The Hardy Boys Books The Short-Wave Mystery (The Hardy Boys Mystery Series 24) For Sale Online

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as of 2012-11-05 11:29 AM

The Hardy Boys Books Get The Best Price For Gold Medal Murder (Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys Super Mysteries) [Paperback]

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as of 2012-09-27 11:17 AM

Kid Stuff - Comments on the History of Children's Literature

It appears that the "Tom Swift" and "Wizard of Oz" books - popular with kids for most of the last century - are finally to be replaced by "Harry Potter.".The fourth volume of the Harry Potter series went on sale at bookstores throughout the country during midnight parties -- excitement not seen since the Pet Rock craze a decade ago.Titled "The Goblet of Fire," the latest book by British author J.K.(Joanne Kathleen) Rowling promises - or threatens -- to prolong indefinitely the Potter series for the generation coming on line.Some parents are uneasy about the new sub-literary fad.It features a supernatural kid who hobnobs with sorcerers and witches.Hey, they're reading instead of watching the same stuff on teevee.All kids go through the make-believe stage, and some of us never outgrow it.Ms.Rowling insists she makes up her stories simply to entertain children and make a living for herself and daughter.However, deep thinkers profess to see hidden allegories in her works that criticize the political and social life of our times.Her emphasis on wishful events seems to bear out contemporary yearning for magic solutions conjured by 12-year-old Harry Potter to deal with his travails.Whatever.The technique is rooted in ancient literature such as "Aesop's Fables" and "Mother Goose Rhymes.".More than 600 fables related by a Greek slave in 550 B.C.Was intended to impress social verities on children through talking animals.As an 11-year-old, I discovered Aesop's wisdom in a library book.I have never forgotten his account of the hunt by a lion, fox, jackal and wolf.The four hunters brought down a stag and then discussed how to divide it."Quarter this stag," roared the lion.Accordingly, the other hunters skinned it and cut the meat into four equal parts.With this, the lion pronounced judgment.."The first quarter is for me in my capacity as King of Beasts.The second is mine as arbiter, and another share comes to me for my part in the chase.As for the fourth quarter, I should like to see which of you will dare to try and take it from me," growled the Lion."Humph," grumbled the Fox as walked away with his tail between his legs, "You may share labors of the great, but you will not share the rewards.".Still, today, I shake my head a little when someone ascribes the largest share of anything as that due the lion.The lion's portion, stated ironically by Aesop, is not a share at all, but everything.This fable is a realistic lesson to be learned at an early age.It describes both social and political greed to guard against throughout life.* * *.The same dual purpose inspired the hundreds of Mother Goose rhymes.In medieval England, criticism of kings, nobles and other authorities could cost your life.Consequently, jibes at government were couched as ditties for children.Consider this rhyme..Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.All the king's horses,.And all the king's men,.Couldn't put Humpty together again.The term humpty-dumpty was commonly used in England to describe someone stupid or muddle-headed.In the rhyme it refers to King Richard III at the battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.Richard was resisting a rebellion by Henry Tudor.In the battle, King Richard fell from his war-horse named Wall.He was surrounded by enemy soldiers and hacked to pieces.He was the last of the York kings and the last king to die on a battlefield.Books For Kids.After the American Civil War, the invention of cheap "sulfited" paper pulp sparked a revolution in publishing.Newspapers expanded."Dime novels" became popular.Public schools were extended to the high-school level.Children had knowledge and desire to read for pleasure.The old custom of veiling politics with kid-appeal was an easy approach for publishers and writers.Regular patrons of this column may remember the recent account of Joel Chandler's "Uncle Remus" series.Those charming tales of talking animals by an editorial writer for the Atlanta Constitution were aimed at "children of all ages." The objective was to entertain - while portraying former slaves as wise and dutiful citizens.An outstanding example of hiding a social message within a fairy tale is the "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" published in 1900.The author was Lyman Frank Baum, editor of the weekly newspaper at Aberdeen, South Dakota.When it failed in 1891 during the prolonged collapse of crop prices he moved his family to Chicago.There he wrote for various newspapers.He also participated actively in the Populist (Silver Coinage) Movement and the presidential campaigns of Sen.William Jennings Bryan.He also wrote his first book "Mother Goose In Prose" in 1897.Interestingly he employed the fantasy/reality techniques of Aesop Fables, Mother Goose, and Lewis Carroll's "Alice In Wonderland" which preceded him.Baum's first venture into fantasy was not widely circulated but reviewed favorably enough to encourage him to write his first Oz book.It was an instant bestseller, which he turned into a theatrical play the following year.His ambition was to act and write for the theater.Nevertheless, the response to "Wonderful Wizard" was so great he consented to write a sequel titled "The Marvelous Land of Oz.".Before he died in 1919, Baum wrote 14 Oz books.Thereafter, Ruth Plumly Thompson and other ghostwriters authored 26 additional volumes until the series was concluded in 1963.Baum stoutly maintained that the original Oz had no sociopolitical inferences.Yet, the story and its characters so ably reflected the turbulent times that the comparison is compelling.Oz is the abbreviation for ounce, the standard measure for gold.The yellow brick road is composed of gold ingots that lead only to a field of opium poppies and drugged sleep.The Emerald City is the store of "green-back" paper money backed by silver as well as gold.The Tin Woodman, represents the industrial worker made heartless by factory owners and left to rust when his labor was no longer needed.The Scarecrow is the farmer with not enough brains to support Sen.Bryan's reforms.The Cowardly Lion is Sen.Bryan who roars a lot but is afraid to bite.The Wicked Witch of the East represents New York City financiers and bankers who enslave little people called Munchkins.The Good Witch of the West portrays people in the heartland of America.The Wizard is supposed to be President William McKinley who conceals his deceptions with smoke, mirrors and phony proclamations.Dorothy's magical silver shoes (changed to red in the ever-popular color movie) had the power to grant her wish to go home once she acknowledged the value of family and farm.If Baum did not intentionally weave these symbols into his first Oz book, he subconsciously reflected his time and place - after all, the genius of good writing.* * *.My favorite books as a youngster were those in the "Tom Swift" series which began in 1910 and continue popular today.There was not a speck of politics in them, but they were progenitor of science fiction.Tom, "the boy inventor," built contraptions that were just in the discovery stage at the turn of the century.In several instances, the authors of Tom Swift books anticipated science.Such subject matter reflected the fascination of kids - particularly boys - with the gee-whiz technology of that time.Then it was such things as motorcycles, speedboats, automobiles, planes, submarines, radios, and super cannons.These things are ordinary today.Kids now are titillated by witches, giants, monsters, demons, magicians, terminating-killers, space ships and assorted planetary aliens.All are served up by computer games, videos, television and special effect movies.The genre of series books for children -- with the same, central character -- was the brainchild of a publisher named Edward Stratemeyer.He started the Stratemeyer Syndicate of ghostwriters to churn out endless books about characters and situations he dreamed up.Among his creations was the Bobbsey Twins, Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew.The big money maker, though, was Tom Swift.Most of the first 38 volumes were written by Howard Garis, Stratemeyer's best friend, under the pseudonym Victor Appleton.The books have come to be known as the Tom Swift Senior series.Since then, other publishers bought the name rights.They continued to produce Swift Junior books with ghost writers and adventure topics until "Death Quake," the last one, in 1993.The 99 Tom Swift series is the largest total, and longest running, of all time simply because it tapped the interest of kids in exciting things which might be.Ms.Rowling is simply following a well-tested format.I wish I had thought of it.July 16, 2000.

