sethstories

Writing Evaluation.

2005-05-09T15:27:00.000-04:00

I thought that my best writing came when I chose topics that were emotional for me. Writing about things like my family put me more into in then when I was just writing something to fit the topic. My favorite thing I wrote was the weekly prompt that I wrote about my grandfather. It felt good writing it and I think that it ended up being pretty good. My second favorite was when I was mad about my GI Bill and ranted on about a certain administrator.(It was like therapy in the form of a homework assignment)

Course Evaluation.

2005-05-09T15:17:00.000-04:00

This class helped me to write more directly about myself. I was suprised by amount of writing that we did during the course. I was expecting to get lectured during class time and then write at home, but you usually just said your piece and put us to work during class. This helped in case we had questions once we got started writing. I think this class was worth the time and money but I am glad it's behind me. It was a lot of work but I am more better as a writer because of it.

Freestyle #14

2005-05-09T15:04:00.000-04:00

I was interested by the case that was posted about the kid from UNH and his offensive blog entries. I guess I can see both sides of the issue. A blog should be no different than writing a letter or recording music, you can say whatever you want. Free speech is free speech regardless of where it's taking place.
That being said, what if the teacher or the female student activist felt threatened by what he was saying. What if he actually did do what he was writing about? Whose fault would it be that school officials and law enforcement knew about his potential offenses and did nothing? If the same guy dropped a signed handwritten letter on campus saying the same things and someone found it, what would school officials do then?

Prompt #14

2005-05-09T14:41:00.000-04:00

64. I held you in my arms.

My older sister Kate had a son when I was seventeen years old. I went to the hospital to visit the day after she had given birth. During our visit my sister asked me if I wanted to hold her baby boy(Zachary). At first I said no because I was scared that something might happen while I was holding him. I had never held a baby before and I didn't have a clue what to do. My sister showed me how to do it and then handed Zach over to me. At first I was really nervous with such a tiny little baby in my arms. After a few minutes I relaxed and really started to like it.
I felt that I had formed a bond with Zachary by holding him when he was so young. I told myself that I would always keep in touch with him no matter what. Zachary is now nine years old and I really enjoy hanging out with him. While I was in the army I usually saw Zach about once a year but that should change now that I live closer. I plan to visit him a few times this summer and maybe take him camping or something. It's up to me to keep a strong relationship with my nephew who I have felt close to since I held him in my arms.

Freestyle #13

2005-05-08T15:53:00.000-04:00

For Mothers Day I sent my stepmom a nice card with the example essay that I wrote about her inside of it. I called her this morning to see if she had gotten it on time and she immediately thanked me. She said that it made her cry when she read it, just like I suspected she would. She told me that I made her day with that essay and I was glad to be able to show my appreciation to her.
Talk about killing two birds with one stone. I think that I economized very well by getting a paper done for class and not having to buy a mothers day gift at the same time.

Prompt #13

2005-05-04T16:35:00.000-04:00

58. April Fool times 30....

THE FUNNIEST PRANK EVER!!!

The funniest prank ever was done by a friend of mine named Matt to my other friend Jason. The three of us were stationed together in KS, we worked together and were all pretty good friends. We had a four day weekend coming up and since Matt and Jason both lived on the east coast they decided to ride together to save time and money. For the first few hours Jason drove while Matt slept in the passenger seat. Somewhere around Indiana they switched places, Matt drove for some time until the gas tank started getting low. As he exited the highway and was approaching a truck stop he had a very funny idea.
While Jason was still fast asleep in the passengers side, Matt pulled directly in front of one the parked trailer trucks. He parked up close so that the nose of the two vehicles were only a few feet apart. He then began shaking Jason and screaming loudly with a false sense of panic in his voice. Jason woke up and thought that they were seconds away from a head on collision with a trailer truck. The legend says that Jason literally pissed his pants and was pretty shaken up for a few minutes afterwards. I guess I can't blame him for pissing his pants. I always have to go when I first wake up anyway, and a perceived near death experience would probably cause me to do the same thing.
When the two guys got back to base at the end of the four day weekend the story spread like wildfire. The first few times I heard the story I laughed until I cried. Even now I sometimes just laughing out loud at random times when I think about it. I guess I find it so funny because I really knew the guy that it happened to very well. Whatever the reason, I think it's the funniest prank I've ever heard of.

Freestyle #12

2005-05-04T16:25:00.000-04:00

As summer break fast approaches I am getting my affairs in order. I got my car fixed and inspected so that hopefully it should be maintenance free for the next year. I am currently looking for a full-time job for the summer. The one I have now just isn't doing it for me. I have been working strictly nights for the past three months and it's starting to really get to me. I would like to find something that pays well and will be flexible with the scheduling so that I can drop down to part time when the fall semester begins. I have a few good leads to follow up on. I feel that I am a good interviewer and my military service goes a long way towards getting me hired so I should be able to find something shortly. Finding a new job is really the main obstacle that I need to climb right now. I am happy with my apartment and school is almost over. So once I find something I will be able to breath a sigh of relief and begins my relaxing summer vacation.

Prompt #12

2005-05-04T15:40:00.000-04:00

55. Love at first sight?

I am a definite believer in love at first sight. It has happened to me three different times in my life. Each time I had very strong vibes that were more than just sexual. My face feels flush and hot and I have an aching pain in my stomach. These are the symptoms of love at first sight. Each time it felt like I was so excited to meet the woman that I just didn't know what to do. In my twenty six years I have met a lot of women and was excited to meet most of them but the feeling I am talking about with the love at first sight is much stronger. It's almost as though I felt a sense of companionship the moment I met them.
Of the three women that I fell in love with at first sight, I went on to have a relationship with two of them. One was in college and the other two were both while I was in the army. One was named Mary and her and we dated throughout our freshman year at USM. I still think that she was my soul mate but I lost touch with her a few years into my military service and that was that. I heard from a friend that she was married and living in Springfield, MA. Maybe someday I will look her up and see how things are going. I can only imagine the look on her face if I were to come knocking on the door. I think that would put her in a difficult position if she is married, and who knows she might not even pick me.
The second woman was a coworker of mine in the army. We both admitted to being in love with the other but we tried not to act on it because we were in the same section at work and fratrenizing with people in your section is frowned upon. For about a year we both tried not to act upon our feelings. Eventually she got orders for Germany and was to leave in 60 days. At that point we said to hell with it and had a great little two month fling. It hurt to see her go but it would have hurt even more to see her go without ever having acted on my feelings.
The third women I fell in love with at first sight was Michelle. She was a student at Kansas State and I was stationed 15 minutes away. We met through some mutual friends and the sparks flew immediately. We met at a dance club and spent the whole night slow dancing and talking while the people around us were dancing to fast paced music that we were oblivious to. Two days later she came to visit me during a bad snow storm. The roads froze over and we spent 48 straight hours together on our first date. We ended up dating for two years and to this day I consider her the one that I let get away.
Love at first sight is a very real thing. For me it is the ultimate high to feel that way immediately upon meeting someone. I am starting to think that I might be out of chances. I have thought I met "the one" on three different occasions and none of the three ended up working out. I just hope that somewhere out there is number 4.

Freestyle #11

2005-05-04T15:28:00.000-04:00

I finally got some money from the fine people in charge of the GI bill. I guess it's better late than never. I took almost three months of me being enrolled in college to receive the first installment that should have come in February, but I'm not complaining I am just glad that it's finally here. I paid off my tuition bill and gave some money to my landlord. Everything is fine again and people who just weeks ago thought I was never going to pay them are now thinking that I am a stand up guy. The best part of this whole episode is that now I am on file with both the college and the GI bill people. Things should go smoothly for me next semester and every semester after that. This was a onetime process that I had to go through so in the future the money should always be right on time.

