How To Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great!: Stringing a guitar

When I first thought of re-stringing a guitar I was kind of intimated by the task, I didn't want to mess up the guitar somehow but the strings were wearing down and I knew it was time to replace them. Once again, I used my friends Fender to accomplish this. Cleaning the fret-board was a perfect opportunity to take off the strings to replace them. Once I had completed cleaning the guitar, it was time to re-string. Restringing a Fender guitar is a little bit tricky, you cannot cut the strings close to the tremolo bridge, or the string will be lost inside, and you will have to spend time fishing it out.

If you have cut the strings correctly, the neck should look like this. You then have to thread the strings through the tremolo bridge and up into the neck of the guitar where the strings are wrapped around the pegs.

 On one of the last rotations around the peg, make sure to tuck the string underneath itself, so it doesn't slide out while you're playing. "This extra string length creates enough winds around the post to force the string down close to the peg head... If you use too many winds, you're inviting the string to stretch and the tuning will slip" (Erlewine 11). Leave about a quarter of an inch excess of the string, then cut the string. Repeat that for each of the 5 following strings until you are finished. 

How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great!: Cleaning the fretboard

Cleaning the fret-board of the guitar is a very simple task and should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. "In the absence of deionized water, substitute warm water. Again, user this sparingly on a clean rag" (Erlewine 18).  To accomplish this, I had to first take the strings off of the guitar. I used my friends Fender for this objective. I unscrewed the back cabinet of the guitar and cut the strings out and pulled them from the guitar. I then took a slightly damp rag and wiped down each fret individually until each fret was clean. 

I wiped the rag in a circular motion to ensure that the entire fret was clean. I was surprised to see how much residue I had removed from the guitar by the time I had finished. This build up is very bad to have on a guitar because it messes up the sound. It adds a static-like noise which is not wanted while playing. 

Conditioning for soccer: Agility

Joey Macauley
Complete Conditioning for SoccerBy: Greg Gatz

While speed is the rate of which it takes to go from one point to another, agility is the level of efficiency to react to a stimulus. In chapter 8 of Complete Conditioning for Soccer, Greg Gatz focuses on this influential component of soccer and provides drills to pursue further success on the field. Essentially, agility training improves the execution of various coordinated body/muscle movements in space and with the nature of the body’s neuromuscular systems, improvements are quickly noticeable in one's performance after a few training sessions (Gatz 113). Additionally, Gatz further specifies beyond the basic definition of agility as he states, “Along with accelerating, agility involves reaction time, balance, coordination, stopping, and starting.” This leads to his elaboration on how to shape training programs as he introduces the division between the different drills, “Agility drills can be either reactive or nonreactive” (Gatz 114). In essence, non-reactive correlates with being able to anticipate something, and reactive drills challenge an individual’s ability to adjust to stimulus. Both are just as important when trying to dominate on the field and contribute to teams. Some of these drills include... 

(1) Shuttle Agility Drills: Sprinting 10 to 50 yard increments and using cones to incorporate changes of direction with sharp movements. Develops explosive strength, posture, and some balance
(2) Agility Ladder Exercises: Combination of many different patterns to speed up your footwork, coordinate your upper body with your lower body mechanics, and hones general athletic movements
(3) Line/Cutting Drills: Sprinting shorter distances and being able to change direction by isolating the position of your inside/outside foot to enhance explosiveness and balance for more muscle mechanic efficiency. 

Initially, I believed agility was simply being able to move quicker through improvised routes of adjusting to circumstances. However, after reading this chapter, Gatz added to my understanding to the multitude of concepts and mechanics that are involved in this component of soccer, along with how to individually improve it. The evidence that I paraphrased was not only the foundation to my aspiration to begin working on my agility, but also I was able recognize the distinguished movements that are often executed when I'm playing soccer. Then, the quotes I provided helped me form a simple program to isolate particular techniques and motions, which would translate in my performance on the field. Additionally, the evidence were parts of the chapter that influenced my knowledge of agility in order to effectively act on enhancing it. 

