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Sunday, September 20, 2009

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.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

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.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

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.