B L O G G

Course Evaluation

2004-12-08T07:14:00.000-08:00

The course Eng 101 which I took over the period of this last semester, was by far my most intriguing english class I've ever taken. It wasn't some bullshit teacher(was it?) talking about something no one understands but they claim to be the master of. I've never been a fan of English and to tell you the truth when I saw that I had to take it this year I was bummed. I was even more depressed that I had to take an English class called College Composition. I thought that all I would be doing would be writing about such things as the conflict that eastern society has with the western in the regards to economic prosperity. Obviously something that I have little to no knowledge about. When I showed up on my first day and met mister J. Goldfine for the first time, I knew that this was not going to be the typical english class.

I am extremely grateful to Mr. Goldfine for giving me the opportunity to partake in this class where I was able to explore my creative writing and hopefully improve on it. This is unlike anything I have ever done before. In high school, I was never given the chance to just sit down and write with so little restriction. It's refreshing to be able to do this and I believe, or so I hope, that I've become a better writer because of it. To be honest, I think I learned more about my writing skills & abilities than I ever did all through high school. But then again, I guess that's why we pay to go to college, in order to learn something!

Reaction to Writing Classification Essay

2004-12-07T08:37:00.000-08:00

Of all the essays that we have written for English 101, none were harder, in my opinion, than the classification essay. Maybe I picked a bad topic to try and classify or maybe I just have a hard time taking things and visualizing them in groups. Either way, I believe.... in fact, I know that this was by far my worst paper of the semester. I struggled to find myself in it and I struggled to go ahead and group certain things according to my topic. Either way, I guess it was a learning experience. Besides, if all the writing assignments were easy, how would I learn anything? Think about that one!

Post #19

2004-12-03T07:04:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I take notice of something that happens all the time but I don't really notice what it is until that instant. It's something I've seen a thousand times but just now see it in a totally new and different light. It's a refreshing, sometimes disturbing thing to have happen.

One such experience occurred while I crossed the parking lot to Penobscot Hall this morning on my way to class. As I stepped up to the crosswalk, a car was traveling towards me at a moderate speed. I took the first two steps into the crosswalk and turPOW!CRACK!SNAP! The car smacked right into me and threw me 300 feet where I got struck by another car coming in the opposite direction.

That's not what actually happened but it very well could have if I had not paid attention. What actually happened was somewhat different but did made me take notice of this situation. What happened was that I did indeed step up to the crosswalk and the car was there. As I took that first step I expected that the car would slow down. Not the case. It continued, traveling through the crosswalk with me standing in it. It wasn't a close call, in my view, but some people probably would have shit a brick. As the car passed me, I took notice of the driver. He was pretending to look the other way, like he didn't see me. I know he saw me and this was the point where I came to see this event in a totally new perspective.

This situation has happened to me before. I've seen drivers not look at me or look away in order to act like the don't see me standing there that way they feel like they don't have to stop. This is something that happens quite often. The fact is, people just don't want to stop unless they absolutely have to. The only crosswalk around town that is actually respected is the one in front of the post office downtown. If someone is even close to approaching the crosswalk, all the cars come to a screeching halt. This only happens because the police are always around there and people know they'll throw tickets at them if they catch them not stopping. Don't get it twisted, it's not that the drivers have more respect for pedestrians in that part of town, they're just scared of "the fuzz."

Anyway, I think that we could solve the problem by installing strips on either side of the crosswalk. Why strips? Good question. When a person approaches the crosswalk, the strips could go from flat to attack as metal spikes with sharp points jump up out threatening to rip any oncoming tires to shreds if they dare enter the sacred crosswalk. People would feel a lot safer and the drivers would have a ton more caution around crosswalks knowing that their cars could be sitting on the rims if they dare cut off the innocent pedestrian in the crosswalk.

Post #18

2004-11-22T07:03:00.000-08:00

Smoking

Smoking is someting that I've done for a number of years now. Well,to be honest, I've smoked for the past seven years. Apparently this is not a good thing. As you may or may not know, I found out the other day that smoking is actually BAD for your health. That's right people, it's been known to cause things like emphaziema, cancer, and a bunch of other terrible things. I know, I know, I was shocked when I heard this too but I swear, it is the truth. All the coughing and hacking that comes with smoking, believe it or not, doesn't help you but actually hurts you. And here I thought that cigarettes were a really good way to clean out my lungs. I should have known that something like cigarettes, which have such a pleasant aroma once you've smoked one, must have had a catch. After all the mornings that I've hacked up gross phlem, I should have known that it was cigarettes that were causing it and not that pesky five year cold I thought I had. Jeez, I thought that pregnant women were the only one's that cigarettes were actually bad for because I trust my government and I know that if cigarettes were bad, then my government would have quickly told me so by stamping it on the box next to the big warning for pregnant women.

Come on people, are you really that stupid? Is it really necessary to sue tobacco companies for not telling you NOT to use their product because it may hurt you? That's like Ford saying, "Don't drive our vehicles because you might get in a horrible wreck and die." Not gonna happen, m'kay? If your gonna smoke then you should have the commen sense enough to know that cigarettes maybe aren't good for you. What, are we all two years old? It's time to grow up and suffer the consequences for your actions. It's not the tobacco companies that ought to be punished, it's us. We, the one's who are stupid enough to by this horrible product, are the one's who should, and will, suffer because of our own poor decisions. You don't see people suing casino's because they lost all their rent and food money at the slot machines. Well, maybe I spoke too soon on that one, but I think you get the point. That's enough bitching for one blog. See ya

Post #17

2004-11-17T06:53:00.000-08:00

So a few weeks ago my boss comes to me and says "Would you be interested in going to a training class called T.I.P.S. ( Taking Intoxicated People Seriously)?"
I was like sure and so he goes onto say that the class will be held on a Monday. I then told him that I had class and so he asks if I could miss it. Miss it? I haven't missed a single class yet. He says that it's important in relation to my job and so I really should try to make it. Then he says nonchalantly that I will have to let him know whether or not I can go by Wednesday which is in less than 36 hours. Basically, I had no choice. I was to let my teachers know that I would not be in class on that day. All I can say is that I'm lucky that I had nothing important going on that day.

So anyway, the day of the training rolls around and I show up at the Hampton Inn at eight o'clock, since that's the time that my boss told me it started, only to find that it didn't actually start untill nine o'clock. Thanks ALOT boss. That was an extra hour of sleep gone. I got there before the instructor......... forty five minutes before the instructor. Once everyone was there, it turned out that the only people there were two of my fellow bartenders from the Lucerne Inn, the instructor, and myself. Needless to say, it was just us. Not that it's a bad thing, because the course had a nice one on one feel where our questions recieved answers and the instructor refered to us by name.

The smallness of the group was great until about thirty minutes in when a man shows up. The instructor says, "May I help you?"
He says, "Yeah, I'm just here from channel five news." At which point he steps into the room completely with a big ol' camera and tripod. The three of us procede to look at each other with astonishment. There's going to be no hidding from this guy. Even if we were to do so, where could we? Under the table, perhaps? Trust me, there was no getting away from this guy. Oh well, I might as well take advantage and make myself look important. So, in order to do so, I wait untill I know that the camera is on me and I procede to pick up a pencil and pretend to write down notes, all the while, nodding my head as the instructor talks making it seem as if she is saying something really important. I guess that this footage did in fact make the news because everyone saw me. The extreme close up didn't help in the least. I was on the news at 6 p.m., 11 p.m., and the next morning at 5 a.m.

Aside from the movie star stuff, I did, in fact, learn quite a bit from the class. We took a test when we first got there in the morning and was given the same test at the end of the day which would serve as our certification exam. I know I did horrible on the morning test but, by the end of the day, I knew every answer to the test. When I took the test again at the end of the class, although I don't yet know how I did, I am sure that I did very well, and thus, became T.I.P.S. certified.

Some things that I learned from the class are:
-It is illegal to refuse to serve a pregnant women solely because she is pregnant.
-Carbonated drinks get you drunk quicker than something mixed with juice, water, or alcohol served plain with no mixer.
-A person can not be drinking from more than two drinks at any one time. Thus, they cannot order three or more drinks for themselve. They can have two and when they are done those they can order two more and so on and so forth.
-It is illegal to serve someone to the point of intoxication.
-You cannot let an intoxicated person leave your establishment unless you have performed resonable care which means doing something like offering them something to eat to help sober them up, getting them to ride home with a friend who's not intoxicated, calling them a cab, doing something to keep them there for a little while, or as a last resort, contact the authorities.