How did you perceive the definition and importance of agility in the activities you are involved in and what do you believe is the most important to focus on when conditioning this component?

Work Cited: 

Gatz, Greg. Complete Conditioning for Soccer. Human Kinetics, 2009.

Baseball Pitching (Post 3): The Curve Ball

The Curveball

The Curve ball is one of the most useful and deceiving off-speed pitches in the game. The curve ball excellent for putting batter off-balance and it keeps them guessing which pitch is going to be thrown next. In this post I will be discussing why the curve ball is useful, when to use it, and of course how to throw. The curve ball, as a pitcher is my favorite ball to throw, as a batter it is not as fun.

How to Hold

Similarly, to knuckle balls, there are a few different ways to throw curve balls. First, place your index and middle finger on the seams like so:

Then, place your thumb on top of the seams that are along the same seam, but is further down on the ball. This helps with stability when releasing. And then, just like many other pitches, curl your pinkie and ring finger on the seams opposite of the index and middle. Make sure that these fingers are resting on top of the seam and not too much pressure is being used when placing them (Clark 50).

The Release

When releasing, do everything you would normally do to throw a fastball (Clark 51), except when releasing snap your arm (not too much or you can injure your arm) but just enough so that the ball rolls off your index finger and has top spin. This allows aerodynamics to take over and the seams on the ball act like wings and force the ball to drop at a steeper angle than a traditional fastball. When practicing, especially if you are a younger pitcher, don’t over use your arm especially with curve balls because when throwing can put stress on your UCL (tendon that is in your elbow) and damaging it can lead to the extreme case of Tommy John surgery.

Extra Tips:

With curve balls, I don’t suggest throwing them unless your arm is in good shape for pitching. Also just like with all the other pitches, practicing right before a game isn’t the best idea. I suggest practicing your throwing well before your first game, at least a couple of months to help build muscle memory and strengthen your arm beforehand.

Question: Do you think this pitch will be effective in the game? Or will it be too easy to hit.

Source:

Clark, Dave. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2006. Print.

Applying Mindsets

             Like any sport, the best volleyball players have an aggressive mindset. Each player has a specific mindset about each aspect of any game. The point guard in basketball often is looking for other players cutting towards the basket, the goalie in soccer is trying to keep every ball they can out of their goal, and swimmers and track athletes strive to get ahead of those they're racing against. These are all mindsets that many coaches try to teach their athletes. Just like in those sports and many more, volleyball has many mindsets that are applied into the game.
             Libero's for a team are often chosen because they chase after balls that aren't always exactly theirs. Good defense players must be willing to go after every ball to keep it off their side of the court. "Defense is as much an attitude as it is a learned skill. Players should obviously achieve good position and skills, but they must also have an attitude that makes them eager to pursue balls that do not go directly to them," (Dunphy, Wilde 79). Volleyball Essentials explains that volleyball is part physical, but most of all, it is a mental sport. Good players will do anything to keep the ball from dropping on their side. During my practices, I observed that there was an obvious difference between players who wanted the ball and didn't. Those who didn't want the ball often made mistakes when they had to take it and in tournaments, they didn't get as much playing time. Like most players, I wanted playing time, so I adjusted my mindset to wanting every ball and played on in a new style.
             While I did tend to get more balls up than I previously had, the change in mindset could not simply happen overnight. The best players have that mindset constantly and I could not just create a whole new playing style for myself in one practice. That said, applying an aggressive mindset to defense did improve my experience for me. Going after every ball eventually led to me picking up balls that I had not been able to get previously.
             An aggressive mindset is not the only way of thinking that leads to success in all sports.
Volleyball Essentials advises to analyze and anticipate serves and all kinds of ball that the other team sends over. Anticipating is a common thing that coaches tell their players because it will increase your probability of reaching the ball. The left back position in volleyball is often the player that is the best defender. They are placed there because that is the most likely spot that the outside hitter, often the best hitter on the team, will hit to. Anticipating applies to defenders because if they are always anticipating, then they will be able to be in the spot where the ball could be hit. I had tried to try this technique and it worked really well. With some balls, I was beat because I anticipated the hitter wrong, but I was able to dig the hardest hits because I saw where the hitter's shoulders were facing. I highly recommend trying both of these in any sport because it will not only likely improve how you play the game, but it also will create a more enjoyable experience with higher competition.

