The End is Near

The semester is coming to an end and it seemed like just yesterday that we were moving in. This semester flew by and there were a lot of new memories made. Classes went well this semester and I'm looking forward to next semester. Blogging was difficult for me this semester though. I could never seem to find things to write about early in the semester and found myself falling behind. I came to realize there were no rules or regulations on blogging. I began to blog about anything and everything and overall I am pretty satisfied with the result. I enjoyed this unique teaching method. I sure beat writing a paper. I hope you enjoy me blog!

Pablo Francisco

As you may be able to tell I am a big stand-up comedy fan. I have watched several performers over the last couple of years, and tried to incorporate my favorites into my blog. Here is another one of my favorite comedians. His name is Pablo Francisco and he is known for doing several impersonations and voices. In the video above he does a whole movie trailer using several voices.

Jeff Dunham

Jeff Dunham is a ventriloquist and a comedian. He is hilarious and amazing at what he does. He barely moves his lips and really brings his characters to life. He makes all of his characters relatable. In the movie above he uses a character named Walter. Walter is your typical elderly person in a bad mood. He uses several characters throughout his show. He came to Rochester this summer and I was planning on going to his show, but was late in getting my tickets.

Black Friday

Black Friday is a joke! I will never participate no matter how good the deals are. First off I hate waking up early and secondly I hate shopping. If your one of those people who go out shopping on Black Friday your crazy. This year several people got injured and one man even died, due to these crazy shoppers's stupidity. I would rather just pay the extra money and sleep in. I know several people who participate in Black Friday and I love to make fun of them.

Today’s Toys

What has happened to all the toys that use to be popular when I was young? I was watching TV the other day and saw a commercial for a digital camera for younger kids that could go under water. I also saw a toy where you can draw pictures on a screen and then press a button to print the drawing. When I was little we had to make up our own games. The local neighborhood kids would always get together and play games like hide-and-go-seek and ghosts in the graveyard. The kids today tend to stay inside and play video games. That might be one reason why obesity among younger people had become a problem. The toys that were popular when I was younger no longer appeal to kids. I remember when yoyos where a big deal at school. If you didn't have a yoyo, you weren't cool. I knew how to do several tricks and I thought yoyos were the coolest toy on earth. Another toy that has seemed to disappear is beanie babies. I collected beanie babies for several years and I have around 50 of them. Now they are not popular and I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the 50 beanie babies I have. The new technology put into toys today is unbelievable.

Ear Problems

I have always had ear problems ever since I was a youngster. As far as I can remember I have been getting ear infections constantly. I practically lived in the pediatric care when I was little and got to know the doctors and nurses pretty well. The doctors had to change my antibiotics several times because my body became immune to some of them. At the age of four I had my first ear surgery. I had tubes put in both ears and as a four year old it was the worst experience ever. I had to wear earplugs in the shower and in water. My family went to the local pool and lakes constantly and it was embarrassing having to wear ear plugs. After a year of so the tubes were gone, but not for long. When I was seven the doctors decided I needed tubes put back in my ears. So once again I had tubes put in both ears but this time they were permanent until the doctor decided to take them out. I had them in my ears for about a year in a half when the doctor decided to take them out. The doctor used a tool and reached in my ear and ripped them out. Taking them our hurt more than putting them in, and when the doctor took them out it made a loud ripping noise in my ear. I thought I was finally done having ear problems and surgeries, but once again I was wrong. When I was eleven years old, the doctor realized that something more than tubes had to be done. So he ordered me to have another surgery where they would take my adenoids out and put tubes back in my ears. This surgery was the most painful of the three because I couldn't swallow for about a week. Over the next couple years I had follow up checkups and the doctor always told me things were looking good, until I was fourteen years old. The doctor informed my mom and me that my eardrum had experienced some damage and that it needed to be reconstructed. I would need about a week to recover so my mom had the brilliant idea of scheduling it during spring break. After the doctor described the surgery I was pretty nervous. After waking up from surgery I was in immense pain. I just remember the nurse asking me, "On a scale of 1to 10 how bad is the pain." I replied to her 8 and they gave me more pain killers. I haven't had an ear surgery since that one, and I believe my hearing has improved.

Computer Science 103

I just finished my last computer science 103 homework for the semester. Although the homework and class took a lot of time and work, I learned a lot. I now know many things about Microsoft office 2007. I would recommend this class to others. As long as you stay on top of your work you will do fine. This class has also helped me in my other classes. I have learned many techniques to format my works in word, PowerPoint, excel, and access. I have used some of these techniques in creating my blog. I am very glad I took computer science 103, but I am also glad it is almost over.

Christmas Decorations

Christmas decorations at my house get a little crazy. My mom is an interior designer and tends to go a little overboard with the Christmas decorations. She has a collection of over 100 miniature Santa's. We also put up three trees though out our house. When company comes over they are amazed at the decorations in our house. It's nice to go home to a well decorated house, it just puts me right in the Christmas mood.