Post #16

2004-11-12T07:53:00.000-08:00

You know what? I got to thinking about this whole college concept and the input we, as students, have. Not too long ago there were some surveys that were passed around in all the classes by the instructor of that particular class. They confidentiality was so well thought out that the teachers passed them out to the students, who then filled them out and gave them to a random student to bring to the administration. There were no names on the surveys so they were kept completely anonymous in that regard as well. On these surveys were questions about the course and teacher that the student was to answer and give a rating to as to how well they thought things were going. Based on the answers the students put the school can then make a better judgment as to where the strong points of the college are and where improvements should be made. I believe this to be a very good system and a fabulous way for the students to give their input about their teachers and the job they're doing. It's a very good tool up until the teacher who you'd most like to criticize doesn't hand out the goddamn surveys. The one person who you'd like to give a few pointers on how they should teach their class is the only one who fails to hand out these oh-so-important assessments. All the other teachers did their job and gave out the important documents, so why couldn't they? Are they really that worried about what the students will say that they don't dare give them out? Or maybe they know they're not doing a very good job and that's why they didn't give them out. Either way, I'm pissed. I wanted to tear this teacher a new one and wasn't given the chance. You can bet your ass that I'll be the first one to write down this little "mishap" on any other questionnaire's that we receive later in the year. I oh so hope I get my chance to do just this at some point this year.

Reaction To Contrast Essay

2004-11-12T07:41:00.000-08:00

After reading the example classification essays that are on Goldfine's website, I was determined to write an essay that stood up for men. The example essays were all classifying guys and basically making fun of us and how we are stupid. Well sorry ladies, but if we act stupid its only to try and keep up with you.

The contrast essay was my chance to write my version of men vs. women. I have to say, it felt good to write my thoughts out on paper. Normally, or at least in all the previous english classes I've taken, I haven't had the chance to just write about a topic of my interest. That's what I enjoy most about this class. I'm given the chance to write about my thoughts time after time. Tell you the truth, this is the only English class where I've actually enjoyed doing the required assignments (that is, until Goldfine comes over and says that I have to rewrite it because I've left some important thing out). I gotta say though, even with all the work, I don't dread doing the assignments at all. This is a good thing!

Contrast Essay

2004-11-12T07:40:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard the saying that men are from Mars and women are from Venus? Well, from what I can gather, and keep this hush hush, men and women aren’t from Mars and Venus, but rather, we’re both from a little planet called Earth. Now this certainly doesn’t mean that we are completely alike, no, no, no. Most of the men you talk to will prove me right on this. Women and men have some fairly apparent differences like physical appearance; there are some that are not so obvious. Women differ from men in their interests, attitudes, and their methods of romance.

The interests of men and myself versus that of women are one of the major differences between us. Generally, we are into the more macho, aggressive pastimes and hobbies. Most men are religiously connected to sports. If there’s a big game on, you can bet your ass that it’ll be what’s on my T.V. On Sunday’s, forget it. Don’t even bother asking what’s on because the only thing that’s on is the football game. Besides watching them, most men, myself included, participate in a sport such as, for example, golf, racquetball, or basketball. Along with sports, we are also more inclined to such things as working on our vehicle, going to a cabin in the woods and hunting, or fishing on the weekends. Women, on the other hand, they would be a lot more likely to curl up with a good book. If they’re in the mood to go out (like on a Sunday, during the football game) they might be found shopping it up at the mall or browsing the craft fair. Women tend to prefer more relaxing events like a movie or going to the theater to see a play.

Another thing separating the genders is our attitudes that each of us has pertaining to certain things. The attitude that we men have about the world is completely different from that of women. When it’s time to go to a nice restaurant for dinner, I’ll usually throw on the first thing I find that’s clean. If it weren’t for the woman in my life, I’d probably end up just wearing some jeans and a t-shirt. A woman on the other hand, will spend more time getting ready than they’ll actually spend at dinner. Another key distinction between attitudes is the way that we, as couples, fight and/or argue with each other. Nine out of ten times, the confrontation usually starts as the result of something the man has done. It could be because of a thing that we did that day, or, something we did two months ago, but either way, it’s most likely regarding something we don’t remember, or, had no intention of doing. Women are usually expecting so much from their “man” that they nitpick at every little thing we do wrong instead of what we’re doing right, which may lead to large quarrels that are ultimately the result of some miniscule thing. But, we will almost always win these petty quarrels since men can hold out longer. One thing about the ladies though, they are always the first to say sorry. Men have a really hard time with that word, “Sorry”. Even on those rarest of occasions, when the fight is the fault of the male, he will put off using that word for as long as he can, or, until he has exhausted all other options. By that time, it’s too late and we’re either locked out or sleeping on the couch.

Now when it comes to the romance aspect of a relationship, it is pretty much black and white between the two genders. From a woman’s perspective, romance is everything. They love to be swept off their feet by a man. This usually involves some light music, a few candles, and a well thought out meal. This is sure to put the woman in a state of utopia. The act of being catered to is something that women love. Even just snuggling in a nice place such as a park at sunset can be extremely romantic to a woman. Whereas on the flipside, men, don’t really grasp the same idea of romance. We know how to be romantic, but do we really know how to accept it? Do we want to be romanced? In general, I say no. Our concept of romance is a little kissing and touching before getting down and dirty. I don’t believe we even recognize romance in the same manner women do because our sense of what it is can be so much different from theirs.

It is my belief that men and women will never completely and fully understand each other, no matter how hard we may try. The differences in our attitudes, interests, and romantic preferences are what maintain our commitment to each other. When combined, our dissimilarities balance us out and these diversities are what fuel and make our relationships work. For as long as this remains consistent, men and women will keep on loving and, at times, hating each other for as long as we continue to coexists.

Process Essay

2004-11-12T07:34:00.000-08:00

Driving along Broadway in Bangor, I come to a light at the Stillwater intersection. Up next to me pulls a rather new Honda Accord. As the driver creeps up beside me, I’m immediately alerted to the thunderous rumble coming from the high performance exhaust system that hangs from the Accord’s rear end. Over and above the growl of the exhaust, I can very clearly make out the thump, thump, thumping of a tricked out car audio system. I know right off quick that this pounding I hear, which old people call obnoxious, is due to the adding of subwoofers to the aftermarket stereo system. As I sit beside the Honda, it doesn’t take long before it’s on. I crank up my system to overpower his. He does the same back. Pretty soon, all the windows in the neighborhood are rattling to the bass produced by our subs.

Some people wonder why anyone would need such a powerful stereo in an automobile. To them I say, “If you can’t get it, you probably never will.”
For everybody else who’s interested in the modifications I’ve made as well as my reasons for doing so, listen up. My theory behind this whole idea is simple. Like most people, I love music! The only difference is I love to hear music the way it was meant to be heard: with clarity and volume. And if you think about it, as a society, where do we listen to most of our music? Generally speaking, a majority of the time we spend listening to music is when we are in our vehicles driving around. Typically, CD’s and the radio are what keeps us occupied while we drive from one place to another. While at home, it’s usually the T.V. or a book but very rarely do we turn on the tunes.

When I wanted to upgrade my vehicle’s existing stereo, I had to follow a certain process to do it. One of the biggest factors that keep people from being able to install an aftermarket system is the lack of funds. One thing I should tell you is that this is not cheap. There is a lot of money involved in the purchasing of the components. A good idea was to figure how much money I wanted to spend. This will help to decide what kind of product to get in terms of power and performance and be able to determine whether or not it fits into the predetermined budget. No matter how many pieces that I wanted to replace or upgrade, I knew I needed some basic knowledge of how a vehicle’s audio system works as well as the tools to do the job. Once I knew what I wanted, it was time to go out and get the goods.

This is something that you really shouldn’t rush into like I did. Its best take the time to compare different models and brands and research the products so to know what to look for and thus, make a smart, informed decision. I found that by shopping around, I got some of the parts I needed on sale or on clearance. And by not rushing into this, you’ll see that things always go on sale if you’re willing to wait. I made the mistake of buying the first thing I saw. I soon found out that I paid way more than I should have and to top it off, it wasn’t what I wanted anyway. So then I went out and spent more money getting what I really wanted in the first place. I blew all this extra cash just because I wasn’t willing to shop around or wait for the prices to drop and I didn’t know what I wanted because I failed to do my research properly.