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Timing is Everything - Delivering on Comedy

There is a  generation gap that is developing between me and the young people whom I direct.While they are smart, much smarter than I am, or was, or will be, and while they have a vast knowledge of music, including 'classics' that I am very familiar with, we have a big gulf in communication when it comes to what is funny.I read an interview of Martin Short last week.He said that comedy is generational, and that it has to be.Maybe that is true.But how do you explain comic timing to someone who has never seen the old shows that you grew up on? How do you train actors in the history of theatre when they don't even know the recent history of film and television?My generation had the 'benefit' of less affluent television stations.They could not pay for new movies.We got black and white movies from the stone ages.You know, movies starring Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, or the Keystone Cops.The Little Rascals was a primer for comedy.Teaching comedic timing is very difficult, but watching it is easy - if you get good comedy.Just as we watch dramatic actors and learn their techniques and methods, we need to be sitting our kids in front of some of the solid comic actors that have come and gone, and learn their lessons.Try some Laurel and Hardy or Three Stooges, some Carol Burnett or Lucille Ball, some Jackie Gleason, some Jack Benny, some W.C.Fields and Mae West, some Groucho Marx and his brothers.Didn't they teach us that funny stuff happens in three beats? Didn't we learn from them that if your inflection rises during a line, and you put a beat before the next word, then it's funny?Mae West's, "Come on up and .See me sometime.".Don Adams had brilliant delivery in Get Smart, "Aand.Llloving it.".Bugs Bunny, "Ehhhhnnnn.What's up, Doc?".Can you imagine those lines without the build?Comedy is slow.Anticipation is the most delicious aspect of it.Lucille Ball eating chocolates off of an assembly line is one of the most famous moments of television.The thing that made that a brilliant comedic piece instead of a disgusting show of gluttony or an alarming pathetic tragedy is all in the timing.Compare that to 'Just for Laughs. Gags' and tell me that things have not slid in a downward spiral on the small screen.More recently (although not yesterday!) Ellen Degeneres and Tea Leone also are excellent comic actors.Bob Newhart.I am trying to name people who are not profane or inappropriate for young people in hopes that they will get seen by actors who can benefit from a good laugh and an entertaining lesson.Too often, shocking behaviour, creative use of foul language and zany antics are accepted as comedy.There is a pleasant way to learn about comedy.Be a consumer of the 'good stuff'.Treat your family to some vintage films and watch the masters at work.

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The Hardy Boys Books Where Can I Buy The Shore Road Mystery (Hardy Boys, Book 6)

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as of 2012-09-26 11:17 PM

Best 2009 USA High School Track & Field Performances Feature 10 New Records - Part 1

