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Thursday, June 7, 2007
My Table of Contents
Dear Reader Letter
My name is Daniel Collins and I’m an alcoholic. Just joking. On a serious note though, my name really is Daniel Collins and im 19 years old. I am currently enrolled at Everett Community College where I’m about to complete my second quarter of college. Getting through my second quarter and first year of school is important to me because during the beginning of fall quarter, I withdrew from school entirely and decided to work full time. After contemplating whether or not I should continue to work full time or do something useful with my life and go back to school and with encouraging words from my family and friend's, I decided to return to Everett Community College winter quarter. I was a nervous wreck my first couple days of school. That was until I actually begin coming, due to partially to my English 97 course. At first, I was a bit intimidated by the whole Major Writing Assignment and having to do work from Blackboard, but after figuring it all out, the assignments became very simplistic. The teacher, Mrs. Shen improved my writing knowledge from night to day. She refreshed me on my verbs, nouns, and conjunctions, things I was terrible at and turned me into a mean, green, writing machine. I hope that I can use my new found writing skills in going to Western Washington University and becoming a teacher.
As a child, I never considered myself to be a great writer in any way or form. I've always struggled in English a little bit, especially along the lines of verbs and subjects and all of that good stuff. I do, however, recall and still do love writing neat poems and cool stories about my favorite hobbies or sports. There’s nothing else I rather write about than sports. I'm a firm believer that a person always writes better about certain something or someone when they are more interested or have more passion for that subject. That's why I feel and write so strong about my blogs. They are about sports, which is my third love only behind my mom and my girlfriend.
I hope you enjoy the pieces that I have chosen to represent my true writing skills. For my first piece, I have chosen MWA#1 “The Big Unit and King Felix,” a compare and contrast essay that I wrote about Felix Hernandez and Randy Johnson, two great pitchers who made there careers in Seattle. My second selected piece is a blog entry and it’s called “M’s Preview, which is a descriptive analysis of the 2007 Seattle Mariners line up. My third piece I picked is “My inventory of Being,” a poem like writing that I wrote about who I am , where I want to go, who I want to be and what I have around me. My fourth and final piece that I have hand picked is MWA#2 “Determination,” a definition essay about a word that we had to choose to write about. I chose to write about the word determination and the vast and pivotal ways its plays a role in our everyday lives. All of these pieces represent my writing skills in various ways. I also chose these pieces not for the grade that I received on them but for what they actually mean to me. Every single piece of writing I chose is symbolic to me in its own ways. I hope you guys enjoy my E-Portfolio.
Yours Truly
Dan
As a child, I never considered myself to be a great writer in any way or form. I've always struggled in English a little bit, especially along the lines of verbs and subjects and all of that good stuff. I do, however, recall and still do love writing neat poems and cool stories about my favorite hobbies or sports. There’s nothing else I rather write about than sports. I'm a firm believer that a person always writes better about certain something or someone when they are more interested or have more passion for that subject. That's why I feel and write so strong about my blogs. They are about sports, which is my third love only behind my mom and my girlfriend.
I hope you enjoy the pieces that I have chosen to represent my true writing skills. For my first piece, I have chosen MWA#1 “The Big Unit and King Felix,” a compare and contrast essay that I wrote about Felix Hernandez and Randy Johnson, two great pitchers who made there careers in Seattle. My second selected piece is a blog entry and it’s called “M’s Preview, which is a descriptive analysis of the 2007 Seattle Mariners line up. My third piece I picked is “My inventory of Being,” a poem like writing that I wrote about who I am , where I want to go, who I want to be and what I have around me. My fourth and final piece that I have hand picked is MWA#2 “Determination,” a definition essay about a word that we had to choose to write about. I chose to write about the word determination and the vast and pivotal ways its plays a role in our everyday lives. All of these pieces represent my writing skills in various ways. I also chose these pieces not for the grade that I received on them but for what they actually mean to me. Every single piece of writing I chose is symbolic to me in its own ways. I hope you guys enjoy my E-Portfolio.
