Moving My Blog Posts

I have decided that keeping up with Warcraft Addicts, My Patreon, and trying to remember to make a blog post here is too much for me. So, I have decided I will be moving all my wow posts to Warcraft addicts and the remainder of my posts will move over to my Patreon. Some may become Patreon ohnly posts, while others will remain free.

If you wish to continue seeing my articles please follow me or become a Patreon.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Onyxangel24

My warcraft articles can be found here: http://warcraftaddicts.com/2021/07/the-future-of-world-of-warcraft/

If you see posts you love disappearing,. that would be why! I hope to see you all at my new homes ❤

After the posts are moved/deleted/transferred I will be shutting down this Blog 100%

Thank you for all who stayed with me!

Loyalty & Making Waves in the Navy

To some, loyalty is when someone follows without question, even if it is against their own interest.  To others it is when someone shops at the same store without going anywhere else.  These two concepts are not only applied to following someone, or picking where to shop.  They are also applied when people work for a company.  These concepts are discussed when it comes to a single concept called, company loyalty.

Loyalty to a company that someone works for is viewed as only working for them whether it interests the person, or not.  An interview with a workplace expert tells that loyalty in the workplace may be dying.  “Ms. Gratton seemed to be echoing the comments of many other career specialists who say that loyalty has been sacrificed to the realities of a fast-paced economy.” (Korkki, 2011).  There are a lot of people that have been working for years at a company.  Thanks to the fast paced economy as mentioned by Ms. Gratton, a lot of companies cannot keep up with rewarding loyalty.

Company loyalty is viewed as a two way street.  If the employee is loyal to the company, then the company should be loyal to them.  In the case of Cynthia Maritnez, there is a point in her conversation where she points out how Altrue views her as an employee.  “You know perfectly well that if Altrue could save some money by laying me off, the company wouldn’t hesitate.” (Shaw, 2010).  With the way the economy is going, companies are trying to save money by not paying as much to the employees which brings morality into question.

It is considered morally wrong for someone to look after their own self-interests without keeping the interests of the company intact.  It would not be acceptable for someone to say they will do something, and then change their mind.  An example of this would be someone getting hired to run finances, then deciding to do things that would cause the business to go bankrupt.  Telling the boss that you want to help the company grow, then doing things that hinder the growth, is another example of the wrong moral choice made.

Employees are obligated to provide their loyalty when they are hired to perform specific tasks in order to help it grow.  They are morally obligated to uphold the interests of the company, and do everything they can to follow the instructions given to them.   The employees owe loyalty to each other when there is an issue of mistreatment by the employer.  They are to show support when the actions of the fellow employees fall within the support of the company.

The loyalty shown to coworkers is not expected when there is theft or lying being committed.  It is possible to show loyalty when changing jobs for self-interest.  As long as Cynthia changes jobs without leaving Altrue in a damaging position, she is still maintaining their goals, while helping her own self-interests.  A relative is a chef who worked for two different companies.  Each one has enough chefs, but required slightly different skills.  They found that there was a slow promotional process with the business they worked at.

After a few years of working there, they decided to start looking for a job with more opportunity.  A hotel chain contacted them to see if they would work for the hotel.  The two businesses gave the offer of what could be given.  They made the choice to go with the better offer, but left the other company with enough help to keep them from failing as well.  Loyalty is something that can be shown in many different ways.  Being able to adapt to these ways is what helps see that loyalty is still there.

Whistleblower is defined as, “a person who exposes any kind of information or activity deemed illegal, unethical or not correct within an organization.”  Storms pointed out the fact that the navy was overspending its budget.  He was using this to prevent people from losing their jobs due to budget cuts.  Storms was acting using consequentalist ethics, protecting jobs while saving the government money from unnecessary spending.  The good consequences of his actions were maximized and there was no negativity to them.

He brought attention to the things that needed to be looked at without adding negativity to the situation.  His motive was to protect people from getting laid off, and causing the Navy to pay closer attention to what they are spending money on.  He was a retired chief who wanted to see a positive change.  The actions of Ahearn do qualify him as a whistle-blower, even though he did not necessarily go about it in the best way possible.  He did get a good result in the fact that there are new laws in regards to waste disposal.  Getting himself in trouble in the process was not a good result.

Adhearn did not produce the maximized good from the his decisions which makes him less right in the eyes of a consequentalist.  He did not follow the ethical principles of consequentialism.  Having been in his shoes, I do know what he was going through, to an extent.  I was ordered to do some unethical things, such as this, and got in trouble for refusing to do it.  The military itself has a different mindset than the rest of the world.

Retaliation is something that a lot of military members fear, which is why they follow orders as they were trained to.  Some have resorted to the whole going AWOL thing, but others have decided to put up a stand against things the military does wrong.  By going AWOL and getting himself in trouble, Adhearn took away from getting the maximum good results.  He had good motives to protect the environment, and raise the practices of dumping garbage into question.

Adhearn did face a lot of possible retaliation from his division and possibly his unit for blowing the whistle.  He did it anyway, which is what really makes him a true whistleblower.  His actions were partially self-interest motivated, but he had kind of the right idea to go through with it.  The thought of going surfing and running into trash while on the surfboard was one motivator for him.  He took advantage of the thought, and possibly decided that he was going to go surfing before the ocean gets too littered with trash.

