Last Hurrah #10

I have never been a fan of writing. It has always come somewhat difficult to me. What bothered me the most was how writing has no end. There is no “right” answer to a writing prompt.  One can always improve on their writing. Because of my dislike for writing, I was not completely motivated in the beginning of the quarter.  After a little guidance from my instructor, I found my way back into the class. I didn’t give the class much of a chance. When I finally committed myself to the class, I quickly found my dread for writing was soon changed into a more positive outlook.  Maybe it was the style of the class or the motivated instructor, either way I came out of this class with more joy in writing.  I think I have met the learning outcomes in this class.  Through certain posts I have learned how to implicitly and/or explicitly define my audience, used styles and tones effectively, and demonstrated practical uses for my writing.

I found communicating to a specific audience is quite simple.  One of my early posts was about the release of iPhone 4S.  In this task, I took an existing article and rewrote it to fit a slightly different audience. This task was daunting at first. I kept thinking, “how can I write better than a published author?” I hit the article head on.  The news article mentioned the new features of iPhone 4S, and the differences from previous models. Being knowledgeable in technology, I thoroughly explained how the new features would affect an everyday user. I think I successfully rearticulated the article to be easily read by a broad audience.

As an author, I prefer to incorporate voice into my writing. Some make the argument that voice creates a bias and makes the author less credible.  I think effectively using voice adds personality to the writing.  Personal voice creates a connection between the reader and the author. Therefore making the article more of a pleasure to read.  I have written a few articles incorporating voice.  I think my most effective article is the classification of sports fans. I go into detail describing the differences in sports fans. I chose voice in this article to add some personal insight from an athlete and a fan.  This style allows the reader to gain perspective on sports fans.

Every article I posted was an example of practical writing. None of the prompts were predetermined, therefore giving freedom to the writer.  My article on cooking filet mignon is my best example of a practical use.  I wrote this article on to help the reader to cook an awesome filet.  This article goes far beyond a recipe. I analyze each step so that the reader(chef) can fully understand the importance of each step.  I think this article is a useful tool for anyone who wants to cook up a fancy meal.

Throughout this course I have written some decent articles that I am proud of.  I can walk away knowing I have met the learning outcomes through my many posts. These posts include a variety of different topics, styles, and purposes. More so than just meeting the learning outcomes, I have learned to enjoy writing on a regular basis.  I am a man of many hobbies. Historically writing has never been one of my hobbies.  I may continue with writing on the blog.   

 

Fans (revised) #9

Although many people enjoy sports and watch them on television or go to games, few “fans” have unconditional pride or really care about how their team does week in and week out.  When I think of sports fans, I categorize them in three distinct categories. We have the “fair weather” fan, social fans, and rabid fans.  Fair weather fans are the ones who love to jump on the bandwagon when their team is doing well. The social fans are the ones who don’t really care about sports or the team, but rather go to sporting events to hangout with friends. The rabid fans are the ones who live and breath their team.

Social fans may not have a favorite team, or even like sports period. Most will attend or watch a game only purely for social reasons. Who wins or who loses does not affect these fans. Many social fans know minimal about the sport being played. When I watch or attend games, I find myself having to explain the happenings of the game. Social fans are rarely involved in the game but do enjoy the company of their friends. 

Although social fans know the least about the team and even the sport, nobody is as disliked by the fare weather fans. These are the fans that never devote themselves to a specific team on a regular basis. If their home team is doing well, then these fans will generally call themselves a fan. However, if their home team is doing poorly, these fans will root for whichever team is on top.  More than likely this type of fan will go out and buy team attire to try and prove their devotion to the team.  When talking with these fans you will find that they love to talk about how well their current team is doing and all about the star players, again to try and prove their devotion. The rabid fans hate “fair weather” fans, because they lack loyalty to one team for a long period of time.

Rabid fans are truly devoted to one team, and follow their team in the good times and the rough times. You will rarely hear a rabid fan cheer for any team, unless they are cheering against another team. Rabid fans begin their tailgating early in the morning all the way up to game time and sometimes after. These fans provide great entertainment while at the game. Some will dress up in crazy outfits. Others love to yell at, and criticize the referees. Some will paint their chests with clever messages or go all out in full body paint even if the weather is brutally cold.  - When I say these fans live and breathe their team, I mean it. - They truly feed off how their team does throughout the season. If the team is doing well these fans will be pleasant people to be around. However, if the team is having a bad year then you do not expect their moods to be anything short of depressed. Although the team doesn’t always do well, the majority of season ticket holders are held by the rabid fans. These season ticket holders generally make good friends with the other season ticket holders around them. These rabid fans are what give teams a “home field advantage.” I spoke to a friend that has been a long time New York Yankees fan, and he told me that it’s a great feeling to know that you are a part of how the team performs. 