Yours Truly
Dan
M's Preview
M's Preview
To start things off, let's go over the starting line-up. Batting lead-off for the M's for the 7th straight year is Ichiro Suzuki,cf,who has averaged a .331 avg. and 200+ hits in each of his 7 seasons with the M's. Hitting second is Adrian Beltre,3b, who is solid in the field but has struggled at the plate since coming to the M's from the Dodgers in 04 when he battd .334 with a league leading 48 hr's and 121 rbi's. In theh 3rd spot is Jose Vidro dh, who is a proven .300 who played his entire career with the Expos and Nationals club. Batting clean-up for the M's is Raul Ibanez lf, who is coming off a career year with 33 hr's and 133 rbi's. A very consistent ball player. In the 5th spot is Richie Sexson 1b, who is the M's biggest hr threat. Used to bat clean-up but the decline is his B.A was just too much. Batting 6th is Jose Guillen rf, who has potential of having a 30 and 90 season. Hitting 7th is Kenji Johjima c, who has fitted in well since joining the club last season. Had decent stats as a rookie with a .291 ave. and 18 hr's with 76 rbi's. In the 8th spot is Jose Lopez 2b, who was actually an all-star last season when he got off to a hot first half of the season. Good hitter and fielder but a little inconsistent. Last but not least, batting 9th for the M's is Yuniesky Betancourt ss, who is said to be one the best defensive ss in thee entire league. Good hitter who needs to improve if he wants to make a name for himself as an elite player.
To start things off, let's go over the starting line-up. Batting lead-off for the M's for the 7th straight year is Ichiro Suzuki,cf,who has averaged a .331 avg. and 200+ hits in each of his 7 seasons with the M's. Hitting second is Adrian Beltre,3b, who is solid in the field but has struggled at the plate since coming to the M's from the Dodgers in 04 when he battd .334 with a league leading 48 hr's and 121 rbi's. In theh 3rd spot is Jose Vidro dh, who is a proven .300 who played his entire career with the Expos and Nationals club. Batting clean-up for the M's is Raul Ibanez lf, who is coming off a career year with 33 hr's and 133 rbi's. A very consistent ball player. In the 5th spot is Richie Sexson 1b, who is the M's biggest hr threat. Used to bat clean-up but the decline is his B.A was just too much. Batting 6th is Jose Guillen rf, who has potential of having a 30 and 90 season. Hitting 7th is Kenji Johjima c, who has fitted in well since joining the club last season. Had decent stats as a rookie with a .291 ave. and 18 hr's with 76 rbi's. In the 8th spot is Jose Lopez 2b, who was actually an all-star last season when he got off to a hot first half of the season. Good hitter and fielder but a little inconsistent. Last but not least, batting 9th for the M's is Yuniesky Betancourt ss, who is said to be one the best defensive ss in thee entire league. Good hitter who needs to improve if he wants to make a name for himself as an elite player.
The Big Unit and Felix
The Big Unit and King Felix
The Seattle Mariners have been known for drafting or acquiring young prodigies. Guys like Ken Griffey Jr, and Alex Rodriguez, two of the greatest players to ever step onto the field. But there are two players who stand out from the bunch not just for their size, but for their skills on the pitchers mound: Randy Johnson and Felix Hernandez. One of these pitchers is a nineteen year veteran of the game and the other is a 21- year old, third year starter. Though they are two completely unalike people, it is their differences and similarities that lead sports fans to believe that Felix Hernandez can potentially hit the level of success that Randy Johnson has had in his professional career.
There are staggering amounts of statistics that separate the two pitchers right off the bat. Randy Johnson has been in the league for 19 years and has compiled 280 wins, is a nine-time league strikeout leader, World Series MVP, and to put the cherry on the top, is a five time Cy Young Award winner. Felix, on the other hand, has been in the league for three years and has not yet won a major pitching award. Though Felix hasn’t won any form of an award, he did however, rank up in the top five in the American League in strikeouts in 2005, with 176. Even Johnson didn’t win an award until his 5th season in the big leagues when he was named the American League strike out leader.
More than the lop-sided amount of awards and statistics produced between the two segregate them as well. Felix Hernandez only spent three seasons in the minor leagues before being called up to pitch for the Mariners in 2005 but Randy spent almost five years in the minors before he got the call to come up and pitch for the Montreal Expos. Johnson was 24 years of age when he became a starter in the majors; however, Felix was only 18 years old when he made his first start in the big leagues. Felix was also only an astonishing 15 years old when he was signed by the Mariners in his native country of Venezuela.