The action of turning himself in after going AWOL shows a little remorse for his first choice of action.  No matter how tough the road gets, or how angry people will get, as long as the choice is made to serve the best interest overall, people cannot stay angry for making the right one.  What may be seen as cowardice by some may be heroic to the people that mean the most.  Measuring right and wrong is a next to impossible task.  Some will follow the Consequentialist principles while others will follow the other theorists.

There was a show of loyalty and whistleblowing in the cases presented.  What is, or is not the correct choice of actions is not always clear.  These cases show us that we have to try to use our best judgement, as well as the interest of others, when making the choices we make.  The results of our actions need to avoid causing irreparable damage to ourselves, as well as to others.

 

 

 

References

Korkki, Phyllis (April 23, 2011)  The Shifting Definition of Work Loyalty (NPG.: PP. 3) retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/24/jobs/24search.html

Shaw, William H. Cengage Advantage Books: Business Ethics: A Textbook with Cases. Cengage Learning, 01/2010. VitalBook file.

AIDS and Mommies

When someone has a medical condition that may hinder or prevent them from performing at their best, it is hard to make a decision in regards to their career.  There is almost no right choice in these types of situations.  The way people think and act are driven by the majority of others actions, more often than not.  How to determine what to do in these situations is one of the toughest things about being a business owner.  It is the way the situation is handled that can change how the decision is viewed, or perceived.

In the case of an employee being suspected of having AIDS, there are a few moral issues that come up.  One issue is the choice the employer has towards confronting the employee.  They must determine if it is right to bring it up without them mentioning it.  The other moral issue is the employee hiding the fact that they are sick, and have the possibility of endangering others.  Another moral issue is the decision on whether to keep the employee, or fire them.  The other issue that goes hand in hand with firing the employee is whether or not they should be kept from being promoted.

If the employer fires the person for having AIDS or MS, they are telling that employee that the business is more important than they are.  This in turn would take away the loyalty of that employee, especially if they are one of the best workers in the company.  This could also trigger a chain reaction from the other employees.  They could see it as the company showing the employees that they do not matter.  The loss of loyalty is one consequence to this action.  Another consequence could be the loss of customers if the employee is kept at the company.

There are not many obligations that an employer has.  One that does exist is the obligation to ensure customer and employee safety.  Without knowing when attacks could occur is risking the employee’s life, as well as those around them.  If someone starts to have an attack, they could fall and hit their head, causing trauma.  They could end up knocking a customer over, injuring them as well.  These things could lead to lawsuits.  The employer is not obligated to keep the employee on the payroll.  It would encourage loyalty from them, but it is not something that has to be done.

There are rights that are put on the line in these types of situations.  The right of the employee to work is infringed on.  In some beliefs, people have the right to work in order to make a living.  This right is protected in the teachings of Nozick.  In this teaching, people have the right to live how they choose to live.  If someone chooses to work, they have the right to fulfill that choice in their life.  The employer’s right to protect employees as well as customers is on the line as well.

The employer protecting the people conflicts with the employee’s right to work.  No matter which way the decision goes infringes on one right or the other.  There is a slight difference in the different approaches taken by the employer.  When taking the Kantian approach, as long as the employer is acting out of a sense of duty, the action will have moral worth.  If it is done out of self-interest, feeling or an inclination, it is does not have moral worth.

When the employer takes the utilitarian approach, the employer would have to make a decision that brings on the highest overall happiness in order to make the right decision.  If firing the employee would make the employees and customers happy, it would be the right one.  The difference between the two approaches is, in order to determine the right decision the employer would have to decide whether happiness or sense of duty is the way they want to make the “right decision”.

Another issue that has been presented in regards to companies is women who want to both work, and raise a family.  This situation is labelled as the mommy track.  The idea and concept of the mommy track exists in a lot of companies today.  They decide whether or not to hire someone who would rather be a mom and work part time.  They also decide how much to pay based on the availability.

Making a woman choose whether they want to work or raise a family violates their right to choose how they want to live.  Shwartz’s idea to separate the women into two groups tells women that the ones who choose the family side cannot make a lot of money.  Kant would say that this idea is a good one, as long as it is created out of sense of duty, it is the right thing to do.  Utilitarians would only agree to this if it gives the majority of people happiness.

The mommy track discriminates against women who want to be the ones to raise their own children while following a career.  The idea behind it basically tells single mothers that they cannot make the money to support them, and their child unless they stop taking care of their child and leave it to someone else.  It discourages those who want to choose to do both, which goes against the teachings of Nozick, where the women should be given the choice of how they want to live.  It is targeted towards the success of only the women that want to follow their career.

The mommy track also discriminates against men in the sense that it specifically applies to women, and not men.  Single fathers do not get the same benefits as single mothers.  There is little support for them from the company.  Men are expected to automatically be able to afford the necessities of life, without the assistance of others.  This follows the traditional view of how families are expected to work.  The man works, and provides the necessity, while the wife stays home and takes care of the house and children.