As an athlete myself, I understand that a lot of our success on the field is due to our rabid fans cheering us at every game. Hearing the fans cheering loudly gives a team a little bit of extra motivation to do well

I think that everyone should be a die-hard about some kind of sports team because of the ways that you will feel after your team has a good year. The passionate feeling that you get after your team gets a big win or has a good season is indescribable. You do not really get this feeling from any other person or thing. If you truly think about it the team that you cheer for is always there for you. They may not be able to win every game, but they are always there. They never turn there back on you as a fan, and they will do all that they can to make sure that you know that they appreciate you.

Fans #8

Although many people like sports and watch them on television, few people actually have a strong pride in a team, or really care about how a team does on a competitive game-to-game basis. To me people can be categorized in three different fan groups. One type of fan is a fair weather fan. They jump from team to team, most likely to which one is winning. Another type of fan is a part-time fan. They really do not care much about any one team, and just watch whoever is on. Finally, there is what I like to call rabid fans. These fans never miss a game, and root for their team in good and bad times.

The first type of fan that I mentioned is a fair weather fan. These are the kinds of fans that never really jump on board with one specific team. They cheer for whichever team might be winning at the time. These fans will usually say that they are routing for whoever the sports critics say will win the championship in that specific season. These are the fans that get tickets to a game, then run out and by clothing that has the team on it, knowing that they will only wear it one time. Fair weather fans are always the ones that will act like they know a lot about the team that is winning at the time. Most people that are true sports fanatics can honestly tell who the true sports fans are, and who the fair weather fans are. True sports fans honestly cannot stand these people when it comes to sports.

The next type of fan is what I like to call a part-time fan. These fans really do not have a favorite team, or even like sports period. They will watch a game only if there is nothing else on that they would rather watch. They really do not care who wins or loses. Most of the time these fans do not really know much about the sport that they are watching, or know much about sports in general. They go to the games just to hang out with their friends, or be seen by everyone that is there. Part-time fans really do not get into the games that are going on, and would rather be doing anything other than watching a game. 

The final type of fan that I mentioned is a rabid fan. These are the fans that truly have a favorite team, and really care about how their team does throughout the season. You will never here a rabid fan cheer for any team other than his or her favorite. Rabid fans are the ones who are tailgating at the games at eight o’clock in the morning, when the game does not start until five or six o’clock at night. They will be the ones that you will see on television with their chests painted in weather that you cannot even imagine being outside in, much less with your shirt off. They truly feed off how their team does throughout the season, if the team is having a good year then these people will rarely ever be unhappy, but if the team is having a bad year then you do not want to cross paths with them. They will know everything that there is to know about their team, not necessarily in history, but definitely since they have been fans. The rabid fans usually are where you will find the group of people that have the season tickets to all of the home games, and know all of the people that sit around them. They really form a bond with everyone around them at the game, and enjoy seeing all of the friends each home game. I spoke to another friend that has been a long time New York Yankees fan, and he told me that it just feels great to know that you honestly can feel like you are a part of how the team performs on the field. 

As an athlete myself, I know we owe a lot of our success on the field to our rabid fans cheering us on every game. When you here the fans in the stands cheering for you it really gives you that little but of extra motivation to do you job to the best of your abilities, in order to make the fans happy. 

I think that everyone should be a rabid about some kind of sports team because of the ways that you will feel after your team has a good year. The passionate feeling that you get after your team gets a big win or has a good season is indescribable. You do not really get this feeling from any other person or thing. If you truly think about it the team that you cheer for is always there for you. They may not be able to win every game, but they are always there. They never turn there back on you as a fan, and they will do all that they can to make sure that you know that they appreciate you.