New IPhone

I recently got a new phone, because my old one was a piece of crap. I couldn't hear out of it and when I talked the recipient couldn't hear me and it was really fuzzy. I have had bad luck with the last two phones I have got. The first one I couldn't hear the caller and the text messages never seemed to work. Then my second one got dropped a couple of times which messed up the speaker. I couldn't hear and neither could the recipients of my calls. I went into the phone store and was browsing the different phones, and decided to go with the Iphone. So far I really enjoy it and it has all the bells and whistles a phone can have. It is amazing how far cell phones have come in the last couple of years. I remember when cell phones first came out and they were practically portable house phones. Cell phones have gotten a lot smaller and the technology on them is unbelievable. I hope my luck has changed and this phone can last me for many years to come.

Christmas Break

Christmas break cannot get here soon enough. This semester has been pretty stressful and a three week break is much needed. My finals end on Wednesday the 17^th and I'm planning on heading home that day. Over break I am planning on working at Panera and earning a little extra cash. I am also planning on hanging out with my family, friends, and skiing. For Christmas my family always goes to Wisconsin to visit my aunt, uncle, and cousins. The Christmas season always puts me in a good mood and once break begins it will be the icing on the cake. The countdown has begun until I will be going home, sipping hot chocolate, and listening to Christmas music.

Baseball

Baseball has been a large part of my life ever since I could remember. I have traveled all around the Midwest to play in tournaments. One of the most memorable tournaments was one in Omaha Nebraska. We were thirteen years old, and it's one of the nation's largest little league tournaments. We lost our first four games and we weren't playing very well. On the last day of the tournament we played a team from Colorado who was suppose to be really good. Before the game the coach informed me that I was going to be the starting pitcher. The opponent got a few hits in the first inning but after that I held them hitless. It was one of the most fun games I've ever played in. I received a lot of praise from my coaches and fellow teammates.

I continued my baseball career into high school. In the past few years our baseball program has been one of the best in the State. When I was a junior we had the opportunity to go to the state tournament. This was our schools first time ever making it to the state baseball tournament. We attended a banquet where they had notable baseball players' talk. We ended up losing our first game and winning the other four. We took fifth place in the state tournament. I will never forget the memories of playing with all my friends, hanging out in the hotel, and the success we achieved.

Dexter

Dexter is a showtime series about a forensic worker who lives a secret life as a murderer. He doesn't just murder people for fun but rather he murders people who have killed others. He hunts his victims and takes their lives. He was taught how to cover his tracts by his foster father, who was a police officer. Dexter had a close relationship with his foster father and learned many things from him. Dexter is hunting an "ice truck killer" but can't seem to find a lead on him. The ice truck killer has killed several victims and knows Dexter is trying to find him. The ice truck killer breaks into Dexter's house and gets a better understanding of who he is by observing his stuff. He taunts Dexter by killing people and leaving his victim's bodies in locations he saw in Dexter's photo album. Dexter doesn't see the ice truck killer as a threat but rather he feels they are playing a game with one another. This is a very interesting and intense series.

Treasure Island Casino

Although Rochester is a pretty big city there always seems to be nothing to do. One activity my friends and I enjoy is going to the casino. The gambling age in Minnesota is 18, which is unique because in most states it is 21. Usually we win a little or lose a little, until this one day my friend and I went. We got there at around 7 o'clock and it was a school night. We were only planning on staying there for an hour or so. The night started off slow and both of us were losing money. After about an hour of so we were down to our last little bit of money and were getting ready to leave. We stopped at the Roulette machine and put in the last of our money. The first couple of spins we didn't win anything, but our luck changed. All of a sudden our numbers started to hit and we were raking in the money. We ended up leaving the Roulette machine both up more than three hundred dollars. Then we sat down at the black jack table and played a couple of hands. Usually I'm not very lucky at black jack and always seem to lose but tonight was different. The first five hands I played I won them all. After losing the next couple of hands I decided I had enough. I ended up winning four hundred and thirty dollars that night. We didn't get home until around 2:30 in the morning and we had school the next day at 7:40. Our parents weren't too thrilled about our late night. That was the most I have ever won at the casino.

Worse Job Ever!

McDonalds has to be one of the worst places to work. I started working there when I was fifteen years old, and I HATED IT! I got paid minimum wage which was $5.25 at the time I started. The first day of work I was the "fry boy." I stood there putting baskets of fries in oil which would splash and burn my arms. To top it off the fry station felt like a desert. I could have sworn it was about 120 degrees. I went home after my first day smelling like a French fry, all sweaty, and with a bunch of burns on my arm. A few days later I went back to work and luckily I got to do the registers. After learning where all the buttons were on the registers it wasn't so bad, except the fact that every customer that walked in the door you had to greet them by yelling, "welcome to McDonalds." After working there for a few months I knew how to do everything from drive through, to making the food. Every day after work I would go home smelling like a cheeseburger. It was stressful work with customers yelling at me, and managers yelling at me. Work just wasn't fun and the pay was horrible. After working there for almost a year I decided it was time to find a new job. I began applying at several different places. I got an interview at Panera a few days later. The day before my interview my manager at McDonalds called me into her office. She sat me down and asked if I was interested in becoming a manager. I replied that I had to think about it. After my interview with Panera I was granted the job and decided I would rather work there than McDonalds. So the next time I worked at McDonalds I put in my two weeks' notice, which didn't impress my managers too much. I still believe that McDonalds is the worse job in the world.