There are so many moral and ethical issues that can come up in regards to the work space.  A lot of decisions and views vary from person to person.  A lot of the standards are results of following popular beliefs, or a majority rules type ideal.  With the various beliefs and understandings of how things are supposed to work, we have to try to make the best decisions we can.  There is no way to make the right decision in a majority of the situations that do arise.  It is up to us to determine which teachings we want to follow, and understand that no matter what we do, there will always be something wrong with the decision that is made.

Ethical Dilemma: Dumping

Dumping is a way for companies to turn losses into profits.  These actions follow the teachings of psychological egoism.  The only moral obligation they have is to them.  The companies believe it because, they want to make money.  If a company is not making money, it will not survive for too long.  People end up suffering as a result.

There are morals that would prevent most people from providing a dangerous product to those that have not interacted with it before.  There are very few reasons that dumping could even be considered a moral choice.  One way dumping could be supported is if the product is safe for use, but no one is buying it.  A product should be properly disposed of when it is found to be not safe for human use.

The way U.S. companies dump products on other countries is a complete opposite to the regulations preventing dumping from foreign countries.  An article by Bryan Johnson talks about how the Commerce Department compares the products that are suspected of being dumped.  “When a U.S. company charges a foreign company with dumping, the Commerce Department assumes that the products in question are similar. For example, if U.S. farmers charge Colombian farmers with dumping, it is assumed that the American farmers are accusing the Colombians of dumping the identical crop to that produced by the Americans.”

Comparing products as if they were the same is like comparing apples to oranges, while assuming they are both apples.  This situation is similar to a toy company accusing another company of dumping, when the other company is selling camping equipment.  The morals are set to where only the company that is selling toys can sell them in that area.  No one else is allowed to sell any products within that same location.

After looking at the anti dumping laws, they appear to be written a little one sided.  The ones that wrote these laws made it so only one side benefits.  This follows the psychological egoism teachings of the actions being selfish.  It will only work if it benefits the people writing the laws.  It is a case of questionable ethics and morals, and with the one exception, is in no way justifiable.  It is like saying it is OK for one person to take something from someone, but it is not OK for it to happen the other way around.

When trying to perform a job to the best of anyone’s ability, we try to keep that job as long as possible.  Some people have the ability to turn off their moral principles and turn on their drive to just get the job done.  There is usually no consideration of the possible outcomes of the choices made.  Instead, it is viewed as the person just doing their job because they were told to.  Turning a blind eye to the possible outcomes is seen as acceptable to keep the job.

The qualification reports should not have been worked up to satisfy the demand of the company.  It is like telling someone it is ok to drive a car without breaks, knowing it is not.  There are a few moral principles that could be applied to this entire situation.  One of them is the principle that honesty is a necessity when dealing with things that affect others.  Telling someone their car does not need brakes is like saying their life is not considered to be valuable.  The only thing that matters is getting the car sold, and making money.

This situation once again shows the values of psychological egoism.  It doesn’t matter who gets hurt, as long as I get what I want.  When told to do something along the lines of hiding information that would protect the people testing the product, it would be against most people’s moral principles.  A particular principle this refers to is the feeling about lying.  Lying is one thing that is done when trying to protect oneself from the consequences of actions taken.

Someone steals money, but tells the person it was stolen from that they did not do it.  This is done to prevent being punished for stealing.  Vandivier should have prevented the brake pads from being issued for testing.  Instead, he chose to lie on the reports because he was told to.  The consequences of this decision were the near accidents that could have cost the test pilots their lives.  An airplane mechanic would not lie about a faulty engine or landing gear when there are hundreds of lives that could be lost.

Another principle is self-respect.  If the person writing those reports holds his life to be valuable, they should see other people’s lives as being valuable as well.  He put his morals aside to preserve the self-interest of getting his kids through school.  There is no way to completely justify the actions that were chosen.  When the children find out what he did, they may not look at him the same.  He was still able to justify to himself that he was doing it for a good reason.

If someone can talk themselves out of upholding their own personal morals, they did not have strong morals to begin with.  The idea that it benefited him raised his self-interest and followed the psychological egoism belief.  The outcome does not matter as long as it helps me.  When it comes to other people, our self-interest should not be the determining factor used to make our decision acceptable.

This scenario is similar to the scenario about dumping.  The only consideration taken by either situation is how this choice helps them get what they want.  Doing what is told is a way people justify the choices made.  It is a way to sacrifice moral principles to gain self-interest.  It may be legal to simply follow orders, but it is not morally justifiable in a lot of situations.           Next time a choice is made, think about whether or not the choice is being made willfully, or as a sacrifice for some kind of gain.

Is Grease Really as Unhealthy as People Say?

Since today is National Greasy foods day, I thought to commemorate it by writing up a blog on whether or not grease is really as unhealthy as people say it is! 

Nutritionists say that eating a lot of grease is not healthy for you. You should opt for something grilled instead of fried because it does not require grease to grill something and fried is being cooked directly in grease.  Doctors say that it is not healthy for the heart for you to eat certain types of grease. Is it really true that some people have died from eating too much grease? Here we will take a look at 2 different sides of arguments. One that says grease is not healthy and the other side that says grease can do no harm if you eat it.