            

Filet of Beef Cooked Medium #7

Most meat eaters enjoy a great steak now and then.  There are a variety of cuts ranging in prices from about $10 to about $100.  Each cut has its own unique purpose.  Some cuts are more fatty, some are leaner, and some are more tender. Most prefer a tender cut of steak grilled to our liking. I prefer a grilled filet mignon. It’s cut from the tenderloin of the cow and is usually the most expensive cut per ounce.  This essay will guide you in grilling a great filet mignon that your friends will absolutely love.  Picking the right cut of beef, prepping your steak and grill, grilling, and resting the meat once cooked are key steps in grilling a succulent filet mignon.

Picking the Steak:

Picking a quality cut of meat is crucial to grilling the perfect steak.  When shopping for a cut, you need to consider the grades of the beef. The US grades are prime, choice, and select.  For cooking this steak you will want to buy a choice cut. Prime cuts are hard to find in most super markets and are mainly used in restaurants. Although the price may seem fitting, refrain from buying a select cut.   Select cuts are the lowest quality therefore being less enjoyable than higher grades.  The age of the meat and the marbling determine the majority of the grade.  Marbling refers to the fat running throughout the meat. High marbling will result is a juicer and more flavorful steak.  Finally make your selection. Remember to consider high grade and good marbling in your selection.

Prepping for the grill:

We now have a good cut ready to begin the prepping process. Allow yourself a good amount of time for this step.  For best results you will want to let the beef sit at room temperature 45 minutes prior to cooking. Letting meat sit prior to cooking helps the meat cook evenly on the grill.  Skipping this step may result in overcooking the outside of the meat while undercooking the inside. During the 45 minutes, you can watch some football, prep another entrée, or sit back with a cold drink.  If you are using a charcoal barbeque, be sure to allow time for coals to heat (roughly 15 minutes) before throwing the meat on.  Our steak has now been sitting long enough, and our barbeque should be at a high heat. We are almost ready for the grill. However, don’t get too anxious, before we can grill, we must season our steaks.  I recommend using salt and pepper for our seasoning. Other spices and seasonings have a tendency to hide the steak’s natural flavor. When seasoning, be sure to generously season both sides while massaging the salt and pepper into the meat.  It’s very important to season our meat moments before cooking.  If we season our steak too early, we run the risk of dehydrating our steak.

Grilling:

Once our meat is nicely seasoned and our grill is nice and hot. We are merely moments away from grilling. (For those pretty grill marks, rub the grill with vegetable oil prior to cooking).  Gently set the steak on the grill. After about three minutes, gently give the steak a 90° turn.  After another 2-3 minutes, our steak is ready to flip.  It’s important to be gentle when cooking meat. If we are rough with the steak, we can squeeze out a lot of the juices.  Once flipped, do to this side as you did to the other side.  After 6 minutes on both sides, our steak should be a nice medium temperature (pink center, no red). 

Resting:

Resting our steak can make or break this meal.  No matter what cut of beef we are cooking with, we should always let the meat rest at room temperature for five minutes before cutting into it. Resting the meat allows the hot juices inside to calm down and set throughout the meat. If you skip this step, your steak will lose its flavor and juiciness.

            Once you have successfully followed these simple guidelines, sit down and let someone else serve you. 

Filet of Beef Cooked Medium #6

We all love a good steak.  There are many different cuts of steak.  Each cut has its own fat percentage, tenderness, and price.  Most of us prefer and tender cut of steak grilled to our liking. I prefer a grilled filet mignon. It’s cut from the tenderloin of the cow and is usually the most expensive cut per ounce.  This essay will help you grill the perfect filet mignon that your friends will go crazy for.  Picking the right steak, prepping your steak and grill, grilling the filet, and resting the meat once cooked are all important steps in grilling the best filet mignon.

Picking the Steak:

Picking a quality cut of meat is crucial to grilling the perfect steak.  When shopping for a cut, you will want to consider the grade of the beef. The US grades are prime, choice, and select.  For cooking this steak you will want a choice cut. Prime cuts are hard to find in super markets and select cuts are the lowest quality.  The age of the meat, and the marbling of fat throughout the meat determine the majority of the grade.  Marbling refers to the fat running through the meat. High marbling will result is a more tender cut.  Finally make your selection. Remember to consider high grade and good marbling in your selection.