Freestyle #10

2005-05-04T15:12:00.000-04:00

I played my first round of golf yesterday and it went pretty good. I shot a 44 on nine holes which isn't bad at all for the first time out. I think that the game of golf is mostly about timing. You are rotating your arms, upper body, and lower body, all at the same time while keeping your head perfectly still. It takes some time to get everything rotating on the same plane and that's what has to happen to strike the ball solidly and straight. I figure that once I play five or six more rounds I will be ready to go low on the scorecard. I should also do better once the weather improves. Yesterday the greens were soaked from all of the rain we have been getting. Once they dry out I will be able to get a better feel for the greens and that will improve my putting quite a bit. I am very happy that I got a chance to get out and play golf yesterday. I have been bitten by the golf bug again this year and hopefully it will be a good summer.

Prompt #11

2005-04-25T19:47:00.000-04:00

50. If you don't believe I'm leaving, you can count the days I'm gone.

When I was in the military I was often pressured to reenlist. Once I got to the point that I only had a year left on my contract they really started to turn up the heat on me. I had to go meet with the reenlistment NCO every month and explain to him why I didn't plan on staying in the army. Everytime he would use scare tactics to try and get me to stay in. The conversation was pretty much the same every month. The re-up NCO would ask me what my plans are and I would explain that I was planning to get out and go to college. He would then remind me of how tough things are in the civilian world and how many things the army does for me that I really take for granted. I would then tell him that I do understand and that I am enjoying my service but there are other things that I want to do in life. The conversation would usually end with the re-up NCO saying something along these lines. "Well, I can't believe that a good young sergeant like yourself would want to piss away your career." "Your really on the fast track and if you stay in you could probably retire as a sergeant major someday." "Yep, it's a damn shame but if that's what you really want I can't stop you."
They used to use many different tactics to try and get us to stay in. The fear tactic in which they try to make us believe that we could never make it in the civilian world. That without the Army we would be lost and probably end up on welfare or something. This approach used to make me very angry because I took it as an insult. Another approach they would use is the guilt trip. Tell us how much Uncle Sam has done for us and that we should be there for him in his time of need. This approach didn't work on me either because I felt that I had honored my contract and that was enough.
My higher ups in my unit actually didn't think I was going to leave. I had this one LT. that would always say stuff about how I would stay. Things like, "I know your not going anywhere, your a lifer I can tell just by looking at you." They really thought they could talk me into staying. What they didn't know was that nothing short of physical restraint would have kept me from leaving that base when my time was up.

Contrast Essay!!

2005-04-22T10:58:00.000-04:00

The last two cars that I have had are very different from one another. I had a 2001 Nissan Altima and I now have a 1990 Buick LeSabre. Both cars have their pros and cons and both cars have worked very well for me. Three major differences between the two are the age of the car, the cost of buying it, and the monthly cost of driving it. Many things about the two cars are similar. Such as the way they work and the parts they have but in the three categories I mentioned they are complete opposites.

The Nissan I had is eleven years newer than the Buick that I have now. I bought it as a “new used” car in 2002. It had over twenty thousand miles on it from the previous owner but it was brand new in my eyes. That car was the first major purchase that I had ever made and it was very special to me. The Nissan had all the modern amenities of a late model vehicle. It came equipped with power everything, many different compartments to store stuff in, and a cd player. It even had a fold down compartment on the ceiling for me to store my sunglasses in. It had so many lights, meters, and accessories that when I drove around at night I sometimes felt like I was flying a spaceship. The Buick that I own now is eleven years older and that is never more evident than when I get inside the car. It lacks the extras that the Nissan came with. It has only one compartment to put stuff in and that’s the middle console. I think back then the engineers figured that if they made a big enough console in the middle there was no need for storage compartments anywhere else. The car is kind of plain on the inside. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of a new car. It doesn’t even have a cd player so I have to listen to the radio all the time when I am driving. When I drive this car at night I sometimes get the feeling that I am in an old WWII Russian tank instead of a spaceship.

Another major difference between the two vehicles is the cost of buying them. The sticker price on the Nissan was $ 13,500, the sticker price on the Buick was $1200 or best offer. When I bought the Nissan I was in the Army and I had a guaranteed paycheck coming every two weeks so I thought I should go get something nice. When I got to the dealership I looked around and saw this shiny white Altima just begging me to buy it and take it home with me. Since I bought it at a dealership there were a lot of hidden fees that went along with it. The base price was $13,500 and the tax, title, and tags came out to $3,500 for a grand total of $17,000(not counting interest). When I found the Buick I was in my hometown riding around on a back road with a friend of mine. I saw the car sitting on the side of the road with a sign in the window that said For Sale $1,200 OBO. I found the owner and a few days later I took $900 in cash to the place where he works and made him an offer. At first he refused saying that he wanted more but after some shrewd negotiating tactics on my part he gave in and I owned a car. He signed the title over to me later that day and I owned it outright, all for the low price of $900. Between my current car and my last one there is a $16,100 difference in the asking price.

The third major difference between the two is the monthly cost of driving it. Since I took out a loan to buy the Nissan I had a car note of $350 to be paid each month. The law states that if your car has a lien on it you have to have full coverage auto insurance and that cost me another $150 per month. So counting just the payment and insurance the Nissan cost me $500 per month to keep it on the road legally. My Buick is a lot cheaper and much more reasonable. Since I didn’t take out a loan for it I own it outright and have no monthly payment. Also because there is no lien I don’t legally have to get full coverage insurance. I can get by with liability insurance which only costs me $80 per month. There is a big difference between the monthly payments for the two cars. I now pay $420 less per month than I did when I had the Nissan.

The two cars are vastly different in everything from the price to what they have to offer. When buying cars it becomes a matter of if you can afford to or if you are willing to pay for the extras that come with a late model vehicle. I was younger when I paid all that money for the Nissan and I didn’t know any better. I know now that cars are very bad investments. They don’t keep their value and in the long run almost everyone loses money on them. I am at the point in my life now where I don’t mind driving an older vehicle if it means that I can save some money and not be hurting financially because of the huge costs of a newer car. In the foreseeable future I can’t imagine myself ever making the mistake of buying a newer model car again. After all I am only using it to get from point A to point B. I don’t live in the car or even spend a lot of time in it. So from now on I will drive older model cars and have more money in my pocket.

Prompt #10

2005-04-18T09:29:00.000-04:00

43. No matter how many times I've been told and no matter how many times I tell myself, I just don't change.

I am a smoker and so far I haven't even tried to quit. I just keep telling myself that someday I'll get some help and quit. I think that if I buy the patch or use zyban or some other anti-smoking product then things will be fine. I am convinced that I have the willpower to stop smoking any time I want to. The fact is that I have been smoking for almost eight years and the longer I wait the harder it will be to quit.
I have come up with a few different time lines for quitting, only for them to pass by without so much as an effort on my part. When I was in the army I always said that when I got out I would stop smoking. It didn't work because I didn't even try. When I moved from Pittsburgh to Maine I told myself that it would be a perfect time to quit. But once again it wasn't because I didn't even try. Who knows what the next "perfect time to quit" will be but if I'm unwilling to try then the time will never come.
Sometimes I cough when I wake up in the morning. Sometimes my chest will burn and be uncomfortable. These are both signs that my body is giving to me. It's telling me to smarten up because I am doing serious long term damage to myself. If I can't find a way to overcome my smoking habit then I might have serious health problems when I get older. Hopefully someday the urgency will set in and I will take this ever important step to a longer life and better health.

Freestyle #9

2005-04-13T12:20:00.000-04:00

I need to have my muffler replaced and I don't know the first thing about it. I am thinking of just driving my car over to the schools automotive shop and trying to find one of the auto mechanic students to do it cheaper than a normal shop. I wish that I knew enough about cars to just do it myself but I don't. My dad never really showed me much about fixing cars, he showed me how to change the oil but that's about it. I am glad that I wasn't raised as a redneck but if I my dad would have made me help him when he was working on the family cars then I would be better off now. I could just go buy a muffler, put on some coveralls, put in a wad of chewing tobacco, crank some country music from the stereo, and just work away until my knuckles bleed. But as it stands I will have to go buy a muffler, pay a mechanic to do the work, and hope like hell that I am not being seriously ripped off.