Ten new records were set this season when the automatic timers finally stopped and the best 2009 USA high school track and field competitive performances were in the books.The only double record-setter was not an individual, but the Track East Carolina relay team made up of New Bern High School sprinters from Raleigh (NC).Their 3.19.58 effort in the 1,600 sprint medley relay swept away the old mark of 3.21.1 with Fuquawn Greene's 21.5 and Miles Sparks' 21.8 in the 200, Andrew Hendrix's 46.6 in the 400 and brother Anthony Hendrix's 1.49.7 in the 800.Track East Carolina also set the 800 sprint medley relay record with a 1.28.20 clocking that erased the old mark of 1.28.43.The absolute dominance of the Track East Carolina team was shown as they also ran the nation's fastest times in the 4x200 relay and the 4x400 relay.Albemarle High School's 4x800 relay team also got into the act by setting a new standard of 7.30.67, wiping out the old mark of 7.32.89.Albemarle's 800 runners were fast and deep-Garrett Bradley went 1.55.43, Zach Vrhovac 1.50.57, Luke Noble 1.55.34 and Anthony Kostelac 1.49.33.The other 7 new USA high school records were set by Reggie Wyatt in the 300 hurdles (35.02), Marquise Goodwin in the long jump (26-10), Mason Finley in the discus (236-06), Curtis Beach in the decathlon (7,466), Shelby Greany in the 2,000 steeplechase (6.33.7), Toni Young in the high jump (6-04), and Anna Jelmini in the discus (190-03).Last year the two dominant athletes were German Fernandez and Jordan Hasay.Fernandez set new records in the 3,000 and 3,200 and led all comers in the 1,500, 1,600 and mile.Hasay set a new record in the 1,500 and led all comers in the 3,000, 3,200 and 2 mile.This year college recruiters saw more quality athletes emerge.Among of the boys were Andrew Springer who led everyone in the 1,500, 1,600 and mile; Trevor Dunbar who was first in the 3,000 and 2 mile; Lucas Verzbickas, a freshman who led the 3,200 and 2 mile; and Marquise Goodwin in the long jump.Among the girls were Chelsey Sveinsson, a sophomore who led the nation in the 3,000 and 2 mile; Kori Carter who swept the 100 and 300 hurdles; and Ciarra Brewer, a sophomore in the triple jump.Two of last year's outstanding graduates-German Fernandez and Christine Babcock-continued to perform at a national caliber level as college freshmen.Fernandez went to Oklahoma State and promptly became the NCAA Division 1 champion in the 1,500, running 3.39.00 compared to his high school best of 3.44.8.Babcock went to the University of Washington and, combined with incoming freshman and Canadian junior national cross-country champion Kendra Schaaf, led the Huskies to their first ever NCAA Division 1 Cross-Country Championship.Babcock finished 5th in 20.02 in team competition at the 2008 NCAA Championship meet and Schaaf finished 9th.Babcock ran 4.33.82 last year to set the new national high school record for the 1600-meter run and clocked 4.35.41 in the mile, the 2nd best high school time ever (the national record is 4.35.24).Here are the current United States high school track and field records through 2008 followed by the best performances by high school competitors during 2009..USA Boys High School Track and Field Records and Best 2009 Performances..100 Meters. - 10.01 - 10.30 by Randall Carroll of Cathedral High School in Los