But the Bible is primarily a view of life and history from a spiritual perspective. How does the massive amount of writing about Saul and David help us understand spirituality and our own spiritual life? Let's compare and contrast the two to see what they have in common and how they differ, and then see what kinds of conclusions we can draw.

Looking at their biographies, they are very similar.

• Both have similar origins: their families were herders: Saul's family had herds, while David's family had sheep.
• Both were anointed by Samuel to be king, and both were out with the herds when Samuel came by to anoint them.
• Both became king about about 30 years of age.
• Both were king until about the age of 70.
• Both plotted murder: Saul tried to kill David; David had Uriah killed in battle.
• Both were moody: Saul had dark moods come over him which was helped only by David's music; David would get depressed while hiding from Saul, during which he wrote some of his Psalms.
• Both did things the Lord specifically told them not to do: Saul did not destroy Amalek completely, keeping some of the best as an offering to the Lord (weasel excuse); David took a census of Israel.
• Both, at the end of their lives, were on the run from some sort of attack: Saul fell on his own sword to avoid capture in battle with the Philistines; David was running from his son Absalom.

While this isn't a thorough psychological profile, I think that there is enough here to see that these two had similar backgrounds, had similar experiences, and faced similar types of decisions. There is certainly enough here to allow us to safely compare the two.

So how do we look at their differences? How do we evaluate their responses to the Prophet Samuel? How do we decide what this means spiritually? And finally, how can we apply what we find to our own life?

The prime example, something virtually everyone knows about whether they are a seriously religious person or not, is probably David and Goliath. But to recap anyway: Goliath, a man about 9 feet tall, had been haranguing the Israelites for about a month, challenging them to send a champion out to fight him in single combat, winner take all. Saul, who stood head and shoulders above everyone else in the kingdom, sat for a month in his tent worrying, while morale in the Israelite camp deteriorated. David shows up, a kid not old enough to join the army, bringing a CARE package from home. Goliath does his song-and-dance, and David is upset that he is mocking Israel and Israel's God. The scuttlebutt gets back to Saul, who invites David in, and outfits David in his own armor. (How big is David? He is only a kid!) But he doesn't feel comfortable in it so heads down to the battlefield with just his regular clothes and his sling. While he stops and picks up 5 stones that catch his attention, Goliath, a veritable tank, with another man carrying his shield, starts mocking David. David tells him that since he has mocked God, he, David, is going to feed him to the vultures. And he does, and the Israelites chase the Philistines for miles. And the winner did take all.

OK, so much for the story. What's the spiritual side here? I think there are several lessons, or at least pieces of lessons, for us to think about.

• Saul, the leader of the army and King of Israel, didn't have the courage or faith needed to stand up to Goliath. David, who had fought lions and bears while watching the family sheep, had faith that God would protect him as he stood up to defend God's honor.
• Saul, it seems, didn't have any basis for depending on God, no personal experience. David, from his time shepherding, did have a solid basis for depending on God.
• Saul, a big man and a warrior, judged others on their size, abilities and experience. David, having dealt with bigger, more able beasts, knew that size wasn't the only issue

So we have a couple items that seem to have possibilities. Do they continue to pan out over the rest of the two Kings' lives? Let's look at a couple more examples, but by no means an exhaustive review.

As mentioned above, both Saul and David were given explicit directions by God through the prophets not to do something.

• Saul was told to save nothing when he and the army went to the town of Amalek; David was told not to take a census of Israel.
• They both disobeyed.
• When Samuel asked Saul why the king of Amalek and cattle had been spared, Saul blamed it on the soldiers, saying that they had kept the best and were bring them to Samuel to be offered as sacrifices. (Yeah, the parent in me believes that one!) David, after taking a census of Israel's fighting men, is stricken with a guilty conscience and prays for forgiveness.
• Samuel tells Saul that God does not want sacrifices, He wants obedience; he also says that Saul's kingdom will be taken away and given to someone more worthy. Gad, the prophet at that time in Israel's history, tells David that God is going to punish him, but is allowing David to select which of three punishments he is to receive.
• Saul's response is to ask that Samuel sacrifice with them so that he maintains honor in the sight of the people. David's response is to tell Gad that God knows what is best for Israel, and he will trust God in this decision.

So once again we have Saul trying to do things on his own, while David trusts God.

Throughout the books of 1st and 2nd Samuel the experiences of Saul match up with experiences of David. In case after case Saul continues trying to do things his own way; short circuiting the way God through the prophets had told him to go; refusing to take that last step and trusting God completely. David, on the other hand, would always turn to God, regardless of the circumstances, and trust that God would protect, guide, or otherwise do what was best for David and the Israelites.

In our own lives, are we trusting in God, or trying to turn things to the way we want them to be?

For further reading, the life of Saul can be found in 1 Samuel chapters 8 through 31; the life of David can be found starting with 1 Samuel 16 through to the end of 2 Samuel.

And we are all familiar with Peter's opinionated personality and group leadership.

However, the really interesting comparison of the two comes during the events during and after the Last Supper. Throughout the major story of the Last Supper, Jesus' trial and crucifixion is interwoven a sub-story involving Judas and Peter, and their final response to their actions. I'll follow through Matthew 26

Jesus tells Judas that he will betray Him. (v. 20-25)

Jesus tells Peter that he will deny Him. (v. 34)

Judas betrays Jesus. (v. 47-49)

Peter denies Jesus. (v. 69-74)

Peter realizes what he has done. (v. 75)

Peter's reaction. (v. 75)

Judas realizes what he has done. (Matt. 27: 1)

Judas' reaction. (Matt. 27:5)

So back and forth we have this comparison of Judas' and Peter's disavowal of Jesus, both going down essentially the same path. (I won't here get into degrees of guilt: actively betraying Jesus vs denying association with Jesus; I think both actions have the same root.) In Peter's case the result is repentance and reconciliation; in Judas' case the result is despair and death.

