The Shawshank Redemption - Personal Response

Well, here it is. My personal opinion of the movie, The Shawshank Redemption. As I said earlier, if you haven't already seen it, i highly recommend you do. It really is an amazing movie. This is the second time i've seen it, and like most good movies, one notices things the second time round that one missed the first time. My opinion, however, still stands that it's one of the best movies of all time and one of my personal favourites. It really made quite a deep impact on me when i first saw it and i doubt that it'll ever lose that effect on me. The storyline itself may not be the most original in a way, although the exact details and the way that it links up with life is what makes it so unique and truly outstanding as a film.

The story follows a man who was falsely accused of murdering his wife and her lover and sentenced to serve two back-to-back life sentences. He ends up at Shawshank prison where he makes new friends and ultimately breaks out of the prison. I won't give away all the details as that would ruin the film for those who haven't seen it, but I will however say that the life lessons, and many of the quotes one can take from the film, are very valuable in life and the movie should make a very positive impact on one.

Friendship, courage and determination are some of the main themes explored in this movie, but if one looks closer you can gain a lot more from it. I really enjoy watching it and believe that we can all learn a lot about ourselves and life in general from it.

Oh Hi There!

Yes, it's been a while. May! You're telling me that May is the last time i posted an entry? Wow. This is worse than I thought. Ok, well it's high time I starting blogging again, and seeing as i've got to do a review of 'The Shawshank Redemption' (If you ain't seen it, well, do yourself a big favour, and watch it.), I might as well start now.

It's good to be back I guess, so you should start hearing more from me again.

:-)

M.U.S.I.C.

Twisting and turning
Changing and climbing
It fills the air with an energy
An energy so powerful it can
Change everything

Alter emotions
Turn lives around
Inspire to do great things
Enlighten ones mind

Teach us everything
And help us carry on

It fills a dark room with light
And a bright one with life

lifelovemoneyhappinesspastpresentfuture

So here I sit on a Saturday evening typing away on my laptop, not sure what this entry is even going to be about, yet I'm simply typing whatever comes to mind. I don't even know why I logged in to Blogger, but I did, and now I'm here telling you all about it. In fact I'm thinking about so many things right now I don't know how my brain hasn't exploded yet. I'm in a weird mood to say the least, yet I experience it so often. I really feel like there's so much I could share with everyone right now, yet I don't know how. Life, in all it's glorious splendour, seems clearer than it's ever been before and I sense a change. A big change that will affect everyone's lives. And it's coming soon. I don't know to describe it, but it's big. And I mean HUGE!

So why am I telling you this? Well, that's a good question with an even better answer. The answer? Well, it's unnecessary to tell you. It would change everything. And one big change is enough right now!

Still confused? Don't worry. I'm sure everyone is.

peace out

Formal Writing Assignment

Dear Madam/Sir

I am writing to you regarding my application for position of general manager at the Whangaparaoa branch of Food Town.

My name is Clark Kent and I have been the owner of a clothing store in Rotorua for about 3 years. In total, I have over 6 years of work experience and have worked at numerous shops and supermarkets. My second highest position achieved was as Head Supervisor at The Warehouse in Rotorua so I do have quite a bit of experience in this line of work.

When it comes to my work ethic, I am generally regarded as being very diligent and hard-working, and I get the job done quickly and efficiently. I’m a no-nonsense type of guy and therefore prefer to take the leadership role in a lot of situations. I’ve worked hard and worked well in all my previous jobs in order to get where I am now, so I do believe that I would be well suited to this job and that hiring me would not be something that you regret.

Thank you for considering my application and I look forward to your response.

Kind regards,

Clark Kent

Seconds Anyone?

Life. It's the one thing we as humans know best. But, at the same time, we know comparatively little about it. It is so complex that no single person could ever begin to comprehend it. Many have tried, many have failed and yet we still try our very best to figure it all out. As a species we are constantly trying to make our experience here on earth better by broadening our horizons and attempting to open the doors that were once shut. We thrive on the good experiences, but they are mixed amongst others which aren't always as good. You see, it's the bad times which make the good ones seem good. We all strive to improve on the cards we've been given. For some this is not even possible due to the circumstances they are in, whereas others are able to gain a diverse range of experiences in order to make their life seem more worthwhile. This seems like a good plan, although we only have one life, so the decisions we make better be good. Wouldn't it be so much easier if we had more than one shot at life?

But what if? What if we could live more than one life? What if we could live our life in different ways and experience more than we would otherwise have been able to? What if?

Second life. It's a buzzword. It refers to a new life humans have created. One that is based on the principles of reality but exists only in cyberspace. It's the answer to all of our desires. Or is it?

