Submitted by Matt Rusay
In the book "Is This a Great Game, or What?", Tim Kurkjian talks about the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). The SABR is a convention located in Dallas and is like, he claims, "a Star Trek convention for baseball" (Kurkjian 119). I found it interesting the way the Kurkjian describes this convention. He shows mixed emotions, laughs at how ridiculous this group is and admires how dedicated these members are to the game of baseball.
As an example of the level of dedication (or obsession) shown by the members, Kurkjian states that in May 1995, Todd Hundley hit a pinch-hit, extra-inning home run, and he (Kurkjian) wanted to know how often this has happened and the last time it occurred. Upon arriving at the convention, he asked one person who to ask about the frequency of this event, and that man replied by pulling a list of the instances this has occurred out of his breast pocket! Kurkjian was astonished and happy to be in a place where people love the game as much as he does. Therefore, it is interesting to see how important SABR is to sportswriters.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
GOOD LUCK!
Best of luck to students taking the SAT Saturday! Remember - when in doubt, eliminate the prepositional phrases, find the subject and its verb, and that will allow you to unlock the meaning!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Another Successful B2SN!
Just a quick thank you to the parents who came to B2SN this evening. It was a pleasure to meet you and I hope that I was able to answer questions and provide a clear sense of what to expect this year.
Now, go get some sleep so you're well rested for the world tomorrow!
Ms. Weiss
Ps. And remember - what happens at B2SN, stays at B2SN! Wouldn't the kids like to know... !
Now, go get some sleep so you're well rested for the world tomorrow!
Ms. Weiss
Ps. And remember - what happens at B2SN, stays at B2SN! Wouldn't the kids like to know... !
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Congratulations!
Congratulations to the writers of the three Book Blogs chosen for blog publication this round. Although there isn't a prize for this honor, I hope these entries will inspire reading and will serve as examples for future blog entries!
Student Book Blog: Why I'm Scared of the Library
By Bennett Galperin
I always feel uncomfortable in the library. In addition, I seem to never have luck finding a good book there. Every time I go to the library, nothing catches my eye. Instead, I normally find books through recommendations or placement at bookstores. Even though I have no trouble finding a book that I know the title of at the library, I can't discover new and interesting books there.
On a parallel topic, I never feel comfortable at the library because I am afraid that I might run into someone I know and they'll think I am at the library to learn or study. If it was up to me, I would never go to the library but obviously I do not want to spent my hard earned money on a book that I may read only once and then never touch again. Proof of this is that in my room, I have a bookshelf crammed full of books that I have either never opened or that I read years ago.
To make matters worse, my dad loves the library and constantly forces me to go there with him. He always wants me to do research for reports at the library even when it is not necessary. In conjunction, he tries to force me to study at the library but I always refuse.
Funny enough, the East Brunswick Public Library has been making attempts to attract teens like myself to the library. The library has created a teen area that allows its occupants to game online, play video games, board games, and it also has an expanded teen book section. No matter what anyone does, I still will always try to avoid the library because I have barely ever discovered a book at the library that I liked and it will most likely stay that way.
I'm not a hater of books, though: I do enjoy going to Barnes and Nobles and finding a couple books that look interesting and reading a few pages of them while having a frappuccino, as do many others. By reading the first few pages, I can infer whether or not I will enjoy the book, plus the frappuccino makes the experience more pleasurable.
Obviously I am scared by the library, which is probably why I am always embarrassed to be there. I much prefer bookstores like Barnes and Nobles. I am usually more successful in finding a good book in a bookstore than in the library.
I always feel uncomfortable in the library. In addition, I seem to never have luck finding a good book there. Every time I go to the library, nothing catches my eye. Instead, I normally find books through recommendations or placement at bookstores. Even though I have no trouble finding a book that I know the title of at the library, I can't discover new and interesting books there.
On a parallel topic, I never feel comfortable at the library because I am afraid that I might run into someone I know and they'll think I am at the library to learn or study. If it was up to me, I would never go to the library but obviously I do not want to spent my hard earned money on a book that I may read only once and then never touch again. Proof of this is that in my room, I have a bookshelf crammed full of books that I have either never opened or that I read years ago.
