Nick Hornby is a Genious, duh

http://www.nicksbooks.com/index.php/archives/category/news/

Modern literature can be summed up by one author. His writing has been made into five different movies, given him American Academy of Arts and Letters’ E. M. Forster Award as well as the Orange Word International Writers’ London Award in 2003, has been made into music with the help of singer/songwriter/composer Ben Folds, and he is only 53 years old. His name is Nick Hornby. Maybe you've heard of him.

This is the kind of information you will get from The Official Site of Nick Hornby. The official site has a bias towards Nick Hornby. On this site, you will find all of his works, available to read uplifting comments on and be able purchase with a credit card and a moment of your time. Everything points to Hornby.

On the black bar on the top of the site, you can click on his biographical page, or his books, movies, or the section specific to teachers. This page shows all of the colleges and universities that have adapted some of Hornby's work into their curriculum.

The space next to that is the Charity section. This page has a quote from Hornby about the Treehouse Trust, an organization in the UK that has an education program for children with autism. It has the organizations purpose and how it helps society.

Although Hornby seems to be a great guy, this picture is being painted by his own official website. This gives the website a bias in favor of Nick Hornby.

But in his defense, after looking into the information and browsing other sites, Hornby does appear to be the very same kind of guy that his own website portrays him as. So although there is a bias, it is negligible because it is all true.

The only thing that proves a bias is that none of the comments on his work from journalists or fans are negative. But in all honesty, who can say anything negative about this man's writing? It is incredible.

Multiple movies, a Broadway play, prestigious awards, a column in an art and literature magazine, several best selling books, and he is still young. You go Nick Hornby!

Merry Christmas Everyone, especially my friend and hero, Drew Harris.

Drew Harris is my hero.

-B

True Grit, the Best Western

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/movies/12grit.html


True Grit was a country western novel written in 1968, and was made into an old time western movie in 1969 starring John Wayne. Now, 41 years later, the Coen Brothers are at it again in directing another fantastic film. The new True Grit is starring Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Matt Damon, and a upcoming acress Hailee Steinfeld as the 13-year-old Mattie Ross out to kill the man that killed her father. The film is due to come out before Christmas this holiday season.

The Coen brothers in this article are interviewed on the main points of the film, why did they wish to do this film, and the process by which they choose a young actress for the role of Mattie Ross. They have a lot to say, most of which is that they are not remaking the original movie, but creating an adaptation from the book. They have each read the book, as well as most of the cast, and they feel it speaks to them and is a very powerful novel.

This film is rated PG-13 and the Coen's plan on it bringing in quite the christmas crowd. Since the PG-13 rating, they can show what the young girl had to go through, by still keeping it clean enough for all members of the family.

In all honesty, I am a bit disappointed by the rating. I enjoy new western action dramas just as much as anyone else, such as the Coen's No Country for Old Men, and others such as There Will Be Blood and 3:10 to Yuma, but all of those greats capture their intensity with many aspects that a PG-13 movie can't.

I am still excited about the movie and will see it, but I do wish it were a rated R film.

Most everyone enjoys seeing movies. From my experiences, everyone does, especially Drew Harris. He does not see as many as he should, but I am sure that he will get to this one. It is the tale of a survivor, and Drew is defiantly a survivor.

Drew Harris is my Hero.

-B

Don't drive in the fog

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/dec/05/echoes-from-the-fog/

In 1990, Tennessee was hit with a devastating day. In an unexpected fog on highway I-75, two semi trucks collided, and in the midst of the fog, started a 99 car pileup. This pileup is still the largest car accident in Tennessee history. The article presents the events in a terrifying way, almost as if you were in a movie. The author shares interviews with people that survived the crash and police officers that responded to the hundreds of calls dialing 911 and gasping for the breath to say ‘help.’

