The Final Countdown

This post may be my last for a while. I can honestly say I have enjoyed writing this blog and I may come back to the blogosphere at some point in the future. This semester has flow by faster than any one I can remember, but along the way this blog has developed and taken some twists and turns. The middle of the semester marked a change in our blog structure that shook things up a little bit.

The early part of this blog was dedicated to response to classes issues, articles, and other short readings that were part of our day to day class schedule. I do feel like I learned from these readings, and I enjoyed having the blog as a free space to respond, in my own way, to all the different topics we discussed. I have a much greater appreciation for rhetoric and its extensive presence in our culture today. Its nature was so accurately discovered early on by many of the greatest rhetoricians, but its manifestations seem to be new each day. I hope that as a result of reading and responding to these different pieces about rhetoric I myself will have a much stronger persuasive ability in my writing.

The second portion of the blog gave each of us the ability to explore writings in our specific fields of study. I took time each week to reach the ASME Mechanical Engineering Journal. I found so many great articles on advancements in engineering in various fields of expertise. I found that as I wrote about each article it was vital that I simplified the language used to describe each new break through so that anyone reading my blog could see the value in each invention. I have seen in my experience in the engineering field that many of the smartest engineers lack the ability to communicate effectively with persons in other fields. As I read these highly technical articles I could see how important it is that as an upcoming engineer I learn to write rhetorically to broad audience outside the engineering world.

I have enjoyed this semester of blogging and getting to read and respond to the blogs of everyone in class. I wish you all the best as we approach the busiest and most challenging time in the semester.

Learning to Walk

Today I read an article in the ASME Mechanical Engineering Journal about a new prosthetic foot design. This new design is a breakthrough in prosthetic technology. The article describes that when an amputee walks with a typical artificial leg or foot it would be like you or me walking with 30 pounds attached to our ankle. The human foot produces natural regenerative rebound forces in the ankle as a normal reaction when walking. Currently many prosthetic foot designs use small motors to create this regenerative action. The motors are power hungry and heavy. This new design uses a simple spring to imitate the regenerative action of your ankle. The only powered device in the foot is a small actuator that uses minimal power.

This design is really a much simpler design that the old style motor driven prosthesis. I see many new technologies being developed that are simpler than old technologies. Technology in general has come so far that things are easily over complicated. I believe that the simplification of multiple technological systems will be a huge focus of engineering and development in the coming years. This simple new foot design will provide great freedom for amputees.

This is the article...
Artificial Foot

Locked Up Tight

In the lastest article I read in the ASME Mechanical Engineering journal there was a series of articles relating to valves. There are valves in so many things we use everyday. One valve in particular that peaked my interest was a valve used on an HVAC (Air Conditioning) system. An air conditioning system, whether in your house or in your car, uses a fluid called refrigerant. This fluid is hazardous to your health and to the environment. In order to purchase, handle, install or dispose of this fluid you have to be licensed by the state. The article talked about a new valve that makes the refrigerant lines that run to the outside HVAC unit tamper proof. This is something that could be easily over looked, but these new valves guarantee that only a licensed professional could handle or release the fluid.

This is a small addition to a widely used system that could protect against serious injury. The part of the HVAC system that is located outside, most of the time in peoples' back yards, could be seen by a child. The curiosity of a young child could make them want to tamper with such a system. This new valve would most definitely insure that if they were to tamper with the unit they would be safe. A new HVAC system with these valves could be marketed effectively to the safety conscious parents who own homes. This is just another example of how important even the smallest engineering updates are.

Risky Business

Today I read and another article in ASME monthly journal. A division of ASME has recently begun a project involving risk assessment for students at institutes of higher education. The ASME group has been gathering data at several universities and schools of higher education in order to inform the universities of their areas of highest risk to students. This can include risk of natural disaster, risk of harm to personal property, theft, etc. This data will allow universities to better prepare for particular threats that are more prevalent at their particular institution.

This article made me think of Clemson's sirens and campus warning systems. I live in an apartment complex in close proximity to campus and their is a loud speaker right outside our building. The siren will sound and then a voice will usually say one of two things; "This is only a test," or "Seek shelter immediately cloud to ground light is in the area." It is painfully loud and frankly it is over used to the point that in the event of a real emergency it could easily be ignored. I would love to be informed if their is an armed criminal lose on campus, but every time a thundershower rolls through I would rather not have my ear drums ruptured.

