Classic

Gone Fishin'

I love fishing. My dad is a hardcore fisherman. He use to enter competitions all of the time. He's had years of experience and he's passed on all of his tricks and tips to me. My brother, my dad, and I go on a fishing trip every year. The biggest fish I've ever caught was a flathead catfish that weighed close to 30 lbs. It actually broke my pole as soon as I got it onto the shore. I did end up throwing it back because I don't like to eat catfish. However, I do like eating bass, crappie, and bluegill. Anyways, I have lots of great memories of fishing with my dad and I'm sure I will have more to come.

Check this Out! Childhood Birthdays!!!!

Aw... Childhood birthdays. Those were some great memories for me. It was a time when you could get in trouble without having to face the consequences, because it was your birthday. I remember all the prank phone calls to the chinese restaurant and setting off fireworks without adult supervision. My birthdays usually consisted of lots of friends, camping, and big meals. The picture above displays cake before a Huge breakfast. I would also like to mention the two little boys up front. Recognize them? Well if you don't, it is in fact Andrew Prestler and Jacob Taylor. I am in the back with the red and blue shirt. Jacob has the charming facial expression. MooooHaHaHa.

My girlfriend

This is my girlfriend, Katie. She's the greatest, smartest, most beautiful, lovable, pain in the butt you'll ever meet. She and I have been dating for quite some time. Actually, it will be 3 years come March. She's a spunky little firecracker who lives back at home and goes to Ivy Tech. She also works full time for "Fire and Flood Recovery Construction," so, she's got a pretty full plate. Her and I have a great relationship. We enjoy getting involved in whatever each of us enjoys doing. Since I like things like sports, comics, working out, and movies... she enjoys those things as well. Just like I try to enjoy puzzles, picnics, and watching crappy TV shows. Lol. Seriously, I just enjoy spending time with her, especially when I get to watch her attempt to play Halo. Point is, that I love her and I wouldn't trade her for the world.

Man's Best Friend

A dog is truly a man's best friend. My dog would much rather be around people than his own kind. My dog is a golden lab and is the best dog in the world. Scout plays fetch and does tricks, but he also does some wierd things as well. Scout eats the horse poop out of the horse pin. He freaks out when he sees fire and he tries to eat that as well. We have to lock him up during fourth of July. Every harvest season he rips down cornstalks and runs excitedly through the yard, before dropping them and making a mess. Despite some of his weird behavior, he is a great swimmer and hunter. Most importantly, he is very loyal. Scout is a unique dog, and one of my best friends.

Question 3 response from Monday's Class

3.
-Throughout the excerpt of Gary Soto’s memoir, “Black Hair,” he was trying to convey a certain point. There is more to life than work, was a constant theme throughout this memoir. Gary Soto began working when he was seventeen as a runaway, however, he does not mention the details of why he ran away. The author does vaguely mention an unsteady home-life. There might be a variety of reasons why the author doesn’t mention the details. First of all, due to his ethnicity he may have been in the U.S. illegally. The background information of Gary Soto’s life doesn’t necessarily support the main idea of the excerpt. Also, his background information is somewhat implied. Why else would he be working at the age of seventeen? Gary Soto does not describe how his job ended either. This is not information is not imperative to the main idea as well. The lack of this information doesn’t affect the paper negatively, however if it was included, the reader may be able to relate better to the story and feel more of a personal connection.

??????

So, I'm really tired and I'm having trouble deciding what to write about it. In light of all the political conversations that I'm about to drown in, I decided that I need something to laugh at. Work has been stressful and so have classes. If you are in the same position, then I hope this might give you a laugh. Yes, this is a deformed white tiger. His name is Rory.

Log

Mon.
-On Monday, we got into groups and discussed the in class essay prompt for Field Notes on a Catastrophe. Groups of four constructed outlines for the prompt and wrote them on the board. The outlines varied quite a bit, but were all good ways to go about writing for the prompt. Mr. McArdle went over each outline up until the end of class and we got out late.