A diagram that shows the left back position (surrounded by the purple lines) anticipating the ball. This can be done by seeing where your blockers are (two red circles closest to the green player) and where the hitter's shoulders are facing. 

           What mindset makes a sport more enjoyable, a highly competitive one or a mindset where you only want to mess around and make each other laugh?




Dunphy, Marv, and Wilde, Rod. Volleyball Essentials: Video-Text. Total Health Publications, 2014

Decorating Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing (Post #4- New Year's Eve Cookies): Using luster dust to add sparkle to cookies

Claire Andreski
Period 5
Post #4

Hi everyone! For New Year's Eve yesterday, my family had a bunch of friends and family over to celebrate the New Year and so I decided to make New Year's themed champagne glass and bottle shaped cookies. I was really excited to try using something called luster dust which my book outlined to do and I think that the cookies turned out really well! Keep reading to see the results.

First, I read the directions on how to decorate the champagne glasses and bottles and noticed something interesting. Both recipes called for something called "luster dust" which was supposed to be applied near the end and would make the cookies sparkle. Intrigued, I looked to Hession's tool section earlier on in the book to learn more about this decorating item. In a section of the book called "Key Ingredients", there was a paragraph on luster dust, which was titled, "Luster Dust". In it, Hession stated, "Luster dust is much finer than either disco dust or sanding sugar, and it serves two purposes for the designs in this book. First it's an easy way to add a bit of shimmer to a cookie that needs a finishing touch... Second, mixed with a few drops of vodka or lemon juice, luster dust can be painted onto cookies to give them gold or silver metallic detailing" (Hession 21). From what I understood in reading that passage, is that luster dust is a sparkly, fine powder that you would use almost like sprinkles to cover the cookie. I also saw that Hession included directions for how to use luster dust on cookies in a subsection called "Adding Sparkle", in which she described that sparkle can be applied while the icing is wet or dry and that the intensity of the luster dust is magnified if mixed with lemon juice or vodka to create almost a metallic paint (Hession 28-29). I decided that luster dust seemed the way to go for these New Year's Eve cookies, so I looked online and it looked like you could find it at any craft store pretty much, including Michael's, Joann's, and Hobby Lobby. As we were passing a Hobby Lobby, I stopped in and was able to find gold luster dust and also picked up a set of decorating brushes specifically in the cake/cookie decorating aisle. These were from the brand Sunny Side Up Bakery, but there are many other brands that sell these items too. The cookie cutters I got were from Sur La Table.

The decorating brushes and gold luster dust I bought from Hobby Lobby. 

After I had gathered all my materials, I began the process of creating this batch of cookies. First I made one batch of the standard sugar cookie recipe, rolled it out, then used the champagne glass and bottle cookie cutters to cut out my cookies. I then baked the cookies about 6-12 on a cookie sheet, based on the shape, at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once they were all baked, I placed them on a cookie rack to cool until the next morning. 

One cookie tray of champagne bottles after being baked.

The next day I really began the process of decorating the cookies. I made one batch of royal icing, which I divided into gray, olive green, yellow, and white icing, which I tinted using the Wilton Color Right System. I used a drop of black into a bowl of white frosting for the gray and just a drop of yellow for the yellow because I wanted a light color. To create a deep, olive green, I used 2 drops of blue, 3 drops of yellow, and a drop of brown food coloring. Once I had my colors in order, I placed the piping icings into piping bags with tips. I used a number two Wilton tip for the gray, a number 3 Wilton tip for the green, and a number 5 Wilton tip for the yellow. I first started by outlining all the champagne glasses with the gray piping icing. I followed the first two steps of the design as stated in the book which were, "1: Using the pastry bag of gray icing, outline the bowl of each champagne glass and add a circular rim. 2: Using the squeeze bottle of gray icing, outline and flood the stem of each champagne glass. Let dry for 10 minutes" (Hession 198). I did these steps for all the champagne glasses to outline them and below is what they looked like. 