To make matters worse, my dad loves the library and constantly forces me to go there with him. He always wants me to do research for reports at the library even when it is not necessary. In conjunction, he tries to force me to study at the library but I always refuse.
Funny enough, the East Brunswick Public Library has been making attempts to attract teens like myself to the library. The library has created a teen area that allows its occupants to game online, play video games, board games, and it also has an expanded teen book section. No matter what anyone does, I still will always try to avoid the library because I have barely ever discovered a book at the library that I liked and it will most likely stay that way.
I'm not a hater of books, though: I do enjoy going to Barnes and Nobles and finding a couple books that look interesting and reading a few pages of them while having a frappuccino, as do many others. By reading the first few pages, I can infer whether or not I will enjoy the book, plus the frappuccino makes the experience more pleasurable.
Obviously I am scared by the library, which is probably why I am always embarrassed to be there. I much prefer bookstores like Barnes and Nobles. I am usually more successful in finding a good book in a bookstore than in the library.
Student Book Blog: Nightrise by Anthony Horowitz
Reviewed by Raj Shah
The book, /Nightrise/ by Anthony Horowitz, is an amusing, adventurous, addicting novel. The book is about Jamie and Scott Tyler who are telepathic twins who perform telepathic acts at their uncle’s theater. People come from all over the world to see their tricks, but there are also a few people out there in the world who want to get rid of people with these kinds of talents.
One night, after a performance, two men attempt to kidnap the twins, and one of the men successfully kidnaps one of them. The rest of the story is about the remaining twin tries to find the other and what he has to go through in order to do so. That’s not all: in the end, the suspense maximized when the twins find each other not in person but in their dreams and that is what leads them to each other.
I liked this book not just because of the suspense, but also because the story itself had substance. It isn't one of those stories where each chapter is continuing from the previous one. In /Nightrise/, the chapters are not in any particular order and instead are all about something different. The way they flow and transition into each other is amazing and the clarity in the book overall is very good.
Throughout the whole book, I pictured everything like it was on HDTV. I personally like novels that are adventurous fiction because they broaden my creativity level and show the reader new ways to think. I would recommend this book to those who like adventurous fiction books. I was surprised at how addicting this book was - it made me want to stop what I was doing and just read! This book has changed my opinion on reading by making me want to finish the whole series and read more books from this author.
The book, /Nightrise/ by Anthony Horowitz, is an amusing, adventurous, addicting novel. The book is about Jamie and Scott Tyler who are telepathic twins who perform telepathic acts at their uncle’s theater. People come from all over the world to see their tricks, but there are also a few people out there in the world who want to get rid of people with these kinds of talents.
One night, after a performance, two men attempt to kidnap the twins, and one of the men successfully kidnaps one of them. The rest of the story is about the remaining twin tries to find the other and what he has to go through in order to do so. That’s not all: in the end, the suspense maximized when the twins find each other not in person but in their dreams and that is what leads them to each other.
I liked this book not just because of the suspense, but also because the story itself had substance. It isn't one of those stories where each chapter is continuing from the previous one. In /Nightrise/, the chapters are not in any particular order and instead are all about something different. The way they flow and transition into each other is amazing and the clarity in the book overall is very good.
Throughout the whole book, I pictured everything like it was on HDTV. I personally like novels that are adventurous fiction because they broaden my creativity level and show the reader new ways to think. I would recommend this book to those who like adventurous fiction books. I was surprised at how addicting this book was - it made me want to stop what I was doing and just read! This book has changed my opinion on reading by making me want to finish the whole series and read more books from this author.
Student Blog: "Passage to Dawn"
Passage to Dawn
Reviewed by Stephen Markel
R.A. Salvatore is well known in the Science Fiction genre, as is his character Drizzt Do'Urden. From the new cover style to the quote on the back from within the book, R.A. Salvatore knows how to bring readers back to harbor.
R.A. Salvatore uses great details to describe his short plot in such detail that the you, the reader, often find yourself easily picturing Twinkle, one of Drizzt's scimitars given to him by a friendly old adventurer. The wide expanse of Faerun, in particular the infamous Sea of Swords, is portrayed with superb specifics to detail and design.