This so called 'life' that exists only in ones and zeros can make up for some of the things we crave but as with all man-made things, it has its limitations. Nothing can replace reality, although nowadays we like to think otherwise. Digital multimedia and entertainment in all its various forms is designed to keep us occupied, yet it barely even exists. It gives us a chance to escape the problems we have and descend into an alternate form of reality. A reality which gives us so many new opportunities. This surely must be the answer to all of our issues. After all, escaping from something is far easier than facing it.

The internet. What better a way to implement this whole second life idea. Having everyone in the world connected and communicating seamlessly seems great in theory, but in reality it opens up Pandora's box. Problems? You thought you had problems? Well, they just got ten times worse. You see, it turns out that actually the entire second-life-in-cyberspace ain't all that it's cracked up to be. For one, it doesn't actually exist, and secondly it cannot replace the physical life we live in.

Freedom? Say goodbye to the thought of running away. We're all connected now, so there's no hiding. You can't hide if you don't even control your own life. Second life means goodbye to freedom, privacy and everything we once were as humans. It's a disease that is spreading faster than you can imagine. You may not think so, but a lot of the modern world is built on it.

How could we ever stop such a thing? Well, I don't know we can. Hopefully it will all stop before it gets too late. I cannot guarantee anything though.


Welcome to the Matrix. Only worse.
1100101010100010001000111010010001001000100011000100010001

I just ain't cuttin' the mustard!

Yes, I know, I'm way behind when it comes to blog entries, but I've been really busy lately and I've had lots of assessments and stuff which takes up all your time. But don't worry, I have lots more coming soon so there's no need to panic or pull what's left of your hair out. Just sit tight and check back in a week or two...

Truth

The greatest fiction
Is born in truth
But what is truth?

Silver bullets hit my skin
Like rain against the dust
I clench my teeth
My mind racing
In and out

I attempt to define it
But I cannot
I try to express it
But I cannot
I have to keep going

Why do I not understand this?
Maybe one day I will
I need to carry on
Taking every step in my stride
Until that day comes

This is where I start
But not where I finish

Untitled

Words; they can be bent, changed, chanted, communicated, copied, discovered, drawn, dreamt, echoed, exchanged, incorrectly used, interpreted, invented, jotted down, laughed at, leaked, magnified, mimicked, misinterpreted, misspelled, organised, painted, passed around, plagiarised, preached, printed, programmed, rapped, read, repeated, reversed, rotated, said, scanned, screamed, screeched, scribbled, searched, shouted, spelt, spoken, spray painted, strung together, sung, swapped, thought up, thrown around, transferred, translated, twisted, used, whispered and written. They’re what I’m using right now to write this blog entry. They are our most common form of communication and are taken for granted by most of the world’s population. What would we do without these so-called words?

Whose blog is it anyway?

In a world dominated by the internet and the ever-increasing rise of technology, we are at our most vulnerable ever as a species. The ability to now share our most intimate details with almost anyone in the world begs the question: do you actually want everyone in the world to know that you're going to Tom's house on Saturday? What if you gave slightly more detail than that and some 67 year old man was bored and wanted something to do on the weekend? With the details you've given would he be able to find Tom's house too? Do you want a total stranger to join in?

What about that 17 year old girl you met on Bebo who you've now got on your MSN contacts? You guys are really good friends and chances are you're going to want to meet up soon? She even lives in the same city as you. How do you know she's really the person she says she is? Well, you don't do you? The answer is most likely no. The threat I'm talking about is real. People actually go missing and much, much worse, all because they put slightly too many personal details on the internet.

Is it self-love or the need to seek attention that drives people to do this? Is it simply a desire to connect with more people and expand one's knowledge of the world? The world is moving faster and faster towards the idea of a 'global village': a world where everyone is linked to everyone and all borders simply fade away. Doesn't this idea go against the very fundamentals of humanity? Once everyone is linked and can access everything at the touch of a button, is there even a need to live anymore? What further progress can we make from then on? The old system worked just fine in case you forgot so I don't see how we are actually making progress.

You probably think I'm going off on a tangent, but actually it all links up. You see as we become more connected, we also slowly lose our sense of individuality, originality and privacy that we once took for granted. We simply become another robot, connected to the system. In a desperate attempt to regain ourselves we publish what little we have on the internet to try and set us apart. This may not be the case for everyone, but for so many it is and it will only get worse as we march forward in the name of progress.

The majority of teenagers will say that they simply put their details up for their friends, but surely if someone is your friend they would already know most of those things about you? The truth is that whether you like it or not, you're actually doing it in case someone you don't know comes across your page and becomes your friend due to what you've written about yourself. Why else would you write about what type of person you are or what you're looking for in a boyfriend?