Skiing

Now that the winter season is here I am looking forward to doing one of my favorite activities, skiing. I have been downhill skiing for about four years now, and I have finally got the hang of it. Over winter break my friends and I get a month long pass at the local ski hill, Welch Village. Almost every day over break we wake up early and go skiing for the day.

I haven't always enjoyed skiing though. The first time I went I was a sophomore in high school. We drove up to the ski lodge and all I could see was steep hills, with skiers flying down them. I began to feel nervous and wasn't sure if I really wanted to go skiing anymore. My friends convinced me, and I rented my equipment. I put my skis on right before the ski lift and didn't realize how hard it was to move. I used my poles to push myself toward the ski lift, but ended up falling and caused the ski lift operator to stop the lift. I got back on my feet and took a seat on the ski lift. After a short ride up the hill it was time to get off. I boosted myself out of the ski lift and once again I fell, and caused the ski lift operator to stop the ski lift. My friends taught me the proper techniques to stop, weave, and keep my balance. After practicing on the smaller hills for a while I thought I was ready for a little bigger hill. So we rode up on the ski lift to the more difficult hills. We started skiing down the hill but somehow veered off to the wrong path and ended up going down the most difficult hill. Well actually I didn't really ski down the hill but rather fell down the hill. After my first ski trip I was sore for several days, and wasn't sure if skiing was for me. A few days later my friend asked me if I wanted to go skiing again and I agreed. This time things went more smoothly and I found a new hobby.

Rodney Carrington

Rodney Carrington is one of my favorite comics. He's not only a comic but a musician and has toured all over the US. He also had his own TV show for a while called Rodney. Earlier on in the school year I had a chance to head home and go to a Rodney Carrington concert. The tickets were a little spendy at fifty dollars apiece but it was well worth the price. The concert was held at Treasure Island Resort and Casino which is located in Red Wing MN, about forty five minutes away from Rochester. We got to the concert early and found our seats. We watched the people as they began to fill the auditorium. There were a ton of really intoxicated people and a lot of "rednecks." Rodney put on a great concert and sang some of his well known songs such as chicken song, put your clothes back on, and son of a rap star. I had bought his DVD before going to his show, and thought the show and DVD would be very similar. I was surprised when most of his material was new material. He incorporated many new stories and songs but also performed the old favorites. Getting to see Rodney Carrington in person is an experience I will never forget.

Minnesota Gophers Hockey Game

Over Thanksgiving break I had the opportunity to go to my first college hockey game, which was the Minnesota Gophers against Denver. I went the University of Minnesota to visit a high school friend, and we ended up getting tickets to the hockey game. I walked into the arena and was amazed at how big of an arena it was for a college hockey team. People began to pour into the arena and the game ended up being sold out. Hockey is my favorite sport to watch, and I was excited to finally watch the Gophers play. They took the ice for the first period and the crowd erupted in cheers. From the beginning of the game to the end of the game the crowd was relentless. They had a variety of cheers for every situation. They sang songs, taunted the other team, yelled and screamed; it was a great environment for a sporting event. Minnesota played a great game and won by the score of 4-0. The player of the game was the goalie, Alex Kangas, who happens to be from my home town of Rochester Minnesota. I'm planning on going to a few more hockey games over Christmas break.

Here’s Your Sign

I found this photo of a hilarious sign located in New Mexico. I suppose the local church wasn't a big fan of the adult video store, so they retaliated. People will think twice before going into that store. I think we need to put up more signs like this around the US.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving! What a great holiday. Not having to worry about getting gifts for anyone and all you do is eat, eat, and eat. The food is amazing. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, pie, ect. It makes me hungry just thinking about it. My family and I spent this Thanksgiving at my aunt and uncles house which is about half an hour away from where I live. I was thankful I could spend the holiday with my family. There were many things I was thankful for this thanksgiving including; family, friend, not having school for a week, food, shelter, and many other things. I can't wait until the next Thanksgiving!

Why Iowa State?

I have often been asked why I chose to attend Iowa State University. People don't understand why Minnesotans go to Iowa schools because we don't have reciprocity with Iowa. When I first began looking at schools I focused my search in Minnesota and Wisconsin. I visited several schools and it was a difficult decision to decide which schools to apply to. I began applying for schools including University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin La Crosse, St. Cloud State, and University of Minnesota Duluth. It wasn't until viewing the Iowa State University commercials on TV that I considered going to ISU. I figured I had nothing to lose and I might as well visit. I really enjoyed the campus but the price of schooling was a problem. For an out of state student the tuition ended up being around $26,000 a year. I emailed the financial aid office and learned that Iowa State grants several scholarships to out of state students for academic excellence. I applied for admissions into ISU and also received several scholarships. Now I had to make a decision. I got into all the schools I applied for and I narrowed my choices down to three. It was between University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Wisconsin La Crosse, and Iowa State University. After pondering it for many days I decided Iowa State gave me the most opportunities. I don't regret my decision at all and love it here at Iowa State.

