THE BEST MOVIE ON THE PLANET!!

In my opinion anyway... I have just finished watching the Shawshank Redemption for about the hundredth time in my life and it still is as entertaining as it was when I first watched it. Aside from the fact that it holds the number one spot on the Top 200 best movies at IMDB, it is a movie that everyone should see at least once. The storyline alone holds merit for allowing this movie to be called the best. However, the sensational acting of everyone throws this movie way over the top. The collaboration of some of todays best actors, including Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, brings forth a movie that really has a taste of what everyone should find interesting. I'll try to stay out of the plot in case there is someone who hasn't seen it, but this movie is a must see for dramatic junkies and suspense seekers alike. The sheer depth of the story will leave you breathless and begging for an encore as soon as it ends. It may sound like I'm overplaying this movie a tad bit too much but for the lack of a larger vocabulary, I keep a mindset of what I'm trying to portray. Guaranteed a good time with this movie and it is definitely something that is enjoyable, at least slightly, to everyone.

All the Hype...

There's been a lot of hype about the new game, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. It is supposed to be the most complex and photo realistic game ever, for the xbox 360. According to all the reviews and play testers it is absolutely gonna raise the bar on video games from here out. I had to have one for myself. So I attended the Midnight Party at gamestop the night it came out and waited in line to get my new console. My friends, Brandon, Thomas Temple, Thomas Willard and I pulled up to the Cookeville gamestop at about 10:30. Already there was a huge crowd gathered to play the game and the majority were huddled around 4 42" lcd televisions. They were running a mini-tournament of sorts and allowed the players to play in 2 minute intervals before they had to relinquish the consoles to other fans. I had no intention of signing up to play I was just worried when I would get my game and be able to go home and try it out myself. I pushed my way through the crowd and into the store to get my ticket to wait in line. "Make sure to hold onto this or you lose your console." were the words that stuck in the back of my mind. I kept checking my wallet repeatedly to make sure I hadn't lost the receipt. I didn't really want to watch the game being played as it would only make me more anxious. So I went back to my car where we huddled around listening to a mixed playlist of Lynard Skynard, Led Zeppelin, Soundgarden, and Def Lepard. We finally noticed the large group of people starting to make a single line which we took as a good sign to make our way to the store front. Seemed like it took forever for me to find my spot in line, 72, and even longer to get my game but it all payed off when I picked it up off the counter. We were all tired but we stayed awake contemplating how awesome the game would be. By the time we got back to Crossville everyone was teetering in and out of consciousness so we decided to split and drop everyone off at the house. Thomas Temple decided to stay the night and spent 15 minutes hooking up his xbox to start the game. I was busy making my bed. I walked into my bedroom as he put the finishing touches on the machine and fell onto my bed to watch. I passed out. I woke up the next morning 30 minutes late so I hurried to get ready for school. I returned home later that evening and held the controller in my hand. I stuck the game in and played until I went to bed. Definitely worth the wait.

Cumberland Ridge

I've recently been hired on as a caregiver for an assisted living facility in Crossville Tennessee. The name of the facility and Cumberland Ridge Assisted living and my job requires me to take on quite a bit of responsibility. I'm responsible for the residents pills, I give hand them out at the times stated by their doctors. There is a lot of medicine to deal with and it can get a bit overwhelming. Though most of the medicine they get may not be dentramental to their health, there is a few that could really hurt them if given at the wrong time or in too much quantities. I am also required to serve the residents meals, clean their rooms, and other things you hear of housekeepers doing. But at the end of the day all the hard work pays off, not just because of the money but because all the socializing and interesting things you learn from them. Many of the older residents have a lot of awesome stories to tell and some even have journals and heirlooms that date back hundreds of years ago. I can say I've had a few interesting jobs in my life, I once worked at a tv station, I worked for the Cumberland County Fire Department, and I've worked nearly all my life with my father in some form of a rock quarry. However, this job really seems like one that is gonna be one of the best experiences of my life. Sometimes even my coworkers have interesting stories of their own. :)

We're the Best

I attended an Engineering Meeting the other day with Doctor Allen Atkins as the primary speaker. It was one of the most enjoyable presentations I have ever listened to. Doctor Atkins is a TTU alumni who graduated and moved on to receive his Masters and PhD in electrical engineering. He is known as the father of stealth technology and is now the Vice President of Boeing Company. Doctor Atkins has worked on many projects including some he could not mention. Things such as the F-117 stealth bomber and the jet fighter that can stop in a vertical position in the air are attributed to this man. His story is awe aspiring and really is something that makes one wonder what will happen when they get out into the real world. To know that the education we can get here at TTU could possibly lead us down similar extraordinary paths is something to think about. He also stressed how much he believed the education we get at this college is arguably some of the best in the country or the entire world. Just look at all the world renowned professors and other staff members that work at Tennessee Tech. Students are supposed to be inspired by those who teach them, and here that fact is recognized. Thanks Tennessee Tech.

