Pittsburgh Steelers vs Oakland Raiders

Review

10/27/2013

The Raider escaped with a narrow victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 21-18. Pittsburgh was unable to do much the first half offensively scoring only a field goal while Oakland managed to shred the Steeler defense and score 21 points. Neither team scored in the third quarter. Down by 18, Pittsburgh scored 15 in the fourth and managed to hold the Raiders scoreless in the second half. Oakland dominated the running game rushing for 197 yards, 162 more than Pittsburgh. However, "Big Ben" Roethlisberger threw for 241 yards while Terrelle Pryor only threw for 82 yards. Next week the Steelers match up  aginst Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, a game they are sure to lose.

Click for Artcle and Video on the Game

Theme & Summary

The Maze Runner

An appropriate theme statement for The Maze Runner could be "It is best to keep going until you achieve your goal" This concept of persistence arises several times throughout the novel. 

 One of the leaders of the Glade, Newt, tells Thomas, "Everything we do--our whole life, Greenie--revolves around the Maze. Every lovin' second od every lovin' day we spend in honor of the Maze tryin to solve somethin' that's not shown us it has a bloody solution, ya know?" (Dashner 38). Newt explains to Thomas that the Gladers have been persistent in trying to find a solution to the Maze. Dashner also says that the Gladers have been searching the Maze for over two years persistently. 

Another quote that conveys persistence is when Thomas decides he wants to be a Runner. "Thomas felt a new surge of confidence, even though he truly didn't know what he was talking about. 'I want to be a Runner'". (Dashner 35). Thomas is persistent on becoming a Runner even though new people to the Glade can't be Runners. Thomas keeps on pressing to be a Runner. Eventually Thomas becomes a Runner.

So far somebody has attempted to murder Thomas. He was banished and killed. He mentioned Thomas in a vision which has other Gladers suspicious. Thomas is still curious to know more on the last arrival--the first female to the Glade. Thomas could be the key to solving the Maze or the cause of the destruction to the Glade. We will have to wait and see..

Book Recommendation Post

The Maze Runner

I highly recommend this book for anybody that likes to be kept in suspense. This book definitely deserves five stars. This book is intended for teenager primarily because every character in the book is between the ages of 12-19. 

This is a fantasy book that is about a boy, Thomas, who is sent to a mysterious place called the Glade. His memory is wiped of everything but his first name. Like Thomas, the Gladers don't know anything about why or how they were sent to the Glade. For as long as anybody can remember, every morning, large stone walls open to reveal the Maze. For just as long, every night they close. Nobody wants to be stuck in the Maze after the walls are closed. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they solved the Maze that maybe they could find their way home. Thomas just needs to unlock the secrets located deep within his mind the solve the Maze.

Another reason I recommend this book is because of Dashner's use of figurative language. Dashner says, "He was so tired, his brain felt like someone had gone in and stapled it to his skull in a dozen places. Heartburn ravaged his chest" (Dashner 76). In this quote alone Dashner uses a vivid example of a simile and an excellent example of personification.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Jets

Review
10/13/2013

Guess who got their first win? I didn't think it could happen either. The Steelers have officially started off 1-4. The Steelers triumphed over the Jets by a score of 19-6. Both teams had four or more turnovers. Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisburger got sacked three times resulting in a loss of seventeen yards. Roethlisburger still managed to throw over two-hundred and fifty passing yards. What kept Pittsburgh in the game was the two forced interceptions. The Steelers are likely to lose this Sunday 10/20/2013 to AFC rival the Baltimore Ravens.

Tone and Mood Post

Maze Runner

The tone for my independent novel for me personally is definitely determination. Gladers are determined to solve the Maze. Everyday, Runners, are determined to travel through and map the Maze, hoping that one day they might find a solution. "'Two years we've  tried to solve this thing, no luck. Shuckin' walls move out out there at night just as much as these here doors. Mappin' it out ain't easy, ain't easy nohow'" (Dashner 45).

The mood for the independent novel is terror. This is because the last "newbie" or new arrival to the Glade was sent. Dashner is keeping the readers in suspense because he is making them wonder if a major twist or turn  is going to happen in the book. "An odd moment of complete silence hung over the Glade. It was as if a supernatural wind had swept through the place and sucked out all sound. Newt had read the message aloud for those who couldn't see the paper, but instead of erupting in confusion, the Gladers all stood dumbfounded" (Dashner 58).