My question is, could the results have been switched? Might Peter's guilt been so overwhelming that he could not see any possibility of forgiveness; and the resulting despair culminating in his suicide? Could Judas have seen past his actions to Jesus' forgiveness, and the resulting reconciliation?

I think the answer is both yes and no. Yes, Jesus would have been happy to forgive Judas; probably He was anxious to be able to save Judas. Yes, Peter could have been buried under such a load of despair that the only solution he could see was suicide.

But ultimately the answer, I think, is no. And the reason, in both cases, is because of the character development, the knowledge and understanding of Jesus and Who He was, the relationship they had each developed (or not developed) with Him, over the course of their three years with Jesus.

Judas was looking for an earthly king, one who would throw off Roman oppression, Roman occupation. Over the three years he never developed an understanding beyond that, and viewed Jesus as the leader of the revolt, making Judas a power behind the throne. And when reality struck, when he realized that he had betrayed the Son of God, there was nothing there to sustain him through his emotional and spiritual collapse.

Peter knew that Jesus was the Son of God, the Savior to Whom the sacrifices pointed. He developed a relationship with the spiritual Savior, and knew Him as a Friend. Then, when Peter realized what he had done, that relationship was solid and tested, and he knew that despite what he had done Jesus was still his Friend, and he was able to get through that trial

The lesson for us is that we may do, may have done, terrible things. (Is there anything worse than spending three years with God, knowing Him in day-in and day-out situations, knowing that He really is God, and then denying it?) But despite that, our situation is not so hopeless, so horrible, that Jesus cannot forgive us and include us in His circle of close and trusted friends.

I don't know what's up with me today but I'm as nervous as an ant at a picnic for large footed, large bottomed people with bad eyesight (not a great simile, but I'm trying).  I'm all over the place.  I had my usual two cups of coffee to get me going this morning, but it's gone straight to my nervous system.  I should not be trusted to soothe people today, nor to operate heavy machinery, or possibly even a pair of scissors.  So, no working life support in hospitals whilst making paper snow flakes for me then.  Typing is alright because my fingers are working off some of the excess adrenaline.  Good job something is or I'd be bouncing off the walls, and that would really hurt.

As for the essay plan, it's actually quite detailed for an essay plan of mine. I feel that I may have a career ahead of me just writing essay plans and not bothering with the actual essays themselves.  I could even decorate them with suitable pictures and laminate them and then they would have a double use as coasters and essay plans.  Then I could sell them on Ebay and buy a private island with the profits.  How very Shaker of me ( for the plans, not the island bit), both beautiful and practical.  I love laminating.  I have my own laminating machine.  It's a very needful thing, and something I find very soothing, although in my current state of nervous excitement I should definitely avoid it.  It would be a shame to get caught up in a frenzy of laminating, and to have Jason come home to find he can't get in the front door because I've accidentally laminated it. 

It would also be sad if I were to accidentally laminate myself.  I once stuck my hand to my alarm clock due to my overenthusiastic use of superglue, so it is entirely feasible that I would end up laminating myself.  I once stapled my finger just to see what it felt like.  It hurt, surprisingly enough.  When I was a child I also expended considerable time and effort trying to break my right arm to get out of school work.  It never worked, because I am basically one of the world's greatest cowards.  I tried to give myself a Chinese burn once, so that I could blame it on my brother and get him into trouble.  That didn't work very well.  It's a kind of two handed operation to all intents and purposes.  So, from this brief list we can see that I am well prepared for the kind of stupid self-inflicted injury and all its attendant agonies, and that laminating myself would just be one of a long line of similar and idiotic accidents that have brightened up my otherwise dull life.

Mind you, wipe down anything is good in our house.  My friend came round for coffee this morning and apologised because her baby daughter threw up on her top.  I am the last person in the world to mind about such things.  I wouldn't have even minded if she'd thrown up on mine.  After nine years at the coal face of parenting you get completely immune to wandering round with garments soaked in other people's bodily fluids.  If I didn't such an interesting shaped body and an inhibition about taking my clothes off in public, I'd probably make an excellent porn star.

Moving swiftly on, the essay title is: 'Romeo and Juliet is a play that calls into question the ideals of manliness embraced by most of its characters.' Discuss.  This is a bit of a classic essay title don't you think?  I haven't had a 'discuss' essay for years and years, and I did feel a bit nostalgic when I read this one.  I came over all warm and furry for the past.  If it had had the word 'consider', in it as well I may have had to have a little lie down.  As it is, we must be content with the word discuss.  Maybe my next course will exceed expectation and provide me with the perennially popular, 'compare and contrast'.  Oooh! How lovely.

As it is a play in which nearly all the characters wander round with their swords drawn for the entire time and when they're not stabbing each other in the gizzard they're all talking about stabbing each other in the gizzard or having brutal, pain filled sex with each other, I'd say that there's a case to be made for a world of testosterone filled hairy chested manliness going sadly awry.  I know this because everyone except the very old people are mercilessly hacked down by the final page.  Why don't they hack down the very old people as well, I hear you cry?  Well, because it's not worth the effort frankly, as they're all going to die soon anyway. 