Though their age and their career statistics separate the two men like night and day, both share very similar characteristics that make them impressively similar to each other at the beginning of their careers. In 1988, Johnson was called up midway through the season to start for the Expos and in his first and only four starts of the season, Johnson went 3-0 with a 2.42 earned run average. In 2005, Felix made his Major League debut and was also called up midway through the struggling Mariners season. In twelve games started, Hernandez outmatched Johnson’s first season win total with 4wins, along with 4 losses, mainly due to the lack of run support. He also put up a 2.67 earned run average, just a hair above Johnson’s. . It wasn’t until their second season that their stats reflected each others even more. In 28 games started, Johnson went 7-13 with a not- so- hot earned run average of 4.82. The young Felix had 31 starts and went 12-14, with a 4.52 earned run average, this time just a hair below Johnsons.
Though their statistics at the beginning of their careers match up like a person looking at themselves in the mirror, there are further ways to compare King Felix and The Big Unit. At 6’10 and 230 pounds, Johnson used his size and appearance to intimidate his opponents. At 6’3 and 225 pounds, Felix also utilizes his size to scare away batter. The two also use their size for something else too. Fresh into the league and well into his prime, Johnson used his size to throw fastballs that clocked in over 100 mph and consistently threw and still does throw in the upper 90’s. Felix as well uses his large body to put smoke on his fastballs and consistently throws his heat in the upper 90’s and on occasion will break 100 mph.
This essay is mainly about how the two pitchers were congruent and incomparable from each other throughout there careers, the main point is to compare a young up and coming star in baseball to one of the greatest pitchers to ever step foot on the mound. It is all the similarities and differences of the two that will allow the young Felix to be just under, the same as, or even better than the highly regarded Johnson.
The Seattle Mariners have been known for drafting or acquiring young prodigies. Guys like Ken Griffey Jr, and Alex Rodriguez, two of the greatest players to ever step onto the field. But there are two players who stand out from the bunch not just for their size, but for their skills on the pitchers mound: Randy Johnson and Felix Hernandez. One of these pitchers is a nineteen year veteran of the game and the other is a 21- year old, third year starter. Though they are two completely unalike people, it is their differences and similarities that lead sports fans to believe that Felix Hernandez can potentially hit the level of success that Randy Johnson has had in his professional career.
There are staggering amounts of statistics that separate the two pitchers right off the bat. Randy Johnson has been in the league for 19 years and has compiled 280 wins, is a nine-time league strikeout leader, World Series MVP, and to put the cherry on the top, is a five time Cy Young Award winner. Felix, on the other hand, has been in the league for three years and has not yet won a major pitching award. Though Felix hasn’t won any form of an award, he did however, rank up in the top five in the American League in strikeouts in 2005, with 176. Even Johnson didn’t win an award until his 5th season in the big leagues when he was named the American League strike out leader.
More than the lop-sided amount of awards and statistics produced between the two segregate them as well. Felix Hernandez only spent three seasons in the minor leagues before being called up to pitch for the Mariners in 2005 but Randy spent almost five years in the minors before he got the call to come up and pitch for the Montreal Expos. Johnson was 24 years of age when he became a starter in the majors; however, Felix was only 18 years old when he made his first start in the big leagues. Felix was also only an astonishing 15 years old when he was signed by the Mariners in his native country of Venezuela.
Though their age and their career statistics separate the two men like night and day, both share very similar characteristics that make them impressively similar to each other at the beginning of their careers. In 1988, Johnson was called up midway through the season to start for the Expos and in his first and only four starts of the season, Johnson went 3-0 with a 2.42 earned run average. In 2005, Felix made his Major League debut and was also called up midway through the struggling Mariners season. In twelve games started, Hernandez outmatched Johnson’s first season win total with 4wins, along with 4 losses, mainly due to the lack of run support. He also put up a 2.67 earned run average, just a hair above Johnson’s. . It wasn’t until their second season that their stats reflected each others even more. In 28 games started, Johnson went 7-13 with a not- so- hot earned run average of 4.82. The young Felix had 31 starts and went 12-14, with a 4.52 earned run average, this time just a hair below Johnsons.
Though their statistics at the beginning of their careers match up like a person looking at themselves in the mirror, there are further ways to compare King Felix and The Big Unit. At 6’10 and 230 pounds, Johnson used his size and appearance to intimidate his opponents. At 6’3 and 225 pounds, Felix also utilizes his size to scare away batter. The two also use their size for something else too. Fresh into the league and well into his prime, Johnson used his size to throw fastballs that clocked in over 100 mph and consistently threw and still does throw in the upper 90’s. Felix as well uses his large body to put smoke on his fastballs and consistently throws his heat in the upper 90’s and on occasion will break 100 mph.