As far as buying, I found that I preferred to buy my components a few at a time rather than all at once, as it was much easier on my wallet. I would suggest buying the priority items first. By priority, I mean the articles that are necessary for any type of stereo, no matter how small and simple or big and complex. The items I speak of are generally the four speakers and the head unit (usually a CD player). A way of saving some money, as I found out, was to install everything myself. It’s really not that hard once I got going and figured it out. Aside from that, there is a ton of info on the internet about the installation of car stereos that I used to help me. And by having the priority pieces first, I was able to install them while I saved additional money to buy the other, more advanced parts I needed.

Now come the parts that get me excited: the amplifier, the box and subwoofer(s), and the capacitor. These are what separate the men from the boys, the loud from the soft, and the strong from the weak. The addition of these components will make all the difference in the world. They are what give your stereo its backbone. The way I learned how these pieces worked was like this. The subwoofer(s) are what produce the “lows” or bass you hear in a song. This is the rumbling that comes from a nice stereo. Without the subs, all you hear are the high notes of a song. The amp and capacitor, or cap, are the driving force behind the sub. The ways they are hooked up in my system are like this. My power source (my battery) is what gives all these components their juice. The battery hooks up to the cap, which links to the amp, which in turn goes to the subs. Now what do they do, you ask? Well, the amplifier is what takes in the signal from the receiver (the CD player) and converts it and puts it out to the subwoofers to give me my bass. My amp takes a lot of power to run and this is where the capacitor comes in. My capacitor stores power from my battery so when the amp needs that extra juice from time to time, it pulls from the cap rather than the battery. Why? Because if it were to pull off the battery, then some of my other electronics would suffer like my headlights going dim or my heater’s blower not working as well. The installation of these components is quite easy since they all hook up to each other. Basically all I had to do was to run a wire from the battery to the cap and amp and ground them both. Then I hooked up the amp, cap, and subs to each other in sequence with the wires from a wiring kit I bought.

When I was all finished the install, it was time to try it out. This is when all the hard work pays off. With the push of a button it all comes together. The CD spins, the speakers crank, and the subs go BOOM! This is the point at which I stand back, relax, and admire a job well done. Its here I realize that my dream of a high performance car stereo has become reality. With my new found confidence I’m able to say that you too can have that stereo you’ve always wanted by just taking some time to educate yourself, spending a few Washington’s, and giving up a couple hours of your weekend.

Post #15

2004-10-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

The Red Sox are on the war path. It's been 86 years since they've won themselves a world series but judging by the way that they are playing, you would think they'd been here before. I probably shouldn't say these words out loud, but it seems as if they are bound and determined to break the curse. The more I watch them play, the more intense the game, for me, gets. With each win they are pulling themselves closer and closer to a championship ring. It just feels like I'm watching history being made one small step at a time. I'm just waiting for that last win when they'll finally let the ink dry in the record books and it'll say "Boston Red Sox" next to the words 2004 World Champions. Boy that'll be a day New England and myself will never forget. As they, the BoSox, lead this, the world series, two games to none, I find myself biting harder and harder on my bottom lip as the tension becomes tighter and tighter. All that's left for "Our team" to do is to win two of the next five games and they can finally get they're long, long, long awaited celebration. And you can bet your ass that I'll be there to watch them do it.

Weekly Post #13

2004-10-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

"Red Sox Win!"
"Red Sox Win!"

Everybody say it, "Red Sox Win!"

Now say, "Red Sox Win by spanking the Yankees in four straight games setting an MLB record for come from behind wins for a team down 3 games to none in post season play!"

"Red Sox Win!"

Now say, "Johnny Damon single handedly brought down the house that Babe built by hitting two homeruns, one of which was a grand slam, in game seven of the ALCS, to win it for the Red Sox and bring them to the World Series!"

Nothing can describe how I felt watching the Red Sox win game seven to head to the World Series for the first time in 18 years. This will be the first time I have ever personally watched them play in the series. And believe me, I've waited long enough. Just one more series before we can say "The curse is no more!" I am so excited that I've spent all day trying to win tickets to the game at fenway park. The one thing I keep thinking is a line I heard from the mouth of an announcer during game seven. He said, "As an announcer, I would have hoped for a better, more intense game seven between these the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox." All I could think when I heard that was this: "As a fan I couldn't ask for a better game seven. It doesn't get any better for a Sox fan to see the Red Sox beating the HELL outta the Yanks AT New York in front of their own fans to put them out of the playoffs." Isn't that what life is all about?

Weekly Post #14

2004-10-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

The other day I was out shopping for my girlfriend for her birthday when I got to thinking. We are serious about each other but not to the point where we are planning on getting married or anything. That being said I got to thinking about how much strain my girl puts on my wallet. I buy her things, not that I'm complaining, because believe me, I buy her a lot of stuff she never even asks for, just because I like for her to have nice things. But at what point do you start to realize how much you buy her? There's dinner and movies, there's basic things like groceries and gas, and then there's the stuff like presents or flowers. All of this stuff adds up after a while and I'm not even mentioning the stuff that I buy her for her birthday, or her mom's birthday, or her friends birthday's. It seems like every week I have to buy someone a present. Oh and I can't forget that her and her friends are all turning 21 now so everytime we go out to celebrate, yours truly is picking up the alcohol tab. It's not that I'm complaining, because I'm not, I'm just saying, when the end of the week comes and you've got a closet full of new clothes and shoes and jewelry and perfume but have no money, just remember who picks up the bills at that point. Yeah, it's me with that extra cash I've saved because I knew you'd spend all yours. Yeah, that's right, and oh yeah, I love you too.

Classification Essay

2004-10-20T09:25:00.001-07:00

The Working Class

Throughout my eight or so years as a member of the American workforce, I have seen many different things at the companies and businesses I have worked for. I've viewed everything from sleeping on the job, to stealing company products/money, to calling in sick because a relative that died last week died again today. As a worker, I've had the opportunity to be employed by many different companies. I've worked in large, corporate companies, mid-sized businesses, and probably the most common of all, small, privately-owned, "mom-and-pop" companies. Although there isn't very much likeness amid the three, they do have one significant similarity between them: Employees. All businesses, big or small, have people that they pay to ensure that the business operates smoothly and is run well day-to-day.

That's where I and the rest of the blue collar American worker's come in. We are the ones hired to do the dirty work, that is, the work that the owners do not even dream of doing themselves. And why should they? They rely on us to get the job done and that's what we are paid to do. But what happens when the worker isn't doing his or her job? What happens when the employee doesn't meet the expectations of the employer? That is where I figure the line is drawn. A line that separates the good from the bad, the strong from the weak, the steady, hardworking team player from the not-so-good employee otherwise known as a "slacker," who shows up to get paid for doing as little as possible. This is where I believe that there are four categories of worker.

First is the strong one. These are the favorite of the bosses. The bosses love them because they make them look good to their bosses by giving the impression that everyone is working hard, when actually it's just this employee working two, three, or even four times as hard to pick up the slack from everyone else. They are the type that is always reliable. They know their job inside and out. If anyone is needed to stay late, they are the ones who willingly volunteer to work the extra hours even if it means breaking plans with someone at home. This worker is highly dedicated to their job, which usually means that the family suffers because of it. This is the type that will land that corporate office job as well as most likely to get a divorce. I would like to consider myself as this type of worker but realistically I am only this focused 25% of the time. The rest of the time I believe that I am most like the next class of employee.

Although much like the first, this next style is very focused and determined. As the one that probably describes me the best, these are the good men and women that are in abundance here in Maine. I don't mean the younger generation, no, I'm speaking of the older Mainers who have worked hard all their lives doing various jobs to do whatever it takes to pay the bills. They're the one's that are never late, being always on time, if not, early. They're work ethics are the model for other employees to follow. They may not be as willing to stay late, come in on holidays, or work the weekend shifts like the first group but why should they? They are your typical Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, I-want-my-weekends-to-myself crowd. Some of these people will be managers and supervisors but never the "top dog." Others in this group will never amount to much more than just a good, hard worker always working for "the man.”

Our third case I describe as the "free riders." By this I mean that they show up for work with the idea that they won't have to do too much. They "ride" on the coat-tails of others. Never around to help do the work, when the job's all done they're most certainly the first in line to get credit for it. These people are the one's I hate to work with since they'll almost always accept the praise for a job well done, but when the criticism comes, it all of a sudden doesn't apply to them. On top of that, they're usually the first to bitch about how hard their job is and how many hours they have to put in when in actuality they have zero right to bitch because they're not doing much in the first place. These are the type you see working at McDonald's for minimum wage when they're forty-five because they lack the motivation to push themselves any further.