Grease is unhealthy for you. I mean a little grease cannot be a bad thing. It’s good to enjoy something greasy every once in a while, as long as it is not in excess. I do not see how grease could necessarily be a bad thing.

The other argument would say that grease is totally okay to eat as much as you want whenever you want. Doctor’s don’t know what they are talking about. Just because they have a degree does not give them the right or the knowledge to tell you what you can or can’t eat.  They say it is for our health so we don’t die of a heart attack or obesity, but what do they really know? Maybe being overweight runs in my family and heart problems? Is it really any healthier to eat grilled food then it is to grease? Chicken is chicken whether it is fried in grease or grilled on a grill.

Nutritionists and Doctor’s go to school and have proven that eating as much greasy foods as you want is most definitely a bad thing. It has contributed to obesity and heart attacks. There were reports of a certain restaurant selling a thick burger. I don’t remember the name, but a few different incidents where these customers who ate this burger ended up with a heart attack. I am not saying the burger started the heart attack. I am saying that it did not help to prevent their heart attack versus the grilled chicken sandwiches’ or grilled chicken salad’s that are offered at most restaurant.

Grease is not bad for everyone. Some people have high cholesterol and therefore cannot have grease as it is a bad thing for them and can raise their cholesterol. However, others have no medical conditions where it requires them to limit their grease and are perfectly healthy. Grease cannot hurt everyone, but it can hurt some people. Whether it is a bad thing or not depends on the person and their medical conditions.  (McAbee, 2012)

There is such a thing as good fats. These are vegetable lard, Tallow, Butter, coconut oil, palm oil and olive oil. These kinds of fats will help you to stay lean, fit, and healthy. You would not think that there are any healthy or needed fats but there are. Fats are under the same category as grease so this here proves my point that some fats are not bad when taken in moderation. (M, 2009)

Not all grease is as bad as they say it is. Nutritionists and doctors would like you to believe that grease is a totally horrible thing and that it will damage you severely. It is not as bad as they make it to sound, although if you have cholesterol problems then watch your intake because it is not good for you to have on a regular basis, but if you have no cholesterol or heart problems then feel free to indulge yourself more than once in that juicy fried chicken dipped in grease.

When it comes down to foods there are certain types of foods that you can eat (heart-healthy food) to help lower your cholesterol levels. Tran’s fats and saturated fats are a big no-no and you should stay away from them, so make sure you choose healthier fats. Limiting the cholesterol in your foods will help to lower your cholesterol.  Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and omega 3 rich foods are great sources, and they have the correct type of fats for your heart.  (Staff, 2012)

Grease is not so good for you but when used in moderation it will not pose so much a problem. I know people who rarely use it to cook and others who use it in southern style green beans and on occasions such as thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.   The “grease” you get from FAT food restaurants is from vegetable oils. These oils, like soybean, canola, cottonseed, and corn oils are polyunsaturated and very unstable. When they heat them, ever so slightly, they oxidize (go rancid).

They are rancid before they open the bottle to use them. This hype about them being “trans fat free” is total bunk. Nature packaged vegetable oils very nicely in seeds where lots of antioxidants are found that protect the oils from being oxidized. Once the oils are extracted from the seeds, oxygen goes to work on them. Any omega 3 fatty acids in them are converted to the “trans” configuration from heat and light.

Your body knows all this and looks at these oils as toxins. They end up on your skin because the liver and kidneys get overwhelmed with this junk and your skin acts like a third kidney where the toxins can be easily deposited.  Hydrogenated oils are the worst. Hydrogenation is done as an attempt to make the polyunsaturated oils act like saturated fats that are very stable. Your body knows the difference.

FAT food restaurants are probably the epitome most closely emulating the movie, “Soylent Green.” Everything being sold there has a profit motive, not health. The marketing departments do a great job convincing a public that has no clue of what is good and bad food or they would never step into one of those places. If you wanted to destroy a nation from within, sending people to those places would be the best way, because of this, approximately 53% of the Americans are chronically ill. (Fleischer, 1973)

Any type of lipid is considered cooking grease. This could include solid liquid at room temperature. Grease naturally has a bad name for being unhealthy. This is because people overuse or abuse it, but not all grease is bad either. Grease, fats, or lipids are primarily used to add fat to your cooking.  (contributor, 2012)

Grease can and will contribute to the clogging of arteries, if not used in moderation. You can take bacon grease and add flavors to other types of food with, some have reported using it to flavor up Brussels sprouts. You should however, eat more natural foods, cook in less grease. You will be healthier and happier.

One of the world’s most popular restaurant has become a topic of debate…How healthy are the healthier choices at McDonald’s’? McDonald’s is unhealthy because it is very high in fat, especially saturated fats and trans fats. It is low in vitamins and minerals, especially lacking in fresh fruit and veg. A regular Big Mac meal with large fries and a milkshake comes in at about 2000 calories. That’s equivalent to the entire daily allowance for a physically active adult woman.