When the first female was sent to the mysterious world called the Glade, she brought a message. Her words were "'Everything is going to change'" (Dashner 57). The girl spoke in a hollow, haunted but clear voice. Her tone persuaded everybody that they need to make some serious decisions that have yet to be revealed.

Piitsburgh Steelers vs Minnesota Vikings Review

9/29/2013

The Steelers are absolutley terrible. Starting out 0-4, this is one of the worst starts in Pittsburgh Steeler history. The Steelers were outscored in each quarter except the fourth where the Steelers shut Minnesota down.The Steelers dominated play, earning 13 more first downs and more than 100+ passing yards. Pittsburgh also posessed the ball for 13:00 more than the Vikings. Steelers had a chance to win the game late in the fourth quarter with 00:19 seconds left at the Minnesota 11 yard line. The Vikings recovered the football and sealed the victory. The steelers are 0-4 while the Vikings are 1-3. The Steelers have a bye week next week. Hopefully they can get their act together and start playing Steeler football.

Link for Review of the game

Character Post Redo

The Maze Runner

REDO

Thomas in the first chapter of The Maze Runner is very shy because he is new to a mysterious place called the Glade. He remembers nothing but his first name. He knows nothing about the Glade and is curious to find out. To find out he asks others who have the same problem but have been living in the Glade for several weeks or even years. He doesn't get helpful answers since the people of the Glade speak in a slang language. Thomas has trouble understanding the language they speak. When he doesn't get help he takes things into his own hands. He defies the leader's warning and goes into a restricted room where someone was bitten by the "Greiver". Thomas also starts speaking up for himself when the new girl arrives. This propels the story forward because it makes the reader think that Thomas may become a leader and play an important role in the Glade. Thomas says "' Captain Gally it is. He exaggerated a salute, feeling a rush of adrenaline, as he knew he'd just crossed a line." (Dashner 19). This is an example of when Thomas defies leadership in the Glade. It is hard to believe how Thomas can change so much over the course of a few chapters.

Analysis

Maze Runner Analysis Post

In the Maze Runner, anew male is sent into the Glade once a month. But after Thomas arrives, the next day there is another shipment. This time...it is a girl. The girl came with a note. She's the last one...ever. Chaos arrises in the Glade. One because a girl has never arrived before and two because she is the last shipment. Something suspicious and weird is definatley going on and I don't know what yet.

James Dashner characterizes the girl directly. I know that the new girl is pale and has hair that is pitch black. Dashner says, "She looked like she could be fifteen or sixteen years old, and her hair was tar black. But the on thing that had really stood out to him was her skin: pale, white as pearls" (Dashner 55).

I can infer that something important will happen during the course of the next few chapters judging by the Gladers reactions to the message that the girl carried. "An odd moment of silence hung over the Glade. It was as if a supernatural wind had swept through the place and sucked out all sound" (Dashner 58).

Maze Runner Chapters 6-10 Summary

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cincinnati Bengals Review

9/16/2013

The Steelers start out on their first 0-2 start since 2002. It is the first under Mike Tomlin and under Ben Roethlisberger. The Bengals had nearly three times more running yards than the Steelers and two times more total yards. The Steelers fumbled the ball once but picked Andy Dalton. The Bengals had significantly more possession time than the Steelers adding up to a total of 11:08 more time that Andy Dalton and the Bengal offense could make something happen. The Bengals took advantage of that time and beat the Steelers 20-10 shutting the Steelers down in the second half. The Steelers only pulled off an unimpressive 25% of third downs. After personally being at the game, I can confirm that  it was a beautiful night for playing football. Rookie Bengal Giovani Bernard scored two touchdowns and secured the victory in a typically heated game in the AFC North Division.