Wed.
-On Wednesday we actually got our books. We discussed cause and effect. Mr. McArdle taught about lots of things inlcuding, arguing for cause and effect, considering rhetorical situation, determining plausible causes and effects, and ways of organizing an analysis of causes and effects.

Fri.
-On Friday we got into groups again, but only groups of two. Mr. McArdle assigned us to find some news articles and pick out the cause(s) and effect(s). The groups presented their examples on the board. Andrew and Jacob showed a cause and effect model about people eating dirt.

Out of Class Assignment, Oct. 29

English 101 Course Goals
1. I’m comfortable with this goal. I always form questions (inquiry) to help shape my idea before writing a paper.
2. Verbally I understand inquiry and I think I do visually as well, even though I’m not quite sure what the goal means by visually
3. I do understand that there is a connection between inquiry and audience. Sometimes there are multiple connections.
4. I believe that if you can write effectively then you have met this goal.
5. We definitely have practice writing and in different forms.
6. I even had to integrate research before college, so I think this goal has been successfully reached.
7. We have done many group activities in class and everything has worked out well.
8. After each good piece of writing I’ve created, I’ve gained some confidence in such things as inquiry.
9. How can you not take responsibility for your own work and progress? I would have to say yes to this one.

Course Content and Format
1. Once again, I believe we have accomplished a good understanding of inquiry.
2. We have analyzed writing in class many times and discussed them. “This I believe” is a good example of when we took a look at other people’s writings.
3. Yes this has been accomplished. Prewriting has become very important in composing an essay.
4. We have had multiple pieces of work that we’ve revised throughout this semester.
5. Mr. McArdle has drilled into our minds that we have to have solid supporting evidence in our writing.
6. We’ve definitely had more than 4 writing assignments. In all of our writings we have used good techniques such as research and including contexts.
7. I’ve looked back at previous work to see what I can improve on and sometimes the previous writing helps me improve what I’m currently working on.

University Core Curriculum Goals
1. One thing that I’ve learned is that learning never ends. I am able to apply knowledge and use it for intelligent ends.
2. Communication is essential and I believe that I can communicate quite effectively.
3. I have my beliefs others have their beliefs. That doesn’t mean I won’t debate mine. You can be sure I will.
4. I recognize that knowledge can help improve the world around you, especially if you’ve been through failure.
5. I’m a people person. Nuff said.
6. I have my own uniqueness and I’m learning more and more how to communicate in my own way and express myself and all that mumbo jumbo.

Outline

Outline
(Your Turn Article)

I. Introduction
-topic- The Kokomo Police Farce
-thesis- Despite the fact that police are suppose to uphold justice and protect a community, the Kokomo Police Force can be found doing just the opposite.

II. Traffic Violations

III. Drugs

IV. Personal Jury Duty Experience

V. Conclusion

Madden Fever and the Luck of the Irish

So, for those of you who don't know, Andrew Prestler is very skilled when it comes to playing Madden. I never have really played, until I became very passionate about beating Andrew. Game after game he would obliterate me. His gaming style can only be compared to that of sheer luck. Actually, I believe Andrew is a leprechaun . Leprechauns are lucky, short, and devious. This description can also be used to describe Andrew. The good news is that I finally beat Andrew this past week, and man did it feel good. Did I mention that I beat him twice in a row. I am part Irish as well as Andrew. It looks like my luck has just begun when Andrew's is running out. MOOOHAHAHAHA!

Blogging

What can I say? I love blogging and I think it's a great idea. It's easy and a good way to get in some daily writing. Plus you can get to know people on a more personal level. Mr. McArdle has mentioned all of these as benefits of blogging. The only bad thing I have to say about it, is that it is easy to forget. I have a absolutely chaotic schedule, and a lot of times I forget to Blog. I'm sure most anyone else would feel the same way. Ha... I'm blogging about blogging.

The Walking Dead

Sometimes its hard figuring out what to write about, but figuring out what to read is whole other story. The Walking Dead is an excellently written graphic novel, by Robert Kirkman. It is a story about the world turning into zombies and a group of people trying to survive. It is not your cliche' zombie story. If you get a chance, check it out.