This essay is mainly about how the two pitchers were congruent and incomparable from each other throughout there careers, the main point is to compare a young up and coming star in baseball to one of the greatest pitchers to ever step foot on the mound. It is all the similarities and differences of the two that will allow the young Felix to be just under, the same as, or even better than the highly regarded Johnson.
Dertermination
Determination
A decision followed by a driving force that allows one to put up more weight, go a little further, wake up a little earlier or push yourself harder. Determination plays a role in our everyday lives from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed. Whether it’s not pushing the snooze button on thee alarm clock or finishing all your homework before you go to bed, determination plays a role in ones day to day life in many aspects of life.
Determination is wanting something so bad that you would do anything to get that certain something even if it takes sweat and tears. Determination is that pesky little voice in the back of your head when your going for a run and you feel like your heart is about to pound out of your chest and your legs are about to fall off but there’s still half a block to run and that voice is telling you “just one more block, one more block.” Determination is when your on your last set on the bench press and your arm are getting numb and fatigue and are trembling vigorously and your thinking to yourself “just one more set, one more set.”
In 2006, the Seattle Seahawks were severely plagued by staggering amounts of injuries. With Matt Hasselbeck, starting quarterback and pro-bowl player out with a sprained knee and NFL MVP and All Pro running back Shaun Alexander out with a broken foot midway through the season, along with injuries to Ituli Mili, Marcus Tubbs, Floyd Womack and Darrell Jackson, the Seahawks easily could of easily written off there season before it even got started. Determined to get back to the post season like the previous 2005 year in which the team went to the super bowl, backups like Seneca Wallace and Maurice Morris picked up where Hasslebeck and Alexander left off and kept the team afloat in the NFC West. With there backs turned against the wall, the Seahawks managed to pull out a 9-7 record and most importantly won the NFC West division. Nagged by injuries, Seattle was able to make it to the second round of the extremely competitive NFC playoffs.
Determination also played a pivotal part in my life earlier this year. At the beginning of the fall quarter this year, I decided that I didn’t want to go to school yet. Instead, I worked 32-40 hours a week at my current job Tommy Hilfiger, in which I was beginning to hate thoroughly. After a month of working nearly full-time and realizing how much I actually missed and wanted to be in school, I decided I would return to school again even if it meant making significantly less money and only working part time. Being determined as much as I was to go back to school, when winter quarter came and it was time to register for classes, I singed up as fast as I could and my hours at work became very minimal. The reason I’m going to college is so that I will find a fulltime job someday that I love doing instead of not going to school and work at a place that I’m coming around to resent. If that’s not determination, than I don’t know what is.
The real definition of determination is the act of making or arriving at a decision. Like I said earlier, we as people make decisions big and small everyday of our lives that have to do with determination. People wouldn’t be who they are if they weren’t determined or had determination for or by something in our crazy, beautiful, unpredictable and wonderful everyday lives.
A decision followed by a driving force that allows one to put up more weight, go a little further, wake up a little earlier or push yourself harder. Determination plays a role in our everyday lives from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed. Whether it’s not pushing the snooze button on thee alarm clock or finishing all your homework before you go to bed, determination plays a role in ones day to day life in many aspects of life.
Determination is wanting something so bad that you would do anything to get that certain something even if it takes sweat and tears. Determination is that pesky little voice in the back of your head when your going for a run and you feel like your heart is about to pound out of your chest and your legs are about to fall off but there’s still half a block to run and that voice is telling you “just one more block, one more block.” Determination is when your on your last set on the bench press and your arm are getting numb and fatigue and are trembling vigorously and your thinking to yourself “just one more set, one more set.”
In 2006, the Seattle Seahawks were severely plagued by staggering amounts of injuries. With Matt Hasselbeck, starting quarterback and pro-bowl player out with a sprained knee and NFL MVP and All Pro running back Shaun Alexander out with a broken foot midway through the season, along with injuries to Ituli Mili, Marcus Tubbs, Floyd Womack and Darrell Jackson, the Seahawks easily could of easily written off there season before it even got started. Determined to get back to the post season like the previous 2005 year in which the team went to the super bowl, backups like Seneca Wallace and Maurice Morris picked up where Hasslebeck and Alexander left off and kept the team afloat in the NFC West. With there backs turned against the wall, the Seahawks managed to pull out a 9-7 record and most importantly won the NFC West division. Nagged by injuries, Seattle was able to make it to the second round of the extremely competitive NFC playoffs.