Link for Review of Game

Reading Skills Maze Runner Post

Reading Skills

Thomas sees "Runners" coming back from the "Maze" for the first time. His guide,--the person that is supposed to show him around the Glade--Chuck, explains to Thomas that a Runner is a dangerous job. The Runners are responsible for trying to find a way through the Maze. Chuck explains to Thomas the the Maze shifts every day so the Maze is never the same. New people to the Glade are not allowed to be Runners. I predict that Thomas will be an exception and be a Runner. The next morning, Newt,--the guy who seemed to be second in command--shows him around the Maze. I wonder if something will happen to Thomas and Newt while inside the Maze?

Chuck plays a prank on the man in charge, also known as Gally. When Chuck runs away, Thomas gets blamed. Thomas is already on thin ice with Gally because earlier in the book, the two get engaged in a verbal argument. A text to self connection is when I got my brother in trouble for something I did. A text to world connection is that there are going to be several mazes around at this time of year because it is getting close to Halloween, similarly to the Maze in the book.  A text to text connection is that this situation is similar to a scene in the movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid. When Greg is walking home some kindergartners he was wearing Rowley's  jacket. Greg picked up a worm using a stick and started chasing the children. Unfortunately it occurred right outside Rowley's grandmothers house. Rowley's grandmother mistook Greg for Rowley and as a result Rowley was kicked off of Safety Patrol.

Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati Preview

Pittsburgh Steeler vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Preview

The Cincinnati Bengals host the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium on 9/16/2013. Both teams are coming off devastating losses. The Bengals lost to the Chicago Bears 24-21 with the Bengal quaterback Andy Dalton throwing two interceptiopns and getting sacked once. The Bears turned it on late in the third quarter scoring fourteen unanswered points to win the game shutting out the Bengals in the fourth quarter. The Steelers suffering from more than thirteen injuries with two pro bowlers getting injured this past week in the Tennessee vs. Pittsburgh game. Ben Roethlisberger took a beating last Sunday with the Steelers offensive line giving up five sacks. The Titans were also able to hold the Pittsburgh running game to  thirty-one yards. Former Steeler linebacker James Harrison rejected a contract offer from the Steelers and was cut loose. Coincidently, he eneded up with the rival Cincinnati Bengals. He still aims to prove that he can make an impact. Will Pittsburgh be able to pull off a win away or will the Bengals stomp the Pittsburgh offensive line? Which team will start off their season with two consecutive losses?



9/8/2013 Pittsburgh Review

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tennessee Titans Review

9/8/2013

The Tennessee Titans obliterated the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line on Sunday September 8, 2013. Ben Roethlisberger was sacked five times. The Titans defense completely shut down Pittsburgh's running game to 32 rushing yards and 15 carries.Titans defensive corps stated, "We madde sure we put those Terrible Towels up their butts all day long". The Titans will have their toughness tested next Sunday against Arian Foster and the Houston Texans.

Game Recap Article

Characters Maze Runner Post

The Maze Runner

Character

Thomas in the first chapter of The Maze Runner is very shy because he is new to a mysterious place called the Glade. He remembers nothing but his first name. He knows nothing about the Glade and is curious to find out. To find out he asks others who have the same problem but have been living in the Glade for several weeks or even years. He doesn't get helpful answers since the people of the Glade speak in a slang language. Thomas has trouble understanding the language they speak. When he doesn't get help he takes things into his own hands. He defies the leader's warning and goes into a restricted room where someone was bitten by the "Greiver". It is hard to believe how Thomas can change so much over the course of two chapters.

This is an article that gives a brief summary of chapters 1-5.
Maze Runner Article

Practice Post

My summer reading book, The Blind Side, was really boring to me because I did not like all the statistics it gave. The book was more of a documentary than a novel or story. I was expecting a story and was very disappointed. The theme of this book is to do what is best for you. Michael Oher was at a time in his life when he was deciding on what college to attend. He was under the pressure of so many people with so many opinions. He needed to do what was best for him. In the end that is what he did. He decided to go to the University of Mississippi. “On February 1, 2005, Michael Oher held a press conference to announce where he intended to go to college. He faced a bank of microphones and explained how he’d decided to go to Ole Miss. To hear him talk, you’d have thought he’d descended from generations of Ole Miss Rebels”(Lewis 195).

This article accurately explains the main idea of the book as well as the author’s gift for storytelling

Blind Side Article 

v> v>