So, nobody left to have babies and propagate the race and nobody except Lady Capulet left to make a nice warming cup of tea and some toast.  Plus, you know she wouldn't do it because she's a hard, two faced bitch who is clearly related to Lady Macbeth in some way.  She's a fledgling psychopathic murderer, and it's only because the stage is already awash with hacked off limbs and corpses that she doesn't get in there with the best of them and start fingerpainting in Romeo's entrails and baring her teeth at all and sundry.  It isn't for the want of trying.  Oh! The nurse is left as well, but as she's one step up from The Wife of Bath, she's probably in a corner working out sexual innuendos that rhyme with corpse and twittering on aimlessly to herself, so she's neither use nor ornament.

Interesting that both Lady Macbeth and Lady Capulet are quite bloodthirsty.  Maybe there's something in the title 'lady' that turns them from mild mannered, peacable women about town to axe wielding maniacs, high on civet and toting a musket, or whatever form of gun shaped weaponry was around at the time.  My knowledge of Tudor weaponry is not extensive, as you may have gathered.  Actually, Goneril and Regan in King Lear are hideously vile and addicted to torture, deceit and chicanery, and they're not 'ladies', so maybe its just a Shakespeare thing.  Germaine Greer has apparently written a book about Anne Hathaway which claims that she was an all round top bird and the power behind Shakespeare's quill.  Dramatic characterisation might make us think otherwise.  Maybe she was a terrifyingly fierce, power crazed maniac who Shakespeare could only escape by running off to London, and who he could only escape mentally by writing about through a series of vile women who make the evil men villains look like Bagpuss on a particularly dozy day.  Mind you, I don't want to get into a fight with Germaine Greer.  I reckon she'd take me down any day of the week.  Luckily for me I don't think she spends her idle hours perusing blog references to her good self and taking umbrage.  I hope not anyway, or I'm a goner.

simple noun = sketch
e.g. Fool

simple subject = vignette
e.g. The Village Fool

subject + verb = short story
e.g. The Village Fool Dies

simple sentence = novella
e.g. The Day the Village Fool Died

complex sentence = novel
e.g. The Life and Death of the Village Fool

sentence beginning with a conjunction = literary novel
e.g. And Death Fools the Village

possesive noun/non-sentence = epic/classic
e.g. Dead Fool's Village

Feel free to add your own.  And if someone else somewhere has tapped this, let me know and I'll change it.  Not change you can Xerox, mind you...

What sites do you know that offering various concept maps for each type of paragraph writing?

Ease of use is one of the most important selection criteria one must consider before purchasing a MP3 player. Apple's 30GB iPod features a simplistic user interface called the click wheel. It allows the user to select, adjust the volume, pause, play, and seek music, videos, and podcast with just a thumb. Other then the click wheel there is a hold switch and an earphone jack that sits on top of the device. The 30GB iPod weights in at 4.8 oz, and the 2.4" x0.4" x4.1" body makes the device easy to handle. In contrast, Microsoft's Zune weighing 5.6 oz with a 4.3x2.5x0.7 body is a lot thicker, blockier, and heavier than the 30GB iPod. The Zune has no buttons on the sides, only a hold switch and an earphone jack on top, and a USB/accessories port on the bottom. The three control buttons are simple and are flush with the body. The heavier and bigger Zune does not fit as comfortably as the IPod and it is cumbersome to control.

Features are very important in a player and both the iPod and the Zune have what consumers are looking for, however they differ in a several ways. The 5G iPod has a bright 2.5-inch LCD display, a sleek design and 3.5-hour video battery life. The iPod supports gapless playback, an instant search feature, and enhanced games. Movies are available for purchase from the ITunes or sync with your own. The iPod has Notes, Calendar, and Phone book features and can synchronize with your calendar and or contact program. The iPod supports MPEG-4 and JPEG photo playback and can be used as an external hardrive. The iPod does not feature a built in FM Radio or Wi-Fi like the Zune. Microsoft's Zune plays audio, and displays video and photos just like the iPod but sports an impressive 3-inch (4:3) screen. Unlike the iPod, the Zune offers a FM radio and Wi-Fi capabilities and works well with Microsoft's Zune Marketplace software. The integrated wireless allows limited sharing of songs and photos. However, the Zune Marketplace does not offer video content and cannot play protected content. The Zune is not backward compatible with WMA-DRM9. Unlike the iPod, the Zune cannot be used as a hard drive.

Apple and Microsoft both have developed software that allows users to synchronize music to their players. Apple's iTunes not only allows users to preview, purchase and download content but rip their current CD collection as well. Free podcasts on every topic from gardening to learning how to speak Spanish are offered on iTunes. In addition to music, iTunes also allows users to purchase games, movies, TV shows, and audio books and synchronize them to their IPods. iTunes helps organizes user's audio and video libraries and play everything from your Mac or PC, Then synchronize it to your iPod to bring it along. iTunes is very easy to use and allows you to Burn your own custom CDs, iTunes is a free download from Apple.com. Like iTunes, Microsoft's Zune Marketplace software allows you to purchase music and sync with your Zune. It allows you to synchronize your music, videos, and pictures to your device, and it allows you to sync up with an Xbox 360. You can Rip and burn CDs and create playlists just like iTunes. However, the Zune Marketplace software only works on windows and not MAC (Technical Specifications).

In conclusion, I like the 3" screen of the Zune, the built in FM stereo, and Wi-Fi Features. however, I love the ease of use of the iPod and the fact it fits perfectly in the palm of my hand, it is easy to take out of my pocket, and adjust the volume or change tracks with just one hand. Apple has been in the industry since the beginning and has worked out the bugs of previous models. Over the last few years Microsoft's has been trying catch up and the Zune and it has not been the "IPod killer" that it was billed to be. Ease of Use, seamless UI, and easy synchronization are the reason why I chose the iPod over the Zune. Even thought I like the big 3-inch display and the built in Wi-Fi. I will save my pennies for Apple's next iPod release.