Logos, Pathos, Ethos

Heres a short outline for my letter to the editor in Eng. 101
Logos/Purpose- University Parking
Pathos/Audience- Fellow University Students
Ethos/Writer- Parking situation is horrible!

Mid-Ohio-Con

Yes, it is a comic convention... and yes I am traveleing 200 miles one way to go to it. NO, I am not a geek or nerd, but I do enjoy comics. This Saturday is the date of the 38th annual Mid-Ohio-Con and I'm excited to go. Most comic conventions take place in California, so this is a good chance for me to go see one. I will let you know how it goes. I'm sure it will be an adventure with many "characters".

Chicago "Da Bears, Da Cubs, and... Daaa biggest pain in the butt place to drive"

A few years back I traveled to Illinois to pick up my new car, (which was actually a used car). I remember pulling into the parking lot and laying my eyes on the beautiful green firebird. Little did I know that I would spend the next few hours of hell in that car. It was basically my initiation into driving priveleges to have to drive through Chicago by myself, in a storm, during rush hour traffic, but I made it through ok and Dad approved. This past weekend I had the "privilege" to travel back to Chicago in that same car and experience the torture once again. Shady characters, car horns, and thick suffocating air just make Chicago a really sucky place to travel through. The food is good among other things, but getting there is definitely NOT half the fun.

Shoe Shopping

There's not much else to say. All I did today was look for shoes. But thats ok, because I was having a great time with Katie.

Force Unleashed Update

Amazing, Spectacular, Groundbreaking. These are just a few words to describe the new game from Lucas Arts... "Star Wars the Force Unleashed." If you haven't got a chance to play it, do whatever you can to do so. It is not the greatest game to ever be created, but it is absolutely satisfying and it is revolutionary. Everything in the game is capable of being altered, including trees, boulders, and armor-plated doors. You have the freedom to do whatever you can imagine, and with force superpowers, that makes things pretty awesome. You can hurl your enemies into whatever you want and in any direction you want. However, the game play isn't even the greatest part. The Storyline is one of the best I've ever seen in a video-game. The story was also written into a book, and to be honest, as a huge star wars fan, the story is just as good as the movies. I hope you get the chance to enjoy the greatness that is... "The Force Unleashed."

Watch a Video, starring your classmates!

Andrew Prestler, Jacob Taylor and I created a video called "Never", about 2 years ago. I posted the link a few days ago, but you can also view it in the video bar to your right. Enjoy!

Plasma

So, I've been donating plasma to earn a little extra money. It is kind of a creepy experience. I honestly felt like I was in the Matrix, because when I walked in, all I saw was human beings hooked up to machines. However, the overall process is actually painless. If you would like to make $60 a week, the link to Biolife's website is below.

http://www.biolifeplasma.com/html/center_location/center_location.html

"NEVER"

Hey guys, want to see some of your fellow classmates in film action. Here's a "blockbuster" hit from 2 years ago, I think you'll enjoy. It's on youtube, so the quality isn't the greatest. By the way, it wasn't really a blockbuster. : )
Here's the Link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsVxjOxPfAg
copy and paste this link to view the video.

I'm so FREAKIN EXCITED!

Since this blog is about me, I thought I might let those of you who have the chance to read my blog a little more about me. Anyways, I am getting very excited for Sept. 16th. You see, I'm a huge gamer and a die hard fan of Star Wars. On Sept. 16th, the best of both worlds meet with the release of the game "Star Wars the Force Unleashed" for Xbox 360. The game's storyline takes place after all the clone war gibberish, so you know it's good. The game is about Darth Vader's secret apprentice and their plans to overthrow the Emperor and rule the galaxy. In the game you can use countless powers to crush your enemies and unleash all types of lightsaber combos. I know, I know... I sound pretty geeky, but thats ok from time to time. : )

The Legendary "Fantastic Four"

After writing a paper for ENG. 101, I became inspired to share a picture, with those who care, of me and my teammates that swam together for eight long years. During those years we became brothers, and even though we don't attend the same college today, we still keep in touch. The goggles pictured below were given to me by them, and I learned a lot about life in general just by swimming and leading a team with these guys. (Also pictured is our team mascot, "Muffy the Beaver".)

