Fictional Blog

Sorry I am a little past the deadline....I totally spaced on posting it.

Here is my fictional blog http://dearlife.blogspot.com/

Fictional Blog

Sorry I am a little past the deadline....I totally spaced on posting here.

http://dearlife.blogspot.com/

Fictional Blog

My fictional blog is going to be about a funeral director who is new to the business. I haven't given him a name just yet but I will write about his first few weeks on the job including body pickups, etc. I know this sounds a tad-bit morbid but I thought it could be funny.

Wiki from scratch......so fresh and so clean clean

As stated below, for my WIKIPEDIA article from scratch I chose the topic of Salt Lake's own SLUG Magazine. Everything thing went pretty well. It was a bitch trying to get that image up. I am still having trouble trying to scale the image down. I am pretty sure they are going to delete it soon so enjoy it while you can.

Here it is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slug_magazine

New Wikipedia article

For my new wikipedia article I am currently working on a page for SLUG (Salt Lake Under Ground) Magazine, a free magazine based out of downtown. I have not yet made an edit but am working on a basic bio.

The bio will include a history section, current status of the company, artists the magazine has covered and what a current issue contains.

Major Wiki Edit

For my major "wiki edit" I looked a lot closer at the page I did my minor edit on. I thought of ways I could fix some of the structure, if there was any grammar to change, and if I could add anything.

I ended up adding two sentences (additionally to the one I originally made), italicized a few terms that needed it, added some internal and external links, and fixed wrong terminology (Christian to Born Again Christian). I like it but wish I could have added a picture...so hard if you don't have the rights.

Glenn Schwartz

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Glenn_Schwartz&oldid=140435320

Wikipedia change

I chose to do an edit on a pretty skimpy page. The entry is on Glenn Schwartz, a blues guitarist out of Cleveland whom is a local icon.

I really only added a brief sentence which characterized a typical Schwartz show. I have been to a lot of shows, so I feel this description is OK and unbiased.

Wiki-Commandments

1. Think Encyclopedia- Provide factual information-nothing more Dead Man Article

2. Don't just define a term- support with facts Autonomous Regions of Portugal

3. Avoid Opinion- Just the truth

4. No personal "glory pieces"- only people of significance

5. Only refer to reliable sources

6. Be kind to everyone - Feminism

7. It's ok to be edited- Don't pout!

8. No Vandalism

9. Don't re-edit a page more than three times in a day- its just not fair

10. Improve edits wherever you can - Check any history tab

Wikipedia Article

Dead Man

The Wikipedia article I chose was on the movie Dead Man, written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. The article seems to be fairly accurate in describing the movie, but lacks details. I intend on adding some important details that could help unfamiliar readers.

Oxford, Ohio (a.k.a. Shittsville, USA)

Surrounded by miles of cornfields, the rinky-dink Midwestern town of Oxford, Ohio is home to the prestigious Miami University. The static, student culture has clashed with the town's people for years. Thousands of rich, spoiled, trust fund babies are shipped there every year to pursue higher education, or rather waste $100,000 of their parents money while learning to become shallow, self indulged ingrates.


As a former student at Miami, I learned first-hand how people become a product of their environment. The number one concern of most Miami students is to have a good time, all the time. Partying in this college town starts on Wednesdays and ends on Sunday evening. There aren't too many options of how to spend the weekend in Oxford.


You can:


1.) Drop a bunch of money at one of the 8 local bars uptown, while desperately reaching out for any type of personal interaction (this tends to be the norm)


2.) Stay home and wait for your local Oxfordian drug dealer to get off work at the pizza shop so you can get your goods


3.) Take a stab at performing in the local music scene (or lack thereof) while working at the pizza shop


Daniel, Trevor and I chose the latter.

(pictured left to right: Daniel, myself, Trevor)

The three of us, known in those days as The Del Preston, had gigs booked every week. We worked hard all day at our jobs and played hard all night in the corners of bars and the basements of house parties. We made decent money performing our music. When money couldn't be offered we were paid with booze and asked to come back the following week. We didn't care; we just wanted to play. Those who came just to see us enjoyed our music and respected what we were doing. Everyone else just wondered when the fuck we were going to get off the stage so the DJ could get back to playing top 20's. Needless to say, we were not in a "music town".



Oxford was a dead end road and we knew it. We made the mistake of going there in the first place. After I was admitted to the U, the three of us decided to give Salt Lake City a shot. All we had to do was make it til Christmas...