Determination also played a pivotal part in my life earlier this year. At the beginning of the fall quarter this year, I decided that I didn’t want to go to school yet. Instead, I worked 32-40 hours a week at my current job Tommy Hilfiger, in which I was beginning to hate thoroughly. After a month of working nearly full-time and realizing how much I actually missed and wanted to be in school, I decided I would return to school again even if it meant making significantly less money and only working part time. Being determined as much as I was to go back to school, when winter quarter came and it was time to register for classes, I singed up as fast as I could and my hours at work became very minimal. The reason I’m going to college is so that I will find a fulltime job someday that I love doing instead of not going to school and work at a place that I’m coming around to resent. If that’s not determination, than I don’t know what is.
The real definition of determination is the act of making or arriving at a decision. Like I said earlier, we as people make decisions big and small everyday of our lives that have to do with determination. People wouldn’t be who they are if they weren’t determined or had determination for or by something in our crazy, beautiful, unpredictable and wonderful everyday lives.
My Inventory of Being
Dan: An Inventory of Being
I am Daniel.
I am 19 years young, not old.
I am 5'9, not short or tall.
My hair is brown, more light than dark.
Sometimes my hair is shaggy, sometimes it's short.
I have blue eyes, my girlfriend loves them.
I am one of 6 kids in my just the right size family.
I have 3 brothers, 2 sisters.
Now its just my little brother and I.
Everybody else is all grown up.
Someday I will be all grown up and on my own.
I have great parents who I love dearly.
I also love Brianna very dearly.
Brianna is the love of my life.
Also known as my girlfriend.
I am a tremendous sports fan.
Another love of my life.
I like the Seahawks, Mariners and sonics.
Also many college teams.
UW preferably .
I am an avid sportsman or outdoorsman.
Fishing and Hunting.
Duck and Salmon.Wakeboarding is a hobby of mine.
I go to Lake Stevens on Stevens boat.
I dont like change.
I easily stress out.
I hope I win the lottery.
Not just for the money.
But for less worries.
I love my friends and family
Sports, outdoors, and food.
And looking to love life.
My name is Dan and this is 2007.
I am Daniel.
I am 19 years young, not old.
I am 5'9, not short or tall.
My hair is brown, more light than dark.
Sometimes my hair is shaggy, sometimes it's short.
I have blue eyes, my girlfriend loves them.
I am one of 6 kids in my just the right size family.
I have 3 brothers, 2 sisters.
Now its just my little brother and I.
Everybody else is all grown up.
Someday I will be all grown up and on my own.
I have great parents who I love dearly.
I also love Brianna very dearly.
Brianna is the love of my life.
Also known as my girlfriend.
I am a tremendous sports fan.
Another love of my life.
I like the Seahawks, Mariners and sonics.
Also many college teams.
UW preferably .
I am an avid sportsman or outdoorsman.
Fishing and Hunting.
Duck and Salmon.Wakeboarding is a hobby of mine.
I go to Lake Stevens on Stevens boat.
I dont like change.
I easily stress out.
I hope I win the lottery.
Not just for the money.
But for less worries.
I love my friends and family
Sports, outdoors, and food.
And looking to love life.
My name is Dan and this is 2007.
Intro to "M's Preview"
For my fourth and final piece of writing, I chose an entry form my class blog called “M’s Preview” and I chose this piece because I feel it shows my skills in descriptive writing and also the wide variety of knowlegde that I accumulate for the topic that im writing about. The piece itself is a descriptive analysis of the 2007 Seattle Mariners lineup "To start things off, let's go over the starting line-up. Batting lead-off for the M's for the 7th straight year is Ichiro Suzuki,cf,who has averaged a .331 avg. and 200+ hits in each of his 7 seasons with the M's. Hitting second is Adrian Beltre,3b, who is solid in the field but has struggled at the plate since coming to the M's from the Dodgers in 04 when he batted .334 with a league leading 48 hr's and 121 rbi's.”
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