Funny News Clip

While doing my annotated bibliography I focused my research on documentaries and blogging. While doing my search I found many articles on how politics, blogging, and audiences affect the media. Most of them argued that the information presented in today's media is one-sided. It is meant to be appealing to a specific audience. I found this statement to be true, and after searching some news stories on YouTube. I found that most news stories are emotionally appealing or related to current affairs such as the election.

I finally found a news story that I found to be hilarious. It takes place at a local fair and the broadcaster interviews a young boy. The clip above explains it all. The broadcaster is astonished by the boys answer to her question. This news story was appealing to me because it isn't your typical "politically correct" story.

Dorm Life vs. Apartment Life

I am now a sophomore at Iowa State and have had a chance to experience both the dorm life and the apartment life. I spent my freshman year living in Lyon Hall which is a dorm in Richardson Court. Move in day was horrible. It felt as if it was about 120 degrees out and there were hundreds of students moving in. I finally had the chance to unpack all my stuff and got settled in. I didn't know any one going to Iowa State and the first couple of hours were nerve-racking. I walked around and met all the other students on my floor. I realized that everyone was in the same situation as I was. After getting to know my fellow floor mates for a few days we became friends and the tension began to ease. By the end of the year we were a very close friends and I met some friends for a lifetime.

I now live in an apartment with four other guys. Move in day was a lot less stressful, and the nervous feeling of going to college wasn't there. Instead there was a sense of excitement to reunite with all my friends. The apartment life wasn't stress free though. We had to furnish our apartment, so I bought a bed and other furnishings for my room. I had worked all summer to save my money for a new car, and it seemed to disappear after buying a bed and paying for rent. We also realized there were many more responsibilities in owning an apartment including chores, food, and living quarters.

Although there are many more responsibilities that go along with owning an apartment there are also many more freedoms. There aren't any CA's to monitor the students. When comparing the dorm life to the apartment life, I feel that every student should experience the dorms for at least one year. It is a lot easier to meet people and get involved in activities around campus. Once you have adapted to the college life, I feel that living in an apartment or house is a great option. It gives students more privacy and freedom .

Trip Back From Ames After Thanksgiving Break

The drive back to Ames from Thanksgiving Break is one that I will never forget. I woke up around 9:30, packed my bags, and was planning on being on the road by 11 o'clock. The weather in my home town of Rochester was horrible and it had been snowing throughout the night and into the morning. My mom suggested I wait until the snow passed over and then leave. After a few hours the snow seized and I was on the road around 2:30. The roads were plowed and the trip was going smoothly until about thirty miles into my trip. Then the snow began to pick up and it was difficult to see the road. As I continued the weather conditions worsened. The wind began to pick up and the roads became slippery. Every ten to twenty miles there were a few cars in the ditch, and there were several accidents along the way. The traffic eventually slowed down and for most of the trip I was traveling around 45 miles per hour. I was about thirty miles away from Ames and looking forward to finally getting back to my apartment when the traffic came to a halt. It took about ten minutes to travel a mile, and the driving conditions kept getting worse. At one point the car in front of me slammed on his brakes, and I began to break when my car began to slide on the ice. I stopped right before hitting the car in front of me and nearly went into the ditch. I finally made it back to Ames safely. The trip that usually takes around two and a half hours ended up taking me four in a half hours. It is a drive back that I will never forget.

New Car

I have never had my own car, so this summer I decided to work two jobs to try to save up for a new car. I was working around 60 hours a week at both Panera and Sam's Club. After saving the entire summer I thought I finally had enough money for a car, but then realized I had to pay rent, and buy a bed. These expenses crushed my savings, and a car was out of the picture. A few weeks ago my mom called me and informed me that they were going to get me a car. My dad began to email me pictures of possible cars, all of which looked very nice. After a few days I got a call from my parents telling me they bought me a car, and that they emailed me a picture of it. Excited, I instantly went to my email and opened the picture. I was surprised when I opened it up and found a picture of a 1995 Lincoln town car. If you've never seen one just imagine a car that your grandparents would drive. A little disappointed at first, I realized a car is a car, and as long as it can get me from point A to point B it will work.

Today I had to go get a parking spot at my apartment complex. I needed the license plate number so I emailed my mom to find out what it was. She replied and in her email asked if I needed to know the make, model, year, and color. I wasn't sure so I emailed her back telling her I did. I received an email shortly after that stating, "It was supposed to be a surprise but we got you a maroon 2001 Oldsmobile Alero." Relieved and thrilled I can't wait to go home and pick it up. All this time I thought I was going to be that guy driving a grandma car.