It was a Saturday night in November. As usual, we packed up our equipment, had a smoke and watched some football til it was time to go sound check. Tonight was going to be a great night. It was alumni weekend and the town was bursting at the seams with people. A lot of old friends would be in town to see us play and we couldn't wait. Tonight was going to be a great night...



CJ's was pretty empty as we walked in. This two level dive bar had the same stagnate smell week after week. As always, the floor was sticky from spilled drinks and lord knows what else. First I laid down my huge blue rug, which we set everything on top of. Next was my kick drum and the PA speakers. Now that our performing boundaries were set, we could all dive in. The usual Saturday night bartenders were filling the coolers up with ice. Matt brought over our first three Budweiser's.


So what are the sets looking like for tonight?


All the employees at CJ's seemed to like us. That is probably why we had a gig there every weekend. Whenever we played the whole bar just let loose and enjoyed the music!



The bar began to fill more and more as we wrapped up sound check. We would go on in about 15 minutes, so in the meantime we made our rounds saying hi to friends and acquaintances. We knew that tonight was going to be a whole lot of fun...


The first set got underway. 80's Mark took his usual stance right in front of Daniel's guitar amp. Tonight it looked like he was on some form of hallucinogen. We were getting a good response from the whole bar. We knew that the set-break couldn't be long. If you break for too long, you lose the crowd.


Midway through the second set people were wall to wall. Tonight was "Fifty-cent High Life Bottle Night" so things were starting to get a little rowdy. Some guy by the staircase had his shirt off while his buddies poured beer all over him. All of our friends who said they'd be there were. We fed off of the crowds enthusiasm. When the audience is having a good time, nothing can go wrong...





As the night faded into morning we started wrapping up the show. We played the last tune, told everyone about the next show and began to pack up our equipment again. We sat at the end of the bar enjoying our last few drinks as Matt counted out our cut for the night. We made a cool $500, which always feels good. There was a true sense of accomplishment amongst us. We played a great show and the crowd actually liked us. It was almost an ironic feeling; the town we disliked so much seemed to come alive tonight.

Maybe Oxford wasn't such a bad place...

Hey, I'm gonna go get the car.

Cool, we'll wait here for you.

Trevor and I divided up the cash and finished our drinks while Daniel brought over the van. Nothing could go wrong tonight...

Dude, somebody fucked up our car!


What the hell are you talking about?

Somebody fucked up the car! Come on...look...

I can't believe this shit! Who the hell would do this?



The car was parked on the same street as the police station, a mere two blocks away and in plain sight. The cinder block that was used to smash out the windows laid by the curb in the street.

I wonder if it was that ass hole who was calling us Communists for not playing "Proud To Be an American"?

Man, he wouldn't know what our car looked like!

Un-fucking-believable!

The policeman who responded to our call didn't have too much to say. He took down our basic information and told us to file a written report.



So what are the chances of finding who did this?


Well, unless someone comes forward to confess, not very good. You know, this sort of thing happens all of the time out here.


Oh yeah? And exactly what are you guys doing about that?


Everything we can sir.



All we could do was bite our lips and hope that karmic retribution would take its' course some day. To call this a kick in the groin would be an understatement. Well, Salt Lake City, here we come...

Research Card

Traditional Source



Baxter Strides Toward History by: Mary Kay Cabot - Cleveland Plain Dealer

"I might be full-go, I might be part-time, I might not go," he said. "But I'm going to show people that I'm dedicated to this cause. For those that believed in me, thank you. And those that didn't, God bless you. This is the biggest challenge of my life, and so far, I'm conquering it."

Baxter, a stand out corner back for the Browns, tore both patella tendons last season. No player in NFL history has fully recovered from this injury.

Academic Journal

Teaching Students With Hearing Losses by: Alice Ann Darrow - Academic Search Premier:General Music Today

"There are nearly 71,000 special education students between the ages of six and twenty-one who have hearing losses (U.S. Department of Education 2002). "

Despite their hearing disability, many deaf students are able to appreciate and enjoy music with the proper instruction.

Online Source

Cleveland Browns - Wikipedia.com

"A 2006 study conducted by Bizjournal determined that Browns fans are the most loyal fans in the NFL. The study was largely based on fan loyalty during winning and losing seasons (however, it does not account for the ratio of winning to losing seasons by a team), attendance at games, and challenges confronting fans (such as inclement weather or long-term poor performance of their team). "

The Cleveland Browns are a football team in the NFL.