Prompt #9

2005-04-07T14:15:00.000-04:00

'
When he returned to his car, he saw the same woman sitting in the dark in her car with a Styrofoam container of food on her lap.

"She must be some of sort of private detective" he said to himself as he walked past her car. He shrugged it off and kept walking until he reached his car, he opened the door the door and got in his bright red sportscar. As he put the key in the ignition and prepared to start it up he looked back through the mirror at the woman eating in the dark and that's when it hit him. He had seen that women watching him earlier in the day. Three hours earlier when he was coming out of his favorite resteraunt he had spotted the woman looking at him from behind a newspaper. He thought maybe she was just checking him out in admiration but apparently not.
His hands trembled slightly as he reached for the key and started his prized automobile. The thought that a private detective or anyone for that matter would be following him and watching his every move gave him an eery feeling as he backed out of his parking spot and pulled away heading for the parking garage entrance. He kept the car at a low idle as he reached the entrance. As he put his right blinker on and prepared to merge with traffic he saw some movement behind him and looked in his mirror. A panicky feeling came over him as he saw the same car driven by the same women pull up behind him and come to a stop. "Good luck following me" he said to himself as he revved up the enging and sped off into the city.

Prompt # 8

2005-03-23T09:07:00.000-05:00

36. "The things I see as I walk along the street, that's heaven to me...."

I can't remember the last time I went for a walk, the only walking I do is from the parking lot to the builing I have class in so I am slightly changing the prompt sentence to:

"The things I see as I drive down the street, that's heaven to me..."

I have a strong desire to be a businessman. I have read books on different business topics like how to flip real estate and how to own your own business out of your home. These books as well as my individual business expieriences have taught me certain things to look for when passing by a home or residence.

I drive along the street and look at the different houses and try to assess whether they would be a good investment to buy and flip. I look for the run down ones and say to myself "I bet that one could be had on the cheap", "with a quick paintjob and some minor repairs I could sell that for a nice profit." There are two things I look at to determine whether a house would be good for "flipping". First is the condition of the house, if it's nice looking and has had work done to it then someone put money into it and will want more when selling it to me. If a house is run down or nothing special to look that tells me that the owner is hurting financially and would probably take less for it. The dream scenario is when the place looks abandoned. If it's summer time and the grass on the lawn is waist high then it's probably abandoned. If the windows are boarded up and I never see cars in the parking lot then it's probably abandoned. This is the best case scenario and then the job is to track down whoever owns it. It might be someone from out of state or someone who had the place left to them by a relative and doesn't have time to maintain it. If the house doesn't have anyoune living in it than it would probaly go for less because it's an inconvenience for someone to take care of.
The second thing I look at in determining whether a house would be good for "flipping" is the location. The way to find a houses estimated value is to find the value of three similar houses within a half mile radius and average them together. Some houses are far apart so it's harder to find similar ones nearby but in most cases you can just use other houses on the same street. You can simply call up a realetor and ask them for the value of the nearby houses and once you have them you average them together. The number you get from averaging the three is near what you can expect to get for the run down place once you fix it up. Using this approach, the houses that would earn the most money being flipped would be a house that needs some work but is located near nicer houses. So I would have to go through three steps:
1. Buy a house that is cheaper because it needs work done to it but is in a decent area.
2. Do the repairs in an cost efficient way(do what needs to be done to get maximum value but do it cheaply and don't do anything extra).
3. Find the value based on similar houses nearby and put it on the market for a price in that range.

From what I have learned, one of the main ways that people lose money flipping real estate is that they over repair the place. For example, if a house only needs a new paint job and some carpeting to get maximum value, then don't go putting on new siding and a new roof because the money for that stuff is coming directly out of your profits.
These are the types of things I look at when driving down the road. Not the sunset or the beautiful view but things like this. Things that someday after I have learned more about them I can use to make money.

Reaction to contrast essays.

2005-03-22T18:59:00.000-05:00

The first essay on the page is very good. The girl who contrasts her father and brother did some very strong work. It's pretty obvious that she despises her father and cares deeply about her brother. Sounds like the dad is a real piece of work who spends his time ripping people off and beating women. I like the way that the author showed both sides of every issue that she brought up and then gave her opinion on it. Very good essay that left me disliking the father who is someone I have never met.

The essay about the small town of Walpole is good. It basically describes the same feeling that I have when I return to Mars Hill, ME. An old and beautiful town that no longer appeals to you in the same way once you have grown up and gone on to other things. The author does a great job of describing what the little town used to be like when he lived there and how it's now partly deserted. Bet there's a Wal-Mart lurking somewhere nearby that is responsible for downtown losing all its businesses and appeal.

Post meta-graf on classification essay.

2005-03-22T18:43:00.000-05:00

I found this essay to be the most difficult one up to this point. Maybe it was the topic I chose but I had a hard time personalizing it and not being generic. Mostly because I was talking about three different groups and kept referring to the groups as them and they it came off as non-personal but I was hard pressed to find another way to refer to the groups. I also found it difficult not to be repetitive on this one because it was about the way people act after drinking and I used the works "a few drinks" much more than I wanted too. But again, I had trouble finding other ways to describe that phrase or that level people are at after a few drinks. If I had to do it over I might pick a different topic but I made the best of it and revised it many times to try and add personal stuff in as well as the group descriptions.

Prompt #7

2005-03-22T18:14:00.000-05:00

For want of a nail
the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe
the horse was lost.
For want of a horse
the rider was lost.
For want of a rider
the battle was lost.
For want of a battle
the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want
of a horseshoe nail.

In my view this poem talks about the way that everyone seems to chase their own tail in the endless pursuit of whatever is next. I am just as guity as anyone else of not realizing what I do have and how fortunate I am. I spend more of my time thinking about what I want and what I wish I had instead of what I do have. Driving down the road looking at the newer cars only and nice houses and wishing I had the means to have those things is counterproductive. Instead of daydreaming of what I want and what I hope to achieve I should spend my time formulating a plan and realizing that if I am to live the good life it will be because of my own success and nothing else. Many people are disdainful of wealthy people, partly out of the percieved way that they act towards others but mostly because of jealousy. Personally I have no hard feelings towards them because I realize that they or someone in their family tree had foresight and the good sense to make something of themself and put their descendants in the position they are in now. I especially like hearing stories about self-made millionares who had nothing but and idea and some motivation and turned it into a fortune.
To get back to the subject of the poem, I think this poem describes the process of futility which is the result of wanting. America today is of a lottery mentality, we want it all and we want it now. People spend their time wanting things that they see as neccessary and until they get those things nothing good will happen. Similar to in the poem the way that everyone was missing something so collectively they were unable to get anything done. In our country people are missing something and they spend their time trying to get it and then move on to the next thing that they just have to have, then the next thing etc.. ettc.. .
I am trying to say that people would be better off to try and look at the big picture and not get caught up in the rat race of society aka the chasing of our own tails.

Freestyle #8

2005-03-20T16:41:00.000-05:00

After searching for months I have finally found an apartment that I like. I moved into beautiful one bedroom that is only costing me $450 with everything included. It has a large living room/kitchen combination with sliding glass doors on one side and a regular door on the other. There are skylights and plenty of windows so that the place gets lots of light. All of the appliances are pretty much new and the floors have all been redone with hardwood. My bedroom is upstairs and has also been redone. It too has hardwood floors and it's three times the size of the bedroom in my old apartment. I now have a walk in closet that provides more than enough room to store my stuff in. The bathroom has been remodeled as well and is much bigger than the bathroom in my old apartment. I finished moving all of my belongings in over the weekend and the apartment looks fantastic. To top it all off the place comes with a washer and dryer and free cable T.V. I have really hit the jackpot this time and it's proof that good things come to those who wait, or in my case procrastinate.
Just writing this is causing me to smile a big smile and say "it's about time that things started to work out for me." Now if I can just get my G.I. Bill money and a job that I really like I will be permanately whistling as I walk around on air.