Winter Weather = Cold Season

The cold weather has set in and typically I look forward to the snow and cooler weather, but this year has been different. After the cooler weather came so did my cold. Over the last few weeks I've been fighting a cold, and I can't seem to get over it. I've tried everything from cough drops, to cough syrups, but nothing seems to help. At the beginning of this week I thought I was finally going to get over it, but mid-week it became worse. My throat begun to hurt and I became really congested. To top it off I got an ear infection. Now that the week is winding down I look forward to heading home and relaxing for a week. Hopefully a little time off from the stressful life of being a college student will be the cure.

A “Wild” Wild Game

The Minnesota Wild is Minnesota's NHL hockey team. I got the opportunity to go to one of their games, when I was in seventh grade. My good friend Brian had got tickets for his birthday, and invited me and another friend. The wild were playing the Pittsburg Penguins that night. I got to watch one of my favorite hockey players, Mario Lemieux, who played for the Penguins. The game took place at the Excel Energy Center which was the new hockey arena in Minnesota.

There was a sold out crown, and it was an exciting, intense environment. After the 1^st period we went and got some food. We all ordered pizzas and returned to our seats. Soon after returning, a man approached and told us that we were selected Red Baron Pizza fans of the game. He gave us coupons for free pizzas and explained to us that after the second period we were going to be on the jumbotron, holding up Red Baron Pizza boxes. We were shocked and soon enough the 2^nd period was over. The camera man approached us, so we stood up and started cheering. I looked up and there we were on the jumbotron in front of thousands of people. It was a story we told all our friends the next day at school. When I arrived home around midnight I noticed our car was gone. I walked inside and my whole family was still up sitting on the couch. I asked them where the car was and they informed me that it had started on fire. I was shocked. Luckily no one was injured during the fire. It was a night I will never forget.

Scott Hansen – The Minnesotan Comedian

Don't Be Offended!

I have always enjoyed watching standup comedy, and I hate it when people are offended by it. Freedom of speech is a right for all Americans. The video is of a Minnesotan comedian by the name of Scott Hansen. He is a very well known comedian and has toured with Louie Anderson. I had the pleasure to go to one of his shows live when he came to Rochester. I had not heard of him before until my brother went to college, at the University of Minnesota Duluth. My brother had three other roommates, one of them being Andy Hansen, who is Scott Hansen's son. My brother went through almost the whole year not knowing that Andy's dad was a well known comedian. Andy asked my brother one day if he would like to go to one of his dad's shows. My brother agreed and asked Andy what his dad does. After learning that Andy's dad was a comedian he called my parents. They knew exactly who Scott Hansen was. That summer when my brother was back from college, he got a call from Andy telling him that his dad was heading to Rochester, and wondering if he wanted tickets. My brother took the tickets and asked me if I wanted to go. So that night my brother and I and a couple of friends went to the show. He told many Minnesotan jokes and it was easily relatable to. It was a great show!

Worst Camping Trip EVER

The summer was coming to an end and all my friends and I were heading off to college. My closest friends, Eric, Mike, Kellen and myself decided we were going to end the summer right, so we planned a camping trip. The camping trip took place a few days before I left for college, and it would be an unforgettable one.
We all met up at Mike's house around 8 o'clock in the morning on a Monday. We hooked up the boat and headed to Plymouth Minnesota, which is about an hour and a half away from our home city. We arrived at our camp site and got set up. Around noon everything had been set up, and we cooked some lunch. Then we headed to the beach, where we went swimming, played volleyball, and went fishing. We returned to our campsite for dinner, which is where the trouble began. Being ignorant high schoolers, we decided to bring some adult beverages with us. A few of us had a few drinks and then we headed back down to the beach to go out on the boat to go fishing.

After a few minutes of fishing it began to intensely lightning. We knew we shouldn't be on the water while it was lightning so we headed back to the campsite, and started a bonfire. We were sitting around the campfire having a good time, when a park ranger told us there was severe weather in the area and that we had to head to the shelter. It wasn't raining and the lightning looked as if it was going to pass over us, so we ignored the rangers warning. A little while later another vehicle approached our campsite and stopped. Thinking that it was going to be another park ranger we continued with our conversation. A person approached us and turned on a flashlight. This time it wasn't a park ranger, but rather a police woman. She saw the alcohol and asked us if we were 21. None of us were 21 and we told her the truth. She gave us all breathalyzers and found that Mike, Kellen, and I had been drinking. Eric was lucky and blew zeros. While she was writing the tickets it began to downpour. She told us we could go into the tent. All four of us huddled into the tent, when the wind began to pick up. Our tent was going to blow away if we didn't do something, so we each stood in a corner, trying to keep our tent standing. Then the top of the tent blew off, and rain began to pour into the tent. We all abandoned the tent. Mike and Eric took off towards the shelter, while Kellen and I went into the car. After the rain had seized, the police woman gave us our citations. We went back to the tent, which had been blown down. Everything inside including our clothes, sleeping bags, and pillows were soaked. We knew we couldn't stay there, so we packed up all our stuff into the boat, and headed home. It was around 12:30 in the morning when we got on the road. When we were about half way home, the boat trailer tire popped. We couldn't get the trailer on the jack, so three of us lifted the boat, while the other put on the spare tire. We finally arrived home around four o'clock in the morning. It was an unforgettable trip and quite the story. I believe that all of us have learned our lessons.