McDonald’s contains Trans Fats which is said to be bad for you. It also has high calories, high fat, low fiber, low nutrients, high carbs, high saturated fats, fried in saturated oils, and large portions. Some types of grease such as bacon grease is a contributing factor to Obesity and other health problems. I was reading an article with a title that surprised me. “Go Ahead, Drink Bacon Grease for Breakfast”, I naturally had to read it! Do people really drink bacon grease, or is this just a figurative way of saying eating? I had to read on to find out.

There were two different types of studies that were done. One of the studies, a low fat diet did NOT reduce the risk of cancer and heart attacks as doctors would say. The other study found that taking calcium supplements did more harm than good. “A low-fat diet recommends only 20 to 25 grams of fat per day, which would be about 10 to 15 percent of a 2,000-calorie diet.  The subjects, all women, couldn’t reach the modest study goal of 20 percent.

They tried, but they ended up with 24 to 29 percent of their calories from fat.  The researchers compared these ladies to a control group at the 35-percent fat level.” Calcium tablets in studies were found to give people kidney stones. Some people blot the grease off the pizza or bacon. I know I used to do that in my teen years because the schools pizza was too greasy for me.

Restaurant’s such as McDonald’s and Burger King are working on a more health conscious diet, adding apple slices with happy meals and kids meals, salads added to the menu’s and even advertising the milk products as being low fat.  (Gottlieb, 2007)

I had run into a list of the top 10 unhealthiest foods. I will list them, with the link to them so that you might see why they are unhealthy. The list consists of the Triple whopper from Burger king with cheese, Qdoba Mexican Grill’s Taco Salad, Dairy Queen’s six piece chicken strip basket, Hardee’s thick monster burger, Domino’s three cheese and mac bread bowl pasta, Five guys burgers and Fries’ Large French Fries, Rudy Tuesday’s Boston Blue Burger, Carl’s Jr.’s double six dollar burger, Nathan’s Famous Fish and Chips, and last but not least, Quiznos Large Tuna Melt. (Hill, 2012)

They do have a fat trapper to help remove unhealthy grease from meals.  Most of us have grease in our cupboards and may not even realize it. Canola Oil which is used recommended for baking and stirs fry. You also have Sunflower Oil which is recommended for high-heat frying, browning, and searing. Margarine is recommended over butter as a healthier alternative but is used for some baking as well as spreading on things such as the toast you eat for breakfast in the morning.

Coconut Oil is used for frying because of its high tolerance to heat. Olive oil is used on salads, in cold ingredients, as well as some baking. Butter is used for frying, cream-sauce making, and baking. Peanut oil used for baking is another form of grease, and of course, last but not least, you have palm oil which is recommended for frying. (Womans Day , 2012)

Grease not only clogs up your arteries but it can clog up your pipes if you pour it down the drain as well. There is a way to both save it and dispose of it. I need to rephrase something. SOME grease is bad for you, while others are not. Though, one of the most popular greasy foods we eat is Bacon.

Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon (also known as green bacon). Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon is typically cooked before eating. Boiled bacon is ready to eat, as is some smoked bacon, but may be cooked further before eating.

Bacon is prepared from several different cuts of meat. It is usually made from side and back cuts of pork, except in the United States, where it is almost always prepared from pork belly (typically referred to as “streaky”, “fatty”, or “American style” outside of the US and Canada). The side cut has more meat and less fat than the belly. Bacon may be prepared from either of two distinct back cuts: fatback, which is almost pure fat, and pork loin, which is very lean. Bacon-cured pork loin is known as back bacon.

Bacon may be eaten smoked, boiled, fried, baked, or grilled, or used as a minor ingredient to flavor dishes. Bacon is also used for barding and larding roasts, especially game, e.g. venison, pheasant. The word is derived from the Old High German bacho, meaning “buttock”, “ham” or “side of bacon”, and cognate with the Old French bacon. In continental Europe, this part of the pig is usually not smoked like bacon is in the United States; it is used primarily in cubes (lardoons) as a cooking ingredient, valued both as a source of fat and for its flavor.

In Italy, this is called pancetta and is usually cooked in small cubes or served uncooked and thinly sliced as part of an antipasto. Meat from other animals, such as beef, lamb, chicken, goat, or turkey, may also be cut, cured, or otherwise prepared to resemble bacon, and may even be referred to a “bacon”. Such use is common in areas with significant Jewish and Muslim populations. The USDA defines bacon as “the cured belly of a swine carcass”; other cuts and characteristics must be separately qualified (e.g., “smoked pork loin bacon”). For safety, bacon must be treated to prevent trichinosis, caused by Trichinella, a parasitic roundworm which can be destroyed by heating, freezing, drying, or smoking.

                Bacon is distinguished from salt pork and ham by differences in the brine (or dry packing). Bacon brine has added curing ingredients, most notably sodium nitrite, and occasionally sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate (saltpeter); sodium ascorbate or erythorbate are added to accelerate curing and stabilize color. Flavorings such as brown sugar or maple are used for some products. If used, sodium polyphosphates are added to improve sliceability and reduce spattering when the bacon is pan fried. Today, brine for ham, but not bacon, includes a large amount of sugar.