Non-Traditional Source

Mad World in ASL posted by bigjimmystyle

"All around me are familiar faces, worn out places"

A student performing the song "Mad World" by Gary Jules in American Sign Language.

The Self Imposed Exile of electric avant-garde master Daryll Dobson has ended!

This blog is posted up on Daryll Dobson's MYSPACE page. I know Daryll because I am friends with his son. All through grade school he told me his dad could shred, but I didn't get to hear him until recently.

The blog on Daryll's page announces his first album/dvd in several years. He just got signed to a new label and is promoting his new sound. The targeted audience of this blog are fans of Daryll and those who are checking him out for the very first time. It is effective because it goes into some detail about what he is currently doing and where he is taking his music.

www.myspace.com/darylldobson

Beyond the Sea #2

E-Mail sent by Michael on Monday May 21,2007:

"I am trying to read these sixty pages in my American Government book (which cost $125)";
Why the hell do books cost so much these days. I am sure I will get a whopping $20 back...such bull shit.
As you can tell, it is not going so well. Thought I'd drop you one and see how the Europen loogies are washing out of your hair.
Katie told me that over seas some people were LITERALLY spitting on her because she was American.
So the Cavs advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals a few nights ago. They played Detroit in Detroit tonight and lost game one. They were down two with 15 seconds to go and Lebron dished it off to Donyel Marshal who bricked a wide open three that would have won the game...hhhhhhhhhh(Long drawn out sigh).
Katie grew up in Cleveland,OH with me so she shares a common interest in Cleveland Sports
Anyways government class starts at 7:30 sharp and the teacher reminds me of Big Bill O
I should have never taken that class...too early..."Big" Bill O'Reiley that is...Katie is a Poli-Sci major so I tend to whine about government class to her
...I've got to finish reading....I've got to go to bed...The Cavs need to win to save my sanity and hairline....STENGERRRRRRRR!!!!
Stenger....Lauren Stenger....is a mutual friend who is in Europe with her.

Replied by Katie on May 22, 2007

I heard about the Cavs. Marshall is the most hot-cold player of alltime. What else is Lebron supposed to do when he has three Detroit players on him. Such bullshit. He is supposed to have team mates you know.....The loogies are coming out just fine. We went to Dublin... the whole English thing was amazzzzzzing. Which was really exciting. The Irish are so nice, maybe its cause they are drunk, but regardless they are nice. Some random Irish man told me that I was not from the United States of America but rather the United States of Amazing.... At least somebody likes us. American government isn't the most interesting political science. If you have any questions just holla. I took it at Miami a couple years ago but I think something might have stuck....Ok Im off to architecture class. We are going to Munich this weekend....Time to practice my German, AKA pray for me. Stenger says HI, Later gator -Kt

CONCLUSIONS

In today's day and age communication has changed dramatically. Hand written letters are a thing of the past. E-mails are a much more convenient and affordable (you save about 40 cents) way to stay in touch. Day by day I can exchange messages with my friend who is over seas.

This E-mail response from Katie was interesting because she did not respond in the order in which I asked/commented. She responded to things as they came to mind. Granted there was not a whole lot of information in my E-mail, but she didn't need to keep the original message handy to respond. She responded from "recall".

Beyond the Sea

E-Mail sent by Michael on Monday May 21,2007:

I am trying to read these sixty pages in my American Government book (which cost $125); As you can tell, it is not going so well. Thought I'd drop you one and see how the Europen loogies are washing out of your hair. So the Cavs advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals a few nights ago. They played Detroit in Detroit tonight and lost game one. They were down two with 15 seconds to go and Lebron dished it off to Donyel Marshal who bricked a wide open three that would have won the game...hhhhhhhhhh(Long drawn out sigh). Anyways government class starts at 7:30 sharp and the teacher reminds me of Big Bill O...I've got to finish reading....I've got to go to bed...The Cavs need to win to save my sanity and hairline....STENGERRRRRRRR!!!!

Replied by Katie on May 22, 2007 (U.S.)