Fishermen

Fishing, boating, and camping have always been hobbies of the Meyer family. When I was little my grandparents owned a boat and we would travel to the Mississippi River every weekend. We would swim, have picnics, and fish. Although I enjoyed going to the sandbars, the most memorable trips are when the "men" would take their fishing trips. My grandpa, dad, brother, and I would go on several fishing trips throughout the summer. We would always wake up at the crack of dawn, and fish all day. There is one fishing trip that is unforgettable though.

We woke up and headed out on the waters. It seemed like a typical day of fishing, the weather was nice, and it was a little chilly in the morning. After a few hours the weather turned bad. It began to lightning and the winds picked up. We started to head towards shore but the boat was almost imposable to drive. The waves would crash over the bow of the boat, soaking my brother and I in the front. I could tell by the look on my grandpa and dad's faces that they were a little worried. We never made it back to shore until the storm let up. After sitting around for a while we decided to go back out on the lake and try it again. This time we were more successful.

These fishing trips brought my grandpa, dad, brother, and I closer. We would always share our fishing stories at family meetings. We would joke and argue about who is the best fisherman in the group. A few years ago my grandpa passes away. We sold the boat and our fishing trips came to an end. I will never forget the memorable time we spent out on the lake fishing.

Welcome to Minnesota

Minnesota is my birth state, and I have lived there all my life. I was born in Rochester which is best known for its large medical facility known as the Mayo Clinic. There are several things that Minnesota is known for. One is its frigid cold winters. Living in southern Minnesota I felt that the winters weren't that bad, until I traveled up north to Duluth. I realized how severe the winters can be. Duluth's winters are full of blizzards and its snow falls reach several feet per storm. Another thing Minnesota is known for is its abundance of lakes. There are over 10,000 lakes, and is the state with the largest number of boat owners. My family and I have always enjoyed going to lakes. Fishing, boating, tubing, and waterskiing are some of the activities we enjoy. Another thing Minnesota is known for is being the hockey state. People live for hockey, and since I was young I was brought up around the game. Although I have never played, I love watching hockey. Minnesota is a great state and I plan to make it a lifetime home.

You know you're a Minnesotan if...

Weather is 80% of your conversation.

Down south to you means Iowa.

Snow tires came standard on your car.

75% of your graduating high school class went to the Univ. of Minnesota.

People from other states love to hear you say words with "o"s in them.

You have no problem saying or spelling "Minneapolis."

Your school classes have been canceled because of snow or cold.

You assume when you say "The Cities" people know where you are referring to.

Nothing gets you madder than seeing a Green Bay sticker on a MN car.

You own an ice house, a snowmobile, and a 4-wheel drive vehicle.

You have gone Trick-or-Treating in 3 feet of snow.

Everyone you know has a cabin.

You beam with pride when some King or Hollywood super star comes to the Mayo Clinic to save their lives.

Water Dog!

I have a black Labrador named Malley. We've had here for about 7 years now and I will never forget the day we picked her up. We drove out to a farm about half an hour away. When we got there we saw a rundown farmhouse, and a bunch of dogs running around. The owners of the farm walked us down to a little pen where the puppies were being held, and there was only one left. My family and I hung out and played with her for a while and decided this was the one. Once we got her into the car we noticed she was covered with mud, and had a disgusting odor. After arriving home we filled up a little kiddy pool with water and gave her a bath. A little skeptical of the water at first, Malley wasn't sure what to do. After getting used to the water she began to love it. She would splash and lay down in the pool. Ever since that day we have always had a kiddy pool in our backyard. Till this day Malley still loves the water.

We also took Malley to the Mississippi river where we would spend our summer weekends on a sandbar. She would swim for hours with us, fetching stick after stick. Once the weekend was over she would sleep for several days recovering from the workout. We recently sold are boat and no longer go to the river as much. We still try to take Malley to local rivers and lakes and let her swim. I will always remember her as my little water-loving dog.

Minnesota Twins

I just want to share with you a little bit about my background. I was born in Minnesota and I have always been a twins fan. Since I could remember my family and I have been going to the games. This is where I created my love for baseball, and my favorite player Kirby Puckett. I will never forget my first twins game when the twins announcer, Bob Casey, first announced Kirby's name. He said it in a way that was unforgettable. It's hard to express how he announced his name on paper but it was of the extent of Kiiiiiiirrrrbbbbbyyyyyyy Puckett. It was fun watching him play the game. He would always hustle and play his hardest. His career came to an end in 1996 and five years later he was inducted into the baseball hall of fame. A memorable quote I will never forget was one he said during his hall of fame induction speech. He stated,

"There may be a few people out there who remember a time when the word on Kirby Puckett was that he was too short or didn't have enough power to make it to the big leagues. Well despite the fact that I didn't get to play all the years I wanted to, I did it."

