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.