Works cited

Bellis, Mary. "The History of MP3." About.com. About, Inc. 26 Mar 2007
< http://inventors.about.com/od/mstartinventions/a/MPThree.htm>.

Download Itunes 7. Apple Inc. 2007. 25 March 2007 <http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/>.

Technical Specifications. Microsoft Corporation 2007. 25 March 2007 <http://www.zune.net/en-us/meetzune/techspecs/software.htm>.

The price of goods here are more expensive than it is in Malaysia. For instance, you would pay 15 riyals for a haircut, but in Malaysia you would only have to pay for 5 Malaysia ringgits (which is almost equal to 5 riyals).  In addition to that, it seems that Saudi Arabia imports more than they export. They have to import fruits and vegetables as barely any plant can grow in a desert surrounded country. This can seriously affect a country’s economy badly but fortunately for Saudi Arabia, it is an oil-rich country.

The weather in Saudi Arabia might be harsh for people who prefer a cooler climate. During the summer, it is exceedingly hot here as it is surrounded by deserts. As a dry country, it barely receives any rain, which might be good news to some but not to all. As Malaysia is situated close to the Equator, it receives a lot of rain. Malaysia is a rainforest and tropical country.

Malaysia has developed itself to a modern and developed country, keeping its heritage and Islamic values. It has grown into a modern Islamic state in addition to being one of the most influential powers in Asia. However, the crime rate in Malaysia is very high compared to Saudi Arabia. Although the police system in Malaysia is efficient, they still have not managed to overthrow CD and DVD piracy. The piracy in Malaysia is among the highest ever in the world. In addition to that, there are many rape cases and killings happening almost every day. Drug also is currently one of the biggest issues in Malaysia, considering it as a threat to the citizens.

Despite being undeveloped, Saudi Arabia is one of the safest countries in this world. Saudi Arabia uses the strict Islamic code or the Sharia law to govern the country. Even though one is beheaded for a terrible crime that may not be the same somewhere else, this code ensures the country’s safety and peace. You would not find a lot of robbery, killings and rape cases as much as you do in Malaysia. As the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Saudi Arabia retains its Islamic principles by developing constantly but not moving away from their faith. Saudi Arabia is viewed as a leader of the Islamic world, being the country where Islam originated and where Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was born. If it were to change to a modern and democratic country as the United States is, Saudi Arabia would’ve probably been forgotten as an overwhelmingly Islamic state. This is proven in many countries even in the Middle East, such as Palestine, Lebanon and Syria where power is contested and people would do what it takes to be the leader. The birth of democracy and republicanism in the ME has given birth to many conflicts that have remained unsolved, some even for decades. So, Saudi Arabia might not be ready for democracy but it should start giving more rights to the people, especially women. 

Now name three things how they are different.

- Marge Simpson to her daughter Lisa, in episode 1F17 of The Simpsons

One of my more frustrating habits is comparing myself to everyone else, which as you might imagine just does wonders for my self-esteem. For some reason, I am particularly inclined to do this with regard to school. It wasn't so bad at the elementary level because I learned to read relatively early, and that set me on a pretty smooth course academically until I hit long division in fourth grade. (Yes, I am absolutely horrible at math -- yet another Asian breaking that stereotype!)

But starting around middle school, simply being a strong reader no longer ensured that I would do well. I became super-sensitive to how I did relative to other kids in my class, measured of course by grades. If I did better, it was a transient and thus shallow victory. If I did worse, I felt like an utter failure. Everything could be framed in terms of a competition, one that seemed to have enormous yet nebulous consequences.

I'm not sure where or how I got this sense of pressure to perform or be the best, since I honestly don't remember anyone putting that much pressure on me as a kid. The sense of competition and the burden of performing aways seemed to well up from within rather than be transmitted through my parents, although they were obviously pleased when I brought home A's. What was I trying to prove, and to whom?

Was I afraid of being returned, and unconsciously trying to prove my worth to my adoptive parents? Was I trying to fill the place of the missing biological child that they tried to have (and eventually did)? Did I want to show my Korean parents what they lost when they gave me up, and make them regret letting me go? Or did I want to prove to myself that I was worth my own approval, that I met my own high standards?

I always thought it was just me having high expectations for myself, in part because I was even told from time to time not to put so much pressure on myself. But just where did those standards come from, and how did "excellence" come to mean "better than the people around me" rather than a personal best? And as with so many other things, I have to wonder: Is this an adoption thing, or would I have been this way no matter what?

*****************************************

Although this need to compare myself with others takes different forms in adulthood, it still presents itself, and in some surprising ways.

Like this blog.

For some reason I can't fully "get" the fact that blogging, at least in this context, is not about winning. I know that there is no one universal way to feel as an adoptee, and similarly no one universal way to blog about it. I really don't want to turn this most recent venture of mine into a competition with myself as the only contestant. I do think that blogging is about creating community, and that there is more strength in numbers and in connecting with others than in proving superiority to anyone else. I know these things on an intellectual level, but for some reason it's hard to remember when I read fabulous posts by other people and my first reaction is a gut-wrenching "Damn it, why didn't I think of that?"

The irony that variations on this very post have already been written by other adoptees is not lost on me, and I don't think I'm saying anything that hasn't already been written in some form or another. Taken together, our posts make me wonder about links among adoption, perfectionism, fear of failure, and social comparison. What exactly are we trying to prove, and to whom? And perhaps more importantly, how can we get off this treadmill?

In my high school English classes, we were often asked to write "compare and contrast" essays. "To compare" two things was to identify what they had in common, and "to contrast" was to emphasize what was different. Especially when it comes to blogging, I want to try and retain the meaning of "compare" from my English lit days, reminding myself of what my fellow bloggers and I have in common, rather than all the ways in which I fall short.