This quote was so memorable to me because throughout high school I was faced with a similar situation. Many of my football coaches told me I would have to work very hard in order to play. They said I didn't have the size or strength to play on the varsity level. Over the next couple years I worked my but off, and come senior year I was starting. Kirby recently died unexpectedly. He will never be forgotten and always be an idol in my eyes.

Rhetorical Analysis Outline

I. The Inconvenient Truth trailer previews the documentary featuring former presidential candidate Al Gore, and focuses on the effects of global warming. It’s effective due to its use of rhetorical devices which gives rise to the viewer’s emotions by the use of images, audio, and text.
II. Images
A. Dry Desert Climate
B. Power Plants
C. Melting Ice Bergs
D. Maps and Graphs
1. Discuss why the images were chosen and how they enhance the trailer.
2. Discuss the relevance and credibility of the images.
III. Audio
A. The pace of the music (speeds up and slows down)
B. The type of music
C. The parts in the trailer where there is no music and reason why.
IV. Text
A. Phrases and slogans
1. Discuss the use of questions throughout the trailer.
2. Discuss the effectiveness of the text
V. Conclusion
A. Wrap it all together and how the purpose of the trailer is to get people to go to the movie. Also, how the trailer draws the audience’s attention by triggering emotional responses.

The Time has Come

The calm, silent night was awaken by the door opening,

He stood in the door motionless

His face unrecognizable, undisturbed; emotionless

The thoughts began to race through my mind; why? Why again?

His somber look told a story no author could

It had been done. Done AGAIN.

For this was not the first time, nor the second, but weeks of this had gone on

Night after night I sit alone staring into the night, crying. Countless tears have been shed.

My two babies unaware; unaware of his whereabouts; unaware of my tears

All they hear is yelling; “Kill” “Black Boy” “All of them”

They hoped an end to the kayos was near. It must be done.

I must do something.

IDENTITY

I found that finding a video representing IDENTITY was difficult because it is such a broad topic. I feel that IDENTITY is self-defining. After watching several videos I remembered watching Russell Peters standup comedy one night. He incorporates many factors that define IDENTITY in his show. These include race, language, and family. In this clip he focuses on race and language. He’s not afraid to be himself, and express his feelings. In the video he identifies himself as BROWN and INDIAN. I think he persuades an important message in the clip, that people need to be accepting of who they are and where there from. Everyone should be accepting of other people’s IDENTITY.
Another factor that influences a person’s IDENTITY is there personality. Russell displays his humorous, outgoing personality throughout his acts. He’s not afraid to speak his mind which I feel is really important when discussing IDENTITY. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they act and present themselves. This movie relates to my IDENTITY, because like Russell, I too have a slight accent. I believe we can learn a lot from many stand up comedians. We can learn to loosen up and not take everything so literal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw6RgIf6epQ

Panera Life

The Panera life is one you have to experience. I’ve been working at Panera for about three years now, and I love it. I originally started at the Panera in Rochester and worked there for three years. I decided it was time to get a job in college, and applied to the Panera in Ames. I got an interview in the next few days, after I applied. The managers seemed nice, I thought I would fit in well with the crew. After a day of work I decided that this store was a lot different different than the one I’m use too. I decided to stick it out and do the best that I could. After about a week I got use to the staff and management. I realized that this wasn’t that much different than the Panera back at home. Eventually I met the regulars. There is one regular named Amy who orders a new order every day, and always talks to the staff. She always cheers us up. Although Panera doesn’t pay the best I enjoy working there whether it’s in Rochester or in Ames.

"Wonderful" Iowa City

This weekend my roommates and I decided it would be a good idea to Iowa City. So Friday at around five we were all packed up and took off on the road. The weather was dreary but we decided it was manageable weather to drive in. About an hour into our trip the rain began, and after about ten minutes it was coming down at a steady rate. We kept driving for a few more miles, when the traffic slowed down to a halt. We slowly drove mile by mile, until we decided to take a little break and stopped off at McDonalds. We walked in and were met by customers dressed in Hawkeye apparel. We got some shrewd looks, wearing our Cyclone apparel. We got back on road, just to get caught back up into traffic. Maybe if all the college students heading to Iowa City could learn how to drive in the rain the traffic jams wouldn’t occur. I think we saw about four accidents on our way. We finally arrived in Iowa City three hours later.

The next day we woke up at the crack of dawn, at six in the morning, to go tailgating. I don’t understand why we had to wake up that early for a game at noon. As we walked toward the stadium we were getting random outburst from the Hawkeye fans. They were shouting absurd statements such as, “Cyclones suck”, and “This is a Hawkeye State.” It got old getting shouted at for six hours while we tailgated, but that was nothing compared to the fans in the game. I have never been yelled at by so many people in one place. I don’t understand why yelling at one innocent fan is going to affect the outcome of the game. The Hawkeye fans went as far as to spit on me at the game. After that I decided it was time to leave the game and went back to the apartment we were staying at. After a long day I decided it was time to hit the sack.