So you walk into a store, grab a few things, and head to the front checkout. No one there. You look around and see customers but no employee's. You wait five minutes, when, from out of the back office, comes a store employee talking on his/her cell phone while a line has formed behind you. They slowly head to the counter where you are and attempt to ring you up while not missing a beat with the cell phone conversation. The cashier then tells you your total, while still on the phone, in a tone that seems to say "what an inconvenience you are," for pulling them away from their oh-so-important conversation. This is our fourth category. The "I don't give a shit" worker. The one that thinks it's funny to spit on your burger or tell you "you'll have to take the escalator to the second floor to find that item," when they know damn well there is no second floor. This is where workplace frustration begins. This group causes way too much frustration for the customer, the boss, and co-workers. This employee has no intention of ever doing what they're told. They could care less whether they keep the job or not. A perfect example of this sort leads me to reference a television show I saw on Fox. For anybody who's ever seen "The Simple Life" with Nicole Ritchie and Paris Hilton, they can now relate to the type of worker I'm describing. As seen on the show, Paris and Nicole had absolutely no plans of keeping any job and it showed. They screwed up in more ways than anyone ever thought possible, and did so purposely. Thus, they were fired from every single place of employment.

With all this in mind it's fair to say that the four classes I have shown are pretty much universal to wherever you may live. People will be people no matter what city, state, or country you happen to be in. The good thing is that we, as an American society, have a certain structure in place which helps to sort out bad and utilize the good. The basis of this system is the fact that employer's are able to terminate or get rid of weak workers and reward the strong with raises and promotions. This is the method that has worked for so many years past and has allowed our economy to thrive in the past, present, and hopefully for many years to come in the future.

Reactions To Other Blogs

2004-10-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

Just searching through some blogs I found this one. It's a pretty funny post. I read some more post from his blog and found that he's a canadian in quebec. I didn't know canadian's had humor. I guess we learn something new each day. Hope y'all like it

Here's the address: http://zlanth.blogspot.com/

And here's the post:

Friday, October 15, 2004

Tales from the Crypt...
... and by Crypt I mean Hull.This tale is from last fall. Its a tale of aggravation and paranoia. Readers who are faint of heart should stop reading. Cause we don't need your chicken-shit kind round these parts!It was just around the time when autumn first starts turning to winter. However, there was no snow or ice around, and I found it seasonal enough to go take a walk. I really needed fresh air after being locked up in a stuffy building, sitting in a stuffy cube, working with stuffy people.So, on goes the MP3 player, and off I went for a walk.As I was walking I noticed someone approaching. He was about a half foot shorter than me. He was wearing a hooded sweater, and his clothes just screamed that they'd been worn waaay too many days in a row (or at least my nose was screaming it). As I got closer he had that patented Cokehead Look. No, not Coca Cola, not even the dreaded C2 derivative. I'm talking a nose candy abuser.Now, there's three things that a panhandler can do to piss me off royally. First, is ask me for money. Get a fucking job you lowlife. At least play an instrument, shine shoes, tell jokes for all I care. I'll give you money if you entertain me. If you are expecting a freebie, the only free thing you'll get is my foot broken off in your ass. The second thing is to interrupt me while I'm obviously on my way somewhere. The third, is to interrupt me while I'm listening to music.Get your checklist out. One, check. Two, check. Three, check. So I'm not a happy camper already.CokeHead decides to ask me for some money, and then whine about how hungry he is. And I'm not exaggerating here. I'd say "I don't have any change" and he'd be like "But come on man, I'm really hungry! Can't you give me some money for food?! Come on!!" and so on and so forth for 5 minutes straight.Finally I had enough, I said "Listen, I don't have any fucking money. There's a soup kitchen right over the bridge there, they don't turn anyone away, and its a five minute walk. Now fuck off," and I left.Not even half a minute into walking away I take a peek behind me and I see CokeHead running towards me. Instead of being ganked from behind, I turn around and wait for him to catch up.He tells me "I've got an idea. There's a store up there, you can give me your bank card and PIN, and then I can run in and get money." I responded with "Are you out of your FUCKING MIND?? Do you want my Visa too while you are at it? FUCK OFF."Again I went, and within seconds he stopped me AGAIN! At this point I can really feel my blood boil, and I blurted out a hearty, "What the fuck do you want now?" He responded with "OK, I understand you don't want to give me your card, but maybe you can go in there and pull out $20 for me."I started to think that if I jumped in front of a car right there, and went straight to Hell, that fucker was gonna follow me there too. So I upped the ante a little... "Ok buddy, how about I go in there and buy you something to eat? Something healthy though, no chips or chocolate bars or whatever."The guy has the audacity to say to me, "Did I say I wanted food? No, I want money for food." Yeah sure buddy, fund your coke habit elsewhere. I told him to eat a dick and stop following me or else. He trailed me for awhile, took me a bit to lose him. I still see him around there occasionally, trying his "Bother the shit out of people till they give me coke money" trick.

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I visited another blog today and I must say that it was far more unusual than any of the others that I have been to. It's shear devotion and purpose is to slam celebs and label them ugly, or as they say, "FUGGLY." See what they do is acquire not-so-good pictures of today's hottest celebrities and write awful comments about the picture and label them fuggly. Among some of the celebs are Britney, Cameron Diaz, the cast of Surreal World, and others. When you find yourself bored, REALLY BORED, then go ahead and check out this site: http://www.fuggingitup.blogspot.com Happy looking!

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This one is a hoot! This entire site is dedicated to making remarks on celebrity plastic surgery's. They have before and after pictures of just about every "hot"celeb in Hollywood right now. One that I found astonishing is a before and after of Paris Hilton. You've got to see this. I couldn't believe it. She was a dog up until a few years ago. If they didn't say it was her, I wouldn't have recognized the person in the picture. Have a peek:
http://www.awfulplasticsurgery.com/

(p.s. This was a link off the blog listed above, fuggingitup.blogspot)

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This one is for all the die hard Red Sox fans. I found this site and looked into it to see what I could find. The blog is mainly a listing of sports articles about the Red Sox from various newspaper and media materials. I went to one such article written by the great Bob Ryan. It was in reaction to the Sox winning the New York series. Let me be the first to say, GREAT article. Well written and definetly from the perspective of a true sox fan. The site is:

http://soxyankees2004.blogspot.com

And if you're interested in reading Ryan's article click on this post from the above page:

Story is too good for words
Boston.com / Sports / Baseball / Red Sox / Story is too good for words: "NEW YORK -- Every once in a while an Oscar winner gets up there and wings an acceptance speech because 'I never thought I'd win, so I didn't prepare anything.'"
posted by Kevin @ 4:32 PM

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This was a cool little blog that wasn't your typical format. There are comics that I assume the author has drawn with little captions about the cartoons underneath. They are all a little odd from a sense of humor standpoint. However, they do make sense if your not looking too deep for the meaning behind them. The blog is published by a kid who is just talking about day to day issues in his life. Pretty funny, check it out:

http://www.overcompensating.com/

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For all you wierdo's out there, this one you'll love. You know why, because I didn't understand any of it. This guy, Count Olaf, claims to be an actor but all he does is say how great he is and how everyone loves him and if it wasn't for him all movies would be horrible. This guy's a crackpot!!!! If you're not mentally derainged, I wouldn't suggest this one:

http://www.countolaf.com/blog/

Reaction to Classification Essays

2004-10-08T07:26:00.000-07:00

There are two classification essays that are total bullshat. First, there is the one slamming men. Then, there is the one slamming men who like sports. Both are written by pretentious bitches. I am willing to bet that they are both currently single because if they treat their men anywhere near the way that they talk about them, their man would've left them a long, long time ago. Men like sports, sure. Women like to bitch. But that's okay. We, as men, have accepted that fact.......until it gets personal. Most men aren't like the ones that are described in the essays. I'd be amazed if there are truly any significant percentage of men that are even remotely close to the one's described in those essays. That's my ten cents. Ladies: Any Questions????? Didn't think so.

Research Graf

2004-10-08T06:40:00.000-07:00

I guess it would be fair to say that research is happening all around us. When we shop, for most of us anyway, we are researching the best price on something or looking for that one item that we've gathered information about. Everyday I see students using computers to look for thing on the internet. Most of the time, there was some bit of research involved before hand in order to know what it is that they're searching for. As for myself, I am constantly doing research in order to uncover things pertaining to school, work, or my personal life.

