http://www.wwnorton.com/college/titles/english/esslit/ I have not used this yet but plan to as a one year long course along with some great and "really good "books Take a peek at the table of contents this might be a great method- one course with the big concepts and individual books with discussion to flesh out the ideas from the literary analysis book. For example Symbolism/metaphor with The Scarlet Letter by Hawthorne. This will be my method because I like to have big conceptual pegs for all the tiny details to hang on otherwise it becomes a soupy mess without an overarching structure to support all the pesky details. Clear as mud?? Dd says that to me often...The Norton Critical Editions Books have all the analysis you could want even the really fun deconstructionist Derrida type stuff. Hope some of this is useful to you. I have tortured myself endlessly about using the best program etc and it is ridiculous, at some point I became irritated with the whole mess and realized that I never even thought about Freytag's pyramid or allusions etc until college. A familiarity and introduction should suffice nicely. I am in the process of cobbling together the rest of my list of "big" analytic concepts with novels and poems to illustrate the point and will hopefully be finished this month. Dh teases me endlessly about my propensity for revising the plan until it resembles the original not a bit... I call it fine tuning he calls it a gentle madness. Have a great weekend looking at all the cool norton books .

"Personally I don't see a point. Phred is not a Christian and is fairly hostile towards the Christian worldview. Ok. Whatever. Let's talk about home schooling. I'd love to hear more about how Phred home educates his children. But that's not what Phred discusses. He, in large portion, only begins and/or contributes to threads in which he can slam one worldview" This post is not directed only at you but it is again troubling to see a Christian refer to a worldview as if all Christians held the identical worldview. It is not so not even close. http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/article.php3?id_article=2231 This is a magazine dedicated to those who are Christian but do not subscribe to your version of a Christian worldview. Regardless of Phred and or his perspective on a supreme being ,I am particularly tired of a mindset that purports to represent the ideas , values and morals of a very large and diverse group comprised of individuals many of whom would gladly call themselves Christians . Again , this is not the first time I have seen this nor will it be the last but please recognize your view is not the only one that exists in Christianity. Please read one or two articles if you are so moved but if not please realize that you do not speak for all Christians nor do I for that matter. The difference is that I refrain from urporting to speak for anyone but myself. I hope this comes across in the manner in which it was intended-not to silence anyone but rather to encourage others to speak up this is not a homogenous group...can I encourage others to consider the wide and gloried variety with which many try to know and understand God??? http://www.sojo.net/

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/ Get thee to hoagies online read everything there...I have been there do not worry . He is developing at a fast clip and that is not unusual for the highly gifted learner. http://vcbconsulting.com/gtworld/iqgrade.html Study this chart and it will help you see that these children do not "slow down" at all but rather seem to leap through milestones at a pace that is downright eerie. For these kids-it is their normal. Just wait til he uses his knowledge of Latin to display his ability to translate anything-yep that kind of anything from English into Latin-good times dear lady. Hoagies and using TWTM have saved my mind more times than I can count. Tolkien is just wonderful-George Macdonald and Baum's sequels to Oz have very difficult syntax and will delight your guy. Try to find the old Tom Swift books as well-lots of inventions, science and pretty well written. The hardest thing at my house has always been to challenge with complexityin terms of vocabulary and syntax but keep an eye on subject matter that is too much for dd and her tender years.Generally, fantasy and sci fi are the genres she prefers .Singapore math rocks here if you have not used it do so for your benefit and your son's-there is nothing comparable for elementary math for accelerated students. Hope to have helped in some fashion.

Many thanks for posting The first article in particular was excellent in presenting what data may have been skewed and how by ignoring other variables such as payment for the operation, behaviour, education regarding safe s** etc very interesting discussion and one I will enjoy continuing with a dear friend who served in the Peace Corps in Botswana for a lengthy time . We often discuss public health /policy initiatives and I will share this very interesting article with him as well. Thanks for sharing these with me. I appreciate the links very much and hope to learn more about this issue-it is devastating to deal with HIV at all but in third world countries it is truly h*ll on earth.

http://data.unaids.org/pub/Report/2007/mc_recommendations_en.pdf

Oh my I am sorry to hear that. I do hope you know that the quotes in my post are words of another poster. I am just so sorry to hear that this has happened to such a young man. I am truly sorry if any of my words hurt you.