If I get too competitive, I'll never be happy. For so long I've assumed that being the best would make me happy, and that's a difficult idea to let go of after all this time. But I'm going to try.

1. The kids can write more than they thought.

They pretended they couldn't write more than a couple sentences about the entire story, and the howled and yawped over the fact they had to come up with five paragraphs, and that I was even looking for topic sentences and transitions between paragraphs, but they kicked it out. The papers were actually pretty good, and I was very happy with their work.

2. Some kids summarize; some do book reports.

Some kids, try as they might, just couldn't do it. No matter how many times I told them: Each paragraph should be about something different! there were a handful who could only spend 5 paragraphs retelling the story. And most finished their essays with the phrase: "I think you should read this story too! You'll like it!"

3. Some didn't listen a tick

This is my essay about....
This is the introduction where I tell you about...
This is the first paragraph. It is about characters. There are characters in this story...
That's all I have to say for this paragraph.
Next is the conflict paragraph.
In this paragraph you'll read about plot.
This is the conclusion. In the introduction I told you about...
In the second paragraph I wrote:
This is the blah blah blah...

4. The cardinal sin showed up

That's the end of my essay. I hope you liked it!

or

THE END

5. Of the kids who did not steal...

I gave every class a "gimme" thesis statement. Now, thesis statements are a new item for 8th graders. They've never seen them before and they don't know what the hell they are. It's such a foreign concept we teachers generally aren't surprised when they fail to pull one off the first time they try it. And that's why I graded the kids pretty rough. When this paper was due I told them I'd take nearly half the grade away if they didn't have a thesis statement, and so many students got a bad grade on the paper because of this.

Of the kids who did not steal the "gimme" Thesis Statement, most did not have a paper that followed the guidelines I set out (5 paragraphs, three body Paragraphs on separate topics, or an entire essay that wasn't a summary or book report). The kids who did use the thesis statement wrote perfect papers that were clear, used the transition sentences, stayed on topic throughout each paragraph -- and the essay as a whole -- and were simply strong and clear.

So, before putting the grades in the gradebook, I showed them a powerpoint presentation (Which I'll upload and share tomorrow) about Thesis Statements and how to write them. I gave them examples for the "Red Chief" essay, examples for the upcoming Caste System essay, and for the State Tests they begin taking tomorrow. The expectation is that they'll understand, recognize, and be able to use Thesis Statements in all three assignments, and after the powerpoint, it seemed they could.

Yesterday's mini-lesson went over very well, and all those students turned in revised papers today, which means they brought their grades up, they learned something new, and they had a chance to reflect on the work they'd previously done and re-evaluate. That might be new to them, too.

The first story is Born Worker, by Gary Soto, where we meet young Jose and his cousin Arnie. Jose is poor and Arnie is middle class and the rich cousin talks the poor cousin into a get-rich-quick scheme that will inevitably leave Arnie on top. As the story progresses we fall in love with Jose who is a strong worker, takes pride in his work, and who does Arnie's jobs without complaint. Arnie, on the other hand, is lazy and mopes around complaining about the work while doing nothing. In the end, one of their jobs leaves an old man hurt and bleeding and Jose saves the day, but when the cops show up Arnie takes all the credit, and Jose walks away without saying a word because he knows he's stuck in his class level and can never move out.

It's fitting Jose feels this way because that's how the caste system (the kids described earlier) works, and it's often how real life turns out. The people who make themselves look important are the people who excel in life. Those who do all the grunt work do so without complaint, and are often left in the dust.

Then we read the poem "Oranges", also by Gary Soto, where we meet a boy and a girl, both from different backgrounds and yet they make it work. They don't succumb to the pressures of others to fit within their classes; they just igfnore all that stuff and go for love instead.

And we finally finished with a reading of the short story "Checkouts", by Cynthia Rylant, about a rich girl who moves to a new town and falls in love with the local bagboy at the grocery store. Again, we're confronted with kids from different class levels, but this time love does not win out. As a matter of fact, we notice that the girl chooses her class level over love, while the boy searches furtively to move up the social ladder.

Here's what was impressive -- most of my classes really seem to understand this stuff. they get it, and they point out the ridiculous behavior of these characters. Even more important is how they began to notice all the secret things authors do to explain the characters in these stories. For example:

• In "Born Worker," Soto tells us right off that our two characters are from different classes. He says it outright.
• In "Oranges," however, we have to look at the details --
  • He tells us the girl lives in a house, but he doesn't say the boy does.
  • The girl is wearing gloves in the middle of the winter, but the boy doesn't have any.
  • He shows us how much change the boy has in his pockets.
  • He makes them walk through a used car lot.
  • He makes the boy carry his food with him.
• And in "Checkouts," Rylant does the same sort of things. We learn more about the characters by what isn't said about them:
  • The girl and the bagboy never speak to one another.
  • She lives in a house with beveled windows and several porches.
  • He wears no socks, tattered shoes, touseled hair, and can't seem to keep his collar straightened.
  • Eventually, she seeks out a boy "down the street" (meaning, in her same nice neighborhood).
  • That new guy is also "intelligent" (a slight hint that the idea that college is for the upper crust).
  • And the boy goes off in search of girls at the local bookstore (A hint that he's looking to move up the ladder).

The kids picked up on all these details, compared and contrasted the characters from all three texts and then moved forward with a discussion about what would have happened in each story if things turned out differently.

We even had a conversation about how many of our real life problems could be solved -- that there would be less fighting, and less corruption -- if we actually sat down and had a conversation once in a while.