Old Technology

Today I read an article in the Mechanical Engineering Magazine produced by ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) about a new walker designed by an Engineer out of Cornell University. The walker is designed for the added safety of elderly people who rely on walkers to get around without assistance.

Many walkers use a system of brakes similar to what is on a bicycle. This has proved to be less than effective for people with arthritis who can't quickly grip the brake levers. The new walker design has a sensor in the hand grip the engages and disengages the brakes without the need for large applied force from the user. If the user's hands begin to slip off the grip in the situation of a fall, the brakes automatically engage allowing the user to support themselves with the walker quickly and safely.

The reason I write about this is because I think many times people assume that the elderly are quick to reject technology, or are not competent enough to use it effectively. This new walker is definitely a piece of technology that, I believe, the elderly will use and benefit from. The nature of the product is such that it is so well designed that someone who knows very little can use it naturally. I don't believe that the more complicated a piece of technology the better it is, but in many cases it is quite the opposite. I think counting the elderly out of the potential users of certain technology is something that needs to be undone.

Here is the Article...

New Walker Design

Education Genre

In light of the recent events that took place in class while I was absent on Thursday I wanted to put up my blog post to address a few of my feelings. I was in Atlanta Thursday for a conference and I was sad to see that there had obviously been some rough waters in the English 314 sea while I was gone. I hope that this will not cause us to lose the opportunity to experience genres of education outside out major courses.

I love engineering, but it is by no means the only thing I want to study during my entire time at Clemson University. I do want to be a well rounded student, and even though my major is not English I think this course, and others that are required, play an important part in my education being well rounded. I have enjoyed the class so far and I hope it continues to provide me opportunities to study things outside my engineering disciplines.

I am also looking forward to the group project as it will take me far outside the realms of engineering. This project will not only be geared towards an English class, but the document we are planning to create will be for the forestry department. I know very little about forestry right now, but I intend to take this opportunity to learn some things about something I would otherwise probably never consider studying. I love the experience of College at a large highly recognized public University, and I think when I leave Clemson I will be thankful for everything I have experienced here.

Smart? Mobs

The topic of discussion in class today was Smart Mobs, and I have entitled this post Smart? Mobs very intentionally. This term Smart is so widely used in the technology saturated world we live in. I have a Smart phone, my laptop seems really Smart, my calculator is nothing short of a genius, I can talk to my car so it must be Smart, and my tooth brush tells me how long to bush my teeth... That's Smart! This Smart world we live in today has injected every aspect of our lives with something Smart.

I think there are many people in generations older than mine that are probably fed up with how Smart everything is. I also think there are people younger than me, that by the time they are my age, may be brain dead because their Smart world has thought for them their entire life. Please do not misunderstand me though, I LOVE technology. I would be lost without my iPhone, Macbook, GPS, and even my Sonicare toothbrush, but where will it stop? I am not saying I want it to stop, but how Smart can this world get before it has to shutdown and reboot?

I am reminded of all the IBM commercials about "building a smarter planet." I would love to help build a Smarter planet, and I think my long term carrer will contribute to that end. I like to think that one day I will, in some way, make this Smart planet just a little bit Smarter.

In case you have not seen one of those IBM commercials here is one I like...

Group Projects Gone Wrong

In Tech Writing Class we are just getting ready to embark on a semester long group project. Those words "group project"can almost automatically raise my blood pressure. As we discussed on Tuesday there is SO much that can go wrong when it comes to group projects. Scheduling, conflicting personalities, lack of talent, and disagreements are just a few potential stumbling blocks for group projects. I personally am somewhat of the controller / leader type when it comes to working in groups, but personally I would rather just do it myself and that way I am happy with what gets turned in and have no reservations about it. I know that sounds extremely close minded, and it is, but when I hang my degree on my wall at the end of next year my name will be the only name written on it. In the spirit of adding a little media to my blog I went on a search for some group projects gone wrong. This is what I found, be sure to watch it all the way to the end, enjoy!