My Goggles

So, here's a picture of my beloved goggles that followed me throughout my entire swimming career. I wrote about these for my significant object paper in ENG. 101. Soon, I will post pictures of me and my teammates from swimming.

Brain Storms and Mind Hurricanes

A list of Ideas for my essay about a significant object:

-personal to me
-emotions behind it
-unique

-my book bag
-my wallet
-my guitar
-my goggles


WHAT- My goggles

WHY- Have emotion, personal to me, and unique.
What emotions and feelings- pain, depression, triumph, responsibility, tiredness, anxiety, determination, etc.

WHEN- High School

WHERE- All types of pools and locations

DESCRIPTION- Red, Speedo Brand, Called the Synchronizer, double straps, dark black lenses, etc.

The Irony of Labor Day: from the perspective of Aaron McCauley

My life is anything but normal, and is often full of events that make it... exciting to say the least. Whether tragedy strikes, or something just comical happens, I believe that life is what you make it and I choose to make it an enjoyable one. One way of it of doing so, is by writing about anything and everything. So, without further adieu, I will start my story about Labor Day Weekend 2008.

August 30, 2008
Today was first day back home from college. This past week wasn't that stressful, but I would still welcome the relaxation. Maybe I would have went to see a movie, but it just so happens that I get a call from work. The word "work" is the exact opposite of relax. Anyway, being the kind and loyal employee that I am, I decided to fill in for the person who was gone. What an ironic way to start Labor Day weekend, but its ok... it's not Labor Day yet. I drive in to Family Video, yes that's where I work, trying to be optimistic. Working at a video store is an indoor job, right? Guess again, because the day I show up it isn't. First, I have to weed around the building, then change the banners, and then I have to change the words on the sign, which is the biggest pain in the world. Not only did I have to take down the letters that are 15 feet high, but I have to do it in eighty degree weather. After being drenched in sweat I walk back into the store to find myself running around like a chicken with my head cut off and on fire at the same time. There were so many customers and only two employees working. It turns out that we profited more money this particular night than any in the past five months. I'm not necessarily complaining, just merely descripting the irony of it all, but it even gets better...

August 31, 2008
After working past 1:00 a.m. the night before I woke up ready to relax. My dad decides to have a family outing which sounds great to me. So we load up the van and my family, my girlfriend, and I head for Turkey Run State Park. I figured we would get there to have a nice meal and relax, but irony strikes again. Dad and the rest of the family decide that we should go on some trails, and normally, I'm all for it. I enjoy the outdoors, so I decide to accept it, besides it can be very refreshing. "Trail 9! Trail 9! Trail 9!," my younger siblings all shout. I can see on the map that Trail 9 is the most rugged trail in the park, but I'm out-voted once again, so I decide to be optimistic about it. The trail is indeed rugged, but I'm doing just fine. In fact, I'm handling it better than anyone else. Along the way Dad makes a wrong turn, making the trail 3 miles long instead of 1, which inevitably leads us to Boulder Gorge. The steepest climb in the park full of boulders, hence the name. It is 80 feet high with no guard rails. Feeling pretty confident I decide that I'm going to be the first to the top. I start sprinting up and up until I make it close to the top, but one false step changes the situation. I slip at the top sending me tumbling backwards. Luckily I didn't fall far or get injured, but something horrible did happen as a result. I reach into my pocket and feel something quite unusual, so I pull it out. I look down to see what was once a cell phone, but now it looks more like a computer turd. So ends another day of labor and hardship on my labor day weekend. As for labor day itself...

September 1, 2008
Ah Labor Day, the day of no labor. I wish that was the case for me. I had to wake up early to make it to the Verizon store before it closed so I could get a new phone. I found a phone I liked, but it cost me. Unfortunately the phone drained me of $200, which means that I must work even more hours than before to pay off such a bill. In conclusion, I did get a freakin' awesome new phone, but my Labor Day weekend was full of nothing but physical labor, which resulted in tragedy, which in turn results in more physical labor. Irony Sucks... but it keeps life interesting.