Angeles (CA).200 - 20.13 - 20.58 by Dentarius Locke of Chamberlain HS in Tampa (FL).400 - 44.69 - 45.48 by Tavaris Tate of Starkville (MS) HS.Other elite prep sprinters include Andre Carter, Kenneth Gilstrap, Prezel Hardy, Blake Heriot, Qunicy McDuffie, Ryan Milus and Clayton Parros.800 - 1.46.45 - 1.48.66 by Robby Andrews of Manalapan (NJ) HS.1,500 - 3.38.26 - 3.45.46 by Andrew Springer of Westerly (RI) HS.1,600 - 3.53.43 - 4.01.06 by Andrew Springer of Westerly (RI) HS.Mile - 3.53.43 - 4.02.70 by Andrew Springer of Westerly (RI) HS.3,000 - 7.59.83 - 8.14.11 by Trevor Dunbar of Kodiak (AK) HS.3,200 - 8.36.30 - 8.50.70 by Lucas Verzbickas of Lincoln-Way Central HS in New Lenox (IL).2 Mile - 8.34.40 - 8.49.79 by Trevor Dunbar of Kodiak (AK) HS.Other elite prep distance runners include Mac Fleet, Elijah Greer, Patrick McGregor, Zachary Mellon, Chris Stogsdill and Zachary Wills.2,000 Steeplechase - 5.43.90 - 5.53.13 by Alex Dier of Honeoye Falls (NY) HS.3,000 Steeplechase - 8.50.01 - 9.09.97 by Joe Whelen of Hamburg (NY) HS.5,000 - 13.37.91 - 14.18.42 by Lucas Verzbickas of Lincoln-Way Central HS in New Lenox (IL).10,000 - 28.32.7 - 31.18.13 by Parker Stinson of Cedar Park (TX) HS.110 Hurdles - 13.30 - 13.31 by Wayne Davis of Southeast HS in Raleigh (NC).300 Hurdles - 35.28 - 35.02 by Reggie Wyatt of La Sierra HS in Riverside (CA).New USA High School Record.400 Hurdles - 49.38 - 49.78 by Reggie Wyatt of La Sierra HS in Riverside (CA).Other elite prep hurdlers include Kelby Dias, Kendall Hayes, Camern LaCour, Dale Morgan, Cody Riggs, Jordan Rispress, Tyler Stephenson and Neamen Wise.4x100 Relay - 39.76 - 40.54 by Monsignor Pace HS in Miami (FL).4x200 Relay - 1.23.31 - 1.24.80 by Track East Carolina of New Bern (NC) HS.4x400 Relay - 3.07.40 - 3.08.05 by Track East Carolina of New Bern (NC) HS.4x800 Relay - 7.32.89 - 7.30.67 by Albemarle HS of Charlottesville (VA).New USA High School Record.4x1 Mile Relay - 17.06.06 - 17.17.21 by The Woodlands (TX) HS.800 Sprint Medley Relay - 1.28.43 - 1.28.20 by Track East Carolina of New Bern (NC) HS.New USA High School Record.1,600 Sprint Medley Relay - 3.21.10 - 3.19.58 by Track East Carolina of New Bern (NC) HS.New USA High School Record.4,000 Distance Medley Relay - 9.49.78 - 9.55.17 by The Woodlands (TX) HS.High Jump - 7-07 - 7-05.75 by James White of Grandview (MO) HS.Pole Vault - 18-03 - 18-00.25 by Jack Whitt of Norman North HS in Norman (OK).Long Jump - 26-09.25 - 26-10 by Marquise Goodwin of Rowlett (TX) HS.New USA High School Record.Triple Jump - 54-10.25 - 52-06.25 by Bryce Lamb of Chandler (AZ) HS.Other elite prep jumpers include Chase Cooper, Damar Forbes, Ricardo Jaquite, Erik Kynard, Ricky Robertson and Hammed Suleman.Shot Put - 81-03.50 - 72-08 by Nick Vena of Morristown (NJ) HS.Discus - 234-03 - 236-06 by Mason Finley of Buena Vista (CO) HS.New USA High School Record.Javelin - 241-11 - 239-00 by Sam Crouser of Gresham (OR) HS.Hammer - 260-00 - 256-09 by Conor McCullough of Chaminade HS in West Hills (CA).Other elite prep throwers include Hayden Baillio, Devin Bogert, Matt Kosecki, Stephen Saenz, Justin Shirk and Cameron Tabor.Decathlon - 7,359 - 7,466 by Curtis Beach of Academy HS in Albuquerque (NM).New USA High School Record Using International Implements and Hurdles.(This is Part 1 of a 2-Part Series.).Copyright © 2009 Ed Bagley.