Reviews

I believe everyone has demonstrated their critiquing abilities at some point or another. Whether it be about a movie or a song or even going out to eat. Writing a review might be one of the easier assignments we have had to do.

The review of the restaurant was more appealing to me, because it is something I would probably read on my own time anyway. I read things all the time about restaurants or other things I would wanna go to just to get a greater feel of the place. The author stated some very valid points and made very informative comments that made me wish every review was as good.

I found the book review to be very informative. The author gave very good opinions and statements, and gave the reader the chance to interpret those comments as they wish. She didn't give away too much about the book but still kept me interested. After reading the review I have an urge to read the book myself.

A Bloggers' Blog

The Meet Joe Blog story really opened my eyes to the sheer number of people who blog. I had no idea that so many people blogged and that so many things were being blogged about. The author of this story was very informative in their writing and gave some examples that literally blew my mind. To know that blogging is being used to persuade the masses on not only what movies to watch or what books to read, but also who to vote for in elections. Thinking about how three unheard editors were able to draw in such a huge fan base really knocks my socks off. I'm thinking about keeping my blog alive even after English 1010 or maybe starting another one for some of the more interesting things that I like. I could only hope to be as entertaining as some of the "bloggists" that are chatting up the web today.

The Homeless on Campus story I read wasn't as appealing to me as the first Meet Joe Blog story, but it did seem to strike a nerve. To know that someone you go to school with may be homeless is just horrible. I've found college to be hard enough I can't imagine doing it with no place to live. The story really seemed to open my eyes to what other people are going through. The girl in the story was thrust out because of an abusive relationship, thrust out and forced to live on the streets. I found some of the events to be horrid and to think she had a kid with her... The story is also inspiring, however, it makes someone like me think "well if they can do it with all their troubles, then I know I can do it". Seeing someone struggle like that but still be able to continue with her life convinces me that if you want something bad enough and are willing to put effort into it then you can achieve anything.

Bayfest 2009

This years Bayfest was awesome. It included performers such as 3 Doors down, Steve Miller Band, Ludacris, Cage the Elephant, and many others. The eight hour drive their was a pain in the ass but it was worth it as soon as we rolled into Mobile, Alabama. Getting off the interstate and making our way to the downtown area of cordoned off streets and plazas we noticed some very peculiar buildings which we decided to park at only to find out they were houses that had the appearance of a luxury hotel. Parking two miles away from the nearest stage, the one that housed the performer, Musiq Soulchild, still didn't seem to dampen the spirits of me and my ragtag group of weary Crossvillians. The smell of alcohol was strong and could be smelled within probably a three mile radius of the closes bar. The streets were packed but the true sight was when we neared closer to the entrance gates. People were literally crawling over each other. I believe the lady at the ticket booth had said there was close to 300,000 people there. We finally pushed our way through the crowd and made our way to the nearest stage we could find, only to find out it was the wrong stage we were looking for. We trekked another three blocks to the AT&T sponsored stage to hear the last lyrics of "Drops of Jupiter". The others were bummed but I was more interested in the next band performing that I quickly forgot about our loss. Steve Miller band was on in a half hour which seemed to drag on for about three hours until the big man himself finally walked out onto the stage. Their performance had to the the longest one there but it seemed to fly by the last song being "The Joker" which seemed a good a note as any to end on. We made our way back to the car only to be sidetracked to another stage on the way which had "Kryptonite" blasting from the speakers. I must say 3 Doors Down had the most energy out of all the bands the previous two days. When they finished we hurriedly made our way through the drunken crowd to the car and on to the motel which we played Guitar Hero and Rock Band until the sun rose Sunday morning. We woke up five hours later in order to get home in time to get a decent sleep for Monday. The dreadful ride seemed to last forever but at least the time was well spent and the memories will last forever.

Profiles

It really seems to me that writing a profile is going to be a rough experience. Having to find someone to interview, then actually conducting the interview, and making a transcript of the interview, which takes a substantial amount of time, seems like a lot of effort to put into a paper that will probably take a relatively less time to actually write. Maybe all the extra effort being put forth is as important as the end result. If someone actually takes the time to break down the process and work through it then they may not only get a great paper but might also feel more confident if a similar need arises.