Prepping for the grill:

We now have a good cut ready to begin the prepping process. You will want to allow yourself a good amount of time for this step.  For best results you will want to let the filet sit at room temperature 45 minutes prior to cooking. This step helps the meat cook evenly on the grill.  Without this step, we might overcook the outside while undercooking the inside. During the sitting time you can sit and watch a football game, prep another entrée, or sit back with a cold drink.  If you are using a charcoal barbeque, be sure to allow time for coals to heat before cooking.  Our steak has now been sitting long enough, and our barbeques should be at a high heat. We are almost ready for the grill, but before we are ready, we must season our steaks.  The best seasoning for a steak is salt and pepper. Other spices may hide the steak’s natural flavor. When seasoning, be sure to generously season both sides while massaging the salt and pepper into the meat.  It’s very important to season our meat moments before cooking.  If we season too early, we run the risk of dehydrating our steak.

Grilling:

Once our meat is nicely seasoned and our grill is nice and hot, our steak is ready for the grill (for those pretty grill marks, rub the grill with vegetable oil prior to cooking).  Gently set the steak on the grill. After about three minutes, gently give the steak a 90° turn.  After another 2-3 minutes, our steak is ready to flip.  It’s important to be gentle when cooking meat. If we are rough with the steak, we can squeeze out a lot of the juices.  Once flipped, do to this side as you did to the other side.  After 6 minutes on both sides, our steak should be a nice medium temperature (pink center, no red). 

Resting:

Resting our steak can make or break this meal.  No matter what cut of beef we are cooking with, we should always let the meat rest at room temperature for five minutes before cutting into it. Resting the meat allows the hot juices inside to calm down and set throughout the meat. If you skip this step, your steak will lack flavor and juiciness.

If you have successfully completed these four major steps, you should sit down and enjoy your steak.

Conservatism: Sometimes Misunderstood #5

 Those who buy into propaganda might echo a stereotypical definition of a “conservative”:  one who is wealthy, selfish, bigoted, war mongering, anti-government, and adverse to change.  Though this view might well serve political agendas, it is an inaccurate and uninformed definition of a conservative.  Though some political parties may have more conservative tendencies than others, it is important to note that conservatism is not a political affiliation; it is neither Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, nor Tea.   In truth, conservatism is a school of thought based on the belief on the constitution, individual freedom, self-determination and personal responsibility. Conservatism also supports an inverse relationship between the size of government and individual liberty.  A conservative is not anti-government, but firmly believes that the size and reach of government powers and programs come at the expense of personal property and liberty.

           
            To a conservative, the Constitution is the blueprint for our federal government and should be interpreted literally.  That is to say that a conservative does not believe the Constitution is a “living document” subject to changing political or social climates.  However, neither does a conservative believe the Constitution is perfect or should remain unaltered from its original text.  A conservative holds firm that any constitutional changes should come through the amendment process provided for in the Constitution.   The Constitution clearly describes the lawful powers of the federal government.  But just as important, to a conservative, the constitution outlines the limits of that power.  Those limitations are in place to preserve the powers of individual states and protect individual freedoms.   In drafting the Constitution, as well as the Declaration of Independence, our founding fathers literally rejected the imposing, overbearing rule of the king of England.  The genesis of our country is based on the value of and quest for religious freedom, self-determination, and personal liberty. 

           
           A conservative believes in a defined role of government, but as a rule, is wary of the size and reach of government.  The cost of government expansion, legislation, regulation, and government programs, is born by individual citizens.   Though some if not most laws are necessary to maintain a safe, ordered society, laws fundamentally limit the freedom of individuals.  Conservatives believe that the citizens must be vigilant not to cede their freedoms to the government without a necessary common benefit.   On one extreme, one would be challenged to argue against laws prohibiting acts of terrorism.   However, is it necessary that current federal law prohibits the number of game shows one can participate in annually?    It is the labor of the individual and their taxes that fund government payrolls and programs.  Every government employee, and every government program, be it the military, NASA, or agricultural subsidies, are paid for out of the pockets of wage earners.  A conservative will maintain that the government tree is watered with personal property.   

           
          If unchecked, the growth of the government can undermine not only our freedom, but also our entire democracy.  Currently, in a time of unprecedented spending and accumulated national debt, Americans are questioning how close we are to irreversible insolvency.  The bulk of our debt will be the responsibility of coming generations.  According to the US National Debt Clock every American citizen has a share of $44,067, and every unborn child will assume as much and more (US National Debt Clock 1).  Economically conservatives believe in the statement, “don’t spend what you don’t have.”  As the 19^th century French historian Alexis de Tocueville describes, “the American Republic will endure until the day congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money (QuoteDB 1).”