Freestyle #7

2005-03-16T09:41:00.000-05:00

Lately I have been going to the gym and playing basketball on a regular basis. I played organized ball since I was in the third grade and I have always thought myself to be pretty good. I played varsity for my high school team for three years and we were 77 and 3 over that three year period and won two state championships. I always played on interleague teams in the army and held my own against guys from all over the country.
Over the past year or so I let myself gain a few pounds and slip out of ideal shape. Basketball is a great way to get exercise and get myself back in shape. When I walked into the gym the first day I stretched, shot around a little, and then went on the court for the next game. I couldn't believe how fast the pace of the game was. The 18 year old kids were flying up and down the court and I was having trouble just to keep up. I was winded and getting tired after a few trips up and down the court.
I am still able to hold my own against these younger guys, it's just that now I have to pace myself. I have to pick and choose my spots instead of going full throttle all the time. I am only 26 and still a young guy myself but playing with the 18 year olds taught me a lesson. My body is maturing just like my mind, outlook, and beliefs. I no longer act like an 18 year old so I shouldn't expect my body to either.

Freestyle # 6

2005-03-15T15:59:00.000-05:00

Some days I feel like I have no more ideas left in my head. I enjoy writing but when I get to the point that I am forcing things my writing is no longer articulate it's sloppy. I feel that I am getting better as a writer as the semester goes on and I get more practice but some days my brain just turns to mush. I think I am starting to see a pattern though. I work nights on mon,wed,fri,and sat, and my routine is to come home in the morining and sleep until around 1:oo. That gets me six hours of sleep and then I head to the computer lab to do homework. I often find myself staring at the moniter without any ideas or for that matter any clue of what to do.
My way of offsetting this problem is to get up and go to the gym. I will play basketball or run for a while an this wakes me up. Then I go home to take a shower and get some food and then come to the lab and I don't feel so braindead. I think my writing has gotten better because of my new approach. But sometimes I still feel like I am pressing for ideas and am unsure of where the next one will come from. I can't imagine being a professional writer.

I Search Graf Progress

2005-03-11T09:15:00.000-05:00

So far I think that things are going well. I feel that I did some solid work on the "intro" and "why I am writing" sections. I have found the "what I know so far" section to be difficult because I don't know much about the subject to be fact. It is speculation and things that I have heard from other people and I am cautious of saying that I know things without checking them to make sure it's fact. Your feedback has been very positive and I feel that it's really led me to gain confidence and pick up steam as a writer. I realize that the hardest part is still in front of me but I am looking forward to it and hope to end up with a good paper that will help me as an aspiring entrepreneur.

Prompt #6

2005-03-08T16:18:00.000-05:00

You haven't been there since you were little, now you go back...

The haircut that almost brought me to tears!!

When I was a kid I used to come to Bangor for a month each summer to visit my grandparents. Growing up in Aroostook County, I really thought Bangor was the big city and couldn't wait for the next visit. One of my favorite memories of my annual summer visit was going to the barber shop with my grandfather. We would drive to the classic old barber shop on broadway and each get flat top. I would sit with my grampa and listen to him and the other retirees talk about sports, women, and whatever else was on their minds. They would ask me questions and tell me stories and I used to love going there. Even as a little kid it made me feel like one of the guys. When my number would come up I would climb into the chair and get a flat top. The barber never asked me what I wanted for a haircut he always just gave me a flat top like my grandfather got. I didn't mind at all, in fact, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
When I was thirteen my grandfather died and my visits became less and less frequent. I love my grandmother but I adored my grandfather and once he was gone it was just never the same. I started to grow up and do my own thing and I would still come for Thanksgiving but I never again stayed during the summer. I graduated high school and went off to see the world and didn't really give much thought my cherished summer vacations and the haircuts that made me feel grown up.
I moved to Bangor this year for college and after about a month my hair started to get too long. It was puffy and curly and shagged out around the edges. I put it off and put it off until two weeks ago I decided it was time to have it cut. I got in my car and starting driving, planning to stop at the first place I found. I drove along and couldn't find one and then I remembered the old barbershop on broadway that my grandfather used to take me to.
"He couldn't possibly still be open for business" I told myself as I headed in that general direction. "He was an old man twenty years ago", "he's probably dead or at the least retired".I drove past Govenor's and then I saw the red and white pole that let me know that it was open for business. The builing isn't quite like I remembered, there is now a Rent A Center and a beauty solon added on to the building that used to be home to just the barber.
Once I got inside it was like a blast from the past. Everything was set up just the way I remembered it. I got my numbered ticket and sat there waiting for my turn. When it was my turn I sat in the chair that used to seem so enormous. It was the same old barber I remember from my childhood and he didn't seem to have changed much at all. This time he asked me what I wanted instead of just automatically starting on a flat top.
I didn't tell the barber who I was or that I knew him. I just sat there with my eyes closed, thinking of days gone by and the good times I shared with my grandfather. When the barber was finished I got up, paid him, and left him a nice tip. I walked outside and got in my car and drove away feeling better than I ever have on my home from a haircut.

Classification Essay Intro #2

2005-03-08T16:04:00.000-05:00

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

People do strange things when they drink. Their personalities sometimes change, and not always for the better. I worked as a bartender and got to see first hand the way people transform with few shots, cocktails, or beers. A large percentage of people come in acting shy and after a few drinks they loosen up and start to have a good time, these are what I call the "good drunks". Others come in and attempt to drown away their sorrows and slip further and further into depression with each drink they have, I call this group the "bad drunks". The last group is made up of people who come in with a chip on their shoulder and look to start trouble. As the night wears on they usually get beligerent and pick fights with other patrons, this group is known as the "ugly drunks".

Classification Essay Intro

2005-03-07T09:17:00.000-05:00

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Working as a bartender is one big lesson in human behavior. Standing on the other side of the bar and seeing the way people change with a few drinks is funny, disturbing, and confusing all at one time. Some people come to the bar in a good mood and get more and more depressed with each drink they down. Others come in acting very shy and by the third drink they are an absolute party animal, they get a little wild but are generally what I would call "good drunks". The third category is the one made up of people who have a few drinks and want to start a fight with someone. Some people fit directly into one category and others change on a day to day basis or sometimes even throughout the course of a night.

Classification Essay Reaction

2005-03-06T16:02:00.000-05:00

1. Snakes and snails and puppy dog tails.
I thought that this essay was hilarious. It has me wondering what classification I fall under although I am probably a mix of all three. The author wrote very clearly and let it be known what she thinks of men. I don't really agree with her generalizations but it's good to hear a different point of view. It's true that us men will say just about anything to get sex but what she doesn't understand us that we can't help it. When sex or even the prospect of sex enters a mans mind it takes over and we can't think of much else. She also thinks men are lazy and want to watch T.V. all the time. She has a point here but I don't thinks it's so much that we are lazy as it is that we like things uncomplicated. We can spend time by ourselves without being on the phone or going to see someone or buy something. The last one about the puppy dog tails I can't really say much about because I'm not really like that. After thinking about it I would say that I'm a mix between snake and snail.

2. Telemarketing Customers
This essay was also very funny. I liked the part about the old people who
pretend they can't her until she softly says I'll call back later and they pick up on that immediately. I have also done some work as a telemarketer and it really isn't much fun. People who have been at work all day really don't want to be bothered by anyone trying to sell them something. The author made the statement that whether it's over the phone, on the streets, or in the stores, someone is always trying to sell you something and people should just say no and not be rude about it. I disagree with this statement because vendors and store salesmen are in a set place and you can avoid them if you want to. Telemarketers invade your private space and do it in a way that catches you off guard. I personally think that unsolicited telemarketing should be illegal. To get back to the essay, I think the author did a good job of making it lighthearted and funny. She made her points in a clear and understandable way.