Probably the first encounter I had with gathering data, was when I was just an infant learning how to walk. I don't remember learning to walk but I can guess what the process was to go about it. First was a test run of trying to walk where I fell down more than any actually walking. Research was involved in order to see how the one foot goes in front of the other. Then there was observational research which consisted of watching others walk and taking note to what it was that they were doing. Then came the trial and error phase where I tried walking one way, then another, and compared and contrasted to see which way worked best. Of course I probably did this several times. This gathering of info would also be considered research. All the different methods of learning that went into this eventually landed me in the upright position,on both feet, walking around the house. So, as you can see, my involvement with research started before I even knew what research was or better yet, before I could ever say the word "research." The fact is, no matter who you are or even if you believe you've never used it, research has impacted your life in some way or another and I would dare say you use it everyday, whether you realize it or not.

Weekly Post #12

2004-10-06T07:24:00.001-07:00

Almost every day on the way to school I stop and get a couple donuts from Dunkin Donuts. I mainly like the “Dunkin Donuts” because they are plain and are perfect for dipping in milk. Another great feature about them is the way that they’re shaped. Instead of being your typical round donut, they have a small bump protruding off the outer edge which, in turn, forms a little handle that can be held onto while you dip it.

During the first week of school I decided to make a stop before class at Dunkin Donuts for one of these delicious donuts. So I went in and placed my order only to be disappointed. The girl waiting on me told me that they no longer carried the “Dunkin Donut” I had requested. I was shocked. I couldn’t believe that they had abandoned the donut that started it all. How could they possibly continue on in the donut business and expect to be respected? You can’t phase out the donut that you named yourself after. That’s like EMCC closing its doors and moving to Mexico and still calling itself Eastern Maine Community College. It’s just not the way things are done.

Needless to say, the days of me dunking my donut are over for now, unless of course, they smarten up and realize what a mistake this was and decide to bring it back. Until that day I’m suffering by with my “Chocolate Butternuts.” I know that it’s a sad story but please, let’s all try and pull together to put the dunkin back in Dunkin Donuts.

Weekly Post #11

2004-10-04T06:53:00.000-07:00

Tattoos. I love tattoos. I love the art of them, the pain of getting one, the nervousness before you get it done, and the proud feelings you get when it's complete and ready to show off. There's nothing in the world quite like it. There are so many different emotions involved in the process from beginning to the end. The feeling that I get after it's all done and ready to show off is incredible. Especially when you know that it looks good and your dying to show someone.....anyone.

Weekly Post #10

2004-10-04T06:51:00.000-07:00

Presidential Debate

After watching the first of three presidential debates Thursday night, I am excited to see the other two. That’s not something you expect to hear coming from my lips but it’s true. I am really focused on the election of 2004 and feel very strongly about the issues at hand as I’m sure many college students are. As well they should be because the decisions that our current president is making may greatly impact their lives. The war in Iraq is comprised of mainly college-aged men and women. This is one of the reasons that I am so intently focused on the events that are unfolding as they are directly affecting the lives of me and my peers. This situation in Iraq looks all too familiar to that of Vietnam. This is why I’m voting for Kerry as of right now. Unless Bush can pull it together and assure me and the rest of America that we are done in Iraq, then I don’t believe he’ll have a chance at reelection. The debate last night was mainly one sided in my opinion. To me it seemed as though Kerry was giving direct answers about the issues being asked of him while Bush was simply stating that Kerry won’t be a good president because he can’t make up his mind. Bush’s reason for this? Well Kerry, like many Americans, felt that the president was a man we could trust. When the president said that we needed to go to war with Iraq because they were harboring terrorist and had weapons of mass destruction, Kerry, like so many of us, thought that it was the right thing to do because it would make this country and the world a safer place. Well, needless to say, there were no weapons or terrorists, so Kerry changed his view, like so many of us, and opposed the war. Was this unpatriotic? No. It simply means that since we went to war under false pretenses, he now felt that it wasn’t a war we should be fighting. Does that make him an indecisive person and in turn makes him unfit for presidency? Certainly not! What makes a man unfit to be president is lying to your country and using those lies as reasons to go to war and risk losing young American soldiers. All Bush could say when asked about the War was that it’s hard work. It’s hard work. It’s hard work. Try telling a mother who has lost her son in Iraq 2 45 days after the war ended. It’s hard work. Apparently that’s why the men and women are dying over there long since the war has ceased. They’re dying for absolutely no good reason at all. It’s hard work. PLEASE Mr. President! There shouldn’t even be a debate. You should have resigned from your office long ago. It’s time you stop getting rich off the blood of young Americans. Hopefully, one day you’ll be in that cage next to Sadaam. Don’t think for one minute you’re any better than him because you are both one and the same. The only difference is he has the balls to look his people in the eye before he slaughters them.

Comments on Cause Essay

2004-09-29T07:23:00.000-07:00

Now that I've written my cause essay and handed it in, I really have no right to bitch about the way I wrote it because I've had plenty of time to change and edit anything that I may not have liked. But, I also have to be honest with myself and for me to say that I was completely satisfied with the way that my paper turned out would be a lie. I am happy with the meat and potatoes of the essay but the plate that it sits on is what bothers me. I feel like the flow of the paper and the way the details are placed won't feel natural and are going to throw the reader off. I guess I'm just being too hard on myself because Goldfine says it's good to go. I guess I'll just have to let the issue go.

Weekly Post #9

2004-09-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

Folk Festival 2004

After having worked at last year's Folk Festival and not attending it the year before last, I decided that I was going to make it a priority to check it out this year. I know that this is the last time it will be held in Bangor so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Besides that, I may never have a chance to partake in something like this again so it was worth a shot either way.

My girl Ashley and I went down with her mother, who was up from Florida for a week, and a couple of her family friends. We split up when we got down there and Ashley and I went and checked out these four black guys from Louisiana, I believe. They were a singing group that sang everything from reggea to gospel to old school rap to slave songs. Needless to say, it was amazing. I had never heard anything like it. The best part was that it was live which made it ten times better. Not to mention their voices were perfectly in tune with each other.

After that show ended, we headed over to see a group that was a dancing and singing act. The music was European and their dancing was similar to that of "Riverdance." It was a unique show like nothing I've ever seen. The dancing was good and so was the music but it just wasn't my type. After that got over it was time to call it a night so we headed back home. With us were our memories and stories of the 2004 International Folk Festival and it's last year being hosted in Bangor, Maine. It was a good time and I would recommend it to the people that are going to be in the area of the one next year.

I Search Reaction

2004-09-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

I read some of the sample I Searches on Goldfine's homepage. Now I've got to be honest. If I can write to that degree or better and get a good grade, I might as well consider this course a piece of cake. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I'll blow right through this I Search thing, I'm just saying that I'm confident in my abilities to put out a paper that will be just as good, if not better, than most of the one's I read. Not that the samples are bad because all the one's I read were, for the most part, pretty decent (aside from the fact that 90% of them didn't use a spell checker!). I think that this format of writing is a lot more straightforward and easier to handle than that of a research paper. Let me just say this: I'm looking forward to getting moving on this but even more excited to get it finished.

Cause Essay

2004-09-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has grown up in Maine has probably at one time or another, had the yearning to pack up and get the hell out of here. Anytime that I've had a chance to leave the "Pine Tree State" for the lights and sounds of the big city, I've remembered thinking, "This is the life for me." To be part of the big happenings of a city that never sleeps, is something that I've always wanted to do. All you ever hear from the older generations of this state is,"Why would you want to leave? Life here is much better than that of any big city. We don't have to lock our doors, the people here are so nice, and the atmosphere is much more relaxed." While they continue to say that, the younger generations are packing up and hitting the road south because they feel the same way I do.

Now that I've grown older and learned to appreciate the value that money has, I tend to look at things with a financial perspective. When I was younger, I couldn't imagine moving away from the great state that is Maine. As time passes though, I see the economy getting worse and the tax rates going up. The taxes that the Maine workforce pays are staggering compared to most other states in this country. See, Maine is a one season state when it comes to revenue. Most states have a consistent income all year round, whereas this state relies so heavily on it's agriculture and tourism that they forget that the seasons for those are just a few short months. The state brings in probably 75% of it's total annual income in the months of July and August while for the rest of the year the economy dries up. When this happens, you can bet your ass they know just where to get the needed funds. They reached deep into my pocket and deduct more taxes from my paycheck. It makes it hard to want to work in a state where one-third of your paycheck is going to the government without you ever seeing any of it.