However, one problem I find with the series is that the heaviness of details lengthens an event over a long period of pages. This often leaves the reader disappointed to see that Drizzt, a drow elf, has only made short progress over his long lifetime - Faerunian Elves have been known to live around 900 years on average. In other words, the writer often takes too much time describing the time needed for travel, the 'simple times' when characters take time to develop their battle prowess, build friendships with other characters or when they just go about their daily routine on a 'boring' day.
Despite that, this book is impressive, but because of all of the detail, I may take time out from this series to read a classic piece of literature. I am currently deciding between Vergil's "Aeneid", Dante's "Inferno", or "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", granted I can find an English-translated copy of any of them.
Reviewed by Stephen Markel
R.A. Salvatore is well known in the Science Fiction genre, as is his character Drizzt Do'Urden. From the new cover style to the quote on the back from within the book, R.A. Salvatore knows how to bring readers back to harbor.
R.A. Salvatore uses great details to describe his short plot in such detail that the you, the reader, often find yourself easily picturing Twinkle, one of Drizzt's scimitars given to him by a friendly old adventurer. The wide expanse of Faerun, in particular the infamous Sea of Swords, is portrayed with superb specifics to detail and design.
However, one problem I find with the series is that the heaviness of details lengthens an event over a long period of pages. This often leaves the reader disappointed to see that Drizzt, a drow elf, has only made short progress over his long lifetime - Faerunian Elves have been known to live around 900 years on average. In other words, the writer often takes too much time describing the time needed for travel, the 'simple times' when characters take time to develop their battle prowess, build friendships with other characters or when they just go about their daily routine on a 'boring' day.
Despite that, this book is impressive, but because of all of the detail, I may take time out from this series to read a classic piece of literature. I am currently deciding between Vergil's "Aeneid", Dante's "Inferno", or "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", granted I can find an English-translated copy of any of them.
Monday, September 29, 2008
A Gift to You!
Word Bank for King Arthur Worksheet – DUE THURSDAY
This should be a complete list, however I may have overlooked one or two – complete the sheet regardless of omissions. Numbers next to names denote times used on the sheet.
Hadrian’s Wall
Pagans
Galahad
Roman (3)
Merlin (3)
Woad (3)
Cerdic
Evacuating
Father’s grave
Saxons (3)
Pelagius
Dagonet (2)
Round Table
Arthur (2)
Guinevere (2)
Tristan (2)
Godson
Father’s
Native Celts
Lancelot (2)
Excalibur
Celtic
Rome
Lake of ice
Bor
Sarmatian
Tombstone
Fifteen
Gawain
Heretic
This should be a complete list, however I may have overlooked one or two – complete the sheet regardless of omissions. Numbers next to names denote times used on the sheet.
Hadrian’s Wall
Pagans
Galahad
Roman (3)
Merlin (3)
Woad (3)
Cerdic
Evacuating
Father’s grave
Saxons (3)
Pelagius
Dagonet (2)
Round Table
Arthur (2)
Guinevere (2)
Tristan (2)
Godson
Father’s
Native Celts
Lancelot (2)
Excalibur
Celtic
Rome
Lake of ice
Bor
Sarmatian
Tombstone
Fifteen
Gawain
Heretic
Assigment for Periods 2, 8/9, and 12 - Due THURSDAY 10/02
Hey kids -
In addition to completing the fill in the blank worksheet, here is an assignment for Periods 2, 8/9, and 12, due Thursday. Period 4 has a separate assignment, which I handed out in class on Monday.
Below is a link to the poem Morte d’Arthur by Lord Tennyson. Read the poem and then in a well developed, organized (use paragraphs!) response, make a connection between the poem and 3 scenes from the film. Use lines from the poem as textual evidence to support your response.
Please type and double space your response. It should be one page in length.
http://home.att.net/~TennysonPoetry/mort.htm
In addition to completing the fill in the blank worksheet, here is an assignment for Periods 2, 8/9, and 12, due Thursday. Period 4 has a separate assignment, which I handed out in class on Monday.
Below is a link to the poem Morte d’Arthur by Lord Tennyson. Read the poem and then in a well developed, organized (use paragraphs!) response, make a connection between the poem and 3 scenes from the film. Use lines from the poem as textual evidence to support your response.
Please type and double space your response. It should be one page in length.
http://home.att.net/~TennysonPoetry/mort.htm
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