Historically, “ham” and “bacon” referred to different cuts of meat that were brined or packed identically, often together in the same barrel. Most of the time people will blame the food, but I have to wonder how much at fault is the food really? You turn on the television and see obese children on this Disney or nick jr. show, while yet, I am not saying that there is anything wrong with it. When you see that obese child grab a supersize shake and pack on a lot greasy foods, it does not exactly set an example for that child who is watching the show.

There is a difference in Trans Fats and Saturated Fats. Many people make the same mistakes with cooking, turning a healthy meal into an unhealthy one. If you are frying your food, stop. It is not quite as healthy as if you were not frying your food. Putting salt, sugar and fat on your food is another common cooking mistake especially if you have cholesterol problems.

It is much healthier to go for fresh foods then it is to go for processed foods, which is described as canned foods. From my research you should definitely avoid the breaded foods. You should definitely cut down on the meat while yet you don’t have to cut it out of your diet completely. The worst mistake anyone can make is eating out. It is much healthier to eat at home with some lovely, tasty home cooking then it is to go and get some food at a restaurant. (Mann)

Fats are an easy substitute, but there are several different types of fat and each has different substitutions. For example, in most cases olive oil can be substituted for unhealthy oils and fats, such as bacon grease. Olive oil does contain fat, but it contains healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. According to the Harvard School of Public Learning, these types of fats lower disease risk. Butter can be a bit tricky. When choosing between butter and margarine, margarine is only a healthy substitute for butter if it has zero grams of trans-fat and doesn’t contain partially hydrogenated oils.

According to the Mayo Clinic website, margarine that contain trans-fat can actually be more harmful than the saturated fats found in butter. When baking, recipes sometimes don’t even need fat. The fat usually is there to keep baked goods moist. Instead of using harmful fats, apple sauce, fat-free yogurt and fat-free sour cream make great substitutes. If a recipe depends on the flavor of butter, whipped butter may make a good substitution, especially those that contain olive oil.  These substitutions are lower in saturated fat but still add great flavor to baked goods. Just remember that in most cases, tub margarine will not work for baked goods because it contains too much liquid.

The CDC states that two-thirds of Americans should consume around 1,500 mg of sodium per day. Unfortunately, many Americans consume two times as much sodium. While cutting processed foods from your diet will lower the amount of sodium consumed, there are ways to lower sodium in homemade foods as well. The easiest way to cut sodium and maintain flavor is to use herbs and spices. Homemade spice blends add wonderful flavor without adding excessive amounts of sodium. Be careful of store bought spice blends though because they can contain large amounts of sodium.

Another way to add flavor is to use citrus juices. Fresh lemon, lime and even orange juice can add wonderful flavor, especially to grilled meats. They also pair perfectly with certain spices and herbs. With a bit of experimentation, cooks can create delicious flavor blends that are low in sodium.

Look at the label of many processed foods and it will not only list loads of sodium, but many products are also loaded with refined sugar. Even when preparing foods at home, too much sugar can be consumed. An easy way to cut sugar from your diet is to choose sugar substitutes.

 

                                    Bibliography

contributor, E.-h. (2012). About Cooking Grease. Retrieved from ehow: http://www.ehow.com/about_4596488_cooking-grease.html

Fleischer, R. (Director). (1973). Soylent Green [Motion Picture].

Gottlieb, O. (2007, April 30). Mcdonalds and Obesity. Retrieved from Voices.yahoo.com: http://voices.yahoo.com/mcdonalds-obese-fast-food-grease-joint-healthy-312310.html?cat=5

Hill, M. (2012). top 10 most unhealthy fast foods. Retrieved from http://www.toptenz.net: http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-most-unhealthy-fast-foods.php

M, K. (2009). Healthy Fats. Retrieved from Food renegade: http://www.foodrenegade.com/healthy-fats/

Mann, A. (n.d.). Top 5 bad cooking habits and how to break them. Retrieved from http://www.spryliving.com: http://www.spryliving.com/articles/top-5-bad-cooking-habits-and-how-to-break-them/

McAbee, K. (2012, July 23). Interview. Personal. Hampton, Virginia, USA.

Staff, M. C. (2012, May 27). Reduce Cholesterol. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/reduce-cholesterol/CL00012/

Womans Day . (2012). The grease in the pan, 8 cooking oils. Retrieved from http://www.womansday.com: http://www.womansday.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-shortcuts/the-grease-in-the-pan-8-cooking-oils-75532

World of Warcraft: Hallow’s End

Hallow’s End is the Halloween event in World of Warcraft. A lot of players tend to favor the Halloween event.

Hallow’s End is from Oct. 18-Nov. 1, and it is complete with a Holiday boss, quests for all levels, among costumes, tricks, and treats. You name it, you can probably find it, from battle pets to a nifty mount that is available. There are plenty of reasons to do the Halloween event in World of Warcraft. This is one of my personal favorite events in World of Warcraft, and I look forward to it every year. 