"I mean, look," said one student in class. "The boy and the girl in the 'Checkouts' story totally could have fallen in love, but they were afraid of moving too far from their caste, and so they just gave up and went the easy way. And then in 'Born Worker' Jose totally got jacked because he let Arnie take all the credit when he should have, like, kicked him in the nuts and said: 'He's totally lying to you, I'm the one who save that old guy!' And then there's the two kids in 'Oranges' who come out good in the end, and nothing goes wrong 'cause they atually told each other what they wanted from each other."

She wanted chocolate, and he wanted a girlfriend, I said.

"Yeah. And then they got to make out probably."

And what does everyone else get?

"Screwed."

Exactly.

And then I began to wonder out loud whether this type of stuff happens in school, and whether we have a caste system in school, and how that effects us, and the kids jumped all over that one. I can't even begin to explain all the rules that got shouted out across the room and how the kids were arguing with each other over what the top level was at school ("Is it the jocks or the preps?" "Aren't they the same thing?"), which was the bottom and how all those strata of kid-dom interact with each other.

It was mesmerizing, and I turned it into an assignment. Looks something like this:

• Create a Caste System for school.
• Must be five levels (like the Hindu Caste System).
  • Name each level, but do not include names of students.
  • Describe each level -- what do these people look like?
  • Outline the rules and regulations for each level -- can people move back and forth or up and down in your caste system?
  • 5 sentences for each level.
• Include an introduction and a conclusion.

Originally, I had three different assignments for the students to complete (they got to choose one that interested them), but once this idea sprang up, I think it's the real way to go. I'm going to trash the original stuff and let the students work on this, because it'll be interesting to see how the kids see themselves, and how they see the school working.

Maybe I'll find a way to make it work in a multigenre context -- so that kids can bring in evidence and articles and present their findings in a visual way but also keep in with the workings of an essay. They'll have to find a way to introduce their caste, describe each level and then conclude, but to do it all with cards or items or poetry, etc.

And this is why kids constantly impress me -- their understanding of something gets me excited and helps me find a new way for them to accomplish the tasks I'm required to teach. I wish school worked like this more often, because I like being excited about them, and I like them finding ways to connect themselves to the work we do in class.

But still, it must be taught (and I try to tell my kids the Essay for Dummies approach to writing this type of work:

• Tell me what you're going to tell me
• Tell me
• Tell me
• Tell me
• Tell me what you just told me.

), and I think yesterday's work helped get the students moving in that direction.

Why are we outlining the body of the essay first?
Because I think it's easier to decide what you're going to cover before diving in. You might as well know what you're going to write about before you start writing about it. That's why we outlined our three topics. With those in hand, we can build a thesis statement, or roadmap, for our essay.

Today we revisited the three Venn diagrams, and made sure we'd finished at least two of them. Then we began working on the introduction, and my rules for the intro are simple:

• 1. Do not use the word "I" in the introduction, or I'll hand your paper back to you.
• 2. Do not use the word "you" in the introduction, or I'll hand your paper back to you.
• 3. Do not use the word "my" in the introduction, or I'll hand your paper back to you.
• 4. Do not use the phrase "this is my paper about ______" in the introduction, or I'll hand your paper back to you.
• 5. Do not use the phrase "I hope you like it" in the introduction, or I'll hand your paper back to you (not to mention the fact that it breaks the "I" rule; I should hand this paper back twice, and twice ungraded).
• 6. Do not use the phrase "In this essay, you will see/read/hear about ______" in the introduction, or I'll hand your paper back to you.

Whyyyeeee?!?
'Cause I don't want you to tell me you're writing an essay -- I assigned it. Of course I know you wrote it. And I don't want to know "what you will talk about," for the same reasons. I don't want you to tell me you "read a story called..." because I assigned that one, too, and I also assigned that "movie" you "watched."

Which leaves what?
(Nothing, if you ask the students. So, we built a "gimme" thesis statement.)
How can you outline what's in the paper?

[silence]
Ok. What three things are we going to cover in your essay, according to the outline we created on the board?

Uh, the characters, the plot, and the conflict.
Perfect! And how are you going to discuss those things?

Through compare and contrast?
Sorta. What's another way of saying you're going to compare and contrast. You tell people you're going to look at the...

Similarities and differences!
Perfect. Ok. So, can we write a sentence that looks like this?

These stories have many similarities and differences, especially when you...

Especially when you what?

You said not to use "you" in the paper!
Ok, good. But before we take that out, what three things am I looking for in your paper.?

I don't know.
Aren't there three things you just outlined? Where you looked at all the similarities and differences between these two versions of "The Ransom of Red Chief?"

Oh, the characters, the plot, and the conflicts!
Dude! That's, like, the perfect little thesis statement there! Check this out... let's add that to what we already wrote:

These stories have many similarities and differences, especially when you look at the characters, the plot, and the conflicts.

Dude, that's perfect. That tells me exactly what's going to show up in your paper. Doesn't it? Like, if this was part of the introduction, it tells me what's coming next. For example, what's the second paragraph of this paper going to talk about?

The Plot!
EHHHH! wrong. The introduction is the first paragraph, so what's the second?

The characters.
good, and what will I see after that?

The plot.
And after that?

The conflicts.
And after that?

The conclusion.
Perfect. Now, about that "you" in the thesis statement. How do we get rid of that?

Ooh! Ooh! I know!

These stories have many similarities and differences, especially when the characters, the plot, and the conflicts are laid side by side.

Doooood

What?

That's totally awesome.

Really?

That's like college-level writing there. I mean it. It shows off exactly what's coming next, it doesn't treat the reader like a moron, and it tells me (sort of secretly) that you're doing that compare/contrast thing. When you lay things side by side, you're looking at all the similarities and differences, and you noted that without saying it. That's good stuff right there!