On top of the heavy taxes, I feel that the state is driving people away with their job availabilities. The jobs that exist right now are mostly part time jobs. The companies here aren't willing to or can't afford to pay the large expenses the state imposes for full time employees. I was in an Asst. Manager position with a very well known outfit and found myself being paid by the hour because my company couldn't afford the high rates that Maine requires businesses to pay for its salaried people.

Without many full time positions comes the problem of health care. Workers like myself who only receive the basic minimum from their employers, lack the health care packages that companies give to their employees on salary. This state is slowly on it's way to having the highest percentage of people without health insurance in the country. There are very few programs that deal directly with this situation. Back when I didn't have a job, I applied and got Medicare which helped me be able to go to the doctor, but I wasn't covered to go and see a dentist, optometrist or receive any other type of specialized medical treatment.

As I am forced to consider leaving the state I've called home for so long, I can only hope that the situation will one day improve so I can move back and find a job that pays me the money I deserve. But before that can happen, the state needs find a way to decrease the taxes, the unemployment, and the poverty percentage while at the same time, increasing big business, health care coverage, and the amount of people moving into the state wanting good jobs.

Weekly Post #8

2004-09-24T07:43:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased a car stereo for my personal vehicle with some extra money that I had saved. The thing is, I had little knowledge of the workings of a sophisticated, high-end car audio system but had no knowledge of how to install one. So what did I do? I did the only thing that I could think of, research.

A high end car stereo is comprised of a few different components, subwoofers or “subs”, amplifiers or “amps”, a receiver, a power source (usually the car battery), and the speakers which are made up of high, mid and low ranges. Now most speakers you buy for a vehicle will be 3-way speakers, which mean that they contain a high, mid, and low range. But you can also find ones that have just high and mid because for the low range you would use your subwoofers.

Now when it came to installing the stereo, that was something all together different. There were positive and negative wires coming out of everywhere, not to mention the remote turn on, the RCA cables, and the speaker wires. With all these connections to make, I decided that it would be best to look online for some sort of instructions that would help me sort out this mess and give me a solid starting point. It didn’t take me long to find a web site that specialized in that type of thing. The website that I used gave me a list of step-by-step instructions on my particular components.

Following the steps, before I knew it there was nothing else to be done except try it out. So as I sat in the car, put the key in the ignition, and waited, I was praying that I didn’t have any wrong hook ups. As I turned the key, the car started and shortly after, the stereo came on and in full effect. The speakers wailed while the bass pounded. At this point, I knew I had done everything right. So now, if you hear a stereo thumping while it passes you on the road, chances are that it may be me. And if you ever have the urge to go out and get an upgrade for your own factory stereo, just remember, save your money and install it yourself, it’s not as hard as it seems.

Weekly Post #7

2004-09-24T07:42:00.001-07:00

With the elections coming up, I can feel the aggravation of it all starting to get to me. The more signs they put up, the more ads politicians run irritates me because it leaves out the one thing I do care about, the referendums. Not that the person who we elect to office isn’t important but they should run non-biased ads about the referendum issues and their meanings.

Come November, people are gonna go to the poles and vote for that guy with the nice hair or the guy that seemed the nicest on television. And then they get to the referendum questions, which they continue to fill in without knowing the issue on hand. My rule that I’ve used since I was able to vote was this: if I don’t know or understand the issue, leave it blank and let the informed people make the informed decisions. It’s not like they’re gonna take points off it you don’t answer all the questions.

I guess that I wish that the state would make more of an effort to explain the questions that will appear on the ballots. That way we could all have a little knowledge before we enter “the booth.” In a perfect world everyone would vote and know what they were voting on and the truly best guy for the job would be the winner of the election. Not only that, but the people running for office wouldn’t all be filthy rich, but rather, it might be Jim from down the street. But that’s a whole ‘nother discussion and it’s one that I feel very strongly about.

Weekly Post #6

2004-09-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

We’ve been together six months long,
We’ve been together six months strong.
The more I’m with her, the more I miss her,
I can’t comprehend my life without her.

Every single morning, she’s there to greet me,
and again at night before we’re sleeping.
Her body’s warm when it’s next to mine,
and that’s how it is most of the time.

Her laugh and smile, her hands and toes,
these are the things I’ll never let go.
They are forever sketched inside my brain,
that way I have them if we break up again.

To be with my girl is what I want most,
as you can tell by the words of this post.
She has the one thing no one else can get,
she has my heart at its deepest depth.

Weekly Post #5

2004-09-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

I was recently appalled, excited, thankful, and upset over a movie that I went to see. The name? Fahrenheit 9/11. The director, Michael Moore is a favorite of mine for his gripping and truly unique work. He primary focus is on doing documentaries. I, personally, am intrigued by documentaries and their capability to explain something that I may not have any education about.

Michael Moore is arguably the best director in his genre. He has an ability to capture the topic and really feed it to the audience. Although considered controversial because of his tactics for getting his information, you can bet that he’ll go all out in order to get the info he needs so you the viewer can understand all aspects of the issue on hand. This was the case with Fahrenheit 9/11. The documentary was raved about in the press and the critics, the ones who usually hate Moore, loved it. It even took the award for best movie at the Cannes Film Festival, which was the first time a documentary received that award in about fifty years.

While the movie did well in the press and at awards festivals, the movie theaters were selling out on a nightly basis because of this movie. Even with the steep $9.50 price per ticket because of it being an independent film, it continued to sell out a month after it’s release. The talk on the streets brought in people that wouldn’t have paid $9 to see any movie. People would see it once, then come back with family and friends who hadn’t seen it and watch it again.

The movie focuses on the Bush administration. It starts from the events of 9/11 and goes straight through to the War in Iraq. All the while Moore magnifies the actions, mistakes, deception, lies, and stupidity of George W. Needless to say the Bush people were not happy about this one. What was worse is that they couldn’t find anything that was flat out wrong or misleading in the film. They had only one small argument, and it was that Moore had misquoted someone in Washington D.C. which in the end turn out that the person hadn’t been misquoted, but rather, was trying to put a new meaning to his quote once he realized the impact that the film had on the voting public.

Needless to say, Michael Moore has done it again but this time he burned the president while doing it. On top of that, this movie was strategically released this summer, the summer before elections, with the DVD to be released the beginning of October, the month before the presidential elections. All in all, I enjoyed this film and I think most people feel the same with one exception, W. I think it’s fair to say that ‘ole W. won’t be buying the DVD when it comes out.

Weekly Post #4

2004-09-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

Hockey is a sport that has been enjoyed by fans in North America for more than a hundred years. The fact that hockey was invented in Canada probably has a lot to do with the increasing number of Mainers becoming involved in the sport. My personal interest in the game came right around the age of four. This was when I got my first pair of ice skates and started taking skating lessons. Once I could get around on the ice without much difficulty, this is when the hockey fever began.

As my parents started buying more and more equipment, I got involved in more and more aspects of the game. It went from instructional to recreational to competitive. The more caught up in the sport I was, the more fun I had and more competitive I became. Soon I found myself fully immersed in the youth hockey culture. From the tag days to raise money for the local league, to the four a.m. practices, my life was dedicated to hockey.

As the years past, we left our childhood to become teenagers and eventually we were at the high school level where the game had lost most of its fun characteristics and become completely encased in the competition portion. The coaches no longer felt like the friendly parent that would take you out to breakfast after an early morning game, but like the boss that was out to make your life miserable by having unattainable goals and punishing you when they weren’t met. No longer were we supposed to just go out and put the puck in the net, but yet, we were to do it in a specific pattern that felt more like a scientific equation than anything else.

These are probably a few of the reasons that ended up quitting the varsity ice hockey team. That combined with the fact that the coach wouldn’t play me even though he knew I was better than four out of the five players on the ice. Now, as I sit here writing this, I have yet to lace up a skate, tape up my pads, or strap on a helmet since I left the team in the middle of my senior season. I have no regrets about the choice I made to quit but I do regret that there are no places for adults to partake in the sport. Do they think that just because I’ve grown older I don’t still yearn for the good times like I had as a kid when school would be canceled and all of us would spend the day at the rink shooting and passing and dreaming of the NHL? Well if that’s what they think, they’re wrong because even though I’m now twenty three, deep inside I have the heart of an eight year old waiting for the zambonie to get off the ice so I can skate once more.