The next day we woke up early once again to head back to Ames. We walked a few blocks to the car and unloaded our stuff into the trunk. As we piled into the car, the driver tried to turn the ignition. The car wouldn’t start and there were no repair shops open on a Sunday, so we were stranding in Iowa City for one more day. Luckily I had brought my backpack and was able to finish all my homework. The next day the car was towed to the repair shop. After several hours it was done and we were finally on our way home. By the time we left it was already six o’clock and all of us had missed our classes. We finally arrived home around eight o’clock that night.

Just Another Day in Paradise

I walked through the door and felt the intense humidity. I thought to myself who would ever want to live here, as the sweat beads began to form on my head. With the aroma of that of a forest after a spring rain, and the sound of water flowing. I looked around and saw the array of colors from the orange flowers, to the purple leaves. It felt as if we weren’t in Iowa anymore. So for the next fifty minutes I decided to go on my own little “English vacation”. I walked around taking in the sights and smells of all the foreign plants. No two plants were exactly the same. I felt leaves that felt like sponges, and other leaves that felt like a piece of paper after you color it with a crayon. There were leaves that looked like eyes and others that looked like claws. There were little plants and there were some huge plants. Since my “vacation” was almost coming to an end, I decided the put on my sun glasses, pitch an umbrella, lay out a towel, and relax. Then the storm came. The winds began to gust, the rain started to fall, and you could feel the tension of all the vacationers. My large umbrella blew away, and got stuck in a large palm tree. The beautiful orange flowers that once hung from the branches, no longer were present. I wanted my “English vacation” to end but our teacher wouldn’t let us leave until four o’clock. We just had to wait the storm out. The sirens began to go off, and panic began to set in. The paradise we were in just a few minutes ago turned in to a disaster.
As the storm began to conclude, our “English vacation” turned into an “English nightmare”. I walked around looking at the aftermath of the storm. The plants began to glisten again in the sunlight, as if nothing had happened. As I strolled up and down the aisles I started to realize not to get down on yourself if something goes wrong.
The plants returned to their original beauty and the paradise was restored, but it was too late. The bells in the clock chimed, the time was now four o’clock. It was time to leave. With my closed dripping with water, chilled, and uncomfortable, I began to walk back to my apartment. Would any of my roommates believe our “English vacation”?

Introduction

I just wanted to let you know a little bit more about me and my life. I was born and raised in Rochester Minnesota. Since I was young I have always enjoyed playing sports. I started playing baseball when I was just three years old, and played all the way through high school. When I was four years old I attended my first Minnesota Twins game, where I saw my idle first play. His name is Kirby Puckett. I looked up to him and he said one of my favorite quotes. He stated, “Everyone one told me I was too short, too small, but I never gave up. I kept pushing and look where I am now.” Besides baseball, I also enjoyed watching and playing football. I also played football throughout middle and high school. My family is also a big part of my life. I have two brothers who have always been there for me. Josh is two years older than me and Drew is five years younger. We all get along very well and are a close knit family. My parents have also supported me in whatever I wanted to do. They have helped me through my schooling, and continue to assist me now in college.

Dorothy Allison- What did you Expect?-- Post 1

“Dorothy Allison, What did you Expect?” is Dorothy Allison’s reflection on being photographed for a magazine by a well known professional photographer. The photographer wants to capture her “sprinkled with powdered sugar.” Dorothy refuses stating, “Do I look like the kind of women who should be dipped in powdered sugar?” Dorothy had never lived the pampered life and lived an average life in the south. I feel that Dorothy views herself as an average person, and doesn’t feel the need to look elegant or pampered. This is revealed when she tries to check into her hotel. Dressed in comfortable clothes, with no makeup, and a broken suitcase, the clerk behind the desk doesn’t believe she is Dorothy Allison, the well known author. I don’t think she was trying to rebel or go against people’s expectations, rather I think she was just trying to make a point, that this is who she is and she’s not going to change. She also states she doesn’t want to be one of those women that our culture views as “seamless” and perfect. She feels that women are often over looked and not recognized in society.
Dorothy is finally photographed towards the end of the narrative, not sprinkled with powdered sugar, but in a laundry mat. She still disagrees with the pose of being sprinkled with powdered sugar, and states, “no one is ever going to get a picture of me like that.” She doesn’t feel that any of the poses presented by the photographer represent her identity, but settled for the pose in the laundry mat, after turning down many other requests. I feel that no photo could represent Dorothy’s identity, because she feels a person’s identity cannot be captured in a photograph. There are images incorporated throughout the narrative. The first image is of Dorothy Allison at the age of nine. It is a simple picture of her looking into the camera, which is very different from the requests made by the photographer. I feel she wanted to include this to represent her average life as a child. There is also an image of Dorothy’s novel, “Bastard out of Carolina,” which has a picture of a young girl with her face covered by her hair. I think this image best describes Dorothy’s outlook on her image.