Cookie Master

This profile really did not hold my attention for very long, though it mainly is probably attributed to the fact that I'm not interested in how fortune cookies are made. However I do think the writer portrayed her subject in a very distinct way. For those willing to read the text you may find that the writing style is one that better suits you for when you actually decide to write your papers.

Ole Mr. Depp

Well I guess this story held me mainly because it was a guy I have heard about. I say held my attention I should probably say grabbed my attention, the actual writing held my attention. Johnny Depp has played in many movies which I enjoy and I felt that the writer did a very good job at keeping needless information out of his story. I thought it interesting learning some of the traits about the actor that almost made him seem kind of normal perhaps. Not sure if I put that in a way that really gets my point across but you almost seem to sort of relate better to a subject when it demonstrated to you in the way that this story was about Depp. All in all I believe this is a good read and recommend it. It seems to be a stable and well thought out indication of a top-notch profile.

Sketches

When I entered high school I noticed a much larger diversity between the different groups of students. Whether it be the clothes they wore, the music they listened to, or their attitudes in general. There were jocks, preps, goths, emos, nerds, geeks and other personalities typical of most high school atmospheres. I remember walking out onto Cumberland County High School's friendship garden and it being packed with kids decked out in all black clothing, blasting screamo music from a boombox. They seemed cool, at least to each other, so I decided I would try to fit in with these individuals. I bought "punk rock" clothing and spiked my hair and the next day I walked out into the garden and started a conversation with some kids playing hackysack. I hang around with these people for the next two years listening to their music and going to their parties, neither of which I found too appealing but I continued to do so cause I thought it made me cool. My junior year I was so worried about school and work that I started using them as excuses to pass up on invitations to hang out with a lot of my friends. I decided that it was too hassle work trying to be something I really wasn't comfortable being or doing things that I really didn't like. After that I joined the TSA because I had always found electronics to be fascinating and started doing the things I liked to do. I made new pals but this time they liked the same things I did and after that things seemed to be a little easier.

Video games have always been a large part of my free time. Especially a game called Halo. I can remember the first time I seen the game being played. It blew my mind how much detail they put into the game. Not graphically but you could tell they thought outside the box when they dreamed up this story. Many of the friends I have today are because of this game, whether it be for playing with them or plain talking about it. It showed me that I had a lot in common with many other people. Video games seem to be a big part of peoples lives whether they play them or have to listen to other people talk about them. It also seems that the majority of people have some sort of game console in their household, such as an xbox or ps3 or a computer. I believe that video games have brought many people together and allowed them to relate to each other in a whole new way.

Memoirs

When Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him, Us and them by David Sedaris, and Mick Jagger Wants Me by Susan Jane Gilman, these are the names and authors of the three memoirs I've recently read. Each one was unique and each of them held my attention throughout the entire story. I found the first story by Him to be the most profound something about the intense emotion behind the memoir really had me drawn to the text. A four year old girl finds herself and her family are caught amidst a confrontation during the Vietnam War in Cambodia. She cannot understand why her and her family have been drawn into the conflict. Him wonders about the war and whether or not is would ever stop. Thoughts such as these and the way she reacted to the chaos speaks volumes about the girls courage and intelligence. You put someone like me in a situation like that and I can almost guarantee I would not have had as clear a mind as this four year old girl.

Cody D's writing experiences.

Many people may look at writing as something they have to do. Something they are required to do for a class, a job, or simply to communicate with others. There are some people who feel writing is a way to express themselves or a way to break away from the norm. Some people find writing enjoyable and therefore they do so for a living. I used to write because I had to, but now I write because it gives me something to do. I also write because it helps me understand more about the topic at hand. In the earlier years of my elementary career I struggled in reading and writing, but thanks to the intervention of my family, I overcame that obstacle and since then have done well in my junior high and high school endeavors. At the end of junior high I felt confident enough to sign up for honors classes in english and writing when I entered high school. All four years of high school included honors english at some point or another, and those classes consisted of writing essays, poems, and short stories to some degree.

I feel that more people should write on a daily basis or even a weekly basis. This would not only allow people to vent but would also make them more confident about writing if the need arises at work or in class or anywhere. I look forward to this years Writing 1 class with Mr. Andy because he seems exciting and open to the many personalities that have found their way into his
classroom.