Weekly Post #3

2004-09-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

Eastern Maine Community College is the school of which I am currently attending. I have only been enrolled for a month but have found that during that time I’ve enjoyed it very much with the exception of a few problems. Those problems being with the financial aid office. The way they go about the financial aspect of your schooling is very difficult to understand.

There are so many different forms and letters that need to be filled out and sent out. I think you must need a master’s in business just to understand what it is you need to do to pay for school. I thought a simple loan with little or no interest that could be paid back upon completion of school was all that one needed to finance their education. Boy, I guess I was wrong.

The problem I had with the whole situation was that when I had a question about my financial aid, it seemed like there were no clear answer and when I did get an answer, I was more confused than when I asked the question. The thing that got me is that every time I would ask a certain individual, whom I will keep anonymous, they would give me the wrong answer or the answer to a question that I hadn’t even asked.

I guess what would make me happy is to see EMCC put together a packet with step-by-step instructions on what to do when applying for financial aid. Something that would lead a new student through the process for the first time. I mean really, is that asking too much? For just a little help to take out some of the guess work? I know I’d appreciate it as would a lot of others that I’ve talked to.

Intro to Five Paragraph (Cause Essay)

2004-09-20T07:27:00.000-07:00

Reactions to sample "Cause" essays

2004-09-20T06:16:00.000-07:00

After reading a few of the cause essays, I'm still slightly baffeled by what the assignment really is. Aside from that, I really enjoyed reading the piece about the girl who wore the chicken suit. The whole thing was very well written and included a lot of details. It's kind of dissapointing to read through the whole thing and find out that she didn't follow her dream of being a dancer. On the other hand, the essay about the Red Sox was one that I could relate to but I truly thought it was a boring piece. I had to force myself to stick with it to the end. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big Sox fan too, but this essay doesn't grab my intrest at all. I think that the author could have left out a lot of stuff and still got the same point across.

Person Graf (3 Paragraph)

2004-09-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

When we first started working together, I thought, "Why is this girl being such a smart-ass towards me?" She had what I thought to be an attitude and always had some kind of sarcastic response to everything I said. It wasn't until much later I realized that she was trying to get me to notice her. Whether I realized it or not, this was her way of letting me know that she had feelings for me.

Like I said, she and I worked together at a local restaurant. I was her supervisor and she was my server. Like I said, when we first started to work together, I totally thought she was the biggest bitch on this planet. Up until then, I never realized that the way some people show their interest in another is to get their attention no matter what the method is. In this case, she would always crack little jokes about me or criticize something I was doing. The first few times, I just kind of laughed it off or ignored it but it got to the point at which everytime she did these things it brought my blood to a boiling point.

One day I had forgotten to get my schedule so I called the restaurant to find out when I worked. Little did I know there was a surprise in store for me. Who should answer the phone but her. When I asked for the schedule she was more than happy to get it for me and when she came back to the phone with it, she had a very friendly attitude which I thought was kind of weird. After giving me my hours, she politely asked, "Can I ask you something?" I, being a pretty open person said, "Sure," without giving it a second thought. She said, "You know how I'm in a sorority? Well, we're having a 'formal' dance and I was wondering if you'd want to go with me?" Again, without giving it a second thought, I said, "Sure, why not?" Little did I know, that at the other end of the phone her heart was racing and she was extremely nervous about this conversation. The combination of her nervous question and my saying yes led to what I think is the best relationship that I've been in. The whole relationship was a result of that one phone call because I got laid off from that job about a week or so later. That was probably the least thought out decision with the most reward that I have ever made. Each day I wake up next to Ashley, I think how lucky I am that she was so persistent in pursuing me.

Thing Graf

2004-09-15T07:18:00.000-07:00

My thing is tangible and likes to be touched. My thing speaks a different language, but that doesn't mean we don't understand each other. My thing is always there to greet me when I get home after a long day. My thing always shows it's love for me even when I don't do the same. My thing will never argue with me, but instead love me even when I may not be right. I don't know what I would do without this thing. My thing is my dog and my dog is my life, just as I am it's. We go together better than peanut butter and jelly. As we get older together, I continue to teach her tricks while each day she shows me something new about my life and this world we live in.

Weekly Post#2

2004-09-13T06:12:00.000-07:00

As you may or may not know, the state of Maine has a system in place to protect employer’s interests when they go to lay off or fire an employee. Maine as a whole is considered an at will state. Now what this means is simply this: when an employee is hired into a company or business in this state, they are there basically under their own free will. There is no contract, unwritten or otherwise, between the employee and the employer. At any time, for whatever cause, if a company decides it no longer needs the employee, they can simply terminate them for no reason whatsoever.

As brutal as this sound’s, there is one basic guideline the company should be in check with when they part ways with a worker. They cannot dismiss someone based on color, prejudice, ethnicity, sex or anything else that can be considered discrimination. Now, is there any way to prove discrimination? Usually not, because in most cases it’s just circumstantial evidence which doesn’t really hold up in court. Most employers will have one or two explanations to fall back on if the reasons around the termination are shady. This way, if a lawsuit is brought against them, they can deny the real reason for sacking the person and say, for example, “Sally wasn’t using the right size bag in the trash can.”

This is why the state of Maine needs to look at the laws surrounding this issue. The workers of this state need more protection in this area to ensure their job security. The politicians need to introduce some sort of legislature and try and get it passed before anyone will sense an improvement on this subject.

Weekly Post #1

2004-09-10T07:42:00.000-07:00

The Blue Hill Fair

Last week when Ashley asked me to go to the fair in Blue Hill, I was skeptical, to say the least. I had heard of it but never actually attended. If you live in Maine, like myself, there's no way you could not have heard of the Blue Hill Fair. It has quite a long history in the state, similar to that of the Bangor State Fair.

I figured that in order to consider myself a true Mainer, I must attend this event. Since Ashley was dying to see Colin Raye, the musician, we decided to go on the night he was performing, which in fact, was the last night of the fair. Now, if you've never heard of this guy, don't feel bad because up until that point, I'd never heard of him before either.

On our way we made good time going down Rt. 1A to Ellsworth. As we got closer, the traffic began to accumulate. By the time we got within four miles of the fair grounds, all vehicles were at a stand still. I checked the time, 4:30. As we sat there it got closer and closer to the starting time of the concert, six o'clock. Our vehicle was basically parked aside from the few feet we crept every now and again. We'd see people walking that would come from way, way back and they'd keep getting closer and closer until finally they'd pass us and get further and further away till we couldn't see them anymore. While we sat, we assumed that they were at the concert having a great time enjoying the music while we were still sucking exhaust fumes.

The nearer we got to the fair grounds, the louder the music got until we could hear the music pretty good. By that time, we had finally reached the parking area and luckily found a decent spot which was fairly close to the gates. We paid our admission, got some snacks and proceeded to the stage. Packed in amongst a gigantic crowd, Ashley and I hugged each other while listening to an amazing set. The music was inspirational and the sunset was gorgeous.

To say I didn't enjoy myself because I don't like country music would be a lie because, in fact, I had a great time. Even though we only made it in time to see four songs, it was well worth it. Although it was a little brisk, I never felt a chill. The people there were great and I hope to see Colin Raye again soon in the near future.

Unique Graf

2004-09-08T07:24:00.000-07:00

As a student, I am a 23 year-old freshman at a local college. As a boyfriend, I am caring and understanding towards my loving blonde beauty. As a son, I am the the star of my parents eye and when needed, the helping hand 'round the house. All these things add up to the person I've become. They may not necessarily describe the person I was or will be, but it does describe myself at the present time.

I am an athlete that loves playing all sports but hockey is by far my favorite. Because of this, I have worn ice skates all my life and my feet are unique to any others because they have become slimly shaped due to wearing the tight skates all those winters. The small scar on the curve of my chin comes from the sport as well. All the times I had my head smashed and my helmet came up and caught my chin, a scar has been left there to remind me of it.

Another thing that separates me from the crowd is my hearing or lack there of. When I was real young, maybe three or four, it was discovered by some preschool teachers that I was equipped with a hearing loss. I was prescribed hearing aids which I wore religiously throughout my childhood. As I got older though, I discovered that the aids weren't the look I was going for so I ditched them just before high school. My hearing has never improved to this day but at the same time, I've learned to manage without them. Aside from hearing aids, my ability to function normally despite my hearing loss also makes me unique to everyone else.