Headless Horseman Wallpaper

The Headless Horseman is a holiday boss for Hallow’s End, and he drops the long sought after mount, Headless horseman’s Reigns. It took me 5 years to finally get mine, but I know plenty of players who are still aiming to get theirs. The Headless Horseman is a fairly easy fight, it’s just a matter of getting him to drop your beloved mount. He drops treats, companions, a mount, and of course there is an achievement for obtaining the mount. You can go to any dungeon master to queue, or just push I on your keyboard and queue up via the random dungeon finder. One of the best parts is that you’re not bound by level anymore when looking to run him, you can be any level as long as you can queue up for dungeons.

You can do achievements for titles, the meta-achievement also will give you a mount as well, the Violet Proto-Drake. This achievement requires many different holidays to complete it so it can take some time. It is a fun achievement, with a cool drake to get rewarded. This might be one of the easiest proto-drake to obtain, but don’t quote us on that. Whether it is easy for you or not, is really on you. It might be harder for you than for someone else.

Warlock outside a decorated cemetery

There are some new companion pets that have joined the mixture. You can purchase the pets in a Hallows End vendor, or you can do quests for some, such as the Creepy Crate. There are quite a few companions you could get, this comes in handy for anyone who either collects pets or takes parts in pet battles. I am unsure of whether or not you can sell the pets on the auction house or not that you buy from the vendor, but you can’t sell the creepy crate you get for completing the quests.

The quests are a great way to help level up alts. You have your normal set of quests, but then you have dailies. This can easily help you to get some gold or help you get some experience for an alt you might be trying to level up. Dailies are quests you can do every day, usually done to acquire gold from them.

Headless Horseman’s Head

You have candy buckets around the world. You can go to the inns and “trick or treat,” where you get to go to a gigantic bucket, that looks like a pumpkin, you click on it and it either tricks you or gives you a treat. The tricks usually turn you into a snake or a bug, or something else for like 10 seconds. If you receive a treat, then you could be granted a costume that will last for an hour, along with a handful of tasty treats. You could even obtain wands where you can give friends costumes.

Do you participate in Hallow’s End? What is your favorite part? Let me know.

Facebook Feedback

I appointed an Analyst for my Facebook page, though she hasn’t given me any feedback lately this was the last bit of feedback she has given me. I am sharing this in hopes that you maybe could utilize this for help:

Feedback for Onyx.
– Engagement is Low because the content is what the target market wants to engage with.
– Share more Warcraft content.
– Write your posts in word and run it through Grammarly to fix spelling & grammar mistakes.
What is working: – Posts that are asking questions.
– Polls
What I would suggest. – Tying in polls and questions to World of Warcraft & The Sims.
– Engaging on posts as your profile on other Warcraft/Sims pages.
– Scheduling some posts that stay on brand.
– Use Cleaners and Higher Quality Images.
– Occasionally share your posts to Wow and Sims 4 Groups.
– Upload teasers/Clips of video directly to Facebook.
– Upload News Articles/Blog Posts on WoW & The Sims 4.
– I would also recommend looking at social media examples from other Sims 4/WoW Youtubers
Fact: If you share educational information that is relevant about your brand (information on The Sims 4 or World of Warcraft) people are more likely to share it as it makes them appear intelligent to their peers.
Optimal Times for Posting to Facebook: World of Warcraft: Wednesday between 11am – 3pm (try 12:00 – 1pm.) The Sims 4: Friday between 10am – 3pm (try 2pm.) Article Shares: Weekdays between 11 – 3pm (whenever you see them.)
Question(s) I need to ask:
– Who is your brands target market?
– What do you want to achieve from your page?

Airianna Angel

Age 17:

Airianna’s sister, Onyx has disappeared.

Airianna follows the trail, to a small bar down an alley way, where she discovers traces of her sister still being alive by a gang, she first tried the police, they only laughed at her, giving her some apprehension about the cops of the area, best she can figure is that either the cops were in on it, or being paid off by the gang, neither sounded promising. Instead she conditioned her mind for the worst possible scenario, which took her a couple months, and she seen a doctor about a long term birth control, in hopes that she won’t get pregnant during this.

Airianna, now ready for the worst case scenario, mimicked the trail to the letter, allowing herself to seem unaware of her immediate surroundings, she was drugged and carried off to holding pens, raped and beat, on a daily basis, by multiple gang members. After 3 months had passed, one of the higher ranking gang members figured out Airianna’s fighting spirit, so she was moved from the free for all pens to the elite pens.

Airianna was cuffed to a bed, and gagged, and had just been raped, when another one of the girls starts licking the cum out of her, it feels good, and couldn’t help moaning through the gag, it turned on the gang leaders so much, that after Airianna had an orgasm from it, her sister was thrown on the bed next to her, turned out it was her sister who ate her out, and they got raped together,  they weren’t as abusive with the sex, and they didn’t get beat nearly as often while in the elite pens, and after her orgasm, she couldn’t resist being forced by them. Making them even more desiring of Airianna. After the high ranking gang members were done with them, they were escorted to the same elite pen and started to bunk in the same bed. As it turned out, there were only 8 girls in the elite pens including Airianna, and Onyx.