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The Worst Mistakes to Avoid in Getting Started With Saltwater Aquariums and What to Do About It

If you make these most common mistakes in getting started with your saltwater aquarium, it can be overwhelming, confusing, frustrating, and costly.So now I am going to reveal the most common worst mistakes people make and what to do instead.Mistake #1 - Learning from too many different sources at once - When we are excited about something new, we often seek out information wherever we can find it.You might be getting your information from aquarium reference books and aquarium related magazines, going to on-line forums, attending aquarium hobby club meetings, and then there is also the local fish store - and this goes on.The challenge here is that there are an unlimited number of different ways to do an aquarium well.So which one do you pick? And this is where people get themselves in trouble.Many of these difference sources will have differing opinions that contradict or disagree with one another, which can be very frustrating, confusing and lead to overwhelm, or worse, and can cause you to make horribly frustrating and costly mistakes with your tank.Solution. Start with one expert, who has proof that they know what they are talking about, and who you know, like, and trust.Learn their way of doing things and get some experience and success under your belt.And then (only then), is it time to start experimenting with what "other people" say.Mistake #2 - Using every method and piece of equipment you find - I once went to a famous public aquarium whose reef tank had an algae scrubber, a protein skimmer, an artificial fiberglass background, and D.E.Filter (diatomacious earth), ozone, and on and on it went.They had multiple different kinds of filtration equipment installed all over the system, and many of them were making one another ineffective.Solution. Pick a method and stick to it.Each method of reef keeping (for example) has different equipment that go with it.Resist the temptation to buying into the myth that you need every new gizmo gadget filter that comes along.Not only do some filtration components not go together, but those that do often need to be used in a certain sequence.So pick a method and its related equipment and stick to it.Mistake #3 - Using the right filtration components in the wrong way or wrong configuration - Often is the case that hobbyists will get a new piece of equipment that is well designed and well made and then they install it in the wrong way or in the wrong place on their system.For example, if you are using a mechanical canister filter on a fish-only tank with live rock, you do not want to put it on the same pump loop with the protein skimmer.As the mechanical filter does its job and gets clogged, it will reduce flow and cause back pressure and thus may change the flow rate being sent to the skimmer.A much better place to put the mechanical filter canister is on its own dedicated pump loop recirculating directly on the display tank.Solution. Learn how and where to apply or install equipment before you buy it.Mistake #4 - Being in a rush to add fish to your new tank - This one is completely understandable, and boy does it cause problems.The fact is that your tank needs a complete and cycled bacterial population in the biological filter in order to handle the waste that fish create.Otherwise the waste the fish create will make them sick or even die.The old school way of cycling a tank is of course no longer necessary.The way it used to be done, "disposable" or "cheap" or "hardy" fish were actually used to cycle the tank, to create this necessary bacteria population in the biological filter.This meant wasting money on fish you do not necessarily want, let alone sacrificing fish.Today, the best way of cycling a tank is to kick start your biological filter with either live bacteria cultures you can purchase, or by adding live sand or biological filter media from an existing and well established tank.Solution. Cycle your tank quickly with live bacteria cultures you can buy, or with sand or biological media from an existing and well established tank.And, no matter how well you cycle your tank, there are always limits on how quickly you can add new fish to your tank.

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