As you can see, I may be normal or far from it, but that's for you to decide. As for me, I know that my make up, genetic or otherwise, makes me a very unique individual. And for this I thank my parents for the gene's and upbringing to make me different from the rest of the world.

Inventory Graf

2004-09-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

Here's an inventory of stuff on my junk table:

-four issues of Maxim magazine from 2002 (and I still haven't read them)

-XBox game "Sands of Time"

-three pair of sunglasses

-an empty bowl and spoon with a little dried milk on the bottom

-a glass with $15.37 in loose change

-bottle of Perry Ellis America cologne

-one book: "Machine Tool Principles"

-an air hammer, drill, and impact wrench with various accessories

-student I.D., driver's license, and 800 minute calling card

-two fifty dollar bills

-two pkgs. of scooby doo fruit snacks

-1/2 bag of Lay's Baked potato chips

-unopened pkg. of 18 gauge 1" nails for air nailer

-set of keys with car key, house key, and remote car starter

-a section of the Bangor Daily News from August 27th, 2004, opened to the classifieds with various yard sales circled

-3 pieces of Wrigley's Big Red gum

-plastic bag with filled with corks from wine bottles

-two brand new #2 pencils and one Bic "soft feel" pen

-five scraps of paper that have on them phone numbers with no names and work schedules with no dates

-Craftsman tool catalog

One could say many things about the person who belongs to these items. For starters, they are probably a do-it-yourself type handyman judging by the tool catalog and assorted tools. This person is a student who drives to school shown by the textbook, student ID, and pens/pencils. We know that he drives to school by the license and car keys. This guy probably looks good doing it too with the shades, cologne, and gum. These things probably make him popular with others due to the phone numbers and calling card. When he's not in school, he is probably working as a bartender because of the used corks and work schedule. Although he works, he does save his money and spare change in order to hunt down good buys later on at yard sales. Apparently this person is thrifty, smart, employed, popular, and an all around great guy(ha ha!).

A Reaction To Another's Blog

2004-09-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

As part of a recent assignment for my English Comp class, I was asked to go and find a blog, read it, and post a reaction. In doing so, I found an amazing blog that I hope you all will check out. The author of the blog goes by Prison Pete and his page is at prisonpete.blogspot.com Here is an excerpt from his page:

Saturday, September 04, 2004
Commissary Day. It is now 8:30 PM on Wednesday.There was a fight in the Rec yard between two inmates, and so at 5:30 PM we were all sent back to the cells. We have not been locked in the cells, but there is not much to do.I was yearning for something sweet. Tomorrow is Commissary Day, and although last week I bought ten Hershey bars and four Honey Buns, I ate them all in five days. And I am stuck in the damn unit with nothing to munch on. So the last two days have been sweet-less! Well, this is prison.The enclosed typed two page letter took me the better part of two hours to complete. Is that slow or fast? Doesn't really matter which, since it is what it is. I had hoped to edit the pages and send out you a clean copy. I thought that what I would do is type some rough draft during the day, print it out before 3:00 PM, take it to the unit during the 4:30 PM count for proofing, go back to Rec at 5:00 PM and make corrections, and then type a good copy. Well, that plan failed immediately, so then the letter was delayed a day, and who knows what tomorrow will bring. Well, I will edit the enclosed letter and send you a cleaned up copy so you can see the difference.Actually, I will probably end up standing an hour waiting in line at commissary. It is post week when the inmate pay is posted for the month. Most guys blow the whole load in one week.

I couldn't help but to be intrigued by this blog. Not just this excerpt, but the entire blog. There are a lot of posts because the author, Prison Pete, has been incarcerated for some time. I'm not sure exactly how long he's been in prison, but judging by the amount of entry's, it's been at least a couple years. As I was exploring his blog, I learned quite a bit about Pete just from his writing. Here he sits in a Federal penitentiary, with the internet as his only means of contact with the outside world. He uses his blog to tell story's about his day to day activities as well as convey his feelings about a life very few of us, if any, have ever experienced. I did, however, find one thing peculiar about his site. He won't tell the readers the truth as to what he did(or didn't do) to end up in prison to begin with. Anyway, I was transfixed on this blog the instant I stumbled onto it and you can bet that I'll be going back to read the entire thing. I hope one of you will choose to do the same and let me know what you thought of it.

Course Reaction

2004-09-03T07:32:00.000-07:00

Eng 101. When the fall class schedule came out in July, I was anxious to see what courses I was talking and the times that corresponded to them. As I browsed through my list, I came to a particular class, Eng 101. I continued to read and found that it started at 10 AM. Great, I thought, my first class of the day and it's english. What a horrible way to start the day.
At this point, I'm thinking I'll probably get stuck with the oldest teacher that EMCC has to offer. She'll be mean and strict and give massive amounts of homework. I'll dread every day of class because she'll babble on and on about things I don't understand. Well, that was what I thought in July. Then came September.

Being my first day on campus, I should have known that my first class would be the hardest to locate. As I searched and searched, I finally came to a room on the zero floor of a dormatory(quite possibly, the only room on the zero floor). Apparently, this was my class: hard to find and tucked away in the basement.

All my feelings of despair and axiety dissolved once I stepped foot into the classroom only to discover the teacher was a he, not a she. I was immediately greeted by a radiant smile and warm welcome. Right then and there I could sense that Mr. Goldfine wasn't like the english teachers of my past, mainly, because he was a male. But more than that, I could tell by the end of our first session that he was going to be the type of teacher I'd always hoped I'd have in high school, one that doesn't get caught up in the mechanics of the course, but rather, focuses on letting me be creative with my work. I immediately took a liking to the format we would be using which was doing all of our writing by computer and posting it online for others to enjoy.

I guess my expectations of a compositon class were less than enthusiastic. Since middle school I've always thought that writing would always be dull and uninteresting, at least as a student. Even in high school the writing was always about something that I could have taken a nap to. I'm certainly glad that my eyes have been opened to the idea that writing on a specific topic or even an open topic piece can be creative and interesting. I guess one could say that I'm looking forward to the rest of the semester and the many assignments ahead.

Worst Teacher

2004-09-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

I've probably been asked this question at least once every fall when school starts; "So, do you like any of your teachers?" The reply is usually a quick response in a less than enthusiastic tone, "No."
"Well, there must be one teacher that sticks out more so than the others."
"Actually, come to think of it, there is. And let's just say it's not because of her overwhelming kindness and charm."
Since it was only the first week of school, I could only judge what my teachers were going to be like based on the first impressions. Now don't get me wrong, I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but come on, when the teacher straight up tells you she's going to make your life hell for the next five months, you can't tell me she's gonna be passing out cookies and gold stars the next day of class. This, unfortunately, was the way I came to know my worst teacher.
Not only did she want to destroy my life as I knew it with long hours of studying and unimaginable amounts of homework, she wasn't afraid to make good on her threats.
The more time I spent in her class, the more I despised her, her work, and her little dog too. Everything about this teacher, if you want to call her that(I prefer witch), either annoyed, bothered, or upset me. Just sitting in class, having to listen to her high-pitched whine, drove me to the edge. I think she sensed my irritation with her because during class she always seemed to volunteer me to answer her ridiculous questions and read her out-dated books in front of the class. To this day I still can't understand why she wanted me to do things in front of the class when I never once raised my hand in the first place. On top of that, I can't understand why she sent me to the principals office for putting a stink bomb in her coat pocket, it's not like it smelled any worse than the four gallons of cheap, old lady perfume she wore to cover up the smell of cigarettes.
That's a semester I'll never forget because of that hag. She worked me so hard, I spent most of summer vacation trying to catch up on the sleep I missed due to all the late night cramming. I don't regret taking that class, I just regret the teacher and the D that I got out of it. If there is one thing I took away from the whole experience it was this: If you ever get stuck with Ms. Hatcher, run like hell and don't look back!

Is it hands up or down?

2004-08-31T16:20:00.000-07:00

My hands are one thing that makes me different from the kid beside me. They tell the story of where I've been and what I've done. They have pushed, pulled, grabbed , pinched, caught, and yes, even picked, but let's keep that one a secret. No matter what, they will always be at my side, assuming that machine shop goes as planned. From the cuticles to the knuckles, from the nails to the wrist, these hands are far from perfect but you can be sure of one thing: they are MINE! And that's why I love them. And maybe someday, somewhere, somebody else will see how special they are and love them too.