I read this article this morning when I was in Chattanooga. I was visiting my Grandma for her 85^th birthday with my family, and my dad’s extended family. I discussed the article with my grandmother and she remembered it like it was yesterday. She was not in the crash and lives south of the crash site, but she was connected to it in some way, and so was I, although I did not know at the time…

In 1990, on December 5^th, my mother and father were living in Knoxville, Tennessee. My dad was working almost all hours of the day and my two older brothers were two and three years old. I was not even born yet. My mom was planning ahead on Christmas and wanted to travel down to Chattanooga on my grandma’s birthday and they were going to go shopping in a famous mall in Chattanooga. To get there, my mom was going to drive down I-75. With no knowledge of the fog, my mother was going to drive down early in the morning.

Then on the early morning of December 5^th, my mom called my dad at work before she left the house. He told her something that she had forgotten to do, and had to change her plans on the day. She called up her mother-in-law and apologetically said that she could come down and they would have to shop another time. About an hour later, the crash began.

It was figured that my mom would have been in the crash or just missed the crash if she had made the trip down to Chattanooga that day. My grandma said this morning “I don’t know what kept her that day,”   but then she said “It was God.”

Anything can happen on any given day that can affect us for the rest of our lives it seems. Anything can happen, good or bad. Car accidents happen every day, even though ‘it would never happen to me.’ Teens especially.

I mean even your hero can be in a car accident…

Drew Harris is my Hero.

-B

Thanksgiving, a tradition in Cinci

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/running/2010/11/24/be-thankful-for-the-chance-to-run-on-turkey-day/

This past Thanksgiving, I woke up early. Instead of family brunch or a nice breakfast, I had a bowl of cereal. The rain was coming down hard and it was going to be a long day. I was headed to the 101^st Turkey Day 10k in downtown Cincinnati. Despite the awful weather, a group of guys and I, as well as 10,700 others, decided it was well worth the satisfaction of finishing a 10k and then stuffing our faces at Thanksgiving dinner in the rain. The race started and ended outside Paul Brown Stadium and it crossed over the Ohio River twice. The race was considered a fun run to some, but a true race to others.

In the article, the individual clearly missed out on the great running experience in Cincinnati, and I truly feel sorry for him. What a fun way to start off Thanksgiving: in the pouring down rain when it is cold and we are running six miles. But he really did miss out. All 10,000 runners/walkers bonded together for a Thanksgiving experience for the 101^st time in Cinci History. WOW.

In the group of guys I was with who attended the race, Drew Harris (my hero), was one of them. What a race he had. He was convinced that this 10k was a fun run, but what domination for just clowning around. He has always said that he can hold a pace forever, and he sure was telling the truth. He went faster than he or I thought possible, especially since the cross country season was over.

I am very proud of my hero, and his showing can be tracked, as well as all the other 10,000 on http://onlineraceresults.com/race/view_race.php?race_id=17423&relist_record_type=result&lower_bound=0&upper_bound=10742&use_previous_sql=1&group_by=default#racetop .

Drew Harris is my Hero.

-B

Straight outta Detroit

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/51942/232673

The White Stripes have been a musical experience since 1997, coming out of Detroit, Michigan. White is the youngest of ten children and is a multi-instrumentalist. He began his musicianship with the drums at a very young age and then learned to play the guitar in her first band, The Upholsterers, formed with his boss at an upholstery shop in Detroit. This thirty-five year old has been involved in music since he was eighteen years old and has been considered one of the better guitarists of all time.

The White Stripes has been White’s getaway for some time outside of his solo career, and bands the Dead Weather and The Raconteurs. He enjoys getting back to the basics and his roots of blues rock when he connects with Meg White for each White Stripes album. The basis of the band is about being children, with a name based on peppermints and a color scheme of red and white for every outfit the two person band wears.

