. This is her first time teaching a class at PHS, and she would be glad of an opportunity to teach at PHS again.
When asked what her favorite thing about teaching is, she said, “I love it when students start running with their new skills and start creating and trying things I haven't done.”
Thursday, March 19, 2015
A book review on 'Ready Player One' by Ernest Cline
by Solomon Midwinter
PHS Press staff member
Ready Player One is a truly great book, if you don't mind something that can be depressing at points. It takes place in a dystopian, post apocalyptic world, where there was an Eco disaster that greatly damaged human civilization. All the oil and coal has more or less run out.
The protagonist is a boy called Wade Watts, and his story up until the point where the book starts is not very happy. He never knew his father, and his mother died when he was pretty young, so his aunt took him in, not out of any sense of kindness or family duty, but simply because she could use him to get extra food vouchers. She doesn't even feed him or anything. So, up until the point where the story starts, Wade has been just barely getting by.
A lot of the story, however, doesn't take place in the real world at all. Instead, more than half of the book takes place inside a virtual reality called the OASIS, the biggest, most spectacular, hugely unbelievable video game ever created.
And it's not just Wade. Most of humanity spends most of their time inside the OASIS. It is, to them, simply a better place than the real world. While this is pretty sad, it also reflects just how broken the world is at the time when the book takes place.
But there wouldn't be much of a story if it weren't for James Halliday, the creator and owner of the OASIS, who died and left one most interesting will behind.
He turned his last will and testament into the biggest video game contest ever. He did this by hiding an Easter egg inside the OASIS, and explaining simply in his will that his entire estate would go to the first person to find it.
And it turns out that there is an elaborately hidden Easter egg in both the hardcover and paperback (and hopefully kindle) editions of the book, the first clue in a series of video game tests that is somewhat like that in the book. The prize was a 1981 DeLorean. I know Craig Queen won but even so, I'm going to do it, just to see if I could have won.
Ready player one is filled with many great things. There are great moments, some hilarious, some heartbreaking, and some that are just awesome.
So, it has been five years since Halliday's death, and the scene is set. This book can be hilarious, and is filled with strong characters, all set against an epic backdrop. This is a book that I highly recommend.
PHS Press staff member
Ready Player One is a truly great book, if you don't mind something that can be depressing at points. It takes place in a dystopian, post apocalyptic world, where there was an Eco disaster that greatly damaged human civilization. All the oil and coal has more or less run out.
The protagonist is a boy called Wade Watts, and his story up until the point where the book starts is not very happy. He never knew his father, and his mother died when he was pretty young, so his aunt took him in, not out of any sense of kindness or family duty, but simply because she could use him to get extra food vouchers. She doesn't even feed him or anything. So, up until the point where the story starts, Wade has been just barely getting by.
A lot of the story, however, doesn't take place in the real world at all. Instead, more than half of the book takes place inside a virtual reality called the OASIS, the biggest, most spectacular, hugely unbelievable video game ever created.
And it's not just Wade. Most of humanity spends most of their time inside the OASIS. It is, to them, simply a better place than the real world. While this is pretty sad, it also reflects just how broken the world is at the time when the book takes place.
But there wouldn't be much of a story if it weren't for James Halliday, the creator and owner of the OASIS, who died and left one most interesting will behind.
He turned his last will and testament into the biggest video game contest ever. He did this by hiding an Easter egg inside the OASIS, and explaining simply in his will that his entire estate would go to the first person to find it.
And it turns out that there is an elaborately hidden Easter egg in both the hardcover and paperback (and hopefully kindle) editions of the book, the first clue in a series of video game tests that is somewhat like that in the book. The prize was a 1981 DeLorean. I know Craig Queen won but even so, I'm going to do it, just to see if I could have won.
Ready player one is filled with many great things. There are great moments, some hilarious, some heartbreaking, and some that are just awesome.
So, it has been five years since Halliday's death, and the scene is set. This book can be hilarious, and is filled with strong characters, all set against an epic backdrop. This is a book that I highly recommend.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
They made screaming mandrakes in Harry Potter class
At PHS, there are many classes, of all types. There are the ones that you might find in a normal school, like classes on math and history, and then there are the more interesting ones, the ones that are hard to find elsewhere. These include things such as Lord of the Rings as literature, or the Harry Potter crafts and gizmos class.
Here are a few video interviews with some members of the Harry Potter class, and its instructor, Michelle Lehman.
Interviewer: Solomon Midwinter
Filmed and edited by Aurora J. Pass
Monday, March 9, 2015
VIDEO: Good Morning Middle Earth #3 - News from Isengard
News Reporter: Willow Skidmore
King Theodin: Ethan Lehman
Script written by: Aurora Pass
Videographer: Solomon Midwinter
Inspired by the The Lord of the Rings as Literature taught by Elise Duval Werger
at Planet Homeschool
Friday, January 23, 2015
All smile now
The spring 2015 staff of the PHS Press includes (back row, left to right): Parker Lehman, Soren LePage, Solomon Midwinter and Tyler Skidmore. Front row: Aurora Pass, Amity Neubauer, Bridger Berg and Malachi Johnson. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen Pettit)
Friday, January 16, 2015
Meet PHS Press staff: Solomon Midwinter
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| Solomon Midwinter (Photo by Soren LePage) |
PHS Press staff member
Solomon Blue Midwinter
Age/Grade: 13/ 7th grade
City/Town: West Saint Paul
Song of the week: EYE OF THE TIGER
Favorite Book: Ready Player One
Favorite Magazine: Make Magazine
Favorite Thing To Do: Gaming Writing
What Do You Like Most About PHS: All
Why Did You Join PHS Press Staff: Sounded Fun
Favorite Thing To Write: Fantasy
Meet PHS Press staff: Malachi Johnson
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| Malachi Johnson (Photo by Soren LePage) |
PHS Staff member
Malachi Johnson
Age: 13, 7th grade
City/Town: Plymouth
Favorite Book: Beyonders
Favorite Magazine: Lego magazine
Favorite Thing To Do: free running
What Do You Like Most About PHS: taking pictures
Why Did You Join PHS Press Staff: his mother though he would like it.
Favorite Thing To Write: not much
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