I heard about the Cavs. Marshall is the most hot-cold player of alltime. What else is Lebron supposed to do when he has three Detroit players on him. Such bullshit. He is supposed to have team mates you know.....The loogies are coming out just fine. We went to Dublin... the whole English thing was amazzzzzzing. Which was really exciting. The Irish are so nice, maybe its cause they are drunk, but regardless they are nice.Some random Irish man told me that I was not from the United States of America but rather the United States of Amazing.... At least somebody likes us. American government isn't the most interesting political science. If you have any questions just holla. I took it at Miami a couple years ago but I think something might have stuck....Ok Im off to architecture class. We are going to Munich this weekend....Time to practice my German, AKA pray for me. Stenger says HI, Later gator -Kt

Daniel Gibson's Rookie Blog

This blog can be accessed off of the Cleveland Cavaliers official website. Daniel Gibson, who was a second round pick by the Cavaliers in 06', wrote this post after a huge playoff win on Sunday. Gibson talks about being out on the floor and playing against one of his biggest idols growing up, Chauncey Billups. He thanks his team for all the support they have given him throughout the season.

This is a very brief blog. Gibson talks about his feelings on the game and how he think he did. I am sure this is a genuine entry, but for some reason I always feel skeptical when reading professional athlete's blogs. I am not sure why, but I do. He gets his point across in a good manner and produces a somewhat interesting post.

http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/gibson_blog_070527.html

Pick Up Game #2

The sun is high in the sky. It is a little after 1:00 PM. The sweet aroma of grilled hamburgers and brats is pouring out of fenced in yards into the air. Two dogs are exchanging barks from a distance. The only people at the playground today are four kids who are swinging on the monkey bars and chasing each other around. The soccer fields are bare except for some old juice boxes and firecracker shrapnel. This morning fresh tar was spread over the blacktop to patch up the cracks. The courts are unoccupied and all is quiet until two men approach the schoolyard from the back path. They are carrying a basketball...


The pair walk casually, switching off who bounces the ball. They are young adults in their mid-20's and each about six feet tall. One of the men is a little portly, with long blond hair pulled back into a half ponytail. He is wearing royal blue mesh shorts and a plain green t-shirt. His shoes are dirty looking with a few holes here and there. His socks are white and scrunched down revealing tan lines around his ankles. His friend/opponent is a few inches taller and a little bit slimmer. He has on dark black shorts that come down past his knees. He is wearing shiny-black basketball shoes with high black socks. He has on a red t-shirt and a gray headband. His hair is brown and short.

The basketball has lost its vibrant orange hue from being played with outside. Black contoured lines run all around the ball, accentuating its features. On one side of the ball is the NBA logo. Right by this logo something is written in black permanent marker. It is very small and hard to make out. The blond haired man uses his finger nail to unscrew the air valve and pull up a thin plastic tube. By pushing tube in and out, he fills the ball with more air. Blondie screws the air valve back in and gives the ball a few quick bounces. The ball returns much better now. The sound of the bouncing basketball echoes throughout the playground.

The two men work their way around the court shooting from various locations. They each miss their fair share of shots but continue warming up for about twenty minutes. The man in black keeps traveling back and forth across the courts to a hoop, which he notices has been lowered a few inches. He tries dunking the ball three separate times but to no prevail. The man in black exclaims in a deep tone, "Let's play!"

His friend says nothing and walks to the free throw line. The two switch off shooting free throws to see who gets possession first. Whoever makes a shot when the other misses gets the ball first. For about fifteen minutes this goes on. Miss after miss after miss. Once, they both hit free throws back to back so the possesion game had to continue. They exchange hardly any words during this process. They take their time and try to focus on each shot. The thud of the ball off the rim echoes throughout the school yard. Suddenly an overcast fills the sky and tiny rain droplets start falling to the ground. The men suspend their game for the time being to try and dunk on the low hoop again.

Pick Up Game

The sun is high in the sky. It is a little after 1:00 PM. The aroma of hamburgers being grilled fills the air. Two dogs exchange barks from their respective yards. The playground isn't as packed as you would think on a Memorial Day. The only people around is a group of four kids swinging on the monkey bars and chasing one another around. The soccer fields are bare except for some old juice boxes and firecracker shrapnel. The basketball courts are unoccupied. Then two men approach the school from the back path carrying a basketball...

They walk casually while switching off who bounces the ball. They are young adults in their mid-20's and each about six feet tall. One of the men is a little portly, with long blond hair pulled back into a bun. He is wearing royal blue mesh shorts and a plain green t-shirt. His shoes are dirty looking with a few holes here and there. His socks are white and scrunched down revealing some nice tan lines around the ankles. His opponent is an inch or so taller and a little bit slimmer. He has on dark black shorts that come down past his knees. He is wearing shiny-black basketball shoes with high black socks. He has a red t-shirt and a gray head band on. His hair is short but not quite "buzzed".