My history with research

2005-03-06T15:36:00.000-05:00

When this question was first asked in class I didn't think that I had much of a history with research at all. Once I started thinking about the many forms of research I realized that I have done a ton of it in my life. Most recently I have been doing research to try and find a cheaper apartment and a better paying job. Last year when I was preparing to move back to Maine I was doing research everyday on the internet. I had to choose the college that I wanted to attend. I would go to the Bangordailynews.com and check all the local schools for price, programs of study, and semester start dates. Since I was looking to get a business management degree I first chose Beals business college. After more research and advice from my grandmother, who is a retired professer from Husson, I decided that for the price EMCC was the best deal around.
At the same time I was researching schools I was looking for a used car and an apartment online as well. Once I arrived in Maine I began scouring the classified ads and ended up getting a decent car for $900. I bought a Buick Lasabre from a retired school teacher who was only putting about 6,000 miles a year on the thing. The search for an reasonably priced apartment is ongoing. I buy the newspaper almost everyday in hopes that there will be an ad for someone looking for a roommate that is compatible with what I am looking for.
When I was joining the Army I did a bunch of research on the different jobs I was being offered to try and find the best fit. Looking back on the process, I was clueless and just went with whatever the recruiter was telling me. However, I did change my mind three times and ended up in communications. If only I knew then what I know now I would have stayed with my first choice, computer programming.
Research comes in many different forms and sometimes it's done out of neccessity. Take a presidential election for example, people want to make an informed decision so they read up on the candidates. The tough part is seperating facts from propaganda and because of the latest outcome I would say that our country is not very good with that aspect of it.

Freestyle #5

2005-03-06T15:16:00.001-05:00

I am starting to think about what to do this summer. Maybe I will stay in the area and take a summer class or two or maybe I will be tired of school and need to use the break to recharge and save money. One option I have is to move back up to Aroostook County for a few months and find a job. Up there the landlords don't have the false illusion that they are renting property out in downtown Boston. It seems to me that in Bangor rent prices are sky high. Maybe it's because of all the college kids in the area who's parents are willing to pay whatever the going rate is. If I did move up there I could live cheaply and save a decent amount of money, but when I first left The County eight years ago I told myself I would never live there again.
Another option I have been considering is going to work for my uncle at thunder valley speedway. He owns a racetrack/campground in some small town in this area. I have yet to see the place but I am thinking about asking him if I can come and work for him and live on the campground for the summer. I don't even know what I would do there for work but at least it's an option, maybe I could be the guy who waves the checkered flag. I doubt it would pay a whole lot but if I could live there for free than it might be worth it.
I have a few months until I have to make a decision so I will keep looking around and see what the best deal for me is. If nothing jumps out at me than I will probably stay here and take a summer class.

Prompt #5

2005-03-04T16:49:00.000-05:00

Arrow points to defective part

I am in the process of trying to get my G.I. Bill benefits so that I will be able to pay my college bill and not lose my computer privileges on March 11. I turned in all the paperwork that I thought I needed to about a month and a half ago. I have been just patiently waiting having assumed that I did all I could do and it was in other peoples hands. The way the G.I. bill works is that you call in at the end of the month and they send a check directly to you. I called the 800 number to make my claim and once again was told that I wasn't on file. I thought this was strange because a few weeks back I got a letter from the veterans assistance people saying that my application had been accepted and I was enrolled in the benefits program. I was thinking everything was great and I wouldn't have to eat macaroni and cheese again for a very long time. Show me the money!!
A few days later I got a letter from EMCC explaining that I had two weeks to settle my bill or risk losing some privileges, so I went to the admissions office to try and find out what was going on. The veterans assistance representative is some lady named Candice who is very hard to track down. I had previously set up two meetings with her only to find that not suprisingly, she was not in the office when I got there. Her reputation proceeds her as turtle of an administrator who sits on paperwork and makes things much more difficult than they need to be. When I finally got into her office she didn't know anything about my case and had to go ask someone else questions on two separate occasions even though she claimed to have reviewed my paperwork a week prior.
After spending ten minutes watching her fumble around I was finally told that my paperwork was incomplete. She proceeded to let me know that I hadn't read the paperwork properly and that was the holdup. She was pointing the finger of blame squarely in my direction. Granted my paperwork was incomplete, but how many more months would she have let it sit there without notifying me, my advisor, or anyone in admissions so that something could be done about it. I wanted to ask her if she actually gets paid for working here or if she's some type of volunteer without any actual responsibilities.
Maybe I am a little bit self-absorbed and think that people should do their job with some efficiecy, especially when it involves me. The thing about this case is that I am not the only military veteran attending EMCC who is getting this nonchalant service. I have a friend who is also going here on the G.I. bill and Candice still hasn't mailed off his paperwork either. He told me that last semester she sat on his file for two months before mailing it off. His story of not being able to get a meeting with her or find out when she will be in the office is the mirror image of what I am currently going through.
The thing I wish that Candice would realize is that the G.I. bill is designed not only to pay tuition, but to help veterans pay rent, buy food, fuel, and whatever else goes along with being a student and supporting yourself. I also wish she would recognize the fact we risked our lives serving our country in order to get these benefits that seem to be such an inconvenience to her valuable time. The friend I spoke about has a wife who is expecting a child any day now and I am sure that they need the money much worse than I do. He said that if it wasn't for his tax returns, he and his very pregnant wife would be looking at an eviction at the end of the month.
My friend and I have spoken about going in together and filing a joint complaint with the dean. My parents think I should call Senators Snow and Collins and see if that doesn't light a fire under this underachieving woman's ass. She is causing undo stress on military veterans who want nothing other than get what we deserve and be left alone. I am pointing the arrow directly at Candice because she is a liability to the school and a defective part of Eastern Maine Community College.

2005-02-18T09:46:00.000-05:00

Seth Locke
English Composition
Cause Essay

I was in a rental car with everything I own in the back. While driving from Pittsburgh to Bangor I was trying to convince myself I had done the right thing. I had decided to move and there was no turning back now. I had legitimate reasons, one of which was that I had become stagnant while living in the city. Another reason was that my family missed me terribly and I slowly realized that I missed them just as much. The most urgent reason I left was because the people I had surrounded myself with were a collective trainwreck and I didn’t want to be there when they derailed. I was tired of making the best of a bad situation and wanted to start thinking of my future. It was time to go.

I felt that had become stagnant because I wasn’t pushing myself to be better. I had taken a bartending course and gotten a job working at a reggae bar. After six years in the military I was relieved to be out and I really liked the change of pace that my job provided. But I had lost sight of the reason I got out of the military in the first place, to get a college degree. I had chosen the G.I. Bill as my sign on bonus and I would damned if I was going to waste it. I could of enrolled somewhere in the city but I had decided that it would be too difficult with everything that was going on. It was time to go

My family wanted me to come home to Maine when I first got out of the military but I had never lived in a city before and wanted to give it a shot. They wanted me to be a bit closer to them and the rest of the family but I figured I had been gone this long why go back now. I was fiercly independent and for some reason I thought of moving back to Maine as a failure. One day I got a call that one of my grandparents had died. I was unable to come home for the funeral because I had to work and I didn’t have the money for the trip. This made me feel horrible and I promised myself that it would never happen again. From that point on I began to realize the importance of family and started to want them back in my life. It was time to go.

I had decided to move to Pittsburgh with a friend of mine from the army who got out around the same time I did. At first, money was abundant and we were trying to make up for all the partying we had missed out on while serving Uncle Sam. I was fun and probably what I needed at the time. The thing is you have to know when it’s time to get back to reality and move forward with life. My roommate and his friends from the past didn’t understand this concept and probably never will. It was time to go.