          
          Along with the liberties of individuals, a conservative values the freedom of all commercial markets.  The reward of profit and personal gain offered in the marketplace gives individuals incentive to produce, invent, and develop more opportunities for others.  These rewards also offer individuals self worth and independence.  Though some government control, such as anti-trust laws, is appropriate to preserve the free market, a conservative is an advocate for limiting the reach of government in the markets. The more limits the government places on the market, the less incentive an entrepreneur has to produce goods. 

Conservatism is not exclusive to any socio-economic level. It has nothing to do with racial or ethnic backgrounds.  Conservatism is simply a philosophy; a belief that any increase in government is a limit to individual freedom and that it is written in the constitution to protect our freedoms and limit government.  Conservatives value the free market and maintain that it is a free market and not government that motivates people to invent, achieve, and create opportunities for others. 

           

           

            

A Visionary Untouched 2 #4

I remember that car ride home.  My water polo team had just destroyed Mercer Island’s team 17 to 6.  It was an awesome game I probably had 7 goals 3 or 4 steals and a couple field-blocks, I was on cloud nine after the game.  It was late in the evening, freezing cold, and pouring down rain. The last thing I wanted to do after a win like that was get out of the cozy pool into the frigid air wearing nothing but a speedo.  Full of adrenalin I hopped out, grabbed my towel, dried off, and jumped into my deck coat.  After a quick meeting with my coach I scurried to my car, cranked up the heat, and turned on some tunes. That was the first time I heard the news.  Steve Jobs was dead.  It had been six hours since the news broke out, and I was just hearing it for the first time.  I sat there for a few minutes reflecting on how his innovations change the world of technology forever.  He was a visionary who revolutionized the music industry, the cell phone industry, and the personal computer industry. 

Along with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, Steve Jobs pioneered the first personal computer in 1976.  Apple I was the first product of Apple Inc.  In the following years Apple released the Apple II, Apple III, and the Apple Lisa.  After much success with the Apple II and Apple III, Apple hired John Sculley as CEO for his business background to improve advertising and profit margins.  In 1985 Jobs was ousted by the board of directors and sold his share of Apple.  Years later he started a new computer company called NeXT.  Apple eventually bought the company bringing Jobs back into Apple’s management. After a decade of poor management and the company turning to a multibillion-dollar loss, Steve Jobs became the CEO. Thus began the “Steve Jobs Era.”  Jobs began restructuring the company.  Just before the company almost went under, Jobs struck an investment deal with Microsoft.  The Apple revolution has begun. 

 

We all love our music.  I remember getting my first iPod. It was the coolest thing ever.  It could hold 1,000 songs at one time. This was a big step up from my SONY Walkman.  The iPod had a color screen and it even had games.  This great piece of technology revolutionized the music experience.  People didn’t have to use CD’s anymore.  I could just go to iTunes and buy any song I wanted.  For better or worse Steve Jobs revolutionized the music industry.  The iPod was one of a kind and everyone had to have one. It’s what put Apple on the technology map. 

With the iPod leading the way, people started to take notice of Apple, and their version of a personal computer.  The iMac was unique to its features.  It was the only computer to be all in one.  The idea of a computer built into the screen was a major selling point for Apple.  Eventually the new iMac became the best selling PC on the market. Apple continued to update and remodel the iMac with the newest technology, but computers weren’t the main event in Palo Alto. 

Jobs always had something brewing in the background.  In January of 2007, Apple introduced one of it’s most famous of products.  There was no phone like the iPhone. It was truly revolutionary.  It introduced touch-screen technology on mobile devices.  The iPhone also created a brand new idea.  Apps are a major part of daily life.  There is an app for everything.  Nobody could match the iPhone’s capabilities. I sat at my computer jaw dropped as I watched the keynote speech from Jobs.  I though it was the coolest thing ever!! 

Steve Jobs was a visionary, and no one can argue with that statement.  Today there are many products competing with Apple products, but these followers can’t say they were the first.  Steve Jobs was the first.  On October 5^th, 2011 at 3:00pm in his home Steve lost his last battle with pancreatic cancer.  He had been battling cancer since October 2003, but he never let the battle affect his mind. He would keep coming up with the latest and greatest.  He was such an iconic person in the modern world and in my life. He gave me my love for technology.  I guess I thought he would live forever.  I released my parking brake, popped my truck into first gear, and silently drove home.