So, can we use that in our essay?
Totally.

Really?
Totally.

Then what?
Then you realize I helped you write two of your three body paragraphs. We outlined them together, you just have to decide what's most important to you. After that, you write your introduction paragraph, and I think you should do that by telling me your topic, name the author of the paper, and take a stance as to which version of the story was better. Here's that list from yesterday.

Introduction: Name the subject of your essay.

• Define the subject of your essay.
• Explain that you are examining the similarities and differences between two versions of your subject.
• List the topics you'll explain -- (that's your thesis statement)
• 7 sentences minimum

Subject # 1 -- Explain in 7 sentences
Subject # 2 -- Explain in 7 sentences
Subject # 3 -- Explain in 7 sentences
Conclusion: Remind me what you wrote in the essay.

• Explain in one sentence each the three subjects discussed
• Give me your thoughts on the subject.
• Which is better, and why is it better?

Half your work is done for you. You have the rest of the hour, as well as some time tomorrow, to complete your draft of this paper. Get to work in silence...and if you have your iPod with you, please plug it into your head.

And, believe it or not, they got to work.
And, believe it or not, several came to show off their introduction paragraphs.
And, believe it or not, they didn't mind when I critiqued their work.
As a matter of fact, those whose work I critiqued, told me "Thanks!" at the end.

For me it was the fact that my kids spent the entire hour talking during the lesson (an interactive powerpoint; one they helped me build from scratch), and the fact that when I asked: "Who doesn't understand what we're doing here?" nearly all of them raised their hands.

And it took me two classes to figure it out. That's not good, but better than my prior performances. So, I decided to change things up and took it from a different perspective.

I gave the students the following handout and asked them to copy the following notes on the back side. (click the image to download the handout)

Introduction: Name the subject of your essay.

• Define the subject of your essay.
• Explain that you are examining the similarities and differences between two versions of your subject.
• List the topics you'll explain -- (that's your thesis statement)
• 7 sentences minimum

Subject # 1 -- Explain in 7 sentences
Subject # 2 -- Explain in 7 sentences
Subject # 3 -- Explain in 7 sentences
Conclusion: Remind me what you wrote in the essay.

• Explain in one sentence each the three subjects discussed
• Give me your thoughts on the subject.
• Which is better, and why is it better?

I told them: We're going to look at two different texts and find out the similarities and differences between them. We're going to Figure out which is better. We're going to write an essay about them, and it's only going to take 15 minutes.

They didn't believe this, but one of the first two classes actually went through the motions and created a short essay in the powerpoint. Each class saw the results, but it wasn't until I asked them to practice on the real topic that any other class seemed to understand how this was done.

First, we looked at this picture. At first, it seems there's no reason to look at this picture, but I explained that it's one of the most famous images in the world. It's so famous I have a print hanging on the wall in my room. It's so famous it's been used in movies. It was used in the movie "Scream," and it's so famous that it was used in a movie we connected to "The Ransom of Red Chief."

All of my classes made the connection between "Red Chief" and the film (I say 'film' because this is a real film; it's not the trash kids watch today; it has a plot and interesting, definable characters; it has a flowing movement and it has subtext) "Home Alone," starring Macauley Culkin.

In the movie Macauley shaves his face, puts on aftershave and then claps his hands to his face. He does it several times throughout the film, and the director has said he used "The Scream" as inspiration. But I'm only using the picture to show how we compare and contrast two different texts.

I let the students describe the picture and we wrote some of their words and phrases on the board before I told them the next step was to compare that initial image with a different version. Then I showed them the black and white version.

Here's where the handout comes into play.

I had a big version of the above handout on the board and I had the kids pick three topics to discuss. Most picked the obvious topics: Color, Detail, and the third came after an explanation.

Color
The students pointed out that the differences between the two images stars with color.
In the color version, everything's kind of smeary -- it doesn't seem to make sense.
In the Black and white version, everything's filled with lines -- it's confusing.
In the color version we can tell that there are differences between earth and sky,
but in the B&W version, we see the actual difference between earth and sky.
In the color version we notice that the main character is actually a person.
In the black and white version, we're confused -- is this actually a person, or is this an alien?
We're not sure.

Detail
And our worry deepens when we consider the detail.
Is this really an alien? Because in the black and white version he/she seems more human.
There are more facial features in the B&W version. here are eyebrows and sunken cheeks.
In the color version we only see the open mouth.
In the color version we can see the people behind tha main character, but in the B&W version we see everything.
We begin to make judgments about this image and think that those people are running away from the main character.
We begin to think there's something wrong.

Which is why we are happy when we read about the meaning behind the painting.

Munch himself said of the painting:
I was walking along a path with two friends—mumble the sun was setting—suddenly the sky turned blood red—I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence—there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city—my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety—and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature.
—Edvard Munch

Which we further explained with the story of Krakatoa as inspiration

The Story
really changed our view of the two works. The story helped us understand the color in the color version.
The story really bothered us in the B&W version because it looks like the picture shows a guy screaming about how much he loves the beach.
The color version shows the black ground and makes us realize why 'nature [was] screaming.'
The B&W version shows us the detail of th picture and that's it.

No matter what the classes thought of the paintings, the practice with Venn diagrams helped us understand how to build an essay.

But our essay isn't on "the Scream," it's on the two different versions we've seen concerning "The Ransom of Red Chief." We've read the story and watched the movie, and now it's time to choose which is better.

Today, we had the chance to fill out the Venn Diagrams for something other than our own topic, but at the end of class we all chose one thing we'd talk about for our own essays. We chose Characters.