In this recent article, Jack White is quoted in hinting there will be another White Stripes album in the near future. Their most recent hit was in 2007, and Jack has been busy since then. With side projects such as the music for movies (Quantum of Solace, Cold Mountain) and his side bands, Jack has had little time lately for Meg and being childish. But The Raconteurs members are returning to their band The Greenhorns, and members of the Dead Weather are recording with their other bands as well. So Jack has been given a break, and the only way he should fill that void is through the White Stripes.

Some of you may be thinking, “How can this be related to Drew Harris?” Well it’s very simple. Jack White is an incredible guitarist. Drew Harris once wanted to be a guitarist of sorts. He even picked one up once. It was my grandfather’s. He was so good he even broke a string or two. I have never seen Drew pick up a guitar since, but I am sure he has been practicing away to get up to the level of White’s playing.

Jack White is my favorite, but Drew Harris is my hero.

-B

2010 Cross Country State Meet

http://issuu.com/cincinnati/docs/eastern-hills-journal-111010?viewMode=magazine&mode=embed

Page 7, Top Article “Cotton’s state title leads area runners”

                This article summarizes the performances of local area schools in the High School State Cross country meet held at Scioto Downs outside of Columbus, Ohio on November 6^th, 2010. The main focus is of the Summit Country Day men’s cross country team and the St. Ursula women’s cross country team. What can be gained from this article is that Colin Cotton is a beast. He is a senior at SCDS and the captain of the team, leading them to a modest finish as a team with his gold medal in the division III race. Congrats Summit. They were a tough competitor for Mariemont’s boy’s team all year long.

St. Ursula also has a strong team with depth. The differential between their first runner and number five runner on their varsity squad is only two minutes and fifteen seconds. This is a team led by and eighth place finish by Sarah Mazzei, putting the team in eighth as well. Way to be girls.

What this article should focus on is Mariemont’s varsity squad. What a story. Drew Harris, Conor Coyan, Emmett Saulnier, and Nathan Kuck (all members of Mariemont’s varsity), are also members of the Regional Runner Up varsity soccer team. They not only run every Saturday in grueling 5k races, but they then play a physical soccer game that lasts an hour and twenty minutes. Drew Harris, the number seven man at the regional race, was the game saver in Mariemont’s tournament game against Dayton Christian. He is an athlete like Cincinnati has never seen before. Standing at six foot five, and weighing much more than I, he is truly a Mariemont WARRIOR. Even as an athlete, his grades are phenomenal. What a kid.

This article is well written, but should be longer. It discusses very important information about very successful teams, but it should have more on one of the most well-rounded teams in the city. Congratulations MHS.

Drew Harris is My Hero

-B

127 Hours=Thriller

http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/45905/231025


Danny Boyle is most famous for his oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire, but this new film 127 Hours will change his directing career. In this article in the newest edition of Rolling Stone Magazine, it gives an overview of the new film, while discussing James Franco's groundbreaking role.


James Franco, in recent years, has been in many blockbuster movies, but until now, has not had an Oscar worthy performance. James Franco has been described as "amazing"and having "the best performance of all time." In the trailer for the film (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlhLOWTnVoQ), it is obvious that Franco will draw a crowd to see the thriller 127 Hours. The film came out on Friday November 5th and I am sure it was a popular film to see.

In the premier and early showings of the movie, two individuals fainted at Franco's performance and the intensity of the movie. Based on a true story, an incredible true story, Franco potrays Aron Ralston perfectly in this new thriller.


In the article it describes the summary of the film, and it makes me want to see it so much more. I cannot wait to see it, and this article is just making me crave this Oscar worthy performance even more.

Danny Boyle's fame comes not only from Slumdog Millionaire, but also thrilling films such as 28 Days Later. He is a sckilled director and the combination of him with James Franco is instant Gold. A must see.

I know how much of an outdoorsman Drew Harris is, so I am sure, considering he is my hero, that he and I will see this movie together. He spends his summers mountain biking across the whole lot of America, so I am sure he can easily relate to the story of Aron Ralston.

Drew Harris is My Hero

-B