I am now a full time college student and loving every minute of it. It’s not easy but I like it and so far I’m doing pretty well. My family and I see each other more frequently now. It’s great to be able to just call my sister and meet her for lunch on a whim. My parents randomly stop by on their way from Boston to Aroostook County. I appreciate and look forward to the time we spend together. The thing I still need to work on is surrounding myself with good people because the crazy ones are a lost cause. Overall my life has changed for the better because of the choice I made to move. For the first time since I was in the army I feel empowered and am ready to take on the world, one small at a time.

I search review

2005-02-16T18:59:00.001-05:00

Obesity and Trying to live healthier

I thought this was very well written. The author made me feel her pain which helps to draw you in and become part of the essay. It's hard enough to stay fit in today's society of fast food and everything being convenient, and even harder when someone's effort is handicapped by diabetes and thyroid problems. I wish this woman the best and hope she realizes that nobody can do it for her. It will take lots of effort and discipline for her to reach her goal. In this essay the author made her points well and used emotion to make them hit home. You can tell she wasn't just going through the motions, this is possibly a matter or life and death for her.

Reloading Bullets

I chose to read this one for a couple reasons. First it didn't appear to be too sad and the others were tear jerkers about disease and injury. Secondly, I used to watch my grandfather reload his bullets and thought it was great. Personally I don't like guns much and this might not be of use to me, but the author seems to be an avid hunter and this is a good way for him to save money. I liked the point he made about how it will feel good to hit his target with a bullet and know he loaded it himself. I guess that would add a bit of extra satisfaction to the rush of murdering a defenseless animal for sport. Even though I don't agree with his point of view I must admit that this essay was well researched and easy to read. I am starting to realize how much work is ahead when doing my I search paper.

Prompt #4

2005-02-16T09:31:00.000-05:00

16. Someone I know writing about me.

He marches to his own drum. Seth is a guy that is complicated but tries to keep things as simple as possible. He is a bit of a loner, one of those people who is on the fringe of many groups but never fully commits to any one of them. I think he believes that the people he's around can push him to bigger and better things. He is what I would call a living room guy. By this I mean that he is good at putting his best foot forward. He can walk into someone's living room, sit down and find something that relates to that person and start up a conversation. Just don't count on him to call or anything after that initial conversation. He is very easy to get along with but don't cross him, that guy has a memory like an elephant and holds grudges for a long time. He dates occasionally but he is so picky that it doesn't take long for him to find something he doesn't like with the girl and after that it's not long before it ends. Somebody should tell him that there is no such thing as a perfect woman and he should find one and make the best of it. Seth has a big heart and would do anything he can to help a friend in need. The problem is that he has a hard time telling who is genuine and who is fake so he is venerable to being used by others. Seth has come a long way in life and still has a long way to go but in the end I hope he will have a happy and successful life.

Prompt #3

2005-02-15T19:50:00.000-05:00

Here is an argument I recently had with myself!! I will label each sentence with one of the two sides of my brain that are arguing, P for Procrastinator and G for Go-getter.

G: "Maybe we should go to the gym tonight and work out or maybe play a little basketball."

P: "Screw that, lets just eat some of those double stuffed Oreo cookies I talked you into buying and watch jeopardy or something."

G: "I don't know man this is a rare night off and we should make the most of it."

P: "Good point well watch CSI instead."

G: "I'm not fooling around here pal!" "Healthy living is a life style and we need to get with the program."

P: "Hey Richard Simmons, why don't you just relax and put your feet up? Maybe take a nap until CSI starts." "Who do you think you are Jared Fogel or something?"

G: " Look Fatty Arbuckle, when I was in the army I used to average three miles a day and always had it done before 7:30 am."

P: "Alright G.I. Joe let me try a different approach with you." "You have been working and going to class all week, you deserve a break."

G: "You really think so?"

P: "Hell yeah buddy, most people don't accomplish half of what you did this week." "I mean between the class schedule and working overnights you are one busy man."

G: "Well I guess you have a point there."

P: "You know I do, if you don't take some time to rest your going to get sick." "Besides there is always tomorrow to start working out again."

G: "Alright I guess your right." "You get the T.V. ready and I'll go pour us some milk."

Person Graf: Take Two

2005-02-15T18:11:00.000-05:00

My downstairs neighbor must be part of the devils immediate family. I have never in my life met someone as evil as Ms. Wanda Doe. She is a person who gains joy out of other peoples misery. She doesn't work at all, she just sits at home getting drunk and playing head games with anyone she comes in contact with. I should have known as much the day I moved in and she introduced herself as Wicked Wanda. She has no license because of a string of DUI's so she needs someone to cart her miserable ass around all the time. At first I was volunteering to be this person but that lasted all of about three days. Her approach includes "I need you to take me somewhere", or "Do you know where Shaw's is"? Never does she start with "Would you mind if" or "Could you please". Just sits there thinking she is a life long victim and expecting people to hand her things because she's had a hard life. Nobody really has it easy in life, certainly not me but she just doesn't get it. I quickly realized that most everything she says is either a full blown lie or some tainted version of the truth that she tells to advance whatever agenda she is working on at the time. I am learning just to ignore the bitch and go on about my day like she isn't even around, even trying to have fun with it. For example, now when I leave in the morning she is mulling about I just say "good morning Satan" and keep on going without even looking at her.

Introduction Paragraph #2

2005-02-15T17:33:00.000-05:00

"Should I stay or should I go now?" da dum da da da da da "If I leave there could be trouble, if I stay it could be double." da dum da da da da da "Won't you please just let me know, should I stay or should I go." My life had become a living version of the chorus to this famous song. I decided to go and face half the trouble as the song says. I left Pittsburgh and moved to Bangor mainly because I thought I could have a better life here. I'm still not sure if thats true or not but I had my reasons for thinking so. I am better suited for a slower pace of life and Bangor provides that. I needed a fresh start and there is nothing fresher than packing your stuff in a rental car and relocating. Those are two of my reasons but the main one is that I missed my family and they missed me. "Things will be different" I told myself while crossing the George Washington Bridge, "things will be better."

Outro Paragraph

2005-02-15T17:05:00.000-05:00

In spite of all the worrying and doubting I do things usually fall into place for me. I am now a full time college student and loving every minute of it. It's not easy but I enjoy it and so far I have been doing pretty well. My family and I talk and see eachother more frequently now. It's great to be able just call my sister up and meet her for lunch on a whim. Or to have my parents randomly stop in on their way from Boston to Aroostook County. After eight years of wandering and not keeping close enough contact with them I now appreciate and look forward to the time we spend together. The main thing I think I still need to work on is my knack for hanging out with crazy people because in the end it's a lost cause. Overall my life has changed for the better because of the choice I made to move. For the first time since I was in the army I feel empowered and am once again ready to take on the world. One small step at a time.

Freestyle #4

2005-02-14T12:42:00.000-05:00

Snow Day!!
When I was young and in school I thought that snow days were great. Now I find them to be more of a burden than anything. I guess I am a routine based person and when something throws my routine off I don't like it. Last week I had a big test for one of my classes on Thursday night and a full class schedule on Friday. Once I heard that we were supposed to get 12-20 inches of snow I figured everything would be cancelled. I didn't mind the test being postponed but I was ready for it and would rather have just gotten it out of the way. Friday I awoke to find the snow still dumping down and another day cancelled. Don't get me wrong, I like to sit around and relax as much as the next person but it gets to a point where I feel unproductive and then downright bored. I read a good novel about a Japanese hitman and took a couple nice naps and then starting pacing around my apartment looking for something to do. I eventually put a plastic cup on the floor against the wall and started putting golf balls across the living room carpet. Maybe I have grown up or maybe I need to find a girlfriend to help pass the time but I can't believe how hard it is to keep myself entertained these days.