Here's what my kids saw:

Similarities
• All the characters are the same.
• Bill is still the dumb one who gets hurt.
• Sam is still the smart one who doesn't get hurt.
• Red Chief is still the jerk kid who doesn't seem to understand he's the jerk kid.

Differences
• Red Chief has red hair and freckles in the story; he has blonde hair and no frecjles in the book.
• Bill gets hurt, sure, but he doesn't get hit by any bricks or rocks in the movie.
• Bill gets hit by bricks and rocks in the book.
• Bill gets bit by a snake in the movie.
• Bill doesn't get bit by the snake in the book.
• Same with the spider -- yes in the movie, no in the book.
• There's a mom in the movie, but no mom in the book
• There's no car in the book, but they drive a car in the movie.
• etc.

We completed the Venn Diagram for character in about 30 seconds. We listed 11 similarities and differences, and then I asked: How many sentences can you make out of our bullets?

"About 11."

How many sentences am I asking for in each paragraph?

"7"

How easy will it be to write this paragraph?

"Dude, why didn't you show us this earlier?"
"Can I write about the similarities and differences in conflict next?"
"What about Plot? Can we talk about plot?

And I said: Sounds like your essay is almost done: I just gave you the character portion, and you already have notes on the plot and conflict.

What I didn't mention here is that we actually did talk about Thesis statement and how to build one. I didn't mention that we practiced making thesis statements, and I didn't mention that we wrote practice thesis statements. I also didn't mention that the last three classes of the day actually made it through this exercise pretty quickly and thoroughly, and that many kids actually got to work.

And what I didn't mention was that I told each class I'd messed up during the first two classes and that I asked for the remaining classes' help in perfecting this lesson for the following classes. By the end of the day, it went perfectly. By the end of the day, it seemed that the students actually believed me when I told them (as they walked through the door): You should be able to write an essay in 15 minutes, if you need to.

A conversation with the science teacher led to this: we think our kids would profit from our classes if we could be more up front. And not just in the cussing realm, but in the personal honesty realm. If the two could coexist, we might just be able to get some of these kids involved.

We were talking about opinions and what to do when kids ask for them. Whether its religion, political opinions, or even opinions in the science realm (creationism v. evolution) and the language arts realm (why do we have to read these stupid stories? Why do we have to write these essays?) the both of us admitted that we usually just say: "I can't really talk about that," or "because it's part of the curriculum," or we try to answer sincerely by saying: "We just think you should know this," and follow that with a life lesson, when the truth is we'd rather say things like: Listen, here's the truth...if you don't know this now, and especially in the future, you are, or will be, a fucking idiot.

So we came up with the "This is bullshit!" idea with the though that we might bring kids into the research, discussion, and writing parts of our classes if we were to give them two theories on a certain topic. For science, it might be:

• Creationism v. Evolution -- which one is bullshit?
  • And then the kid would be on his/her own to compare and contrast the two topics, and to bring in evidence to support the argument.

For language arts it might be as simple as this:

• What the School/Teacher Makes Us Read is Bullshit!
  • And then the student could follow with a list of texts better suited for the classroom and why.

But we can't say "bullshit" in school.

We can do our best, though, and that's why I have the upcoming essay for my kids on the topic of "The Ransom of Red Chief" -- the Movie or the Short Story, Which Sucks Less?

We've read a few things and written a short essay and now we're planning to use our last two texts

• 1. The short story "The Ransom of Red Chief," by O. Henry
• 2. The movie version no one's ever seen, starring Harry Dean Stanton (it's not even listed on imdb.com, for god's sake).

to write a compare and contrast essay. Then I had the kids sit down and use the handout I created to rip apart both texts and discuss the myriad differences. They've made note of the differences in characterization, in plot development, in the setup of conflicts, as well as with the minor changes that were made in order to (apparently) better the movie version.

Just as a sidenote: there are several differences between the book and the movie, and my students made a pretty healthy list of differences:

• Red Chief's hair is blonde in the movie, not red, like in the story.
• Red Chief doesn't have prominent enough freckles in the movie.
• Red Chief doesn't start off the trouble by hitting Bill in the eye with a brick
  • And trust, me this was integral for our reading of the short story -- this showed that this kid is pretty rambunctious and just doesn't give a damn that he's causing some severe pain to Bill (which becomes even more comical later in the story).
    http://thereflectiveteacher.wordpress.com/2007/09/11/lenses-and-911-walk-in-someone-elses-shoes/It also helps us realize that in 8th grade, we don't fuck around. We read about child abuse, terrorism, and now just plain violence.
• In the book, Red Chief assaults Bill with bricks, rocks, a huge knife, and a scalding hot potato. In the movie, it's frogs, snakes, and spiders.
  • How lame is that?
• Bill threatens to kill the kid in the book; in the movie, he just whines.
• In both versions, Bill ends up in a fire, but the book version is simply better.
• In the movie there's a mom, and there isn't one in the book.

We ripped the two versions apart, and I'm hoping the kids think the book version is better. I even took a poll, and most kids liked the book better. The movie enthusiasts were nothing but honest: They liked the movie because they didn't have to read.

No matter what, I'm going to have them take the above list, and their lists of differences and create a compare and contrast essay next week. It'll be our second essay of the year, and this time we'll get down to the nitty-gritty.

I graded the last essay on the writing process -- did they include a brainstorm, a rough draft, some editing, and a final copy -- and this second essay I'll grade on a rubric that includes content, because I truly worry about how these kids think. If they have an argument to make, I want them to make it and to back it up with evidence. I want them to know their topic up and down and I want their blood in the paper.

We're nothing without our convictions, and I'm trying to come up with a way to show them this.