The outlined champagne glasses.

While the outlines were setting up and drying, I created white flooding icing and put that in a squeeze bottle. After the ten minute drying time was up, I began to flood the glasses with white icing so it looked like there was champagne in them. A good tip that the author mentioned to make them look more realistic is to leave space between the top of the liquid and the cup (Hession 198). 

                                        

Left: Flooding the cookies with white icing to mimic champagne.

Above: The cookies after all being flooded; they needed to dry before luster dust could be added.

While I left those cookies to dry, I began decorating the champagne bottles. First, I created a rectangular outline in the middle where the label would be by using gray, piping icing. I also created a rectangle on the neck of the bottle where the seal might be. I then flooded those areas with white icing after they dried. Then I used the olive green piping icing to outline the areas where the actual bottle would be, below the labels. I left the top part open because I would later pipe yellow icing on as the "gold" label on champagne. 

The outlined champagne bottles. 

After that, I flooded the green sections with green flooding icing. Afterwards, I outlined and flooded the top with yellow, then used the yellow to write 2018 on the label. My cookies were all frosted. Now it was just time to add the luster dust. 

The instructions in the book for both types of cookies was to apply the luster dust when they had dried slightly, so it was a more subtle effect. The author said to let the icing set for about six hours before applying the luster dust (Hession 198). I was a little impatient and only waited about 2-3 hours, but found that it still worked okay. Once or twice though, I pressed too hard the the brush punctured the top of the set icing, revealing a still wet layer underneath. I can see now why I should have waited longer, but I learned it worked fine when I was more gentle and careful. I began using a flat, square shaped brush, but switched to a longer, pointed tip brush which I found worked better for just lightly dusting the luster dust on the cookies. I dusted the gold luster dust all over the "champagne" part of the glasses and on the yellow sections of the champagne bottles. 

Left: Applying the luster dust to a champagne glass cookie.

Above: The finished champagne glass cookies.

A champagne bottle after adding luster dust.

The finished cookies displayed at the party. 

Overall, I really enjoyed decorating this batch of cookies and working with the luster dust. I think that people really liked how they looked and I do too! Would you ever consider using luster dust to decorate a cookie? Do you like how these turned out? Have you ever made themed cookies for a party? 

Thank you for reading and I hope you all had a great New Year's! :) 

Citation: Hession, Julie Ann. 100 Best Decorated Cookies: Featuring 750 Step-by-Step Photos. Robert Rose, 2013.

Photography Post #3 Exposure.

Owen Paznokas
The Beginner's Photography Guide
By Chris Gactum

It is integral when working with photos that you understand exposure and how it works. Exposure is how much light is being exposed to the sensor in the camera that will then compose the image. On your phones, tiny digital cameras, or any automatic picture taking device exposure is calculated for you. (Gactum 44).

Since I have been working with Manual mode recently, Exposing a picture correctly is not as easy. You cannot simply pick the aperture or the shutter speed or the ISO in manual mode and expect the other's to fall into place. When your camera meters the scene, you have to make your personal creative choices, then make sure your picture balances out. "Exposure is one of the most fundamental aspects of photography" (Gactum 44). 

Here are three photos, one is underexposed, one is correctly exposed, and one is overexposed.

It is clearly apparent which one is correctly composed and which ones are not. These shot's were all taken at an f5.6 Aperture. The first one was shot at 1/300 of a second. The second one was shot at 1/200 of a second. The third one was shot at 1/60 of a second. 

My Question is, how could someone use underexposure and overexposure artistically to create more original photos? 

Resources:
Gactum, Chris. Beginner's Photography Guide. Dorling Kindersley Ltd, 2016.