Introduction Paragraph

2005-02-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

I was in a rental car with everything I own stuffed in the back. It was the third hour of my fifteen hour drive from Pittsburgh to Bangor and the solitude of the road was already causing me to question myself. "Why am I doing this"? "Is it the right decision"? "Will my life really be better because of this"? These are some of the questions of self-doubt that entered my head shortly after making one of the toughest choices of my adult life. After a while the panic left my mind and I started to reassure myself. I made a choice and there was no turning back now. I decided to move closer to home and my reasoning is just and true. Living in the city is fun and fast-paced and made me feel important but one reason I had to leave is because I had started to become stagnant. Another reason is that it's been eight years since I lived near my family. They have missed me terribly and I have slowly realized that I have missed them just as much. The most urgent reason for my leaving was that the people I had surrounded myself with in Pittsburgh were a collective trainwreck and I surely didn't want to be around when they derailed. I was sick and tired of making the best of a bad situation and it was high time that I demanded more of myself, for my futures sake.

Reaction to Cause Essays

2005-02-07T20:33:00.000-05:00

The Chicken Dance
This was a very good piece of writing. It reeled me in with the first paragraph. I thought maybe it was about chicken fights or something and that got me interested. Once I figured out it was a little girl in a school play it was too late to stop reading. She did a good job of explaining the cause of why she was in that position. From emulating the older girl to pressure from her parents, I totally understood how she got herself in that position and why she couldn't turn back. She finished it off well with the ending and then some updating about later in life.

Decision to put off college

This was my favorite of the cause essays. She explained everything well. She decided to put off college and made some bad decisions along the way. This reminds me of myself in a lot of ways. She just wanted to find herself and have some freedom for a while and the result was quite a few years of misery with the first husband. She seems smart and is a good writer. Glad to hear that she got things turned around by straightening out her priorities.

Prompt Reaction #2

2005-02-07T19:23:00.000-05:00

What would I like to be paid to talk about?

I would like the opportunity to get paid for talking about sports. I know I know, captain original in the flesh huh. But I would like to do it a bit differently than all the sports shows today. I have an idea that just might work. I would like to contact the people from sattelite radio and propose a new sports show. Since sattelite radio is not regulated by the FCC it would be a sports show on which swearing is permitted. Just the childishness of it alone would probably attract listeners. Why do you think people like Howard Stern so much? Here is an example of my pretend radio show with a pretend co-host named bob.
"Thanks for tuning in to the seth and bob show on sirius satellie radio. Today we will be broadcasting live from fenway park as the red sox take on the yankees." "Thats right seth this ought to be a fuckin doozy, lets get ready for the first pitch." "Curt Schilling winds up for the first pitch to Jeter. It's a fastball on the inside corner and Jeter goes diving to the dirt like a little bitch." That's right seth and the crowd is going fucking bannanas. This shit is crazy, I mean I can't even hear myself think."
The majority of the show would be normal. I wouldn't purposely swear all the time but it would be fun to have a show where you can talk like friends would while having a beer and watching a game. Also as part of the show I would have a weekly segment called "airing out the laundry". It would be an open invitation for athletes to come on the show and talk smack to other athletes without holding back or being politically correct. A lot of athletes wouldn't because it might tarnish their reputation but I'm sure that some couldn't resist. Once this segment got some publicity I think it would be a ratings magnet.
I do know a lot about sports and would talk about the latest happenings in the sports world like the other shows. If people had a choice of the same old "blah blah blah" or an unregulated show with a new twist on sports I think it could be a success and most importantly profitable.

Freestyle #3

2005-02-07T07:51:00.000-05:00

What a place to be a sports fan. After years of wallowing away in mediocricy we are now title town, the toast of the sporting world. People in New England should be in a good mood today. The fact that it's freezing cold and most of us have a cold or the flu doesn't matter. The patriots won, we should be in collectively high spirits.
I was always a sports fan but it once I moved away I became much more into it. Maybe it's the feeling that they are a piece of home or the need to represent and let everyone know I am from New England. I became obsessed with the patriots while stationed at Ft. Riley, KS. They had this huge sports bar on post with fifteen or twenty tv's. On sundays the place was a madhouse with fans from each team grouped together getting drunk and being loud. Most teams had large followings, especially the jets. But when the patriots run started it would be just my friend nate from New Hampshire and I there to cheer the pats. True fans who were modest and quiet and knew a lot about the team and the game. We were two patriots jerseys in an asylum filled with drunk obnoxious fans from places like Pittsburgh and New York. We took our share of abuse because there were only two of us and there wasn't a whole lot we could do. My guess is that if I went back today I would see a bunch of patriot jerseys and the people wearing them would be the loudest in the place.

Thing Graf

2005-02-04T09:43:00.000-05:00

MY DRIVER
I know I am a source of pride for him. I can tell by the way he looks when he shows me off to his friends. I just sit patiently in this golf bag, waiting for my turn. I don't know much about the game of golf but I bet he would use me for every single shot if he could.
The other clubs know whats going on. It's no secret that I am his favorite. After all, none of the other clubs have a head cover to keep them dry and clean. I'm also the most expensive. I know this guy doesn't pay full price for anything but even used I cost a pretty penny. Yep, I am the big cahuna in this golf bag. These other clubs might get jealous but they understand. I am the biggest club, when used properly I make the ball go farthest, and you don't hear his friends asking to try out anyone but me.
I just wish he would move somewhere warmer so he wouldn't ignore me for six months out of the year. After all, I am a Cleveland titanium driver and I demand respect.

Person Graf

2005-02-04T08:57:00.000-05:00

She is one of the sexiest women I have ever laid eyes on. I have dated girls on her level before but they didn't quite look like this. What is it about her? Is it the dark hair that falls perfectly below her jaw line? Or those dark eyes that stare out intensely from her flawless face? Whatever it is I can't get her out of my mind. It's almost as if she has been air brushed like a magazine model. But I know that's not the case because I'm not looking at a picture. I bet she wakes up beautiful and hardly gives it any effort. As I stare at her from across the room, I make a promise to myself. "One of these days I am going to make my move". Who knows, maybe she feels the same way about me.

Freestyle #2

2005-02-01T22:49:00.000-05:00

What is up with the news anchors in the bangor area? They all seem so young. I am new to the area and just started watching the local news. It looks like some college or high school groups have a partnership with someone and the lucky students get to become anchors. I guess it's because the good ones move on to bigger and better things and we just keep giving someone their first big break on the way to "stardom". To be honest, I kind of like it. It's fun to watch people so closely removed from puberty trying to look official and sophisticated.

Unique Graf

2005-01-31T09:25:00.000-05:00

I spent a year living in Korea without being able to speak the language. Over the course of that year I learned some basic sayings. "Hello", "goodbye", "thank you", and "you are a beautiful woman" to name a few. I have been to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) which is the border between North and South Korea. While on this tour I saw a handful of the communist North Korean soldiers in their brown dress uniforms. They were about fifty feet away from us but they were still unnerving to look at.
I was on two state championship basketball teams in high school. I have been to Geronimo's grave in Oklahoma and General George Custer's grave in Kansas. I have fired rocket launchers, thrown hand grenades, and shot fifty caliber machine guns, just like every boy dreams of. I have driven my car for twenty two hours straight, only stopping for gas and bathroom breaks. I have been for a ride in two types of helicopters, a chanuke and an apache. I have been to two red sox games but never in Boston. I have set foot in six different countries. I have spent a month in the Mojave desert on two separate occasions, neither of which was by choice. I turn on the lights to my old car during the day, I guess to simulate the day time running lights that come with new cars. I have been earning paychecks since the age of nine. My appendix ruptured and I almost died because I thought it was food poisoning and wouldn't go to the hospital. I have been proposed to by two women and said no to both. I have read every book that John Grisham has ever written, at least as far as I know. My IQ is sort of high and my self-esteem is sort of low. This may sound odd but I think that it's easier to have high self-esteem when your IQ's lower. Less thinking means less analyzing. I love a good conspiracy theory. I completely distrust our government but love it very much.
What do these experiences and opinions add up to? The answer is simple and obvious, ME.