Cold Hard Facts

I think in this day and age cold hard facts are few and far between. I think many people are under the impression that a lot of things are set in stone when in reality they are loosely proven hypotheses. I brought up the evolution versus creation debate in class today and I think this is an example worth expounding upon. There two main sides to this debate, one being that we evolved from primitive mammals originating from the big bang beginning of the earth. The other side is that of creation, acknowledging that God created the earth in seven days as outlined in The Bible.

I think many people on either side of this debate will tell you they adamantly believe their position to be true, to be fact. I think people on both sides could present some very convincing arguments as to the validity of their theory. I think both could produce substantial evidence in support of their cause. I think it is a debate that will not come to an end before the world itself comes to an end.

I do not however believe evolution is proven. I personally take the other side, that creation of the world by God is how we all ended up here doing this thing called life. I know many would say ok prove it! I would love to do that, trust me, I would. All I can do to this end would be show someone the passages in the Bible that depict the creation of the world, and then hope to convince them of the origins of the Bible and its absolute truth. That is where myself, and anyone else, has to decide whether they believe that or not. I believe in that, and I think evolutionists believe in evolution, and to each his own. That is where I make my point in this blog post. No matter how tight the supporting evidence, no matter how perfect the rhetorical presentation of the subject at hand, no matter how long the argument has been accepted as true, one must choose to believe that it is indeed a fact. One has to believe it in their own mind, accept it as true, and be willing to defend it as fact. So, I think that in every "cold hard fact" there is an element of belief.

Warning

Instructions these days have almost as many warnings as they do instructions and diagrams. I noticed just how ridiculous some of the warnings are while reading an instruction manual in class earlier this week. A Black and Decker air compressor instruction manual had a warning in it that told the user not to attempt to inhale the compressed air or put the tube in their mouth. I almost began laughing out loud. I mean seriously who is going to put an air compressor hose in their mouth and turn it on? 

I thought for a minute and realized exactly who would do such a thing. There are people all over the world looking to get rich through a lawsuit of some outrageous accusation. In addition to these people there are numerous "tv lawyers" that specialize in helping people like this win cases. This has become such an epidemic that millions of dollars must be spent by companies to create warning manuals that make their products lawsuit proof. I understand where some may push back and ask is the product really safe? I am sure there is an incident where some air compressor failed and someone was hurt. A company should most definitely be held responsible for this. I do not, however, believe a company should in any way be held liable for gross negligence of a consumer trying to make a million dollars by inhaling compressed air.

I believe the courts in which these cases are heard should have zero tolerance for criminals such as these. It is a classic example of people making a living by exploiting the government, but that is another topic for another post. In the meantime don't inhale air from an air compressor, but I trust that probably goes without saying.

Ethically Speaking

The past few days of discussion on Rhetoric have been thought provoking. I think the biggest thing that has stood out to me is Aristotle’s strong position on the ethical implications of Rhetoric. Ethics is a controversial subject in today’s world for sure. I think every field or career has a wide range of ethical implications.

            I am a mechanical engineering major and although it is a highly technical field ethics still holds an important place in the work of engineers. I think as Rhetoric can be seen in so many conversational scenarios so can ethics.

            Personally I try to live of life of integrity and that means behaving ethically even when no one may know. I hope that as I created Rhetorical pieces of writing in class that I may never sacrifice my integrity for the sake of making a point. I believe that no matter how great a reward is at stake it will never be worth behaving unethically and sacrificing my integrity.

The Pursuit

I may not be a full on "blogger," but now I can at least say I have a blog. That counts for something, right?


I started this blog because I am enrolled in a class that requires it, but I think I will enjoy putting some thoughts out for people to see, required or not. I hope that in blogging about a broad range of topics I will learn from others, and that maybe from time to time I will have some light to shed on the subject at hand.

I have titled my blog "The Pursuit" very intentionally. I believe with my whole heart that everyone on this earth lives a life full of pursuit. Our lives are so full of pursuit we have become numb to the realization of how many different pursuits we are constantly engaged in. If you take a second to stop and think about how many things you are pursuing right now I think you will be surprised at how overwhelming it may seem. Personally, school, career, relationships, social scenes, and just surviving the grind are a few of my current pursuits. These things dominate my life, and that can be both positive and negative at times.

I hope that you enjoy your pursuits this semester. I hope you are not overwhelmed, and that in the end, you find things worth pursuing with all you've got.