Airianna took notice that there weren’t any female gang members, only males. She took mental notes on how the guards moved, she was more well behaved with her sister in tow, and they got into a more personal relationship together, eating each other out, started by the gang. Cuddling with each other at night, since they only had the one bed, kept without clothes, and were allowed to bathe often. The food they were allowed to eat was still rather soft, but at least it doesn’t remind Airianna of pig slop like the first pen’s meals.

Onyx would sometimes return from doing dishes with fresh bruises, and she would comfort her sister, While cuddling, and one of the guards would pass by, it wasn’t long after that the 2 of them would be carted off to bathe and get raped in the wading pool. It turned out to be one of the leader’s favorite places to have the girls, Airianna with gills, able to breath underwater, was often held under water for various activities.

Age 18:

Several more months had passed, the girls were now “owned” by the main leader of the gang, and Onyx was pregnant, she couldn’t let her sissy give birth in a place like this. Being ignored, she took measures into her own hands, she had already broke the locks to their cage, and almost got caught, they stayed in the cage when they were supposed to be in it for the last week, as she snuck out at night, to watch the guard movements, She found the weakest path of resistance and found the way out. Her sister doesn’t move as fast, so she had to time it just right.

Airianna was ready, her sister was more than ready, but also pregnant, they started their trip towards freedom, they slipped past guards, keeping to the shadows, mostly at night, it’s been fairly quiet. These guards had gotten lazy, and not as observant, they even got within a few feet of some of the guards, then halfway to the exit, a guard passed their pen, who went to see the leader, and it was the leader who started shouting that they weren’t in the pen, and to find them.

At the pipe that lead to freedom, Airianna told Onyx to run for it, don’t look back, and to at least make it home, and she would be there as soon as she can, if she can. As Onyx slipped out, Airianna turned on the guards that found them. She fought a loosing battle and knew she was going to loose, but all she was doing, was giving her sister the time she needed to get through the pipe. Airianna was never a fighter, but for the right reasons, she would fight. She got beat down, knocked unconscious and raped by 8 of the guards, when they were done, faintly she could hear the leader’s pissed off voice, they raped one of his girls, and killed her in the process. However, due to her already slow heart rate and pulse, while in a comma, without instruments, she would be deemed dead, so she was tossed in the river, and left for dead.

After 18 hours, she had healed, and came back around, still under water, she smiled, knowing she is free of the gang, for good. She swam as far up the river as she could, moving away from the pits of hell, and surfaced, found some clothes hanging on clothes lines to cover herself with, and proceeded home, where she found her sister safe, she changed clothes, washed the ones she had borrowed, and returned them to the line she got them from the next night.

Eventually, Airi & Onyx would head off to Los Santos together, a fresh start. The girls both found someone they loved, but who knew the man they would love would be the same guy, Sean James. In a polygamous relationship, Airi continued looking out for her sister. She worked very hard to ensure that Onyx would be happy and taken care of. Eventually that led to what everyone believed was her death. She was shot in the head, and eventually her brain regrew back. She never did fully become mentally aware. After She gave birth to her and Sean’s babies, Onyx set her and the babies free. Hoping that one day, her and Airi might meet again.

World of Warcraft: Archmage Modera

Modera is a member of The Six.

 

The Six is the elite body that governs Dalaran.

Modera was an active member of The Six during the Second War. She is also close friends with Aethas Sunreaver.

Modera worked very closely with Drenden. She was even present at the meetings of the secret council where the members discussed the return of Deathwing. (Possible return that is)

Wars

The council that Modera was on, chose Rhonin to send him on a mission. This mission was to determine whether Deathwing really returned.

The Discovery of Deathwing

The mages learned about Daval Prestor, who was very mysterious. Prestor was rumored to have been Deathwing though they were not able to find out more about him.

Special Thanks

Deathwing was defeated due to efforts of Rhonin, Krasus, Vereesa, and many others. Modera was present at the final meeting where it was summarized what happened.

Kel’Thuzad’s Removal

Modera spoke against Kel’thuzad using necromancy. She was present during the discovery of his experiments which led to the expulsion from the Kirin Tor.

What do you think about Modera? Would you like to see more from her in the future of World of Warcraft?

Taelia Fordragon, Squire of Cyrus Crestfall

Taelia Fordragon is the daughter of Bolvar Fordragon.

She was also the ward of House Proudmoore, and as far as she knows her father died in battle.

She became a cadet of the Proudmoore Guard. Cyrus Crestfall took care of and raised her, after having been entrusted by Daelin Proudmoore with her care.

 

She came from Lordaeron, and her father was the Regent Lord of Stormwind.

Life

The scourge hit Lordaeron and Taelia lost her mother. Her father then sent her to Kul Tiras, expecting her to be raised away from the war.

Cyrus Crestfall

Cyrus was entrusted with raising the girl. He taught her how to fight, how to ride, and how to sail.

Proudmoore Guard

Taelia entered the Proudmoore Guard better trained than some of her instructors. Her instructors did not appreciate her being better trained then them, at least some of them.

Taelia & Her Father

Taelia never knew what exactly happened to her father. He wrote letters, and when they stopped she’d heard that he gave his life fighting the Lich King. Never really knowing or finding out that he is indeed the new Lich King.

What are your thoughts about Taelia Fordragon?