Course Reaction

2005-01-26T09:29:00.000-05:00

I must admit that this class got off to a bad start. Not because of the teacher or the material but because I paid fifty dollars for the book and took it out of the wrapping. Once that mess was sorted out and I had received a refund it was time to concentrate on writing.
I like the fact that we have no books and do everything online. There will come a time when most every class is this way. The emphasis for this class seems to be on creativity and quality writing not commas and periods and boring grammar stuff. I think this makes us students relax a bit and allows us to be more creative. My favorite assignment so far was prompt reaction #1. When I first read the options they reminded me of a horror flick. "Alone in a quiet room" etc... seemed strange but ended up jump starting my imagination. It's always a work in progress but so far I am enjoying it. It hasn't been as bad as I expected.

Blog Review

2005-01-25T22:35:00.000-05:00

Surviving Grady

This is my favorite blog to date. The name refers to Grady little, the red sox former manager who was widely blamed for them loosing in the 2003 baseball playoffs. Grady is now irrelevant but the site has shifted towards baseball rumors, current events, as well as posts about the red sox and a few about the patriots. This blog is very similar to a common sports site such as ESPN.com but it's less regulated. This allows them to take shots at people in the sports world that a site such as ESPN probably would probably deem unprofessional. This blog is funnier and has generally edgier material.
Surviving Grady provides links to more heralded red sox boards such as Sons of Sam Horn and Dirt Dogs. It also has links to the Boston area newspaper sites which allows me to read updated sports articles each day from this site. As if this wasn't good enough, they also have links to sites selling red sox tickets and official gear.
This blog is a must see for die hard red sox fans. It is one stop shopping at it's finest. It reminds me of a Wal Mart for red sox faithful.

Inventory List Plus Paragraph

2005-01-25T20:54:00.000-05:00

A STUDENTS CUPBOARD
After a long day of classes and work I was very hungry. On the ride back from work ideas were running through my head about what I would make for dinner. Upon arriving at my apartment I burst through the door like a man who hadn't eaten for days and went straight to the kitchen. I decided to take inventory so that I could make the best possible dinner for myself on this night. With my mouth watering I decided to start with the shelf above the sink. The first thing I found was a small white box containing two shaw's blueberry poptarts with the fancy silver wrapping. Next to the poptarts was half a loaf of shaw's enriched white bread. You know, the kind that sticks to the roof of your mouth and breaks apart when peanut butter is applied. The next thing I saw was a can of shur fine baked beans with brown sugar and bacon flavoring. One can of dolphin safe 3diamond chunky light tuna. A can of cain's sweet relish, which to me looks exactly like raspberry jam. A half eaten package of double stuffed oreo cookies. Two semi-full bags of chips, one shaw's barbecue and one premium brand salted potato chips. I find it funny that the bag labeled "premium" only costs 88 cents at dollar general. On the bottom shelf I found a box of knock-off ritz crackers, unsalted for my eating pleasure, and two boxes of cereal. One an unopened box of shaw's bundles of oats and the other a box of rice chex from which I would be lucky to get one more bowl. After surveying the shelf and finding nothing to my liking I decided to check the refrigerator.
I swung open the door and found an unopened package of tyson's chicken patties staring back at me and begging to be made into sandwiches. Also in the fridge was a deli bag containing sliced turkey breast. I thought of making a turkey sandwich and then I noticed the expiration date was the February first and I said to myself "whats the rush I have a week before it goes bad". Next to the turkey sat a jar of family pantry grape jelly. The jelly looked very appealing with it's purple label and purple lid, on the label was a big red dollar sign just to remind me that I am poor and rarely spend the money on brand name food products. I looked at the compartment on the refridgerator door and saw four individually wrapped slices of low fat american cheese. Directly next to the cheese sat a half gallon of shaw's reduced fat 2% milk and two green bottles of rolling rock beer. Feeling picky and still dissatisfied I opened the freezer door to see what frozen treats awaited me.
There was three thick red boxes containing banquet fried chicken meals complete with corn and mashed potatoes. Five individually wrapped tinta's burritos made from red hot beef. And finally, there was two small square boxes with frozen pot pies inside, one beef and the other chicken. At this point I was so hungry that nothing in the kitchen looked good to me so I got back in my car and headed to wendy's to get something from the dollar menu.

Hands

2005-01-24T09:21:00.000-05:00

Hands are a central part of my day to day life. Without them I would not be able to maintain my daily routines with the ease and comfort I am used to. I use them in almost everything I do. What would it be like to eat or brush my teeth using my feet? Or depending on a low-paid nurse to do it for me? I would adapt out of necessity but it would be very difficult. Hands can signal approval through applause, disapproval by giving the thumbs down sign or the occasional obscene gesture. It is my opinion that hands are like a set of tools that almost everyone is born with and can use as they see fit.

Prompt Reaction #1

2005-01-22T20:26:00.000-05:00

"Alone in quiet room. What do I hear?"

I hear the sounds of technology. As I sit in the kitchen with the lights off I hear the computer buzzing. I can hear my connection to the rest of the world, even as I sit in silence. I can hear a noise piercing my ears as the hour changes. BZZZ BZZZ BZZZ. The clock on the microwave tells me that it is now 10:00 and no longer 9:59. Followed closely but not in synch by the clock on the stove, and shortly thereafter by the clock on the wall. As I sit here, now fully aware of the time change I hear a car going by. Seconds later I hear another car, followed by a large truck of some sort. In the corner of the room I hear the gargling sound of the fish tank as it filters water through the tank. I can hear the humming of the refrigerator as it keeps my drinks cold and my TV dinners frozen. Every so often I can hear the roar of a plane passing overhead as it relocates eager passengers. Probably to somewhere warmer than here.

So as I sit here silently I can hear noise all around me. The constant buzzing and humming of something that makes my life more convenient. At this very moment I come to a conclusion. Unless you are a minimalist, there is no such thing as a quiet room in this day and age.

Least Favorite Teacher

2005-01-22T19:58:00.000-05:00

Philosophical Differences:
The worst teacher I have ever had was a bullish lesbian named Ms. Barnes. Every time she spoke to me I got the impression that she was biting her tongue to suppress vicious insults. Her eyes would narrow and her face would form a scowl each time my hand went up to ask a question. Looking back on it, I still don't understand her disdain for me. Not that I was a prize student or anything. During my high school years I was a prototypical jock who cared about scoring points and scoring with cheerleaders much more than test scores.
Maybe she saw me as a future womanizer. The kind of man she bitterly hated and simutaneously wished to be. I once made a joke in class about her owning a motorcycle(which she does)and that probably didn't help the situation any. But the fact remains that I was a teenager. She shouldn't have judged me and my future by the way I acted at seventeen. I have since served in the military and traveled the world. I have matured and changed my outlook on life. The sad part of this story is that Ms. Barnes probably hasn't.

Freestyle #1

2005-01-22T19:33:00.000-05:00

Today I woke up nice and early intent on getting a lot done. My alarm went off at 7:30am, which is too early for a saturday but I didn't mind because I was motivated. I came downstairs and made some coffee. I sat down at the computer still in my pajamas with a fresh cup of joe, it was time to write. I was thinking clearly and ready to do all of my assignments at once so I could relax and watch football the rest of the weekend.
Just as I was done patting myself on the back for being so dedicated the phone rang and ruined my entire morning. It was my landlord/uncle. He thought I should know that my living arrangement was about to change. He explained to me that his girlfriend who owns the property I live in was moving out of his house and back into this one. Where I live is a big house with a two bedroom apartment attached. She and her children will be using the whole house and two of the rooms in my apartment for their living quarters. So from the time I sat down to write this I went from having a nice two bedroom apartment to having a nice one bedroom efficiency. Next time I am in this situation I am simply going to let the phone keep ringing.