Now don't go overboard and delete every web page that mentions anything about you, but just be more careful in future when you choose what to publish online. If you can, simply remain anonymous. I mean do you even know who I am? Some people do know, but unless you do, what more do you know other than the fact that my nickname is Jono and that I just turned seventeen? Not much. And let's keep it that way.

The Seven Vertically Challenged Males

A story of love, loss and copious amounts of growth hormones

Once upon a time, in a land not very far from Hollywood, lived seven men who all had something in common. No, they were not queer, but close enough. They were all extraordinarily short and this, as I’m sure you’ve already realised, is more than just a tragedy. Everyone thought they were kids and these poor men were being deprived of the respect they deserved. The situation was unacceptable, and required desperate measures. And by desperate measures, I mean illegal amounts of badger growth hormones. Why badger you may ask? Well, because I say so. And no one questions the narrator.

The illegal substances were ordered and arrived in a glass coffin seven days later. The growth hormones were consumed and they waited for days, but nothing happened. Rude words were used and temper tantrums were thrown, but even this didn’t help. Fortunately, large amounts of alcohol were found nearby and as you may know, alcohol solves all problems. That is, until the next morning. That’s when your problems only get worse. The dwarves were now angrier than ever and it turns out the growth hormones had actually changed all their personalities. Some were always happy and some were always sad. One was always sleepy and another was suicidal at times. This caused even more confusion and now they had to seek help elsewhere.

After many further months of searching they were given the contact details of a certain evil queen. Apparently she had the ability to satisfy any of your wishes, as long as you paid her well. They all agreed that this was their last hope and went over to her castle one day. They explained their problems to her and she said that she would be happy to help them on one condition. The condition was; well, unfortunately we will never know, but we do know this much: following their meeting with the queen, the dwarves have never had their wish satisfied but it looks as though they are doing just fine. It seems being mistaken for a kid does have its advantages.

You may be thinking to yourself, where does the love bit come in? Well, it doesn’t come just yet. That bits being saved for the sequel. Apparently it’s coming to cinemas next summer. I just stuck it in the subtitle because it sounds good and might make you read on.

Seventeen

Yes! As of Friday I am officially seventeen years of age and as of Saturday I also possess a Learner’s Licence. Pretty sweet huh? Damn straight it is, and soon I shall also have a job (You know what that means). Life here in New Zealand is turning out pretty good so far I must say. Now all I need is my own car and I’ve got it made...

How long did you say a giraffe's tongue was?

Here I sit; staring at a laptop screen. The stark contrast of the dark screen and the bright sunlight reflected by the concrete driveway are beginning to strain my eyes. It’s a Sunday afternoon and that can only mean one thing. Monday is fast approaching and as always I’m not even close to ready. There’s homework to be done, musical instruments to be practised before the next lesson and blog entries to be done. Wait... Did I just say blog entries? Now that’s a good idea! Why don’t I simply write about what I see at this exact moment and use it as a blog entry! It sure makes my life a lot easier and will give me something to write about.

So what do I see? Well, I see a desk covered in school books, sheet music, forms to be filled out and various items of stationery. On my right I see a half eaten packet of salt and vinegar crinkle cut chips, a flash drive and a calculator. On my left I see a mobile phone, and iPod that happens to be connected to my head via a pair of earphones, a notebook mouse, a glasses case and a pair of glasses that are folded on a book I borrowed from the library more than two weeks ago. Yes, that means it should have been brought back a while ago.

That’s just what I see on my desk. I could also tell you what I see in my room, or even throughout the whole house. Do you need to know what I see though? Probably not, but if you’re reading this it means you probably wouldn’t mind hearing. Am I going to tell you? No, because if I did, I wouldn’t be able to write about it in a future entry. You see, it’s all about getting people to come back to your blog. Pouring out your life story in one entry will make for a good read; but once you’ve done that, you won’t have a lot to write about. People will lose interest and your blog will join about 4 million other blogs that almost no one reads. What I’m writing is not an advertising ploy intended to entice you to visit my page daily, but rather a favour you could do for me by coming back every now and then. Who knows? You might just find something that does interest you. Unfortunately I’m getting a bit hungry and those chips look awfully good, so this will have to be it for today. Oh, and apparently a giraffe’s tongue is 53cm long. It says so on the back of the chips packet.

A is for Apple, B is for Blog..

Blog? Sounds a lot like some extra-terrestrial creature from "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". After looking it up on Wikipedia I believe it refers to a kind of 'e-diary', something which has been around for over 10 years now. As for what I'm going to use it for, well, everything from everyday experiences, to my deepest speculations of life and everything it holds. Anything goes really, so feel free to comment. I'd appreciate it if you did. Constructive criticism is never a bad thing.