I've read the studies. The vast majority of US-produced are poorly drawn causation from correlation, and some are almost criminally badly designed. Why? Well, these studies are designed by people who are heavily invested in the status quo of default circumcision and who are looking for any reason to justify the routine mutilation of generations of children. These are the same kinds of people that strongly discouraged women from breastfeeding less than 50 years ago with the same kinds of far-fetched arguments that deliberately confound correlation and causation and are, overall, extremely badly designed. These are published worldwide because of the esteem in which the US medical community is held--and usually swiftly refuted by other, better-designed studies. Do look at studies of OTHER first-world countries--and notice the difference! But I suppose that Germany, Japan, and Sweden are all inventing data and the US has it right. If it does have a real purpose, why then is the US the ONLY country in which it is allowed routinely for non-religious reasons? Why has every other first-world country looked upon it as bizarre at best and barbaric at worst? Surely other countries with the best healthcare systems in the world would embrace a procedure that would actually be helpful. I'll bet you cold, hard cash as more and more American doctors become uncirc'd, the studies are going to find less and less reason for circumcision. __________________ ---- Umm these are British and they concur with your general concept that it is uneeded generally please read the links before you respond. My problem is with the poor analogy between breasts and a little flap of skin that does ..nothing. Your position is not as problematic as is your lack of willingness to review the evidence from all sources and your refusal to see how hyperbole and hysteria do not convince any one of anything

I am so sorry .It just breaks your heart to see how callous and thoughtless our own families can be sometimes. I think your hubby is a lucky fellow indeed to have found a loving spouse who recognizes the importance of being kind above all else. No one can wound us deeper than those who presumably should love us unconditionally and without reserve.

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/search?fulltext=male+circumcision&x=12&y=5 Several articles from a peer reviewed medical journal regarding male circumcision that presents both sides of the argument. Intellectual honesty - with citations from peer reviewed journals that meet the Daubert standard of evidence. No hyperbole, red herrings or straw men in sight.

It is legal in England and France, illegal in Norway and Finland. That leaves a whole range of countries in which it may or may not be legal. Please provide links to evidence when making a sweeping assertion regarding the law .

To compare a prophylactic mastectomy to circumcision shows a fanaticism and restort to hyperbole and cruelty that is unwarranted. There are no sites I could find that showed any statistic tying death to circumcision except those countries that do this in unsanitary conditions to say the least. I noted earlier that cancer prevention was but one reason for the procedure others being to reduce by 60%, citation provided earlier,the transmission of HIV that alone is a reason to consider along with recurrent UTI and other infections mainly those to do with unprotected inter... I have no desire to convince others of my position nor would I dare to compare female genital mutilation to this procedure. To do so is unbelievable and irresponsible. The analogy you try to paint between having a mastectomy to save life and a routine circumcision is appalling. I took care of a dear friend who had this done due to BRAC gene and death of a sibling -it is not even close not even remotely so...

"well, penile cancer is rarely seen in anyone, really. There are about 280 deaths a year in the US from penile cancer. " Very good point, however, in terms of UTI, some STD and HIV it has been shown to be helpful in preventing these diseases to be circumcised. Perhaps it is also a hygeine/education component.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/105/3/e36 2 kinds of cancer folks one of which is rarely seen in circumcised males.

God be good to him. I will miss him, especially after reading his book ,Big Russ and Me, a lovely read . I do not understand anything this week.

I graduated with a double major in Philosophy and Biology. Having said that, these outlines, discussion questions and supplemental reading are outstanding in depth and breadth. Thank you for sharing !!!I plan to use these next year with dd. You win the prize and take the proverbial cake for finding this superb site and sharing it here. It is funny, just when I begin to think that I will have to write something for our use because I cannot seem to locate a good resource one of the terrific ladies here will come forth with a resource that is perfect for our needs. Thanks so much .:party:

I recommend the Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease to all parents. I suggest ignoring the phonics book as that is not reading -it is the process of decoding words independently but not the joy, the bliss, of reading . Tom Swift books, Hardy Boys(old ones) ,Robert Louis Stevenson are all good to use. Have your little guy sit on your lap while you read at a good pace using your index finger as you read the book so he can see wh is a whaa sound . Many children learn to read this way.. If nothing else you will not have a child that thinks reading is yuckky and an activity that is only confusing with no reward for the effort. He might just decide that he will do whatever he needs to to read those wonderful stories to himself instead of having to wait for mom to read to him..I have seen it work before so I am cautiously optimistic that if reading is a wonderful adventure rather than a chore the learning happens naturally. Phonics flashcards that you can make yourself are better because they take 5 minutes a day and do not misrepresent their purpose so to speak . Practicing phonetic sounds for a few minutes is not reading . Cuddling up to hear a loved one tell you about places, people and things you have never experienced before ,now that is reading and I truly believe it will lead to a good relationship to the wonder of the written word . Sorry to be so blunt and such but I do not want you to lose your marbles...I so enjoy your posts and generous spirit here so I want to share what has been effective at my house so I can continue to read your posts without visualizing you chasing glass marbles down a long narrow hallway...

http://www.amazon.com/Artists-Writers-Renaissance-Collective-Biographies/dp/0766018342 This looks like a great resource I never read these authors until college and am planning on sharing these writers with dd as well.

She sounds like a seasoned reader perhaps you could follow her lead and build on her preferences. Cather leads to Mari Sandoz-Old Jules is superb. I tend to be lazy so -I will go to Amazon, type in books dd has read and enjoyed and search through the lists made by others who enjoyed that book and sometimes the recommendations are superb others-well not my cup of tea. If she likes Fitzgerald then other "Lost generation" writers will fit in nicely. Camus without the philosophical background prior to reading is not likely to bear good fruit and lead to misunderstanding. Read Sarte instead . I read this article recently at the behest of a student at the Iowa Writers Workshop and I found much that resonated with me. It is about literature and the propensity of contemporary critics to be dazzled by stylistic quirks rather than authentic voice and clear writing. I include the link not because it is relevant to your question per se but I loved the article and have been eager to share it . http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200107/myers

Hullooo I am so annoyed that I just now discovered these well written, engaging literature guides that are thorough, strong on literary analysis and 25.00 for a semester in a reusable 3 ring binder. They appear to be secular and more important to me, much more than those foul little question/answer purporting to be comprehension type questions that abound in other books. I bought American Literature Early writers and am most pleased even with the work on the Transcendentalists. I love these and will use them again because I do not have to reinvent the wheel or use something that violates my standards of quality ,including but not limited to ,the injection of religion at every turn . Give them a whirl I think you will be pleased for the most part.:lol:

If you enjoy reading his books try listening to Duma Key on cd it is amazing. Funny, tragic, haunting- all the usual suspects as well. I always have had a soft spot for The Shining as my family used to go to a hotel in Excelsesior Springs called the Elms that had hot mineral springs in small caves near the hotel that just were not right...it was huge ,rambling ,built in the 20s goosebumps recalling it. It is under renovation presently but what a great old spooky place with history. I have enjoyed his forays into non-horror work and particularly loved Hearts in Atlantis. For those who consider him "lowbrow" I offer the following link in which it is proposed that much of what passes for brilliant literary fiction is bullroar.... I agree wholeheartedly. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200107/myers hope you enjoy the article.

http://www.lp.org/issues/platform_all.shtml

She needs to see an ob/gyn it is likely a hormonal imbalance that can be rectified through treatment. Do not let this go as she can become severely anemic within a short amount of time. I went into shock twice from this scenario and finally got on birth control pills that made me able to have a normal life.

I really think you are amazing. Thank you for your post.

Aw darn daggummit I loved his work both as a director and actor. 73 seems so young-I will miss his performances as an actor most. If you like great acting see Michael Clayton amazing on all counts...

Sorry but this is how I look at aging -My younger brother will always be smooth skinned, fit as a fiddle with a handsome square jaw , no paunch and bright blue eyes with nary a wrinkle. He would trade it all to be here --aging with all the awkwardness, begrudging acceptance of a slower metabolism and a receding hairline. It is a blessing to grow older- too many beautiful young people are denied the privilege. Now back to your query-color your hair cut it to at least chin length if it is long and spoil yourself with a gentle acidic exfoliant to bring some glow to your cheeks. I like clinique turnaround cream and swear by it. Quit smoking if you are a smoker-it will age a lovely person quicker than the sun. Enjoy this time you are older but wiser and with a little this , a little that, you can be as lovely outside as you are inside just with a little more experience. I feel like you do sometimes and just remind myself that these signs of aging are a great gift and stay thankful.