The two men work their way around the court shooting from various locations. They each miss their fair share of shots but continue warming up for about twenty minutes. The man in black keeps traveling across the courts to a hoop that has been lowered two or three inches. He tries dunking the ball four or five time but to no prevail.

"Let's play" the man in black exclaims in a booming voice. His friend offers no reply but immediately goes to the free throw line. The two switch off shooting free throws to see who gets possession first. First person to make a free throw when the other misses gets the ball. For about fifteen minutes this goes on. Miss after miss after miss. Only once did they both hit free throws back to back. They exchange hardly any words during this diligent process. They take their time at the line and try to focus on the shot. The thud of the ball off the rim echoes throughout the school yard. Then suddenly an overcast fills the sky and tiny rain droplets start falling to the ground. The men suspend their game for the time being to try and dunk on the low hoop again.

The Meaning of Brunch #2

It happened once every April. My mom, dad, two brothers and my mom's mom got together around the table for the one meal that stood apart from all others that year. This grubfest is called Easter Brunch.

My brothers and I were raised Roman Catholic by our parents, whom were both brought up with strong Italian American heritage. This is the most important holiday to the Catholics, which is why their celebrations are so full of decadence. My immediate family remained pretty health conscious throughout the year which is partly why brunch was anticipated.

After the usual 10:30 mass we would head back home, undo our ties and help get the table ready for our celebration. My mother would open up the armoire and take out her yellow and pink Spring floral china. Each plate, napkin and coffee mug were meticulously placed. We usually said some kind of prayer as well as an acknowledgement of thanks for everyone being able to be together. We all recognized the love and warmth around that table.

Politely but eagerly everyone worked their way around the table. On our plates we'd pile everything from zucchini quiche and fresh fruit salad to green olives and hard boiled eggs. In the middle of the table was a plate of fresh cold cuts and cheeses, which were all neatly fanned out. On it was salami, capicola and prosciutto surrounded by chunks of gorgonzola, feta and fontina. The feature of the meal was always my mother and grandmother's Easter Pena, which is a sweet white bread with a golden brown crust. A few loaves were frozen to be eaten later, but it never tasted the same.

After gorging ourselves we'd sit around the table with empty plates and full stomachs. We would sip coffee and quietly enjoy each other's company. My mother would look out the kitchen window at her garden that was just beginning to bloom. My father would drum his knife on the place mat while his mind wandered. Sometimes he would ask us questions or discuss important matter but he usually just remained quiet. My grandmother would sneak little pieces of lunch meat and bread to our cocker spaniel Kirby underneath the table. This always upset my father but she didn't care. Kirby deserved to celebrate as well.

There are plenty of holidays throughout the year when our family gets together. There is Thanksgiving and Christmas but this was different. This celebration was just us and no one else. For two hours out of the year we had our time to eat, relax and appreciate one another. The memories of these times will be with me forever.

The Meaning of Brunch

It happened once every April. My mom, dad, two brothers and my mom's mom got together around the table for the one meal that stood apart from all others that year. This grubfest is called Easter Brunch.

My brothers and I were raised Roman Catholic by our parents, whom were both brought up with strong Italian American heritage. This is the most important holiday to the Catholics, which is why their celebrations are so full of decadence. My immediate family remained pretty health conscious throughout the year so brunch was much anticipated.

After the usual 10:30 mass we would head back home, undo our ties and help get the table ready for our celebration. My mother would open up the armoire and take out her yellow and pink Spring floral china. Each plate, napkin and coffee mug were meticulously placed. We usually said some kind of prayer as well as an acknowledgement of thanks for everyone being able to be together. We all recongized and cherished the love and warmth around that table.

Politely but eagerly everyone worked their way around the table. On our plates we'd pile everything from zucchini quiche and fresh fruit salad to green olives and hard boiled eggs. In the middle of the table was a plate of fresh cold cuts and cheeses, which were all neatly fanned out. On it was salami, capicola and prosciutto surrounded by chunks of gorgonzola, feta and fontina. The feature of the meal was always my mother and grandmother's Easter Pena, which is a sweet white bread with a golden brown crust. A few loaves were frozen to be eaten later, but it never tasted the same.

After gorging ourselves we'd sit around sipping coffee with empty plates and full stomachs. My father would ask questions and sometimes discuss family matters with us (not the T.V. show). We would just sit around, digest and enjoy each other's company because that's what's important. That hour and half every spring was just us. The memories of those brunches will be with me forever.