Children's Books I Like

 

Our eyes see flies. Our eyes see ants. Sometimes they see pink underpants. (Dr. Seuss, 1968)

I had fun reading 1968s, “The Eye Book.” It was like a song to me. ‘Our eyes see rings, our eyes see strings, they see so many things! (Dr. Seuss)

I also enjoyed picking up facts that fascinate myself. As we all know from our reading, Cynisca, was the first woman to be a champion in the Olympics. In 396 B.C., women were not allowed to compete in the Olympics, but Cynisca, a trained Spartan athlete, won glory because the chariot team she trained won an Olympic event.   

The brains natural chemicals to ignite happiness and handle stress gracefully are known as neurotransmitters. Exercise, and hanging out with family and friends is often a positive enlightener of Norepinephrine, which is how the brain handles stress. Positive activities also ignite Serotonin and Dopamine, which show case happiness and knowledge of what’s pleasant.  

The 2020, Britannica “Kids Encyclopedia, What We Know & What We Don’t” is cool for any aged reader.

More detailed book reviews will be blogged about in the future, be forewarned.

Mark Izzy Schurr

Natures Kiss

 

Nature’s kiss, a blitzkrieg of bliss. Dreams awake, everything is possible. Sipping from the goblet of immortality, I embrace my limitless imagination.

Mark Izzy Schurr

Mark Madness, Take III

 

The NCAA women’s Final Four games on Friday lived up to its hype, especially the Stanford Cardinal match-up against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Both teams were ranked number one in their conferences going into Friday’s fiery, and a single point determined the winning team, which will play for the championship on Sunday.

Freshman forward Cameron Brink, lead all players with six blocked shots

All ball, no foul, Brink blocks!

South Carolina, JR guard, Destanni Henderson nails a three-pointer

Number 12, Lexie Hull's sweet assist to #22, Cameron Brink 

The two teams earned each basket they made, and with less than 45 seconds left, there were two lead changes. Stanford held on for a 66-65, nail biting victory.

The Gamecocks got a steal with less than 10 seconds remaining, and got off two shots, thanks to an outstanding offensive rebound. South Carolina’s, Aliyah Boston’s last shot gently rimmed the bucket, but failed go in for the buzzer beating Simi- Finals win.

Boston and Stanford’s, Cameron Brink combined for ten blocked shots. Boston also had a double-double in points and rebounds, along with her 4 stuffs.

Thrill of victory

Agony of defeat 

On Sunday afternoon, the Cardinal women will face their Pac-12 rival, the Arizona Wildcats for all the glory. 

The three seeded Wildcats upset the number one seed Connecticut Huskies, 69-59, to play Stanford for a third time this season.

Arizona Wildcats, senior guard, Aari McDonald and junior forward, Cate Reese basking in victory

For the first time in Arizona college history, the Wildcats are competing for the national championship. This will be Stanford’s 5^th trip to the title, which the team won in 1990, and 1992, and lost in 2008, and 2010. Regardless, neither team has a player who’s competed for a zenith victory. Sunday afternoon’s, NCAA Division I Basketball Championship will be great TV for myself.

Mark Izzy Schurr    

Mark Madness, take II

 The Elite Eight is over, it’s now down to the Final Four in both the men’s and women’s NCAA Division I basketball playoffs.

More than 350 Division I college teams in both men’s and women’s leagues, play in the United States. Sixty-eight of those teams reach March Madness, and the team that wins six games in a row becomes champions.  

The teams that won and lost in the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight have experienced the equitized ecstasy of victory or the gnawing pain of defeat.

Stanford forward, Cameron Brink reveal's in joy

Stanford Guard, Kiana Williams buries a bucket 

The highlight of Wednesday night’s match-up between the UCLA Bruins and the Michigan Wolverines was UCLA’s Johnny Juzang, pictured on top. Juzang literally carried his team in the first ten to fifteen minutes of the game. Juzang scored 14 of the Bruins first 16 points and finished with 28. No other player on the Bruins scored more the 14 points.

UCLA Guard, Johnny Juzang wards off tough defense to score.

The 11^th seeded Bruins upset the number one seeded Wolverines, 49-51, and now the Bruins face the mighty Gonzaga Bulldogs on Saturday. The Spokane, Washington Bulldogs are the odds-on favorite to win this year’s title. The 30-0 Bulldogs have pulverized their opponents this year. The Zags are riding a 27-game winning streak with double digit wins and have not been behind in a game since before the Sweet 16.

The Bruins are the only Final Four team in the men’s bracket that has won a championship, when the team won the title in 1995.

I’m looking forward to watching Johnny Juzang play on Saturday and would love to see him go the Golden State Warriors.

I also watched the Stanford Cardinal women against the Louisville Cardinals. Louisville dominated the first half of Wednesday nights game, and then, Stanford conquered the Cardinals in the second half, doing exactly what some ESPN commentators said would happen. The 29-2, Stanford team buried three throws, took the ball to the paint and played tenacious defense in the second half, to win the game, 78-63. Stanford trailed Louisville at halftime, 38-26.

Senior Dana Evans weeps in defeat, which ends her college basketball career. 

Watching Stanford come back in the second half was impressive basketball, but also disappointing for myself. I was pulling for the underdog Louisville Cardinals and Dana Evans, the highlight of the women’s tournament for me. Evans did her part in scoring 24 points, but the well-rounded number one seeded Stanford team displayed why their ranked number one this year.

Louisville guard, Dana Evans answers questions after her teams first half dominance

Evans spews her basketball wisdom to her teammates 

Evans buries a basket

Stanford teammates feeling their power on the court 

Stanford enjoying the ecstasy of victory 

On Friday, the Stanford women play South Carolina, and the Arizona women face Connecticut. On Saturday, in the men’s Final Four, UCLA matches up against the Zags, and Houston goes against Baylor.

Mark Izzy Schurr